EP2AGX260FF35C4 - Arria II GX FPGA 244K LE, 1152-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX260FF35C4 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2918.05 | $2,918.05 |
| 10 | $2825 | $28,250.00 |
| 50 | $2740 | $137,000.00 |
| 100 | $2680 | $268,000.00 |
| 500 | $2580 | $1,290,000.00 |
EP2AGX260FF35C4 Overview
The Arria II GX family occupies the mid-to-high tier of Altera/Intel FPGAs and is positioned between the lower-power Cyclone families and the high-end Stratix families. FPGAs in this class are typically used in applications that demand hundreds of thousands of logic elements together with multi-gigabit transceivers, on-chip memory blocks, and DSP multipliers, all without migrating to a Stratix-class device. The Arria II GX line introduced integrated transceivers operating up to 6.375 Gbps and hard PCIe Gen2 IP blocks, making it attractive for cost-sensitive yet transceiver-rich designs.
Key features of the EP2AGX260FF35C4 include 244,188 logic elements organized into 10,260 logic array blocks (LABs), 612 maximum user I/O pins routed through 12 I/O banks supporting multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, SSTL), and 612 18x18 hardware multipliers for DSP. The FF35 speed/package combination delivers the highest logic density and pin count in the family while maintaining the commercial junction temperature range.
Typical applications include high-definition video broadcast equipment, wireless baseband processing, PCIe Gen2 endpoint/root-port designs, ASIC prototyping, and high-speed serial interface aggregation (e.g., multi-channel SATA, SAS, or CPRI). The FF35 package is also widely used in defense and test-and-measurement platforms where dense, transceiver-capable FPGAs are required. Designers should consult the Arria II GX handbook and AN551 guidance for transceiver channel placement and PCB stack-up recommendations when targeting multi-gigabit links.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to transceiver reference clock architecture, PLL configuration, and decoupling strategies; the FF35 package's 1152-ball count requires careful escape routing. Quartus II software (with Arria II GX device support) is the required toolchain for synthesis, place-and-route, and configuration bitstream generation.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX260FF35C4 — 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 EP2AGX260FF35C4 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Package, Embedded Memory Bits, Number of Transceivers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX260FF35C5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1545 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX260FF35C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1320 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX260FF35I5
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2400 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX260FF35I5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1325 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX190FF35C6G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$188 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX190FF35I5G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1350 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX260FF35C4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Device Logic Elements | 244,188 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 10,260 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 12,038,144 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 612 |
| Maximum User I/O | 612 |
| User I/O Banks | 12 |
| Package | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35), 35 mm |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial) |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 500 MHz |
| Transceivers | Multi-gigabit transceivers, up to 6.375 Gbps |
| PCIe Hard IP | PCIe Gen2 x1/x4/x8 (per Arria II GX family) |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C junction) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP2AGX260FF35C4 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | VCC — Core supply (0.9 V nominal) |
| Pin A2 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin B1 | IO_BANK_1A — I/O bank 1A user pin |
| Pin B2 | IO_BANK_1B — I/O bank 1B user pin |
Typical Applications
EP2AGX260FF35C4 is suitable for 6 applications: High-Definition Video Broadcast Equipment, Wireless Baseband Processing, PCIe Gen2 Endpoint/Root-Port Designs, ASIC Prototyping, High-Speed Serial Interface Aggregation, Defense and Test-and-Measurement Platforms.
High-Definition Video Broadcast Equipment
The EP2AGX260FF35C4's 244,188 logic elements and 12,038,144 embedded memory bits make it ideal for HD-SDI/3G-SDI video processing, multi-channel frame buffering, and broadcast-format bridging designs. Its 612 user I/O support simultaneous ingestion of multiple video streams with parallel processing, while the FF35 1152-ball FC-BGA package provides the thermal headroom needed for sustained high-clock-rate pipelined video DSP. Placed at the heart of a broadcast router or video switcher, the FPGA handles real-time scaling, deinterlacing, and color-space conversion at line rates beyond 148.5 MHz, far exceeding what mid-range Cyclone devices can sustain.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Processing
With 612 18x18 hardware multipliers and 12,038,144 embedded memory bits, the EP2AGX260FF35C4 provides the DSP throughput required for wireless baseband DSP, channelization, and digital up/down-conversion chains. The multi-gigabit transceivers (up to 6.375 Gbps per Arria II GX family specification) interface directly to RF front-ends via CPRI or OBSAI links. The 1152-ball FF35 FC-BGA package supports the dense transceiver channel layout demanded by multi-antenna MIMO designs while the C4 commercial speed grade suits indoor base-station environments.
Recommended
PCIe Gen2 Endpoint/Root-Port Designs
The Arria II GX family integrates PCIe Gen2 hard IP blocks supporting x1, x4, and x8 configurations, allowing the EP2AGX260FF35C4 to implement endpoint or root-port designs without consuming logic fabric for the PCIe protocol layer. Combined with its 244,188 logic elements, this enables high-performance add-in cards, storage controllers, and embedded host bridges. The 612 user I/O count and FF35 1152-ball package provide ample escape routing for PCIe edge-connector pin assignments plus auxiliary control interfaces in a single-chip solution.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The 244,188 logic elements and abundant 12,038,144-bit embedded memory of the EP2AGX260FF35C4 are well-matched to mid-to-large ASIC prototyping, where multiple FF35 devices can be tiled to emulate SoCs exceeding one million ASIC gates. The 612 user I/Os plus multi-gigabit transceivers support high-fidelity I/O modeling for DDR memory interfaces, serializer/deserializer channels, and bus protocols. Quartus II provides partitioning and multi-FPGA debug flows optimized for the Arria II GX FF35 footprint.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Interface Aggregation
Multi-gigabit transceivers operating up to 6.375 Gbps per Arria II GX specifications allow the EP2AGX260FF35C4 to aggregate SATA/SAS channels, CPRI links, or custom serial protocols into a single FPGA. The 244,188 logic elements handle protocol state machines, CRC engines, and aggregation logic, while the 12,038,144 embedded memory bits provide elasticity buffers and packet FIFO storage. The 1152-ball FF35 FC-BGA package is designed for high-density transceiver escape routing on standard PCB stack-ups.
Recommended
Defense and Test-and-Measurement Platforms
The Arria II GX FF35 family is widely adopted in defense electronics and test-and-measurement instrumentation requiring dense logic, multi-gigabit transceivers, and deterministic timing. The EP2AGX260FF35C4's 244,188 logic elements, 12,038,144 memory bits, and 612 hardware multipliers support arbitrary waveform generation, real-time signal analysis, and protocol-aware test pattern generation. The FF35 1152-ball FC-BGA package provides a rugged surface-mount footprint suited to vibration-prone environments when paired with proper PCB underfill and corner staking.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX260FF35C4 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX260FF35C5N | EP2AGX260FF35C6N | EP2AGX260FF35I5 | EP2AGX260FF35I5N | EP2AGX190FF35C6G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35) | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35) - same | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35) - same | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35) - same | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35) - same | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (FF35) - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 | 190,000 (~22% fewer) |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial) | C5 (faster) | C6 (fastest) | I5 (industrial) | I5 (industrial) | C6 (commercial) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial | Industrial | Commercial |
| User I/O | 612 | 612 | 612 | 612 | 612 | 612 |
| Embedded Memory | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 9,564,032 bits (~21% less) |
| Multipliers (18x18) | 612 | 612 | 612 | 612 | 612 | 448 (~27% fewer) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRNR | NRNR | NRNR | NRNR | NRNR | NRNR |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density in the Arria II GX family with 244,188 logic elements (vs EP2AGX190FF35C6G)
- Commercial C4 speed grade for moderate-temperature operation (vs EP2AGX260FF35I5N)
- PCIe Gen2 hard IP blocks integrated on-die (vs Generic FPGA without hard PCIe)
Design Notes
The EP2AGX260FF35C4 in the 1152-ball FF35 FC-BGA package dissipates significant power at high toggle rates and transceiver utilization. Designers should follow Arria II GX handbook guidelines for thermal management: implement at least 8 thermal vias in the BGA land pattern, use a high-layer-count PCB with continuous ground planes beneath the device, and consider a heatsink or heat spreader when transceiver channels operate continuously at >5 Gbps. Junction temperature must remain below the commercial 100C limit.
The 1152-ball FC-BGA FF35 package requires 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm pitch escape routing depending on PCB stack-up. Per the Arria II GX Device Data Sheet Section I, designers must allocate dedicated GND balls and VCC balls with low-impedance decoupling (typically 0.1 uF MLCC + bulk capacitors within 100 mils of each ball). Multi-gigabit transceiver channels need controlled-impedance 100 ohm differential routing and tight length matching within 150 mils for >5 Gbps operation.
Transceiver channel placement must follow Arria II GX guidelines: place adjacent TX/RX pairs together with their reference clocks routed symmetrically, and keep high-speed differential pairs away from noisy switching I/O banks. The EP2AGX260FF35C4 supports up to 16 multi-gigabit transceivers depending on pinout assignment; consult the pin-out file for the FF35 package to select channel groupings that minimize signal integrity issues. Power-rail sequencing must follow the recommended 0.9 V core ramp profile.
Common pitfalls when designing with the EP2AGX260FF35C4 include: (1) ignoring the C4 commercial temperature grade - use the I5 variant for industrial environments; (2) underestimating configuration time when loading via fast passive serial (FPGA typically requires >50 ms for full configuration); (3) leaving unused transceiver channels powered - configure them to minimum-power state in software; (4) using an unsupported Quartus II version - require Quartus II v13.0 or later with Arria II GX device support installed.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Intel/Altera product page. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for commercial-grade FPGAs; industrial I5 speed grade parts are commonly used in automotive applications but are not formally AEC-qualified.
