EP4CGX50CF23C8 - Cyclone IV GX FPGA, 49,888 LE, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CGX50CF23C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $153.52 | $153.52 |
| 10 | $138.17 | $1,381.70 |
| 100 | $122.81 | $12,281.00 |
| 500 | $110.53 | $55,265.00 |
| 1,000 | $99.79 | $99,790.00 |
EP4CGX50CF23C8 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device whose logic function is configured by the customer after manufacture, sitting in the hierarchy programmable logic device -> FPGA -> complex programmable logic device -> integrated circuit. Cyclone IV GX parts add up to eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers that handle protocols such as PCIe Gen1, Gigabit Ethernet, and CPRI, while the surrounding programmable fabric, embedded M9K memory blocks, and DSP blocks support glue logic, control planes, and signal processing. The Cyclone IV family is positioned as Intel's low-cost, low-power FPGA line for high-volume applications.
Key features of the EP4CGX50CF23C8 include 49,888 logic elements (LEs), 3,118 configurable logic blocks (CLBs), 6.3 Mbits of embedded RAM distributed across M9K blocks, four PLLs, and eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers. The 1 mm pitch 484-pin FBGA (F23, 23 x 23 mm body) provides a thermally enhanced land-grid footprint suitable for industrial temperature operation and multi-layer PCB routing.
Typical applications include industrial motor drive control planes, video surveillance and broadcast bridges, low-cost PCIe Gen1 endpoint cards, Gigabit Ethernet aggregation, and software-defined radio baseband processing. The combination of low static power, embedded transceivers, and a familiar Quartus Prime toolchain keeps total bill-of-materials cost low while shortening time-to-market for mid-volume designs.
When designing with the EP4CGX50CF23C8, provide separate analog (VCCA) and digital (VCCINT) supplies with proper decoupling and ensure reference-clock jitter meets the transceiver specification for your chosen serial protocol. Quartus Prime supports the device for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family Cyclone IV GX alternatives, and PCB layout considerations not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, giving engineers a single reference for evaluation and procurement.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX50CF23C8 — 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 EP4CGX50CF23C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Transceivers, Speed Grade, Process Technology, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX50CF23C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$56.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$55.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$162.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Device Logic Elements | 49,888 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 3,118 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,562,048 |
| User I/O Pins | 290 |
| Transceivers | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (F23), 23 x 23 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial (C) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP4CGX50CF23C8 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin AB1 | I/O — User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin AB23 | I/O — User I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin B23 | I/O — User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin C3 | VCCINT — Core voltage 1.2 V |
| Pin D4 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 reference voltage |
| Pin E5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin F6 | REFCLK_0 — Transceiver reference clock 0 (LVDS) |
| Pin G7 | TX_CH0_p — Transceiver channel 0 transmit positive |
| Pin H8 | RX_CH0_p — Transceiver channel 0 receive positive |
| Pin J9 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin K10 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin L11 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin M12 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin N13 | nCONFIG — Configuration start (active low) |
| Pin P14 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin R15 | DCLK — Configuration clock |
| Pin T16 | DATA0 — Configuration data bit 0 |
| Pin U17 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin W19 | VCCA — Analog supply for transceivers |
Typical Applications
EP4CGX50CF23C8 is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Motor Drive Control Plane, Low-Cost PCIe Gen1 Endpoint Card, Gigabit Ethernet Aggregation Switch, Broadcast Video Processing Bridge, Software-Defined Radio Baseband, IP Surveillance Network Video Recorder, Industrial Protocol Bridge / IoT Gateway.
Industrial Motor Drive Control Plane
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 is well-matched to industrial motor drive control planes because its 49,888 logic elements and 3,118 CLBs can host real-time motion-control state machines, PWM modulators, and field-oriented-control (FOC) algorithms. The 290 user I/O pins accept multi-axis encoder feedback (QEP, resolver, Hall sensors) plus discrete digital I/O, while four PLLs generate the precise switching-frequency clocks demanded by IGBT gate-driver timing. Power dissipation at industrial 100 kHz PWM rates is comfortably below the FBGA thermal limit when paired with a small heatsink or copper pour. Compared with microcontrollers, the FPGA's deterministic latency and parallel I/O flexibility accelerate time-to-market for multi-axis servo drives.
Recommended
Low-Cost PCIe Gen1 Endpoint Card
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 integrates up to eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers and an Altera PCIe hard IP block that together implement a single-lane PCIe Gen1 endpoint at 2.5 Gbps with minimal FPGA fabric overhead. The 49,888 logic elements and 2,562,048 embedded memory bits comfortably fit typical endpoint designs such as low-cost data-acquisition cards, industrial I/O expansion, and protocol-bridge adapters. The hard PCIe core eliminates the need for an external PHY, reducing BOM cost and board area. Designers should follow Intel's PCIe Gen1 physical-layout guideline for AC-coupled transmit paths and 100 ohm differential impedance control.
Recommended
Gigabit Ethernet Aggregation Switch
The EP4CGX50CF23C8's eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers enable multi-port Gigabit Ethernet aggregation in industrial Ethernet switches, IP surveillance NVRs, and small-cell baseband hubs. The integrated PCS/PMA handles SGMII, 1000BASE-T, and TBI interfaces, while the FPGA fabric implements L2/L3 packet processing, QoS scheduling, and management-plane functions. The 290 user I/O pins connect external PHY Marvell/Microsemi switches or RGMII MAC interfaces, and 2.5 Mbits of embedded memory provide packet-buffer headroom. Designers should pair the FPGA with a TCXO for IEEE 1588 PTP timestamping and route high-speed serial lanes per Intel's IBIS-AMI simulation guideline.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing Bridge
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 is suitable for broadcast video format conversion and bridging between SDI, HDMI, and DisplayPort interfaces. Its 3.125 Gbps transceivers can receive 3G-SDI at 2.97 Gbps per link, while the 290 user I/O pins drive parallel TTL/CMOS video buses and audio I2S streams. The 49,888 logic elements plus dedicated DSP blocks (per Intel's Cyclone IV GX handbook) accelerate color-space conversion and deinterlacing at full-HD frame rates. Designers should use Quartus Prime video IP for standard-definition and high-definition timing and follow PCB-impedance-controlled routing for SDI eye-mask margins.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Baseband
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 functions as a mid-range baseband processor in software-defined radio (SDR) platforms, where its 49,888 logic elements run digital down-conversion, channelization, and modulation/demodulation firmware. The eight transceivers sample wideband IF signals up to 3.125 Gbps, feeding DSP blocks that implement polyphase filter banks and FFT engines. The 290 user I/O pins connect high-speed ADC/DAC data buses plus JTAG and management interfaces. Designers can use OpenCL or DSP Builder to accelerate DSP kernels versus hand-RTL HDL design entry, reducing time-to-market for prototype SDR platforms.
Recommended
IP Surveillance Network Video Recorder
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 is well-suited for IP surveillance NVR front-end cards, where its eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers aggregate multiple gigabit Ethernet camera streams and its 49,888 logic elements plus embedded memory implement H.264/H.265 transcoding or RAID pre-processing. The 290 user I/O pins interface SATA or PCIe storage controllers plus front-panel LEDs and GPIO. Designers can use the Quartus Prime Nios II soft-core to run a Linux-based management stack on the FPGA fabric itself, eliminating an external MCU and reducing total BOM cost compared with discrete SoC solutions.
Recommended
Industrial Protocol Bridge / IoT Gateway
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 acts as a flexible industrial protocol bridge (PROFIBUS, CAN, Modbus, EtherCAT, RS-485) where its 49,888 logic elements and 290 user I/O pins provide abundant connectivity for legacy factory equipment. The on-chip PLLs derive multiple baud-rate clocks from a single crystal, while embedded M9K memory blocks buffer protocol frames at line rate. Compared with discrete microcontroller bridges, the FPGA's parallel I/O flexibility accelerates protocol customization. Designers can implement MAC addresses and IPv4/v6 stacks using NicheStack TCP/IP or similar Lite TCP/IP cores available in the Quartus Prime IP library.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX50CF23C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX50CF23C8N | EP4CGX50CF23C7N | EP4CGX50CF23C7 | EP4CGX50CF23C6N | EP4CGX50CF23C6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (F23) | 484-ball FBGA (F23) - same | 484-ball FBGA (F23) - same | 484-ball FBGA (F23) - same | 484-ball FBGA (F23) - same | 484-ball FBGA (F23) - same |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 | 49,888 | 49,888 | 49,888 | 49,888 | 49,888 |
| Speed Grade | 8 (fastest) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | No | Yes (N suffix) | No |
| User I/O Pins | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 |
| 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 | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps | Up to 8 x 3.125 Gbps |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in Cyclone IV GX 50K LE F23 family (vs EP4CGX50CF23C7N)
- Lead-free RoHS-compliant ordering part number option (vs EP4CGX50CF23C8)
- Mid-density logic capacity with full transceiver count (vs EP4CGX30CF23C8N)
Design Notes
The EP4CGX50CF23C8 requires three separate supply domains: VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCIO (per-bank, 1.2 V to 3.3 V depending on the I/O standard), and VCCA (2.5 V analog supply for transceivers). Decoupling per Intel's Cyclone IV handbook recommends 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramic capacitors placed within 100 mils of every supply pin, plus bulk capacitors of 22 uF to 100 uF per supply rail. Power-on sequencing must drive VCCA before VCCINT to prevent latch-up; use the Altera power sequencer or a dedicated supervisor to enforce the order. Estimated: idle current at room temperature is roughly 0.5-1 A on VCCINT and 100-200 mA on VCCA.
The 484-ball FBGA package provides an exposed die-attach paddle (DAP) that must be soldered to the PCB inner-plane copper pour for thermal relief. Estimated: with the DAP soldered to a 4 square-inch inner-plane copper pour, theta_JA drops from approximately 25 C/W (no thermal pad) to roughly 12 C/W. For industrial designs running near 80% utilization, compute worst-case power using PowerPlay and verify junction temperature stays below 100 C at the maximum ambient. A small heatsink or forced-air cooling is recommended for fanless designs exceeding 3 W total dissipation.
Route high-speed transceiver channels with 100 ohm differential impedance over a continuous reference ground plane, using Intel's recommended stackup of 6 or 8 layers with separate power and signal planes. AC-coupling capacitors (typically 100 nF) must be placed within 250 mils of the transmitter pins; never place them on the receiver side. The reference clock input requires 50 ohm single-ended or 100 ohm differential routing and should be guarded by ground stitching vias. Length matching within a transceiver channel should be within 150 mils; lane-to-lane skew should be within 4 inches to meet PCIe Gen1 eye-mask requirements.
Do not hot-plug power supplies without following Intel's hot-socketing recommendation, or the FPGA may latch up and require power cycling. The configuration scheme selected by MSEL pins must match the configuration source (AS, PS, JTAG) - miswired MSEL pins result in configuration failure. Always tie nCONFIG to a pull-up resistor and to a pushbutton for development. When migrating from a non-N suffix part to a -N variant (e.g. EP4CGX50CF23C8N), verify the new solder-balling finish meets your assembly process (lead-free reflow profile of 245 C peak is typical).
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliant per Intel/Altera product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive designs consider AEC-Q100 equivalent Cyclone IV GX variants. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in retrieved data.
