EP1SGX40CF672C7 - Stratix GX FPGA, 41K LE, FBGA-672 | Altera
MPN: EP1SGX40CF672C7 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $210 | $21,000.00 |
| 500 | $185 | $92,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $165 | $165,000.00 |
EP1SGX40CF672C7 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O can be programmed after manufacturing, allowing hardware engineers to implement custom digital circuits without taping out an ASIC. Within the broader semiconductor hierarchy, an FPGA sits below an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) and above general-purpose microcontrollers in terms of raw parallelism and I/O flexibility. The Stratix GX family specifically extends this concept by embedding multi-gigabit transceivers (MGTs), making it a hybrid digital/RFPGA platform optimized for serial connectivity applications such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet, SONET/SDH, Serial RapidIO, and PCI Express.
Key features of the EP1SGX40CF672C7 include 14 embedded transceivers operating up to 3.125 Gbps, support for PCI Express x1/x4/x8 hard IP, 14 dedicated full-duplex clock data recovery (CDR) channels, and configurable I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, and SSTL. The device integrates 14 embedded multipliers (18x18), 14 DSP blocks, and a TriMatrix memory structure featuring 384 Kbits of M512 blocks, 2.4 Mbits of M4K blocks, and 600 Kbits of M-RAM blocks, all accessible via dedicated high-bandwidth interconnect. These resources enable designers to implement complex signal-processing functions such as FFTs, FEC encoding, and digital up/down conversion directly in the fabric.
Architecturally, the EP1SGX40CF672C7 uses a 1.5 V core voltage with 0.13-micron CMOS SRAM-based configuration cells, requiring an external configuration device or JTAG programming. The transceiver block is hardened silicon, providing deterministic latency and PMA-level features such as pre-emphasis, equalization, and 8B/10B encoding that would consume excessive fabric resources if implemented in soft logic. Compared with non-GX Stratix devices, the GX adds dedicated serialization/deserialization (SERDES) circuitry, freeing up general-purpose logic and DSP blocks for application-layer processing.
Typical applications for the EP1SGX40CF672C7 include high-speed serial interface bridging (PCI Express to Serial RapidIO, XAUI to SPI-4.2), broadcast video routers, network switches and line cards, and storage area network (SAN) controllers. Its combination of 3.125 Gbps transceivers and PCI Express hard IP makes it particularly well-suited to communications backplane designs where multiple protocol layers coexist on a single board.
When designing with this part, engineers should verify the supply voltage sequencing requirements (1.5 V core, 3.3 V I/O) and ensure that JTAG or EPC configuration devices are specified. The FBGA-672 package requires controlled-impedance PCB routing and BGA fanout; thermal management via heat sinks or forced airflow is advisable for sustained transceiver operation. Refer to the Stratix GX Device Handbook for detailed signal-integrity guidelines.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, parameter coverage, drop-in same-package alternatives, and design notes that supplement the manufacturer datasheet for engineers evaluating the EP1SGX40CF672C7 for new designs or legacy system support.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1SGX40CF672C7 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP1SGX40CF672C7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Configuration Method, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1SGX40CF672C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$295 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1SGX40CF672C5
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1SGX25CF672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$340 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1SGX25DF672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1SGX10CF672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$185 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1SGX40CF672C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 41,250 |
| Embedded Transceivers | 14 channels |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 3.125 Gbps |
| Total Embedded RAM | Up to 3.4 Mbits (TriMatrix) |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 14 |
| DSP Blocks | 14 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Package | FBGA-672 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature (Commercial) | 0C to +85C |
| Configuration Method | SRAM-based (JTAG / EPC) |
| Process Technology | 0.13 um CMOS |
EP1SGX40CF672C7 fbga-672 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP1SGX40CF672C7 (fbga-672 package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for EP1SGX40CF672C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP1SGX40CF672C7 is suitable for 6 applications: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card, PCI Express Endpoint Card, Broadcast Video Router / Switcher, Storage Area Network (SAN) Controller, Wireless Baseband Processing, Industrial Test and Measurement Equipment.
10 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
The EP1SGX40CF672C7 is well suited for 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) line cards where its 14 transceivers at 3.125 Gbps map directly to the XAUI (10 Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface) lane structure. Four transceiver channels implement the four 3.125 Gbps XAUI lanes, while the remaining fabric implements MAC, PCS, and upper-layer protocol logic. The 41,250 logic elements provide ample headroom for protocol state machines and statistics counters, and the TriMatrix memory blocks enable efficient packet buffering. Compared with discrete SERDES-plus-ASIC designs, the integrated transceiver hard-IP reduces BOM cost and board area, at the trade-off of higher power consumption than a modern 28nm/14nm equivalent.
Recommended
PCI Express Endpoint Card
The EP1SGX40CF672C7 integrates hardened PCI Express endpoint IP, supporting x1, x4, and x8 lane configurations at 2.5 Gbps per lane. With 14 transceivers available, a x8 implementation consumes 8 transceivers for PCI Express and leaves 6 spare for auxiliary interfaces such as SATA, Serial RapidIO, or external memory ports. The 41,250 logic elements handle application-layer protocol stacks, DMA engines, and interrupt logic. This part was widely used in pre-2010 server and workstation add-in cards; for new designs, engineers should evaluate Stratix IV GX or Cyclone V GT as modern drop-in replacements, but for legacy support and long-lifecycle embedded systems the EP1SGX40CF672C7 remains a proven choice.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Router / Switcher
Broadcast video routers require multi-format serial interfaces including SDI (Serial Digital Interface), HD-SDI, and 3G-SDI, all of which run at bit rates well below 3.125 Gbps and can be implemented using the EP1SGX40CF672C7 transceivers. The 14 channels support up to 14 simultaneous bidirectional SDI streams, and the 41,250 logic elements handle video processing functions such as color-space conversion, frame synchronization, and audio embedding. The TriMatrix memory blocks implement line buffers and audio sample FIFOs. Engineers designing SDI routers should note that the Stratix GX transceivers support SDI-specific features such as clock-cleaning, but designers must still handle SMPTE 259M/292M/424M protocol overhead in soft logic.
Recommended
Storage Area Network (SAN) Controller
Storage Area Network controllers based on Fibre Channel, Serial ATA (SATA), or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) can leverage the EP1SGX40CF672C7's hardened transceiver channels. Each Fibre Channel 4G/8G link maps cleanly to one or two transceiver channels at 4.25 Gbps or 8.5 Gbps (using oversampling), and the 14 channels support up to 14 FC links. The 41,250 logic elements implement RAID controllers, SAS expander logic, and command queuing, while the embedded multipliers accelerate XOR computations for RAID 5/6 parity generation. Thermal design must account for sustained multi-channel operation; a heatsink or forced airflow is recommended when more than 8 transceivers run concurrently at maximum data rate.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Processing
Wireless baseband processing for 3G/HSPA and early 4G LTE base stations uses the EP1SGX40CF672C7's 14 DSP blocks and 14 embedded 18x18 multipliers to implement channel cards, FFT/iFFT engines, and digital up/down converters. The transceiver channels connect to digital front-end DAC/ADC interfaces via LVDS at rates up to 1 Gbps, and the TriMatrix memory provides coefficient storage for adaptive filters. With 41,250 logic elements, a single device can implement 2x2 MIMO processing for a single antenna sector. For modern massive-MIMO designs, multi-device configurations or migration to Stratix V/10 is required, but the EP1SGX40 remains deployed in legacy 3G base stations worldwide.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement Equipment
High-end industrial test equipment such as protocol analyzers, BERT (Bit Error Rate Testers), and logic analyzers benefit from the EP1SGX40CF672C7's combination of 14 multi-gigabit transceivers and 41,250 logic elements. Test equipment can generate and analyze multiple serial protocols simultaneously using different transceiver channels, while the soft logic implements pattern generation, error detection, and protocol-aware analysis. The FBGA-672 package supports the high pin count needed for parallel triggering and pattern I/O. Industrial temperature variants (I-grade) are available in the EP1SGX40 family for harsh-environment deployments such as aerospace test racks and outdoor telecom field-test equipment.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1SGX40CF672C7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1SGX40CF672C6 | EP1SGX40CF672C5 | EP1SGX25CF672C7 | EP1SGX25DF672C7 | EP1SGX10CF672C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | FBGA-672 | FBGA-672 - same | FBGA-672 - same | FBGA-672 - same | FBGA-672 - same | FBGA-672 - same |
| Family | Stratix GX | Stratix GX | Stratix GX | Stratix GX | Stratix (non-GX) | Stratix GX |
| Logic Elements | 41,250 | 41,250 | 41,250 | 25,660 | 25,660 | 10,570 |
| Transceiver Channels | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 (non-GX) | 4 |
| Max Transceiver Data Rate | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | N/A (no transceivers) | 3.125 Gbps |
| Speed Grade | C7 | C6 (slower) | C5 (slowest) | C7 | C7 | C7 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest logic density in the FBGA-672 Stratix GX family (vs EP1SGX25CF672C7)
- Full 14-channel transceiver count vs reduced variants (vs EP1SGX10CF672C7)
- GX (transceiver-equipped) vs non-GX Stratix (vs EP1SGX25DF672C7)
Design Notes
Estimated: at typical operating conditions with all 14 transceivers running at 3.125 Gbps and fabric utilization around 70%, the EP1SGX40CF672C7 draws approximately 7-9 W from the 1.5 V core supply. Designers should budget a 10 W power regulator with at least 20% headroom. Power supply decoupling requires 100 uF bulk capacitance plus 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramic capacitors distributed near each power pin per the Stratix GX Device Handbook.
The FBGA-672 package's thermal resistance (theta_JA) is approximately 12 C/W with adequate airflow and a heat sink, and 18-22 C/W without. For sustained 14-channel transceiver operation, attach a heat sink with thermal interface material and provide at least 200 LFM airflow. Without thermal management, junction temperatures can exceed the 125 C commercial limit within minutes of full operation.
BGA fanout for the FBGA-672 requires 1.0 mm pitch escape routing; use a 4-layer PCB minimum with continuous ground planes beneath the device. Transceiver traces must be routed as 50 ohm controlled-impedance differential pairs (100 ohm differential), with length matching to within 150 mils for reliable 3.125 Gbps operation. Reference the Altera Stratix GX board design guidelines for via-stub and AC-coupling capacitor placement.
Do not assume pin compatibility between EP1SGX40 and EP1SGX25 variants even in the same FBGA-672 package - the LE count and transceiver count differ, and design software reports resource over-mapping as a fit error. Also verify that your EPC configuration device (e.g., EPC16 or EPC64) is sized for the EP1SGX40 bitstream, which is larger than EP1SGX25. Use JTAG-based programming during prototyping to allow fast iteration.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not explicitly documented in publicly available Altera/Intel product files for this legacy part. Buyers should request RoHS/REACH and conflict-minerals declarations from their supplier. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for an FPGA of this complexity; automotive applications would use a different Stratix variant.
