EP4SGX530HH35I4N - 531k LE Stratix IV GX FPGA, 1152-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP4SGX530HH35I4N ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3850 | $3,850.00 |
| 10 | $3680 | $36,800.00 |
| 100 | $3450 | $345,000.00 |
| 500 | $3220 | $1,610,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $2990 | $2,990,000.00 |
EP4SGX530HH35I4N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable semiconductor that can be configured by the customer after manufacturing to implement arbitrary digital logic. FPGAs sit within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLD), and Stratix IV GX is positioned at the high-end tier, integrating embedded transceivers, DSP blocks, on-chip memory, and hard IP cores for memory controllers and PCIe. The Stratix IV family uses a 40 nm process and a logic structure based on Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) rather than older 4-input LUTs, improving logic efficiency at high densities.
Key specifications include 21,248 LABs (Logic Array Blocks), 564 user I/Os, integrated multi-gigabit transceivers with data rates up to 8.5 Gbps (per Stratix IV GX family capability), up to 1,152 embedded 18x18 multipliers (per family datasheet), and 12 embedded PLL blocks. The device integrates 24 channels of high-speed serial I/O, hard PCIe Gen1/Gen2 IP cores, and supports external memory interfaces including DDR3, DDR2, and QDR through dedicated PHY blocks.
The architecture uses a fabric of ALMs containing 8-input fracturable look-up-tables, dedicated registers, arithmetic chains, and carry chains. Memory is implemented as MLABs and M9K/M144K blocks. Transceiver tiles are arranged in columns on the left and right sides of the die, paired with their own PCS and PMA layers for protocols including PCIe, Serial RapidIO, XAUI, CEI-6G, and custom serial links.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications line cards, military radar and signal processing, ASIC prototyping, high-performance computing accelerators, medical imaging systems, and test and measurement instrumentation requiring both massive parallel DSP and high-bandwidth serial connectivity. The industrial temperature grade makes the part suitable for defense and outdoor telecom deployments.
Design consideration: Stratix IV GX FPGAs require careful power-rail sequencing and a multi-rail power tree (typically 0.9 V core, 1.1 V transceiver PLL, 1.5 V/2.5 V I/O). Power estimation should be performed with the Quartus II Early Power Estimator before PCB layout, and a minimum of 8 PCB layers with continuous GND planes is recommended for transceiver signal integrity.
This page synthesizes Stratix IV GX density ranking, drop-in package variants, and design notes derived from the Intel/Altera Stratix IV device handbook - data not aggregated on any single distributor listing.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX530HH35I4N — 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 EP4SGX530HH35I4N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Transceivers, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX530HH35I4
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$2150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35I3N
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View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35C4N
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View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35C3N
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View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35I3
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View Datasheet →EP4SGX530HH35I4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix IV GX |
| Series | EP4SGX530 |
| Logic Elements | 531,200 |
| LABs/CLBs | 21,248 |
| Total RAM Bits | 28,033,024 |
| Number of I/O | 564 |
| Number of Transceivers | 24 (per Stratix IV GX family) |
| Transceiver Data Rate (max) | 8.5 Gbps (per family datasheet) |
| Number of PLLs | 12 |
| Core Voltage | 0.87 V to 1.00 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Package | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (35 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free, N suffix) |
| Temperature Grade Suffix | I4N = industrial, lead-free |
| Speed Grade | I4 |
| Process Node | 40 nm TSMC |
EP4SGX530HH35I4N 1152-bbga, fcbga (35 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX530HH35I4N (1152-bbga, fcbga (35 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 EP4SGX530HH35I4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX530HH35I4N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line Card / OTN Framer, Military Radar / DSP Signal Processing, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Medical Imaging Accelerator, Test & Measurement Instrumentation, High-Performance Computing / Storage Controller.
Telecom Line Card / OTN Framer
The EP4SGX530HH35I4N fits telecom line cards because its 531,200 logic elements provide the capacity to implement multi-100G OTN framer logic, MAC/PCS layers, and traffic management in a single device. The 24 integrated transceivers rated up to 8.5 Gbps per Stratix IV GX family support 4x SFP+ cages for 10G Ethernet, OTU2, or CPRI links simultaneously. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C) suits outdoor RRU and edge aggregation deployments. Power estimation via the Quartus II Early Power Estimator typically shows 8-12 W steady-state with the transceiver channels active, well within the H35 FCBGA thermal envelope.
Recommended
Military Radar / DSP Signal Processing
EP4SGX530HH35I4N's 531,200 logic elements and Stratix IV family multiplier resources enable wide-band radar front-end DSP - FFT, pulse compression, beamforming, and CFAR detection - in a single chip. The 1,040+ embedded 18x18 multipliers per family datasheet handle multi-channel FFT cores at hundreds of MHz. Industrial temperature grade meets MIL-STD-810 environmental envelopes. The H35 FCBGA package with its low-inductance flip-chip attach ensures deterministic transceiver behavior for the clock and data interfaces that synchronize multi-board radar arrays.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
ASIC prototyping teams select EP4SGX530HH35I4N when their target ASIC exceeds approximately 500k gates of random logic with up to 24 high-speed serial channels. The 531,200 LE fabric is large enough to map most networking ASICs in a single device, simplifying the partitioning challenge. The industrial temperature grade also lets the same prototype board serve both lab validation and field-trial environments. Quartus II multi-vendor IP support (ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore, DDR3 controllers, PCIe Gen2) accelerates ASIC bring-up significantly. Many prototype flows pair two EP4SGX530HH35I4N devices for >1M-gate ASICs.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Accelerator
EP4SGX530HH35I4N is well-suited to CT and MRI image reconstruction accelerators where its logic density and DSP blocks process filtered back-projection or iterative reconstruction at clinical throughput. The integrated transceivers aggregate camera-link or CoaXPress data from detector arrays at multi-gigabit rates. Industrial temperature grade supports mobile C-arm and portable ultrasound enclosures. Latency-critical image reconstruction pipelines benefit from the fabric's predictable routing and dedicated memory blocks (28 Mbits of M9K/M144K RAM per family datasheet).
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
High-end oscilloscope, logic-analyzer, and protocol-analyzer backplanes use EP4SGX530HH35I4N to merge waveform DSP, triggering logic, and multi-domain display pipelines in one device. The 24 transceivers handle simultaneous 10 Gbps-class probing of USB 3.0, SATA, PCIe, and DisplayPort signals. Industrial temperature rating is sufficient for instrumentation racks and outdoor test setups. The H35 FCBGA package enables dense BGA layout with controlled-impedance SerDes routing, critical for sub-100-ps edge measurement accuracy.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing / Storage Controller
Hyperscale storage controllers and HPC interconnect bridges leverage EP4SGX530HH35I4N to consolidate many SAS/SATA/PCIe ports and implement hardware-accelerated RAID or erasure coding. With 24 transceivers and large logic capacity, a single FPGA can run 8-lane PCIe Gen2 plus 12 SATA ports simultaneously. Industrial temperature grade fits densely-packed datacenter top-of-rack switches. The H35 FCBGA package has good airflow compatibility with 1U/2U chassis thermal designs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX530HH35I4N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX530HH35I4 | EP4SGX530HH35I3N | EP4SGX530HH35C4N | EP4SGX530HH35C3N | EP4SGX530HH35I3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (H35, 35 mm) | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (H35) - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (H35) - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (H35) - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (H35) - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA (H35) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same |
| Logic Elements | 531,200 | 531,200 - same | 531,200 - same | 531,200 - same | 531,200 - same | 531,200 - same |
| Speed Grade | I4 | I4 - same | I3 (faster, +12% fMAX) | C4 (faster, +12% fMAX) | C3 (fastest in C3N line, +20% fMAX) | I3 (faster, +12% fMAX) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) | -40C to +100C - same | -40C to +100C - same | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C - same |
| Transceivers | 24 (up to 8.5 Gbps) | 24 - same | 24 - same | 24 - same | 24 - same | 24 - same |
| Pb-free / RoHS | Yes (N suffix) | No (legacy SnPb finish) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (legacy) |
| User I/O | 564 | 564 - same | 564 - same | 564 - same | 564 - same | 564 - same |
Key Differentiators
- Highest logic density Stratix IV GX variant with 24 transceivers (vs EP4SGX360NF45I4N)
- Industrial temperature range and Pb-free assembly in same package (vs EP4SGX530HH35C4N)
- Speed grade I4 (lowest power, most design margin) vs same-density I3 variant (vs EP4SGX530HH35I3N)
Design Notes
Stratix IV GX power management requires a multi-rail tree (0.9 V core, 1.1 V transceiver PLL supply, 1.5 V/2.5 V I/O, 1.8 V transceiver PMA). Use the Quartus II Early Power Estimator (EPE) spreadsheet before schematic freeze - the EP4SGX530HH35I4N at full utilization with 24 active transceivers can draw 12-15 W steady-state. Implement power sequencing with a sequencer like the LTC2978 to ensure core ramps before I/O. Bulk-decouple each supply pin with 4.7 uF ceramic plus 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF in parallel. The H35 FCBGA has dedicated GND balls distributed across the array - stitch to a continuous inner GND plane.
Estimated: at 12 W total dissipation in the 35 mm FCBGA, theta_JA from the Altera package thermal model is roughly 1.5-2.0 C/W with a 16-layer 1 oz copper PCB and 100 LFM airflow, giving a junction-to-ambient rise of 18-24 C. Add a heat-spreader or copper coin lid for enclosed chassis. Place 6-8 thermal vias in the package center ball-grid pattern to draw heat into an internal copper plane. Industrial temperature grade allows junction up to +100C; design margin should keep Tj below +85C at worst-case ambient +70C.
Use a minimum 8-layer stack-up with continuous GND planes adjacent to every high-speed signal layer. Stratix IV GX transceivers up to 8.5 Gbps require 85-ohm differential routing with 4-mil width/spacing on a 4-mil dielectric to a 3rd-layer GND plane (100 ohm can be used for PCIe with appropriate TX de-emphasis). Length-match all SerDes lanes within 0.127 mm (5 mil). Place AC-coupling capacitors (100 nF X7R) within 25 mm of each serial-link pin. Reference clock traces must be 50-ohm controlled-impedance, length-matched across multi-board systems, and routed away from switching power nodes.
Common design pitfalls with EP4SGX530HH35I4N: (1) Configuring I/O standards that exceed bank VCCIO causes long-term reliability issues - check Quartus II pin planner before fab. (2) Pulling MSEL pins to incorrect configuration scheme prevents boot - verify the MSEL pull-up/down resistors against the desired AS/PS/JTAG mode. (3) Driving JTAG TCK faster than 25 MHz without proper termination fails boundary-scan; add 10 kohm pull-up to TDO. (4) Not connecting unused transceiver channels to GND through 10k can create noise coupling; tie per Stratix IV hardware user guide. (5) Forgetting the POR delay after power-good; observe 2 ms minimum reset before configuration.
Configure HPS-like hard IP blocks (PCIe, DDR3 controller, transceiver PHY) before routing - Quartus II generates pin assignment files that constrain the layout. Allow 100 ps skew budget on memory interfaces. Reference the Altera Stratix IV GX PCB design guidelines document for via-count recommendations on each transceiver channel (typically 2 ground-return vias per differential pair). Use orthogonal routing on adjacent layers to minimize crosstalk. The H35 FCBGA land pattern is in Intel package file pkg-1008 - request from your Intel FAE if not in Quartus II installation.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per N suffix in ordering code. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - FPGAs are not automotive discrete ICs. Halogen-free status not stated in verified data. Conflict minerals reporting compliant per Intel policy.
