EP4CE55F23C6 - Cyclone IV E FPGA, 55K LE, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CE55F23C6 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $56.62 | $56.62 |
| 10 | $53.2 | $532.00 |
| 100 | $47.85 | $4,785.00 |
| 500 | $42.1 | $21,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $36.75 | $36,750.00 |
EP4CE55F23C6 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that lets engineers implement arbitrary digital logic, DSP blocks, memory, and high-speed I/O on a single chip, far exceeding the flexibility of fixed-function ASICs for low-to-medium volume designs. FPGAs sit at the hierarchy: programmable logic -> logic device -> semiconductor IC. The Cyclone IV E family is positioned as a low-cost, low-power family targeting cost-sensitive applications such as industrial control, video processing, and communication bridges.
Key features of the EP4CE55F23C6 include 55,856 logic elements arranged in 3,491 LABs, 324 maximum user I/O pins, four general-purpose PLLs for clock management, and 8 transceiver clock inputs. It supports DDR/DDR2/QDRII+ external memory interfaces through soft memory controllers, allowing flexible high-throughput memory expansion. The 484-FBGA package provides a compact footprint with a thermal resistance suitable for forced-air or natural convection thermal designs.
Architecturally, the Cyclone IV E combines an SRAM-based logic fabric with dedicated DSP multipliers and embedded M9K memory blocks. The fabric supports logic synthesis via Quartus II, including logic locking, incremental compilation, and hard PCI/PCIe IP cores. This combination gives designers sufficient density and DSP performance for moderate-throughput DSP pipelines while keeping power consumption substantially lower than the higher-tier Cyclone IV GX variants.
Typical applications include industrial machine vision, motor control and drive interfaces, video format conversion and bridging, protocol conversion (e.g., UART/SPI to Ethernet or PCIe), test and measurement instruments, and low-cost ASIC prototyping. The 55K LE density is well-suited for designs that outgrow a CPLD but do not justify a high-end Cyclone IV GX or Cyclone V device.
When designing with the EP4CE55F23C6, ensure the PCB accommodates the 484-ball FBGA BGA land pattern with proper via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout, and follow Intel's PCB layout guidelines for BGA break-out. The device requires multiple supply rails (core, I/O, PLL analog, and auxiliary) that must be brought up in the correct sequence; failure to do so can cause latch-up.
This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, FBGA drop-in alternatives within the Cyclone IV E family, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CE55F23C6 — 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 EP4CE55F23C6 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Family, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CE55F23C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$142 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F23C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$74 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F23A7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$134.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE75F23C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$136.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →10CL055YF484C6G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$112.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F23C6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone IV E |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 55,856 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3,491 |
| Embedded Memory | 2,396,160 bits |
| Maximum User I/O | 324 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 343 |
| General-purpose PLLs | 4 |
| Transceiver Clock Inputs | 8 |
| Package | 484-FBGA (F23) |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low-power |
| Speed Grade | 6 (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP4CE55F23C6 484-fbga (f23) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CE55F23C6 (484-fbga (f23) 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 EP4CE55F23C6.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CE55F23C6 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control and Drive, Machine Vision Pre-Processing, Video Format Conversion and Bridging, Industrial Protocol Conversion, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Motor Control and Drive
The EP4CE55F23C6 is well suited for industrial motor control and drive systems because its 343 dedicated 18x18 hardware multipliers deliver the DSP throughput needed for field-oriented control (FOC) loops at typical PWM switching frequencies of 10-20 kHz. The 4 general-purpose PLLs allow precise synthesis of the PWM carrier and encoder sampling clocks from a single crystal reference, while 324 user I/Os accept quadrature encoder inputs, Hall sensors, and gate driver control signals without external multiplexing. Compared to a microcontroller, the FPGA offloads time-critical PID and space-vector math into deterministic hardware, leaving the MCU free for communication stacks. The 484-FBGA F23 package suits industrial PCBs with adequate thermal dissipation through a 4-layer stackup. Designers should follow Intel's PCB layout guidelines for BGA fanout and isolate analog/digital grounds to keep switching noise out of encoder feedback paths.
Recommended
Machine Vision Pre-Processing
For machine vision pre-processing pipelines, the EP4CE55F23C6 provides the right balance of logic density and DSP resources to implement Bayer-to-RGB demosaicing, histogram equalization, and basic edge detection in real time on 1080p60 video streams. Its 2,396,160 bits of embedded memory comfortably holds several line buffers for horizontal filters, removing the need for external SRAM. The 343 18x18 multipliers handle Sobel or Laplacian kernels at full pixel clock rates. Compared to a GPU-based approach, the FPGA offers deterministic latency suitable for inline factory inspection. The 484-FBGA package supports the high I/O count needed for parallel image sensor interfaces, MIPI adapters, and DDR2 line-buffer memory. Designers should reserve separate PLL outputs for the sensor pixel clock and DDR2 memory clock and route them with matched-length traces.
Recommended
Video Format Conversion and Bridging
The EP4CE55F23C6 excels at video format conversion tasks such as HDMI-to-MIPI bridging, frame-rate conversion, and resolution upscaling/downscaling, where its combination of 55,856 logic elements and 2.3 Mbit embedded RAM handles line buffers and scaling coefficients in hardware. The 4 PLLs allow independent synthesis of input video pixel clocks (e.g., 74.25 MHz for 720p, 148.5 MHz for 1080p) and the output pixel clock, eliminating external clock generators. Compared to an ASSP video bridge, the FPGA supports custom non-standard resolutions and broadcast timing. The 484-FBGA F23 package provides 324 I/Os to interface with HDMI, MIPI, BT.656, and OpenLDI sources simultaneously. For designs requiring HDCP or higher color depths, designers should evaluate the Cyclone 10 GX family instead.
Recommended
Industrial Protocol Conversion
For industrial protocol bridges (e.g., UART/SPI/CAN to Ethernet or EtherCAT), the EP4CE55F23C6 provides the logic density and embedded memory to implement soft IP cores for Modbus TCP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, and EtherNet/IP on a single device. The 4 general-purpose PLLs synthesize the precise clocks needed by industrial Ethernet PHYs, and the 324 user I/Os accept multiple fieldbus interfaces in parallel. Compared to a discrete MCU + Ethernet controller solution, the FPGA consolidates multiple protocol stacks into one chip. The 484-FBGA F23 package is appropriate for compact industrial gateway PCBs. Designers should allocate dedicated PLL outputs for each Ethernet MAC and verify PHY RMII/RGMII timing closure with Quartus TimeQuest timing analysis.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP4CE55F23C6 is well suited for ASIC prototyping and logic emulation, where its 55,856 logic elements can map a moderate-complexity ASIC RTL design (typically 100K-200K ASIC gates) at 3:1 to 4:1 logic-equivalent density. The 343 hardware 18x18 multipliers accelerate DSP-rich ASIC blocks, and the 2.3 Mbit embedded memory represents ASIC SRAM blocks. The 324 user I/Os support header connections to the ASIC's external interface pins. Compared to ASIC fabrication, the FPGA provides rapid design iteration at one to two orders of magnitude lower NRE. The 484-FBGA F23 package supports high-speed prototyping with internal speed grades up to -8. Designers should use Quartus incremental compilation and pin-aware partitioning to map ASIC I/Os efficiently onto FPGA I/Os.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
For digital test and measurement equipment such as logic analyzers, pattern generators, and protocol exercisers, the EP4CE55F23C6 delivers the logic density and I/O bandwidth required to capture or generate parallel digital patterns at hundreds of MHz. The 324 user I/Os support wide data buses, while the 343 hardware 18x18 multipliers enable on-chip DSP for protocol decoding and triggering. The 4 PLLs synthesize multiple independent sample clocks from a single reference, useful for cross-domain triggering. Compared to a fixed-function logic analyzer ASIC, the FPGA allows user-defined protocol decoding through soft IP. The 484-FBGA F23 package is appropriate for dense measurement PCBs. Designers should use Schmitt triggers on input pins and keep matched-length probe traces to maintain signal integrity at the highest toggle rates.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CE55F23C6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CE55F23C7 | EP4CE55F23C8N | EP4CE55F23A7N | EP4CE75F23C7N | 10CL055YF484C6G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (YF484) - pinout differs |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 | 55,856 (same) | 55,856 (same) | 55,856 (same) | 75,408 (+35%) | 55,856 (same) |
| Embedded Memory | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,781,120 bits | 2,396,160 bits |
| Speed Grade | 6 (commercial) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Process Node | 60 nm | 60 nm | 60 nm | 60 nm | 60 nm | 20 nm |
Key Differentiators
- Balanced 55K LE density with high multiplier count (vs EP4CE75F23C7N)
- Lower static power consumption than Cyclone 10 LP equivalent (vs 10CL055YF484C6G)
- Drop-in speed grade scalability (vs EP4CE55F23C7)
Design Notes
The 484-FBGA F23 package requires careful PCB escape routing. Use via-in-pad microvias with 0.4 mm pitch or dog-bone fanout if the budget permits only standard 0.2 mm vias. Assign a 4-layer or 6-layer stackup with dedicated ground and power planes directly under the BGA, and follow Intel's Cyclone IV E handbook PCB layout guidelines for power decoupling. Place 0.1 uF decoupling capacitors within 100 mils of every VCCIO and VCCINT ball group, plus bulk 10-100 uF tantalum or ceramic capacitors on each supply rail.
Cyclone IV E devices require multiple supply rails (VCCINT, VCCAUX, VCCD_PLL, VCCIO) that must be brought up in the correct power-on sequence per the Intel datasheet. Failure to follow the recommended sequence can cause permanent device damage. Use a dedicated power sequencer IC or a microcontroller with controlled GPIO to manage the ramp order. Estimate core current at ~0.5-1 A for the EP4CE55F23C6 under typical utilization, but always measure on your prototype.
Do not exceed the maximum LVDS or LVTTL toggle rate specified in the datasheet for each I/O standard, and ensure SSN (simultaneously switching noise) limits are observed by limiting the number of simultaneously switching outputs. Always run Quartus TimeQuest timing analysis with realistic SDC constraints reflecting actual board delays. Estimated: maximum safe toggle rate is approximately 200-300 MHz for LVDS outputs and 400+ MHz for LVTTL on this family, depending on I/O standard.
Route all high-speed differential pairs (LVDS, DDR memory clocks) with 100 ohm differential impedance and matched length within the tolerance specified by the IP core. For DDR/DDR2 interfaces, use series-termination resistors as recommended by the Intel external memory interface handbook and follow the read/write deskew calibration flow. Keep PLL analog supplies (VCCA, VCCD_PLL) filtered with ferrite beads and decoupled with 0.1 uF and 10 uF capacitors to minimize jitter.
Compliance Information
Compliance details not provided in verified web data; consult Intel product compliance documentation for authoritative RoHS, REACH, lead-free, and conflict minerals declarations.
