EP2AGZ225HF40C3N - Arria II GZ 224K LE FPGA, 734 I/O | Intel FPGA
MPN: EP2AGZ225HF40C3N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2400 | $2,400.00 |
| 10 | $2250 | $22,500.00 |
| 100 | $2100 | $210,000.00 |
| 500 | $1950 | $975,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1820 | $1,820,000.00 |
EP2AGZ225HF40C3N Overview
What is a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)? An FPGA is a reconfigurable integrated circuit containing an array of programmable logic blocks, programmable interconnect, and dedicated hard IP such as transceivers, DSP slices, and block memory. In the power-management IC hierarchy, an FPGA sits above microcontrollers and below ASICs in performance and flexibility, allowing hardware designers to implement custom parallel logic, signal processing, and high-speed serial interfaces without fabricating a custom chip.
Key features include 8,960 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), high-speed transceivers supporting multi-gigabit serial protocols, dedicated DSP blocks for fixed- and floating-point arithmetic, and a rich clock management network with phase-locked loops. The device supports 1.0 V core operation with on-chip regulators and offers multiple I/O standards including LVDS, HSTL, SSTL, and PCI Express.
The architecture combines logic fabric with hard IP such as PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 hard IP blocks, 6.375 Gbps transceivers, and dedicated memory interfaces (DDR3) for high-throughput external memory access. The HF40 1517-BGA package exposes the maximum I/O count and transceiver pins, enabling full-feature designs in a single device.
Typical applications include high-speed data acquisition, digital signal processing in radar and software-defined radio, PCIe-based accelerator cards, broadcast video processing, and high-end telecommunications line cards. The wide transceiver bandwidth and DSP density make Arria II GZ suitable for systems that demand deterministic parallel processing.
Designers should plan power sequencing across the 0.9 V core, 1.0 V transceiver, and I/O supplies, ensure thermal coupling with the BGA substrate, and validate signal integrity for high-speed serial links using Intel's Quartus II design tools.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible Arria II GZ variants, and practical FPGA design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGZ225HF40C3N 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 EP2AGZ225HF40C3N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Speed Grade, Transceivers, Package, Logic Elements, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGZ225HF40C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1450 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX260FF35C6G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1320 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX190FF35C5G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1245 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGX125EF35C5G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ225FF35C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2200 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ225HF40C3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GZ |
| Logic Elements | 224000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 14248960 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 8960 |
| User I/O Pins | 734 |
| Number of Pins | 1517 |
| Package Type | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (HF40) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 Hours) |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Industrial |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
EP2AGZ225HF40C3N 1517-bbga, fcbga (hf40) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGZ225HF40C3N (1517-bbga, fcbga (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 EP2AGZ225HF40C3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGZ225HF40C3N is suitable for 6 applications: High-Speed Data Acquisition Systems, PCIe Gen2 Accelerator Cards, Software Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband, Broadcast Video Processing, Telecommunications Line Cards, Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision.
High-Speed Data Acquisition Systems
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3N's 224,000 logic elements and 14,248,960 bits of embedded memory make it well-suited for high-speed data acquisition systems that aggregate multiple ADC channels in parallel. The 6.375 Gbps transceivers support JESD204B/C ADC link aggregation, while 8,960 LABs provide ample DSP fabric for FIR filtering, decimation, and FFT computation. Designers can sustain multi-gigasample per second pipelines without external memory roundtrips. The HF40 1517-BGA package exposes 734 user I/O pins, accommodating parallel LVDS ADC interfaces alongside serial links. Recommended companion: ADC: ADC12DJ3200 (TI, dual 3.2 GSPS ADC with JESD204B/C output).
Recommended
PCIe Gen2 Accelerator Cards
The EP2AGZ225HF40C3N integrates PCI Express Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) and Gen2 (5 Gbps) hard IP blocks supporting x1/x4/x8 endpoint configurations, eliminating the need to instantiate PCIe in soft logic. With 224K logic elements and dedicated DSP blocks, designers can implement data-path accelerators (encryption, compression, machine-learning inference) while offloading the PCIe protocol to the hard IP. The HF40 1517-BGA package provides the transceiver channels and I/O banks required for full x8 Gen2 designs. Quartus II MegaWizard simplifies PCIe IP generation and pin assignment. Recommended companion: TI TPS74401 LDO for 0.9 V/1.0 V core supply sequencing.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband
Software-defined radio baseband processing benefits from the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N's combination of high-density logic, abundant DSP blocks, and 6.375 Gbps transceivers. The fabric supports multi-antenna MIMO processing, channelization, and FFT-based OFDM demodulation at baseband sample rates up to hundreds of MSPS. The 14 Mbit embedded memory acts as a fast buffer between ADC interfaces and DSP pipelines, reducing DDR3 round-trips. HF40 package pins allow direct ADC/DAC connection via LVDS. This makes the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N ideal for tactical SDR, cellular base stations, and spectrum monitoring. Recommended companion: TI ADC32RF45 dual-channel 14-bit 3 GSPS ADC.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Broadcast video processing applications leverage the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N's high memory bandwidth (14 Mbit embedded + DDR3 controller) and parallel processing capability for real-time video format conversion, scaling, color space conversion, and overlay composition. The 734 user I/O pins support multiple parallel video interfaces such as BT.1120, DisplayPort, and HDMI. The 6.375 Gbps transceivers enable SDI (Serial Digital Interface) at 3G-SDI rates for studio-grade video routers and converters. Quartus II video IP cores accelerate development. Recommended companion: TI HDMI2C1-5 video retimer.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
Telecommunications line cards for central offices and base-station aggregation rely on the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N's transceivers (up to 6.375 Gbps per channel), packet processing fabric, and CPRI/OBSAI framer support. The 224K logic elements handle multi-Gigabit traffic shaping, QoS scheduling, and header processing across 10G Ethernet and CPRI links. With 8,960 LABs, the device can sustain 10+ Gbps line-rate forwarding with sub-microsecond latency. The HF40 1517-BGA package is suited to ATCA/AMC line-card form factors. Recommended companion: TI TPS7A4700 LDO for jitter-sensitive transceiver supply rails.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision
Machine vision systems with multiple Camera Link, CoaXPress, or GigE Vision cameras benefit from the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N's combination of transceiver bandwidth and parallel processing. Each CoaXPress link at 6.25 Gbps can be aggregated through the transceivers, while embedded memory acts as a frame buffer between sensors and image-processing pipelines. The 734 I/O pins support Camera Link full (10 taps) interfaces for high-resolution line-scan cameras. Quartus II reference designs and partner IP accelerate deployment in factory automation and semiconductor inspection. Recommended companion: TI DS90UB964 FPD-Link III deserializer for camera aggregation.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGZ225HF40C3N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGZ225HF40C3G | EP2AGX260FF35C6G | EP2AGX190FF35C5G | EP2AGX125EF35C5G | EP2AGZ225FF35C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1517-BBGA (HF40) | 1517-BBGA (HF40) | FBGA (FF35) | FBGA (FF35) | FBGA (EF35) | FBGA (FF35) |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 224000 | 224000 | 260000 | 190000 | 125000 | 224000 |
| Family | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GX | Arria II GX | Arria II GX | Arria II GZ |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm |
| Transceiver Rate (max) | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 3.75 Gbps | 3.75 Gbps | 3.75 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps |
Key Differentiators
- Higher transceiver rate ceiling (vs EP2AGX260FF35C6G)
- Maximum I/O count in HF40 1517-BGA (vs EP2AGZ225FF35C3N)
- Drop-in pin compatibility with EP2AGZ225HF40C3G (vs EP2AGZ225HF40C3G)
Design Notes
Estimated: the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N requires multiple supply rails - 0.9 V core, 1.0 V transceiver, 1.5 V/1.8 V/2.5 V/3.3 V I/O. Power sequencing must follow Intel guidelines to prevent latch-up; the POR (power-on-reset) signal must remain asserted until all rails stabilize. Bulk decoupling capacitors of 220 uF per rail plus 0.1 uF/10 uF ceramic capacitors near each BGA power/ground ball pair are required to suppress transient current spikes during logic switching. Use TI TPS74401 or equivalent low-dropout regulators with soft-start and enable sequencing.
The 1517-BGA flip-chip package has a high thermal resistance; a heatsink with thermal interface material (TIM) is mandatory for designs with sustained high logic utilization. Forced-air cooling at 1-2 m/s is typically required to keep junction temperature below 100 C in industrial applications. The HF40 substrate must be bonded to the PCB with sufficient thermal vias (0.3 mm pitch, 12-mil drill) under the central ground pad to dissipate heat. Estimate junction temperature rise using theta_JA from the package datasheet.
The HF40 1517-BGA requires a minimum 4-6 layer PCB stack-up with controlled-impedance routing for transceivers (100 ohm differential) and DDR3 memory (50 ohm single-ended). Signal integrity demands microstrip or stripline routing with impedance calculators validated against the PCB fab stack-up. Length matching within 25 mils for DDR3 address/command lanes and within 5 mils for source-synchronous interfaces. Power plane islands should be stitched with ground to suppress resonance.
Place transceiver channels away from noisy switching supplies; route each transceiver differential pair with continuous ground reference and avoid layer transitions. Decoupling capacitors must be placed within 100 mils of the corresponding power ball with short, wide traces. JTAG pins (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO) require pull-up/pull-down resistors per the Arria II GZ handbook to ensure configuration reliability at power-up.
Do not leave unused transceiver channels floating - tie them to ground through proper bias networks per Intel reference design. Configuration mode pins (MSEL) must be set correctly for the chosen configuration scheme (AS, AP, FPP, PS); incorrect MSEL settings prevent the FPGA from configuring. Finally, do not underestimate configuration flash memory size - a 224K LE design with embedded memory typically requires 64-128 Mbit of configuration data.
Compliance Information
Compliance fields not present in verified web data; set to unknown per Data Authenticity Rule 2. FPGA devices are not AEC-Q100 qualified by default; the EP2AGZ225HF40C3N targets industrial/commercial applications.
