EP2SGX90FF40C3N - 90K LEs Stratix II GX FPGA | Intel | Altera
MPN: EP2SGX90FF40C3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1780 | $17,800.00 |
| 25 | $1720 | $43,000.00 |
| 100 | $1650 | $165,000.00 |
| 250 | $1580 | $395,000.00 |
EP2SGX90FF40C3N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit based on a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) connected via programmable interconnect. The FPGA sits within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) and digital semiconductor ICs, sitting alongside CPLDs and structured ASICs. Stratix II GX devices extend the Stratix II family by adding high-speed serial transceiver blocks, which is why this part is the "GX" variant - it targets protocols requiring multi-gigabit transceivers such as PCI Express, Serial RapidIO, Gigabit Ethernet, and XAUI.
Key features include dedicated transceivers running at data rates up to 6.375 Gbps, 4 Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) for clock management, 12 global clock networks, and on-chip termination (OCT) for high-speed signal integrity. The device supports both passive and active serial configuration schemes via the dedicated configuration pins and the Stratix II configuration controller. The 1,508-ball FBGA package provides a high pin-count solution for memory-rich, I/O-intensive designs that need both width and density on a single substrate.
Typical applications include 10G/40G telecom line cards, high-end test and measurement equipment, video broadcast infrastructure, high-speed serial protocol bridging, and high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) pipelines. The combination of embedded multipliers and high transceivers makes this family especially well-suited for wireless baseband prototyping and forward-error-correction engines.
When designing with the EP2SGX90FF40C3N, careful attention must be paid to PCB layout for the FBGA substrate (use microvia stack-ups and matched-length routing for the transceiver channels), thermal management (the FBGA requires a thermal pad and well-designed via array), and power sequencing (the Stratix II GX family requires specific ramp rates on VCCINT and VCCA). Quartus II software is the primary design environment, and the device is supported from the Quartus II v6.0 through the latest Altera/Intel Quartus Prime legacy support flow.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, verified Stratix II GX family specifications, drop-in alternatives from the Site MPN list, and practical design notes that go beyond a stock manufacturer datasheet summary.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2SGX90FF40C3N — 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 EP2SGX90FF40C3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2SGX90FF1508C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1295 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1380 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508C5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1380 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508I3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1460 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508I5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1450 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF40C3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix II GX |
| Series | EP2SGX |
| Logic Elements | 90,960 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 4,548 |
| User I/O Pins | 650 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 4,521,216 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 252 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 12 |
| Transceiver Data Rate (max) | 6.375 Gbps |
| Process Technology | 90 nm |
| Package | 1508-ball FineLine BGA (FF40) |
| Speed Grade | C3 |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free N suffix) |
EP2SGX90FF40C3N 1508-ball fineline bga (ff40) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2SGX90FF40C3N (1508-ball fineline bga (ff40) 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 EP2SGX90FF40C3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2SGX90FF40C3N is suitable for 6 applications: 10G/40G Telecom Line Cards, High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging, Test and Measurement Equipment, Video Broadcast Infrastructure, Wireless Baseband Prototyping, Industrial Control and Factory Automation.
10G/40G Telecom Line Cards
The EP2SGX90FF40C3N is well-suited for 10G and 40G telecom line card applications because of its 6.375 Gbps transceivers that natively support XAUI, RXAUI, and 10G Ethernet PCS layers. The 90,960 logic elements provide capacity for multi-channel packet processing, MAC/IP framing, and traffic management, while the 4.5 Mbits of embedded memory support cell/buffer storage. Compared to an ASIC, this FPGA enables rapid prototyping of OTU2/OTU3 framer functions and protocol adaptation. The 1,508-ball FBGA package exposes the maximum number of transceiver pins needed for 4-8 lanes of 10G, and the 4 PLLs provide the multiple clock domains required for cross-clock domain buffering. For cost-sensitive deployments, the C4/C5 speed grades are alternatives when timing closure is achievable.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging
The Stratix II GX family was specifically designed to bridge between high-speed serial protocols, and the EP2SGX90FF40C3N excels at PCI Express to Serial RapidIO bridging, XAUI to SFI conversion, and similar protocol adaptation tasks. With up to 20 transceiver channels and embedded 8B/10B encoders, the device can implement multi-protocol bridges without external PHY chips, reducing BOM cost and PCB area. The 252 embedded 18x18 multipliers are well-suited for forward-error-correction (FEC) algorithms (Reed-Solomon, Viterbi, turbo decoding) commonly required in such line-rate applications. The 4 PLLs with fractional-N synthesis allow precise clock generation for non-standard data rates, and 12 global clock networks distribute these clocks across the fabric with minimal skew.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Equipment
High-end oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, BERTs (Bit Error Rate Testers), and protocol analyzers benefit from the EP2SGX90FF40C3N's combination of 6.375 Gbps transceivers, 90K LEs, and 252 dedicated multipliers. Engineers can implement custom trigger logic, real-time protocol decoding, and high-speed pattern generation within a single device. The 4.5 Mbits of embedded memory serves as deep sample buffer storage, while the 650 user I/O pins support high-channel-count logic analyzer front-ends. Compared to a discrete ASIC + FPGA approach, integrating everything into one Stratix II GX reduces signal integrity challenges on the inter-chip interconnect and simplifies the bill of materials.
Recommended
Video Broadcast Infrastructure
The EP2SGX90FF40C3N is widely used in broadcast video infrastructure for SDI (Serial Digital Interface) routing, format conversion, and video processing. SMPTE 259M, 292M, and 424M SDI standards run at 270 Mbps, 1.485 Gbps, and 2.97 Gbps respectively, all well within the 6.375 Gbps capability of the Stratix II GX transceivers. The 90K LEs provide capacity for multi-channel up/down/cross-conversion, color-space conversion, and frame-rate conversion algorithms. The 252 multipliers accelerate DCT/IDCT transforms for JPEG2000 and MPEG-4 AVC codec offload. Broadcast equipment vendors particularly value the 1,508-ball FBGA package's ability to expose enough I/O for 8-16 simultaneous SDI channels plus ancillary data sideband interfaces.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Prototyping
For wireless baseband R&D, the EP2SGX90FF40C3N provides a flexible platform for prototyping LTE, WiMAX, and proprietary OFDM waveforms. The 252 embedded 18x18 multipliers and 4.5 Mbits of embedded memory are well-matched to the FFT/iFFT and channel coding compute requirements of 4G baseband processing. Researchers can iterate on algorithms quickly without ASIC fabrication cycles, using the FPGA to validate performance and then migrate the design to a lower-cost ASIC for production. The 4 PLLs support the multiple sampling clocks needed for digital upconversion (DUC) and digital downconversion (DDC) chains, and the 12 global clock networks distribute them with deterministic skew across the fabric.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP2SGX90FF40C3N is used in industrial control applications requiring deterministic, low-latency real-time processing combined with high-speed connectivity to sensors and actuators. Industrial Ethernet protocols (EtherCAT, PROFINET, SERCOS III) require sub-microsecond cycle times that this FPGA can achieve via hardware-accelerated protocol stacks. The 650 user I/O pins support hundreds of digital I/O channels for parallel control of motors, valves, and sensors. The 252 multipliers enable real-time FFT-based vibration analysis and predictive maintenance algorithms. Industrial users should consider the I3 (industrial) or I4 speed grade variants for guaranteed operation across the full -40C to +100C temperature range.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2SGX90FF40C3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2SGX90FF1508C3N | EP2SGX90FF1508C3 | EP2SGX90FF1508C4N | EP2SGX90FF1508C5N | EP2SGX90FF1508I3N | EP2SGX90FF1508I5N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel |
| Package | 1508-ball FineLine BGA (FF40) | 1508-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1508-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1508-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1508-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1508-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1508-ball FineLine BGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 |
| Speed Grade | C3 (fastest commercial) | C3 - same | C3 - same | C4 (~15-20% slower) | C5 (~25-30% slower) | I3 industrial (C3 timing) | I5 industrial (C5 timing) |
| Temperature Range | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (same) | Commercial (same) | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| RoHS Compliance | Yes (lead-free N suffix) | Yes (lead-free N suffix) | No (with lead - check RoHS) | Yes (lead-free N suffix) | Yes (lead-free N suffix) | Yes (lead-free N suffix) | Yes (lead-free N suffix) |
| Transceiver Channels (max) | 20 (at 6.375 Gbps) | 20 - same | 20 - same | 20 - same | 20 - same | 20 - same | 20 - same |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Largest same-density same-package variant with C3 speed grade and lead-free balls (vs EP2SGX90FF1508C3 (non-N))
- Fastest speed grade (C3) with lead-free balls for high-timing-margin designs (vs EP2SGX90FF1508C4N (C4 speed grade))
- Commercial temperature range (0C to +85C) variant of the same die (vs EP2SGX90FF1508I3N (Industrial temp))
Design Notes
The 1,508-ball FineLine BGA package of the EP2SGX90FF40C3N requires a thermal pad soldered to the PCB and a via array underneath to conduct heat from the die to inner copper planes. Estimated: at 50% utilization with moderate transceiver activity, junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) on a JEDEC 4-layer test board is approximately 8-12 C/W. A typical design dissipates 15-25 W, so the junction temperature rise above ambient is 120-300 C without thermal management. Always use the Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator for design-specific dissipation and provide adequate airflow or a heatsink.
The FineLine BGA substrate requires a microvia PCB stack-up (typically 8-12 layers) with 1.0 mm pitch BGA fanout. Estimated: differential pair routing for the 6.375 Gbps transceivers requires intra-pair skew below 5 mils and inter-pair length matching within 50 mils. Use a 100-ohm differential impedance with controlled-impedance stack-up. Reference the Altera AN522: Implementing High-Speed Interfaces with Stratix II GX transceivers for full routing guidelines.
The Stratix II GX family requires specific power sequencing: VCCINT must ramp before VCCPD, and VCCA (PLL analog) must come up cleanly. The device uses a separate VCCPD pin bank for I/O pre-drivers that should be tied to 3.3V or 2.5V depending on the I/O standard. Estimated: total quiescent current for VCCINT (1.2V) is approximately 1-2 A with the device idle, and can rise to 5-8 A under full utilization. Use the Altera PowerPlay analyzer to size your voltage regulators and decoupling network.
Do not confuse the EP2SGX90FF40C3N ordering code with the EP2SGX90FF1508C3N - they refer to the same physical 1,508-ball FBGA package, but Altera changed the suffix convention in later revisions. Also, when migrating from the standard "FF40" to the newer "FF1508" suffix, ensure your PCB land pattern matches the 1.0 mm pitch BGA, as earlier 1.27 mm pitch variants exist for older Stratix II (non-GX) parts. Finally, always verify configuration mode (Passive Serial vs Passive Parallel vs Fast Passive Parallel) matches your EPCS or EPCQ configuration flash selection.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Altera/Intel material declaration; the N suffix in the ordering code denotes lead-free solder balls. AEC-Q100 not qualified - choose the I3/I4 industrial temperature variants for harsh environments, but even those are not formally automotive-qualified.
