EP4CE55F23C8L - Cyclone IV E FPGA, 55K LEs, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CE55F23C8L β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $166.3 | $166.30 |
| 10 | $148.5 | $1,485.00 |
| 100 | $132.4 | $13,240.00 |
| 500 | $121.75 | $60,875.00 |
| 1,000 | $112.9 | $112,900.00 |
EP4CE55F23C8L Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a class of programmable logic device that lets designers implement arbitrary digital logic through a sea of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), routing switches, and dedicated hard IP such as multipliers and memory blocks. Within the broader taxonomy, FPGAs sit between application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) (fixed function, high NRE) and microcontrollers (software-defined, lower throughput). The Cyclone IV E family specifically targets cost-sensitive, high-volume, low-power applications that need moderate logic density and on-chip memory.
Key features of the EP4CE55F23C8L include 55,856 logic elements, 2,396,160 bits (approximately 2,340 Kb) of embedded SRAM, 156 hardware 18x18 multipliers for DSP functions, up to 4 PLLs for clock management, and support for external memory interfaces including DDR/DDR2 SDRAM and QDRII+ SRAM. The 484-FBGA package exposes 324 user I/Os, providing ample connectivity for parallel buses, LVDS links, and memory interfaces while keeping board area reasonable for industrial designs.
Architecturally, the device uses Altera/Intel's classic 4-input look-up table (LUT-4) logic fabric paired with M9K memory blocks and 18x18 multiplier blocks, all stitched together by a hierarchical routing architecture. Configuration is loaded from a serial or parallel flash device through the standard passive-serial, active-serial, or JTAG paths, and Cyclone IV E devices support both volatile and non-volatile configuration schemes. The 60 nm process and 1.2 V core voltage translate into low static power relative to the prior Cyclone III generation.
Typical applications include industrial motor control and machine vision, video processing and broadcast equipment, automotive infotainment prototypes, communications line cards, and embedded control systems. The 55K-LE density is well matched to mid-complexity designs such as multi-channel data acquisition, custom protocol bridging, and image processing pipelines. Because it supports Nios II soft-core processors, the device can also host Linux or bare-metal firmware for system-on-chip designs.
When designing with this part, pay close attention to power sequencing on VCCINT (1.2 V) and VCCA (2.5 V) rails: VCCA must not lag VCCINT by more than a few milliseconds, and all I/O banks must be powered before signals are applied. Proper decoupling, a clean reference clock routed with controlled impedance, and adherence to the Quartus II pin connection guidelines are essential for first-pass board bring-up. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible variants, and practical design considerations not found in the standalone datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CE55F23C8L β 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 EP4CE55F23C8L (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Configuration Modes, Embedded 18x18 Multipliers.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CE55F23C8
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CE55F23C7
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$142 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CE55F23C6
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$36.75 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CE55F23A7N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$134.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CE55F23C7N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$56.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CE55F23C6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$54.92 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CE55F23C8L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV E |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,396,160 |
| Number of I/Os | 324 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 3491 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Package | 484-FBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C |
| Speed Grade | C8 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
| Configuration Method | SRAM (volatile) / Passive Serial / JTAG |
| On-Chip 18x18 Multipliers | 156 |
EP4CE55F23C8L 484-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CE55F23C8L (484-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 EP4CE55F23C8L.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CE55F23C8L is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing and Image Pipelines, Communications Line Cards, Machine Vision and Inspection, Embedded System-on-Chip with Nios II, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP4CE55F23C8L fits industrial motor control designs because it provides 55,856 logic elements and 156 hardware 18x18 multipliers, which are enough to implement field-oriented control (FOC) loops, SVPWM generation, and quadrature encoder decoding on a single chip. The 324 user I/Os in the 484-FBGA package accept multiple PWM channels, resolver/encoder inputs, and current-sensing ADCs simultaneously without external muxing. Designers can host a Nios II soft-core to run the control algorithm and add Ethernet or RS-485 in the same fabric, reducing overall bill of materials. Compared with a discrete DSP-plus-CPLD architecture, the integrated fabric shortens PCB trace routing and lets the same hardware support multiple motor types via firmware.
Recommended
Video Processing and Image Pipelines
The EP4CE55F23C8L is well matched to mid-complexity video pipelines (camera input -> ISP -> HDMI output) because the 2,396,160 bits of embedded M9K SRAM act as line buffers for HD 1080p frames at reduced horizontal resolution, and the 156 dedicated 18x18 multipliers implement real-time color-space conversion and scaling in hardware. The 484-FBGA exposes enough LVDS pairs to accept sub-LVDS or HiSPi sensor data and drive HDMI/DVI transmitters. Designers commonly place a Nios II soft-core alongside the pixel pipeline to handle protocol handshakes, I2C sensor configuration, and on-screen-display compositing. Lower static power than Cyclone III keeps board thermal design simple for enclosed video appliances.
Recommended
Communications Line Cards
Communications line cards (T1/E1 aggregation, multi-channel SERDES bridging, protocol conversion) are a strong fit for the EP4CE55F23C8L because the on-chip PLLs (up to 4) generate jitter-clean clocks for multiple backplane interfaces simultaneously, and the 156 multipliers implement channel coding/decoding (HDB3, 8B/10B, scrambling) in hardware. The 324 I/Os accept parallel LVCMOS bus connections from framer ASICs, while the 2.4 Mb of embedded memory acts as elastic stores for rate-matching between incoming and outgoing data streams. Designers frequently implement a Nios II soft-core for SNMP, hardware fault handling, and inline statistics counters, eliminating a separate management MCU.
Recommended
Machine Vision and Inspection
The EP4CE55F23C8L is widely deployed in factory-floor machine vision and automated optical inspection (AOI) systems because its 55K logic elements run real-time blob analysis, edge detection, and template-matching on GigE Vision or Camera Link streams at line rates above 10 kHz. The 2,396,160-bit embedded memory stores multi-stage filter coefficients and intermediate pixel buffers without external SRAM, while the 324 I/Os accept multiple parallel sensor channels and trigger inputs. The C8 speed grade meets typical 100-150 MHz pixel-clock Fmax targets for mid-resolution VGA-to-2MP cameras. Pairing it with a Nios II soft-core lets the same FPGA drive the image pipeline and handle Ethernet-based command/response protocols.
Recommended
Embedded System-on-Chip with Nios II
The EP4CE55F23C8L is a classic Cyclone IV E platform for embedded system-on-chip designs that host the Nios II soft-core processor because the 55K LEs reserve ample logic for custom peripherals while dedicating 2.4 Mb of embedded memory to tightly-coupled data and instruction caches. The 484-FBGA exposes 324 I/Os which is more than enough for Ethernet MAC, USB ULPI, SD-card, LCD, and UART buses simultaneously. The C8 speed grade lets the Nios II/f core run comfortably at 100 MHz with cache enabled. This integration collapses what would have been a CPU-plus-CPLD-plus-logic-IC design into a single reprogrammable device, simplifying inventory and firmware revision control.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP4CE55F23C8L is used in test and measurement instruments (logic-analyzer front ends, protocol exercisers, arbitrary waveform generators) because the 156 hardware 18x18 multipliers perform real-time DSP for FIR filtering, FFT windowing, and digital modulation/demodulation. The 324 I/Os accept high-speed LVDS probe channels and drive precision DACs without intermediate buffering, while the 2,396,160 bits of embedded memory hold deep capture buffers. The four PLLs provide independent jitter-controlled clock domains for the sample clock, the display refresh, and the USB/LAN interface. Quartus II's SignalTap II logic analyzer uses the same embedded memory for non-intrusive real-time trace capture during prototype validation.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CE55F23C8L β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CE55F23C8 | EP4CE55F23C7 | EP4CE55F23C6 | EP4CE55F23C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,396,160 | 2,396,160 | 2,396,160 | 2,396,160 | 2,396,160 |
| User I/Os | 324 | 324 | 324 | 324 | 324 |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C8 | C7 (slower) | C6 (slowest) | C7 (slower) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-speed C8 grade balances Fmax and cost better than C7/C6 (vs EP4CE55F23C7)
- Active production status with multi-distributor stock (vs EP4CE55F23C6)
- Drop-in compatible with the entire EP4CE55F23 484-FBGA family (vs EP4CE115F23C8N)
Design Notes
Estimated: Cyclone IV E devices require power sequencing on VCCINT (1.2 V) and VCCA (2.5 V). VCCA must not lag VCCINT by more than a few milliseconds during power-up, otherwise internal I/O structures can latch up. Use a TPS7A4701 or similar low-dropout regulator with power-good output to drive EN signals, and place 1 uF X7R ceramic decoupling within 5 mm of every VCCINT/VCCA ball. Bulk 47 uF tantalum or polymer caps handle transient load steps from PLL reconfiguration.
Estimated: The 484-FBGA uses 1.0 mm ball pitch, requiring either a 4- or 6-layer PCB with 0.36 mm (14 mil) microvia or via-in-pad construction for a reliable BGA fanout. Match all single-ended I/O traces to 50 ohm and differential pairs to 100 ohm differential impedance. Provide at least one continuous reference (GND) plane under the BGA; do not route signals across the split planes under the device. Keep maximum trace lengths below 25 mm for LVDS pairs above 500 Mbps.
Estimated: at 100 percent toggle rate on all 55K LEs, the EP4CE55F23C8L dissipates approximately 1.5 W dynamic plus 0.1 W static for a 1.6 W total. Without airflow, the 484-FBGA thermal resistance theta_JA of around 18 C/W gives a 29 C rise over a 25 C ambient, well within the 85 C commercial limit. For closed-enclosure designs without forced air, drop utilization to 70 percent or step down to the C7 speed grade to halve dynamic power.
A common Cyclone IV E bring-up issue is failing to drive nCONFIG high during power-up to exit the POR state; if left floating, the FPGA remains in reset and IDCODE readback via JTAG fails. Always tie nCONFIG to VCCA through a 10 kohm pull-up and place a 1 nF capacitor to ground for debouncing. Another frequent mistake is leaving unused I/O pins floating instead of setting them as outputs driving ground in the Quartus II pin planner - this prevents input oscillation-induced supply noise.
Keep the EPCS or EPCQ configuration flash within 50 mm of the FPGA DATA/ASDO/DCLK pins to meet setup/hold times. Route DCLK as a 50 ohm microstrip with no more than two vias; use series damping of 33 ohm near the FPGA DCLK pin if reflections exceed 200 mV. Place the 25 MHz or 50 MHz reference clock source adjacent to the CLK input pin with a continuous GND reference plane; do not split GND between analog and digital domains under the FPGA.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance and lead-free status are confirmed by Intel product page and DigiKey listing. Halogen-free status is not explicitly stated in the verified web data and is marked unknown. AEC-Q100 is not_applicable for a logic-only FPGA.
