EP4SGX360NF45C3 - 353K LE Stratix IV GX FPGA, 920 I/O, FCBGA-1932
MPN: EP4SGX360NF45C3 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4800 | $4,800.00 |
| 10 | $4550 | $45,500.00 |
| 100 | $4200 | $420,000.00 |
| 250 | $3950 | $987,500.00 |
| 500 | $3750 | $1,875,000.00 |
EP4SGX360NF45C3 Overview
What is an FPGA? An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device whose architecture consists of an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs/LABs), embedded memory blocks, DSP blocks, and programmable interconnect, all of which can be reconfigured by the designer after manufacture. FPGAs sit within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) -> logic ICs -> integrated circuits -> semiconductors, and they bridge the gap between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven processors by offering hardware-level parallelism with software-like design iteration.
Key features of the EP4SGX360NF45C3 include integrated transceivers supporting multi-gigabit serial protocols, hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 IP cores, up to 14,144 LABs for high logic capacity, dedicated DSP blocks for high-throughput signal processing, and 23,105,536 bits of embedded RAM for data buffering. The 'C3' speed grade and 'NF45' package designation identify the commercial temperature range and the 45 mm flip-chip BGA form factor.
The Stratix IV GX architecture is engineered for high-bandwidth, low-latency applications: it combines 6.5 Gbps transceivers, hardened PCIe Gen2 blocks, and rich logic/memory resources on a single die, enabling designers to replace multiple discrete components and reduce board complexity. The 40 nm process node balances static and dynamic power, while partial reconfiguration and dynamic phase rotation support adaptive system behavior.
Typical applications include high-speed data acquisition systems, 40G/100G optical transport line cards, wireless baseband processing, ASIC prototyping, broadcast video processing, and defense/aerospace signal intelligence platforms. The GX transceiver capability makes it particularly well suited for protocols such as PCIe Gen2, Serial RapidIO, XAUI, CEI-6G, and CPRI.
When designing with the EP4SGX360NF45C3, plan PCB power delivery around the 0.9 V core rail with low-impedance decoupling and proper thermal relief - the 1932-ball FCBGA package requires a multilayer PCB with microvia stackups and matched-length routing for the transceiver differential pairs to maintain signal integrity at multi-gigabit data rates.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives within the Stratix IV family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, giving engineers a one-stop decision resource.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX360NF45C3 — 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 EP4SGX360NF45C3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Speed Grade, Transceivers, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX360NF45C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2050 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX360NF45C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$11800 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX290NF45I4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9875 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX230HF35I4G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$7900 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SE820F43C3G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17316.76 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX360NF45C3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 353,600 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 14,144 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 23,105,536 |
| Maximum User I/O | 920 |
| Transceivers | Embedded multi-gigabit transceivers (GX) |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 6.5 Gbps (per Stratix IV GX family) |
| Hard PCI Express Blocks | Yes (Gen1 / Gen2) |
| DSP Blocks | Dedicated variable-precision DSP blocks |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Package | 1932-ball FC-FBGA (NF45) |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (C3 speed grade) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (flip-chip BGA) |
EP4SGX360NF45C3 1932-ball fc-fbga (nf45) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX360NF45C3 (1932-ball fc-fbga (nf45) 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 EP4SGX360NF45C3.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX360NF45C3 is suitable for 7 applications: 40G/100G Optical Transport Line Card, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Wireless Baseband Processing, High-Speed Data Acquisition System, Defense / Aerospace Signal Intelligence, Broadcast Video Processing, Industrial Motor Control & Robotics.
40G/100G Optical Transport Line Card
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: With 353,600 logic elements, 920 user I/Os, and embedded multi-gigabit transceivers reaching 6.5 Gbps, the device can host multiple OTU3/OTU4 framer lanes, FEC engines, and MAC-layer processing simultaneously. How it is used + performance consideration: Deployed as the central MAC/PHY bridge between QSFP+ optical modules and a network processor, leveraging hard PCI Express Gen2 blocks for host CPU interconnect; the 23,105,536 bits of embedded RAM buffer cell bursts without external RLDRAM, reducing BOM. Trade-off vs newer Agilex 7: lower Fmax per logic block but mature Quartus II timing closure saves months of firmware effort for production-ready OTN designs.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: The 353,600 logic-element capacity lets designers partition large ASIC RTL into a small number of FPGAs with realistic timing models; embedded PCI Express Gen2 blocks simplify host bring-up. How it is used + performance consideration: Multiple EP4SGX360NF45C3 devices are typically stacked on a multi-FPGA prototyping board using serial transceivers for inter-FPGA chip-to-chip links; the 6.5 Gbps transceilers emulate ASIC SerDes at near-system speeds. Trade-off: Quartus II is older EDA, but its mature synthesis flow is widely understood and re-uses IP from previous Stratix IV prototypes, lowering non-recurring engineering cost for verification sign-off.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Processing
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: The dedicated variable-precision DSP blocks combined with 23 Mbit of embedded memory enable high-throughput LTE/5G NR physical-layer processing, while the 920 user I/Os interface to multi-antenna RF front-ends. How it is used + performance consideration: Common deployment is CPRI/OBSAI framer + baseband FFT/precoding + L1 scheduler in a single FPGA, eliminating a separate DSP cluster; hard PCIe Gen2 blocks connect to the baseband SoC. Trade-off: A newer Agilex 7 would offer higher DSP performance per watt, but the EP4SGX360NF45C3's proven CPRI reference designs cut development time for carriers still upgrading LTE eNodeB hardware.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition System
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: The combination of 14,144 LABs, 23 Mbit of embedded memory, and multi-gigabit transceivers allows multi-channel ADC aggregation with on-FPGA real-time DSP at gigasample-per-second rates. How it is used + performance consideration: Front-end 12-16 bit ADCs at 250 MSPS feed parallel LVDS pairs into the FPGA; the 23 Mbit block RAM acts as a deep ping-pong acquisition buffer while DSP blocks perform channel calibration, decimation, and triggering. Trade-off: For purely logic-limited tasks the EP4SE820F43C3G (logic-only variant) is cheaper; the GX transceivers earn their cost only when exporting data over 10G/40G links to a host.
Recommended
Defense / Aerospace Signal Intelligence
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: Defense programs require long-life-cycle components; the EP4SGX360NF45C3 sits in a mature Stratix IV GX family with established reliability data and active government support contracts. How it is used + performance consideration: Used in ELINT/SIGINT receivers with the 6.5 Gbps transceivers handling digitized IF streams, 353K LEs running FFT/wavelet/demodulation, and the 920 user I/Os aggregating multi-band RF inputs. Trade-off: Industrial-temperature grade (EP4SGX360NF45I4N) is required for -40C to +100C missions; the commercial C3 part is restricted to lab and ground-station environments.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: The 920 user I/Os plus 23 Mbit of embedded RAM handle multi-stream SDI ingest and on-FPGA de-interlacing/scaling for broadcast studio equipment and video-wall controllers. How it is used + performance consideration: Quad-link 3G-SDI inputs are de-serialized by hard PCS blocks and pixel-processing pipelines run in DSP blocks; HDMI 2.0 output is reconstructed via the 6.5 Gbps transceivers. Trade-off: For pure-HDMI consumer applications a smaller Cyclone V suffices; the EP4SGX360NF45C3 is justified only when broadcast-grade 12G-SDI or HDR processing is required.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control & Robotics
Why the EP4SGX360NF45C3 fits this application: High logic density, abundant user I/Os, and hard PCIe for host coupling allow multi-axis motor control loops with deterministic latency in industrial robotics controllers. How it is used + performance consideration: Field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms execute in DSP blocks at 50-100 kHz loop rates; encoder feedback (EnDat, BiSS, SSI) is captured by general-purpose I/Os; the hard PCIe block links to a higher-level motion controller SoC. Trade-off: Industrial temperature grade (EP4SGX360NF45I4N family variants) is preferred for factory-floor environments; the EP4SGX360NF45C3 commercial grade is acceptable only in climate-controlled cabinets.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX360NF45C3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX360NF45C2 | EP4SGX360NF45C2N | EP4SGX290NF45I4 | EP4SGX230HF35I4G | EP4SE820F43C3G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 1932-ball FC-FBGA (NF45) | 1932-ball FC-FBGA (NF45) - same | 1932-ball FC-FBGA (NF45) - same | 1932-ball FC-FBGA (NF45) - same | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (HF35) | 1760-ball FC-FBGA (F43) |
| Family | Stratix IV GX | Stratix IV GX | Stratix IV GX | Stratix IV GX | Stratix IV GX | Stratix IV E (logic only) |
| Logic Elements | 353,600 | 353,600 | 353,600 | 291,200 | 228,000 | 813,050 |
| Speed Grade | C3 (commercial) | C2 (commercial, faster) | C2 (commercial, faster) | I4 (industrial) | I4 (industrial) | C3 (commercial) |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 23,105,536 | 23,105,536 | 23,105,536 | 17,248,768 | 14,283,264 | 33,233,408 |
| Maximum User I/O | 920 | 920 | 920 | 920 | 564 | 664 |
| Hard PCIe Blocks | Yes (Gen1 / Gen2) | Yes (Gen1 / Gen2) | Yes (Gen1 / Gen2) | Yes (Gen1 / Gen2) | Yes (Gen1 / Gen2) | No (Stratix IV E is logic-only) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density (353.6K LE) within Stratix IV GX NF45 BGA family (vs EP4SGX290NF45I4)
- Slower C3 speed grade is more available than C2 in tight supply (vs EP4SGX360NF45C2)
- Includes embedded multi-gigabit transceivers (GX) (vs EP4SE820F43C3G)
- 920 user I/Os - highest in NF45 BGA family (vs EP4SGX230HF35I4G)
Design Notes
The 1932-ball NF45 flip-chip BGA requires a high-layer-count PCB (typically 14-22 layers) with microvia stack-ups for breakout routing. Use a 1.0 mm or 1.27 mm BGA pitch with a balanced via-in-pad design and adequate teardrops for thermal and signal reliability. Ground and power planes must be continuous under the device to provide low-impedance return paths for the multi-gigabit transceivers.
Plan power delivery around the 0.9 V core rail with high-current VRMs capable of sourcing tens of amps during dynamic transients. Use bulk decoupling (470 uF to 1000 uF polymer or electrolytic) close to the package and a dense array of 0.1 uF / 1 uF / 10 uF MLCCs under the BGA. Sequence core, I/O, and transceiver supplies per Stratix IV GX power-up guidelines to avoid in-rush latch-up.
Estimated thermal analysis: at full utilization (353K LE @ ~85% toggle, 6.5 Gbps transceivers active), the EP4SGX360NF45C3 dissipates in the 15-25 W range. The NF45 flip-chip BGA requires a heatsink with thermal interface material (TIM) and adequate airflow of 1-2 m/s; without forced cooling the junction temperature can exceed the 100 C commercial limit under worst-case workloads.
For 6.5 Gbps transceiver channels, follow the Stratix IV GX PCB Design Guidelines: matched-length differential pairs (intra-pair skew < 5 mil, inter-pair skew < 150 mil), continuous reference planes, no signal layer transitions over splits, and AC-coupled 100-ohm differential links. Use the Quartus II transceiver toolkit for pre-layout channel simulation and post-layout eye-diagram verification with the SignalTap logic analyzer.
Do not confuse the NF45 flip-chip BGA ballout with the KF40 BGA ballout - they have different ball counts and pin assignments even within the same 353K-LE family. Verify the exact ball mapping in the device pin-out file (.pdf) before PCB layout. Also note that the 'C3' speed grade is the slowest commercial bin; upgrade to 'C2' or 'I3' if timing closure fails at the first compile.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH/lead-free status for the EP4SGX360NF45C3 was not present in the verified web data; consult the manufacturer datasheet and product declaration page directly. AEC-Q100 is not applicable - this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC. Many Stratix IV variants ship in RoHS-compliant lead-free finishes, but this must be confirmed via the part marking and Intel declaration before deployment.
