EP2AGX65CU17C4N - Arria II GX FPGA 60K LE 358-UBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX65CU17C4N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1420 | $1,420.00 |
| 10 | $1349 | $13,490.00 |
| 100 | $1235 | $123,500.00 |
| 250 | $1180 | $295,000.00 |
| 500 | $1125 | $562,500.00 |
EP2AGX65CU17C4N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and programmable I/O cells, all wired by a reprogrammable interconnect fabric. Within the broader taxonomy, FPGAs sit under programmable logic devices (PLDs) -> logic ICs -> integrated circuits -> semiconductors. The Arria II GX family extends the Stratix transceiver heritage into the mid-range cost/power envelope, balancing logic density with high-speed serial capability.
Key features of the EP2AGX65CU17C4N include 2,530 LABs (Logic Array Blocks), 12 transceiver channels with data rates up to 6.375 Gbps, dedicated hard IP for PCIe Gen2 x1/x4 and multiple memory controllers (DDR3, DDR2, QDRII+, RLDRAM II). Embedded transceivers eliminate the need for external PHY chips, reducing board area, BOM count, and power. The device supports up to 156 user I/Os at LVDS, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL standards for flexible memory and parallel chip-to-chip interconnect.
Typical applications span wireless baseband processing, broadcast video engines, industrial imaging pipelines, military secure communications, and high-performance DSP coprocessors. The integrated transceivers also enable line-card designs for ATCA and microTCA platforms. The CU17C4N speed grade (C4) targets commercial temperature (0C to 85C) operation with the 17 mm x 17 mm UBGA footprint.
When designing with this device, ensure the Quartus II design toolchain supports the EP2AGX65 family and the chosen transceiver IP cores. PCB layout must enforce 100-ohm differential impedance on transceiver lanes and continuous reference planes for the 358-ball FCBGA to meet signal-integrity budgets. As of 2026-09-08, the Arria II GX family is in mature production.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX65CU17C4N 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 EP2AGX65CU17C4N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Embedded Memory Bits.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX65CU17C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$285 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX65CU17C6N
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGX65CU17C6NES
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGX65CU1713N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$95 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX65CU17C4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 60,214 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,530 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 5,371,904 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 156 |
| Transceiver Channels | 12 |
| Transceiver Data Rate | up to 6.375 Gbps |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Package | 358-ball UBGA (FCBGA) 17x17 mm |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C4 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Hard Memory Controllers | DDR3, DDR2, QDRII+, RLDRAM II |
| PCIe Hard IP | Gen1 x1/x4, Gen2 x1/x4 |
EP2AGX65CU17C4N 358-ball ubga (fcbga) 17x17 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX65CU17C4N (358-ball ubga (fcbga) 17x17 mm 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 EP2AGX65CU17C4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX65CU17C4N is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, Broadcast Video Processing, PCIe Gen2 Card Design, Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision, Military and Secure Communications, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP2AGX65CU17C4N's 60,214 logic elements and 12 transceiver channels at 6.375 Gbps make it well-suited for wireless baseband signal processing in 4G LTE small cells and pico/femtocell base stations. The Arria II GX architecture delivers the DSP throughput required for uplink/downlink channelization, while integrated PCIe Gen2 hard IP enables direct connectivity to baseband SoCs over the radio card backplane. Compared to ASSP baseband processors, this FPGA offers reconfigurability for multi-standard support (LTE, WiMAX) and field upgrades. A typical design uses four transceiver lanes for CPRI link to the radio unit, four lanes for backhaul Ethernet, and the remaining lanes for inter-card communication.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
The EP2AGX65CU17C4N is widely deployed in broadcast video routers, format converters, and HD-SDI infrastructure because its transceivers natively support SMPTE 424M (3G-SDI), 292M (HD-SDI), and 259M (SD-SDI) serial video standards. With 156 user I/Os and dedicated DDR3 memory controllers, the device can drive multi-channel video pipelines with frame buffering and color-space conversion. Designers benefit from the 40nm low-power process which keeps system thermal envelopes tight for rack-mount broadcast chassis. Reference designs from Intel demonstrate 8-channel 3G-SDI embedding/de-embedding on this part family.
Recommended
PCIe Gen2 Card Design
The EP2AGX65CU17C4N integrates hard IP for PCIe Gen2 x1/x4 endpoints, eliminating external PHY complexity and reducing BOM cost in accelerator, NIC, and storage controller cards. With 60,214 logic elements and 12 transceiver channels, designers can implement Gen2 x4 endpoint logic plus 8 Gbps auxiliary serial links for backplane or inter-card communication. The 358-ball UBGA package at 17x17 mm fits standard PCIe card form factors. Intel provides reference designs for the Arria II GX PCIe Gen2 hard IP block, including example TLPs and DMA engines, which dramatically shortens time-to-market for new card products.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision
The EP2AGX65CU17C4N's combination of 156 LVDS-capable I/Os, 5.4 Mbit embedded memory, and high-speed transceivers is well-matched to multi-camera industrial imaging systems. The device can aggregate data from Camera Link, CoaXPress, or GigE Vision sensors, perform real-time preprocessing (white balance, gamma, Bayer demosaicing), and forward compressed streams to host processors. With operating temperature spanning 0C to 85C commercial grade, the FPGA meets factory-floor requirements. Designers leverage the Arria II GX DDR3 controller for frame buffering and the transceiver channels for GigE Vision uplinks.
Recommended
Military and Secure Communications
The EP2AGX65CU17C4N's 60,214 logic elements support cryptographic accelerators (AES-256, SHA-256, ECC) alongside high-speed serial links for tactical radios and secure datalinks. The 12 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps accommodate multiple waveform protocols, while the 40nm process provides the radiation-tolerance margin needed for avionics and defense applications. Designers pair the FPGA with external cryptographic modules and SDR front ends, using the integrated PCIe hard IP to interface with mission computer hosts. The commercial temperature grade (0C to 85C) of this part is suitable for many ground-vehicle and shipboard applications.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP2AGX65CU17C4N powers high-performance test equipment such as protocol analyzers, bit-error-rate testers, and logic analyzers where reconfigurability and parallel processing are key. With 12 transceivers, the device can simultaneously monitor multiple high-speed serial lanes (PCIe, SATA, USB 3.0, 10 GbE) while the 60,214 logic elements implement pattern generation, error injection, and protocol decoding. The 358-ball UBGA package supports the dense PCB layouts required for multi-channel instruments. The DDR3 controller simplifies large trace-buffer implementation, and the PCIe hard IP enables high-throughput upload of captured data to host software.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX65CU17C4N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX65CU17C4G | EP2AGX65CU17C6N | EP2AGX65CU17C6NES | EP2AGX65CU1713N | EP2AGX65DF25C4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 358-ball UBGA (17x17 mm) | 358-ball UBGA (17x17 mm) - same | 358-ball UBGA (17x17 mm) - same | 358-ball UBGA (17x17 mm) - same | 358-ball UBGA (17x17 mm) - same | 572-ball FBGA - different (PCB redesign required) |
| Logic Elements | 60,214 | 60,214 | 60,214 | 60,214 | 60,214 | 60,214 |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial) | C4 (commercial) | C6 (faster) | C6 (engineered services) | I3 (industrial) | C4 (commercial) |
| Transceiver Channels | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| User I/Os | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 252 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85C (Commercial) | 0C to 85C | 0C to 85C | Extended | -40C to 100C (Industrial) | 0C to 85C |
| RoHS / Pb-Free | Pb-bearing (N suffix) | Pb-free (G suffix) | Pb-bearing | Pb-bearing | Pb-bearing | Pb-free |
Key Differentiators
- Higher speed grade for timing-critical paths (vs EP2AGX65CU17C4N vs EP2AGX65CU17C6N)
- Industrial temperature range for harsh environments (vs EP2AGX65CU17C4N vs EP2AGX65CU1713N)
- RoHS-compliant Pb-free packaging for global markets (vs EP2AGX65CU17C4N vs EP2AGX65CU17C4G)
- Pin-compatible footprint flexibility across speed grades (vs EP2AGX65CU17C4N vs larger-package Arria II GX (e.g. EP2AGX260FF35C5N))
Design Notes
The 358-ball FCBGA package requires a 17x17 mm PCB land pattern with 1.0 mm ball pitch per JEDEC MS-034. Use 100-ohm differential impedance for transceiver lanes with reference planes uninterrupted under the BGA. Microvia construction is recommended for inner-row escape; ensure PCB stackup provides continuous VCC and GND planes adjacent to BGA power/ground balls. Decoupling: place 0.1 uF MLCCs within 100 mil of every power ball, with bulk 10 uF and 100 uF polymer capacitors at the board periphery. Estimated: total decoupling capacitance budget for this part is approximately 80-120 uF per voltage rail based on the Intel pin connection guidelines.
The Arria II GX at full transceiver utilization (12 lanes at 6.375 Gbps) and 60K LE operating at 75-85% utilization can dissipate 8-12 W. The 358-ball UBGA has no integrated heatspreader, so thermal management relies on the PCB copper area and airflow. Recommended: 2 oz copper inner planes, 4-6 layer stackup with thermal vias under the BGA, and at least 200 LFM airflow. Estimated: junction-to-ambient theta_JA is approximately 18-22 C/W with a standard JEDEC test board, yielding a 144-264 C/W rise at 12 W - junction temperature must be calculated using the application-specific board to confirm operation below 100C.
Transceiver channels on the EP2AGX65CU17C4N require strict signal-integrity discipline: 100-ohm differential with 8 mil/8 mil trace width/spacing on a low-loss dielectric (Df less than 0.015 at 5 GHz). Intra-pair skew should be kept below 1 ps per inch, and channel length matching across multi-lane protocols (PCIe, XAUI) must be within 5 mil. Reference Intel Application Note AN-531 for the Arria II GX transceiver PCB layout checklist. Pre-emphasis and equalization settings in the Quartus II Transceiver Toolkit should be validated against compliance patterns before tape-out.
Do not assume the C4 speed grade is interchangeable with C6 in timing-critical designs - the Fmax difference of 10-15% can close timing margins. Always re-run TimeQuest timing analysis when swapping speed grades. Also note that the N suffix indicates a Pb-bearing package; for RoHS-compliant end products, choose the G-suffix variant (EP2AGX65CU17C4G). Configuration pins (MSEL, nCONFIG, nSTATUS) require external pull-ups per the Arria II GX handbook; do not leave them floating. Finally, validate the Quartus II project setting for the correct device package before generating the .sof/.pof programming files.
Compliance Information
The N suffix indicates a Pb-bearing (non-RoHS) package variant. Choose the G-suffix (EP2AGX65CU17C4G) for RoHS-compliant designs. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to FPGAs of this complexity.
