EP2AGX65DF25C6N - Arria II GX 65kLE FPGA 5.4Mb 572-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGX65DF25C6N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $124.57 | $124.57 |
| 10 | $118.2 | $1,182.00 |
| 25 | $112.95 | $2,823.75 |
| 100 | $99.8 | $9,980.00 |
| 500 | $89.4 | $44,700.00 |
EP2AGX65DF25C6N Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and programmable interconnect, all controllable through a vendor-specific bitstream. FPGAs sit between fixed-function ASICs (high NRE, low unit cost at scale) and software-driven microcontrollers (sequential, lower throughput), offering hardware parallelism, deterministic latency, and in-system re-programmability for prototyping, low-volume production, and feature-rich embedded systems.
Key features of the EP2AGX65DF25C6N include 2530 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 12 dedicated 18x18 multipliers, 8 fractional PLLs, 1.4 Mb of distributed RAM, and 4.5 Mb of M9K block memory that combine to deliver sustained DSP throughput above 15 GMACs. The device supports DDR2/DDR3 SDRAM interfaces up to 533 MHz with hardened PHY blocks, multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL), and dynamic OCT (on-chip termination) that simplifies PCB layout and reduces BOM cost on multi-voltage memory buses.
Architecturally, the Arria II GX family combines 8-input adaptive logic modules (ALMs) with embedded memory and DSP slices, a feature set that allows soft-core CPU instantiation (Nios II), hardware-accelerated signal processing, and parallel datapath synthesis. Compared with older Cyclone III designs, Arria II GX offers 2x logic density and 4x memory at the same power envelope, while the transceiver-rich 'GX' suffix targets protocol bridging (CPRI, OBSAI, GbE, PCIe) that pure-logic families cannot address without external PHYs.
Typical applications include wireless baseband processing where CPRI/OBSAI links aggregate remote radio heads, broadcast video format conversion at 3G-SDI rates, machine-vision frame grabbers interfacing Camera Link or CoaXPress sensors, military/aerospace software-defined radio, and industrial control planes that demand parallel deterministic response. The 572-ball 25x25 mm FCBGA also provides sufficient signal integrity margin for 6.375 Gbps backplanes and backplane Ethernet variants.
When designing with the EP2AGX65DF25C6N, plan power sequencing to ramp VCCINT (0.9 V core) before VCCPD and VCCAUX, and reserve at least four PCB layers for transceiver channels above 3 Gbps with controlled-impedance routing. Designers should also evaluate Intel Quartus II / Quartus Prime design tools and license the transceiver feature for protocol-specific bitstream generation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-family Arria II GX alternatives, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet to support both new design and legacy board reuse.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGX65DF25C6N — 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 EP2AGX65DF25C6N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGX65DF25C6G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$184.6758 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65DF25C5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65DF25C5G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65DF25C4G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$149.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65CU17C6G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$141.28 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGX65DF25C6N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 60214 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2530 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 5371904 |
| M9K Block Memory | 4.5 Mb |
| Distributed RAM | 1.4 Mb |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 12 |
| Fractional PLLs | 8 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 252 |
| Transceivers | Up to 12 channels, 3.75 Gbps |
| PCI Express Hard IP | Gen1 x1/x4 |
| Process Technology | 40 nm CMOS, low power |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 0.9 V |
| Package | 572-ball FCBGA, 25 x 25 mm (DF25) |
| Speed Grade | 6 (commercial, slow) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) |
| RoHS Status | Lead-free, RoHS compliant |
EP2AGX65DF25C6N 572-ball fcbga, 25 x 25 mm (df25) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGX65DF25C6N (572-ball fcbga, 25 x 25 mm (df25) 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 EP2AGX65DF25C6N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGX65DF25C6N is suitable for 7 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing (CPRI / OBSAI), Broadcast Video Format Conversion (3G-SDI / HDMI), Industrial Machine Vision Frame Grabbers, Software-Defined Radio Platforms, PCIe Endpoint / Protocol Bridging Cards, Medical Imaging (Ultrasound / CT Reconstruction Backplanes), Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
Wireless Baseband Processing (CPRI / OBSAI)
The EP2AGX65DF25C6N is widely used in 4G LTE small-cell and remote radio unit (RRU) baseband processing cards. Its 12 transceiver channels at 3.75 Gbps map directly onto 4x CPRI links between baseband and radio, while the 60,214 logic elements and 12 dedicated 18x18 multipliers handle channel filtering, FFT/iFFT, and crest-factor reduction. Designers allocate roughly half the LABs to the PHY digital front-end and the remainder to MAC-layer schedulers. The 5.3 Mb embedded memory acts as a deep sample buffer that absorbs CPRI jitter peaks, and the 8 fractional PLLs synthesize the multiple sample clocks required for mixed LTE band sampling.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Format Conversion (3G-SDI / HDMI)
The Arria II GX 65kLE at speed grade 6 is fast enough to drive multi-rate SDI processors at 2.97 Gbps per channel for broadcast routers and up/down/cross converters. Its 252 user I/Os accept parallel RGB/YUV from incoming video processors, while the transceivers route 3G-SDI serial streams into and out of the chip. The embedded M9K memory blocks store active video line buffers, and the 18x18 multipliers compute color-space conversion matrices and chroma scaling. Designers pair the EP2AGX65DF25C6N with external SDI cable equalizers and HDMI transmitters for complete broadcast video signal chains.
Recommended
Industrial Machine Vision Frame Grabbers
In high-speed industrial inspection, the EP2AGX65DF25C6N serves as the central aggregator for Camera Link or CoaXPress frame grabber cards. The transceiver channels deliver up to 3.125 Gbps per link for CoaXPress, while the dedicated LVDS pairs handle parallel Camera Link Base/Medium/Full configurations. Its 2530 LABs process pixel pipelines (debayer, white-balance, defect correction) at line-rate, while the 5.3 Mb embedded memory lines up multi-tap frame buffers. Industrial customers value the commercial-grade temperature rating of 0-85 C and the deterministic latency that 40-nm CMOS logic delivers to support real-time defect detection on conveyor lines.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Platforms
Software-defined radio (SDR) platforms rely on the EP2AGX65DF25C6N's parallel DSP fabric to perform digital up-conversion, decimation, and modulation between the analog front-end and the host processor. With 12 transceivers sampling at up to 3.75 Gbps, a single FPGA can host multiple simultaneous narrow-band receivers across HF, VHF, and UHF ranges. The 8 fractional PLLs synthesize the many sample clocks needed for multi-band reception, and the M9K block memory buffers baseband data for FFT-based spectral analysis. SDR libraries targeting Arria II GX in Quartus II provide direct support for DDC/DUC and polyphase filterbank implementations.
Recommended
PCIe Endpoint / Protocol Bridging Cards
The hard PCI Express Gen1 endpoint IP block in the EP2AGX65DF25C6N enables cost-effective PCIe x1 and x4 endpoint cards without consuming programmable logic for the PHY. The same fabric bridges legacy protocols (PCI, I2C, SPI, UART, parallel GPIO) onto a PCIe link for industrial I/O and instrumentation cards. The 252 user I/Os accommodate wide external buses, while the transceivers can simultaneously carry a second protocol (such as 1G Ethernet) on the same PCB. Designers use the Quartus II PCIe Compiler to generate TLP handlers and BAR mapping in a few clicks.
Recommended
Medical Imaging (Ultrasound / CT Reconstruction Backplanes)
In ultrasound beamformers and CT image reconstruction backplanes, the EP2AGX65DF25C6N performs real-time delay-and-sum beamforming across 64 to 128 channels. The 5.3 Mb embedded memory stores per-channel FIR coefficients and apodization weights, while the 18x18 multipliers carry out the complex multiply-accumulate operations on sampled RF data at rates up to 40 MHz. The 252 user I/Os accept parallel LVDS streams from analog front-end ADCs, and the transceivers transport processed beamformed data to a host CPU over PCIe or 1G Ethernet. Designers target this device for portable cart-based ultrasound and pre-clinical CT scanners where deterministic low latency is critical for image quality.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Bench-top test and measurement instruments such as protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and BERT testers use the EP2AGX65DF25C6N to capture and analyze multi-gigabit serial traffic. The 12 transceivers at 3.75 Gbps can simultaneously monitor PCIe, SATA, GbE, and CPRI with protocol-aware triggering, while the rich logic fabric runs custom pattern-matching and CDR algorithms. The M9K memory blocks function as deep capture buffers for pre-trigger data, and the 8 PLLs derive reference and bit clocks from external rubidium or OCXO references. The 572-ball FCBGA package keeps board area compact for rack-mount instrument form factors.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGX65DF25C6N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGX65DF25C6G | EP2AGX65DF25C5N | EP2AGX65DF25C5G | EP2AGX65DF25C4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 572-ball FCBGA 25x25 mm | 572-ball FCBGA 25x25 mm | 572-ball FCBGA 25x25 mm | 572-ball FCBGA 25x25 mm | 572-ball FCBGA 25x25 mm |
| Logic Elements | 60214 | 60214 | 60214 | 60214 | 60214 |
| Speed Grade | 6 (slowest) | 6 | 5 (faster) | 5 (faster) | 4 (fastest commercial) |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | No (leaded balls) | Yes (RoHS lead-free) | No (leaded) | Yes (RoHS lead-free) | Yes (RoHS lead-free) |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 5371904 | 5371904 | 5371904 | 5371904 | 5371904 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 252 | 252 | 252 | 252 | 252 |
| Transceivers | Up to 12 ch, 3.75 Gbps | Up to 12 ch, 3.75 Gbps | Up to 12 ch, 3.75 Gbps | Up to 12 ch, 3.75 Gbps | Up to 12 ch, 3.75 Gbps |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) |
Key Differentiators
- Same die + same DF25 footprint across speed grades and lead finishes (vs EP2AGX65DF25C5N)
- Lead-free RoHS ball-finish variant available without redesign (vs EP2AGX65DF25C6G)
- Hardened PCI Express Gen1 IP and transceiver channels up to 3.75 Gbps (vs EP4CE115F29C7N)
Design Notes
Estimated: With VCCINT at 0.9 V and worst-case utilization at 60,214 LEs, the EP2AGX65DF25C6N draws approximately 4-6 A on the core rail alone, plus another 1-2 A on VCCAUX and 2-3 A across VCCIO banks. Use a 4-layer PCB with at least 2 oz copper on inner layers for the VCCINT plane and place 22 uF/10 uF/0.1 uF decoupling cap ladders within 5 mm of every supply ball. Program the POR (power-on-reset) circuit to ramp VCCINT before VCCPD and VCCAUX per the Arria II GX handbook to prevent high-current latch-up.
Transceiver channels above 3 Gbps require controlled-impedance routing with 100 ohm differential pairs and loss-budget analysis for backplane reach up to 20 inches on FR-4. Use a continuous reference ground plane beneath transceiver traces, avoid routing over split planes, and apply series AC-coupling capacitors (0.1 uF) close to the transmitter side. Source: Arria II GX Transceiver User Guide section on board design guidelines.
Do not confuse the DF25 package code with the smaller CU17 package - both are listed for the 65kLE Arria II GX but have different ball pitches and footprints. The DF25 in this part number specifies a 25x25 mm, 1.0 mm pitch FCBGA. Using the wrong package symbol in the PCB library will cause incorrect placement and shorts. Always confirm the package outline against the latest Intel Arria II GX device pin-out files.
Estimated: At full speed grade 6 utilization, the Arria II GX device dissipates 6-10 W, requiring theta_JA of approximately 8 C/W with a heat spreader. Mount a 25x25 mm heat sink with thermal interface material, and ensure airflow of at least 200 LFM for sealed enclosures. Monitor the on-chip temperature-sense diode via the Arria II GX analog-to-digital converter for thermal-firmware shutdown at 100 C junction.
Configure unused user I/O pins as input tri-stated with weak pull-up resistors enabled to prevent floating inputs from drawing leakage current. Use the Quartus II Design Assistant and Pin Planner to validate I/O bank VCCIO assignments, especially when mixing 1.5 V LVCMOS with 2.5 V LVDS in adjacent banks. Place JTAG chain headers (TCK/TMS/TDO/TDI) within 1 inch of the FPGA to keep tap signal integrity margin high.
Compliance Information
EP2AGX65DF25C6N carries the N suffix indicating leaded (SnPb) ball finish and is therefore not RoHS compliant; choose the G-suffix variant EP2AGX65DF25C6G for RoHS lead-free. Operating temperature is 0-85 C commercial, so AEC-Q100 automotive qualification does not apply. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status should be confirmed via Intel's product content disclosure portal.
