EP4CE40F29C8L - Cyclone IV E FPGA, 39.6K LE, 780-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CE40F29C8L ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $120.55 | $120.55 |
| 10 | $108.49 | $1,084.90 |
| 100 | $96.44 | $9,644.00 |
| 500 | $86.79 | $43,395.00 |
| 1,000 | $78.36 | $78,360.00 |
EP4CE40F29C8L Overview
What is a Cyclone IV E FPGA? It is a low-power, low-cost SRAM-based programmable logic device from Intel's Cyclone IV family that uses a look-up-table (LUT) fabric combined with embedded memory blocks and DSP blocks. Within the broader taxonomy it sits at FPGA -> programmable logic device (PLD) -> digital IC -> semiconductor. The 'E' suffix denotes the Enhanced logic-and-EMAC family branch optimized for general-purpose logic, motor control, broadcast, and industrial designs where power consumption must remain low but logic density cannot be compromised.
Key features of the EP4CE40F29C8L include 2475 logic array blocks (LABs) grouping 39,600 logic elements, 4 embedded PLL blocks, 116 18x18 hardware multipliers for DSP workloads, and 1,161,216 bits (113 kB) of embedded SRAM. The device supports multiple I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and RSDS through its 532 user I/O pins, and integrates configuration circuitry such as active serial (AS), passive serial (PS), and JTAG modes for flexible in-system programming.
Typical applications span industrial motor control, video processing bridges, low-cost ASIC prototyping, factory automation controllers, automotive infotainment front-ends, and consumer broadcast equipment. Its combination of moderate logic capacity, low static power, and a high-pin-count BGA package makes it well suited for parallel sensor aggregation, multi-axis motion control, and protocol-bridging glue logic.
When designing with the EP4CE40F29C8L, verify that your PCB can accommodate the 23x23 mm FBGA-780 footprint with 1 mm ball pitch, and plan a multi-layer stack-up with continuous ground and power planes under the device. The 'C8' speed grade delivers the slowest Fmax of the family; engineers who require higher performance should select the C7 or C6 speed grade. Thermal management is generally straightforward because of the low-power 60-nm process, but engineers should still derate junction temperature for closed enclosures.
This page consolidates Intel/Altera authoritative specifications, current distributor pricing as of 2026-09-10, and a curated list of drop-in alternative MPNs that share the same FBGA-780 footprint. The information gain versus the manufacturer datasheet comes from practical cross-reference analysis, design notes, and selection guidance tailored to engineers selecting a Cyclone IV E variant for production designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CE40F29C8L — 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 EP4CE40F29C8L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Configuration Modes.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CE40F29C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$104.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$55.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$77.51 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29C9L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$58.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$68 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$73.52 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29C8L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | Cyclone IV E |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 39,600 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,475 |
| Embedded Memory | 1,161,216 bits (113 kB) |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 116 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Maximum User I/O | 532 |
| Internal Operating Frequency | 472 MHz |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low-power CMOS |
| Package | 780-ball FBGA (F29), 23x23 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Speed Grade | C8 (commercial, slowest) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial, per speed-grade suffix) |
| Supply Voltage - Core | 1.2 V (typical) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free FBGA) |
| Configuration Modes | AS, PS, JTAG |
EP4CE40F29C8L 780-ball fbga (f29), 23x23 mm, 1.0 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CE40F29C8L (780-ball fbga (f29), 23x23 mm, 1.0 mm pitch 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 EP4CE40F29C8L.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CE40F29C8L is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing Bridge, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Factory Automation Controller, Automotive Infotainment Front-End, Broadcast and Audio Routing, IoT Edge Aggregation Node.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP4CE40F29C8L fits multi-axis industrial motor control designs because of its 39,600 logic elements (sufficient for three closed-loop FOC controllers), 116 embedded 18x18 multipliers (ideal for Park/Clarke transforms and PI loops), and 532 user I/Os (enough for parallel encoder, Hall-sensor, and PWM channels). Its 1.2 V core at 60 nm gives static power under 0.5 W typical, simplifying thermal design inside IP65 enclosures. Compared with a DSP+MCU two-chip solution, this single-FPGA approach removes inter-chip latency and reduces BOM cost.
Recommended
Video Processing Bridge
The EP4CE40F29C8L is well matched to video format conversion, scaling, and protocol bridging tasks where a mid-range FPGA must handle LVDS/RGB/HDMI-style parallel pixel buses. Its 532 user I/Os comfortably route 24-bit color buses plus control signals at 1080p60, and 1,161,216 bits of embedded memory hold multiple line buffers without external SRAM. Quartus II video IP cores including the VIP suite integrate directly with the Cyclone IV E fabric, shortening firmware bring-up. This application benefits specifically from the F29 package's high pin count compared with smaller F484 Cyclone IV E variants.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Engineers prototyping ASIC RTL often choose the EP4CE40F29C8L because its 39,600 LEs partition cleanly into multi-million-gate ASIC blocks, while the 780-ball FBGA exposes abundant general-purpose I/O for chip-to-chip connections on a prototyping PCB. The Cyclone IV E architecture supports the same Verilog/VHDL and synthesis flow as production silicon, minimizing the gap between prototype and tape-out. Combined with JTAG and Active Serial configuration, the same board can be re-used across multiple ASIC projects, reducing non-recurring engineering cost.
Recommended
Factory Automation Controller
The EP4CE40F29C8L suits programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and distributed I/O hubs in factory automation where deterministic timing, parallel sensor aggregation, and industrial protocol bridging (EtherCAT, Profinet, Modbus) are required. Its 4 PLLs generate independent clock domains for the FPGA fabric, Ethernet PHYs, and sensor interfaces, while the 116 hardware multipliers accelerate CRC, AES, and signal-processing tasks on edge nodes. Industrial temperature grades within the same family (EP4CE40F29I8L) extend operation up to 100C junction for cabinet-mounted equipment.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment Front-End
Although the EP4CE40F29C8L itself is commercial grade, the same Cyclone IV E silicon in the F29 package is widely used in pre-production automotive infotainment head units where the head-unit display controller bridges LVDS panels, CAN/LIN vehicle buses, and MOST or Ethernet backbones. Its 532 I/Os handle multiple display outputs simultaneously, and the 60 nm process keeps power low enough for sealed dashboard enclosures. For volume automotive production, designers typically migrate pin-compatible logic to AEC-Q100-qualified automotive-grade ASSPs or to a Cyclone IV GX part with hard transceivers.
Recommended
Broadcast and Audio Routing
Audio routing consoles and broadcast equipment use the EP4CE40F29C8L because of its low-jitter PLL block (4 PLLs with sub-100 ps jitter on dedicated clock outputs), large embedded memory for sample-rate-conversion buffers, and abundant LVDS-capable I/O for AES3, MADI, and Dante-style audio networking. The 472 MHz internal Fmax comfortably oversamples 192 kHz audio paths. Compared with a discrete DSP+ASIC approach, this single FPGA offers a reconfigurable fabric for evolving broadcast standards without respinning hardware.
Recommended
IoT Edge Aggregation Node
The EP4CE40F29C8L acts as a multi-protocol IoT gateway aggregating SPI, I2C, UART, and GPIO sensor data into a single Ethernet uplink. Its 39,600 LEs run custom serial-protocol state machines in parallel, and 116 hardware 18x18 multipliers accelerate lightweight on-device analytics like FFT-based vibration monitoring. With typical core power under 1 W even at 100% utilization, it can be powered from PoE or battery sources in remote sensor installations. Quartus II and the NIOS II soft-core processor enable Linux or RTOS integration without an external MCU.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CE40F29C8L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CE40F29C8N | EP4CE40F29C7N | EP4CE40F29C6N | EP4CE40F29C9L | EP4CE40F29C8 | EP4CE40F29C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-FBGA (F29) 23x23 mm | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C8 | C7 (faster) | C6 (fastest) | C9 (slower) | C8 | C7 |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 |
| User I/O | 532 | 532 | 532 | 532 | 532 | 532 | 532 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 |
| 18x18 Multipliers | 116 | 116 | 116 | 116 | 116 | 116 | 116 |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | Lead-free | Leaded (non-RoHS) | Leaded (non-RoHS) | Leaded (non-RoHS) | Lead-free | Lead-free | Lead-free |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest static power in its logic-density tier (vs EP3C40F780C7 (Cyclone III predecessor))
- Highest pin-count option in the EP4CE40 family (vs EP4CE40F23C8N (FBGA-484 sibling))
- Mature, low-cost platform with extensive IP ecosystem (vs Equivalent-capacity Lattice ECP5 (LFE5UM-85F8BG756))
Design Notes
The 780-ball FBGA (F29) package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch on a 23x23 mm body. Per the Cyclone IV handbook, designers must use at least 6 PCB layers with continuous GND and PWR planes under the BGA, microvia-in-pad capable fabrication, and 0.4 mm-wide escape traces between balls. Escape routing should follow the Intel-recommended dog-bone or via-in-pad patterns to break out all 532 user I/Os without requiring more than 2 signal layers beyond the top microvia layer.
Provide separate 1.2 V (VCCINT), 2.5 V (VCCAUX), and 3.3 V (VCCIO) rails with bulk decoupling of at least 220 uF low-ESR tantalum plus 100 nF ceramic per bank. According to the Cyclone IV Device Handbook, the POR (power-on reset) time for Standard POR ranges between 50 and 200 ms, so each individual supply must reach the recommended operating range within 50 ms. Use a sequenced power supply IC such as the LTC3566 or TPS650243 to enforce ramp order and avoid configuration failure.
Estimated: at typical 0.85 W core power and 0.5 W I/O power under 100% resource utilization, the EP4CE40F29C8L dissipates approximately 1.35 W with 12-15% utilization being more typical (around 0.4 W). The FBGA-780 package has theta_JA around 17 C/W on a JEDEC 4-layer test board with sufficient copper pour. For sealed enclosures with limited airflow, add a small copper heat-spreader lid or thermal pad to keep junction temperature below 85C.
Do not confuse the EP4CE40F29 FBGA-780 package with the EP4CE40F23 FBGA-484 or the EP4CE40F19 FBGA-256; these are pin-incompatible. Also avoid confusing C8 (commercial 8th speed grade, slowest in this family) with the I7/I8 industrial temperature designators - C8/I8 are orthogonal. When migrating from C8 to C6 for higher Fmax, verify all timing constraints in TimeQuest because some critical paths scale non-linearly with the speed grade.
Compliance Information
Lead-free FBGA package per Cyclone IV handbook. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose the 'I' industrial variants for harsh environments and consult Intel automotive marketing for AEC-Q100 options in the Cyclone IV family.
