EP2SGX90FF40C4NES - Stratix II GX FPGA, 90k LE, 6.375Gbps | Intel (Altera)
MPN: EP2SGX90FF40C4NES ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1725 | $17,250.00 |
| 100 | $1620 | $162,000.00 |
| 500 | $1535 | $767,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $1485 | $1,485,000.00 |
EP2SGX90FF40C4NES Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit that can be configured by the customer or designer after manufacturing to implement a wide variety of digital logic functions. FPGAs combine the programmability of a CPLD with the high logic density and performance of an ASIC, placing them in the hierarchy: programmable logic -> semiconductor IC -> logic device. The Stratix II GX extends this by adding multi-gigabit transceivers, positioning it as a platform for high-speed serial I/O applications such as backplanes, bridging, and protocol acceleration.
Key differentiating features include up to 4,828 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), dedicated DSP blocks for high-throughput arithmetic, on-chip TriMatrix memory with multiple block sizes, and up to 12 transceivers supporting PCI Express, Gigabit Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, XAUI, and other serial protocols. Configuration is supported via JTAG boundary-scan and active serial/parallel configuration schemes, allowing flexible in-system programming for prototyping and production.
The architecture pairs a high-performance logic fabric with embedded transceivers operating up to 6.375 Gbps, deterministic latency PLLs, and rich clock networks. On-chip memory and DSP density make it suitable for parallel data-path processing alongside serial I/O aggregation. The 1508-pin FC-FBGA package exposes the full I/O and transceiver count needed for high-bandwidth designs.
Typical applications include high-speed serial interface bridging (PCIe, XAUI, Serial RapidIO), telecom backplane aggregation, broadcast video processing, military radar signal processing, ASIC prototyping, and high-end test & measurement instrumentation. Designers frequently use this device when multi-gigabit transceivers and large logic capacity must coexist on a single silicon.
When designing with the EP2SGX90FF40C4NES, plan power architecture carefully because the 1.2V core and multiple transceiver/auxiliary rails can exceed 20W under full load. Quartus II is the primary design toolchain, and proper PCB stackup with controlled-impedance lanes is mandatory for transceiver signal integrity.
This page synthesizes verified distributor stock, Stratix II GX drop-in equivalents, and Quartus II design considerations not collected in any single vendor datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2SGX90FF40C4NES — 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 EP2SGX90FF40C4NES (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Mounting Type, DSP Blocks, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2SGX90FF40C4N
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View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF40C3NES
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$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF40C3N
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$1580 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508C4N
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$1500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF1508C5N
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$1380 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2SGX90FF40C4NES Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix II GX |
| Logic Elements | 90,960 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 4,828 |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Maximum Transceiver Data Rate | 6.375 Gbps per channel |
| Number of Transceiver Channels | Up to 20 (device-dependent) |
| Embedded Memory | TriMatrix memory (M512/M4K/M-RAM blocks) |
| DSP Blocks | Yes (dedicated multipliers/accumulator blocks) |
| Package | 1508-pin FC-FBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial Extended |
| Configuration Method | JTAG, Active Serial, Active Parallel |
| PLLs | Yes (multiple with deterministic latency) |
EP2SGX90FF40C4NES 1508-pin fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2SGX90FF40C4NES (1508-pin fc-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 EP2SGX90FF40C4NES.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2SGX90FF40C4NES is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 Endpoint Design, XAUI / 10G Ethernet Backplane Aggregation, Serial RapidIO Switch / Endpoint, Broadcast Video Processing and Format Conversion, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 Endpoint Design
The EP2SGX90FF40C4NES is well suited for PCI Express Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) and Gen2 (5.0 Gbps) endpoint designs because its embedded transceivers run up to 6.375 Gbps, comfortably exceeding the PCIe Gen2 line rate. The 90,960 logic elements plus dedicated DSP blocks provide ample headroom for protocol state machines, scatter-gather DMA engines, and on-chip completion buffers. Placed as the root complex or endpoint on a PCIe carrier card, the device removes the need for an external PHY, lowering BOM cost. Designers must still implement reference-clock distribution and AC-coupling capacitors per the PCIe CEM specification, and use Altera's hard IP for PCIe to minimise timing-closure risk.
Recommended
XAUI / 10G Ethernet Backplane Aggregation
The Stratix II GX transceiver channels support XAUI at 3.125 Gbps per lane and 10G Ethernet at 3.75 Gbps per lane, making this FPGA a natural aggregation engine for 10G backplanes. With up to 20 transceiver channels the device can terminate 2x XAUI ports (4 lanes each) plus spare lanes for inter-card links. The 90,960 logic elements handle MAC-layer processing, CRC generation, and lightweight L2 switching without external TCAMs. Note that for 10GBASE-R (10.3125 Gbps) designs, the Stratix II GX is below the data rate ceiling - choose Stratix IV GT or Stratix V GX instead.
Recommended
Serial RapidIO Switch / Endpoint
Serial RapidIO at 1.25, 2.5, and 3.125 Gbps fits cleanly within the EP2SGX90FF40C4NES transceiver envelope. Embedded SERDES with hard CDR simplifies the PHY layer, while the on-chip TriMatrix memory provides packet buffers and descriptor FIFOs. For switch-fabric designs the device's high LAB count allows implementation of multi-port scheduling logic without external lookup engines. Use the Altera Serial RapidIO MegaCore to accelerate development and validate protocol compliance with RapidIO Trade Association interoperability checklists.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing and Format Conversion
The 90,960 logic elements and dedicated DSP blocks make the EP2SGX90FF40C4NES an excellent broadcast video processor for SDI-to-HDMI bridging, frame-rate conversion, and chroma-key compositing. Transceiver channels handle HD-SDI (1.485 Gbps) and 3G-SDI (2.97 Gbps) directly, eliminating external cable equalisers. TriMatrix memory blocks buffer several video lines, while the DSP fabric performs motion-adaptive deinterlacing and scaling. Designers should pair the FPGA with external DDR2 memory for large frame buffers and reference Altera's Video and Image Processing (VIP) suite for pre-validated IP blocks.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
ASIC and ASSP design teams historically adopted the EP2SGX90FF40C4NES as an emulation vehicle because its high logic density, abundant I/O, and embedded transceivers let them map full SoC designs onto one or two FPGAs in a partitioned flow. The 1508-pin FC-FBGA exposes enough user I/O for typical SoC peripheral buses (USB, Ethernet MAC, DDR PHY interfaces). Quartus II supports incremental compile and design partitioning, which is essential when fitter runtimes stretch into hours. For modern 7nm/5nm ASICs, designers should consider Stratix 10 or Agilex, but for legacy node ASICs the EP2SGX90 remains a workhorse.
Recommended
High-Speed Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP2SGX90FF40C4NES is well suited to high-end oscilloscope, logic analyser, and protocol analyser front-ends where multiple 6.375 Gbps lanes feed a DSP-rich back-end. The transceiver CDR locks onto non-standard patterns used in compliance testing, while on-chip DSP blocks perform real-time eye-diagram statistics and equaliser adaptation. Designers can build multi-lane BERT (bit-error-rate tester) platforms with sub-ps jitter analysis. Add an external high-precision clock and the device forms a flexible serial-IO test engine for QA labs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2SGX90FF40C4NES — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2SGX90FF40C4N | EP2SGX90FF40C3NES | EP2SGX90FF40C3N | EP2SGX90FF1508C4N | EP2SGX90FF1508C5N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1508-pin FC-FBGA | 1508-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1508-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1508-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1508-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1508-pin FC-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 | 90,960 |
| Speed Grade | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial Extended | Commercial | Commercial Extended | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| ES / Production | ES (Engineering Sample) | Production | ES | Production | Production | Production |
| Max Transceiver Rate | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps | 6.375 Gbps |
| Process / Core Voltage | 90 nm / 1.2 V | 90 nm / 1.2 V | 90 nm / 1.2 V | 90 nm / 1.2 V | 90 nm / 1.2 V | 90 nm / 1.2 V |
Key Differentiators
- Engineering sample availability with speed grade 4 (vs EP2SGX90FF40C4N)
- Commercial extended temperature grade (vs EP2SGX90FF40C4N)
- Embedded 6.375 Gbps transceivers eliminate external PHY (vs EP2S90F1508C4N (non-GX))
Design Notes
Estimated: at 100% logic utilisation plus 12 active 6.375 Gbps transceivers, the Stratix II GX core plus transceiver rails can exceed 20 W. Designers must budget at least four discrete rails (VCCINT 1.2 V, VCCA 2.5 V, VCCP 3.3 V, VTT 0.9-1.1 V) and follow Altera's Stratix II GX PowerPlay early-power-estimate flow before PCB layout to size the regulators and bulk decoupling.
Transceiver lanes at 6.375 Gbps require controlled-impedance differential pairs (typically 100 ohm ± 10%) with continuous reference plane and AC-coupling capacitors placed close to the FPGA TX pins. Reference the Stratix II GX Handbook transceiver chapter and use the Altera-provided HSPICE models for channel simulation. Crosstalk, return loss, and intra-pair skew budgets must be honoured to meet 6.375 Gbps eye masks.
The 1508-pin FC-FBGA package relies on the flip-chip thermal lid and PCB thermal vias for heat removal. Altera's junction-to-ambient thermal resistance is approximately 10-15 C/W with a properly designed thermal via array under the lid. Insufficient thermal vias or missing airflow will push Tj above 100 C under load, triggering on-chip thermal sensor warnings; design the heatsink or forced-air cooling accordingly.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH/lead-free status not published in the Verified Web Data; consult Intel (Altera) PCN records for authoritative compliance attestation. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a programmable logic device, not an automotive-qualified IC.
