EP2AGX260EF29C4G - Arria II GX FPGA, 244K LE, 6.75Gbps | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX260EF29C4G β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2547.43 | $2,547.43 |
| 10 | $2420.06 | $24,200.60 |
| 100 | $2241.74 | $224,174.00 |
| 500 | $2098.65 | $1,049,325.00 |
| 1,000 | $1955.55 | $1,955,550.00 |
EP2AGX260EF29C4G Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory blocks, DSP blocks, and programmable I/O cells, all wired through a programmable interconnect. FPGAs sit between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven microcontrollers: they deliver ASIC-class throughput and latency while preserving full hardware reprogrammability. The Arria II GX family is Intel's mid-range transceiver-equipped family, bridging the low-cost Cyclone series and the high-end Stratix series, and is widely used in wireless baseband, broadcast video, military/aerospace, and high-speed serial I/O applications.
Key features of the EP2AGX260EF29C4G include 244,188 logic elements, 12,038,144 total RAM bits, 10260 LABs/CLBs, 372 user I/Os, and 12 full-duplex transceivers operating up to 6.375 Gbps. The device also integrates 1,140 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP, hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 endpoints, and supports DDR2/DDR3 external memory interfaces. The C4 speed grade is optimized for higher logic performance than the I4 industrial grade at the cost of commercial 0C to +85C temperature range operation.
Architecturally, the EP2AGX260EF29C4G uses a 40nm TSMC process node with a logic fabric composed of 8-input ALMs (Adaptive Logic Modules), dedicated MLAB (memory logic array block) memory, and 9-bit DSP blocks. Configuration is typically stored in 1.8V NOR-flash or via JTAG, with bitstream encryption and design security features supporting AES-128. The integrated transceivers use a hard PCS (physical coding sublayer) supporting 8B/10B, PCIe Gen1/Gen2, XAUI, and custom protocols at line rates from 600 Mbps to 6.375 Gbps.
Typical applications include wireless baseband processing, software-defined radio, broadcast video encoding/decoding, radar and sonar signal processing, high-speed serial protocol bridging (PCIe, XAUI, Serial RapidIO), and military secure communications. The 780-BGA package exposes 8 transceiver channels and 16 global clock networks, sufficing for high-density backplane and line-card designs.
When designing with this part, plan power budgeting carefully: at full utilization the Arria II GX core can consume 10W to 20W, requiring multi-layer PCB stackups with dedicated ground and power planes. Designers should use the Quartus II design suite (with continued compatibility in Intel Quartus Prime Standard Edition) and the Arria II GX Transceiver Toolkit for SI analysis.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found on the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX260EF29C4G β 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 EP2AGX260EF29C4G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX260EF29C4
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$339.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29I4G
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGX260FF35C4G
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$1420 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX190EF29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2510 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX125EF29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1100 / Unit
View Datasheet βXC7K325T-FFG676
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGX260EF29C4G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Arria II GX |
| Number of Logic Elements | 244188 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 10260 |
| Total RAM Bits | 12038144 |
| Number of I/O | 372 |
| Number of Transceivers | 12 |
| Transceiver Data Rate | 6.375 Gbps |
| Supply Voltage | 0.9V core, 1.1V/1.5V/1.8V/2.5V/3.3V I/O |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Package | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (29 mm) |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial, performance-optimized) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm TSMC |
| Embedded Multipliers | 1140 (18x18) |
| Configuration Memory | AES-128 encrypted bitstream support |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP2AGX260EF29C4G 780-bbga, fcbga (29 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX260EF29C4G (780-bbga, fcbga (29 mm) 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 EP2AGX260EF29C4G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX260EF29C4G is suitable for 7 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, Software-Defined Radio (SDR), Broadcast Video Encoding/Decoding, PCIe Gen2 Card Design, Radar and Sonar Signal Processing, High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging, Military Secure Communications.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP2AGX260EF29C4G's 244,188 logic elements and 1,140 18x18 hardware multipliers deliver the throughput needed for LTE and WiMAX baseband signal chains, including channel coding (Turbo/Viterbi), FFT/iFFT, and digital up/down conversion. Its 12 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps aggregate CPRI/OBSAI fronthaul links to remote radio heads at line rates up to 4.915 Gbps, while the 12 Mbit embedded RAM buffers packets between MAC and PHY layers with low latency. Placed on a baseband line card with DDR3 external memory and a TI power regulator, it replaces multiple DSP chips in legacy designs. The C4 commercial speed grade provides the timing margin required for high-clock-rate baseband fabrics.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio (SDR)
With 244K logic elements and 12 transceivers up to 6.375 Gbps, the EP2AGX260EF29C4G is well-matched to wideband SDR platforms that need to run multi-standard waveforms (LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS) on a single reprogrammable fabric. The DSP-rich fabric - 1,140 hardware multipliers - accelerates FFT, FIR filtering, and digital down-conversion without taxing the FPGA logic, while 12 Mbit embedded RAM holds coefficient tables and sample buffers. Designers can swap waveforms at runtime via partial reconfiguration, exploiting the device's configuration memory subsystem. A typical SDR card combines the FPGA with a TI ADC and clock jitter cleaner on a 12-layer PCB for clean RF performance.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Encoding/Decoding
Broadcast video applications such as H.264/AVC or JPEG2000 encode/decode demand the multi-gigasample DSP bandwidth that the EP2AGX260EF29C4G supplies via its 1,140 18x18 multipliers and 244K logic elements. The 12 Gbps transceiver channels support SDI (SMPTE 424M) and DVB-ASI ingest, while 372 user I/Os accommodate parallel video bus interfaces and DDR2/DDR3 external memory for frame buffers. The embedded RAM of 12 Mbit provides line buffers and motion-estimation scratch storage, reducing external memory traffic. A typical broadcast encoder uses the FPGA between SDI serializers and a TI power management IC, with all timing closure achieved in the C4 speed grade.
Recommended
PCIe Gen2 Card Design
The EP2AGX260EF29C4G integrates hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 endpoints, enabling direct root-complex or endpoint connectivity at 5 Gbps without consuming logic resources. Combined with 12 transceivers and 244K logic elements, the device is widely deployed in PCIe accelerator cards for data center and HPC applications - for example, custom inference, network processing, or storage offload engines. The 780-FCBGA package exposes all required PCIe lanes and reference clocks, and the embedded RAM buffers DMA transfers between host memory and on-card processing. Power budget should allow 15-20W for the FPGA plus auxiliary components on the PCIe card.
Recommended
Radar and Sonar Signal Processing
The Arria II GX EP2AGX260EF29C4G delivers the compute density required for phased-array radar beamforming and active sonar beam steering, where 244K logic elements and 1,140 18x18 multipliers implement pulse compression, MTI filtering, and FFTs across thousands of channels. The 12 transceivers carry digitized antenna data from ADCs to the FPGA at sample rates exceeding 4 Gbps, while 12 Mbit of embedded RAM holds windowing and Doppler tables. In naval and military platforms, the industrial-grade EP2AGX260EF29I4G variant extends operation to -40C to +100C. The C4 speed grade is critical for closing timing on 250+ MHz signal-processing datapaths.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging
When bridging between PCIe, XAUI, Serial RapidIO, GbE, and custom serial protocols, the EP2AGX260EF29C4G's 12 transceivers and 244K logic elements handle the protocol conversions with hardware offload. The embedded PCS supports 8B/10B encoding for XAUI and Serial RapidIO at up to 6.375 Gbps line rate, while the soft logic fabric implements custom MAC layers or protocol adaptation. Industrial switch and router manufacturers use this part to bridge legacy backplanes to newer high-speed fabrics. The 780-FCBGA package exposes all 12 transceiver channels plus ample user I/O for parallel sideband signals.
Recommended
Military Secure Communications
The EP2AGX260EF29C4G is used in tactical radio and crypto equipment where the AES-128 bitstream encryption and design security features protect intellectual property and key material. With 244K logic elements, designers implement proprietary modem waveforms, FEC codecs, and bulk encryption engines entirely in firmware. The 12 transceivers support encrypted links to other tactical assets at up to 6.375 Gbps, and the 12 Mbit embedded RAM provides low-latency crypto buffer space. For deployed hardware, the EP2AGX260EF29I4G industrial variant supports the wider temperature ranges required in vehicle-mounted and outdoor military platforms.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX260EF29C4G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX260EF29C4 | EP2AGX260EF29I4G | EP2AGX190EF29C4G | EP2AGX125EF29C4G | XC7K325T-FFG676 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | AMD (Xilinx) |
| Package | 780-BGA, FCBGA (29 mm) | 780-BGA, FCBGA (29 mm) - same | 780-BGA, FCBGA (29 mm) - same | 780-BGA, FCBGA (29 mm) - same family | 780-BGA, FCBGA (29 mm) - same family | 676-BGA FFG - different |
| Logic Elements | 244,188 | 244,188 (same die) | 244,188 (same die) | 190,000 (-22%) | 124,100 (-49%) | 326,080 (+33%) |
| Total RAM Bits | 12,038,144 | 12,038,144 | 12,038,144 | 9,732,608 (-19%) | 7,587,840 (-37%) | 16,773,120 (+39%) |
| Transceivers | 12 @ 6.375 Gbps | 12 @ 6.375 Gbps | 12 @ 6.375 Gbps | 12 @ 6.375 Gbps (same) | 12 @ 6.375 Gbps (same) | 8 @ 6.6 Gbps / 10 @ 12.5 Gbps (GTX/GTH) |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 1,140 | 1,140 | 1,140 | 840 (-26%) | 576 (-49%) | 840 DSP48 slices (-26%) |
| User I/Os | 372 | 372 | 372 | 372 (same) | 372 (same) | 250 (FFG676) |
| Speed Grade / Process | C4 / 40 nm | C4 / 40 nm | I4 / 40 nm | C4 / 40 nm | C4 / 40 nm | -2/-3 / 28 nm |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Arria II GX in 780-FCBGA (vs EP2AGX190EF29C4G)
- Hard PCIe Gen2 endpoint integrated (vs EP2AGX125EF29C4G)
- Industrial-temp variant available in same package (vs EP2AGX260EF29C4)
Design Notes
Estimated: At full transceiver and logic utilization, the EP2AGX260EF29C4G core power can reach 15-20W. Use a 12-layer PCB with dedicated 0.9V core and 1.1V/1.5V/1.8V/2.5V/3.3V I/O power planes, plus thermal vias under the FCBGA thermal pad to a copper heat spreader. The 780-FCBGA package has a published theta-JA of approximately 12 C/W with proper thermal management; without adequate cooling the device will throttle or trigger thermal shutdown above +85C junction.
The 780-FCBGA uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch on a 29 mm body; PCB stackup must use laser-drilled microvias (4-6 mil diameter) and ENIG or ENEPIG surface finish. Place decoupling capacitors within 100 mil of each power pin: 0.1uF X7R for high-frequency and 10uF X5R for bulk, plus a 100uF tantalum or polymer cap on the 0.9V core rail. Match-length differential pairs for all 12 transceiver channels using the Arria II GX Transceiver Toolkit's eye-diagram analysis.
Common mistakes with Arria II GX include: (1) confusing the C4 commercial speed grade with the I4 industrial grade and vice versa - temperature range is the deciding factor; (2) overlooking the G-suffix meaning (RoHS lead-free) versus non-G lead-bearing finishes; (3) configuring MSEL pins incorrectly for AS (active serial), PS (passive parallel), or JTAG configuration modes; (4) failing to connect all GND balls - every NC-marked ball should still be soldered for ground continuity; (5) using Quartus II versions newer than 13.1 which drop Arria II GX support - stay on 13.0sp1 or 13.1 for this device.
Each of the 12 transceivers requires a 100-ohm differential reference clock with sub-ps jitter; use a dedicated clock generator like the TI CDCE62005 instead of distributing clocks through FPGAs. Pre-emphasis and equalization settings should be tuned per channel using the Arria II GX Transceiver Toolkit - start with the device handbook's 'Medium' preset and adjust based on the channel's loss profile. For PCIe Gen2, the eye-diagram mask at 5 Gbps must close to within 100 mUI margin for compliance.
Route all 12 transceiver channels on the top microvia layer with continuous reference ground plane on layer 2 - never cross a power plane split under a high-speed serial channel. Keep the distance from BGA ball to AC-coupling capacitor under 200 mil. User I/O banks operate at independent voltages (1.2V/1.5V/1.8V/2.5V/3.3V LVCMOS or LVDS) - group I/O standards by bank to minimize VREF and VCCIO rail count. Reference Intel AN 568: Arria II GX Board Design Guidelines for full layout checklists.
Compliance Information
G suffix indicates RoHS-compliant lead-free finish. Commercial 0C to +85C temperature range; choose I-grade for industrial. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an FPGA not an automotive-grade IC.