EP2AGX45DF29I4N - Arria II GX FPGA, 45K LE, 780-FCBGA | Altera
MPN: EP2AGX45DF29I4N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $262.5 | $2,625.00 |
| 100 | $238 | $23,800.00 |
| 500 | $215.5 | $107,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $195.75 | $195,750.00 |
EP2AGX45DF29I4N Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and dedicated hard-IP blocks such as transceivers, DSP slices, and block RAM. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic hierarchy alongside CPLDs, but unlike CPLDs they target high-density, high-throughput designs. The Arria II GX family specifically targets mid-range applications that need a balance of logic density, embedded transceivers up to 6.375 Gbps, and PCI Express hard IP, bridging the gap between Cyclone (low-cost) and Stratix (high-performance) families.
Key features of the EP2AGX45DF29I4N include up to 6.375 Gbps embedded transceivers, dedicated DSP blocks for high-speed arithmetic, 8-input adaptive logic modules (ALMs), and configuration via passive serial, fast passive parallel, or JTAG. The device integrates hard IP for PCI Express Gen1 (x1/x4/x8) and external memory interfaces supporting DDR2/DDR3/QDRII+ with on-chip termination and read/write leveling.
Architecturally, the EP2AGX45DF29I4N uses a 45 nm process with adaptive logic modules (ALMs) that double the effective logic capacity per LE compared to 4-input LUT architectures. Each ALM contains two combinational adaptive LUTs (ALUTs) plus two dedicated registers. The fabric also embeds M9K and M144K memory blocks, variable-precision DSP blocks, and clock management with PLLs, enabling designs that demand both flexibility and deterministic performance.
Typical applications include wireless infrastructure baseband processing, video broadcast equipment, military radar signal processing, medical imaging, and high-speed serial protocol bridging. The 780-ball FCBGA package provides sufficient I/O density for high-bandwidth designs while supporting industrial temperature operation up to 100C junction.
When designing with this FPGA, leverage Quartus II software (preferred version 11.1 or later) for compilation and pin planning. Pay attention to transceiver reference clock jitter and decoupling strategy; multiple decoupling capacitor values (100 nF, 10 nF, 1 uF) placed close to each power pin minimize power-supply-induced jitter on high-speed serial links.
This page synthesizes manufacturer datasheet specifications, distributor pricing, drop-in Arria II GX alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the standalone datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX45DF29I4N — 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 EP2AGX45DF29I4N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX45DF29I5N
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$318 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX45DF29I3N
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View Datasheet →EP2AGX45DF29C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX45DF29C5N
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$510 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX45DF29C4N
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$335.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX45DF29C3N
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View Datasheet →EP2AGX45DF29I4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Device | EP2AGX45 |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 42,959 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALM) | 21,050 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 3,517,440 bits |
| Embedded Memory (M9K blocks) | 319 |
| Embedded Memory (M144K blocks) | 8 |
| DSP Blocks | 232 (18x18 multipliers) |
| User I/O Pins | 364 |
| Maximum Transceiver Data Rate | 6.375 Gbps |
| Transceiver Channels | 8 (GX family integrated) |
| Hard PCIe Controllers | 1 (Gen1, x1/x4/x8) |
| Package | 780-ball FCBGA (29 mm) |
| Package Code | F29 / DF29 |
| Process Technology | 45 nm TSMC |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Temperature Grade | I4 (Industrial, -40C to 100C junction) |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V typical |
| Configuration Method | Passive Serial, Fast Passive Parallel, JTAG |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free) |
EP2AGX45DF29I4N f29 / df29 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX45DF29I4N (f29 / df29 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 EP2AGX45DF29I4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX45DF29I4N is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Baseband Signal Processing, Video Broadcast and Studio Equipment, Military Radar Signal Processing, Medical Imaging Accelerator Cards, High-Speed Protocol Bridge ASIC, Industrial Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Wireless Baseband Signal Processing
The EP2AGX45DF29I4N is well-suited for wireless baseband processing in LTE/3G base stations, where its 232 DSP blocks (18x18 multipliers) handle up to ~600 GMACs of DSP throughput, while 8 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps connect to CPRI/OBSAI baseband-RF links. The 42,959 LE logic fabric implements baseband channel cards, FFT/iFFT engines, and channel-encoder accelerators, all in a single chip. Its 3,517,440 bits of embedded RAM buffer interleaved data streams between the antenna interface and the digital-up-conversion pipeline without external memory access penalties.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Studio Equipment
Studio-grade video routers, format converters, and 3G-SDI/HD-SDI processing cards benefit from the EP2AGX45DF29I4N's combination of 364 user I/Os and embedded transceivers, which can implement SDI, HDMI, and DisplayPort input/output with on-chip clock-data recovery. The device's hard PCIe controller enables plug-in cards that stream uncompressed 4K video at 60 fps over the host bus, while 8 transceiver channels aggregate multiple SDI streams. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C junction) supports broadcast equipment racks with elevated ambient temperatures.
Recommended
Military Radar Signal Processing
Radar front-end digitizer boards and array-signal pre-processors leverage the EP2AGX45DF29I4N's 232 DSP blocks and 8 transceiver channels at 6.375 Gbps for phased-array beamforming, pulse compression, and CFAR detection. The 45 nm process provides deterministic latency through the FPGA fabric, critical for matched-filter timing in synthetic-aperture radar. The industrial temperature grade and high-reliability FCBGA package support ruggedized deployment in airborne and naval radar systems where thermal cycling and vibration are extreme.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Accelerator Cards
CT, MRI, and ultrasound imaging accelerator cards use the EP2AGX45DF29I4N's hard PCI Express Gen1 x8 controller to stream raw sensor data into the host processor at up to 2 GB/s, while the 232 DSP blocks run reconstruction algorithms (back-projection, FDK, iterative reconstruction) at 30+ frames per second. The 3,517,440 bits of embedded RAM buffer image slices to amortize external DRAM access latency. Industrial temperature grade supports operating-room and ambulance-deployed imaging systems with 24/7 duty cycles.
Recommended
High-Speed Protocol Bridge ASIC
Multi-protocol bridge cards for telecom aggregation and protocol-conversion applications deploy the EP2AGX45DF29I4N to translate between CPRI, OBSAI, Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, and PCIe, leveraging its 8 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps. The hard PCIe controller plus generic transceiver channels enable designs that present multiple front-end interfaces to a host CPU while keeping latency deterministic. Industrial temperature grade supports outdoor-mounted base-station equipment with passive cooling and wide thermal swings.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement Instrumentation
High-end oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol testers use the EP2AGX45DF29I4N as a waveform-acquisition and trigger engine, where its 232 DSP blocks perform FFT-based spectrum analysis, eye-diagram extraction, and protocol-decode acceleration. The 8 transceiver channels support real-time 10 Gigabit Ethernet or PCI Express capture, while 364 user I/Os connect to ADC and DAC front ends with channel counts above 16. Industrial temperature and a robust FCBGA package allow deployment in factory-floor and field-test environments with elevated temperatures and vibration.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX45DF29I4N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX45DF29I5N | EP2AGX45DF29I3N | EP2AGX45DF29C6N | EP2AGX45DF29C5N | EP2AGX45DF29C4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 780-FCBGA (F29) | 780-FCBGA (F29) - same | 780-FCBGA (F29) - same | 780-FCBGA (F29) - same | 780-FCBGA (F29) - same | 780-FCBGA (F29) - same |
| Logic Elements | 42,959 | 42,959 | 42,959 | 42,959 | 42,959 | 42,959 |
| Speed Grade | I4 | I5 (faster) | I3 (slower) | C6 (faster, commercial) | C5 (commercial) | C4 (commercial) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Embedded Transceivers | 8 ch x 6.375 Gbps | 8 ch x 6.375 Gbps | 8 ch x 6.375 Gbps | 8 ch x 6.375 Gbps | 8 ch x 6.375 Gbps | 8 ch x 6.375 Gbps |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 3,517,440 | 3,517,440 | 3,517,440 | 3,517,440 | 3,517,440 | 3,517,440 |
| DSP Blocks | 232 | 232 | 232 | 232 | 232 | 232 |
| User I/O | 364 | 364 | 364 | 364 | 364 | 364 |
Key Differentiators
- I4 speed grade is uniquely positioned for industrial temperature compliance (vs EP2AGX45DF29I5N (I5))
- Higher-speed C-grade variants enable tighter timing closure in commercial applications (vs EP2AGX45DF29C6N)
- Same-family drop-in compatibility enables speed-grade tuning post-build (vs EP2AGX45DF29I3N)
Design Notes
Estimated: at Fmax utilization, the EP2AGX45DF29I4N draws approximately 4-6 W from a 0.9V core supply, plus transceiver power scaling with channel count and data rate. Use a buck regulator such as LTM4630 (dual 18A uModule) or ISL8215M to generate VCCINT from a 3.3V or 5V intermediate bus, with bulk decoupling of 4x100 uF ceramic + 1x470 uF tantalum at the regulator output. Add 100 nF + 10 nF + 1 uF ceramic bypass capacitors close to each VCC pin, and follow Altera's recommended power-sequencing (VCCINT first, then VCCPD and VCCA, then VCCIO banks) to avoid latch-up at power-up.
The 780-ball F29 FCBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires HDI PCB stackup with microvia-in-pad or stacked-microvia technology for signal breakout. Plan a minimum 8-layer stackup: top (signal/GND pour), L2 (GND), L3 (signal/VCC), L4 (signal), L5 (VCC), L6 (GND), L7 (signal), bottom (signal). The transceiver channels are extremely sensitive to impedance discontinuities - keep each transceiver lane length-matched to within 0.13 mm for the inner rows, and route differential pairs with 100 ohm differential impedance. Use a continuous reference ground plane under all high-speed signal layers, no power plane splits crossing the transceiver region.
Transceiver performance in the EP2AGX45DF29I4N requires jitter-clean reference clocks. Use a low-jitter clock synthesizer (e.g., CDCM7005 or SI5345) with sub-300 fs RMS phase jitter to drive REFCLK pins. Place the clock generator as close as possible to the FPGA clock input pins (under 25 mm trace length). For PCIe implementations, observe AC coupling capacitor placement directly adjacent to each PCIe transmitter differential pair output - deviations degrade PCIe electrical-compliance margins.
Estimated: under typical 4W core + 2W transceiver dissipation, with the F29 FCBGA's theta-JA of approximately 12-15 C/W (JEDEC 4-layer test board with airflow), junction temperature rises 60-90 C above ambient. For industrial deployments (ambient +85C), compute junction temperature using measured or simulated thermal resistance and add a heatsink or airflow if junction exceeds 100C. The F29 package does not have an integrated heatsink spreader; attach an FR4-stiffener-backed heatsink using thermal interface material to the top of the package for high-dissipation industrial applications.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Altera product page; lead-free FCBGA package with SAC405 solder balls. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGAs are not automotive-grade qualified to AEC-Q100 in this family; for AEC-Q100, choose Altera/Intel Cyclone V or Arria V automotive variants).
