EP2SGX90EF1508I4 - Stratix II GX FPGA 90K LE, 1508-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP2SGX90EF1508I4 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1750 | $17,500.00 |
| 25 | $1680 | $42,000.00 |
| 50 | $1620 | $81,000.00 |
| 100 | $1565 | $156,500.00 |
EP2SGX90EF1508I4 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable integrated circuit whose logic fabric, block RAM, DSP blocks, and I/O cells are defined by a user-loaded configuration bitstream. Stratix II GX sits in the high-performance transceiver tier of the Altera Stratix II family, combining a logic-rich fabric with multi-gigabit transceivers (MGT) and embedded hard IP. Within the broader taxonomy, the EP2SGX90EF1508I4 belongs to: FPGA -> programmable logic -> logic IC -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. Synonyms include "field-programmable gate array," "programmable logic device," "PLD," and "configurable logic IC."
Key features include 4,548 LABs (Logic Array Blocks), 12 multi-gigabit transceivers with built-in PCS (Physical Coding Sublayer) and PMA (Physical Medium Attachment) layers, 768 DSP blocks for fixed- and floating-point signal processing, 16 clock PLLs per device quadrant, and Stratix II adaptive logic modules (ALMs) that map 8 inputs to a 6-input LUT plus two dedicated registers. The hard PCIe endpoint supports x1/x4/x8 lanes at Gen1 rates, eliminating soft-logic latency.
Architecturally, the device uses a 90 nm process with 1.2 V core, multi-level adaptive routing, and per-transceiver pre-emphasis/equalization that meets IEEE 802.3 backplane and XAUI specs without external components. The 1508-BGA package exposes up to 650 user I/Os, allowing high-pin-count parallel interfaces alongside the serial links.
Typical applications include 10 Gigabit Ethernet line cards, SONET/SDH and OTN framer/mapper designs, PCI Express endpoint cards, Serial RapidIO switches, high-definition video broadcasting equipment, and DSP-intensive baseband or radar prototyping. When migrating designs, ensure Quartus II 7.2 or later is used with the Stratix II GX device library to avoid timing-model mismatches.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2SGX90EF1508I4 — 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 EP2SGX90EF1508I4 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status, Speed Grade, Family.
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View Datasheet →EP2SGX90EF1508I4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix II GX |
| Logic Elements | 90,960 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 45,390 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 4,548 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 4,520,448 bits |
| Embedded Memory (M512/M4K/M-RAM) | Yes |
| DSP Blocks | 768 |
| Multi-Gigabit Transceivers | 12 (up to 6.375 Gbps) |
| Maximum User I/O | 650 |
| Package | 1508-ball FBGA (40 mm) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Configuration Scheme | Passive Serial, Fast Passive Parallel, JTAG |
| RoHS Status | Unknown (legacy Altera product) |
EP2SGX90EF1508I4 1508-ball fbga (40 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2SGX90EF1508I4 (1508-ball fbga (40 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 EP2SGX90EF1508I4.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2SGX90EF1508I4 is suitable for 6 applications: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card, PCI Express Endpoint Card, Serial RapidIO Switch Fabric, HD Video Broadcast / Studio Equipment, Baseband / DSP Prototyping Platform, Aerospace Telemetry / Radar Interface.
10 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
The EP2SGX90EF1508I4 is a strong fit for 10 Gigabit Ethernet line cards because its 12 integrated multi-gigabit transceivers deliver up to 6.375 Gbps per lane, exactly meeting the XAUI / 10GBASE-CX4 lane rate without external SERDES. With 90,960 LEs and 768 DSP blocks, designers can integrate the MAC, PCS, and framer logic alongside a 10G XAUI PHY on a single die. Compared to a soft SERDES approach, the hard PCS/PMA layers inside the Stratix II GX transceiver reduce latency and shrink the BOM. Place the device on a 1508-BGA footprint and pair it with an SFP+ cage or XFP module for a complete 10G Ethernet front end.
Recommended
PCI Express Endpoint Card
The EP2SGX90EF1508I4 is well suited to PCI Express endpoint designs because its hard PCIe IP block supports x1/x4/x8 Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) endpoint operation without consuming ALM resources. The 12 transceivers can also be split between PCIe lanes and other serial links, and the 90K LE fabric comfortably absorbs typical endpoint protocol stacks plus DMA engines. Industrial temperature range -40C to +100C makes the part viable for embedded PCIe hosts in industrial PCs. Designers should use the Quartus II PCIe Compiler to generate the Endpoint+TL+PHY layers.
Recommended
Serial RapidIO Switch Fabric
The EP2SGX90EF1508I4 works well in Serial RapidIO (SRIO) switch fabrics because each of its 12 transceivers can be configured as an SRIO lane at 1.25 / 2.5 / 3.125 Gbps, with hard 8B/10B encoding. The 768 DSP blocks and 4 Mbits of embedded RAM handle packet buffering and switch arbitration logic. Designers can build an 8-port SRIO switch using four transceiver quads plus the Stratix II GX hard PCS, eliminating external switch ASICs. The 1508-BGA package exposes 650 user I/Os for parallel fabric expansion.
Recommended
HD Video Broadcast / Studio Equipment
The EP2SGX90EF1508I4 is well matched to HD-SDI / 3G-SDI broadcast equipment because its transceivers can clock serialized video at 270 / 1485 / 2970 Mbps (SMPTE 259 / 292 / 424M) without external cable drivers. The 90K LEs support on-chip scaling, de-interlacing, and color-space conversion, while the 768 DSP blocks accelerate chroma keying and video effects. Industrial temp range plus the 1508-BGA FineLine BGA make it suitable for 24/7 studio rack chassis. Designers commonly pair it with SDI cable equalizers and a downstream video encoder FPGA.
Recommended
Baseband / DSP Prototyping Platform
The EP2SGX90EF1508I4 serves as a flexible baseband prototyping platform because its 768 DSP blocks operate at up to 450 MHz and support both fixed-point and IEEE 754 single-precision floating point. The transceivers shuttle raw I/Q data to/from RF front-end ADCs and DACs at lane rates up to 6.375 Gbps, while the 4,520,448 bits of embedded RAM buffer pre-FEC symbol streams. Engineers use the Stratix II GX to prototype LTE, WiMAX, and proprietary OFDM modems before ASIC migration. Industrial temp allows field trials in outdoor enclosures.
Recommended
Aerospace Telemetry / Radar Interface
The EP2SGX90EF1508I4 is suitable for aerospace telemetry and radar interface cards because the industrial -40C to +100C temperature window tolerates avionics bays, and the 12 transceivers support Fibre Channel and custom radar protocols at multi-gigabit rates. The 90K LE fabric integrates timing, FFT preprocessing, and protocol framing without an external controller. Designers commonly implement SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) preprocessing or downlink multiplexing in this part. The 1508-BGA FBGA also supports thermal vias for harsh-environment cooling.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2SGX90EF1508I4 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2SGX90EF1508C5 | EP2SGX90EF1508C4 | EP2SGX90FF1508I4 | EP2S90F1508I4 | EP2SGX130GF1508I4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | 1508-BGA FBGA (40 mm) | 1508-BGA FBGA (40 mm) | 1508-BGA FBGA (40 mm) | 1508-BGA FBGA (40 mm) | 1508-BGA FBGA (40 mm) | 1508-BGA FBGA (40 mm) |
| Logic Elements | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 (no transceivers) | 130,920 |
| Multi-Gigabit Transceivers | 12 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 12 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 12 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | 12 @ up to 6.375 Gbps | None (Stratix II, not GX) | 12 @ up to 6.375 Gbps |
| Embedded Memory | 4,520,448 bits | 4,520,448 bits | 4,520,448 bits | 4,520,448 bits | 4,520,448 bits | 6,747,840 bits |
| DSP Blocks | 768 | 768 | 768 | 768 | 768 | 1,104 |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS, 1.2 V core | 90 nm CMOS, 1.2 V core | 90 nm CMOS, 1.2 V core | 90 nm CMOS, 1.2 V core | 90 nm CMOS, 1.2 V core | 90 nm CMOS, 1.2 V core |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Hard PCI Express / SRIO / GbE IP block eliminates soft-logic latency (vs EP2S90F1508I4 (Stratix II non-GX))
- Higher logic density in the same 1508-BGA footprint (vs EP2SGX60EF1162I4N (60K LE variant))
- Industrial temperature range as standard (vs EP2SGX90EF1508C5 (commercial temp variant))
Design Notes
Estimated: Stratix II GX devices draw substantial quiescent and dynamic current. At a 1.2 V core and full transceiver utilization, designers should provision at least 4 dedicated voltage rails (VCC, VCC_PLL, VCC_TX, VCC_RX) and budget 15-25 W for the EP2SGX90EF1508I4 under typical load. Use high-frequency decoupling (1 nF + 100 nF + 10 uF ceramic) per Stratix II GX pin connection guidelines, and place bulk tantalum or polymer capacitors within 1 inch of the package to suppress transceiver-induced transients.
Estimated: the 1508-BGA FineLine BGA has a 1.0 mm ball pitch and 40 mm body, requiring a multilayer PCB with microvia stackups for fanout. Use a 12-layer board minimum with continuous GND planes on layers 2 and 11, and route high-speed transceiver differential pairs as 100 ohm impedance-matched stripline with matched lengths within 5 mil. Provide at least 4 thermal vias under the BGA thermal pad to a copper heat spreader, per Stratix II GX hardware design guidelines.
Estimated: a common design mistake with Stratix II GX is misconfiguring the reference clock input pins - each transceiver quad requires a dedicated REFCLK pair routed with the same 100 ohm differential impedance as data pairs. Additionally, ensure CONFIG_DONE, nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and MSEL pins are pulled correctly per the chosen configuration scheme (Passive Serial vs Fast Passive Parallel). Failing to tie MSEL[3..0] to the right mode prevents successful configuration and gives no clear error in JTAG.
Estimated: at full transceiver utilization (all 12 channels active at 6.375 Gbps) plus 90K-LE utilization around 70%, junction temperature can approach 90C in still air. The 1508-BGA package has theta_JA around 14 C/W with proper thermal via array - without it, theta_JA rises to ~22 C/W, which can cause thermal shutdown in industrial enclosures. Provide forced-air cooling (1-2 m/s airflow) or attach a small heat sink for production deployments above 25C ambient.
Compliance Information
Altera Stratix II GX devices shipped in 2006-2008 on the legacy Altera/Intel compliance program; specific RoHS/REACH documentation for this exact MPN is not available on current Alldatasheet listings. As a 90 nm 1.2 V FPGA, it is generally accepted to meet the RoHS 5/6 transition but should not be assumed compliant without lot-specific paperwork from the distributor.
