EP4SGX360NF45C4N - Stratix IV GX FPGA, 353.6K LE, 1932-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4SGX360NF45C4N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4285 | $4,285.00 |
| 10 | $4150 | $41,500.00 |
| 100 | $3920 | $392,000.00 |
| 500 | $3705 | $1,852,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $3490 | $3,490,000.00 |
EP4SGX360NF45C4N Overview
An FPGA is a reprogrammable semiconductor device whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O can be configured by the customer after manufacturing, which distinguishes it from an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) and from a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device). Stratix IV GX sits at the top of the Stratix IV family hierarchy, which itself belongs to Intel's high-performance FPGA product line aimed at communications, signal-processing, and high-throughput data-acquisition systems; within that hierarchy, the EP4SGX360NF45C4N is the largest density point in the family at 353.6K logic elements.
Key differentiating features include embedded transceiver channels capable of multi-gigabit-per-second operation, on-chip DSP blocks for high-throughput arithmetic, embedded memory with hardware FIFO controllers, and Partial Reconfiguration (PR) support that allows a portion of the fabric to be reprogrammed while the rest remains active. The NF45C4N speed grade corresponds to the fastest transceiver/performance bin available for this device, and the C4 commercial temperature grade (0 C to 85 C) targets controlled-environment deployments rather than industrial or military ranges.
Architecturally, the device pairs an SRAM-based lookup-table fabric with 8-input fracturable ALMs, dedicated 18x18 multipliers that can be combined for higher precision, MLAB (Memory Logic Array Block) tiles, and per-channel PCS (Physical Coding Sublayer) hardware for each transceiver. Engineers typically floorplan around the transceiver locations first because of their tight PCB-routing requirements, then place the global clock network and PLL/DCM blocks before committing the remainder of the design to the standard logic array.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications line cards, radar and electronic-warfare front ends, medical imaging pipelines, broadcast video processing, high-speed test and measurement instrumentation, and ASIC prototyping. The combination of high logic density and integrated serial transceivers makes the part particularly attractive in designs that would otherwise require a discrete ASSP plus external glue logic.
Designers should plan power-rail sequencing carefully: the 0.9 V core, 1.1 V PLL/SerDes analog, and 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O rails each require dedicated decoupling and POR (power-on-reset) supervision to avoid latch-up during bring-up. Decoupling must be placed as close as possible to the BGA balls, with the largest bulk capacitors on the opposite side of the PCB.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing from eight authorized sources, drop-in same-package alternatives from the Stratix IV GX family, and practical design guidance that complements, rather than duplicates, the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX360NF45C4N — 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 EP4SGX360NF45C4N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Transceivers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX360NF45C4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2600 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX360NF45C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3300 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX360NF45C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$11800 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX360NF45I4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3120 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX290NF45I4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2095 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX360NF45C4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix IV GX |
| Device | EP4SGX360 |
| Logic Elements | 353,600 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 14,144 LABs / 141,440 ALMs |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 23,105,536 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 920 |
| Process Technology | 40 nm TSMC |
| Core Voltage (VCC) | 0.9 V |
| Package | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) |
| Package Code | F1932 / NF45 |
| Speed Grade | C4 (fastest) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 C to 85 C) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Compliant (lead-free) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP4SGX360NF45C4N f1932 / nf45 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX360NF45C4N (f1932 / 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 EP4SGX360NF45C4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX360NF45C4N is suitable for 7 applications: Telecom Line Card / Backplane Switch, Radar and Electronic-Warfare DSP Front End, Medical Imaging Pipeline (CT / Ultrasound / MRI), Broadcast Video Processing and 4K/8K Routing, High-Speed Test and Measurement Instrumentation, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Industrial Machine Vision and Factory Automation.
Telecom Line Card / Backplane Switch
The EP4SGX360NF45C4N is well-suited to high-end telecom line cards because its integrated multi-gigabit transceivers, combined with 353,600 logic elements and 920 user I/Os, can implement a switching fabric plus multiple Ethernet MAC/PHY channels on a single device. The C4 speed grade is the fastest bin available, giving the largest margin for timing closure on 156.25 MHz reference clocks feeding PCS blocks. Designers typically pair the FPGA with external QSFP cages and DDR3 ECC memory, leaving the FPGA responsible for packet classification and traffic management. The 0.9 V core keeps per-port power below the limits of conventional FR4 chassis cooling when multiple FPGAs are stacked in a single shelf.
Recommended
Radar and Electronic-Warfare DSP Front End
Radar and EW systems rely on high-throughput DSP at low latency, and the EP4SGX360NF45C4N's combination of 18x18 hardware multipliers, dedicated DSP blocks, and 23,105,536 bits of embedded memory enables hundreds of FIR/FFT operations per radar pulse repetition interval. The integrated transceivers connect directly to ADC/DAC JESD204B interfaces, eliminating external buffers. The 920 user I/Os handle LVDS data from multi-channel ADCs without external deserialization. Designers should floorplan the transceiver placement first to keep PCB routing length matched within 0.13 mm for JESD204B subclass 1 deterministic latency.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pipeline (CT / Ultrasound / MRI)
The EP4SGX360NF45C4N fits medical imaging pipelines because it can run back-projection, beamforming, and image-reconstruction DSP blocks in parallel using its 14,144 LABs and on-chip DSP tiles, while the embedded memory buffers scan lines without external SRAM. The commercial temperature grade (0 C to 85 C) suits imaging cart and console equipment housed in climate-controlled rooms. The integrated transceivers connect directly to high-speed LVDS image sensors, and the 920 user I/Os accommodate the multi-channel data fan-out from detector arrays. Designers must validate single-event-upset behavior under medical-device qualification protocols even at commercial temperature.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing and 4K/8K Routing
For 4K and 8K broadcast video routers, the EP4SGX360NF45C4N's 920 user I/Os support dozens of SDI streams while the integrated transceivers handle SMPTE ST 2022 or ST 2110 IP video at 25 Gbps per lane. The 23 Mbit of embedded memory holds multiple video frames for on-the-fly mixing, fades, and chroma-keying without external DRAM. Designers using the C4 speed grade achieve timing closure on the most demanding pixel-clock domains; the 0.9 V core keeps total board power within studio cooling budgets. Multi-channel audio embedding/de-embedding is implemented in fabric, eliminating dedicated audio bridge chips.
Recommended
High-Speed Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Automated Test Equipment (ATE) and oscilloscope manufacturers use the EP4SGX360NF45C4N because its 23 Mbit of embedded memory captures deep waveform records, while its 14,144 LABs implement pattern generation, protocol decoding, and DSP filtering in real time. The 0.9 V core reduces internal noise, improving measurement floor. The integrated transceivers connect directly to PCIe Gen2/Gen3 host links and high-speed probe interfaces, and the 920 user I/Os drive dozens of analog front-end channels. The C4 speed grade is critical for 5 Gbps serial pattern generation without violating protocol jitter masks.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
ASIC prototyping teams map large designs to one or more EP4SGX360NF45C4N devices because 353,600 logic elements provide roughly 1.4x the density of competing mid-range FPGAs, and the 920 user I/Os enable chip-to-chip partitioning across multiple FPGAs. The Stratix IV GX partial reconfiguration feature allows incremental debugging without full bitstream reload, accelerating bring-up. Commercial temperature is acceptable because lab chassis are climate-controlled. Designers using the C4 speed grade minimize prototyping-to-ASIC correlation risk; integrated transceivers model ASIC SerDes behavior for early firmware development.
Recommended
Industrial Machine Vision and Factory Automation
Industrial machine vision systems benefit from the EP4SGX360NF45C4N's combination of high logic capacity for image-processing pipelines, integrated transceivers for Camera Link HS or CoaXPress interfaces, and 920 user I/Os for driving multi-camera arrays. While the C4N commercial temperature range (0 C to 85 C) is the catalog part, factory-floor deployments typically require the I4 industrial variant for cold-storage or outdoor enclosures. Designers using the commercial grade must verify thermal headroom inside enclosed IP65 cabinets where ambient can exceed 60 C under direct sunlight.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX360NF45C4N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX360NF45C4 | EP4SGX360NF45C3N | EP4SGX360NF45C2N | EP4SGX360NF45I4N | EP4SGX290NF45I4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) | 1932-ball FCBGA (NF45) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 353,600 | 353,600 | 353,600 | 353,600 | 353,600 | 290,000 |
| Speed Grade | C4 (fastest) | C4 | C3 (slower) | C2 (slowest) | C4 | I4 industrial, slower than C4 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 C to 85 C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40 C to 100 C) | Industrial (-40 C to 100 C) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm TSMC | 40 nm TSMC | 40 nm TSMC | 40 nm TSMC | 40 nm TSMC | 40 nm TSMC |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | Yes (N suffix) | Varies by date code | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest speed grade available for Stratix IV GX NF45 package (vs EP4SGX360NF45C3N)
- Highest logic capacity in the Stratix IV GX family (vs EP4SGX290NF45I4N)
- Same-package industrial drop-in option available (vs EP4SGX360NF45I4N)
Design Notes
The EP4SGX360NF45C4N requires three separate power rails: 0.9 V core (VCC), 1.1 V PLL/SerDes analog (VCCA_PLL, VCCA_TX), and 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O (VCCIO). Each rail must ramp monotonically during power-on reset (POR) and meet Intel's documented sequencing order to prevent latch-up; use a dedicated sequencer or PowerTrac-compatible controller. Estimated: at full transceiver utilization and 60% logic toggle rate, this device can consume 18-25 W, so the 0.9 V regulator must deliver 25 A continuous with adequate thermal headroom. Bulk decoupling of at least 4x 470 uF polymer plus 40x 100 nF X7R placed within 5 mm of the BGA balls is recommended.
The 1932-ball FCBGA package has a junction-to-ambient thermal resistance of approximately 8 C/W with a 1 m/s airflow over the heatsink (typical datasheet value for F1932 BGA). Estimated: at 20 W internal dissipation, junction temperature rises approximately 100 C above ambient air; therefore a heatsink with at least 2 m/s forced airflow is required for commercial temperature grade operation. A copper-spreader lid on the BGA is mandatory for proper heat transfer; PCB thermal vias beneath the package should be filled and plated to maximize vertical conduction.
Estimated: the 1932-ball NF45 package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch, requiring a 12+ layer PCB with 0.5 oz copper on outer layers and 1.0 oz on inner layers to handle the 0.9 V core current. Microvia / HDI fabrication is mandatory for break-out routing because through-hole vias cannot escape from inner rows without stub penalties that corrupt multi-gigabit transceiver signals. Match PCB trace lengths within 0.13 mm for all transceiver channels and within 0.5 mm for source-synchronous LVDS pairs to meet transceiver datasheet jitter budgets.
Do not configure I/O banks with mixed VCCIO voltages without reviewing the Stratix IV GX device handbook's I/O bank compatibility matrix - some bank combinations are forbidden. Always configure unused transceivers to the lowest power state and tie unused differential pairs through the documented AC-coupling capacitor network; floating pairs can radiate noise into adjacent analog signals. Pull MSEL[2:0] to the documented configuration mode via 4.7 kohm resistors - incorrect MSEL settings brick the device until the bitstream is corrected.
Route the 0.9 V core VCC planes as a contiguous layer directly beneath the BGA ball field; do not split the core plane to route signals, as splits cause ground-bounce and SSO issues. Place all 100 nF decoupling capacitors on the opposite side of the BGA, with vias directly to the VCC and GND planes within 0.5 mm of the capacitor pads. Separate the analog 1.1 V PLL/SerDes supply from the digital 0.9 V core plane by at least 4 mm of unbroken GND plane to minimize substrate noise coupling into the PLL loop filter.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per the 'N' suffix in the MPN and Intel/Altera lead-free package marking. Halogen-free status not stated in verified distributor data; consult Intel product page for confirmation. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose EP4SGX360NF45I4N industrial variant for harsh-environment designs.
