EP4CGX50DF27C7 - Cyclone IV GX FPGA, 49,888 LE, 672-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CGX50DF27C7 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $86.5 | $86.50 |
| 10 | $78.2 | $782.00 |
| 100 | $65.4 | $6,540.00 |
| 500 | $56.8 | $28,400.00 |
| 1,000 | $49.1 | $49,100.00 |
EP4CGX50DF27C7 Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a class of programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks (LBs), programmable interconnect, and dedicated hard IP such as transceivers, PLLs, and memory blocks. FPGAs sit within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices -> programmable logic -> digital integrated circuits -> semiconductors. The Cyclone IV GX series is positioned as the lowest-cost, lowest-power FPGA family with integrated transceivers, targeting serial connectivity, video, and industrial bridging designs.
Key features of the EP4CGX50DF27C7 include 49,888 logic elements, 2,562,048 embedded RAM bits, eight 3.125 Gbps multi-gigabit transceivers, dedicated hardware multipliers (DSP blocks) for DSP arithmetic, and up to 310 user I/O. The FBGA-672 package uses an exposed-die top-side marking and supports 1.2 V core operation with separate transceiver PLL supplies. Power optimization features include power-saving hot-socketing support and Quartus II-driven core-static-power analysis.
The device architecture pairs a 60 nm low-power core fabric with hard IP including PCI Express Gen1 hard IP, external memory controllers (DDR/DDR2/QDRII), and eight full-duplex transceiver channels. The transceiver PHY supports multiple protocols (PCIe, GbE, Serial RapidIO, SDI, CPRI) with per-channel configuration, allowing one FPGA to bridge multiple serial standards simultaneously.
Typical applications include industrial machine vision and video bridging, low-cost PCIe endpoint cards, serial RapidIO point-to-point links, video surveillance encoding, USB3.0/JTAG-based system bridging, and low-volume ASIC prototyping. The combination of low unit cost and integrated transceivers makes the EP4CGX50 family a popular choice for cost-driven high-volume designs.
When designing with this FPGA, use the Quartus II design suite (Cyclone IV device support in versions 13.0 and later, with current Intel Quartus Prime retaining compatibility) for synthesis, place-and-route, and power analysis. Note that this part is now in Intel's legacy FPGA portfolio and Intel recommends migrating to Cyclone V GX or Cyclone 10 LP for new designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX50DF27C7 — 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 EP4CGX50DF27C7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Transceivers, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Embedded 18x18 Multipliers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX50DF27C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$155 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50CF27C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX150DF27C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX110DF27C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$204.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX75DF27C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$96.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 |
| Logic Cells | 49,888 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,562,048 |
| Total RAM Bits | 2,562,048 (256 K x 8 / 32 K x 36 typical) |
| User I/O | 310 |
| Transceivers | 8 channels up to 3.125 Gbps |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Package | 672-ball FBGA (F27) |
| Pins / Balls | 672 |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (FBGA) |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CGX50DF27C7 672-ball fbga (f27) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX50DF27C7 (672-ball fbga (f27) 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 EP4CGX50DF27C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX50DF27C7 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Machine Vision & Camera Link Bridging, PCIe Endpoint Card for Industrial PCs, Serial RapidIO Industrial Backplane Switch, Low-Cost ASIC Prototyping Platform, Video Surveillance Encoding & Transmission, Wireless Baseband / SDR Front-End Bridging.
Industrial Machine Vision & Camera Link Bridging
The EP4CGX50DF27C7's 8 transceivers at 3.125 Gbps and 310 user I/O make it ideal for industrial machine vision systems requiring Camera Link, CoaXPress, or GigE Vision aggregation. The 49,888 logic elements handle image pre-processing pipelines, while the DDR2 memory controller buffers high-bandwidth image data. The 60 nm low-power process keeps junction temperature within industrial limits without bulky heatsinks, and the C7 speed grade provides timing margin for 148.5 MHz pixel clocks used in 1080p60 vision pipelines.
Recommended
PCIe Endpoint Card for Industrial PCs
The EP4CGX50DF27C7 includes a hard PCI Express Gen1 endpoint block, enabling direct PCIe x1/x4 endpoint designs without soft IP cost. The eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers support PCIe Gen1 lanes, while the embedded transceiver logic handles 8b/10b encoding and PIPE alignment. This FPGA is widely deployed in PCIe data acquisition cards, low-cost frame grabbers, and industrial control cards. The 2,562,048 bits of embedded RAM provide DMA descriptor storage without external memory for small packet workloads.
Recommended
Serial RapidIO Industrial Backplane Switch
Serial RapidIO (sRIO) operates at 1.25/2.5/3.125 Gbps per lane, fully supported by the EP4CGX50DF27C7's eight transceivers. This FPGA can implement a 4x sRIO endpoint or a small 8-port sRIO switch for industrial DSP clusters (DSP/FPGA coprocessing, software-defined radio baseband). The 49,888 logic elements are sufficient for an 8-port sRIO switch with cut-through routing, error recovery, and maintenance transactions. JTAG-based debug via the hard USB-Blaster interface eases bring-up.
Recommended
Low-Cost ASIC Prototyping Platform
With 49,888 logic elements and 2,562,048 bits of embedded memory, the EP4CGX50DF27C7 fits mid-complexity ASIC prototyping (e.g., a sub-100k-gate ASIC verified at full speed). The eight transceivers allow real-world SERDES verification at production rates, while abundant user I/O expose ASIC peripherals. Quartus II supports incremental compilation, partitioning large ASICs across multiple Cyclone IV GX devices. Use the F27 672-FBGA package for high-density prototyping boards with abundant GPIO headers.
Recommended
Video Surveillance Encoding & Transmission
The EP4CGX50DF27C7 handles H.264 encoding at 720p30 with the 60 nm fabric, plus H.264 HD encoding at lower frame rates when paired with an external DDR2. The eight transceivers aggregate multiple IP-camera streams via GbE or HD-SDI (1.485 Gbps), making the device ideal for multi-channel DVRs and NVRs. Embedded RAM blocks serve as line buffers and reference frame storage for motion estimation, while the F27 FBGA package supports 4-layer PCB designs with controlled-impedance routing.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband / SDR Front-End Bridging
Software-defined radio front-ends (LTE small cells, military radio, public-safety radio) require serial digital conversion between ADC/DAC and a host CPU. The EP4CGX50DF27C7's eight 3.125 Gbps transceivers can interface directly to JESD204B converters and high-speed DACs, while the 49,888 logic elements implement channelization, DDC/DUC, and CPRI fronthaul. The 1.2 V core and power-saving features suit thermally constrained outdoor base-station deployments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX50DF27C7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX50DF27C6N | EP4CGX50CF27C8N | EP4CGX150DF27C7N | EP4CGX110DF27C7N | EP4CGX75DF27C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 672-FBGA (F27) | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 | 49,888 | 49,888 | 149,760 | 109,424 | 73,920 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 | 2,562,048 | 6,480,000 | 5,121,024 | 3,153,600 |
| User I/O | 310 | 310 | 310 | 310 | 310 | 310 |
| Transceivers | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps |
| Speed Grade | C7 | C6 (slower) | C8 (faster) | C7 | C7 | C7 |
| Temperature Range | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Process / Core Voltage | 60 nm / 1.2 V | 60 nm / 1.2 V | 60 nm / 1.2 V | 60 nm / 1.2 V | 60 nm / 1.2 V | 60 nm / 1.2 V |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-speed bin (C7) at the lowest commercial cost (vs EP4CGX50DF27C6N)
- Mid-density sweet spot vs flagship 150K LE (vs EP4CGX150DF27C7N)
- Integrated 3.125 Gbps transceivers vs Cyclone IV E (vs EP4CE55F29C7N)
- 8 transceiver channels in same F27 package (vs EP4CGX30CF19C7N)
Design Notes
The EP4CGX50DF27C7 requires four separate power rails: VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCA (2.5 V transceiver analog), VCCIO (per-bank, 1.2-3.3 V), and VCCD_PLL (1.2 V digital PLL). Power sequencing is critical - the 60 nm process requires VCCINT to ramp before the transceiver PLLs to avoid latch-up. Use the Altera-recommended power sequencer (e.g., LTM4619) or design a discrete RC-delay sequencing network. Always include a 100 nF decoupling cap adjacent to every VCCINT ball and a 0402-size 0.1 uF cap next to each VCCIO ball, with bulk 22 uF/47 uF tantalum caps on each rail.
The 672-FBGA package has a published junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) of approximately 12 C/W with a JEDEC-standard 8-layer test board. Estimated: at full transceiver utilization (all 8 channels at 3.125 Gbps, 75% logic utilization, ~50% switching), the device dissipates ~3.5-4 W. This yields a junction temperature rise of ~42-48 C above ambient. For reliable commercial-temperature operation, the FPGA case temperature must remain below 85 C, which requires adequate forced-air cooling or large copper thermal pads on the PCB. Do not rely on free convection at the upper edge of the temperature range.
The 672-FBGA F27 package has a 1.0 mm ball pitch, requiring laser-drilled microvias or 0.4 mm via-in-pad on the BGA fan-out. Use a 4-8 layer stackup with controlled-impedance 50 ohm single-ended and 100 ohm differential striplines for transceiver channels. Each transceiver channel needs a dedicated AC-coupling capacitor within 5 mm of the FPGA ball, and transmitter output traces must be length-matched within +/- 0.13 mm (5 mil) for 3.125 Gbps. Reference the Cyclone IV GX Device Handbook pin-out tables to map transceiver balls to specific LVDS lanes.
Do not confuse the EP4CGX50DF27C7 (Cyclone IV GX) with the EP4CE50F27C7 (Cyclone IV E) - they share the F27 package but the Cyclone IV E has no transceivers. Pinout is incompatible for transceiver balls. Also avoid confusing the F27 package (672-FBGA) with the F31 package (896-FBGA) - both are valid Cyclone IV GX packages but pin count differs. When migrating to Cyclone V GX, do not assume pin compatibility; the 5CGXFC5C7F27 is the same F27 footprint but uses a 28 nm process and 1.1 V core, requiring new power rails and Quartus Prime design flow.
For PCIe Gen1 at 2.5 Gbps, use the dedicated PCIe hard IP block (not soft IP) - this avoids the soft-IP timing overhead and provides hardened PCS and PMA functions. For 3.125 Gbps non-PCIe protocols (sRIO, GbE, CPRI, SDI), implement the PCS in soft logic using the ALTGX transceiver IP megafunction. Eye-diagram pre-emphasis and de-emphasis should be configured via the ALTGX megafunction wizard using the post-board signal-integrity simulation results. Always route transceiver power (VCCT, VCCR) symmetrically to avoid PCB current return-path imbalance.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Cyclone IV GX product family documentation. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an FPGA not an automotive-qualified IC. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the available data - set to unknown per data authenticity rules.
