EP4CGX50DF27I7 - Cyclone IV GX FPGA, 49,888 LE, 672-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP4CGX50DF27I7 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $165 | $165.00 |
| 10 | $148.5 | $1,485.00 |
| 100 | $132 | $13,200.00 |
| 500 | $115.5 | $57,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $99 | $99,000.00 |
EP4CGX50DF27I7 Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose digital logic function is defined by the user after manufacturing. In the wider programmable-logic hierarchy, an FPGA sits above simple CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices) and below ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), bridging the gap between low-density glue logic and high-volume custom silicon. The Cyclone IV GX family adds hardened multi-gigabit transceivers, which historically were reserved for higher-end Stratix devices, while keeping the Cyclone line's low static and dynamic power positioning.
Key features include 49,888 logic elements, 2,562,048 bits (approximately 2.44 Mbit) of embedded RAM organized as 9 kbit M9K blocks, an on-chip 4 Kbit per-memory block, 56 embedded 18x18 multipliers, and up to eight 3.125 Gbps multi-gigabit transceivers (MGTs) for protocols such as PCIe Gen1, GigE, SRIO, and CPRI. The device also offers dedicated hard IP for PCI Express Gen1 (x1/x2/x4) and supports JTAG-based configuration via the 1.2 V core supply. The -I7 speed/temperature grade provides an industrial junction range from -40 C to +100 C and a faster speed grade than C7/C8 variants.
The architecture combines an SRAM-based 4-input LUT fabric, embedded multipliers, and M9K memory blocks, all tied together by a multi-track interconnect with row and column routing. The hardened PCIe Gen1 controller and multi-gigabit transceivers enable direct interfacing to backplanes, SFP/SFP+ cages, and high-speed ADCs/DACs without requiring external PHY silicon, which simplifies board layout and reduces BOM cost.
Typical applications include industrial video surveillance with image-sensor aggregation, low-cost PCIe endpoint cards, multi-protocol serial-link bridges (SRIO, CPRI, OBSAI), motor control and factory automation with FPGA co-processing, and small-form-factor software-defined radio (SDR) front ends. The -I7 industrial grade also makes it acceptable for outdoor or uncontrolled-temperature installations.
Designers should note that a 672-ball FBGA requires Xilinx-class PCB fabrication: microvia stack-ups, laser-drilled blind vias, controlled-impedance routing for the 3.125 Gbps lanes, and decoupling density of approximately one 0.1 uF cap per five pins are recommended for signal integrity and power integrity.
This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, drop-in same-family Cyclone IV GX alternatives, and design notes that complement - but do not duplicate - the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4CGX50DF27I7 — 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 EP4CGX50DF27I7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Embedded Memory, Transceivers, Speed Grade, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4CGX50DF27I6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$49.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$58.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$85.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$49.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$155 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4CGX50DF27I7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 LE |
| Embedded Memory | 2,562,048 bits (2.44 Mbit) / 250 M9K blocks of 9 Kbit |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 3,118 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 56 |
| User I/Os | 310 |
| Number of Transceivers | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) |
| PCIe Hard IP | 1 Gen1 controller (x1/x2/x4) |
| Process Technology | 60 nm |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +100 C (industrial I7 grade) |
| Package | 672-ball FBGA (F27, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Method | SRAM-based, JTAG/AS/PS |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4CGX50DF27I7 672-ball fbga (f27, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4CGX50DF27I7 (672-ball fbga (f27, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) 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 EP4CGX50DF27I7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4CGX50DF27I7 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Video Surveillance Aggregation, Low-Cost PCIe Endpoint Card, Multi-Protocol Serial-Link Bridge, Industrial Motor Control and Factory Automation, Small-Form-Factor Software-Defined Radio Front End, Automotive Infotainment and Driver-Assist Co-Processor.
Industrial Video Surveillance Aggregation
The EP4CGX50DF27I7 fits industrial multi-camera video aggregation because it combines 49,888 logic elements for pixel-pipeline processing with 8 multi-gigabit transceivers running up to 3.125 Gbps for serialized sensor links. Up to four camera streams can be merged and forwarded over a single 3 Gbps link to a host NVR. The -I7 industrial temperature range tolerates -40 C to +100 C junction temperatures inside outdoor NEMA enclosures, and the 310 user I/Os accept GPIO from PTZ drivers, IR cut filters, and tamper switches without external muxing.
Recommended
Low-Cost PCIe Endpoint Card
The EP4CGX50DF27I7 is well-matched to low-cost PCIe Gen1 endpoint cards because it integrates a hardened PCIe Gen1 controller (x1, x2, or x4 lane configuration) directly into the silicon. The 8 transceivers handle the PCIe physical layer plus auxiliary GigE or SRIO side-channels for data acquisition. The 49,888 LEs are sufficient for protocol-bridging firmware, custom DMA engines, and lightweight preprocessing without needing a separate host CPU.
Recommended
Multi-Protocol Serial-Link Bridge
The 8 multi-gigabit transceivers of EP4CGX50DF27I7 simultaneously support SRIO, CPRI, OBSAI, and basic SDI, making the part ideal as a small-form-factor protocol bridge between an SFP/SFP+ cage and a baseband ASIC. Up to 3.125 Gbps per lane covers most wireless backhaul and base-station fronthaul rates below CPRI option 4. The 56 embedded 18x18 multipliers accelerate any forward-error-correction or encryption firmware running on the bridge.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control and Factory Automation
Industrial servo and variable-frequency drives benefit from EP4CGX50DF27I7 because the 56 dedicated 18x18 hardware multipliers accelerate field-oriented-control (FOC) math while the 250 M9K memory blocks store observer states and PWM look-up tables. The -I7 industrial temperature grade tolerates cabinet environments from -40 C to +100 C junction, and the 310 user I/Os accept encoder (A, B, Z), Hall-sensor, and PWM signals directly without external muxing.
Recommended
Small-Form-Factor Software-Defined Radio Front End
Software-defined radio front ends up to about 30 MHz instantaneous bandwidth map efficiently onto EP4CGX50DF27I7: the 49,888 LEs run FIR filters and DDC/DUC stages, the 56 hardware multipliers handle polyphase filterbanks, and the multi-gigabit transceivers stream ADC/DAC data to a host CPU over CPRI or a custom LVDS link. The -I7 industrial temperature grade supports outdoor and vehicular SDR enclosures.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment and Driver-Assist Co-Processor
In-cabin driver-assist and infotainment subsystems use EP4CGX50DF27I7 as a co-processor to a host SoC: 49,888 LEs handle image scaling, overlay, and pixel-format conversion, while the 8 multi-gigabit transceivers feed raw camera data into the FPGA at rates of 1.5 to 3 Gbps. The industrial -I7 temperature grade supports behind-dash thermal environments, and the PCIe hard IP allows the FPGA to sit on a PCIe Gen1 endpoint bus behind the SoC.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4CGX50DF27I7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4CGX50DF27I6N | EP4CGX50DF27C8N | EP4CGX50DF27C7N | EP4CGX50DF27C8 | EP4CGX50DF27C7 | EP4CGX50DF27C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-FBGA (F27, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same | 672-FBGA (F27) - same |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Speed/Temperature Grade | -I7 (industrial, fastest) | -I6 (industrial, mid) | -C8 (commercial, fastest) | -C7 (commercial, mid) | -C8 (commercial, fastest, non-Pb-free) | -C7 (commercial, mid, non-Pb-free) | -C6 (commercial, slowest) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +100 C (junction) | -40 C to +100 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C |
| Logic Elements | 49,888 LE | 49,888 LE | 49,888 LE | 49,888 LE | 49,888 LE | 49,888 LE | 49,888 LE |
| Multi-Gigabit Transceivers | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) | 8 (up to 3.125 Gbps) |
| Embedded Memory | 2,562,048 bits | 2,562,048 bits | 2,562,048 bits | 2,562,048 bits | 2,562,048 bits | 2,562,048 bits | 2,562,048 bits |
| Lead-Free (Pb-Free) | No (no N suffix on base MPN) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | No | No | Yes (N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed/temperature grade in the F27 footprint (vs EP4CGX50DF27C8N)
- Drop-in compatibility across the EP4CGX50 F27 family (vs EP4CGX110DF27I7N)
- Integrated PCIe Gen1 hard IP without external PHY (vs EP4CGX50CF27I7N (transceiver-less variant))
Design Notes
The 672-ball F27 BGA uses a 1.0 mm pitch, which requires a PCB with microvia stack-up (laser-drilled blind or stacked vias) for fan-out. Recommended stack-ups: 4-6-4 or 6-8-6 with 0.4 mm via pad and 0.2 mm drill on inner layers. Through-via escape from inner rows (rows F and beyond) without microvias will fail assembly.
Each multi-gigabit transceiver lane at 3.125 Gbps requires controlled-impedance routing of 100 ohm differential (typical 85 ohm is also supported by the IP). Use 4 mil/8 mil (trace/gap) on the top microstrip layer with reference plane 4 mil below, and keep total skew between P and N below 5 mil. Series AC coupling capacitors (0.01 uF) must be placed within 1 inch of the transmitter ball pair.
Decoupling: place one 0.1 uF X7R 0402/0201 capacitor within 100 mil of every VCCINT and VCCA pin, and bulk 220 uF tantalum or polymer caps on each supply rail. Estimated core current at 100% utilization is on the order of 0.8-1.2 A from the 1.2 V VCCINT rail; use a switching regulator with <30 mV ripple for noise-sensitive analog mixed-signal designs.
The F27 FBGA has theta_JA in the order of 15-20 C/W with standard 4-layer JEDEC PCB and 0 m/s airflow. Estimated worst-case power dissipation of a fully utilized EP4CGX50DF27I7 is on the order of 2-3 W, which yields a junction-to-ambient temperature rise of approximately 30-60 C. Industrial -I7 designs must keep ambient below +70 C without active cooling to stay within the +100 C junction limit.
Configuration mode pin MSEL[3..0] must be set correctly (AS=0110, PS=0000, JTAG=1010) before power-up; otherwise the device will not enter user mode. The CONF_DONE pin should be pulled to 1.2 V through a 5 kohm resistor and observed for stuck-low condition, which indicates configuration failure. Do not float nCONFIG or nSTATUS - both must be pulled to 1.2 V through a 10 kohm resistor.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Cyclone IV GX product family documentation. Base MPN has no N suffix, indicating non-lead-free finish; for lead-free compliance, prefer the EP4CGX50DF27I7N variant. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (industrial, not automotive grade).
