EP2AGX260FF35C4N - Arria II GX 244K LE FPGA, 612 I/O, FCBGA-1152
MPN: EP2AGX260FF35C4N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4250 | $4,250.00 |
| 10 | $3995 | $39,950.00 |
| 100 | $3650 | $365,000.00 |
| 500 | $3380 | $1,690,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $3125 | $3,125,000.00 |
EP2AGX260FF35C4N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a class of programmable logic device containing an array of configurable logic blocks, dedicated DSP blocks, on-chip memory, and high-speed transceivers, all interconnected by a programmable routing fabric. FPGAs belong to the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) within the integrated circuit / semiconductor taxonomy, and are widely used for parallel processing, custom digital logic, and high-speed serial interface implementation where ASICs would be uneconomical or too slow to design.
Key features include 8 transceivers at up to 5 Gbps for PCI Express Gen2, Serial RapidIO, and CPRI links, integrated PCI Express hard IP blocks, and up to 612 user I/O supporting LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, and SSTL standards. The device also provides dedicated 18x18 multipliers and variable-precision DSP blocks for high-performance DSP pipelines. The 1152-ball FC-FBGA package enables high I/O density while supporting both single-ended and differential signaling at multi-gigabit data rates.
Arria II GX FPGAs target mid-range applications where Stratix-class performance is not required but transceiver integration and DSP throughput remain essential. The 40 nm process node balances static and dynamic power, and the architecture supports hard IP for PCIe Gen2 x1/x4 and external memory interfaces including DDR3, DDR2, and QDRII+. The combination of high logic density, embedded transceivers, and dedicated DSP silicon makes the EP2AGX260 well-suited for communications infrastructure, broadcast video, and test-and-measurement platforms.
Typical applications include wireless baseband processing, software-defined radio (SDR) prototyping, video broadcast and encoding platforms, 4G/LTE protocol stacks, radar and beamforming front-ends, industrial PCIe cards, and high-performance DSP co-processing. The integrated transceivers also suit SATA, CPRI/OBSAI, and Serial RapidIO interconnect fabrics in telecom infrastructure.
When designing with the EP2AGX260FF35C4N, ensure the PCB has matched-impedance routing for all transceiver lanes, sufficient decoupling (typically 0402/0201 ceramics) at every power pin, and a thermal solution sized for the application power envelope. Confirm Quartus II support for the FF35C4N variant and that your transceiver reference clock meets the jitter requirements of the targeted serial protocol.
This page synthesizes drop-in alternative MPNs, application-specific design notes, and a parameter-by-parameter comparison that complement - but do not replace - the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX260FF35C4N 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 EP2AGX260FF35C4N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX260FF35C6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1320 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260FF35C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1420 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260FF35C4
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2580 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260FF35I5N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$1325 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260FF35C4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 244,188 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 12,038,144 |
| Maximum User I/O | 612 |
| Transceiver Channels | 8 |
| Transceiver Data Rate (max) | 5 Gbps |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Speed Grade | -4 |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Package | 1152-ball FC-FBGA |
| Package Type | FBGA (Fine-pitch BGA, flip-chip) |
| Package Code | HBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (SMT) |
| Programmable Logic Device Type | FPGA |
| Hardened PCIe IP | PCI Express Gen2 x1/x4 |
EP2AGX260FF35C4N hbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX260FF35C4N (hbga 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 EP2AGX260FF35C4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX260FF35C4N is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Prototyping, Video Broadcast and Encoding, Industrial PCIe Card and DSP Co-Processing, Radar and Beamforming Front-End, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP2AGX260FF35C4N is well-suited to wireless baseband processing where its 244,188 logic elements and 12 Mbit of embedded memory implement turbo decoding, channel estimation, and FFT/iFFT blocks at line rate. The 8 integrated 5 Gbps transceiver channels support CPRI/OBSAI fronthaul links to remote radio heads, while the dedicated PCIe Gen2 hard IP connects directly to a host baseband processor. Compared with ASIC alternatives, this Arria II GX FPGA enables iterative algorithm updates during 4G/LTE field deployment.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Prototyping
For software-defined radio prototyping, the EP2AGX260FF35C4N provides sufficient logic capacity for full-bandwidth DDC/DUC (digital down- and up-conversion) chains, multi-channel FIR filtering, and adaptive modulation/demodulation. Its high I/O bandwidth lets the FPGA stream raw ADC samples to DDR3 external memory while processing. The 40 nm process delivers a good balance between static and dynamic power for prototype deployment in field-test radios and waveform research platforms.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Encoding
Broadcast video encoders and contribution feeds require multi-stream processing at low latency, where the EP2AGX260FF35C4N's 12 Mbit embedded memory acts as line buffers and macroblock caches while 18x18 multipliers accelerate motion estimation. The 612 user I/O accommodate multiple SDI/HDMI ingest interfaces through external serializers, and the 8 transceiver channels support SMPTE 2022/2059 video-over-IP. Compared with a software encoder on a CPU, the FPGA delivers deterministic latency well below one frame interval.
Recommended
Industrial PCIe Card and DSP Co-Processing
The EP2AGX260FF35C4N's integrated PCIe Gen2 hard IP enables direct connection to a host CPU over a standard PCIe x4 slot without an external bridge chip. Industrial applications such as machine-vision frame grabbers, real-time control DSP co-processors, and protocol analyzers benefit from 244,188 LE implementing complex state machines plus parallel DSP pipelines. The 1152-ball FC-FBGA package supports both PCIe lanes and multiple LVDS/LVCMOS camera or sensor interfaces simultaneously.
Recommended
Radar and Beamforming Front-End
Phased-array radar and beamforming front-ends demand real-time matrix operations on multiple ADC channels; the EP2AGX260FF35C4N's DSP blocks and embedded memory compute complex beam weights across hundreds of antenna elements. The high I/O count accepts parallel LVDS samples from multi-channel ADCs, while 5 Gbps transceivers serialize processed beam data to backhaul. Compared with a GPU, this FPGA delivers deterministic sub-microsecond latency required for adaptive beam steering.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test-and-measurement platforms such as protocol analyzers, BERT testers, and high-speed digitizers use the EP2AGX260FF35C4N for deep pattern generation, real-time correlation, and on-the-fly error detection. The 12 Mbit embedded memory holds comparison patterns and counters, while the transceiver block captures and replays multi-gigabit serial streams. Compared with off-the-shelf ASIC testers, an FPGA-based instrument can be reprogrammed for new protocols without respinning hardware.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX260FF35C4N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX260FF35C6N | EP2AGX260FF35C4G | EP2AGX260FF35C4 | EP2AGX260FF35I5N | EP2AGX260EF29C4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| 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 | ~780-ball FC-FBGA (EF29) - different |
| Logic Elements | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 | 244,188 |
| Speed Grade | -4 (C4) | -6 (slower by ~15-20%) | -4 (same) | -4 (same) | -5 (slower by ~10%) | -4 (same speed grade) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial |
| Embedded Memory | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits | 12,038,144 bits |
| Transceiver Channels | 8 channels @ 5 Gbps | 8 channels @ 5 Gbps | 8 channels @ 5 Gbps | 8 channels @ 5 Gbps | 8 channels @ 5 Gbps | Reduced channel count (EF29 package limits I/O) |
| Drop-in Compatibility | Reference part | Pin-to-pin compatible, slower speed | Pin-to-pin identical | Pin-to-pin identical | Pin-to-pin compatible, industrial temp | Different package - PCB redesign required |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Arria II GX member with 244,188 logic elements (vs EP2AGX190FF35C6N (190K LE))
- 1152-ball FC-FBGA maximizes user I/O and transceiver connectivity (vs EP2AGX260EF29C4N (EF29 package))
- -4 (C4) speed grade delivers highest Fmax in the Arria II GX family (vs EP2AGX260FF35C6N (-6 speed grade))
Design Notes
The 1152-ball FC-FBGA package requires a high-density PCB stackup with at least 8 layers to fan out all balls. Use 1 oz copper on outer layers and 0.5 oz on inner layers, with matched-impedance (100 ohm differential) routing for all 5 Gbps transceiver lanes. Place 0402 or 0201 ceramic decoupling capacitors on every power pin, located as close to the BGA ball as physically possible. Reference Altera's pin connection guidelines for recommended decoupling values and routing rules.
The 0.9 V core supply can require 10 A or more in a fully utilized EP2AGX260 design. Use a multi-phase buck regulator with a tolerance of +/-3% on the core rail to meet datasheet DC specifications. Transceiver PLLs require low-noise 1.1 V and 2.5 V supplies - separate filtering from the digital 1.1 V/2.5 V rails is recommended to avoid coupling PLL jitter into the transceivers. Use Quartus PowerPlay early power estimator to size the regulators before PCB layout.
All 5 Gbps transceiver channels must be routed with controlled-impedance differential pairs (typically 100 ohm differential) and length-matched within the tolerance specified for the targeted protocol (PCIe Gen2, CPRI, Serial RapidIO). Reference clocks must meet the jitter specification in the Arria II GX transceiver user guide; a low-jitter clock generator is essential. Avoid routing any high-speed traces through the BGA breakout region - keep them in the outer stripline layers for clean return paths.
Do not assume the EP2AGX260FF35C4N is a drop-in replacement for the EF29 package variant: the FF35 has 1152 balls while EF29 has approximately 780 balls, requiring a different PCB footprint. Also note that the speed grade -4 (C4) is the fastest commercial grade; -5 (I5) and -6 (C6) variants are 10-20% slower and may not meet timing in critical paths. Always check the Quartus II compilation timing reports before selecting a slower alternative.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not explicitly stated in the provided web data. For new designs requiring RoHS compliance, confirm with the manufacturer or use the EP2AGX260FF35C4G variant which is documented as the lead-free / RoHS-compliant packaging option in the Site MPN list.