EP2AGX260EF29C5N - 244K LE Arria II GX FPGA, 780-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX260EF29C5N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1780 | $17,800.00 |
| 100 | $1695 | $169,500.00 |
| 500 | $1620 | $810,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1565 | $1,565,000.00 |
EP2AGX260EF29C5N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device whose logic fabric, interconnect, and I/O can be reconfigured after manufacturing. FPGAs sit hierarchically under programmable logic -> logic ICs -> integrated circuits, and are the workhorse of high-throughput digital signal processing, hardware-accelerated computing, and protocol bridging. The Arria II GX family specifically targets mid-range applications that need embedded multi-gigabit transceivers (MGTs) without the cost of a full Stratix-class device.
Key features include 8 PLLs (4 enhanced and 4 fast PLLs), 372 general-purpose I/O pins, support for DDR2/DDR3/QDRII/QDRII+/RLDRAM II external memory interfaces, and PCI Express hard IP blocks. The 12 full-duplex transceivers reach 5 Gbps, enabling protocols such as PCIe Gen1/Gen2, XAUI, CPRI, and Serial RapidIO. Hard IP offloads PHY and data-link layer functions, freeing programmable logic for user application code.
The architecture combines adaptive logic modules (ALMs), M9K memory blocks, MLAB distributed memory, and dedicated DSP blocks for high-throughput arithmetic. The 780-ball FC-FBGA package enables high pin count and excellent signal integrity for the multi-gigabit transceivers, while the 40 nm low-power process delivers a balance of performance and power efficiency suitable for line-card, broadcast, and wireless baseband applications.
Typical applications include wireless baseband processing, software-defined radio (SDR), high-speed serial protocol bridging, broadcast video processing, and PCI Express endpoint cards. The combination of 5 Gbps transceivers and abundant DSP resources makes the EP2AGX260EF29C5N particularly well-suited for wireless infrastructure where CPRI and OBSAI fronthaul links connect remote radio heads to baseband units.
When designing with this device, careful attention must be paid to transceiver reference-clock jitter, PCB stack-up for 5 Gbps SerDes channels, and power sequencing for the 0.9 V core / 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O / 1.2 V transceiver analog supplies. Quartus II design software (Altera Complete Design Suite 13.1 or later) is required for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes for the EP2AGX260EF29C5N that are not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX260EF29C5N 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 EP2AGX260EF29C5N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX260EF29C5G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2515 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C5
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1870 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1295 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1955.55 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C4
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$339.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260EF29C5N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Arria II GX |
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 244,188 |
| Embedded Memory | 10,238 Kbit |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 10,260 |
| Number of Logic Cells | 244,188 |
| Number of I/O | 372 |
| Number of Transceivers | 12 |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 5 Gbps |
| PLL Count | 8 (4 enhanced + 4 fast PLLs) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (Commercial) |
| Package Type | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (Flip-Chip) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (per DigiKey listing) |
EP2AGX260EF29C5N 780-bbga, fcbga (flip-chip) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX260EF29C5N (780-bbga, fcbga (flip-chip) 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 EP2AGX260EF29C5N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX260EF29C5N is suitable for 7 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, Software Defined Radio (SDR), High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging, Broadcast Video Processing, PCI Express Endpoint Cards, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP2AGX260EF29C5N is well-suited for 3G/4G wireless baseband processing where its 244,188 logic elements and dedicated DSP blocks deliver high-throughput chip-rate and symbol-rate computation. The 12 multi-gigabit transceivers at 5 Gbps handle CPRI and OBSAI fronthaul links connecting remote radio heads (RRH) to baseband units (BBU) at line rates up to 4.915 Gbps. The hard PCIe Gen1/Gen2 IP blocks enable direct connection to baseband host processors without external bridge chips. With 10,238 Kbit of embedded memory, baseband sample buffers and channel-estimation tables can be co-located with DSP blocks to minimize routing congestion. Designers should use the Transceiver Toolkit in Quartus II for CPRI link tuning and pre-emphasis calibration.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio (SDR)
For wideband SDR platforms, the EP2AGX260EF29C5N offers the parallel DSP throughput required to digitize wide RF bandwidths and perform channelization, decimation, and demodulation in real time. The 12 transceivers enable direct ADC/DAC interface at multi-gigabit rates (JESD204B/C link rates), removing the need for external deserializer chips. The 40 nm process balances dynamic power with performance, allowing dense DSP pipelines at 300-400 MHz clock rates. Combined with 372 user I/O, the device can connect to multiple ADC/DAC pairs in a multi-channel receiver or transmitter architecture. Use the ALTGX megawizard in Quartus to configure the transceivers for the desired data rate and encoding.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging
The EP2AGX260EF29C5N serves as a flexible bridge between incompatible serial protocols - for example, converting CPRI to Ethernet, Serial RapidIO to PCIe, or XAUI to backplane SERDES. The 12 multi-gigabit transceivers at 5 Gbps provide ample channel count for multi-link aggregation, while the 244K logic elements implement protocol state machines, rate adaptation FIFOs, and link-layer logic. Hard PCIe Gen1/Gen2 IP blocks simplify endpoint or root-complex implementations. The 780-ball FC-FBGA package supports the controlled-impedance routing required for 5 Gbps signaling across standard PCB stack-ups. Quartus II's PCS-only mode lets designers leverage transceiver channels for protocol conversion without consuming the full PMA layer.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
The EP2AGX260EF29C5N delivers the logic and memory density required for SD/HD/3G-SDI and emerging UHD broadcast pipelines. Its 244K logic elements support real-time video scaling, color-space conversion, and multi-stream multiplexing, while the 10,238 Kbit of embedded memory buffers active video lines without external SRAM. The 12 transceivers enable SDI-over-IP (SMPTE 2022-6/2110) and uncompressed video transport over 10 GbE links. The dedicated DSP blocks accelerate 2D filtering and motion-compensated processing. Designers should use the SDI megafunction IP from the Quartus II library to instantiate SDI PHY blocks quickly.
Recommended
PCI Express Endpoint Cards
The EP2AGX260EF29C5N integrates hardened PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 IP blocks (x1/x4/x8 lanes), enabling endpoint card designs without consuming FPGA fabric for PHY/data-link layers. With Gen2 x8, the device achieves up to 4 GB/s of host-interface bandwidth - sufficient for DSP accelerator cards, high-speed data acquisition, and protocol analyzer applications. The 244K logic elements host the application-side DMA engines, packet processing, and user logic. The 12 transceivers support auxiliary serial links to companion FPGAs, backplane SERDES, or external memory. Quartus II's PCIe Compiler simplifies IP instantiation and link training.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
In protocol analyzers, BERTs (bit error rate testers), and high-speed logic analyzers, the EP2AGX260EF29C5N provides the multi-gigabit transceivers and DSP resources needed to capture and decode multi-lane serial traffic at 5 Gbps line rates. The 12 transceivers enable simultaneous monitoring of multiple protocol lanes (PCIe, USB 3.0, SATA, XAUI) with protocol-specific decoding implemented in user logic. The 244K logic elements handle packet parsing, trigger generation, and timestamp logic, while the 10 Mbit embedded memory holds trace buffers before DMA to host. Quartus II's SignalTap II embedded logic analyzer provides real-time debug visibility into internal signals during prototype bring-up.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision
The EP2AGX260EF29C5N supports high-speed CoaXPress, Camera Link HS, and 10 GigE Vision interfaces through its multi-gigabit transceivers, enabling multi-camera machine vision systems at multi-gigabit per second data rates per camera. The 244K logic elements implement image preprocessing pipelines (white balance, gamma correction, edge detection) in real time, offloading the host processor. The 372 user I/O connect directly to image sensors, motor encoders, and trigger I/O without external glue logic. The dedicated DSP blocks accelerate convolution and FFT operations common in defect-detection algorithms. Use Quartus II's DDR3 controller IP for high-bandwidth frame-buffer memory interfacing.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX260EF29C5N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX260EF29C5G | EP2AGX260EF29C5 | EP2AGX260EF29C4N | EP2AGX260EF29C4G | EP2AGX260EF29C4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA) | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA) - same | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA) - same | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA) - same | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA) - same | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 244,188 LE | 244,188 LE | 244,188 LE | 244,188 LE | 244,188 LE | 244,188 LE |
| Speed Grade | -C5 (high Fmax) | -C5 | -C5 | -C4 (slower Fmax) | -C4 (slower Fmax) | -C4 (slower Fmax) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 Β°C to +85 Β°C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| Transceiver Count | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Transceiver Data Rate | 5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | 5 Gbps |
| Embedded Memory | 10,238 Kbit | 10,238 Kbit | 10,238 Kbit | 10,238 Kbit | 10,238 Kbit | 10,238 Kbit |
| User I/O | 372 | 372 | 372 | 372 | 372 | 372 |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density 780-FBGA Arria II GX with 244K LE and 5 Gbps transceivers (vs EP2AGX125EF29C5G)
- Highest speed grade (-C5) for timing-critical paths (vs EP2AGX260EF29C4N)
- 12 multi-gigabit transceivers at 5 Gbps in 780-FBGA package (vs EP2AGX190FF35I5N)
Design Notes
The EP2AGX260EF29C5N requires multiple supply rails: 0.9 V core (VCC), 1.2 V for transceiver analog circuits (VCCH_GXB), 2.5 V or 3.3 V for I/O banks (VCCIO), and a 3.0 V or 2.5 V analog supply for the charge pump (VCCA). A bulk 10 Β΅F ceramic plus a 0.1 Β΅F decoupling capacitor must be placed within 5 mm of each supply pin; high-frequency 10 nF and 100 nF capacitors should be placed adjacent to the supply pins to attenuate switching transients. Intel recommends a six-layer PCB stack-up with dedicated power and ground planes to minimize voltage rail collapse during simultaneous-switching events on the 372 user I/O.
For 5 Gbps SerDes operation, the PCB stack-up must exhibit a differential insertion loss of less than 6 dB at 2.5 GHz, with skew below 1 ps/mm. Use Megtron-6 or equivalent low-loss dielectric material for the 780-ball FC-FBGA escape region. Microstrip-to-stripline transitions should be kept within 5 mm of the BGA via fan-out to avoid stubs. Reference Intel AN530 (Arria II GX High-Speed Serial Interface Design Guidelines) for via optimization, AC-coupling capacitor placement (within 50 mm of the transmitter), and reference clock routing constraints.
Common pitfalls when designing with the EP2AGX260EF29C5N include: (1) failing to provide a clean reference clock to GXB channels - phase noise above -100 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset will degrade transceiver BER; (2) leaving unused transceiver channels powered down in user logic but with bias networks connected, which increases quiescent power; (3) attempting in-system programming across a voltage range that violates VCC minimum (0.9 V Β±5%); (4) ignoring MSL3 moisture sensitivity requirements for the 780-ball FC-FBGA - bake at 125 Β°C for 24 hours prior to reflow if the package has been exposed to ambient conditions beyond the floor-life window. Reference Quartus II device pin connection guidelines for unused-pin termination.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free per DigiKey product listing for the EP2AGX260EF29C5N. AEC-Q100 is not applicable - the device is a commercial-grade FPGA and is not qualified for automotive use cases.
