EP4CGX15BF14A7N - Cyclone IV GX FPGA, 14.4K LE, 169-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CGX15BF14A7N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48.5 | $48.50 |
| 10 | $43.65 | $436.50 |
| 100 | $38.8 | $3,880.00 |
| 500 | $34.92 | $17,460.00 |
| 1,000 | $31.05 | $31,050.00 |
EP4CGX15BF14A7N Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated hard IP such as transceivers, memory controllers, and DSP blocks. FPGAs occupy a unique position between application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and microcontrollers, delivering ASIC-class performance and parallelism while remaining software-reconfigurable. Modern FPGAs are widely used as programmable logic devices, programmable logic ICs, and embedded FPGAs across industrial, communications, automotive, and consumer markets.
Key features include 14,400 logic elements distributed across 900 logic array blocks (LABs), 504 Kbits of embedded RAM (M9K blocks), 56 embedded 18x18 multipliers, two PLLs, and four transceiver channels rated to 3.125 Gbps in this package option. The device supports LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards with hot-socketing capability and PCI Express Gen1 hard IP for endpoint and root port configurations.
Typical applications include industrial motor control and video bridging, low-cost PCIe expansion cards, low-density protocol bridging ASIC replacement, factory automation, and portable medical imaging. The Cyclone IV GX family is engineered to deliver the lowest static and dynamic power in its class for transceiver-based designs.
When designing with the EP4CGX15BF14A7N, note that 169-FBGA requires careful PCB layout with multiple ground and power vias for thermal dissipation. JTAG and serial configuration interfaces are supported, and Quartus II software is required for HDL synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-package drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX15BF14A7N — 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 EP4CGX15BF14A7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Transceivers, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX15BF14C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$18.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX15BF14I7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$23.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX15BF14C7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$20.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX15BF14A7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone IV GX |
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 14,400 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 900 |
| Total Memory Bits | 552,960 |
| Embedded RAM | 504 Kbits (M9K blocks) |
| Embedded Multipliers | 56 (18x18) |
| User I/Os | 72 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low-power CMOS |
| Transceivers | Up to 4 channels |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 3.125 Gbps (this package) |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Package | 169-ball FBGA (F14) |
| Speed Grade | 7 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial, 'A' suffix per typical Altera convention) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead Free | Yes |
EP4CGX15BF14A7N 169-ball fbga (f14) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX15BF14A7N (169-ball fbga (f14) 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 EP4CGX15BF14A7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX15BF14A7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control and Servo Drive, Low-Cost PCIe Expansion Cards, Serial Protocol Bridging and ASIC Replacement, Video Bridging and Display Processing, Portable Medical Imaging Devices, Factory Automation Protocol Controllers.
Industrial Motor Control and Servo Drive
The EP4CGX15BF14A7N is well-suited for industrial motor control and multi-axis servo drives thanks to its 14,400 logic elements and 56 embedded 18x18 multipliers enabling high-resolution PWM, SVPWM, and field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms. With 4 transceiver channels, the device can communicate over EtherCAT, SERCOS III, or Profinet to upstream PLCs in factory-automation networks. The 169-FBGA F14 footprint keeps the design compact enough to fit alongside IGBT gate drivers on a single control PCB. Power dissipation under typical motor control loads remains in the 0.8-1.5 W range, simplifying thermal management and reducing BOM cost.
Recommended
Low-Cost PCIe Expansion Cards
The EP4CGX15BF14A7N integrates PCI Express Gen1 hard IP, eliminating the need for soft-logic PCIe cores that would otherwise consume thousands of logic elements. With 14,400 LE available for endpoint logic, designers can implement custom DMA engines, protocol bridges, or data-acquisition FIFOs. The integrated transceiver delivers PCIe Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) over a single lane with x1 card edge connector compatibility. The 169-FBGA footprint fits standard low-profile PCIe card layouts and supports hot-plug / hot-socketing required by the PCIe specification.
Recommended
Serial Protocol Bridging and ASIC Replacement
The EP4CGX15BF14A7N serves as a flexible bridge between incompatible serial interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, SMBus, MDIO, GPIO) and high-speed links via its integrated transceivers. Its 72 user I/Os support LVDS, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL standards, allowing direct connection to legacy ASICs, sensors, and host processors. With 504 Kbits of embedded RAM (M9K blocks), the device provides buffering for protocol conversion without external memory in most cases. This makes it ideal for ASIC replacement in low-volume industrial, medical, or test equipment designs.
Recommended
Video Bridging and Display Processing
The EP4CGX15BF14A7N's 14,400 logic elements and 56 multipliers enable real-time video processing such as format conversion, scaling, deinterlacing, and color-space translation. Its transceivers support HDMI, DisplayPort, MIPI, or LVDS serializer/deserializer connections through external PHY chips. With 72 I/Os, the FPGA can directly interface parallel RGB, BT.656, BT.1120, or OpenLDI video buses. The 169-FBGA package is small enough for embedded vision modules, surveillance cameras, and industrial displays where board space is constrained.
Recommended
Portable Medical Imaging Devices
The EP4CGX15BF14A7N is appropriate for portable medical imaging applications such as ultrasound front-end preprocessing, where its low-power 60 nm process and 1.2 V core help extend battery life. The 14,400 logic elements and 56 DSP multipliers support real-time beamforming, FIR filtering, and envelope detection algorithms. With integrated transceivers, the FPGA can drive high-speed ADCs and link to image processing SoCs via LVDS or serial interfaces. The 169-FBGA F14 package fits handheld or cart-based ultrasound form factors while meeting medical EMI/EMC requirements.
Recommended
Factory Automation Protocol Controllers
The EP4CGX15BF14A7N supports industrial Ethernet protocols including EtherCAT, PROFINET IRT, EtherNet/IP, and SERCOS III, making it ideal for factory automation protocol controllers. Its 4 transceivers handle the PHY connection while the FPGA fabric implements the protocol stack, real-time scheduling, and synchronization. With 72 user I/Os, the device can interface digital I/O modules, encoders, and sensor hubs directly. The 60 nm low-power process minimizes heat dissipation in sealed control cabinets where cooling is limited.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX15BF14A7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX15BF14C8N | EP4CGX15BF14I7N | EP4CGX15BF14C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 169-FBGA (F14) | 169-FBGA (F14) - same | 169-FBGA (F14) - same | 169-FBGA (F14) - same |
| Logic Elements | 14,400 | 14,400 | 14,400 | 14,400 |
| Embedded Memory | 552,960 bits | 552,960 bits | 552,960 bits | 552,960 bits |
| Multipliers | 56 (18x18) | 56 (18x18) | 56 (18x18) | 56 (18x18) |
| User I/Os | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Transceiver Channels | Up to 4 | Up to 4 | Up to 4 | Up to 4 |
| Speed Grade | 7 (commercial 'A') | 8 | 7 (industrial 'I') | 7 |
| Temperature Range | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| PCIe Hard IP | Yes (Gen1) | Yes (Gen1) | Yes (Gen1) | Yes (Gen1) |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated transceivers in lowest-cost Cyclone IV GX package (vs EP4CE40F23C8N (Cyclone IV E))
- Compact 169-FBGA F14 footprint (vs EP4CGX22BF14C8N (324-FBGA F19))
- Hard IP PCIe Gen1 endpoint included (vs Soft-logic PCIe implementations)
Design Notes
The 169-FBGA F14 package uses a 0.8 mm ball pitch. Per Altera layout guidelines, use a minimum 4-layer PCB stack-up with continuous ground and power planes directly beneath the device. Estimated: at 0.5 W typical dissipation and a 169-FBGA thermal pad, theta_JA is approximately 25 C/W on a JEDEC 4-layer board; verify thermal performance with at least 9 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill) in the central ball grid pattern.
The Cyclone IV GX requires four supplies: VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCA (2.5 V PLL analog), VCCD_PLL (1.2 V PLL digital), and VCCIO (1.2/1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V I/O banks). All supplies must ramp within Altera's power-on-reset (POR) sequencing window. A common failure mode is missing decoupling on VCCA, which causes PLL jitter; place a 10 uF + 100 nF pair within 5 mm of the VCCA pin per the Cyclone IV GX hardware reference manual.
Transceiver channels require 100-ohm differential impedance routing with length matching to within 150 mils (3.8 mm) for 3.125 Gbps operation. Use loss tangent (Df) < 0.02 PCB material such as FR4-408HR or Megtron 6 for traces longer than 5 inches. AC-coupling capacitors (typically 100 nF X7R) must be placed on each transmit pair per the Altera Cyclone IV GX transceiver user guide; missing or misplaced caps are a common prototype failure source.
Configuration mode pins (MSEL[3:0]) must be tied to the correct logic level for the selected configuration scheme (AS, PS, JTAG, or FPP). Floating MSEL pins are a common cause of configuration failure on first prototypes. Also note that the 169-FBGA F14 device supports only JTAG, Active Serial (AS), and Passive Serial (PS) modes - FPP is not available in this package option. Verify MSEL settings against the Cyclone IV GX configuration user guide before board bring-up.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliance confirmed per Intel/Altera product page. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified data - marked unknown. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - FPGAs are typically not automotive-grade unless explicitly designated.
