EP4SGX530KF43C2 - Stratix IV GX FPGA 531K LE FCBGA-1760 | Intel
MPN: EP4SGX530KF43C2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4850 | $4,850.00 |
| 10 | $4560 | $45,600.00 |
| 100 | $4280 | $428,000.00 |
| 500 | $4010 | $2,005,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $3755 | $3,755,000.00 |
EP4SGX530KF43C2 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated silicon IP that can be rewired after manufacturing to implement arbitrary digital functions. FPGAs occupy a tier above general-purpose microcontrollers in the programmable-logic hierarchy: CPLD -> FPGA -> SoC FPGA -> ASIC. Stratix IV GX specifically extends this category with multi-gigabit transceivers and embedded transceiver-aware PLLs, enabling high-speed serial protocols without external PHY silicon.
Key features of the EP4SGX530KF43C2 include twenty-four integrated 8.5 Gbps transceivers, 880 user I/O pins, 21248 logic array blocks (LABs), dedicated 6.375 Gbps PCIe Gen2 hard IP blocks, and embedded 10-Gigabit Ethernet MAC support. The device also integrates 1,120 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP workloads and supports up to 24.88 Mb of M20K block memory plus 4.41 Mb of MLAB memory for distributed buffering.
Architecturally, Stratix IV GX uses a fabric of adaptive logic modules (ALMs) with eight inputs and a dedicated routing architecture that minimizes congestion at high utilization. The transceiver blocks include embedded signal-conditioning circuitry (pre-emphasis and equalization) that allows backplane and chip-to-chip links over 40 inches of FR4 without external retimers. Partial reconfiguration and remote update are supported via dedicated configuration controllers.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications line cards, military radar and electronic-warfare baseband processing, ASIC prototyping, medical imaging pre-processing pipelines, and broadcast video switching fabric. The combination of transceivers and large logic density makes the device well suited to designs previously requiring an ASIC plus external PHY.
When designing with this device, plan for a multi-rail power system (0.9 V core, 1.1 V PLL, 1.5 V/2.5 V/3.3 V I/O, and a 1.0 V/1.2 V transceiver analog supply) and use the Stratix IV Early Power Estimator to model thermal envelope before PCB layout. The 42.5 mm x 42.5 mm FCBGA requires a multilayer PCB with microvia stack-ups and controlled-impedance routing for the transceiver channels.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative listings, and practical Stratix IV GX design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, with all data referenced to the verified Intel/Altera datasheet and current distributor inventories.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX530KF43C2 — 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 EP4SGX530KF43C2 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Embedded Memory, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Transceivers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX530KF43C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3700 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KF43C4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3725 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KF43C2N
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$3450 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KF43C3N
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$3425 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KF43C4N
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$3500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KF43C2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 531,200 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 212,480 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 21,248 |
| Embedded Memory | 28,033,024 bits (24.88 Mb M20K + 4.41 Mb MLAB) |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 1,120 |
| User I/O Pins | 880 |
| Transceivers | 24 channels, up to 8.5 Gbps |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 800 MHz |
| Package | 1760-ball FCBGA, 42.5 x 42.5 mm |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C2 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (flip-chip BGA) |
| PCIe Hard IP | Gen2 x4 (6.375 Gbps) |
| 10-Gigabit Ethernet MAC | Integrated (XAUI / SFI / KR ready) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4SGX530KF43C2 1760-ball fcbga, 42.5 x 42.5 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX530KF43C2 (1760-ball fcbga, 42.5 x 42.5 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 EP4SGX530KF43C2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX530KF43C2 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Cards, Military Radar and EW Baseband Processing, ASIC Prototyping, Medical Imaging Pre-Processing, Broadcast Video Switchers, Industrial High-Speed Data Acquisition.
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP4SGX530KF43C2 is well suited to OTN/SONET line-card designs because its 24 transceivers run up to 8.5 Gbps, sufficient for OC-192, 10G Ethernet, and 8G Fibre Channel interfaces without external PHY silicon. The 1,120 embedded 18x18 multipliers handle forward-error-correction (FEC) Reed-Solomon and Turbo decoding at line rate, while the 24.88 Mb of M20K block RAM buffers inter-packet traffic. According to the Stratix IV handbook, the PCIe Gen2 hard IP supports a control-plane PCIe x4 link to the line-card CPU without consuming fabric logic. Designers typically instantiate multiple soft MACs in the ALM fabric and use the dedicated 10-Gigabit Ethernet MAC for the network-side interface.
Recommended
Military Radar and EW Baseband Processing
The EP4SGX530KF43C2 supports phased-array radar and electronic-warfare baseband designs that require massive DSP parallelism. The 1,120 18x18 multipliers deliver roughly 224 GMACS at 200 MHz when cascaded, enough for FFT-based pulse compression and digital down-conversion chains. The 28 Mb of M20K memory stores windowing coefficients and overlap-save buffers adjacent to the multipliers, reducing routing congestion. Twenty-four transceivers at 8.5 Gbps aggregate to 204 Gbps of I/O bandwidth, sufficient to ingest multiple ADC lanes from front-end A/D converters. Industrial-temperature variants (I3, I4) extend the same logic capacity to -40 C to +100 C for harsh environments.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
With 531,200 logic elements, the EP4SGX530KF43C2 can prototype ASICs of up to ~3-5 million ASIC gates depending on utilization and clock rate. The 880 user I/Os support multi-chip partitioning using the dedicated HT (High-Speed Terrazzo) interface or soft LVDS bridging. Stratix IV GX prototyping flows are mature, with vendor-supplied libraries for standard-cell to ALM mapping. The 24 transceivers emulate SerDes interfaces of the target ASIC without buying external rate-matching hardware. For multi-FPGA partitioning, designers can stack two EP4SGX530KF43C2 devices with a custom backplane and use the partial-reconfiguration feature to swap design blocks during bring-up.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pre-Processing
The EP4SGX530KF43C2 fits CT and MRI pre-processing pipelines that require high-throughput filtering and reconstruction. The embedded multipliers support parallel FIR and wavelet kernels at video-rate pixel clocks, while the 28 Mb of M20K RAM holds line buffers and lookup tables for beamforming and back-projection. The 24 transceivers aggregate enough I/O bandwidth to ingest raw data from 8-16 channel analog front-ends. Commercial-temperature operation (0 C to +85 C) is appropriate for controlled-room medical equipment, and the device is widely supported by medical-imaging reference designs in the Altera application notes. Long-lifecycle industrial variants extend availability for medical OEM programs.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Switchers
The EP4SGX530KF43C2 drives 1080p/60 4:4:4 broadcast video routers because of its large M20K memory pool and abundant transceivers. The 28 Mb of block RAM holds multiple frames of video line buffers, allowing seamless crosspoint switching without external frame-store chips. The 24 transceivers at 8.5 Gbps support SDI (SMPTE 424M), HDMI 1.4, and DisplayPort 1.1 ingest/egress without external reclockers. The 880 user I/Os parallel-route SD/HD-SDI and HDMI signals alongside the serial links. Designers often pair the FPGA with a Stratix IV GX EP4SGX230 for the control plane and a Cyclone IV for housekeeping.
Recommended
Industrial High-Speed Data Acquisition
The EP4SGX530KF43C2 anchors high-channel-count data-acquisition systems in industrial test and instrumentation. Its 24 transceivers aggregate up to 204 Gbps of I/O bandwidth, allowing direct connection to JESD204B converters at lane rates up to 6.5 Gbps without clock-data-recovery in the ADC. The 1,120 18x18 multipliers implement real-time FFT and digital down-conversion in the same fabric that streams results to a host CPU via PCIe Gen2 x4. Industrial-temperature speed grades (I3/I4) extend operation to -40 C to +100 C, and the 42.5 mm x 42.5 mm FCBGA integrates cleanly onto high-layer-count backplanes with controlled-impedance transceiver routing.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX530KF43C2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX530KF43C3 | EP4SGX530KF43C4 | EP4SGX530KF43C2N | EP4SGX530KF43C3N | EP4SGX530KF43C4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 1760-ball FCBGA | 1760-ball FCBGA (same) | 1760-ball FCBGA (same) | 1760-ball FCBGA (same) | 1760-ball FCBGA (same) | 1760-ball FCBGA (same) |
| Logic Elements | 531,200 | 531,200 (same) | 531,200 (same) | 531,200 (same) | 531,200 (same) | 531,200 (same) |
| Speed Grade | C2 | C3 (faster) | C4 (fastest) | C2 (same) | C3 (faster) | C4 (fastest) |
| Transceivers | 24 ch x 8.5 Gbps | 24 ch x 8.5 Gbps | 24 ch x 8.5 Gbps | 24 ch x 8.5 Gbps | 24 ch x 8.5 Gbps | 24 ch x 8.5 Gbps |
| Embedded Memory | 28,033,024 bits | 28,033,024 bits | 28,033,024 bits | 28,033,024 bits | 28,033,024 bits | 28,033,024 bits |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 1,120 | 1,120 | 1,120 | 1,120 | 1,120 | 1,120 |
| User I/O | 880 | 880 | 880 | 880 | 880 | 880 |
| Process Technology | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C |
Key Differentiators
- Hard PCIe Gen2 x4 IP block (vs EP4SGX230KF40I3N (smaller Stratix IV GX))
- Largest 40 nm Stratix IV GX (vs XC7VX690T (Xilinx Virtex-7))
- 24 transceiver channels in one package (vs EP4SGX530HH35C2 (1152-ball HBGAvariant))
Design Notes
The Stratix IV GX EP4SGX530KF43C2 requires a minimum of six independent power rails: 0.9 V core (VCC), 0.9 V core auxiliary (VCCAUX), 1.1 V PLL analog (VCCPLL), 1.5/2.5/3.3 V I/O banks (VCCIO), 1.0 V/1.2 V transceiver analog (VCCH_GXB), and 1.0/1.2/1.5 V transceiver analog (VCCA_GXB). Use a dedicated LDO for each analog rail and place the decoupling caps within 100 mils of the package balls. Always run the Stratix IV Early Power Estimator (EPE) before finalizing the power-tree design to validate thermal envelope.
Estimated: at 0.9 V core, 800 MHz, 70% utilization, and 50% transceiver toggle, the EP4SGX530KF43C2 dissipates approximately 12-15 W. The 42.5 mm x 42.5 mm FCBGA exposes its die through the package top; a heat-spreader is required for production use. Without forced airflow the junction temperature can exceed 100 C in enclosed enclosures. Use the Stratix IV thermal model and at least 200 LFM of airflow to keep theta_JA in the 1.5-2.0 C/W range.
The 1760-ball FCBGA has a 1.0 mm ball pitch, which mandates an 8-12 layer PCB with stacked microvias and a sequential lamination build. Transceiver channels must be routed as 100 ohm differential pairs with intra-pair skew below 5 mil and channel length matched within 25 mil of the receiver. Reference the Altera Stratix IV GX board design guidelines for via pattern, AC-coupling capacitor placement, and ground-signal-ground via fencing around each high-speed serial lane.
Do not assume the JTAG chain survives in-circuit programming while the FPGA is running - configure the JTAG pins with 10K pull-ups and use the dedicated TCK/TMS/TDO/TDI balls listed in the pin connection guidelines. Always include the required configuration mode resistors (MSEL[3:0]) for the chosen mode (AS, PS, JTAG, or FPP) and follow the configuration timing budget when selecting the configuration EPCS device. Finally, leave at least 2% of the LABs unused for partial reconfiguration and design-for-test margin.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Intel/Altera product declaration; AEC-Q100 not applicable for an FPGA; lead-free reflow supported. Halogen-free status not stated in the verified web data - confirm with Intel datasheet addendum before halogen-free programs.
