EP4CGX22CF19C8 - Cyclone IV GX FPGA, 21K LEs, 324-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CGX22CF19C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $42.5 | $42.50 |
| 10 | $39.1 | $391.00 |
| 100 | $34.85 | $3,485.00 |
| 500 | $30.2 | $15,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $26.75 | $26,750.00 |
EP4CGX22CF19C8 Overview
A Cyclone IV GX FPGA is a reprogrammable logic device belonging to the programmable-logic family, sitting hierarchically below ASICs and above fixed-function ASSPs in the design flexibility spectrum. The GX sub-series adds dedicated multi-gigabit transceivers that differentiate it from the standard Cyclone IV E family, allowing direct interfacing with PCIe Gen1, Gigabit Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, CPRI, and other high-speed serial protocols without external PHY devices. This combination of programmable fabric, embedded memory blocks, DSP blocks, and integrated transceivers in a single low-power chip makes Cyclone IV GX a common choice for bridging, protocol conversion, and I/O expansion designs.
Key features include 21,280 logic elements (LEs), 774 Kbits of embedded RAM (M9K blocks), 80 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP operations, two PLL blocks per quadrant for clock management, and a maximum of 150 general-purpose user I/O pins. The device also integrates PCI Express hard IP blocks and up to eight full-duplex transceiver channels supporting data rates from 600 Mbps up to 3.125 Gbps. Configuration is supported via JTAG, active serial (AS), passive serial (PS), and fast passive parallel (FPP) modes through dedicated configuration pins.
The 324-ball FBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch, providing a compact footprint for space-constrained boards while supporting up to 150 user I/Os. The -C8 speed grade denotes a commercial temperature range with the 8-corner speed bin, balanced for medium-speed designs. Quartus II design software (or the maintained Intel Quartus Prime Lite edition) is used for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation.
Typical applications include PCI Express endpoint cards, industrial video bridges, low-cost serial protocol converters, motor control pre-processing, and base-station fronthaul interfaces where the integrated transceivers eliminate the need for a separate PHY chip.
Designers should pay attention to transceiver reference-clock routing and power-rail sequencing for the analog supply (VCCA), because jitter on the reference clock directly limits transceiver eye-diagram performance at 3.125 Gbps.
This page synthesizes distributor stock, drop-in alternatives from the same Cyclone IV GX family, and practical design notes that are not duplicated on the manufacturer product page.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX22CF19C8 — 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 EP4CGX22CF19C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Transceivers, Operating Temperature, PLLs, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX22CF19C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$32.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX22CF19C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$53.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX22IF19C8N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4CGX22CF19C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$31.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX22CF19C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 21,280 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 774,144 |
| Number of M9K Memory Blocks | 66 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 80 |
| General-Purpose PLLs | 2 |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 150 |
| Transceiver Channels | Up to 4 full-duplex (varies by package) |
| Maximum Transceiver Data Rate | 3.125 Gbps |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low-power |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Package | 324-ball FBGA, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Speed Grade | C8 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature (junction) | 0°C to 85°C (commercial) |
| Configuration Modes | JTAG, AS, PS, FPP |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CGX22CF19C8 324-ball fbga, 1.0 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX22CF19C8 (324-ball fbga, 1.0 mm pitch 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 EP4CGX22CF19C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX22CF19C8 is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Express Endpoint Cards, Gigabit Ethernet Bridging, Industrial Video Format Conversion, Motor Control Pre-Processing (FOC), Serial Protocol Converters / CPRI Fronthaul, Low-Cost ASIC Prototyping / I/O Expansion.
PCI Express Endpoint Cards
The EP4CGX22CF19C8's integrated PCI Express hard IP block supports x1 Gen1 endpoint operation at 2.5 Gbps per lane, eliminating the need for an external PHY. With 21,280 logic elements, 774 Kbits of embedded RAM, and 80 DSP multipliers, the device comfortably fits protocol state machines, scatter-gather DMA engines, and application logic for low-cost PCIe add-in cards used in industrial PCs, test instruments, and data-acquisition boards. Designers typically pair it with a small external clock buffer for the 100 MHz PCIe reference and place the FBGA close to the board edge connector to minimize lane length.
Recommended
Gigabit Ethernet Bridging
The EP4CGX22CF19C8 supports 1000BASE-X Gigabit Ethernet over its 3.125 Gbps transceivers using SGMII or 1000BASE-X PCS implementations in fabric logic. With 150 user I/Os the FPGA can expose multiple GMII/RGMII/SGMII interfaces plus management-plane I2C and MDIO, acting as a multi-port Ethernet bridge in industrial gateways and small-cell backhaul. Designers typically instantiate a soft Tri-Mode Ethernet MAC core from Intel and pair the device with an external 125 MHz reference clock for the PHY-side interface.
Recommended
Industrial Video Format Conversion
The EP4CGX22CF19C8's 80 DSP multipliers handle real-time chroma resampling, scaling, and color-space conversion between Camera Link, DVI/HDMI, and SDI video formats. Embedded M9K memory buffers line-store data for horizontal scaling, while the abundant user I/Os interface to external video ADCs/DACs and LVDS serializers. The commercial temperature grade suits indoor industrial cameras and video walls; for outdoor broadcast equipment, designers move to the industrial-grade 'I' variant of the same die.
Recommended
Motor Control Pre-Processing (FOC)
Field-oriented control of three-phase motors requires Park/Clarke transforms, PI controllers, and space-vector PWM generation, all of which fit within 21,280 logic elements. The EP4CGX22CF19C8's 80 18x18 multipliers accelerate Park/Clarke math and current-loop PI computation at switching frequencies up to 100 kHz. The 774 Kbits of embedded RAM store sinusoidal lookup tables and per-axis calibration constants. Designers pair the FPGA with external gate drivers and ADCs, using the FPGA's high-speed LVDS I/Os to sample current shunts at sub-microsecond resolution.
Recommended
Serial Protocol Converters / CPRI Fronthaul
The integrated transceivers make the EP4CGX22CF19C8 a natural fit for CPRI, OBSAI, or Serial RapidIO base-station fronthaul interfaces operating at 614.4 Mbps to 3.072 Gbps. Logic resources handle the MAC-layer framing, scrambling/descrambling, and timing adjustments. The 324-ball F19 package allows up to four full-duplex transceiver channels plus 150 LVCMOS/LVDS user I/Os for backplane connections. Designers typically run the analog supply (VCCA) and PLL supply from low-noise LDO regulators to minimize jitter on the recovered clock.
Recommended
Low-Cost ASIC Prototyping / I/O Expansion
Designers using the EP4CGX22CF19C8 as an ASIC prototype benefit from the 21,280 logic elements, which approximate small-to-medium ASIC gate counts, and from the embedded transceivers that map directly to common ASIC SerDes macros. The device is also widely deployed as a general-purpose I/O expander and level shifter on legacy industrial backplanes, using its 150 user I/Os to bridge 3.3 V logic to 1.8 V or 5 V domains. Quartus II's incremental compilation allows fast iterative debug during prototype bring-up.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX22CF19C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX22CF19C8N | EP4CGX22CF19C7N | EP4CGX22IF19C8N | EP4CGX22CF19C6N | EP4CGX22BF14C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 324-ball FBGA (F19, 1.0mm) | 324-ball FBGA (F19, 1.0mm) | 324-ball FBGA (F19, 1.0mm) | 324-ball FBGA (F19, 1.0mm) | 324-ball FBGA (F19, 1.0mm) | 169-ball FBGA (F14, 1.0mm) |
| Logic Elements | 21,280 | 21,280 | 21,280 | 21,280 | 21,280 | 21,280 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 774,144 | 774,144 | 774,144 | 774,144 | 774,144 | 774,144 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | Up to 72 (F14 package) |
| Transceiver Data Rate (max) | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps (fewer channels) |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C8 | C7 (faster) | C8 | C6 (slower) | C8 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to 85C) | Commercial (0C to 85C) | Commercial (0C to 85C) | Industrial (-40C to 100C) | Commercial (0C to 85C) | Commercial (0C to 85C) |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers at low LE count (vs EP4CE22F19C8N (Cyclone IV E))
- Faster speed grade available in same package (vs EP4CGX22CF19C8N (same C8 speed grade, Pb-free variant))
- Industrial temperature option with identical pinout (vs EP4CGX22CF19C8N (commercial 0C to 85C))
Design Notes
Estimated: the EP4CGX22CF19C8 requires at least three separate supply rails - core VCCINT (1.2 V), I/O VCCIO (1.2 V to 3.3 V depending on bank), analog VCCA (2.5 V) for the transceiver PLLs, and VCCD_PLL (1.2 V) for the digital PLL blocks. Designers must sequence VCCINT before VCCIO per the Cyclone IV GX device handbook power-on sequencing guidelines; failure to sequence correctly can trigger high inrush current and latch-up. Use a dedicated LDO such as an LT3080 for VCCA to minimize jitter on the recovered transceiver clock.
Transceiver channels must be routed as 100 ohm differential pairs with length matching better than 150 mils within a channel and better than 1500 mils between channels for the F19 package. The reference clock pair has even tighter matching tolerance. The FBGA escape routing requires microvia or via-in-pad technology on the top layer; the 1.0 mm ball pitch is at the practical limit of standard 4-mil trace-and-space outer-layer PCB fabrication.
A common mistake is choosing the Cyclone IV E (EP4CE22) instead of Cyclone IV GX (EP4CGX22) because the logic-element counts look identical on paper. The E variant has no multi-gigabit transceivers; designs that require PCIe, Gigabit Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, or any 600 Mbps+ serial protocol will not work without adding an external PHY chip. Always confirm the GX designation when transceivers are required.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Intel product declaration for Cyclone IV GX family. AEC-Q100 not applicable (this is commercial grade, not automotive qualified). Lead-free (Pb-free) reflow-compatible per JEDEC J-STD-020 MSL3 profile at 260C peak.
