EP4SGX180KF40I3N - 180K LEs Stratix IV GX FPGA | Intel
MPN: EP4SGX180KF40I3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1750 | $17,500.00 |
| 100 | $1620 | $162,000.00 |
| 500 | $1495 | $747,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $1380 | $1,380,000.00 |
EP4SGX180KF40I3N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, DSP slices, and programmable interconnect that lets designers implement arbitrary digital functions after PCB fabrication. Stratix IV GX extends this architecture with multi-gigabit transceivers (MGTs) and dedicated PCI Express hard IP blocks, classifying it as a high-end transceiver-equipped FPGA. Within the broader hierarchy, this places the EP4SGX180KF40I3N in the Stratix family > Cyclone/Stratix tier > Intel/Altera programmable-logic portfolio > semiconductor IC.
Key features include a maximum operating frequency supported by 8-input adaptive logic modules (ALMs), support for external memory interfaces including DDR3 SDRAM up to 800 MHz, and up to 8 PCIe Gen1 hard IP blocks. The Flip-Chip BGA package provides a high-ball-count interconnect necessary for the 744 user I/Os. According to the original Altera Stratix IV GX family datasheet, transceivers support CPRI, OBSAI, Serial RapidIO, PCIe Gen1/Gen2, and Gigabit Ethernet protocols out of the box.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications line cards, wireless baseband processing, military radar systems, broadcast video infrastructure, and high-performance ASIC prototyping. The 175K LE capacity makes the EP4SGX180KF40I3N particularly suitable for designs that previously required an ASIC but need the time-to-market advantage of programmable logic. Designers frequently pair this FPGA with external DDR3 memory, multi-gigabit serial interfaces, and high-speed ADC/DAC converters for digital signal processing workloads.
When designing with this part, engineers should plan PCB layout for the 1517-ball FC-FBGA package carefully, including controlled-impedance routing for the MGT channels, matched-length differential pairs, and proper decoupling. Designers should also note that this device is now considered obsolete per multiple distributor listings (see lifecycle_status), so new designs should consider Stratix V, Stratix 10, or Agilex families for long-term availability.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing snapshots, drop-in same-package alternatives, and PCB design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet to help engineers evaluate the EP4SGX180KF40I3N for both new and legacy designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX180KF40I3N — 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 EP4SGX180KF40I3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX180KF40C4G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1245 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX180KF40C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX180KF40I4N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4SGX230KF40I3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3520 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX290KF40I3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4SGX180KF40I3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix IV GX |
| Family | Stratix IV |
| Logic Elements | 175,750 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 70,300 |
| Total Memory Bits | 13,954,048 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 744 |
| Package | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Supply Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| Speed Grade | 3 |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 3.125 Gbps |
| DSP Blocks | Yes (hardware multiplier-accumulators) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4SGX180KF40I3N 1517-bbga, fcbga (flip-chip bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX180KF40I3N (1517-bbga, fcbga (flip-chip bga) 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 EP4SGX180KF40I3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX180KF40I3N is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, Telecommunications Line Cards, Broadcast Video Infrastructure, Military Radar and Signal Intelligence, High-Performance ASIC Prototyping, Industrial Test and Measurement.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP4SGX180KF40I3N is well-suited for wireless baseband processing in 4G LTE and LTE-Advanced base-station line cards. The device's 175,750 logic elements and 13.9 Mbits of embedded memory (M9K + M144K blocks) provide ample resources for FFT/iFFT engines, channel coding/decoding (turbo, LDPC), and MIMO processing pipelines. The integrated multi-gigabit transceivers operating up to 3.125 Gbps handle CPRI and OBSAI fronthaul links to remote radio heads without external PHY devices. The 744 user I/Os provide generous parallel interfaces for ADC/DAC sample data, while the industrial temperature grade supports outdoor cabinet installations.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
Designers use the EP4SGX180KF40I3N as a traffic-manager / packet-processor on multi-Gigabit telecom line cards. Its hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 IP blocks allow direct attachment to host processors, while the multi-gigabit transceivers connect to SFP+/XFP optical modules for 10 Gbps uplink aggregation. The 40 nm process and 0.9 V core voltage keep power consumption manageable in dense chassis designs. The 1517-ball FC-FBGA package supports the high pin count required for parallel TCAM/RLDRAM III lookups in deep-pipeline forwarding engines.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Infrastructure
The EP4SGX180KF40I3N is widely deployed in broadcast video routers, format converters, and 3G-SDI / HD-SDI signal-processing cards. Its transceivers support SDI rates up to 2.97 Gbps (3G-SDI) with deterministic latency, while the abundant on-chip memory enables line buffers for cross-point switching and color-space conversion. The industrial temperature grade ensures reliable operation in environmentally controlled broadcast facilities. Designers pair this FPGA with external DDR3 SDRAM for frame-store memory and HDMI/SDI serializer/deserializer companions.
Recommended
Military Radar and Signal Intelligence
Defense integrators use the EP4SGX180KF40I3N for radar pulse-Doppler processing and electronic-warfare (EW) signal-intelligence receivers. The 175K logic elements support real-time FFT-based spectral analysis, while the integrated transceivers handle direct digitization of IF signals after appropriate ADC front-ends. The industrial temperature grade and 40 nm process provide the reliability margin required for military programs. Conformal coating and ruggedized packaging options can be specified for deployed systems.
Recommended
High-Performance ASIC Prototyping
Design teams use the EP4SGX180KF40I3N as a vehicle for ASIC prototyping before committing to mask costs. The 175,750 logic elements map easily to mid-complexity ASIC netlists, and the abundant embedded memory emulates on-chip SRAM blocks with high fidelity. Multi-FPGA partitioning is supported via the multi-gigabit transceivers, which serve as high-speed chip-to-chip bridges in large emulation racks. Quartus II synthesis with Synplify or Precision RTL provides the ASIC correlation flow.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement
Test-equipment manufacturers use the EP4SGX180KF40I3N in protocol-aware test instruments such as Serial RapidIO analyzers, PCIe Gen2 exercisers, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet BERT testers. The integrated transceivers provide the physical interface, while the embedded DSP blocks accelerate pattern generation, error counting, and bit-error-rate calculations. Industrial temperature grade supports bench-top and rack-mounted laboratory environments with stable thermal characteristics. The 744 user I/Os accommodate parallel front-panel interfaces and backplane connectors.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX180KF40I3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX180KF40C4G | EP4SGX180KF40C2N | EP4SGX180KF40I4N | EP4SGX230KF40I3N | EP4SGX290KF40I3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 175,750 | 175,750 | 175,750 | 175,750 | 228,000 | 290,000 |
| Total Memory Bits | 13,954,048 | 13,954,048 | 13,954,048 | 13,954,048 | 17,133,312 | 21,553,664 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 744 | 744 | 744 | 744 | 744 | 744 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| Speed Grade | 3 (mid) | 4 (slow) | 2 (fast) | 4 (slow) | 3 (mid) | 3 (mid) |
| Transceiver Rate (max) | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps | 3.125 Gbps |
Key Differentiators
- Highest transceiver-equipped density at the 1517-ball FCBGA tier in the Stratix IV GX family (vs EP4SGX110KF40I3N)
- Industrial temperature grade vs commercial grade for harsh-environment deployment (vs EP4SGX180KF40C2N)
- Mid-tier speed grade 3 balances Fmax and power consumption (vs EP4SGX180KF40C4N)
Design Notes
The 1517-ball Flip-Chip BGA requires microvia PCB technology with laser-drilled vias and 1.0 mm or finer pitch escape routing. Use a minimum 12-layer stackup with dedicated ground and power planes adjacent to the FPGA balls for transceiver channel reference planes. Decoupling must include 0.1 uF, 1 uF, and 10 uF MLCC capacitors placed within 100 mils of the device power balls, with the smaller values closest to the package. Maintain 100 ohm differential impedance for MGT transmit and receive pairs.
Estimated: at full utilization (~80% logic toggle, 100% transceiver utilization), the EP4SGX180KF40I3N can dissipate between 8 W and 12 W of total power. With theta_JA of approximately 0.5 C/W using a standard air-cooled heatsink and adequate airflow (200 LFM), this yields a junction temperature rise of 4 C to 6 C above ambient. Always populate the thermal pad (central ball array) with sufficient thermal vias to a dedicated internal copper plane for heat spreading.
Multi-gigabit transceiver channels are extremely sensitive to impedance discontinuities. Use 100 ohm differential routing for all MGT pairs, maintain intra-pair length matching within 5 mils, and avoid routing transceiver pairs across PCB splits or via stubs. Reference the Altera Stratix IV GX Transceiver User Guide for pre-emphasis and equalization settings, and always perform post-layout signal-integrity simulation with the IBIS-AMI models.
Do not assume all Stratix IV GX FPGAs in the 1517-ball FCBGA package are pin-compatible across density grades; the EP4SGX180KF40I3N, EP4SGX230KF40I3N, and EP4SGX290KF40I3N share the same 1517-ball footprint, but the EP4SGX110KF40 variants use different pin assignments. Always verify against the device-specific Pin-Out File before committing to PCB layout. Also note the part is obsolete - new designs should target Stratix V, Stratix 10, or Agilex families.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per multiple distributor listings (icchip.net and DigiKey). AEC-Q100 not applicable - FPGAs are not qualified to automotive stress standards; for automotive applications, refer to the Cyclone V or MAX 10 families. Halogen-free and conflict-minerals status not stated explicitly in the provided data.