EP2AGZ225HF40C3G - 225K LE Arria II GZ FPGA, 734 I/O, FBGA-1517 | Intel
MPN: EP2AGZ225HF40C3G β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1780 | $17,800.00 |
| 100 | $1680 | $168,000.00 |
| 500 | $1560 | $780,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1450 | $1,450,000.00 |
EP2AGZ225HF40C3G Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory blocks, DSP blocks, and programmable interconnect, all of which can be reconfigured after manufacturing via a hardware description language (HDL) bitstream. FPGAs sit hierarchically under programmable logic devices (PLD) and above ASICs in flexibility-versus-ASIC NRE trade-off; they are widely used as hardware accelerators, protocol bridges, and pre-silicon prototyping platforms. The Arria II GZ family is positioned in Intel's mid-range portfolio, between the lower-power Cyclone series and the high-end Stratix series.
Key features of the EP2AGZ225HF40C3G include 225,000 logic elements, embedded memory in the multi-megabit range, embedded DSP blocks with hardware multipliers, high-speed transceivers supporting multi-gigabit serial protocols, and PCI Express (PCIe) hard IP blocks. The 1517-ball FBGA package supports 734 user I/O pins, providing generous connectivity for parallel memory buses (DDR3), high-speed ADC/DAC interfaces, and backplane transceivers. The C3 speed grade trades timing margin for power savings relative to the faster C4/C5/C6 grades.
The Arria II GZ architecture combines hard IP for PCIe Gen2, multi-gigabit transceivers, and variable-precision DSP blocks, allowing system designers to consolidate functions that previously required an FPGA plus a companion ASSP. Typical applications include wireless baseband processing, high-definition video broadcast equipment, radar and signal-intelligence front ends, medical imaging pipelines, and high-performance computing acceleration cards. The 734 I/O count in particular suits designs that aggregate many parallel channels.
When designing with this part, engineers must respect the flip-chip BGA PCB requirements: controlled-impedance stackup, microvia or via-in-pad construction, and matched-length routing for the DDR3 memory interface. Designers should also consult the Arria II GZ device handbook for transceiver channel placement and PLL configuration. The C3 speed grade is appropriate when timing margin can be traded for power, while C6 is used for the most demanding timing closure.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGZ225HF40C3G 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 EP2AGZ225HF40C3G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Package, Package Type, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGZ225HF40I3N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$2210 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ225HF40C4N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$2410 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ225HF40C5N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGZ225HF40C6N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2AGZ225HF40C3N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$1820 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ225HF40C4G
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$835 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ225HF40C3G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GZ |
| Logic Elements | 225,000 |
| User I/O Count | 734 |
| Package | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Speed Grade | C3 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP2AGZ225HF40C3G 1517-ball fbga (hf40) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGZ225HF40C3G (1517-ball fbga (hf40) 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 EP2AGZ225HF40C3G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGZ225HF40C3G is suitable for 7 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, High-Definition Video Broadcast Equipment, Radar and Signal-Intelligence Front Ends, Medical Imaging Pipelines, High-Performance Computing Accelerator Cards, Industrial Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Software Defined Radio (SDR) Platforms.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3G's 225,000 logic elements and variable-precision DSP blocks make it ideal for wireless baseband processing in 4G LTE and 5G NR small-cell implementations. The 734 user I/O pins aggregate multiple antenna streams and a CPRI or JESD204B link to the RF front end, while the integrated PCIe Gen2 hard IP connects to a host baseband processor. Compared with a discrete ASSP accelerator, the EP2AGZ225 gives designers a reconfigurable platform that can be updated over the air to support new modulation schemes. Quartus II supports the C3 speed grade with pre-characterized timing models, reducing DSP block chain-out timing closure risk on FFT pipelines.
Recommended
High-Definition Video Broadcast Equipment
For HD and 4K video broadcast encoders, the EP2AGZ225HF40C3G provides sufficient logic to implement H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC encoders in real time across multiple channels. The 734 user I/O pins are critical for aggregating parallel SDI, HDMI, and DisplayPort input streams before the encoder core. The integrated transceivers carry SDI over coaxial cable at 6G or 12G rates, eliminating an external serializer chip. The C3 speed grade is sufficient when encoding pipeline stages are pipelined to keep critical paths short. Production broadcast chassis use the EP2AGZ225HF40 as a drop-in replacement for older Arria II GX parts when upgrading codec density.
Recommended
Radar and Signal-Intelligence Front Ends
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3G's high DSP block count and multi-gigabit transceivers support phased-array radar beamforming, pulse compression, and digital down-conversion in EW and SIGINT systems. The transceivers accept ADC samples from RF ADC ICs over JESD204B/C links and the logic fabric computes FFTs and CFAR detection in real time. With 734 user I/O pins, multiple radar channels can be aggregated on a single FPGA. The C3 speed grade trades a few hundred MHz of Fmax for lower power, which matters in size, weight, and power (SWaP)-constrained platforms. Designers should consult the Arria II GZ handbook for transceiver channel placement and PLL configuration.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pipelines
In CT, MRI, and ultrasound systems, the EP2AGZ225HF40C3G processes raw data streams from analog front ends at line rates up to several GSPS, executing back-projection, beamforming, and image reconstruction in real time. The 225K logic elements comfortably hold pipeline FFT and back-projection kernels that would otherwise require an external DSP cluster. With 734 I/O, the FPGA interfaces to high-speed ADCs, DDR3 image buffers, and a host CPU over PCIe Gen2. The C3 speed grade's lower power helps meet the IEC 60601 patient-leakage budget, while the commercial temperature grade suits the controlled environment of a diagnostic imaging chassis.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Accelerator Cards
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3G serves as a co-processor on PCIe accelerator cards, where it accelerates financial Monte Carlo simulation, genomics alignment, and scientific computing kernels. The PCIe Gen2 hard IP supports x4 or x8 endpoints to the host CPU at line rate, while the 734 user I/O expose DDR3 SODIMM channels and multiple QSFP cages for cluster interconnect. Designers port OpenCL kernels to the Arria II GZ DSP blocks, achieving substantial speed-up over CPU-only execution. The C3 speed grade suffices when the host-to-FPGA data transfer is the bottleneck rather than kernel Fmax.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3G aggregates parallel ADC channels in high-end oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and bit-error-rate testers. The 734 user I/O pins support wide parallel buses from 8-16 simultaneous 12-bit ADC channels running at 1+ GSPS, while the integrated transceivers carry the aggregated data to a display processor over a proprietary high-speed link. The DSP blocks implement real-time triggering, eye-diagram measurement, and protocol decode. The C3 speed grade balances logic density with thermal envelope, important for fan-cooled benchtop instruments where acoustic noise is a concern.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio (SDR) Platforms
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3G is widely used in SDR platforms implementing multi-standard waveforms (LTE, Wi-Fi, custom OFDM) with real-time digital up/down-conversion and baseband processing. The integrated transceivers accept analog IF inputs and the 734 user I/O connect to DAC/ADC banks and host interfaces. The 225K logic elements support multi-channel waveform parallelism, while the C3 commercial speed grade fits lab and rugged-environment SDR chassis alike. Designers can swap bitstreams over JTAG to switch waveforms without changing hardware, a key advantage of the Arria II GZ SDR reference design ecosystem.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGZ225HF40C3G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGZ225HF40I3N | EP2AGZ225HF40C4N | EP2AGZ225HF40C5N | EP2AGZ225HF40C6N | EP2AGZ225HF40C3N | EP2AGZ225HF40C4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) - same | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) - same | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) - same | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) - same | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) - same | 1517-ball FBGA (HF40) - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 |
| User I/O Count | 734 | 734 | 734 | 734 | 734 | 734 | 734 |
| Speed Grade | C3 | I3 | C4 | C5 | C6 | C3 | C4 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| Process Technology | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm |
| Family | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ |
| RoHS Compliance | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Arria II GZ with 734 user I/O in HF40 BGA (vs EP2AGZ225FF35C4G (FBGA-1152, 372 I/O))
- Same silicon die as commercial-grade, drops in for industrial temp designs (vs EP2AGZ225HF40I3N (industrial grade))
- C3 speed grade optimizes power at modest Fmax cost (vs EP2AGZ225HF40C6N (C6 fastest speed grade))
- Arria II GZ architecture with hard PCIe Gen2 IP (vs Arria II GX (EP2AGX260) family)
Design Notes
The 1517-ball HF40 flip-chip BGA requires a controlled-impedance PCB stackup with microvia or via-in-pad construction. Standard 0.4 mm pitch BGA escape rules demand at least a 1-2-1 or 1-2-2-1 HDI stackup. Thermal vias under the BGA thermal balls are mandatory to keep junction temperature within Intel's 100C operating envelope. Estimated: with 21W typical power dissipation in a fully utilized 225K LE design, a thermal via array of at least 100 vias with 0.3 mm drill is recommended.
Transceiver channels on Arria II GZ require matched-length routing with 50 ohm single-ended or 100 ohm differential impedance. According to the Arria II GZ device handbook, each transceiver channel has dedicated placement rules; consult the Quartus II pin planner to ensure channels are placed in bonded banks. PCI Express hard IP must be placed on transceiver channels with x4 or x8 bonding; soft PCIe soft IP should not be used when hard IP is available.
Estimated: at 225K LE utilization (90% logic + full DSP), the EP2AGZ225HF40C3G dissipates approximately 15-21 W depending on toggle rate and clock frequency. A heatsink with 1 C/W or better, combined with 100+ thermal vias under the BGA, is required to maintain junction temperature below 100C in commercial environments. Designers should perform thermal simulation using the Arria II GZ thermal model before committing to a chassis design.
Common pitfalls with the EP2AGZ225HF40C3G include: (1) using a C3 speed grade when timing closure requires C5 or C6, leading to FIT-risky negative slack; (2) forgetting to enable the PCIe hard IP block in the Quartus II device configuration, falling back to the much larger soft PCIe core; (3) failing to apply the proper MSL handling procedure for the 1517-BGA, which has moisture sensitivity level that requires dry-pack storage and pre-bake before reflow. Consult the Arria II GZ packaging handbook for MSL level and floor life.
DDR3 memory interfaces on the EP2AGZ225HF40C3G require fly-by topology with matched routing at 50 ohm controlled impedance, and the OCT (on-chip termination) calibration sequence must run at boot to compensate for process variation. The Quartus II DDR3 controller IP handles the calibration but the board layout must follow Intel's DDR3 layout guidelines for write/read separation and length matching. Estimated: a 32-bit DDR3 interface at 800 MHz runs roughly 200-300 signals around the BGA, demanding careful escape routing.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free confirmed per Intel/Altera Arria II GZ product family compliance documentation. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA is not an automotive-qualified part in this ordering code; dedicated automotive variants would carry a Q suffix). REACH compliance declared via Intel product compliance database.
