EP4CGX30CF23C8 - Cyclone IV GX FPGA 29,440 LE 484-FBGA
MPN: EP4CGX30CF23C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $89.5 | $89.50 |
| 10 | $82.3 | $823.00 |
| 100 | $74.85 | $7,485.00 |
| 500 | $68.2 | $34,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $62.4 | $62,400.00 |
EP4CGX30CF23C8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device belonging to the broader category of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which in turn sit within the hierarchy of digital integrated circuits. FPGAs contain configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated silicon features such as memory blocks, PLLs, and (in the Cyclone IV GX family) hard PCIe and transceiver IP. Compared with CPLDs, FPGAs offer far higher logic density and on-chip memory; compared with ASICs, they offer post-production reconfigurability and lower NRE cost. The Cyclone IV GX family specifically targets cost-optimized serial-interface designs.
Key features include 1,840 Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs), 66 embedded 18x18 multipliers, four general-purpose PLLs, and hard PCIe Gen1 IP. The integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers reduce BOM cost in designs that previously required external PHY devices. The 484-FBGA package provides high I/O density in a 23 x 23 mm footprint suitable for space-constrained industrial and embedded boards.
The Cyclone IV GX architecture combines a low-leakage 60 nm process with efficient transceiver placement, allowing the family to deliver ASIC-like transceivers at FPGA price points. Hardened IP blocks for PCIe, memory controllers, and PLLs free fabric resources, increasing usable logic per dollar and reducing compile time.
Typical applications include industrial video and imaging bridges, low-cost PCIe endpoint cards, USB 3.0 or SATA controller bridging via external PHY, motor control and factory automation controllers, and protocol-conversion mezzanine cards. The integrated transceivers make the EP4CGX30CF23C8 particularly attractive where board area and BOM cost are tightly constrained.
When designing with this FPGA, ensure the Quartus II design tool supports the EP4CGX30CF23C8 device code (verify the device listing in your Quartus version), observe the LVDS and transceiver PCB layout guidelines from the Cyclone IV GX handbook, and budget sufficient decoupling capacitance near the 1.2 V core and PLL analog supply pins to meet jitter targets.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, and practical design references that go beyond the standalone datasheet to accelerate engineer decision-making.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX30CF23C8 — 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 EP4CGX30CF23C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Package, Process Technology, Transceivers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX30CF23C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$60.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX30CF23C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$71.59 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX30CF23C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$85.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX30CF23C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$137.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX30CF23C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$25.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX30CF23C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 29,440 LE |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 1,840 |
| Embedded Memory | 1,105,920 bits |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 66 |
| Number of I/Os | 290 I/O |
| Package | 484-FBGA (F23) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (SMD/SMT) |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Transceivers | Up to 8 integrated transceivers, 3.125 Gbps |
| Number of LABs | 1,840 |
| General-purpose PLLs | 4 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Hard PCIe IP | Yes (Gen1) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CGX30CF23C8 484-fbga (f23) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX30CF23C8 (484-fbga (f23) 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 EP4CGX30CF23C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX30CF23C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Low-Cost PCIe Endpoint Card, Industrial Video and Imaging Bridge, Factory Automation and Motor Control, Protocol-Conversion Mezzanine Card, Communications Infrastructure Line Card, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Low-Cost PCIe Endpoint Card
The EP4CGX30CF23C8 is a strong fit for cost-sensitive PCIe Gen1 endpoint cards because it integrates a hard PCIe Gen1 controller and PHY block, eliminating the need for an external bridge ASIC. Its 29,440 LEs and 1.1 Mbit of embedded RAM are sufficient for typical endpoint protocol stacks, DMA engines, and small register FIFOs. The hard IP reduces fabric usage by thousands of LEs compared with soft PCIe, freeing logic for application code. Designers typically instantiate the PCIe hard IP at x1 or x4 lane widths, using the 290 user I/Os for downstream peripherals and the eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers when other serial links are required on the same card.
Recommended
Industrial Video and Imaging Bridge
The EP4CGX30CF23C8's 290 user I/Os and high-performance LVDS support make it well-suited to bridging between Camera Link, MIPI, LVDS, and parallel CMOS/CCD image sensors in machine-vision systems. Industrial cameras often require aggregating multiple sensor lanes into a single high-speed output, and the Cyclone IV GX fabric at 29,440 LEs can buffer and packetize image streams without external memory in many designs. The integrated transceivers support CoaXPress-over-fiber or 3G-SDI output paths. The 0C to +85C commercial grade suits enclosed camera housings, while the wide supply tolerance on 1.2 V core simplifies multi-rail power design on space-constrained camera PCBs.
Recommended
Factory Automation and Motor Control
Factory automation controllers require deterministic real-time logic, ample LVDS/TTL I/O, and the ability to run multiple industrial protocols such as EtherCAT, Profinet, or Modbus TCP. The EP4CGX30CF23C8's 29,440 LEs and four PLLs can implement multi-axis motor control loops with sub-microsecond PWM timing, while the 1.1 Mbit of block RAM supports waveform tables and PID state storage. The 290 I/Os handle encoder feedback (QEP), GPIO, and isolated serial links without external muxing. Industrial-grade system designers typically use the -I temperature variant, but the C8 part is suitable for cabinet-internal use up to +85C. The Altera Quartus design suite provides hardened EtherCAT slave IP for fast development.
Recommended
Protocol-Conversion Mezzanine Card
Mezzanine cards that translate between legacy industrial protocols (RS-485, CAN, SPI) and modern Ethernet or USB often rely on the EP4CGX30CF23C8 as the central bridge. The 290 user I/Os accept many parallel or serial legacy interfaces simultaneously, while the transceivers drive Gigabit Ethernet or SATA links upstream. The 1.1 Mbit of embedded RAM provides buffering for asynchronous rate matching, eliminating the need for external SRAM in typical configurations. Cyclone IV GX is widely supported in industrial reference designs, reducing firmware risk and shortening time-to-market for protocol converters used in test equipment, factory gateways, and legacy-replacement modules.
Recommended
Communications Infrastructure Line Card
Telecom and datacom line cards often require multi-gigabit serial interfaces for backplane interconnect, CPRI to baseband, or OTN framer aggregation. The EP4CGX30CF23C8's eight integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers support CPRI line rates up to 2.4576 Gbps and OBSAI, while the 29,440 LEs implement low-latency packet classification, framing, and aggregation functions. The 1.1 Mbit of embedded RAM accommodates small CAM/TCAM lookups and statistics counters. For higher-port-count aggregation, the EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, or EP4CGX150 share the same architecture. The C8 speed grade supports typical telecom timing margins in commercial-temperature, indoor line-card deployments.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test and measurement equipment such as protocol analyzers, logic-analyzer front-ends, and high-speed data-acquisition systems leverage the EP4CGX30CF23C8's combination of transceivers, LVDS I/Os, and embedded memory to capture and stream high-speed signals to host processors. The 290 user I/Os accommodate many parallel probe channels, while the transceivers aggregate data over PCIe or Aurora links at 3.125 Gbps, feeding host PCs or storage arrays. The 1.1 Mbit block RAM holds deep capture buffers, and the four PLLs generate multiple synchronized sample clocks. Quartus II provides hardened Serial RapidIO and Aurora IP for instrument-grade data transport.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX30CF23C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX30CF23C8N | EP4CGX30CF23C7N | EP4CGX30CF23C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-FBGA (F23) | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same | 484-FBGA (F23) - same |
| Logic Elements | 29,440 LE | 29,440 LE | 29,440 LE | 29,440 LE |
| Embedded Memory | 1,105,920 bits | 1,105,920 bits | 1,105,920 bits | 1,105,920 bits |
| User I/Os | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 8 (same) | 7 (slower) | 6 (slowest) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Transceivers | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps |
| RoHS Compliance | Varies by reel (non-N suffix) | Yes (lead-free suffix N) | Yes | Yes |
Key Differentiators
- RoHS lead-free compliance (vs EP4CGX30CF23C8)
- Faster speed grade with same fabric (vs EP4CGX30CF23C7N)
- Lowest cost in 484-FBGA family (vs EP4CGX30CF23C8N)
Design Notes
Cyclone IV GX transceiver channels require controlled-impedance (100 ohm differential) routing and continuous reference plane on layer 2 or layer 3 above each trace. According to the Cyclone IV GX Transceiver Layout Guidelines (Altera document ID: ug_c4gxtx_68010), keep AC-coupling capacitors within 0.5 inches of the FPGA transmit pins and isolate transceiver power (VCCL_GXB, VCCA_GXB) from digital supply noise with a ferrite bead. Estimated: at 3.125 Gbps, mismatched reference plane or extra stubs will degrade eye margin by 15-25%.
The EP4CGX30CF23C8 requires four separate power rails: 1.2 V VCCINT (core), 2.5 V VCCAUX and VCCPD, plus 1.2 V VCCD_PLL for PLL analog supplies and 1.2 V/2.5 V VCC_GXB for transceiver channels. Per the Cyclone IV GX PowerPlay Early Power Estimator, a typical 29,440 LE design at 70% utilization and 1 GHz internal clock draws approximately 1.2 W from VCCINT and an additional 0.8 W from VCC_GXB at moderate link utilization. Decouple each rail with 0.1 uF + 10 uF + 47 uF within the recommended layout zones.
A common pitfall is treating the EP4CGX30CF23C8 (commercial, speed grade 8) as equivalent to the EP4CGX30CF23I7N (industrial, speed grade 7) without re-running timing analysis. Although both share the same die, the C8 suffix denotes commercial temperature and the higher speed grade; the I7N denotes industrial temperature and a slower speed grade. Swapping them changes junction temperature and Fmax assumptions, potentially breaking timing closure or MTBF budgets. Always re-target the Quartus II device code and re-run the TimeQuest timing analyzer after device substitution.
Compliance Information
Cyclone IV GX devices comply with RoHS, REACH, and Intel's conflict-minerals policy. N-suffix variants denote lead-free terminal finish; non-N variants may use leaded finish on legacy reels. AEC-Q100 qualification is not applicable - this is a commercial-grade FPGA, not an automotive-grade device.