EP2AGZ300FH29C4N - Arria II GZ 298K LE FPGA 780-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGZ300FH29C4N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1720 | $17,200.00 |
| 25 | $1650 | $41,250.00 |
| 100 | $1480 | $148,000.00 |
| 250 | $1395 | $348,750.00 |
EP2AGZ300FH29C4N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs/LEs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and high-speed transceivers interconnected by a programmable routing fabric. FPGAs occupy the same architectural family as programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), but unlike ASICs they are fully reconfigurable in the field, accelerating parallel DSP, high-speed serial I/O, and custom interface logic.
Key features include 28 transceivers up to 6.375 Gbps, up to 17 embedded transceivers supporting protocols such as PCIe Gen2, Serial RapidIO, and XAUI, integrated PCI Express hard IP, dedicated PLL and global clock networks, and 24 DSP blocks per LAB column. The device also integrates high-speed external memory interfaces (DDR3, QDRII+, RLDRAM II) and a 0.9 V core supply with 1.1 V/2.5 V/3.3 V selectable I/O standards.
The Arria II GZ architecture pairs a 40 nm low-power process with transceiver-rich peripherals, enabling designers to replace multiple discrete ASSPs plus an ASIC while keeping power budgets aligned with mid-range signal processing. The -C4N speed grade and 780-pin FCBGA make this particular device suited for production boards requiring industrial temperature tolerance and high pin-count routing density.
Typical applications include high-definition video broadcast equipment, wireless baseband processing, military radar, medical imaging pipelines, and high-speed serial protocol bridging. The combination of transceivers, embedded memory, and DSP blocks also suits test and measurement, ASIC prototyping, and high-performance computing acceleration in the mid-density tier.
When designing with this device, plan PCB layer stack-up for the FCBGA escape routing and provision clean analog supplies for the transceiver PLLs. Use Altera's Quartus II design suite with the Arria II GZ device library for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure; power estimation should be performed with the Quartus PowerPlay analyzer prior to PCB layout.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in FPGA alternatives from the same Arria II GZ family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet. Specifications below are excerpted from the Intel Arria II GZ device datasheet and Mouser/DigiKey product listings.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGZ300FH29C4N 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 EP2AGZ300FH29C4N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Transceivers, Speed Grade, Logic Elements (LE), Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGZ300FH29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1700 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1925 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1545 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ350FH29C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1245 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FF35C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1350 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FF35I4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1925 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GZ |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 298,000 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 11,920 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 119,200 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 18,854,912 |
| User I/O Pins | 281 |
| Transceivers | Up to 28 (up to 6.375 Gbps) |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| Package | 780-ball FC-HFBGA (FH29) |
| Speed Grade | C4 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (N suffix) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP2AGZ300FH29C4N 780-ball fc-hfbga (fh29) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGZ300FH29C4N (780-ball fc-hfbga (fh29) 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 EP2AGZ300FH29C4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGZ300FH29C4N is suitable for 6 applications: High-Definition Video Broadcast Equipment, Wireless Baseband Signal Processing, Medical Imaging Pipelines, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Industrial High-Speed Data Acquisition, Military Radar and Signal Intelligence.
High-Definition Video Broadcast Equipment
The EP2AGZ300FH29C4N's 298K logic elements, 28 transceivers up to 6.375 Gbps, and PCI Express Gen2 hard IP make it ideal for HD/3G-SDI broadcast routers, frame synchronizers, and video processing blades. Its 281 user I/O lanes and DDR3 memory interfaces sustain real-time pixel-rate processing at 1080p60 and 4K/UHD frame buffers. Unlike pure-ASIC broadcast ASSPs, the FPGA fabric allows late-stage codec upgrades (H.264 to HEVC) and protocol additions without board respin, while the industrial temperature grade fits outdoor transmitter enclosures.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Signal Processing
The EP2AGZ300FH29C4N suits LTE and small-cell baseband processing where 298K LEs and dedicated DSP blocks deliver multi-antenna (4x4 MIMO) channel estimation, FFT/IFFT, and turbo decoding within a single device. Its 6.375 Gbps transceivers interface to RF front-ends over CPRI or OBSAI, while the PCI Express hard IP connects to baseband SoCs for Layer-2/3 offload. The 40 nm low-power process keeps typical baseband board power below 25 W, and the FH29 780-ball BGA fits standard ATCA/AdvancedMC modules.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pipelines
In ultrasound, CT, and MRI front-end processing, the EP2AGZ300FH29C4N provides the parallel DSP throughput required for beamforming, image reconstruction, and real-time filtering across hundreds of channels. Its 18.85 Mbits of embedded memory caches scan-line data on-chip, reducing DDR3 bandwidth pressure, while 28 transceivers stream raw sensor data at multi-Gbps rates. PCI Express Gen2 hard IP offloads reconstructed frames to the host GPU for rendering. The industrial temperature range supports continuous operation in scanner chassis.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP2AGZ300FH29C4N is widely deployed in ASIC and SoC prototyping due to its 298K LE capacity, multi-clock domain support, and abundant LVDS-based inter-FPGA links. Designers partition large ASIC RTL across multiple Arria II GZ devices with serialized LVDS or 6.375 Gbps transceivers between FPGAs, achieving cycle-accurate validation before tape-out. Quartus II's TimeQuest timing analyzer and Quartus Prime Pro support verify timing closure at the same constraints used in production silicon.
Recommended
Industrial High-Speed Data Acquisition
With 281 user I/O, 28 transceivers, and DDR3 memory controllers, the EP2AGZ300FH29C4N fits multi-channel data acquisition cards for test and measurement, vibration analysis, and radar digitizers. Each transceiver can sample 16-bit ADC data at hundreds of MSPS, with on-chip DSP blocks performing real-time FFT, decimation, and windowing. The PCI Express Gen2 hard IP streams processed frames to a host PC at 4 Gbps, and the industrial temperature grade supports deployment in factory-floor test racks.
Recommended
Military Radar and Signal Intelligence
The EP2AGZ300FH29C4N's combination of high LE density, 28 transceivers, and DDR3 memory bandwidth makes it suitable for phased-array radar, electronic warfare, and SIGINT front-end processing. Designers implement digital beamforming, pulse compression, and adaptive filtering directly on the FPGA fabric, with LVDS links to RF ADCs and DACs. The FH29 780-ball FCBGA provides robust mechanical and thermal characteristics for ruggedized enclosures, and the industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C junction) covers most mil-environment deployments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGZ300FH29C4N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGZ300FH29C4G | EP2AGZ300FH29C3N | EP2AGZ300FH29C3G | EP2AGZ350FH29C4N | EP2AGZ300FF35C4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-ball FC-HFBGA (FH29) | 780-ball FC-HFBGA (FH29) - same | 780-ball FC-HFBGA (FH29) - same | 780-ball FC-HFBGA (FH29) - same | 780-ball FC-HFBGA (FH29) - same | 1,152-ball FC-HFBGA (FF35) - differs |
| Logic Elements | 298,000 | 298,000 (identical) | 298,000 (identical) | 298,000 (identical) | 350,000 (+17%) | 298,000 (identical) |
| LABs / ALMs | 11,920 LABs / 119,200 ALMs | 11,920 / 119,200 (identical) | 11,920 / 119,200 (identical) | 11,920 / 119,200 (identical) | 13,940 / 139,400 (+17%) | 11,920 / 119,200 (identical) |
| Speed Grade | C4 | C4 (identical) | C3 (slower, ~10-15% lower Fmax) | C3 (slower) | C4 (identical) | C4 (identical) |
| Pb-Free / RoHS | Pb-solder (N suffix), RoHS-compliant | Pb-free (G suffix), RoHS | Pb-solder, RoHS | Pb-free, RoHS | Pb-solder, RoHS | Pb-solder, RoHS |
| Estimated Unit Price (USD, qty-1, 2026-09-08) | 1,850 | 1,890 | 1,650 | 1,690 | 2,150 | 1,920 |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Arria II GZ in the 780-ball FH29 BGA with PCI Express Gen2 hard IP (vs EP2AGX260FF35I5N)
- Drop-in identical-silicon upgrade to EP2AGZ350 for higher logic capacity (vs EP2AGZ350FH29C4N)
- Industrial temperature grade in same-package Pb-free variant available (vs EP2AGZ300FH29C4G)
Design Notes
The FH29 780-ball FC-HFBGA requires a high-density PCB with at least 10-12 routing layers to escape the BGA at 1.0 mm pitch. Use buried vias for inner-row BGA escape and back-drilled vias for high-speed transceiver channels. Per the Arria II GZ handbook, maintain 100 ohm differential impedance for transceiver lanes and 50 ohm single-ended for general-purpose I/O. Provide at least 4 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill) under the BGA center thermal pad to the internal ground plane.
Estimate: at 0.9 V core and full transceiver utilization, a worst-case 298K LE design consumes 12-18 W core power; add 2-4 W for 28 active transceivers at 6.375 Gbps. Total board power is typically 20-25 W. Use a 4-phase PWM controller for the 0.9 V core rail with bulk decoupling of at least 4x 220 uF polymer + 20x 22 uF ceramic near the BGA. The 1.1 V/2.5 V/3.3 V I/O rails can share a common buck but require separate filtering; verify with the Quartus PowerPlay early-stage estimator before PCB layout.
Transceiver channel length matching must be within 0.127 mm (5 mil) for 6.375 Gbps operation; use length-matched serpentine routing and avoid 90-degree bends. Reference the Arria II GZ handbook Chapter 11 for the recommended transceiver PCB stack-up. Place AC-coupling capacitors (0.1 uF 0402) immediately adjacent to the FPGA transmitter pins; the receiver side typically requires external capacitors for protocols such as PCIe and XAUI.
Do not assume that the EP2AGZ300 and EP2AGZ350 are pin-compatible across packages: while they share the FH29 780-ball BGA, the FF35 and HF40 variants differ. Confirm BGA code (FH29/FF35/HF40) before PCB layout. Also note that speed-grade downgrades (C4 to C3) reduce Fmax by ~10-15% - timing closure on memory controllers and high-speed transceivers must be re-verified. Pin assignments for JTAG, MSEL, and configuration pins are package-specific.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Intel Arria II GZ product family declaration. The 'N' suffix indicates Pb-solder ball finish; 'G' suffix indicates Pb-free (RoHS-only). AEC-Q100 not applicable as this is a commercial/industrial-grade FPGA, not an automotive-qualified part. Use the EP2AGX-series with automotive qualification suffix (if required) for AEC-Q100 designs.
