EP2AGZ300HF40C4G - Arria II GZ FPGA 300K LE | Intel | 1517-FBGA
MPN: EP2AGZ300HF40C4G ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1250 | $1,250.00 |
| 10 | $1180 | $11,800.00 |
| 100 | $1095 | $109,500.00 |
| 500 | $1010 | $505,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $945 | $945,000.00 |
EP2AGZ300HF40C4G Overview
What is an FPGA? A field-programmable gate array is a reprogrammable semiconductor device in which the logic function is defined by configuration bitstream rather than fixed mask geometry. Within the broader taxonomy, FPGAs sit under programmable logic devices (PLDs) -> logic ICs -> integrated circuits, and they compete with application-specific standard products (ASSPs) and ASICs when the design needs hardware-level parallelism. The Arria II GZ family targets mid- to high-end applications that need transceivers and DSP, but do not require the highest serial bandwidth of Stratix-class parts.
Key features include 16.4 Gbps transceivers, embedded transceivers with Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) and Physical Medium Attachment (PMA) hardening, on-chip block RAM, variable-precision DSP blocks, dedicated PLL and global clock networks, and support for external memory interfaces such as DDR3, DDR2, and QDRII+. Partial reconfiguration and remote update capability are supported through the Altera/Intel configuration scheme. The 'H' speed grade and -4C suffix indicate a balanced commercial-speed bin; 'I' and '-I' grades offer industrial temperature ranges.
From a board-level perspective, the 1517-FBGA package provides 734 user I/O pins (per the manufacturer listing), giving substantial general-purpose I/O bandwidth and access to the device's serial transceiver channels. Multiple I/O banks support a wide variety of single-ended and differential standards including LVDS, LVPECL, HSTL, and SSTL. Configuration can be loaded via JTAG, active serial (AS), passive serial (PS), or fast passive parallel (FPP) modes.
Typical applications include high-end video broadcasting, professional audio/video processing, wireless baseband preprocessing, radar and electronic-warfare signal preprocessing, wireline backhaul, high-speed instrumentation, and high-performance computing (HPC) prototyping. The transceiver-rich architecture also fits low-latency financial trading systems.
Designers should use the Quartus II design software (the supported flow for Arria II GZ) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure; PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) should be used up-front for thermal budgeting because 300K-LE designs typically dissipate 10-25 W under realistic workloads.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives within the same Arria II GZ / FBGA package, and engineering guidance not always present in the standalone datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2AGZ300HF40C4G — 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 EP2AGZ300HF40C4G (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Logic Elements (LE), Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2AGZ300HF40C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3950 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGZ300HF40C3G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5950 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGZ300HF40C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3623.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGZ300FH29C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGZ300HF40I4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2995 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2AGZ300HF40C4G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria II GZ |
| Logic Elements (LE) | ~300,000 |
| Package | 1517-ball FBGA |
| User I/O Pins | 734 |
| Speed Grade | H (HF40, fast) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (C4) |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 16.4 Gbps |
| Memory Interfaces | DDR3, DDR2, QDRII+, RLDRAM II |
| Configuration Modes | JTAG, AS, PS, FPP |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Yes |
EP2AGZ300HF40C4G 1517-ball fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2AGZ300HF40C4G (1517-ball fbga 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 EP2AGZ300HF40C4G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2AGZ300HF40C4G is suitable for 6 applications: High-End Broadcast Video Processing, 10G/40G Ethernet Wireline Backhaul, Wireless Baseband Preprocessing, Radar and Electronic Warfare Signal Preprocessing, High-Speed Test & Measurement Instrumentation, High-Performance Computing Prototyping.
High-End Broadcast Video Processing
The EP2AGZ300HF40C4G is well suited to broadcast video infrastructure, where up to 734 user I/O pins (per the manufacturer listing) accommodate parallel SDI/HDMI aggregation and where on-chip DSP blocks handle real-time scaling, de-interlacing, and color-space conversion. At the -4 speed grade, the device comfortably meets 1080p60 processing budgets and 4K upconversion pipelines. Compared with a discrete ASIC, the FPGA approach lets broadcasters roll out new codecs (HEVC, AV1) as the standards evolve. Transceiver channels running up to 16.4 Gbps (per the Arria II GZ family datasheet) carry SDI-over-IP (SMPTE ST 2110) streams without external PHYs, reducing bill of materials and simplifying board layout.
Recommended
10G/40G Ethernet Wireline Backhaul
With transceivers supporting up to 16.4 Gbps per channel, the EP2AGZ300HF40C4G handles 10G Ethernet (10GBASE-R), 40G Ethernet (4x10G), and Interlaken protocols in a single device. The 300K logic-element budget enables packet-classification, header processing, and traffic-management engines that would otherwise require an external NPU. Hard PCS/PMA blocks remove the need for external transceivers, reducing BOM cost and PCB complexity. The 1517-ball FBGA package provides the necessary signal integrity for multi-channel serial links, while the -4 speed grade simplifies timing closure for FIFO-based rate adaptation.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Preprocessing
The Arria II GZ's variable-precision DSP blocks make the EP2AGZ300HF40C4G a strong fit for LTE and small-cell baseband preprocessing, including FFT/iFFT, channel estimation, MIMO detection, and digital pre-distortion (DPD). At 300K logic elements, the device can implement multi-sector digital up-conversion paths while leaving room for protocol-stack offload. The -4 commercial speed grade is appropriate for indoor small cells and outdoor macro-cell line cards with controlled enclosures. High-density block RAM supports symbol-rate buffering, while the transceiver ports interface directly to CPRI/OBSAI fronthaul backhaul.
Recommended
Radar and Electronic Warfare Signal Preprocessing
Military and commercial radar systems rely on FPGAs for pulse compression, moving-target indication, beamforming, and digital down-conversion. The EP2AGZ300HF40C4G's 300K LE budget and 16.4 Gbps transceivers accommodate multi-channel coherent radar front ends with bandwidths into the GHz range. Hard PCS blocks simplify interfacing to high-speed ADCs and DACs on the analog side. The 1517-ball FBGA package supports the high pin density needed for parallel LVDS data capture from multi-element antenna arrays, while the -4 speed grade helps close timing on long FIR filters used in clutter cancellation.
Recommended
High-Speed Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Modern oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol testers use FPGAs to coordinate real-time data acquisition and triggering. The EP2AGZ300HF40C4G provides ample logic for inline protocol decoding, eye-diagram analysis, and statistical measurement at up to 16.4 Gbps transceivers. Its high I/O count (734 user I/O per the manufacturer listing) interfaces with large banks of parallel ADC samples, while the -4 speed grade preserves timing margin for pipelined acquisition pipelines. Designers can use partial reconfiguration to switch between protocol analysis personalities (PCIe, USB, SATA, Ethernet) without reloading firmware.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Prototyping
Prototyping ASICs and ASSPs in FPGAs reduces risk before tape-out. With 300K logic elements, the EP2AGZ300HF40C4G can hold significant portions of a multi-core processor, hardware accelerator, or custom interconnect. The 16.4 Gbps transceivers enable coherent inter-FPGA links when multi-FPGA partitioning is needed, while the high user-I/O count supports DDR3 and QDRII+ memory interfaces for prototype verification. The -4 speed grade shortens compile iterations by giving more timing headroom for unoptimized RTL, accelerating prototype bring-up compared to lower speed grades.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2AGZ300HF40C4G — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2AGZ300HF40C4N | EP2AGZ300HF40C3G | EP2AGZ300HF40C3N | EP2AGZ300HF40I4N | EP2AGZ300FH29C4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 1517-ball FBGA | 1517-ball FBGA | 1517-ball FBGA | 1517-ball FBGA | 1517-ball FBGA | 780-ball FBGA |
| Logic Elements | ~300K | ~300K | ~300K | ~300K | ~300K | ~300K |
| Speed Grade | -4 (HF40, fast) | -4 | -3 (slower) | -3 (slower) | -4 | -4 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial |
| Transceiver Rate | Up to 16.4 Gbps | Up to 16.4 Gbps | Up to 16.4 Gbps | Up to 16.4 Gbps | Up to 16.4 Gbps | Up to 16.4 Gbps |
Key Differentiators
- Highest user-I/O density in Arria II GZ 300K-LE family (vs EP2AGZ300FF35C4G (1152-ball FBGA))
- -4 speed grade gives maximum timing margin (vs EP2AGZ300HF40C3G (-3 speed grade))
- Industrial-temperature equivalent available for harsh environments (vs EP2AGZ300HF40I4N (industrial grade))
Design Notes
Estimated: At typical logic utilization of 60-70%, a 300K-LE Arria II GZ design in the -4 speed grade dissipates 10-20 W. The 1517-ball FBGA relies on the package substrate and PCB copper pour for heat removal; design the land pattern with a thermal via array (0.3 mm pitch, 0.5 mm diameter, filled) under the exposed die region and use the Quartus II PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) to budget heatsink/airflow before PCB layout is finalized.
Use 8+ layer PCB stack-up with dedicated ground and power planes. Decouple VCCINT (core), VCCA (PLL analog), VCCPD (I/O pre-driver), and each transceiver channel VCCT/VCCR separately with 0.1 uF + 10 uF ceramic capacitors placed within 100 mils of each pin. Keep all transceiver differential pairs within 5 mils of length match to preserve 16.4 Gbps signal integrity.
Configuration mode selection: use AS mode with a serial configuration device for production; JTAG alone is acceptable for prototype bring-up but not for production. Pull MSEL pins correctly to the configuration-mode voltage. Unused transceiver channels must be tied off per the Pin Information File or they may draw extra current and cause I/O bank contention.
Assign high-speed SERDES pins as close as possible to the package edges to minimize via stubs on the differential pairs. Reference the Arria II GZ Transceiver Layout Guidelines for via placement, keep-out zones, and AC coupling capacitor positions; do not route general-purpose I/O between transceiver banks and their reference clocks.
DDR3 interfaces require on-chip termination (OCT) with RZQ calibration; place the RZQ reference resistor within 200 mils of the RZQ pin and route it with a symmetric via pattern. Run Read/Write calibration at FPGA power-up with the Memory Interface Generator (MIG) reference design before claiming timing closure.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per Intel/Altera product page; commercial-grade part - use EP2AGZ300HF40I4N for industrial temperature. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to high-density FPGAs of this class.
