EP4CGX150CF23C8N - Cyclone IV GX FPGA, 150K LEs, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CGX150CF23C8N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $168.5 | $168.50 |
| 10 | $152.3 | $1,523.00 |
| 100 | $137.75 | $13,775.00 |
| 500 | $124.2 | $62,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $112.8 | $112,800.00 |
EP4CGX150CF23C8N Overview
An FPGA (field-programmable gate array) is a programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks, programmable interconnect, and dedicated hard IP such as transceivers, DSP blocks, and embedded RAM. FPGAs sit in the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which in turn are a sub-category of digital semiconductors. Unlike ASICs, FPGAs can be reconfigured in the field after manufacture, allowing rapid prototyping, late-stage design changes, and one-chip implementation of glue logic, control state machines, and high-speed serial interfaces.
Key features of the EP4CGX150CF23C8N include support for PCIe Gen1 (x1/x2/x4) hard IP, 8 transceiver channels with data rates up to 3.125 Gbps, embedded multiplier blocks for DSP, and Quartus II / Quartus Prime design-software support. The 484-FBGA package provides a dense, surface-mount footprint suitable for volume production on standard 1.0 mm pitch PCB technology, and its commercial temperature grade makes it suitable for lab, industrial-control, video-bridging, and prototype telecom designs.
The Cyclone IV GX architecture combines a low-cost, low-power FPGA fabric with transceivers specifically optimized for cost-sensitive applications requiring serial connectivity. Compared with the earlier Cyclone III LS family, the IV GX family delivers roughly 2x the logic capacity at similar static power. Embedded memory is distributed across M9K blocks (9 Kbit each), enabling efficient implementation of FIFOs, lookup tables, and small processor scratchpads without external SRAM.
Typical applications include PCIe endpoint cards, low-cost video capture/display bridges, industrial machine-vision interfaces, motor-control coprocessors, software-defined radio front-ends, and communications protocol bridges such as GbE MACs and Serial RapidIO endpoints. The integrated transceivers also make the part attractive for low-volume prototyping of SFP/SFP+ based links and proprietary backplanes.
When designing with this device, allocate adequate power-decoupling on each of the VCCINT, VCCA, VCCIO, and transceiver supply rails, and use the Altera/Intel Pin Planner to confirm that your specific pin assignments fit the 484-FBGA escape pattern. Note that the 'N' suffix indicates lead-free / Pb-free terminal finish and RoHS compliance; the 'C8' speed grade places it in a mid-range timing bin suitable for most general-purpose applications.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX150CF23C8N — 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 EP4CGX150CF23C8N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, PLLs, Embedded Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX150CF23C7N
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View Datasheet →EP4CGX150CF23C8
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View Datasheet →EP4CGX150CF23C6N
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View Datasheet →EP4CGX150CF23I7N
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$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX110CF23C8N
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$178.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX150CF23C8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 149760 |
| Embedded Memory | 6635520 bits |
| User I/O Count | 270 |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Number of Transceivers | 8 channels |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 3.125 Gbps |
| Package | 484-FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C8 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lead Free / RoHS | Lead free, RoHS compliant |
| Design Software | Quartus II / Quartus Prime |
EP4CGX150CF23C8N 484-fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX150CF23C8N (484-fbga (fineline bga) 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 EP4CGX150CF23C8N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX150CF23C8N is suitable for 6 applications: PCIe Endpoint Card Prototype, Video Capture and Display Bridge, Industrial Machine Vision Interface, Software Defined Radio Front-End, Motor Control Coprocessor, Communications Protocol Bridge.
PCIe Endpoint Card Prototype
The EP4CGX150CF23C8N's PCIe Gen1 hard IP block (x1/x2/x4 capable) plus 8 transceivers up to 3.125 Gbps make it an ideal PCIe endpoint prototype FPGA for low-volume add-in cards. With 149,760 logic elements, designers can implement endpoint controllers plus application logic such as DMA engines, register interfaces, and protocol bridges on a single device. Placed directly on a PCIe x4 edge connector footprint with the standard 100 MHz reference clock from the slot, the FPGA enumerates as a standard PCIe device under Linux/Windows without external PHY. The 484-FBGA package provides sufficient I/O for both the PCIe lanes and downstream local bus or DDR2 memory interface.
Recommended
Video Capture and Display Bridge
With 270 user I/Os and high internal memory bandwidth from 6,635,520 bits of embedded RAM, the EP4CGX150CF23C8N excels at video format conversion and bridging between MIPI, HDMI, DisplayPort, BT.656, and parallel RGB interfaces. Designers implement color-space conversion, scaling, and frame-buffer management in the FPGA fabric using M9K memory blocks for line buffers. The C8 speed grade comfortably supports 1080p60 pixel-clock rates, and 4 SDI/HD-SDI links can be handled through the integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers when SDI serialization is required.
Recommended
Industrial Machine Vision Interface
Machine vision systems require deterministic image acquisition from Camera Link, CoaXPress, or GigE Vision cameras plus real-time preprocessing. The EP4CGX150CF23C8N's 8 transceivers support CoaXPress up to 3.125 Gbps per channel and GigE Vision, while the 149,760 logic elements provide headroom for Bayer demosaic, lens correction, and feature extraction pipelines. The commercial temperature grade (0C to +85C) suits factory-floor enclosures. Industrial users benefit from the long-term availability and stability of the Cyclone IV GX family for multi-year production deployments.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio Front-End
Software-defined radio platforms benefit from the EP4CGX150CF23C8N's combination of high-speed transceivers for ADC/DAC interfacing and abundant logic elements for digital down-conversion (DDC), digital up-conversion (DUC), and channelization. With 6,635,520 bits of embedded memory, designers implement large polyphase filter banks and FFT engines on-chip without external SRAM. The PCIe hard IP enables direct streaming of processed IQ samples to a host CPU. C8 speed grade supports IF sampling up to ~150 MHz at full fabric utilization, suitable for narrowband and wideband receivers below 100 MHz bandwidth.
Recommended
Motor Control Coprocessor
Multi-axis motor controllers use the EP4CGX150CF23C8N as a real-time coprocessor that offloads field-oriented control (FOC), space-vector PWM, and encoder decoding from the main MCU. The 270 user I/Os comfortably drive 6-8 axes of PWM, quadrature encoder inputs, and Hall sensors simultaneously. Embedded multiplier blocks accelerate Clarke/Park transforms and PID loops at sub-microsecond loop times. The C8 speed grade and 1.2 V core voltage keep dynamic power low enough for fanless industrial cabinets.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridge
The EP4CGX150CF23C8N's 8 transceivers make it a versatile bridge between legacy telecom protocols (T1/E1, HDSL, Serial RapidIO) and modern Ethernet or PCIe backplanes. Engineers implement framer/deframer, HDLC, and 8B/10B encoding in fabric while using hard PCIe for host connectivity. The 484-FBGA package provides ample I/O for parallel telecom bus interfaces. Bridge designs benefit from the part's long lifecycle, mature Quartus toolchain, and stable firmware IP cores available from Intel and third-party partners.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX150CF23C8N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX150CF23C7N | EP4CGX150CF23C8 | EP4CGX150CF23C6N | EP4CGX150CF23I7N | EP4CGX110CF23C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 484-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 484-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) - same | 484-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) - same | 484-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) - same | 484-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) - same | 484-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) - same |
| Logic Elements | 149760 | 149760 | 149760 | 149760 | 149760 | 109424 (-27%) |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 6635520 | 6635520 | 6635520 | 6635520 | 6635520 | 4838400 (-27%) |
| User I/Os | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C7 (slower) | C8 (same) | C6 (slowest) | I7 (industrial) | C8 (same) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Transceivers | 8 ch up to 3.125 Gbps | 8 ch up to 3.125 Gbps | 8 ch up to 3.125 Gbps | 8 ch up to 3.125 Gbps | 8 ch up to 3.125 Gbps | 8 ch up to 3.125 Gbps |
| Lead Free / RoHS | Yes (Pb-free 'N' suffix) | Yes (Pb-free) | No (SnPb finish) | Yes (Pb-free) | Yes (Pb-free) | Yes (Pb-free) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest logic density in Cyclone IV GX family (vs EP4CGX110CF23C8N)
- Faster speed grade available (vs EP4CGX150CF23C7N)
- Pb-free RoHS-compliant terminal finish (vs EP4CGX150CF23C8)
Design Notes
The EP4CGX150CF23C8N requires separate decoupling for VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCA (2.5 V PLL analog), VCCIO (per-bank 1.2/1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V), and the transceiver supply rails (VCCR, VCCT, VCCP at 1.2 V analog). Place 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitors every 8-10 VCCINT balls plus 4.7 uF bulk capacitors on each supply plane. Estimated: a fully-utilized 149,760-LE design with all 8 transceivers active at 3.125 Gbps can draw 2.5-3.5 W; plan thermal dissipation accordingly.
The 484-FBGA package at 1.0 mm pitch requires either via-in-pad (VIP) or dog-bone fanout on a 4-6 layer PCB. Recommended stack-up: top signal / GND / power / signal / GND / bottom. Use 0.2 mm laser-drilled microvias for the breakout layer and 0.3 mm through-vias for inner layers. Maintain a continuous GND plane under the BGA to provide a low-impedance return path for high-speed transceivers and to control SSI radiation.
Estimated junction temperature rise at 3 W dissipation with the 484-FBGA on a standard 4-layer JEDEC test board is approximately 25-30C above ambient (theta_JA ~10 C/W with adequate copper pour). For sealed enclosures with no airflow, attach a small heatsink via thermal interface material to the top of the package, or use internal thermal vias to a dedicated inner copper layer. The commercial 0C-85C operating range assumes junction temperature stays below 100C.
Do not leave transceiver channels floating if unused; each unused TX/RX pair must be tied to a defined logic state and its supply rail disabled to prevent unwanted oscillation and noise injection. Always use the Intel/Altera Pin Planner to assign pins rather than relying on legacy .qsf files when migrating between Cyclone IV speed grades or temperature variants. The 'N' suffix indicates RoHS-compliant Pb-free balls; mixing with non-N parts on the same board is acceptable but avoid mixing finish types within a single reflow profile.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Alldatasheet and DigiKey product listings. 'N' suffix denotes Pb-free finish. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified data; check Intel MDDS for confirmation. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGAs (not automotive-qualified discrete).