EP2AGX260EF29C5G - Arria II GX 260K LE FPGA 780-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX260EF29C5G β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3847.22 | $3,847.22 |
| 10 | $3462.5 | $34,625.00 |
| 100 | $3115.27 | $311,527.00 |
| 500 | $2800 | $1,400,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $2515 | $2,515,000.00 |
EP2AGX260EF29C5G Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device that combines programmable logic fabric, embedded memory blocks, DSP slices, and high-speed serial transceivers on a single die. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic taxonomy - above CPLDs and discrete glue logic - and are typically deployed as hardware accelerators, protocol bridges, or signal-processing engines where microcontrollers or DSPs cannot meet throughput requirements.
Key features of the EP2AGX260EF29C5G include integrated multi-gigabit transceivers (MGTs) supporting common serial standards, dedicated hardware DSP blocks for high-throughput filtering and modulation, and on-chip PLLs for clock synthesis and jitter-cleaning. The C5 speed grade targets -5C to 85C commercial operation, while the 'G' suffix indicates a lead-free, RoHS-compliant ball finish. The 780-FBGA package offers a compact 29 mm square footprint suitable for space-constrained designs.
Architecturally, the device uses a 40 nm process node, an adaptive logic module (ALM) structure that is 20% more area-efficient than the prior 4-input LUT approach, and embedded transceaters capable of multi-gigabit rates. Per-block memory (MLAB/M9K/M144K) and dedicated 18x18 multipliers form the DSP backbone, while on-chip termination and dynamic reconfiguration reduce board complexity.
Typical applications include high-speed serial-interface bridging (PCI Express, Serial RapidIO, Gigabit Ethernet), wireless baseband signal processing, software-defined radio front-ends, video broadcast and image processing pipelines, and industrial test-and-measurement backplanes. The combination of high LE count, large memory, and integrated transceivers makes it well suited for line-card aggregation and protocol conversion designs.
When designing with this device, plan power-rail sequencing early - the EP2AGX260EF29C5G requires separate VCCINT, VCCA, VCCD_PLL, and transceiver supply rails with monotonic ramp-up to avoid latch-up. Use IBIS simulation for the 372 user I/Os and ensure the FBGA land pattern matches JEDEC MS-034 to keep solder-joint yield high.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in Arria II GX family alternatives, and practical hardware-design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, giving procurement and FPGA engineers a single-source reference for the EP2AGX260EF29C5G.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX260EF29C5G 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 EP2AGX260EF29C5G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Speed Grade, Package, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX260EF29C5
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1870 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1955.55 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1295 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C4
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$339.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX190EF29C5G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1071.99 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C5G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 260,000 |
| Total Memory Bits | 12,038,144 bits |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 244,188 bits |
| Number of LABs | 10,260 |
| User I/O Count | 372 |
| Package | 780-ball FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Package Code | HBGA, 29 mm |
| Speed Grade | C5 (commercial -5C to 85C) |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (G suffix) |
EP2AGX260EF29C5G hbga, 29 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX260EF29C5G (hbga, 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 EP2AGX260EF29C5G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX260EF29C5G is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 Endpoint Card, Wireless Baseband and Software-Defined Radio, Video Broadcast and Image Processing Pipeline, Industrial Test and Measurement Backplane, High-Speed Serial Interface Bridging, Storage and RAID Controller Acceleration.
PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 Endpoint Card
The EP2AGX260EF29C5G fits PCI Express endpoint and root-port designs because its integrated multi-gigabit transceivers deliver the 2.5 Gbps (Gen1) and 5.0 Gbps (Gen2) PHY layers directly, while the Altera hard IP block handles the MAC, transaction, and data-link layers. The 260K logic elements absorb endpoint application logic (DMA engines, custom BARs, MSI-X tables) that would otherwise overflow smaller FPGAs. Placed on a 4- or 8-lane PCIe card, the 372 user I/Os expose ample GPIO for board-level control, and 12 Mbits of embedded memory serve as buffer / descriptor RAM. Compared with a soft-only PCIe implementation, this hard-IP partition reduces latency by hundreds of nanoseconds - useful in storage, instrumentation, and FPGA co-processor designs.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband and Software-Defined Radio
The EP2AGX260EF29C5G is well matched to wireless baseband and software-defined radio (SDR) front-ends because its high DSP block count accelerates FIR filtering, FFT/iFFT, channelization, and digital up/down conversion at sample rates well above 100 MSPS. The 260K logic elements plus 18x18 hardware multipliers run multiple parallel channels (e.g., 4x4 MIMO or multi-carrier GSM/LTE) without falling back to off-chip DSPs. The 12 Mbit embedded memory holds large window/coefficient tables, while integrated MGTs interface directly to RF ADC/DAC JESD204B or LVDS links. Pin-to-pin compatibility with the EP2AGX190/125 family lets designers reuse PCB and reference schematics when scaling channel count up or down.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Image Processing Pipeline
Broadcast video routers and image-processing cards use the EP2AGX260EF29C5G because its 260K logic elements support full HD/4K video processing pipelines - including deinterlacing, scaling, color-space conversion, and on-screen display overlays - with headroom for custom IP. The 372 user I/Os accommodate multi-channel SDI (SMPTE 259M/292M/424M) via dedicated PHY, plus GPIO for control and housekeeping. Embedded M9K/M144K memory blocks double as line buffers and frame stores for processing latency in the microsecond range. Designers can swap to the EP2AGX125 variant if the pixel rate and feature set permit lower logic consumption, keeping the same FBGA footprint and reference design IP.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement Backplane
ATE (automatic test equipment) and industrial test-and-measurement backplanes rely on the EP2AGX260EF29C5G to aggregate high-speed serial links from multiple instruments, perform protocol conversion, and present a unified interface (PCIe, Ethernet, USB 3.0) to the host CPU. The 260K logic elements host a soft RISC-V/NIOS II controller plus custom DSP, while MGTs backhaul 5-10 Gbps data streams from digitizers and arbitrary waveform generators. 12 Mbit embedded memory supports deep capture buffers, and the 372 GPIO drive backplane control signals. The industrial operating range (0-85C commercial for the C5 grade, or wider on I-grade variants) suits bench and chassis environments.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Interface Bridging
The EP2AGX260EF29C5G is a natural protocol-bridging ASIC replacement when you need to translate between PCIe, Serial RapidIO, Gigabit Ethernet, SATA, or custom LVDS links in a single device. The integrated MGTs expose multiple full-duplex lanes that the Quartus PHY macros configure per protocol, and the FPGA fabric handles packet encapsulation, filtering, and routing at line rate. The 260K LE budget allows multi-protocol aggregation (e.g., PCIe-to-SRIO + GbE-to-SATA), with the 12 Mbit embedded memory serving as shared packet buffer space. Pin-compatibility with the smaller EP2AGX190/125 lets you scale the bridge capacity without PCB rework.
Recommended
Storage and RAID Controller Acceleration
Enterprise SSD arrays and RAID controllers offload XOR/parity calculations and compression engines to the EP2AGX260EF29C5G, leveraging its DSP blocks to compute RAID 6 P+Q parity at multi-GB/s rates that would saturate a CPU-based implementation. The 260K logic elements host multiple RAID engines in parallel, while the 12 Mbit embedded memory acts as a high-bandwidth cache between the host interface and SAS/SATA/NVMe links. Multi-gigabit transceivers drive 6 Gbps SATA or 12 Gbps SAS PHYs directly, reducing BOM cost versus an external bridge chip. The 780-FBGA footprint matches other Arria II GX cards, simplifying controller board variants across product families.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX260EF29C5G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX260EF29C5 | EP2AGX260EF29C4G | EP2AGX260EF29C4N | EP2AGX260EF29C4 | EP2AGX190EF29C5G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 780-FBGA (F29, 29 mm) | 780-FBGA (F29, 29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (F29, 29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (F29, 29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (F29, 29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (F29, 29 mm) - same |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 260,000 | 260,000 | 260,000 | 260,000 | 260,000 | 190,000 (-27%) |
| Speed Grade | C5 | C5 | C4 (-1 step) | C4 (-1 step) | C4 (-1 step) | C5 |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (G suffix) | No (leaded SnPb) | Yes (G suffix) | Yes (N suffix NiPdAu) | No (leaded) | Yes (G suffix) |
| Family | Arria II GX | Arria II GX | Arria II GX | Arria II GX | Arria II GX | Arria II GX |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Arria II GX in a 780-ball FBGA footprint (vs EP2AGX190EF29C5G)
- Lead-free, RoHS-compliant ball finish (G suffix) (vs EP2AGX260EF29C5)
- C5 speed grade for higher Fmax on critical paths (vs EP2AGX260EF29C4G)
Design Notes
Estimated: at typical utilization (60-70% LE, MGTs active), the EP2AGX260EF29C5G can pull 8-12 W from VCCINT plus 2-4 W from each transceiver supply. Use a 4- or 6-layer PCB with a dedicated ground plane and bulk decoupling (10 uF X7R per supply plus 0.1 uF/0402 near each power pin). Sequence VCCINT, VCCA, VCCD_PLL, and the MGT supplies in the order specified in the Arria II GX handbook - violating monotonic ramp-up can trigger POR latch-up that bricks the device.
The 780-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch typical for Arria II GX F29) requires a JEDEC MS-034 land pattern with NSMD pads for best solder-joint reliability. Route MGT differential pairs first with 100 ohm differential impedance, length-matching within 150 mil for TX and RX, and keep them away from noisy switching rails. Reference the Altera High-Speed PCB Layout Guide for via-stitching and AC-coupling capacitor placement.
Series AC-coupling capacitors on every MGT lane (typically 100 nF X7R 0402) are mandatory - without them the transceivers will not link up at 5 Gbps. Keep the capacitors within 200 mil of the BGA ball, and use 3-2-3 or 4-2-4 via-in-pad micro vias to escape the dense FBGA inner rows. Simulate channel loss with the Quartus IBIS-AMI models before committing to stackup.
Do not omit the JTAG chain pull-up/pull-down resistors on TMS, TDI, TDO, and TCK - the EP2AGX260EF29C5G will fail configuration in production. Also verify that CONF_DONE, nSTATUS, and nCONFIG have the recommended 10 kohm pull-ups, otherwise MSEL pins may float during power-up and select the wrong configuration scheme, leading to a bricked board.
Compliance Information
G suffix confirms lead-free / RoHS-compliant ball finish per Altera/Intel product naming convention. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA family is not AEC-Q100 qualified). Conflict-minerals compliance per Intel's published CMRT.