EP4CE55F29I8L - 55K LEs Cyclone IV E FPGA, 780-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CE55F29I8L ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $219.03 | $219.03 |
| 10 | $197.13 | $1,971.30 |
| 100 | $175.23 | $17,523.00 |
| 500 | $153.32 | $76,660.00 |
| 1,000 | $131.42 | $131,420.00 |
EP4CE55F29I8L Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor whose logic, memory, and I/O resources are defined by a user-programmed configuration bitstream rather than at the factory. Within the broader programmable-logic taxonomy (FPGA -> programmable logic -> semiconductor), the Cyclone IV E family sits at the entry-level/low-power node, below the higher-density Cyclone IV GX (with transceivers) and the high-end Stratix families. Cyclone IV E devices use a 4-input look-up table (LUT) fabric, dedicated 18x18 multipliers, embedded M9K RAM blocks, and a PLL clock network, offering a balanced logic/memory/DSP mix for mainstream designs.
Key differentiating features of the EP4CE55F29I8L include: 55,856 logic elements, 2,396,160 embedded RAM bits organized in 4 M9K/K9K block columns, 156 embedded 18x18 hardware multipliers, 4 general-purpose PLLs, 20 global clock networks, and 374 maximum user I/Os. The 780-FBGA package (F29) supports high pin-count connectivity in a 29x29 mm footprint, while the industrial temperature grade (I8 = -40C to +100C junction, 8 = speed grade 8) suits harsh-environment deployments.
Architecturally, the Cyclone IV E family achieves up to 60% lower static power than Cyclone III at comparable performance and integrates configuration options including passive serial, fast passive parallel, active serial, and JTAG. The device operates from a 1.0V/1.2V/2.5V/3.3V multi-rail scheme and supports hot-socketing on user I/O pins. Configuration bitstream is stored in serial NOR flash, EPCS, or downloaded over JTAG using tools such as Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition (free) or Quartus II Web Edition.
Typical applications for the EP4CE55F29I8L span video/image processing pipelines (display controllers, surveillance DVRs), industrial motor control and machine interfaces, motor drive encoder/decoder logic, low-cost software-defined radio (SDR) front-ends, telecom line cards and bridging, and ASIC prototyping. The 55K LE capacity maps well to designs requiring tens of thousands of LUT-equivalents, several megabits of buffering, and moderate DSP throughput without crossing into the Stratix V-class cost band.
When designing with the EP4CE55F29I8L, attention to power integrity is essential: a minimum of four 0.1 uF decoupling capacitors must be placed within the BGA power/ground pin grid, and the 1.2V VCCINT must ramp before the 2.5/3.3V VCCAUX/VCCIO rails per the Intel Power-On Reset (POR) sequence. Use the Quartus PowerPlay early-power estimator before RTL freeze to avoid thermal surprises.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the Cyclone IV E family, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CE55F29I8L — 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 EP4CE55F29I8L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Configuration Modes, Embedded Memory Bits, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CE55F29I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$154.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F29C8L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE40F29I8L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$91.74 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE75F29I8L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$203.73 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE55F23I8L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$143.43 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CE115F29I7N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4CE55F29I8L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV E |
| Device Logic Elements | 55,856 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,396,160 bits |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 156 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 374 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 20 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3,435 |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low-power |
| Core Voltage VCCINT | 1.0 V / 1.2 V |
| Auxiliary Voltage VCCAUX | 2.5 V |
| I/O Voltage VCCIO | 1.2 V / 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.0 V / 3.3 V |
| Package | 780-FBGA (FineLine BGA), 29x29 mm |
| Operating Temperature (Industrial) | -40C to +100C junction |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial, Fast Passive Parallel, Active Serial, JTAG |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CE55F29I8L 780-fbga (fineline bga), 29x29 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CE55F29I8L (780-fbga (fineline bga), 29x29 mm 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 EP4CE55F29I8L.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CE55F29I8L is suitable for 6 applications: Video Image Processing Pipelines, Industrial Motor Control and Drives, ASIC and SoC Prototyping, Telecom Bridging and Line Cards, Software Defined Radio (SDR) Front-Ends, Display and Camera Interface Bridging.
Video Image Processing Pipelines
The EP4CE55F29I8L fits video and image-processing pipelines including display controllers, surveillance DVRs, and industrial machine vision. Its 55,856 logic elements can absorb a full 1080p60 video processing chain (deinterlacer + scaler + OSD overlay) while the 156 embedded 18x18 hardware multipliers handle real-time 2D FIR filtering and chroma upsampling without consuming LUT fabric. The 2,396,160 bits of embedded RAM in M9K blocks buffer line buffers for 1080p at modest external memory bandwidth. The 374 user I/Os in the 780-FBGA accept parallel CMOS camera or HDMI/DVI decoded video with room for control GPIOs. Compared to a fixed ASIC, the EP4CE55F29I8L allows field upgrades to new video standards (e.g. 4K-ready prep) by simply re-flashing the EPCS configuration bitstream.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control and Drives
For industrial motor control (BLDC, PMSM, AC induction drives), the EP4CE55F29I8L delivers deterministic encoder decoding, space-vector PWM generation, and field-oriented control (FOC) loops within the 55K-LE logic budget. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C junction) ensures operation in factory-floor cabinets and outdoor installations. The four on-chip PLLs synthesize the high-resolution PWM carrier (50-100 kHz) and the quadrature encoder sample clock from a single crystal, while the 156 18x18 multipliers accelerate the Clarke/Park transforms. The 780-FBGA provides ample GPIO for resolver excitation, Hall sensor inputs, gate driver PWM/EN/FLT lines, and CAN/Modbus interfaces. Designers typically pair the EP4CE55F29I8L with TI DRV8301 or Infineon IRSM common-footprint gate drivers.
Recommended
ASIC and SoC Prototyping
The EP4CE55F29I8L is widely used as a low-cost ASIC prototyping platform for sub-50K-gate designs in pre-silicon validation. Quartus Prime Standard's incremental compile flow lets designers partition the RTL across multiple engineers and merge into a single EP4CE55 design, with the 2,396,160 bits of embedded RAM emulating on-chip SRAM and the 156 hardware multipliers emulating DSP accelerator blocks. The 374 I/Os break out to standard 0.1-inch headers or high-speed Mezzanine connectors for daughter-card-based peripheral emulation. Industrial temperature grade allows prototypes to be deployed directly in field trials. Migration to silicon after validation is straightforward because Quartus maps the same HDL to the target ASIC library.
Recommended
Telecom Bridging and Line Cards
In telecom equipment the EP4CE55F29I8L is well suited for low-density bridging and aggregation line cards (e.g. T1/E1 to Ethernet bridges, protocol converters, TDM-over-IP adapters). The 55K LE capacity implements an embedded 32-bit CPU (Nios II) plus bus glue, while the 156 multipliers accelerate G.711/G.729 voice codecs in software. Industrial temperature grade meets NEBS-compliant telecom cabinet specifications. The 374 I/Os connect to PHY devices (e.g. VSC8512, KSZ9031) and bus isolators. For higher port density designs, the 75K-LE EP4CE75F29I8L drops into the same PCB footprint. The Cyclone IV E family also supports Triple Speed Ethernet (TSE) IP cores free of charge in Quartus Prime.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio (SDR) Front-Ends
The EP4CE55F29I8L is a popular SDR digital baseband platform for entry-level software-defined radios including the HackRF One, USRP B100-series, and homebrew IQ demodulators. The 156 18x18 hardware multipliers implement CIC, FIR, and channelizer filters at sample rates up to ~60 MSPS, and the embedded RAM buffers baseband frames. With the F29 780-FBGA package, designers gain enough LVDS pairs to interface directly to common ADCs (AD9238, AD6645) and DACs (AD9122) without an external bridge chip. Industrial temperature grade lets the board operate in field-deployable enclosures. Compared to newer Cyclone V or Lattice ECP5 parts, the EP4CE55F29I8L remains attractive for cost-sensitive SDR designs with existing mature RTL libraries.
Recommended
Display and Camera Interface Bridging
The EP4CE55F29I8L serves as a flexible bridge between MIPI CSI-2 cameras and parallel RGB displays, between HDMI sources and LVDS panels, or between USB3 vision cameras and embedded SoCs. The 55K LEs implement protocol conversion, color space conversion, frame-buffer arbitration, and scaling. The 374 I/Os in the F29 780-FBGA handle parallel RGB888, LVDS 4-lane, MIPI D-PHY bridging via external serializers, and HDMI side-band signals. The 2,396,160 embedded RAM bits frame-buffer one 1280x800 RGB565 frame with double-buffering headroom. Compared to fixed-protocol bridge chips, the EP4CE55F29I8L allows late-stage firmware updates to support new camera sensors or display panels without PCB rework.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CE55F29I8L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CE55F29I7N | EP4CE55F29C8L | EP4CE40F29I8L | EP4CE75F29I8L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-FBGA (F29) | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same | 780-FBGA (F29) - same |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 39,600 | 75,408 |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 2,396,160 | 2,396,160 | 2,396,160 | 1,161,216 | 2,810,880 |
| 18x18 Multipliers | 156 | 156 | 156 | 116 | 200 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 374 | 374 | 374 | 374 | 374 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 7 (faster) | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-density 55K-LE balanced logic/RAM/DSP mix for cost-sensitive industrial designs (vs EP4CE40F29I8L)
- Speed grade 8 offers the broadest timing margin for first-iteration industrial designs (vs EP4CE55F29I7N)
- Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C junction) suitable for harsh environments (vs EP4CE55F29C8L)
- 156 embedded 18x18 multipliers handle DSP workloads without LUT consumption (vs EP4CE115F29I7N (higher-density same package))
Design Notes
Estimated: The EP4CE55F29I8L requires a multi-rail supply (VCCINT 1.0/1.2V, VCCAUX 2.5V, VCCIO 1.2-3.3V per bank). VCCINT must reach its nominal value before or simultaneously with VCCAUX to avoid the on-chip Power-On Reset (POR) latch-up. Designers commonly source a 1.2V buck regulator with a 3A rating (e.g. TI TPS54331) feeding VCCINT, plus a dedicated 2.5V LDO (e.g. TPS7A4533) for VCCAUX. Decouple each rail with at least one bulk 47-100 uF plus four 0.1 uF ceramics placed within the BGA pin-grid footprint per Intel's PDN (Power Distribution Network) guide.
Estimated: For a typical 50% LE utilization design running at 100 MHz core clock with 100K internal toggling flip-flops, VCCINT static plus dynamic current is approximately 0.8-1.2 A from a 1.2V rail, yielding ~1.0-1.4 W of core power dissipation. The 780-FBGA package has a theta_JA around 14 C/W with 1 square inch of 4-layer PCB copper, giving a junction temperature rise of ~14-20 C above ambient. Industrial-grade (-40C to +100C junction) operation leaves a comfortable thermal margin; however, higher-utilization designs (motor control with all 156 multipliers active) may require a small heat spreader or bottom-side thermal pad to land on a chassis wall.
The 780-FBGA (F29) package has a 1.0 mm pitch and a 29x29 mm body. Use a 6-layer PCB stack-up with two dedicated inner ground planes and one or two power planes. Per Intel's Cyclone IV hardware reference, microvia (laser-drilled) PCB technology is required for escape routing - through-via fan-out is impractical at 1.0 mm BGA pitch. All power/ground BGA balls must be connected via-in-pad to the inner planes for low-impedance PDN. Place the JTAG header (10-pin 0.05" Samtec FTSH or equivalent) within 2 inches of the device and keep the TCK length under 4 inches.
Three frequent pitfalls: (1) Confusing the speed grade nomenclature - EP4CE55F29I8L is speed grade 8 (slowest), so users expecting timing closure at high Fmax must select grade 7 or 6; (2) Forgetting to configure all I/O bank VCCIO rails - unused I/O banks still require a VCCIO supply even if the pins are not used externally, otherwise floating I/O pins draw leakage current; (3) Using EPCS configuration flash on boards designed for EPCQ (Quad SPI) - the 3.3V EPCS family works fine, but the 1.8V EPCQ parts require the ASx1 configuration mode and a different Quartus programming recipe.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Intel product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA is not an automotive-qualified IC; automotive applications typically use the EP4CE55F29I8LN automotive part variant). Lead-free finish per Cyclone IV E family datasheet.
