EP4CGX50CF23C8N - Cyclone IV GX 50K LE FPGA, 484-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP4CGX50CF23C8N β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $78.5 | $78.50 |
| 10 | $72.4 | $724.00 |
| 100 | $65.8 | $6,580.00 |
| 250 | $61.2 | $15,300.00 |
| 500 | $56.5 | $28,250.00 |
EP4CGX50CF23C8N Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit composed of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated hard IP blocks that can be reprogrammed post-manufacturing to implement arbitrary digital logic. FPGAs occupy the middle ground between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven processors: they offer ASIC-level deterministic latency and parallelism while preserving the ability to iterate on hardware functionality in the field. The Cyclone IV GX family specifically targets cost-sensitive applications that require integrated transceivers without the power budget of high-end FPGAs.
The EP4CGX50CF23C8N uses a 60 nm process node with a 1.2 V core supply, and supports both commercial and industrial temperature grades. It provides 3118 logic array blocks, 56 (18x18) hardware multipliers for DSP, and PCI Express (PIPE) hard IP for endpoint x1/x2 configurations. The device includes dedicated memory interfaces supporting DDR2/DDR3/QDRII+ external memory at up to 200 MHz, and 8 low-power transceivers that handle protocols such as Gigabit Ethernet, CPRI, and Serial RapidIO.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video surveillance and broadcast equipment, wireless baseband processing, PCIe endpoint cards, and low-cost protocol bridging. The integrated transceivers make it well suited for designs that previously required an external PHY plus a smaller FPGA, reducing both board area and BOM cost. Designers should plan power sequencing for the 1.2 V core rail and the 2.5/3.3 V I/O and transceiver supply rails.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-brand Cyclone IV GX variants, and pin-compatible alternates, plus practical board-level design notes that the manufacturer datasheet alone does not provide.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX50CF23C8N 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 EP4CGX50CF23C8N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Transceivers, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX50CF23C8
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$99.79 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX50CF23C7N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$110.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX50CF23C7
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$55.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX50CF23C6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$65.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX50CF23C6
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$162.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX30CF23C8N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$60.55 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4CGX50CF23C8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 49,888 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3118 |
| Embedded Memory (M9K blocks total bits) | 2,562,048 bits |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 290 |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 290 |
| Transceivers | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) |
| Process Technology | 60 nm low power |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial (C8 speed) |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Hard Memory Controller | Yes (DDR2/DDR3/QDRII+) |
| PCIe Hard IP | PIPE x1/x2 endpoint |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CGX50CF23C8N 484-ball fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX50CF23C8N (484-ball fbga 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 EP4CGX50CF23C8N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX50CF23C8N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control and Drive, Video Broadcast and Image Processing, Wireless Baseband and Protocol Bridging, PCIe Endpoint Cards (Gen1/Gen2 x1, x2), Test and Measurement Instrumentation, LED Video Wall Display Controllers.
Industrial Motor Control and Drive
The EP4CGX50CF23C8N fits industrial motor control applications because its 290 hardware (18x18) multipliers handle multi-axis field-oriented control (FOC) math in deterministic latency, while the 2.5 Mbit embedded RAM absorbs current/voltage sample buffers. Its industrial-grade sibling (EP4CGX50CF23I7N) operates from -40C to 100C, suiting cabinet-mounted servo drives. Integrated transceivers support EtherCAT, SERCOS III, or Profinet stack offload, reducing the need for a companion ASIC.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Image Processing
With 49,888 LEs and 290 multipliers, the EP4CGX50CF23C8N can implement real-time 1080p60 video pipelines including color space conversion, scaling, and chroma key compositing. The embedded M9K memory blocks (2.5 Mbit total) buffer multi-line scan data without external SRAM. Designers typically use the LVDS I/O pairs to interface directly with HDMI receivers/transmitters or Camera Link cameras, while the DDR2/DDR3 controller hard IP manages frame buffers in external memory.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband and Protocol Bridging
The EP4CGX50CF23C8N's 8 transceivers at up to 3.125 Gbps enable CPRI (up to 2.4576 Gbps), Serial RapidIO, and Gigabit Ethernet link aggregation for small-cell baseband or protocol bridge designs. The hard PCIe x1 endpoint simplifies fronthaul backhaul over PCIe to a host CPU. With 49K LEs, designers can implement substantial MAC-layer and OAM framing logic alongside the SERDES channels, eliminating an external PHY and reducing BOM cost by USD 5-15 per board.
Recommended
PCIe Endpoint Cards (Gen1/Gen2 x1, x2)
The Cyclone IV GX family integrates PCIe hard IP with a PIPE interface, enabling EP4CGX50CF23C8N designs to implement PCIe endpoint x1 or x2 cards at Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) or Gen2 (5.0 Gbps) signaling rates without licensing external IP cores. The 484-FBGA package provides sufficient balls for x2 SERDES plus sideband signals. Designers typically pair the FPGA with a PCIe clock buffer and edge connector; the hard IP handles transaction layer, data link layer, and physical layer.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The 8 integrated transceivers make EP4CGX50CF23C8N ideal for protocol-aware test equipment: pattern generators, BERT front-ends, and protocol analyzers for PCIe, SATA, or CPRI. Designers can fit a complete multi-channel BER tester plus statistical analysis in 49K LEs, with the transceivers handling physical-layer signal conditioning. The Cyclone IV GX's deterministic timing supports sub-nanosecond trigger alignment, critical for capturing and timestamping high-speed serial traffic.
Recommended
LED Video Wall Display Controllers
The EP4CGX50CF23C8N drives high-resolution LED video walls by multiplexing multiple low-speed LVDS or TTL display data streams into higher-speed serial links to receiver cards. Its 290 multipliers assist with per-pixel color calibration and gamma correction in real time. The M9K memory blocks buffer pixel data across multiple scan lines, while the integrated transceivers can drive gigabit serial distribution links to remote LED panels over standard CAT6 cabling, eliminating bulky parallel ribbon cables.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX50CF23C8N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX50CF23C8 | EP4CGX50CF23C7N | EP4CGX50CF23C6N | EP4CGX30CF23C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 | 49,888 (same) | 49,888 (same) | 49,888 (same) | 29,440 (-41%) |
| Speed Grade | 8 (commercial) | 8 (same) | 7 (slower ~10-15%) | 6 (slower ~15-20%) | 8 (same) |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to 85C) | Commercial (same) | Industrial (-40C to 100C) | Industrial (-40C to 100C) | Commercial (same) |
| Transceivers | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps (same) | 8 x 3.125 Gbps (same) | 8 x 3.125 Gbps (same) | 4 x 3.125 Gbps (-50%) |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 (same) | 2,562,048 (same) | 2,562,048 (same) | 1,167,360 (-54%) |
| Hardware Multipliers (18x18) | 290 | 290 (same) | 290 (same) | 290 (same) | 66 (-77%) |
| User I/O (max) | 290 | 290 (same) | 290 (same) | 290 (same) | 290 (same) |
| PCIe Hard IP | PIPE x1/x2 | PIPE x1/x2 (same) | PIPE x1/x2 (same) | PIPE x1/x2 (same) | PIPE x1 (only) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade (C8) of the Cyclone IV GX 50K family (vs EP4CGX50CF23C6N)
- Commercial temperature grade with full 49,888 LE density (vs EP4CGX50CF23C7N)
- Full 8-transceiver count, not reduced like lower-density Cyclone IV GX (vs EP4CGX30CF23C8N)
- Drop-in upgrade path to higher LE count within same package (vs EP4CGX30CF23C8N)
Design Notes
The EP4CGX50CF23C8N requires four to six separate supply rails (VCCINT 1.2V, VCCIO 1.2-3.3V, VCCA 2.5V PLL, VCCD_PLL 1.2V PLL, plus VCCL_GXB 1.2V and VCCH_GXB 3.0V for the transceivers). Estimated: at 100% utilization and 50% toggle rate, the device can consume 3-5W. Use a sequencer such as the ADM1085 or a dedicated FPGA supervisor to ensure VCCINT ramps before VCCIO to avoid latch-up. Decoupling: 100nF X7R per power pin plus 10uF bulk caps within 5mm of each supply cluster is recommended per Cyclone IV handbook.
The 484-FBGA package has a 1.0mm ball pitch (per Altera Package Information document). Use at least a 6-layer PCB with a solid ground plane beneath the BGA. Via-in-pad (VIPPO) is recommended for inner balls to route out signals cleanly; for prototypes, dog-bone vias with 0.15mm drill and 0.3mm pad are acceptable. Reflow profile must use JEDEC J-STD-020 lead-free profile with peak 245C; nitrogen atmosphere is preferred to reduce solder ball oxidation.
Transceiver channels (GXB) must be routed with controlled-impedance differential pairs (100 ohms differential) over a continuous ground reference plane. Length matching within a channel should hold to under 0.127mm (5 mil) of mismatch between P and N. Per the Cyclone IV GX Handbook, skew between transceiver channels should not exceed 25 ps to maintain 8b/10b encoded link margins. Place AC-coupling capacitors (0.1uF X7R) within 5mm of the transmitter side; do not omit AC coupling or 3.125 Gbps link margins will be compromised.
Do not assume the 'C8' speed grade designation implies pin or package compatibility with non-GX Cyclone IV devices (e.g., Cyclone IV E 'EP4CE50F23C8N'). Although they share the same F484 ball count, the ball assignments differ because the GX family routes out 8 transceiver channels that the E family does not have. Also: MSEL pins must be correctly pulled (per Altera Configuration Handbook) to select AS, PS, JTAG, or Fast Passive Parallel modes; incorrect MSEL latches the FPGA into an unexpected configuration state on power-up.
For DDR2/DDR3 memory interfaces, follow the Cyclone IV external memory interface pin-out guidelines strictly: address/command/control signals must be routed on matched-length traces (within +/- 25 ps of each other), and data byte lanes must be byte-grouped to share a DQS/DQSn strobe. Use 50-ohm single-ended controlled impedance to the memory, with VTT termination (0.5 x VCCIO) on the address/command bus. Quartus Prime's Fitter will produce specific pin assignments and termination guidance per interface; do not override these without an SI simulation.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Altera/Intel product environmental information. JEDEC J-STD-020 lead-free reflow profile required (peak 245C). Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive applications consider the EP4CGX50CF23I7N industrial temperature variant which is commonly used in non-automotive harsh environments but is still not AEC-Q100.
