EP4CGX150CF23I7N - Cyclone IV GX 150K LEs FPGA 484-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP4CGX150CF23I7N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $256.5 | $2,565.00 |
| 100 | $228 | $22,800.00 |
| 500 | $199.5 | $99,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $171 | $171,000.00 |
EP4CGX150CF23I7N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose logic function is defined by the customer after manufacturing. FPGAs sit in the programmable logic hierarchy below ASICs (custom-fixed-function silicon) and above general-purpose microcontrollers in terms of parallel processing capability. Cyclone IV is the lowest-power, lowest-cost FPGA family in the Altera/Intel Cyclone series, with the GX variant adding high-speed serial transceivers for protocols such as PCIe Gen1, Gigabit Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, and CPRI. The 150K LE density positions this device in the mid-range of the family, between the smaller EP4CGX75/110 and the largest EP4CGX22/30 logic-only Cyclone IV E/GX parts.
Key specifications include 9,360 configurable logic blocks (CLBs), 720 Kbits of M9K block RAM, 6 PLLs, 8 transceivers at up to 3.125 Gbps, 270 user I/Os, and an operating temperature range of -40C to +100C (industrial grade, indicated by the 'I7' suffix). Core voltage is 1.2 V nominal with I/O voltages configurable per bank to support LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL standards. The device is offered in the industrial temperature grade and is lead-free / RoHS compliant.
Typical applications include industrial video and image processing, motor control and factory automation, low-cost wireless backhaul baseband, PCIe Gen1 endpoint cards, and bridging interfaces such as Serial RapidIO to parallel GPIO. The combination of transceivers, embedded multipliers, and ample logic capacity allows single-chip implementation of protocol bridges, custom DSP pipelines, and parallel data acquisition front ends where ASSP options are unavailable or too costly.
Designers should plan power sequencing for the 1.2 V core and the 2.5/3.3 V auxiliary supplies, follow the recommended ball-grid-array PCB escape routing on at least 6 inner layers, and use Quartus II / Quartus Prime for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation. This page synthesizes distributor inventory, parametric alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX150CF23I7N 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 EP4CGX150CF23I7N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status, Speed Grade, PLLs.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX150CF23I7
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$192 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX150CF23C8N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$112.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX150CF23C8
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$135 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX150CF23C7N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$138.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX150CF23C7
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$263.35 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX150CF23I6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$175.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX150CF23I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 149,760 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 9,360 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 6,635,520 |
| M9K Block RAM Blocks | 720 Kbits total |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 360 |
| User I/Os | 270 |
| Transceivers | 8 channels, up to 3.125 Gbps |
| PLLs | 6 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V nominal |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA, 23 x 23 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Lead-Free) |
| Speed Grade | 7 (fastest industrial) |
EP4CGX150CF23I7N Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O Bank 8 β User I/O (bank 8, top row) |
| Pin B1 | I/O Bank 8 β User I/O (bank 8, top row) |
| Pin C1 | I/O Bank 8 β User I/O (bank 8, top row) |
| Pin D1 | I/O Bank 8 β User I/O (bank 8, top row) |
| Pin E1 | VCCIO8 β I/O supply bank 8 |
| Pin F1 | GXB_TX_p β Transceiver TX positive (lane 0) |
| Pin G1 | GXB_TX_n β Transceiver TX negative (lane 0) |
| Pin H1 | VCCA_GXB β Transceiver analog supply |
| Pin J1 | I/O Bank 7 β User I/O (bank 7) |
| Pin K1 | VCCINT β Core 1.2 V supply |
| Pin L1 | GND β Ground |
| Pin M1 | I/O Bank 6 β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin N1 | I/O Bank 6 β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin P1 | I/O Bank 5 β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin R1 | VCCIO5 β I/O supply bank 5 |
| Pin T1 | GXB_RX_p β Transceiver RX positive (lane 1) |
| Pin U1 | GXB_RX_n β Transceiver RX negative (lane 1) |
| Pin V1 | VCCA_GXB β Transceiver analog supply |
| Pin W1 | I/O Bank 4 β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin Y1 | I/O Bank 4 β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin AA1 | I/O Bank 4 β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin AB1 | I/O Bank 4 β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin AC1 | VCCIO4 β I/O supply bank 4 |
| Pin AD1 | I/O Bank 3 β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin AE1 | I/O Bank 3 β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin AF1 | GXB_TX_p β Transceiver TX positive (lane 2) |
Typical Applications
EP4CGX150CF23I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Video and Image Processing, Motor Control and Factory Automation, PCIe Gen1 Endpoint Card, Serial RapidIO to Parallel GPIO Bridge, Low-Cost Wireless Baseband Processing, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Video and Image Processing
The EP4CGX150CF23I7N fits industrial video and image processing because it offers 149,760 logic elements and 360 18x18 embedded multipliers, which is sufficient throughput for real-time pipelined processing of 1080p60 video streams. Designers can implement Sobel edge detection, color space conversion, and noise reduction entirely in fabric without external DSP. The 8 transceivers support Camera Link or coaxial transport at up to 3.125 Gbps per lane, and the 270 user I/Os provide parallel connections to external DDR2/DDR3 memory and HDMI bridges. The industrial -40C to +100C temperature range allows deployment in factory floors and outdoor machine-vision enclosures.
Recommended
Motor Control and Factory Automation
The EP4CGX150CF23I7N suits motor control and factory automation because its 6 PLLs generate precise PWM and encoder sampling clocks while the 149,760 logic elements implement field-oriented control (FOC), SVPWM, and safety logic in a single chip. Industrial protocols such as EtherCAT, PROFINET, or SERCOS III can be implemented using the integrated transceivers or via external PHY plus parallel I/O. The wide operating temperature (-40C to +100C) supports drives installed in cabinets near motors, and 270 user I/Os accommodate multi-axis encoder inputs, resolver excitation, and GPIO isolation.
Recommended
PCIe Gen1 Endpoint Card
The EP4CGX150CF23I7N is ideal for PCIe Gen1 endpoint implementations because it integrates hard PCIe IP cores that map to its transceivers at 2.5 Gbps. Designers can build low-cost PCIe x1 or x4 cards for data acquisition, instrumentation, or custom I/O expansion with minimal external components. The 149,760 LEs support DMA engines, scatter-gather controllers, and user application logic, while 6.6 Mbits of block RAM buffer burst transfers. The 484-FBGA package allows routing of the PCIe reference-clock and PERn/PETn lanes on standard high-speed PCB stack-ups, and industrial temperature supports indoor server-room or industrial-PC deployment.
Recommended
Serial RapidIO to Parallel GPIO Bridge
The EP4CGX150CF23I7N fits Serial RapidIO bridging because its 8 transceivers handle multiple SRIO lanes up to 3.125 Gbps, while the abundant parallel I/Os map cleanly to legacy bus architectures such as VME, cPCI, or custom backplanes. Embedded DSP blocks can perform protocol translation, packet inspection, or data alignment in real time. The device is widely used in defense, aerospace, and telecom infrastructure for legacy-to-modern interconnect conversion, and the 484-FBGA package offers the I/O count and thermal headroom required for sustained bridging workloads.
Recommended
Low-Cost Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP4CGX150CF23I7N enables low-cost wireless baseband processing because its 360 18x18 multipliers and 6.6 Mbits of block RAM support small-cell LTE, WiMAX, or proprietary OFDM PHY layers. The transceivers carry digitized IF or baseband samples to RF front-end converters, while general I/Os interface to control processors and MAC-layer ASICs. Compared to DSP + ASSP solutions, a single Cyclone IV GX consolidates PHY, framing, and link-adaptation logic into one device, reducing BOM cost and PCB area. The industrial temperature grade suits outdoor pico-cell and small-cell deployments.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP4CGX150CF23I7N is well suited to test and measurement instrumentation because it offers the logic density to implement custom stimulus-generation and response-capture state machines, while the transceivers stream digitized data to host PCs at multi-Gbps rates. The 270 user I/Os can connect to multiple ADC/DAC channels, comparators, and front-panel connectors, and the 6 PLLs provide independent sample-rate synthesis per channel. The device's industrial temperature grade supports benchtop and rack-mounted lab equipment operating in variable ambient conditions, and Quartus Prime's SignalTap logic analyzer enables on-chip debug without external probes.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX150CF23I7N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX150CF23I7 | EP4CGX150CF23C8N | EP4CGX150CF23C8 | EP4CGX150CF23C7N | EP4CGX150CF23C7 | EP4CGX150CF23I6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Logic Elements | 149,760 | 149,760 | 149,760 | 149,760 | 149,760 | 149,760 | 149,760 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| Speed Grade | 7 (fastest industrial) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Lead-Free (N suffix) | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Transceivers | 8 (3.125 Gbps) | 8 (3.125 Gbps) | 8 (3.125 Gbps) | 8 (3.125 Gbps) | 8 (3.125 Gbps) | 8 (3.125 Gbps) | 8 (3.125 Gbps) |
| User I/Os | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 |
Key Differentiators
- Only variant combining industrial temp grade with fastest speed grade 7 in the F23 package (vs EP4CGX150CF23I6N)
- Industrial temperature grade expands deployment to factory floors and outdoor enclosures (vs EP4CGX150CF23C8N)
- N suffix guarantees lead-free / RoHS compliance for global product shipments (vs EP4CGX150CF23I7)
Design Notes
Estimated: Cyclone IV GX EP4CGX150 power at full transceiver utilization (8 lanes at 3.125 Gbps, 80% LE utilization, 100% RAM utilization) is approximately 5-7 W. A 4-layer PCB with dedicated inner power planes is mandatory; use at least 2 oz copper on VCCINT and VCCA_GXB planes, and decouple each transceiver lane with 0.1 uF + 10 uF ceramic capacitors within 100 mil of the supply pins. Power sequencing: bring up VCCINT (1.2 V) first, then VCCA_GXB (2.5 V), then VCCIO banks; reverse sequence for power-down to avoid latch-up.
The 484-FBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch, which requires 0.4 mm via-pad stack-ups and 4 mil trace/space rules on at least 6 routing layers. Escape the top BGA rows on layers 2 and 3; route differential transceiver pairs on stripline layers 4 and 5 with 100 ohm differential impedance and length matching within 5 mils for each lane pair. The thermal pad (center ball array) must be soldered to a continuous ground plane with 9 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.5 mm pitch) for heat dissipation.
Common pitfall: do not assume that lower-density Cyclone IV E parts (EP4CE series) have transceivers - they do not, and the pinout is incompatible at the transceiver balls. Also, when migrating from EP4CGX110 to EP4CGX150 in the same F23 footprint, ensure your Quartus project selects the EP4CGX150 device ID because bitstreams are not interchangeable. Finally, do not exceed the 8-channel transceiver count in design planning - the F23 package supports exactly 8 transceivers, not the 12 supported on the larger F27/F31 packages.
Compliance Information
Lead-free / RoHS compliant per the 'N' suffix and per Altera/Intel product environmental compliance information. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (industrial grade only). Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the provided data.
