EP4CGX50DF23C7N - Cyclone IV GX FPGA 49,888 Cells | Intel FPGA
MPN: EP4CGX50DF23C7N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $62.4 | $62.40 |
| 10 | $58.15 | $581.50 |
| 100 | $52.3 | $5,230.00 |
| 500 | $47.85 | $23,925.00 |
| 1,000 | $43.2 | $43,200.00 |
EP4CGX50DF23C7N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) connected through a programmable interconnect fabric. Cyclone IV GX FPGAs belong to the low-cost, low-power FPGA category within Intel's programmable-logic hierarchy, adding embedded transceivers for high-speed serial I/O. The EP4CGX50DF23C7N therefore fits the mid-density segment of the Cyclone IV GX family, balancing logic capacity with integrated serial connectivity for cost-sensitive applications.
Key features of the EP4CGX50DF23C7N include 2,432 Kbits of embedded memory, 66 embedded 18x18 multipliers, two PLLs, four general-purpose clock networks, and up to eight integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers. The device also includes eight low-skew global clock networks, supports external memory interfaces up to DDR2 SDRAM, and offers configuration via passive serial (PS), active serial (AS), and JTAG modes for flexible in-system programming.
Built on a 60 nm CMOS process with a 1.2 V core, the EP4CGX50DF23C7N delivers a strong performance-per-watt ratio versus earlier Cyclone generations. The integrated transceivers reduce bill-of-materials cost and board area by eliminating external PHY devices, while 8 Mb of total embedded RAM (Rowhammer-optimized) supports buffering and packet processing at line rate. The 484-ball FBGA package provides high pin density for space-constrained designs.
Typical applications for the EP4CGX50DF23C7N include industrial video-broadcast equipment, low-cost protocol-bridge ASIC replacements, USB 3.0 and PCIe Gen1 endpoint cards, motor-control and industrial automation backplanes, and wireless-baseband pre-processing. The integrated transceivers make it especially attractive for designers replacing ASSPs that have reached end-of-life without moving to a more expensive mid-range FPGA.
When designing with this device, verify that your pinout and JTAG chain are compatible with the Quartus II toolchain (version 13.1 or later recommended for Cyclone IV). Leave the GND and VCCINT balls connected with low-impedance vias, and add sufficient bulk-decoupling close to the transceiver power islands. The device is not leaded-free Pb-process compatible - choose the Pb-free EP4CGX50DF23C7N variant for RoHS-compliant designs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative OPNs from the same Cyclone IV GX family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX50DF23C7N — 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 EP4CGX50DF23C7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Transceivers, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX50CF23C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$56.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF23C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.3 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF23C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$55.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF23C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 3,118 |
| Total RAM Bits | 2,432 Kbit (≈ 304 KB) |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 66 |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Global Clock Networks | 8 (with up to 16 clock pins per region) |
| Number of I/O Pins | 290 |
| Transceivers | Up to 8 channels, 3.125 Gbps |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (nominal 1.2 V) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (Plastic BGA, S-PBGA-B484, 23x23 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial (PS), Active Serial (AS), JTAG |
| Supported Memory Interfaces | DDR2 SDRAM, QDRII SRAM, RLDRAM II |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free variant) |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
EP4CGX50DF23C7N 484-ball fbga (plastic bga, s-pbga-b484, 23x23 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX50DF23C7N (484-ball fbga (plastic bga, s-pbga-b484, 23x23 mm) 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 EP4CGX50DF23C7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX50DF23C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Video Broadcast Bridge, Low-Cost PCIe Gen1 Endpoint Card, Motor Control and Industrial Automation Backplane, USB 3.0 Host/Peripheral Protocol Bridge, Wireless Baseband Pre-Processing, ASIC Replacement / OPN Drop-In Migration.
Industrial Video Broadcast Bridge
The EP4CGX50DF23C7N is well matched to industrial video-broadcast bridges that convert SDI, HDMI, or DisplayPort streams to network-attached media. Its 49,888 logic elements, 2,432 Kbits of embedded RAM, and 66 dedicated 18x18 multipliers provide the parallel processing headroom needed for color-space conversion, scaling, and on-the-fly OSD overlay. The eight integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers eliminate external PHYs and simplify board layout, while the 290 user I/Os are sufficient to drive HDMI 1.4b (up to 1080p60) plus GPIOs for front-panel control. Designers can implement a 4-lane PCIe Gen1 endpoint for host hand-off using Altera's soft PCIe IP, reducing BOM cost versus a discrete ASSP+FPGA two-chip solution.
Recommended
Low-Cost PCIe Gen1 Endpoint Card
Designers building low-cost PCIe Gen1 endpoint cards (data-acquisition, industrial-control, single-board computers) routinely select the EP4CGX50DF23C7N. Its integrated transceivers support 2.5 Gbps PCIe Gen1 with no external PHY required, and 49,888 logic elements plus 66 multipliers are enough to implement a custom DMA engine alongside soft PCIe IP. The 290 user I/Os drive multiple GPIO banks and DDR2 SODIMM memory, while the 484-ball FBGA keeps board area compact. Quartus II 13.1+ provides full PCIe Compiler support, and the 1.2 V core rail simplifies power-tree design.
Recommended
Motor Control and Industrial Automation Backplane
The EP4CGX50DF23C7N fits motor-control and industrial-automation backplanes where multiple encoder, resolver, and EtherCAT-style channels must be processed in parallel. Its 49,888 logic elements handle multi-axis PID loops and SVPWM generation, while the 66 dedicated 18x18 multipliers accelerate Clarke/Park transforms in software-free latency budgets. The 290 user I/Os provide isolated digital inputs and PWM outputs to dozens of axes, and the 0 °C to 85 °C operating range is well-matched to factory-floor chassis. The 484-ball FBGA's high pin density keeps the backplane small enough to fit in DIN-rail housings.
Recommended
USB 3.0 Host/Peripheral Protocol Bridge
The EP4CGX50DF23C7N's 3.125 Gbps transceivers combined with 49,888 logic elements make it a practical host for a USB 3.0-to-Gigabit-Ethernet or USB 3.0-to-SATA protocol bridge. Designers can implement the USB 3.0 UTMI/ULPI interface in fabric while the integrated transceivers drive a 5 Gbps PHY companion (USB 3.0 Gen1) or fall back to a USB 2.0 HS/FS/LS PHY for legacy devices. The 2,432 Kbits of embedded RAM buffers bursts without external SRAM, and the 290 user I/Os support two SATA ports plus a Gigabit Ethernet MAC. The 484-ball FBGA provides ample signal integrity margin for the high-speed serial lanes.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Pre-Processing
Wireless-infrastructure designers leverage the EP4CGX50DF23C7N for pre-processing tasks such as CPRI/OBSAI framer termination, digital predistortion (DPD) feedback loops, and crest-factor reduction (CFR) in small-cell and picocell base stations. The integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers accept CPRI line-rate streams without an external PHY, and the 66 embedded 18x18 multipliers handle the DPD coefficient multiplication in real time at 30.72 MHz LTE sample rate. The 2,432 Kbits of embedded RAM support packet buffering between the framer and the baseband ASIC. The 1.2 V core rail keeps per-unit power within small-cell thermal envelopes.
Recommended
ASIC Replacement / OPN Drop-In Migration
When a legacy ASSP reaches end-of-life, the EP4CGX50DF23C7N is a common drop-in for cost-reduced re-spins because it preserves the 484-ball FBGA footprint and exposes equivalent I/O count. Engineers can port register-transfer-level (RTL) designs from the EOL ASSP and re-target them in Quartus II within weeks, reusing the same PCB and JTAG chain. The 49,888 logic elements handle most mid-range ASSP workloads, and the embedded transceivers replace any retired high-speed serial peripherals. The C-speed grade 7 variant (EP4CGX50CF23C7N) is also available on the XAIPART catalog as a pin-compatible second source for dual-sourcing strategies.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX50DF23C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX50CF23C7N | EP4CGX50CF23C8N | EP4CGX50CF23C6N | EP4CGX50DF23C6N | EP4CGX50CF23C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (F23, 23x23 mm) | 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 | 7 (commercial) | 7 (commercial) | 8 (commercial, faster) | 6 (commercial, slower) | 6 (commercial, slower) | 7 (commercial, tray) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) |
| Core Voltage | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (1.2 V nominal) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (1.2 V nominal) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (1.2 V nominal) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (1.2 V nominal) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (1.2 V nominal) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V (1.2 V nominal) |
| Transceivers | Up to 8 (3.125 Gbps) | Up to 4 (3.125 Gbps) | Up to 4 (3.125 Gbps) | Up to 4 (3.125 Gbps) | Up to 8 (3.125 Gbps) | Up to 4 (3.125 Gbps) |
| User I/O Pins | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 |
| Embedded RAM | 2,432 Kbit | 2,432 Kbit | 2,432 Kbit | 2,432 Kbit | 2,432 Kbit | 2,432 Kbit |
Key Differentiators
- Highest transceiver count in the EP4CGX50 family for this package (vs EP4CGX50CF23C7N)
- Pin-and-logic-compatible with all commercial-speed-grade drop-ins (vs EP4CGX50CF23C8N)
- Mid-density sweet spot vs larger Cyclone IV GX devices (vs EP4CGX75DF23C7N)
Design Notes
The EP4CGX50DF23C7N requires three independent power rails: VCCINT (1.15-1.25 V core), VCCIO (per-bank I/O voltage, 1.2/1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V), and VCCA/VCCP (transceiver and PLL analog rails, typically 2.5 V plus a clean 1.4 V LDO). Estimated: at full logic utilization plus all eight transceivers active at 3.125 Gbps, total board power can reach 4-5 W - budget for a small heatsink or 4-layer PCB with dedicated inner copper pours. Decoupling must include a 100 uF bulk cap per rail plus 0.1 uF + 1 nF high-frequency ceramics at every power pin pair.
The 484-ball FBGA package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch and a 23x23 mm body. A 4-layer stack-up with a continuous GND plane directly under the device is mandatory to control impedance and to provide a thermal spreader. All transceiver lane pairs must be routed as length-matched 100 ohm differential pairs on the top layer with no more than two vias; keep total skew below 5 ps. Pin 1 is identified by a beveled corner and a silk-screen dot - orient the package exactly as shown in the Altera/Intel footprint library to avoid mirrored placement.
Estimated: the speed-grade 7 variant is the most commonly available and gives the best cost/availability balance. The 8-speed grade only tightens internal timing margins and is NOT required for most designs targeting 200 MHz fabric operation. A common mistake is selecting the 'I' (industrial, -40 to +100 °C) variant when commercial temperature is sufficient - industrial OPNs are 15-25 % more expensive and frequently have longer lead times. Verify that MSL-3 handling is in place before assembly, since the device absorbs moisture at room humidity.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant Pb-free variant per Altera/Intel product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive applications, industrial or extended-temperature variants would be required.
