EP4CE55F29C8 - Cyclone IV E FPGA, 55K LE, 780-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP4CE55F29C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $141.6749 | $141.67 |
| 10 | $134.59 | $1,345.90 |
| 100 | $121.3 | $12,130.00 |
| 500 | $108.72 | $54,360.00 |
| 1,000 | $95.41 | $95,410.00 |
EP4CE55F29C8 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable integrated circuit that lets designers implement custom digital logic, memory blocks, and I/O protocols in silicon after fabrication. FPGAs sit alongside ASICs, microcontrollers, and CPLDs in the broader programmable logic taxonomy, with mid-range devices like the Cyclone IV E family balancing logic density, DSP capability, and unit cost for mainstream designs. Cyclone IV E extends the earlier Cyclone III architecture with higher logic element counts, more embedded multipliers (18x18), and a hardened memory controller, making it well-suited to bridging and control-plane tasks rather than high-end DSP.
Key features of the EP4CE55F29C8 include 156 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP pipelines, 4 PLLs per device for clock management, and 66 embedded memory blocks (M9K) for efficient on-chip buffering. The FineLine BGA-780 package provides high-density board integration while exposing 8 transceiver-free LVDS-capable I/O lanes. Configuration is supported through JTAG (IEEE 1149.1), Active Serial (AS), and Passive Serial (PS) modes, and Quartus II Web Edition handles synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation at no additional licensing cost.
The Cyclone IV E architecture uses 4-input look-up tables (LUTs) feeding a high-performance interconnect, with each logic element combining an LUT, register, and carry chain for arithmetic paths. Logic-array blocks (LABs) cluster 16 logic elements plus local routing, enabling efficient pipelined designs. The 60 nm process and 1.2 V core reduce dynamic power roughly 25% versus Cyclone III, while clock-network gating further cuts quiescent consumption in standby states.
Typical applications for the EP4CE55F29C8 include industrial motor control and machine vision front-ends, video bridging (BT.656, BT.1120, DisplayPort), PCIe Gen1 endpoint controllers, and consumer electronics requiring mid-density glue logic. The 780-BGA footprint is a common reference design for industrial vision and factory-automation boards where board space is at a premium but raw I/O count matters. With its large embedded memory, the device is also used as a digital signal front-end in software-defined radio (SDR) and instrumentation.
When designing with the EP4CE55F29C8, pay close attention to decoupling strategy on the 1.2 V core (recommend 100 nF plus 10 uF bulk per bank) and to I/O bank voltage grouping to avoid level-shift penalties. The 780-BGA's thermal pad should be soldered to a continuous ground plane for low-impedance return paths and effective heat spreading at high toggle rates.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives within the Cyclone IV E family, and practical design notes not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CE55F29C8 — 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 EP4CE55F29C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Configuration Modes, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CE55F29C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$138 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F29C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$132.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F29C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$49.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F29C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$154.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F29C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone IV E |
| Family | Cyclone IV E |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,396,160 |
| Embedded Memory Blocks | 66 x M9K |
| Maximum User I/O | 374 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3,491 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 156 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| I/O Bank Voltage | 2.5 V / 3.0 V / 3.3 V |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low-power |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) |
| Package | 780-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-780) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Modes | JTAG, Active Serial, Passive Serial |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CE55F29C8 780-ball fineline bga (fbga-780) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CE55F29C8 (780-ball fineline bga (fbga-780) 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 EP4CE55F29C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CE55F29C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Bridging & Display Controllers, PCIe Gen1 Endpoint & Industrial I/O, Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Machine Vision Frame Grabbers, Portable Test & Measurement.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP4CE55F29C8 fits industrial motor control where 55,856 logic elements plus 156 embedded 18x18 multipliers deliver deterministic PWM generation and field-oriented control (FOC) at sub-microsecond loop times. The 4 PLLs synthesize independent clocks for the ADC, encoder, and PWM channels, eliminating external frequency dividers. With 374 user I/Os the device handles 3-phase gate drivers, resolver feedback, and CAN/RS-485 interfaces on a single chip. The 780-ball FBGA exposes enough LVDS pairs for high-speed position encoder decoding, while the 1.2 V core and 60 nm low-power process keep thermal rise modest under continuous switching.
Recommended
Video Bridging & Display Controllers
The EP4CE55F29C8 serves as a video bridge for BT.656, BT.1120, DisplayPort, and HDMI-to-LVDS conversion in mid-density designs. Its 2.4 Mbit embedded memory buffers full video lines, and 66 M9K blocks deliver the FIFO depth needed for pixel-rate rate matching. The 4 PLLs synthesize the multiple pixel clocks (typically 27 MHz to 148.5 MHz) required for multi-format source panels, while 374 user I/Os drive 24-bit RGB and LVDS simultaneously. Designers prefer Cyclone IV E here because of Quartus II's mature Video and Image Processing Suite IP, which shortens development cycles compared to scratch HDL.
Recommended
PCIe Gen1 Endpoint & Industrial I/O
The EP4CE55F29C8 implements a PCIe Gen1 (2.5 GT/s) endpoint controller using the Cyclone IV E hard IP block, freeing logic for endpoint DMA, MSI-X handling, and protocol layering. With 55,856 logic elements the part can host a full PCIe endpoint plus 8-12 user-side DMA channels concurrently. The 780-ball FBGA exposes the four PCIe lanes plus 2.5 V/3.3 V reference clocks, while 4 PLLs isolate the PCIe reference from the application clock domain. Engineers select this part for industrial vision frame grabbers, data-acquisition cards, and embedded PCs where the proven PCIe IP shrinks board area.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Front-End
The EP4CE55F29C8 acts as a digital front-end for narrow-band SDR receivers in the VHF/UHF range. Its 156 embedded 18x18 multipliers deliver 39 GMACs of DSP throughput, enough for a 64-tap FIR plus NCO/DDC at sample rates up to 100 MSPS. The 2.4 Mbit embedded memory holds sample buffers between decimation stages, and 374 user I/Os interface ADCs, DACs, and high-speed LVDS links to baseband processors. Compared with a DSP + MCU split, a single Cyclone IV E reduces board space and BOM cost while offering reconfigurability across multiple waveforms.
Recommended
Machine Vision Frame Grabbers
The EP4CE55F29C8 powers mid-resolution machine vision frame grabbers interfacing MIPI CSI-2, LVDS, and parallel Camera Link sensors. Its 374 user I/Os handle 24-bit pixel buses plus auxiliary GPIO, while 156 embedded 18x18 multipliers accelerate Bayer demosaicing and edge-detection preprocessing in real time. The 2.4 Mbit embedded memory absorbs sensor line bursts, freeing the host processor from tight real-time constraints. Quartus II's Video and Image Processing Suite IP provides pre-verified demosaic, gamma correction, and color-space conversion blocks, allowing faster prototype-to-production cycles.
Recommended
Portable Test & Measurement
The EP4CE55F29C8 functions as the reconfigurable compute engine inside benchtop oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers. 55,856 logic elements accommodate state machines, protocol decoders (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN), and custom trigger logic in a single chip, while 156 multipliers accelerate FFT and digital filtering on captured waveforms. The 780-ball FBGA exposes enough I/O for 32-channel logic analysis or 4-channel 1 GSPS ADC interfacing. Designers choose Cyclone IV E for its low static power (sub-100 mW typical) versus competing 28 nm FPGAs in battery-powered instruments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CE55F29C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CE55F29C7N | EP4CE55F29C7 | EP4CE55F29C6N | EP4CE55F29C6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-ball FBGA | 780-ball FBGA - same | 780-ball FBGA - same | 780-ball FBGA - same | 780-ball FBGA - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Speed Grade | 8 (fastest) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 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 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Max User I/O | 374 | 374 | 374 | 374 | 374 |
| Lead Finish | Lead-free / RoHS | Lead-free / RoHS | SnPb | Lead-free / RoHS | SnPb |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade (8) in the Cyclone IV E family for this package (vs EP4CE55F29C7N)
- 55,856 logic elements for ~40% more capacity than the EP4CE40 family (vs EP4CE40F29C8)
- Lead-free / RoHS-compliant factory finish (vs EP4CE55F29C7)
Design Notes
The Cyclone IV E core draws from a 1.2 V supply; design bulk decoupling as 4-8 pieces of 10 uF X5R ceramic plus 100 nF X7R per VCC/GND pair near each corner of the FBGA. Estimated: at typical toggle activity the EP4CE55F29C8 draws 0.8-1.2 A on VCCINT, so the regulator must deliver at least 2 A peak with headroom for inrush during configuration. The I/O banks (VCCIO) at 2.5/3.0/3.3 V should each be decoupled separately; mixing voltages on a single bank violates the absolute-maximum ratings.
The 780-ball FBGA exposes a thermal pad that must be soldered to a continuous ground plane with at least 9 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pitch) for heat spreading. Estimated: at 100% toggle activity the device dissipates 2-3 W, and without the thermal pad the junction temperature will exceed the commercial +85 C rating at ambient temperatures above +60 C. For sealed enclosures, derate ambient by 10 C or add forced airflow to keep junction-to-ambient thermal resistance within 15 C/W.
Route the 780-ball FBGA on a 6-layer stack-up with 1-oz copper outer layers and 0.5-oz inner power planes. Use microvia or via-in-pad (VIPPO) technology to escape the 1.0 mm pitch BGA; standard 0.3 mm vias on 0.5 mm pitch with 4 signal layers are workable but consume more breakout space. Keep all high-speed LVDS and DDR traces on the top side with reference to a continuous ground plane; avoid routing signal traces across split power planes to prevent return-path discontinuities.
Do not power up the device without a valid configuration file; the I/O pins are tri-stated but can be driven by external peripherals during configuration and cause latch-up. Always release the nCONFIG pin only after all supply rails have stabilized. Estimated: in-system programming via JTAG requires the TCK line to be pulled up to VCCIO of the bank containing the JTAG pins; floating TCK causes intermittent programming failures that mimic counterfeit-device symptoms.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free per the C8 suffix. Commercial temperature grade only; for industrial -40 C to +100 C choose EP4CE55F29I7N or EP4CE55F29I8LN. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGAs in this family.
