EP4CE40F23I8LN - 39.6K LE Cyclone IV E FPGA, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CE40F23I8LN ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $215 | $215.00 |
| 10 | $198 | $1,980.00 |
| 100 | $175 | $17,500.00 |
| 250 | $162 | $40,500.00 |
| 500 | $148 | $74,000.00 |
EP4CE40F23I8LN Overview
A Cyclone IV E FPGA is a SRAM-based programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks, embedded memory arrays, DSP blocks, and high-speed I/O into a single chip. It belongs to the broader taxonomy FPGA -> programmable logic -> logic IC -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor, and targets cost-sensitive high-volume designs where ASSPs and ASICs are uneconomical. The Cyclone IV E family is optimized for low static and dynamic power, making it well suited to fan-less, thermally constrained embedded systems.
Key features include 39,600 logic elements organized into 2,475 logic array blocks, 1,161,216 bits of embedded SRAM (RAM), 4 PLLs for clock synthesis, embedded multipliers supporting DSP, and 8 clock networks. The device supports LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and RSDS I/O standards and offers configuration via JTAG, Active Serial, or Passive Serial modes.
Architecturally, the EP4CE40F23I8LN uses a four-input look-up table (LUT) logic element paired with a dedicated carry chain and an adjacent programmable register. Embedded memory blocks are 9 Kbit M9K blocks, with each capable of true dual-port operation. DSP blocks implement 18x18 signed multiplication with optional addition/subtraction/accumulation. Configuration data is stored in an internal SRAM that is loaded at power-up from an external flash device or the JTAG port.
Typical applications include industrial motor control and factory automation, video processing and display bridging, telecom line cards, software-defined radio front-ends, automotive infotainment prototypes, and education kits. Cyclone IV E devices are commonly paired with EPCS serial configuration memories and DDR/DDR2 SDRAM controllers implemented in the FPGA fabric.
Design considerations include PCB routing for the 1 mm pitch FBGA, multi-rail decoupling (1.2 V core, 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O, PLL analog), and proper configuration mode pin strapping. Designers should follow the Intel Cyclone IV device handbook for pin connection guidelines, especially for nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and CONF_DONE pins.
This page combines distributor pricing, same-brand drop-in alternatives from the Cyclone IV E family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CE40F23I8LN — 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 EP4CE40F23I8LN (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature, Core Voltage.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CE40F23I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F23I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$78.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F23I8L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$79.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F23C9LN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$69 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F23C9L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$48.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F23C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F23I8LN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV E |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 39,600 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,475 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 1,161,216 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 132 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 328 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 8 |
| Process Node | 60 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Package | 484-BGA (FBGA, 23 x 23 mm, 1 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
| Lead Free / RoHS | Lead Free |
| Configuration | JTAG / Active Serial / Passive Serial |
EP4CE40F23I8LN Pin Configuration
| Pin F23-Ball A1 | VCCINT — Core 1.2 V supply |
| Pin F23-Ball A2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin F23-Ball B3 | CLK0 — Primary clock input (top bank) |
| Pin F23-Ball D4 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select bit 0 |
| Pin F23-Ball D5 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select bit 1 |
| Pin F23-Ball E6 | MSEL2 — Configuration mode select bit 2 |
| Pin F23-Ball E7 | nCONFIG — Configuration active-low reset |
| Pin F23-Ball F8 | nSTATUS — Configuration status, open drain |
| Pin F23-Ball F9 | CONF_DONE — Configuration complete, open drain |
| Pin F23-Ball G10 | JTAG clock |
| Pin F23-Ball G11 | JTAG mode select |
| Pin F23-Ball H12 | JTAG data in |
| Pin F23-Ball H13 | JTAG data out |
| Pin F23-Ball J14 | VCCA_PLL1 — PLL1 analog 2.5 V supply |
| Pin F23-Ball J15 | GNDA_PLL1 — PLL1 analog ground |
| Pin F23-Ball K16 | DATA0 — Active Serial data input |
| Pin F23-Ball L17 | ASDO — Active Serial data output |
| Pin F23-Ball L18 | nCS — Active Serial chip select |
| Pin F23-Ball M19 | DCLK — Configuration clock |
| Pin F23-Ball N20 | VCCIO8 — I/O bank 8 supply |
Typical Applications
EP4CE40F23I8LN is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing and Display Bridging, Telecom Line Card Interface, Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Factory Automation PLC Backplane, Education and Prototyping Board, Automotive Infotainment Prototype.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP4CE40F23I8LN drives multi-axis industrial motor controllers by combining 132 embedded 18x18 multipliers for field-oriented control (FOC) math, 328 user I/Os for parallel encoder and PWM channels, and 1.16 Mbit of M9K memory for sine/cosine lookup tables. The 1.2 V core supply and 60 nm process keep quiescent power low enough for fan-less cabinet designs. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C) ensures operation near power electronics. PLLs generate jitter-clean PWM-aligned clocks from a single crystal reference. The 484-FBGA package supports high pin density for multi-axis platforms.
Recommended
Video Processing and Display Bridging
With 39,600 LEs and 132 hardware multipliers, the EP4CE40F23I8LN implements real-time video scaling, de-interlacing, color space conversion, and overlay blending at HD and 4K rates. The 1.16 Mbit embedded memory holds line buffers for pipelined pixel processing without external SDRAM. 328 I/Os are routed as LVDS pairs for DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort TMDS channels and as LVCMOS for parallel RGB panels. Eight global clock networks support simultaneous video and audio clock domains. JTAG configuration enables rapid bring-up of video firmware iterations.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card Interface
The EP4CE40F23I8LN fabric implements multi-channel SERDES bridging, custom packet processing, and clock distribution on telecom line cards where mid-volume custom logic is required. 4 PLLs synthesize independent clocks for E1/T1, SONET, and Ethernet domains from a single backplane reference. 132 multipliers accelerate Reed-Solomon and CRC checksums for link-layer processing. Industrial temperature grade suits outdoor cabinet environments. The 1.2 V core rail integrates into standard -48 V to logic supply DC-DC conversion chains commonly used in telecom hardware.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Front-End
Cyclone IV E 60 nm process and abundant DSP blocks suit digital IF processing in SDR platforms. The 132 18x18 multipliers implement polyphase FIR filters and FFT butterflies in real time. The 1.16 Mbit embedded memory holds time-domain sample windows without spilling to external SDRAM. 4 PLLs derive ADC sample clocks and DAC update clocks from a TCXO reference. The 484-FBGA keeps routing short for ADC/DAC analog digital isolation. Quartus Prime DSP Builder accelerates model-based DSP development.
Recommended
Factory Automation PLC Backplane
In modular PLC platforms, the EP4CE40F23I8LN provides customizable logic for high-speed counters, motion trajectory planning, and EtherCAT or Profibus link-layer handling. 328 I/Os interface to discrete sensors, incremental encoders, and isolated digital outputs. Industrial temperature grade and lead-free construction satisfy factory floor reliability requirements. Embedded RAM and 132 multipliers support time-deterministic closed-loop control at sub-microsecond loop times. The 484-FBGA is suitable for motherboard-down placement in PLC backplane cards.
Recommended
Education and Prototyping Board
The EP4CE40F23I8LN is well suited to university FPGA teaching kits where students need ample logic and I/O for full MIPS/ARM soft-core integration plus peripherals. 39,600 LEs fit a NIOS II/e soft processor with Ethernet MAC, DDR controller, and student projects. JTAG configuration via USB-Blaster enables single-click download and in-system debugging. Industrial temperature grade allows the same board to be used in lab and outdoor measurement projects. The mature Quartus Prime toolchain and abundant reference designs shorten the learning curve.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment Prototype
For pre-production automotive infotainment prototypes, the EP4CE40F23I8LN fabric accelerates LVDS display pipelines, MOST or Ethernet AVB bridging, and HMI rendering. The 328 user I/Os support multi-display and multi-camera parallel interfaces. 132 multipliers accelerate video scaling and rotation in middleware stacks. Industrial temperature rating covers cabin environments. Designers should verify AEC-Q100 requirements separately for production, as this MPN is rated industrial not automotive-qualified. Quartus Prime integrates with automotive software toolchains.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CE40F23I8LN — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CE40F23I7N | EP4CE40F23I8L | EP4CE40F23C9LN | EP4CE40F23C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 |
| Speed Grade | I8 (industrial mid) | I7 (industrial slow) | I8 (industrial mid) | C9 (commercial fast) | C8 (commercial mid) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 132 | 132 | 132 | 132 | 132 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 328 | 328 | 328 | 328 | 328 |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial mid-speed grade I8 balanced for 362 MHz Fmax (vs EP4CE40F23I7N)
- Industrial temperature rating for factory and outdoor use (vs EP4CE40F23C9LN)
- Lead-free RoHS compliant construction (vs Legacy leaded package variants)
Design Notes
Decouple the 1.2 V VCCINT rail with one 100 uF bulk capacitor per voltage island, plus 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of every VCCINT ball. The PLL analog supply (VCCA_PLLx) must be 2.5 V with its own 0.1 uF ceramic decoupling capacitor and a ferrite-bead-isolated analog ground island per PLL region. Refer to the Cyclone IV device handbook pin connection guidelines for the exact capacitor count and placement rules.
Route the 484-FBGA F23 package with a 1.0 mm ball pitch PCB land pattern using 0.5 mm via-in-pad microvias on at least 4 routing layers. Use a high-density interconnect (HDI) stackup with sequential lamination to escape the inner balls. Maintain a reference plane beneath all high-speed LVDS and clock traces, and isolate the PLL analog ground region from digital switching returns with a moat and a single bridge to the digital ground.
Do not leave MSEL[3:0] floating - they select between Active Serial, Passive Serial, JTAG, and Fast Passive Parallel configuration modes. A floating MSEL pin can cause the device to enter an undefined state at power-up. nCONFIG must be pulled high to VCCIO of the bank hosting the pin (typically 3.3 V) through a 10 kohm resistor; do not drive it directly from a logic output that cannot source the pull-up current.
Pair adjacent LVDS I/O balls so that the P and N traces are length-matched to within 150 mil and routed on the same signal layer to avoid skew. Use 100Ω differential impedance and avoid right-angle bends - use 45 degree bends or arcs. For DDR or DDR2 SDRAM interfaces, follow the Quartus Prime pin planner rules for read/write group length matching, typically +/-25 mil for clock, +/-50 mil for DQ/DQS, and +/-100 mil for address/command.
Compliance Information
Lead-free per Intel Cyclone IV E product page. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C); not AEC-Q100 qualified. For automotive, use Cyclone IV E automotive-grade variants.
