EP2AGZ300FH29I3N - 298K LE Arria II GZ FPGA 780-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2AGZ300FH29I3N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1750 | $17,500.00 |
| 100 | $1620 | $162,000.00 |
| 500 | $1495 | $747,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $1380 | $1,380,000.00 |
EP2AGZ300FH29I3N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O are configured by the user via a hardware-description-language bitstream. In the broader component taxonomy, FPGAs sit alongside ASICs, CPLDs, and ASSPs as reconfigurable logic devices, and they typically include embedded memory blocks, DSP blocks, PLLs, high-speed transceivers, and hard IP cores. The Arria II GZ family is positioned as Intel's mid-range, transceiver-rich FPGA line that bridges the gap between the lower-cost Cyclone series and the high-end Stratix series.
Key features of the EP2AGZ300FH29I3N include 11,920 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 12 transceivers, dedicated 6.375 Gbps physical medium attachment (PMA) blocks with PCS support, and PCI Express hard IP. The 780-FCBGA package with 1 mm ball pitch provides high pin density while supporting up to 16 global clock networks and 8 PLLs (4 general-purpose + 4 transceiver). Embedded memory totals 18,854,912 bits distributed across M9K and M144K blocks.
Architecture is a logic-rich SRAM-based fabric with 8-input adaptive LUTs, dedicated multiplier and accumulator blocks for DSP, and triplicated register chains for SEU mitigation in critical paths. The fabric supports partial reconfiguration, allowing logic blocks to be reprogrammed while the rest of the device remains operational, which is critical for telecommunications and broadcast infrastructure that demand zero-downtime updates.
Typical applications include 10G/40G Ethernet bridging, Serial RapidIO and PCIe Gen1/Gen2 endpoint designs, HD-SDI video processing, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, and military/aerospace signal processing. The transceiver-rich design specifically targets backplane and chip-to-chip serial links where multi-gigabit serial I/O is mandatory.
When designing with the EP2AGZ300FH29I3N, use the Quartus II / Quartus Prime design suite for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation. Pay particular attention to power-rail sequencing on the 0.9 V core, 1.1 V transceiver PLL, and 2.5 V/3.3 V auxiliary supplies, and verify signal-integrity on the FCBGA escape routing using the device's IBIS-AMI models.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, lifecycle status, same-family Arria II GZ drop-in alternatives, and PCB/package design notes not found in a single distributor listing.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGZ300FH29I3N 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 EP2AGZ300FH29I3N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Logic Elements (LE), Transceivers, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGZ300FH29I3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1340 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1925 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1700 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1545 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2AGZ300FH29I3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GZ |
| Logic Elements | 298,000 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 11,920 |
| Embedded Memory | 18,854,912 bits |
| User I/O Pins | 281 |
| Transceivers | 12 |
| Max Transceiver Speed | 6.375 Gbps |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Package | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm) |
| Speed Grade | I3 |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| PLLs | 8 (4 general-purpose + 4 transceiver) |
| Global Clock Networks | 16 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lifecycle Status | End of Life (EOL) |
EP2AGZ300FH29I3N 780-fcbga (h-bga, 29x29 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGZ300FH29I3N (780-fcbga (h-bga, 29x29 mm) 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 EP2AGZ300FH29I3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGZ300FH29I3N is suitable for 6 applications: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Bridge, PCI Express Gen2 Endpoint, HD-SDI Video Processing, Software Defined Radio Baseband, Serial RapidIO Backplane, Industrial Motor Control FPGA.
10 Gigabit Ethernet Bridge
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N's 12 transceivers at up to 6.375 Gbps are well-matched to 10 Gigabit Ethernet bridging when paired with an external PHY or soft 10G MAC IP. Per the Arria II GZ Device Overview, the 298 KLE fabric delivers sufficient logic to implement the MAC, PCS, and L2/L3 forwarding pipeline on a single device. Placed on the line card with SFP+ cages, the FPGA converts between 10G serial and internal parallel buses with deterministic latency. Trade-off: the 6.375 Gbps cap means 25G/40G Ethernet demands Arria 10 or Stratix V.
Recommended
PCI Express Gen2 Endpoint
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N integrates a PCI Express hard IP block that supports Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) and Gen2 (5 Gbps) endpoint operation, eliminating the need for soft PCIe IP. With 281 user I/O and 12 transceivers, a single FPGA can host a Gen2 x4 or x8 endpoint alongside custom register logic, DMA engines, and protocol accelerators. Used in accelerator cards and storage controllers, it slots into x86 host systems with sub-microsecond interrupt latency. Trade-off: the device does NOT support Gen3, which the Arria 10 family adds.
Recommended
HD-SDI Video Processing
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N handles HD-SDI (1.485 Gbps) and 3G-SDI (2.97 Gbps) serial video streams using the integrated transceivers with on-die clock-data-recovery and serial-to-parallel conversion. The 18.85 Mbit embedded memory is sufficient for line buffers, frame stores, and small color-space-conversion pipelines. Per Arria II GZ documentation, the DSP blocks accelerate video scaling and deinterlacing in real time at 1080p60. Used in broadcast studio equipment, video routers, and medical imaging displays.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio Baseband
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N is well-suited to SDR baseband processing because the 298 KLE fabric, 18.85 Mbit embedded memory, and dedicated DSP blocks can implement multi-channel digital down/up-converters, FFT/iFFT engines, and channelization filters in parallel. With 12 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps, the FPGA digitizes multiple intermediate-frequency or baseband streams and connects to DAC/ADC backends. Military/aerospace SDR programs (3G/4G LTE, tactical radios) commonly deploy this device. Trade-off: military-grade screening and extended temp require a different speed-grade variant.
Recommended
Serial RapidIO Backplane
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N supports Serial RapidIO (SRIO) Gen1 (3.125 Gbps) and Gen2 (5 Gbps) using its transceivers and on-die SRIO IP, making it a drop-in building block for DSP-cluster backplanes in defense and telecom equipment. The 298 KLE fabric can host an SRIO endpoint plus a switching layer, while the 281 user I/O provide ample chip-to-chip parallel interfaces. Trade-off: Gen2 SRIO saturates at 5 Gbps, leaving headroom over the 6.375 Gbps cap.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control FPGA
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N's industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C) and 281 user I/O enable high-end multi-axis motor control designs integrating encoder interfaces, PWM generation, current/voltage sampling, and field-oriented-control loops. The DSP hardware accelerators run math-heavy control algorithms at sub-microsecond loop times. Per the Arria II GZ overview, deterministic latency is preserved through the 16 global clock networks. Trade-off: discrete microcontrollers suffice for sub-3-axis applications; the FPGA pays off only above 4 axes.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGZ300FH29I3N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGZ300FH29I3G | EP2AGZ300FH29C4N | EP2AGZ300FH29C3N | EP2AGZ300FH29C4G | EP2AGZ300FH29C3G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm, 1 mm pitch) | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm) | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm) | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm) | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm) | 780-FCBGA (H-BGA, 29x29 mm) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Family | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ | Arria II GZ |
| Logic Elements | 298,000 | 298,000 | 298,000 | 298,000 | 298,000 | 298,000 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Speed Grade | I3 | I3 | C4 (slower) | C3 (slowest) | C4 (slower) | C3 (slowest) |
| Transceivers | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Max Transceiver Speed | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps |
| User I/O Pins | 281 | 281 | 281 | 281 | 281 | 281 |
| Lifecycle Status | EOL | EOL | EOL | EOL | EOL | EOL |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in the F29 package family (vs EP2AGZ300FH29C3N)
- Industrial temperature grade vs commercial-only alternatives (vs EP2AGZ300FH29C4N)
- 298 KLE fabric vs smaller Arria II GZ siblings (vs EP2AGZ225HF40I4N)
- Smaller 29x29 mm BGA vs F35 35x35 mm variants (vs EP2AGZ300FF35I4N)
Design Notes
The EP2AGZ300FH29I3N requires at least three independent power rails: 0.9 V VCC for the core logic and DSP blocks, 1.1 V VCCPT for the transceiver PLL analog blocks, and 2.5 V or 3.3 V VCCIO for the user I/O banks. Per the Arria II GZ Device Overview, power-rail sequencing mandates that the 0.9 V core supply ramps up first or simultaneously with VCCPT, and VCCIO must not precede the core. Use a sequencer IC (e.g., TPS38700 or ADM1166) to enforce monotonic ramps; violations may cause high inrush current and long-term reliability degradation. Estimated: at 100% utilization the core supply draws up to 4-5 A; decouple each VCC/VCCPT/VCCIO pin with a 0.1 uF X7R plus 10 uF bulk ceramic as close to the BGA ball as possible.
The 780-FCBGA H-BGA package has a theta_JA in the range of 12-15 C/W with a properly designed 12-layer PCB and thermal vias under the exposed die pad. The Arria II GZ family can dissipate 8-12 W at full utilization; without a thermal copper pour and bottom-side thermal vias the junction temperature can exceed 100C in industrial conditions and trigger thermal shutdown. Recommended: at least 4 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill) under the center die pad connected to an inner-plane copper island, plus 1 square inch of top-side copper pour around the BGA. Use the Quartus Prime PowerPlay analyzer to estimate design-specific power before PCB layout.
Layout the 780-FCBGA with 1.0 mm ball pitch using microvia (laser-drilled) stack-up. Fan-out uses a 0.5 mm via-pad with dog-bone fan-out to break-out the inner rows; designers commonly use 4-2-4 or 5-2-5 layer stack-ups with HDI (any-layer microvia) fabrication. Place decoupling capacitors on the bottom side as close as possible to the corresponding BGA balls. Per Intel's PCB layout guidelines, route all differential transceiver pairs with 100 ohm differential impedance, length matching within 5 mils, and continuous reference plane over the entire length; otherwise expect degraded eye-diagram margins and possible 10GBASE-KR compliance failures.
Transceiver channels operating above 5 Gbps require IBIS-AMI simulation against the channel model. Use the Arria II GZ transceiver kit's IBIS-AMI models and the Intel-provided Stratix V-based reference channel models as a baseline. Add AC-coupling capacitors (100 nF X7R) on each serial lane near the FPGA ball; never route the same layer as a noisy power rail. Match P and N trace lengths to within 150 um over the entire channel to keep common-mode conversion loss below 20 dB. Recommended: keep total channel loss below 10 dB at 3.75 GHz Nyquist for 6.375 Gbps operation.
Common pitfalls for the EP2AGZ300FH29I3N: (1) using I3 vs C3 speed-grade parts interchangeably - the I3 is faster and timing closure is NOT guaranteed if a C3 substitute is used; verify timing in Quartus Prime. (2) Selecting the wrong MSL/handling code - the FCBGA is MSL3 and must be baked before assembly if the factory-floor exposure exceeds the JEDEC J-STD-033 floor-life. (3) Over-programming the configuration flash without verifying CRC-1/CRC-2 - a mis-programmed bitstream can brick the device; always keep the factory default bitstream in a backup flash. (4) Failing to enable the JTAG boundary-scan chain when the device is in reset; tie nCONFIG high via 4.7 kohm and ensure nSTATUS is not left floating.
Compliance Information
Per the verified web data, RoHS Code: Yes. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGAs (automotive-grade FPGAs use separate PGAS part numbers). Conflict-minerals statement per Intel Programmable Solutions Group.
