EP2AGX65CU17C5N - Arria II GX FPGA, 60K LE, 358-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX65CU17C5N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $263.5 | $2,635.00 |
| 100 | $234.2 | $23,420.00 |
| 500 | $205 | $102,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $178.4 | $178,400.00 |
EP2AGX65CU17C5N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that allows designers to implement arbitrary digital logic, memory, and high-speed I/O through a configuration bitstream. Within the wider taxonomy, FPGAs sit between application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and microcontrollers: more flexible than ASICs and far more deterministic and parallel than CPUs. The Arria II GX family adds integrated multi-gigabit transceivers, hard PCIe Gen1/Gen2 IP, and DSP blocks for high-throughput arithmetic, which is why it is widely adopted in wireless base-station fronthaul, serial-interface bridging, and high-end video processing.
Key features include 16 transceivers supporting data rates up to 6.375 Gbps, 8 PLLs, 312 user I/O pins, and 156 maximum user I/O. The core runs from a 0.9 V internal supply while I/O banks support 1.2 V to 3.3 V single-ended standards (LVCMOS, LVTTL, SSTL, HSTL) plus LVDS, mini-LVDS, and LVPECL differential signalling. Hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 endpoints with PIPE interface reduce soft-logic overhead, while dedicated 6 × 6 DSP blocks accelerate FFT, FIR, and complex-mixer functions for wireless DSP. Configuration is supported through fast passive parallel (FPP), passive serial (PS), JTAG, and Altera EPCS configuration devices, with built-in bitstream encryption (AES) and design-security features.
The silicon architecture pairs a logic fabric of adaptive logic modules (ALMs) with 8-input fracturable look-up tables (LUTs), MLAB memory blocks distributed throughout the fabric, and M9K/M144K block memory. Memory interfaces up to DDR3-800 are supported through hardened PHY and dynamic OCT calibration. Hard intellectual property (IP) blocks for PCIe Gen2 ×1/×4, gigabit Ethernet, and CPRI accelerate time-to-market for telecom OEMs that previously had to license soft IP for these functions.
Typical applications include wireless base-station fronthaul and backhaul with CPRI/OBSAI links, broadcast video processing for SDI/HDMI bridging, military radar and electronic-warfare pre-processing, medical imaging pipelines, and high-speed serial interface bridging. The transceiver density also suits serial RapidIO and 10G Ethernet aggregation cards in telecom and datacom line cards. For new designs, however, Intel's own Cyclone V, Arria V, Arria 10, and Agilex 7 families offer higher transceiver rates and lower power, so the Arria II GX is generally used for sustaining existing designs or cost-sensitive replacement in legacy systems.
Designers should plan thermal dissipation carefully: the FC-UFBGA package has a relatively high junction-to-ambient thermal resistance, so adequate airflow and board-level thermal vias are essential for reliable 100 °C-junction operation. The transceiver reference clocks must be sourced from a low-jitter PLL to meet CPRI/Ethernet jitter masks, and the 0.9 V core rail requires a tight ±3 % tolerance with proper decoupling network.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX65CU17C5N — 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 EP2AGX65CU17C5N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Embedded Memory Bits.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX65CU17C6N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGX65CU17I5N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGX65CU17C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65CU17C5G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX45CU17C5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$262 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65CU17C4G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$285 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65CU17C5N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Logic Elements | 60,214 |
| LABs/CLBs | 2,530 |
| Total Memory Bits | 5,371,904 bits (4.4 Mb) |
| Maximum User I/O | 156 |
| User I/O Banks | 9 (typical, package-dependent) |
| Package | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (UBGA) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm TSMC low-power |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Transceivers | Up to 16 multi-gigabit transceivers |
| Max Transceiver Data Rate | 6.375 Gbps |
| PLLs | 8 |
| DSP Blocks | 6 × 6 hardened multipliers |
| Speed Grade | C5 (middle-speed) |
| Temperature Grade | N (extended, -40 °C to +100 °C Tj) |
| Hard PCIe Gen1/Gen2 | Yes (with PIPE interface) |
| Configuration Modes | FPP, PS, JTAG, EPCS |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP2AGX65CU17C5N 358-ball fc-ufbga (ubga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX65CU17C5N (358-ball fc-ufbga (ubga) 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 EP2AGX65CU17C5N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX65CU17C5N is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Base-Station Fronthaul (CPRI / OBSAI), Broadcast Video Processing / SDI Bridging, Military Radar and Electronic Warfare Pre-Processing, Medical Imaging (Ultrasound / CT Back-End), High-Speed Serial Interface Bridging (PCIe / 10G), Industrial High-Speed Test and Measurement.
Wireless Base-Station Fronthaul (CPRI / OBSAI)
The EP2AGX65CU17C5N is widely deployed in 3G/4G LTE base-station fronthaul where it carries CPRI up to 4.9 Gbps or OBSAI RP3 up to 6.144 Gbps over fiber between the baseband unit and remote radio head. Its 16 multi-gigabit transceivers provide ample lane count for sectorized radios with redundant links, while the hard PCS/PMA layers meet CPRI jitter masks when clocked from a low-jitter external reference PLL. The hardened 6 × 6 DSP blocks accelerate LTE physical-layer FFT, iFFT, and channel estimation, reducing soft-logic footprint and power. Compared to a discrete SERDES plus microcontroller solution, the integrated fabric cuts board area and BOM cost for the same throughput.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing / SDI Bridging
Broadcast video routers, format converters, and SDI-over-fibre extenders use the EP2AGX65CU17C5N to aggregate multiple 3G-SDI or HD-SDI streams while adding overlay processing, chroma-keying, and frame-rate conversion. The fabric's 4.4 Mb embedded memory is sufficient for line buffers and lookup tables, while the transceiver array aggregates up to 16 simplex SDI links at 2.97 Gbps each or fewer at higher rates. The hardened PCIe Gen2 endpoints also enable direct attachment to video processing host servers over PIPE. The wide operating temperature range ensures stable operation in OB-van and studio environments with constrained cooling.
Recommended
Military Radar and Electronic Warfare Pre-Processing
Defense primes use the EP2AGX65CU17C5N for radar front-end preprocessing, electronic-support-measures (ESM) tuning, and digital-RF decimation in EW pods. The 60,214 logic elements, in combination with the embedded 6 × 6 DSP blocks, sustain real-time pulse compression, MTI filtering, and CFAR detection at IF sample rates up to 200 MHz. Sixteen transceivers accept analogue-to-digital converter outputs at multiple gigasamples-per-second, routing them directly into the FPGA fabric for high-throughput arithmetic. The -40 °C to +100 °C junction range plus extended qualification programs make the part suitable for airborne and ground-mobile platforms.
Recommended
Medical Imaging (Ultrasound / CT Back-End)
The EP2AGX65CU17C5N is used in premium ultrasound systems and CT scanner back-ends to perform beamforming, image reconstruction, and Doppler processing. Its hardened DSP block array handles the heavy MAC operations needed for FIR filtering across 64-256 channels in real time. The transceivers aggregate data from multi-channel analogue-front-end ADCs at 5-6 Gbps, reducing the board trace count compared to parallel LVDS approaches. The fabric's deterministic latency and pipeline depth control are crucial for medical-safety and diagnostic-image-quality reasons. Designers also appreciate the AES-128 bitstream encryption to protect proprietary image-processing IP.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Interface Bridging (PCIe / 10G)
Telecom and datacom line cards use the EP2AGX65CU17C5N to bridge between hard PCIe Gen2 endpoints and SFP+ optical modules for 10 Gigabit Ethernet aggregation. The hardened PCIe Gen1/Gen2 PIPE interface offloads soft-logic PCI Express cores, freeing the fabric for custom protocols, while the multi-gigabit transceivers drive SFP+ and 10GBase-KR PHYs. The 4.4 Mb of embedded memory buffers large packets during DMA transfer to the host CPU. Compared to an ASIC + microcontroller architecture, the FPGA approach is faster to market and field-upgradable, which is valuable in rapidly evolving network-function-virtualization (NFV) infrastructure.
Recommended
Industrial High-Speed Test and Measurement
Automated test equipment (ATE), protocol analysers, and bit-error-rate testers use the EP2AGX65CU17C5N to implement pattern generation, error detection, and protocol decoding at multi-gigabit rates. Each of the 16 transceivers can be configured as a TX/RX pair, so a single FPGA can drive a 16-lane protocol analyser. The embedded logic analyser (SignalTap II) eases real-time debug, while the AES-128 bitstream encryption protects proprietary test patterns. Designers leverage the hard PCIe Gen2 endpoint to stream captured data directly to host memory at line rate, while the extended temperature range supports factory-floor thermal margins.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX65CU17C5N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX65CU17C6N | EP2AGX65CU17I5N | EP2AGX65CU17C4N | EP2AGX65CU17C5G | EP2AGX45CU17C5N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (U17) | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (U17) - same | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (U17) - same | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (U17) - same | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (U17) - same | 358-ball FC-UFBGA (U17) - same |
| Logic Elements | 60,214 | 60,214 (same die) | 60,214 (same die) | 60,214 (same die) | 60,214 (same die) | 42,959 (-29%) |
| Speed Grade | C5 | C6 (faster) | I5 (industrial temp) | C4 (slower) | C5 (same, Pb-free reflow) | C5 (same) |
| Embedded Memory | 5,371,904 bits (4.4 Mb) | 5,371,904 bits (same) | 5,371,904 bits (same) | 5,371,904 bits (same) | 5,371,904 bits (same) | ~2.4 Mb (-45%) |
| Transceivers | 16 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 16 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 16 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 16 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 16 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 8 @ up to 4.25 Gbps (-50%) |
| Hard PCIe Gen1/Gen2 | Yes | Yes (same) | Yes (same) | Yes (same) | Yes (same) | Yes (same) |
| Temperature Grade | Extended (N): -40C to +100C Tj | Extended (N): -40C to +100C Tj | Industrial (I): -40C to +100C Tj | Extended (N): -40C to +100C Tj | Extended (N): -40C to +100C Tj | Extended (N): -40C to +100C Tj |
Key Differentiators
- 16 multi-gigabit transceivers up to 6.375 Gbps in the C5 speed grade (vs EP2AGX45CU17C5N)
- Drop-in C6 speed grade for tighter timing margin (vs EP2AGX65CU17C6N)
- Higher logic density and memory bandwidth at the C5 price point (vs EP2AGX65CU17C4N)
- Hardened PCIe Gen1/Gen2 PIPE endpoints (vs EP2AGX45CU17C5N)
Design Notes
The 358-ball FC-UFBGA package has a relatively high junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA typically 12-15 C/W with 8-layer JEDEC test board at 0 m/s airflow). At a typical C5 design power of 6-8 W in a fully populated transceiver configuration, the junction will reach ~100 C with no airflow on a 4-layer board. Provide at least 1 m/s forced airflow or a heatsink for sustained 6 Gbps transceiver operation. Always model the FC-UFBGA thermal pad (centre ball cluster) with a thermal via array to inner ground/power planes per the Arria II GX Hardware Design Guidelines.
Estimated power budget for a fully populated EP2AGX65CU17C5N design with 16 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps, 50% logic utilization, and DDR3-800 memory controllers is approximately 6-8 W core plus ~1.5 W transceiver I/O. Use a low-noise 0.9 V regulator with ±3% tolerance and bulk decoupling of at least 4 × 22 uF ceramic + 1 × 470 uF polymer on the VCCINT rail. Decouple each VCCPD and VCCIO bank with 1 × 0.1 uF ceramic + 1 × 10 uF bulk per the Arria II GX power distribution guidelines. Use the Early Power Estimator (EPE) tool from Intel before final board layout.
The FC-UFBGA ball pitch is 1.0 mm with 0.6 mm ball diameter; PCB escape routing must use micro-via stack-ups (laser-drilled micro-vias or staggered micro-vias preferred). Each transceiver differential pair should be routed as 100 ohm differential with intra-pair length matching of < 0.13 mm (5 mil) per the Arria II GX device handbook. Use the Quartus II pin planner to import the U17 pin description file and verify all unused I/O are configured as tri-stated inputs with weak pull-up to avoid floating-input leakage. For PCIe Gen2 endpoints, route the PIPE clock and TX/RX pairs with 85 ohm differential impedance per the PCIe CEM specification.
Do not assume any alternative Arria II GX speed grade (C4, C5, C6, I5) is bitstream-compatible across production - while they share the same die, Quartus II generates distinct programming files per speed grade. When migrating from EP2AGX65CU17C5N to EP2AGX65CU17C6N, rerun timing analysis with the new SDC and reconfirm transceiver PLL settings. For the EP2AGX45CU17C5N drop-in alternative, the lower logic and memory count may require design trimming - do not assume your EP2AGX65 bitstream will run on the EP2AGX45. Use the Quartus II migration kit to identify pin/feature differences before re-spinning the PCB.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance confirmed by Intel product specifications; FC-UFBGA is lead-free and halogen-free per Intel Arria II GX datasheet. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGA, not an automotive-grade device). N suffix = extended industrial temperature grade, not full automotive.
