EP2AGX45DF29I6N - Arria II GX FPGA 43K LE, 780-FCBGA | Intel (Altera)
MPN: EP2AGX45DF29I6N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $265 | $2,650.00 |
| 100 | $235 | $23,500.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $185 | $185,000.00 |
EP2AGX45DF29I6N Overview
An FPGA is a programmable logic device that lets engineers implement arbitrary digital logic, DSP blocks, memory controllers, and high-speed serial interfaces by configuring an array of logic elements, dedicated multipliers, and hard IP blocks after manufacture. FPGAs sit between general-purpose microcontrollers (fixed instruction set, lower performance) and ASICs (highest performance, no field reprogrammability). The Arria II GX family occupies the mid-range "transceiver-rich" tier - below Stratix IV/V but above Cyclone IV/IV GX - optimized for cost-sensitive applications that still need multi-gigabit serial links.
Key features of EP2AGX45DF29I6N include up to 8 integrated transceivers supporting data rates up to 6.375 Gbps (C6 speed grade, "6" suffix), on-chip hard memory controllers for DDR3, hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 endpoints (x1/x4), and a programmable logic fabric based on 8-input adaptive logic modules (ALMs). The device is built on TSMC's 40-nm process, dramatically reducing static and dynamic power versus the prior 65-nm Stratix IV generation, while maintaining signal integrity for serial interfaces. Adaptive logic modules (ALMs) provide 8-input fracturable look-up tables, which improve effective logic utilization for wide multiplexers and adder trees common in DSP pipelines.
The 780-FCBGA FineLine BGA package offers controlled-impedance escape for the 8 transceiver channels and ample user I/O for parallel interfaces. The "I6" speed/temperature suffix indicates industrial temperature grade and speed grade 6 (one of the fastest transceiver speed bins in Arria II GX). Lower speed grades (C6, I5, C5, I4, C4, I3, C3) trade maximum transceiver frequency for lower dynamic power.
Typical applications for the EP2AGX45DF29I6N include PCI Express endpoint cards (Gen2 x4), broadcast video processing, motor control DSP back-ends, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, medical imaging pre-processing, and industrial vision systems that need 1-3 Gbps LVDS links to image sensors. The integrated hard PCIe and DDR3 controllers reduce soft logic overhead, leaving more ALMs available for application-specific signal processing.
When designing with the EP2AGX45DF29I6N, allocate at least 4 PCB layers for transceiver break-out routing, provide continuous ground planes under the BGA array, and follow the Quartus II pin connection guidelines for unused transceiver pins (tie Rx to VCCR, Tx to VCCT through the documented bias network). Engineers migrating from Arria II GZ, Stratix IV, or Cyclone IV GX can reuse much of the Quartus IP catalog, but should regenerate timing constraints for the target speed grade.
This page synthesizes verified distributor data, package-level pin compatibility across Arria II GX speed grades, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, helping procurement engineers, FPGA designers, and supply-chain managers evaluate the EP2AGX45DF29I6N against its alternatives.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX45DF29I6N 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 EP2AGX45DF29I6N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, Operating Temperature, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX45DF29I5N
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$318 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29I5G
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View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29C6N
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View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29C6G
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View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29C5N
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$510 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29C5G
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View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29I4N
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View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29I3N
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View Datasheet βEP2AGX45DF29I6N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | Arria II GX |
| Device Sub-family | EP2AGX45 |
| Logic Elements | 42,960 |
| Embedded Memory | 1,728 Kbits (M9K + M144K) |
| User I/O Pins | 364 |
| Transceiver Channels | 8 (up to 6.375 Gbps) |
| Hard PCIe IP | PCIe Gen1/Gen2 x1/x4 endpoints |
| Hard Memory Controller | DDR3 (with soft PHY) |
| Package | 780-ball FCBGA (FineLine BGA, DF29 pin-out) |
| Speed Grade | 6 (fastest transceiver bin) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| Process Node | 40 nm TSMC |
| Logic Element Structure | 8-input ALM (Adaptive Logic Module) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP2AGX45DF29I6N 780-ball fcbga (fineline bga, df29 pin-out) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX45DF29I6N (780-ball fcbga (fineline bga, df29 pin-out) 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 EP2AGX45DF29I6N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX45DF29I6N is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Express Endpoint Cards (Gen2 x4), Broadcast Video Processing and SDI Routing, Software Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband, Industrial Machine Vision and Imaging, Motor Control and Industrial Drive DSP, Medical Imaging Pre-Processing (Ultrasound / MRI Front-End).
PCI Express Endpoint Cards (Gen2 x4)
The EP2AGX45DF29I6N integrates hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 endpoints with up to x4 lane support, making it ideal for PCIe endpoint cards in industrial PCs, frame grabbers, and DSP accelerator cards. Its 8 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps comfortably exceed the 5 Gbps PCIe Gen2 line rate, leaving margin for signal-integrity loss across a standard 8-inch FR4 connector path. The 42,960 logic elements (8-input ALMs) provide sufficient headroom for soft DMA engines, scatter-gather lists, and user-data FIFOs, while the 1,728 Kbits of embedded memory (M9K/M144K blocks) buffers packet payloads. Designers typically pair this FPGA with the Quartus II PCIe Hard IP megacore, instantiate x4 Gen2 mode, and allocate the remaining transceivers for auxiliary SATA or XAUI links. Power consumption scales with active transceiver count and logic utilization; at 50% logic usage with 4 active PCIe lanes, board-level power is typically 4-6 W, manageable with a small aluminum heatsink and 4-layer FR4 PCB.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing and SDI Routing
The EP2AGX45DF29I6N's 8 multi-gigabit transceivers natively support SDI protocols including 3G-SDI (2.97 Gbps), HD-SDI (1.485 Gbps), and dual-link SDI at 6 Gbps aggregate. Video routers and format converters use the FPGA's adaptive logic modules to perform cross-point switching, audio embedding, and ancillary data insertion at line rates matching the SDI payload. The 364 user I/O expose ample LVDS pairs for parallel GPIO control of crosspoint switch ICs and front-panel LEDs. Embedded memory blocks (M9K) are well-suited for line/frame buffers in deinterlacers and scalers. The device's hard PCIe endpoint also enables compact SDI capture cards that ingest multiple streams and push them directly to host memory. Industrial temperature grade (I6) makes the part suitable for broadcast studio equipment that must operate in non-climate-controlled rack rooms.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband
SDR platforms benefit from the EP2AGX45DF29I6N's combination of 8 high-speed transceivers (up to 6.375 Gbps), DSP-rich logic fabric, and abundant embedded memory. The transceivers interface directly with ADC/DAC evaluation boards such as FMCOMMS2/3/4/5 via the FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) connector, digitizing RF signals at sample rates up to 200 MSPS per channel. Inside the fabric, the ALM-based DSP blocks implement digital down-conversion (DDC), finite impulse response (FIR) filters, and FFT engines for spectral analysis. The 1,728 Kbits of embedded memory (M9K + M144K) provide first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffering and FFT working memory without requiring external SRAM. Industrial temperature grade and 40 nm low-power process make the part suitable for portable SDR equipment and field-deployable radios used in spectrum monitoring, direction-finding, and tactical communications.
Recommended
Industrial Machine Vision and Imaging
Machine vision systems use the EP2AGX45DF29I6N to aggregate data from multiple high-resolution CMOS image sensors, perform real-time pre-processing (white balance, gamma correction, edge detection), and push results over Gigabit Ethernet or PCIe to a host controller. The 8 transceivers support up to 8 channels of Camera Link (full/medium/base configurations) or up to 4 channels of CoaXPress (CXP-3 at 3.125 Gbps), giving the FPGA flexible sensor-interface options. Adaptive logic modules implement Bayer demosaicing, FFT-based pattern matching, and machine-learning inference (small CNNs). Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C ambient) allows deployment on factory floors, outdoor inspection robots, and food-processing lines where commercial-grade parts would derate or fail. The 780-FCBGA package provides 364 user I/O for parallel GPIO to trigger lights, encoders, and reject actuators.
Recommended
Motor Control and Industrial Drive DSP
High-precision multi-axis servo drives and industrial inverters use the EP2AGX45DF29I6N to implement field-oriented control (FOC), space-vector PWM (SVPWM), and Kalman-filter state estimation for AC induction, permanent-magnet synchronous (PMSM), and switched-reluctance motors. The 8-input ALMs efficiently map the fixed-point math required for Park/Clarke transforms, PID loops, and SVPWM modulator states. The 1,728 Kbits of embedded memory store per-axis reference tables, encoder look-up tables, and diagnostic logs. The 8 transceivers support EtherCAT slave PHY expansion chips (ET1100), SERCOS III, or Profinet IRT, giving the design flexibility to swap industrial Ethernet protocols without changing the FPGA. Industrial temperature grade is essential for cabinet-mounted drives operating in factory environments with ambient temperatures up to +85C and significant thermal cycling.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pre-Processing (Ultrasound / MRI Front-End)
The EP2AGX45DF29I6N is well-suited to medical imaging front-ends such as ultrasound beamformers, MRI receiver digitizers, and CT detector read-out, where 8 multi-gigabit transceivers can ingest data from up to 8 ADC channels at sample rates of 80-160 MSPS. Inside the FPGA, beamforming delays, FIR filtering, and envelope detection are implemented in ALM-based DSP pipelines, with embedded M9K memory blocks storing channel data and coefficient sets. The hard PCIe Gen2 endpoint enables real-time transfer of processed frames to a host PC or GPU for image reconstruction, while the 364 user I/O expose control paths to analog front-end (AFE) chips, transmit/receive switches, and high-voltage pulser boards. Industrial temperature grade and the 40 nm low-power process provide predictable performance for medical-grade equipment that must meet IEC 60601 reliability and safety standards.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX45DF29I6N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX45DF29I5N | EP2AGX45DF29I5G | EP2AGX45DF29C6N | EP2AGX45DF29C5N | EP2AGX45DF29I3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) | 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 42,960 | 42,960 | 42,960 | 42,960 | 42,960 | 42,960 |
| Embedded Memory (Kbits) | 1,728 | 1,728 | 1,728 | 1,728 | 1,728 | 1,728 |
| User I/O | 364 | 364 | 364 | 364 | 364 | 364 |
| Transceiver Channels | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Max Transceiver Rate (Gbps) | 6.375 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6.375 | 5.0 | 2.5 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial | Industrial | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Industrial |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest transceiver bin in the 780-FCBGA DF29 family (vs EP2AGX45DF29I5N)
- Industrial temperature coverage (vs EP2AGX45DF29C6N)
- Higher transceiver frequency than lower speed grades (vs EP2AGX45DF29I3N)
Design Notes
The 780-ball FCBGA (DF29) package requires at least 4 PCB layers with continuous ground planes under the BGA array. Route the 8 transceiver differential pairs on the top layer with controlled 100-ohm differential impedance and keep total trace length below 200 mm. Decoupling: place 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF X7R 0402 capacitors within 2 mm of each transceiver power pin (VCCR, VCCT, VCCA) - the Arria II GX Device Handbook specifies 22 unique power rails that must each be bypassed. Length-match all Tx/Rx pairs within 0.127 mm (5 mil) for PCIe Gen2 compliance. Reference: Arria II GX Device Handbook, Volume 2, "Board Design Guidelines".
Estimated: at full utilization (50% logic, 8 active transceivers at 6.375 Gbps, ~25% toggle rate), the EP2AGX45DF29I6N draws approximately 5-7 W. The 780-FCBGA junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) is approximately 12-15 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board with no airflow, yielding a junction temperature rise of 60-105 C above ambient. In an industrial enclosure with 70 C ambient, this approaches the +100 C upper limit. Mitigation: provide at least 200 LFM airflow across the BGA, or attach a small 1-inch-square aluminum heatsink via thermal interface material. The board design reference includes a copper coin or thermal via array under the central BGA balls to spread heat to inner ground planes.
Three common pitfalls when designing with EP2AGX45DF29I6N: (1) Unused transceiver pins must be biased per Intel's pin connection guidelines - leave Rx pins open with the internal bias, and tie Tx pins to VCCT through the documented 0.1 uF AC-coupling network to prevent leakage current. (2) Configuration mode (MSEL[3:0]) must be set correctly for AS (Active Serial), PS (Passive Serial), FPP (Fast Passive Parallel), or JTAG-only modes - a wrong setting bricks the board until the configuration flash is reprogrammed. (3) The 1.2 V core voltage (VCCINT) and 2.5 V/3.0 V auxiliary voltages (VCCAUX, VCCAUX_GXB) must ramp up in the sequence specified in the datasheet, otherwise the POR (Power-On Reset) circuitry may mis-trigger and lock the JTAG chain. Always use a sequenced power controller such as the LTC3566 or ISL80019.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Altera/Intel product page and Alldatasheet entry. Halogen-free packaging indicated by 'G' suffix variants (e.g., I5G, C6G); standard 'N' suffix variants are also Pb-free but not necessarily halogen-free. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a logic/FPGA device, not an automotive-qualified analog IC.
