EP4SGX530HH35C2N - Stratix IV GX FPGA 531K LE | Intel | BGA-1152
MPN: EP4SGX530HH35C2N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4500 | $4,500.00 |
| 10 | $4250 | $42,500.00 |
| 100 | $3950 | $395,000.00 |
| 500 | $3700 | $1,850,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $3500 | $3,500,000.00 |
EP4SGX530HH35C2N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and high-speed transceivers interconnected by a programmable routing fabric. FPGAs sit within the broader hierarchy: FPGA -> programmable logic -> logic IC -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. The Stratix IV GX family specifically targets applications requiring multi-gigabit transceivers and parallel DSP performance, bridging the gap between ASIC-level integration and discrete logic design.
Key features include 21,248 adaptive logic modules (ALMs), 564 user I/O pins, embedded 8-input lookup tables (LUTs), dedicated DSP blocks, and hard PCI Express Gen1/Gen2 IP cores. The device operates from a 0.9 V core supply with auxiliary rails for transceivers and I/O banks, and supports I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, and SSTL across multiple voltage-referenced banks.
The architecture combines a 40 nm process node with embedded transceivers capable of data rates up to 8.5 Gbps, enabling protocols such as PCIe Gen2, Serial RapidIO, XAUI, and custom serial links. Hard memory controllers and dedicated circuitry for DDR2/DDR3 SDRAM interfaces reduce soft-logic overhead and accelerate timing closure.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications infrastructure (OTU/SONET/SDH line cards, baseband processing), high-performance computing acceleration, ASIC prototyping, broadcast video processing, and defense signal-intelligence systems. The transceiver-rich fabric suits designs requiring multiple high-speed serial links alongside deep logic capacity.
Designers should plan PCB layout for a 1152-ball flip-chip BGA with high-speed transceiver channels routed with controlled impedance. Decoupling strategy must address the multi-rail power architecture: separate core, PLL, transceiver, and I/O bank supplies each require their own bypass network. Thermal management is critical because the 42.5 mm package body concentrates significant power dissipation across the substrate.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, design considerations, and lifecycle status that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet itself, providing engineering decision support for Stratix IV GX selections.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX530HH35C2N — 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 EP4SGX530HH35C2N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Transceivers, Speed Grade, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX530HH35C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$13200 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3490 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KF40C2N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4SGX530NF45C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9450 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35C2N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Type | FPGA - Field Programmable Gate Array |
| Series | Stratix IV GX |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 531,200 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 21,248 |
| Embedded Memory | 28,033,024 bits |
| Logic Cells / LABs | 21,248 LABs |
| User I/O Pins | 564 |
| Package | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (FC-HFBGA) |
| Package Size | 42.50 mm x 42.50 mm |
| Supply Voltage | 0.9 V (core) |
| Internal Frequency | 800 MHz (max) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Transceiver Data Rate | up to 8.5 Gbps |
| PCIe Hard IP | Gen1 / Gen2 |
EP4SGX530HH35C2N 42.50 mm x 42.50 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX530HH35C2N (42.50 mm x 42.50 mm 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 EP4SGX530HH35C2N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX530HH35C2N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Cards, ASIC Prototyping, High-Performance Computing Acceleration, Broadcast Video Processing, Defense Signal Intelligence, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP4SGX530HH35C2N's 531,200 logic elements and 8.5 Gbps multi-gigabit transceivers deliver the throughput required for OTN/SONET/SDH line cards and metro Ethernet aggregation. Its hard PCI Express Gen2 cores enable direct backplane connectivity to host processors without external bridging chips, while 28 Mbits of embedded memory absorb packet buffers and lookup tables. The 1152-ball FC-HFBGA package consolidates 564 user I/Os onto a single substrate, simplifying multi-channel fronthaul designs.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
Designers use the EP4SGX530HH35C2N as an ASIC prototyping platform because its high logic density and ample I/O bandwidth allow full emulation of complex ASICs before tape-out. The Quartus II design flow accepts RTL targeted at the FPGA and later maps to a synthesized ASIC netlist, accelerating verification cycles. Embedded transceivers and PCIe cores allow the prototype to mirror real-world ASIC interfaces without external components.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Acceleration
The EP4SGX530HH35C2N accelerates HPC workloads such as FFT, FIR filtering, and matrix operations through dedicated DSP blocks distributed across the fabric. Each DSP block operates at up to 600 MHz in commercial grade, allowing engineers to build deep pipelines that offload compute from host CPUs. The 564 user I/Os provide sufficient DDR3 memory channels for high-bandwidth external memory access.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
The EP4SGX530HH35C2N processes uncompressed broadcast video streams in real time, supporting SDI, HDMI, and DisplayPort interfaces through IP cores mapped to its transceivers and parallel I/O banks. Its 28 Mbits of embedded memory act as line buffers and frame stores, reducing the need for external SRAM. Commercial temperature grade and high logic density suit studio and head-end equipment.
Recommended
Defense Signal Intelligence
Defense signal-intelligence (SIGINT) systems leverage the EP4SGX530HH35C2N's parallel DSP blocks and high-speed transceivers for wideband digital signal acquisition, demodulation, and decoding. The Stratix IV GX family is widely deployed in electronic-warfare subsystems where reconfigurability matters. Designers pair the FPGA with high-speed ADCs and DACs through the device's 564 I/O channels.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test and measurement instruments, including protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, and BERT testers, use the EP4SGX530HH35C2N to capture and generate high-speed serial traffic for compliance testing. The integrated 8.5 Gbps transceivers handle standards like PCIe, SATA, XAUI, and Serial RapidIO without external PHYs. Embedded memory buffers raw data streams before post-processing by host software.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX530HH35C2N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX530HH35C2 | EP4SGX530HH35C3N | EP4SGX530HH35C4N | EP4SGX530KF40C2N | EP4SGX530NF45C2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (FC-HFBGA), 42.5x42.5 mm | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 531,200 | 531,200 | 531,200 | 531,200 | 531,200 | 531,200 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 28,033,024 | 28,033,024 | 28,033,024 | 28,033,024 | 28,033,024 | 28,033,024 |
| Speed Grade | C2 (commercial, 8.5 Gbps transceivers) | C2 | C3 (faster Fmax) | C4 (highest Fmax) | C2 (lower transceiver speed) | C2 (slowest Fmax) |
| User I/O Pins | 564 | 564 | 564 | 564 | 564 | 564 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
| RoHS Status | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant | Compliant |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-speed grade (C2) for power-sensitive designs (vs EP4SGX530HH35C4N)
- Highest transceiver speed bin (H35 vs F40/N45) (vs EP4SGX530KF40C2N / EP4SGX530NF45C2N)
- Maximum logic density in Stratix IV GX family (vs EP4SGX360 / EP4SGX290 lower-density Stratix IV GX variants)
Design Notes
Estimated: design the PCB for a 1152-ball FC-HFBGA with 1.0 mm pitch, requiring HDI microvia stack-up with at least 4-6 routing layers. Use laser-drilled vias and 0.4 mm trace/space rules. Allocate dedicated transceiver channels on outer layers for 8.5 Gbps signaling with controlled impedance (100 ohm differential), and keep AC coupling capacitors within 200 mil of each transceiver ball.
The EP4SGX530HH35C2N requires multiple supply rails: 0.9 V core, 1.1 V/1.2 V PLLs and transceivers, plus per-bank VCCIO supplies. Decoupling must follow Intel's Stratix IV GX PDN guidelines: place 0.1 uF and 10 uF ceramic capacitors adjacent to each rail pin, and use a bulk capacitor network near the regulator. Estimate a minimum 60 A peak on the 0.9 V rail for typical logic utilization; size the DC-DC converter accordingly.
Estimated: with 531K LE at high toggle rates and active transceivers, junction temperature can approach 100C. The FC-HFBGA exposes the die top for heatsink attach; use a thermal interface material (TIM) with conductivity above 3 W/mK and a heatsink rated for 10-15 W dissipation. Validate with the Stratix IV PowerPlay early-power estimator before tape-out.
Differential transceiver pairs (8.5 Gbps) require matched-length routing within 5 mil tolerance and continuous reference planes. Use a SerDes IBIS-AMI model from Intel for channel simulation, and verify pre-emphasis and equalization settings with the Quartus II Transceiver Toolkit. Stagger AC-coupling caps to minimize common-mode discontinuities.
Do not assume pin compatibility with other Altera FPGAs - the 1152-ball FC-HFBGA pinout is unique to the EP4SGX530 family. Migrating to Stratix V requires a footprint change. Always generate pin assignments with Quartus II pin planner and check the design against the latest device errata before fabrication.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Intel (formerly Altera) product documentation. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - FPGAs are typically not automotive-grade unless explicitly labeled.
