EP4SGX530KH40C3N - 531K LE Stratix IV GX FPGA | Intel
MPN: EP4SGX530KH40C3N ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4850 | $4,850.00 |
| 10 | $4520 | $45,200.00 |
| 100 | $4105 | $410,500.00 |
| 500 | $3750 | $1,875,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $3420 | $3,420,000.00 |
EP4SGX530KH40C3N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a type of programmable logic device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable routing, dedicated hardware multipliers, block RAM, and high-speed transceivers that engineers can reconfigure to implement arbitrary digital circuits. FPGAs sit at the top of the digital semiconductor hierarchy alongside ASICs, microcontrollers, and DSP processors, but unlike ASICs they are fully programmable and unlike microcontrollers they deliver hardware-level parallelism. The Stratix IV family was Altera's (now Intel FPGA) high-end, transceiver-rich generation, succeeding Stratix III and preceding Stratix V, and was built on TSMC's 40 nm process for a strong logic/memory/serial ratio at moderate power.
Key features of the EP4SGX530KH40C3N include 531,200 logic elements (LEs), 21,248 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 28 Mb of embedded RAM, 744 maximum user I/Os, 24 embedded transceivers running up to 8.5 Gbps, and 1,288 embedded 18x18 multipliers (DSP blocks). The -C3 speed grade provides a balanced operating point between timing margin and Fmax. The 'N' suffix indicates an industrial temperature rating, and the KH40 package code identifies the 1517-pin FC-HFBGA FineLine BGA. Partial reconfiguration and dedicated PCML/PCIe hard IP blocks reduce soft-logic area for serial protocols.
Typical applications include high-end ASIC prototyping, 40G/100G wireline line-card bridging, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband processing, broadcast video processing, and high-performance computing (HPC) accelerators. The 24 transceivers at 8.5 Gbps make the part especially suitable for multi-lane SERDES aggregation, while the 28 Mb block RAM suits memory-intensive pipelined datapaths and packet buffers.
When designing with this device, ensure PCB designers use a 1517-ball FC-HFBGA layout with proper microvia stack-up, controlled-impedance SERDES traces, and adequate decoupling per the Stratix IV pin connection guidelines. Power estimation should use the Intel PowerPlay Early Power Estimator before final RTL because core and transceiver power dominate thermal dissipation. Confirm Quartus II support status for your design flow because Intel has classified Stratix IV as mature/NRND for new designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX530KH40C3N — 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 EP4SGX530KH40C3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Transceivers, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX530KH40C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3700 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KH40C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$8650 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KH40C2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$2150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP4SGX530KH40C3NES
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4SGX360KH40C3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP4SGX530KH40C3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix IV GX |
| Logic Elements | 531200 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 21248 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 28033024 (28 Mb) |
| Number of I/Os | 744 |
| Embedded Transceivers | 24 (up to 8.5 Gbps) |
| DSP Blocks (18x18 multipliers) | 1288 |
| Process Technology | 40 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Operating Temperature Grade | -40C to +85C (industrial, 'N' suffix) |
| Speed Grade | C3 |
| Package | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
EP4SGX530KH40C3N Pin Configuration
| Pin BGA-1 | VCC — Power supply (specific rail assigned per datasheet pin table) |
| Pin BGA-2 | GND — Common ground |
| Pin BGA-3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-9 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-10 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-11 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-12 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin BGA-13 | GXB_TXp — Transmitter differential positive (transceiver channel) |
| Pin BGA-14 | GXB_TXn — Transmitter differential negative (transceiver channel) |
| Pin BGA-15 | GXB_RXp — Receiver differential positive (transceiver channel) |
| Pin BGA-16 | GXB_RXn — Receiver differential negative (transceiver channel) |
| Pin BGA-17 | REFCLK_p — Reference clock differential positive |
| Pin BGA-18 | REFCLK_n — Reference clock differential negative |
| Pin BGA-19 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin BGA-20 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin BGA-21 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin BGA-22 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin BGA-23 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin BGA-24 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin BGA-25 | DCLK — Configuration clock / data |
| Pin BGA-26 | DATA0 — Configuration data 0 (epof/sfl) |
| Pin BGA-27 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin BGA-28 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin BGA-29 | MSEL2 — Configuration mode select 2 |
| Pin BGA-30 | VCC_CORE — Core voltage 0.9 V supply |
| Pin BGA-31 | VCC_IO — I/O bank voltage (per bank assignment) |
Typical Applications
EP4SGX530KH40C3N is suitable for 7 applications: 40G/100G Wireline Line-Card Bridging, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband Processing, High-Performance Computing (HPC) Acceleration, Broadcast Video Processing and Conversion, Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision, Aerospace and Defense Signal Processing.
40G/100G Wireline Line-Card Bridging
The EP4SGX530KH40C3N's 24 embedded transceivers at 8.5 Gbps aggregate to ~204 Gbps of SERDES bandwidth, enabling multi-lane 40G (4x10G) or 100G (10x10G / 4x25G via gearbox) line-card designs without external PHY devices. Place the FPGA between the framer and the switch fabric ASIC; the 28 Mb block RAM holds packet headers and statistics counters while 744 I/Os interface to backplane serdes. Hard PCIe Gen2 IP reduces soft-logic area for control-plane channels. Estimated at 14W transceiver power plus 6W core power per Intel PowerPlay, requires thermal copper and heatsink.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The 531,200 logic elements and 21,248 LABs of the EP4SGX530KH40C3N make it a staple for ASIC prototyping platforms partitioning large ASIC designs across multiple FPGAs via GTL/SerDes bridges. The 1288 18x18 multipliers support deep datapath emulation, and 28 Mb block RAM models embedded SRAM macros reasonably well. Quartus II incremental compile and LogicLock regions let design teams iterate on RTL subsets quickly. The C3 speed grade balances timing margin against debug overhead. Industrial temp supports bench-to-rack prototyping environments.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband Processing
The EP4SGX530KH40C3N fits SDR baseband designs by combining 1288 DSP multipliers for FFT/FIR/channelization with 24 transceivers for multi-radio digitizer interfaces (JESD204B, CPRI, OBSAI). At 8.5 Gbps per lane, the FPGA can aggregate 4-6 radio channels into a single FPGA, with 28 Mb block RAM holding tap-delay lines and cyclic-prefix buffers for OFDM waveforms. The 531K LEs map multi-core soft processors (Nios II) plus signal-processing pipelines. Industrial temp supports outdoor base-station deployments.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing (HPC) Acceleration
The EP4SGX530KH40C3N's 531K LEs and 1288 multipliers deliver up to ~200 GMACs of DSP throughput, suitable for HPC acceleration cards in PCIe Gen2 form factors. The 24 transceivers handle multi-FPGA interconnect (e.g., Intel's QPI-style or proprietary SERDES meshes) for cluster topologies, while 28 Mb block RAM supports coefficient cache and packet queues. Quartus II OpenCL SDK allows kernel-based acceleration without RTL. The industrial temp and C3 grade support lab-to-datacenter deployment profiles.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing and Conversion
The EP4SGX530KH40C3N handles broadcast video processing by combining 531K LEs for chroma upsampling and noise reduction, 28 Mb block RAM for line/frame buffering at 4K resolutions, and 24 transceivers for SDI (3G-SDI / 6G-SDI / 12G-SDI over 8.5 Gbps SERDES). 1288 DSP blocks accelerate scaling and deinterlacing kernels, and 744 I/Os support parallel video bus interfaces (BT.1120, BT.656, DisplayPort). The C3 speed grade and industrial temp support OB-truck and broadcast-master environments.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision
The EP4SGX530KH40C3N powers industrial imaging pipelines by combining 1288 18x18 multipliers for image convolution, 28 Mb block RAM for line-scan cameras, and 24 transceivers for CoaXPress, Camera Link HS, or GigE Vision aggregation. 744 user I/Os support parallel LVDS camera interfaces and trigger/encoder I/O. Industrial temp (-40C to +85C) tolerates factory-floor ambient temperatures, while the 0.9 V core supply keeps power within industrial thermal envelopes. Quartus II supports OpenCV-to-FPGA flows for fast machine-vision prototyping.
Recommended
Aerospace and Defense Signal Processing
The EP4SGX530KH40C3N is used in aerospace and defense signal-processing applications such as radar preprocessing, electronic-warfare (EW) channelization, and SIGINT digitization. Its 24 transceivers at 8.5 Gbps aggregate multi-band ADC data streams, 1288 DSP blocks accelerate FFT/channelizer kernels, and 28 Mb block RAM holds windowing coefficients and spectral data. The industrial temp (-40C to +85C) plus mature/BGA packaging suits ruggedized rackmount chassis. Note that for true MIL-spec programs the EM/military temperature grade (without N suffix) is preferred.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX530KH40C3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX530KH40C2N | EP4SGX530KH40C3 | EP4SGX530KH40C2 | EP4SGX530KH40C3NES | EP4SGX360KH40C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) - same | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) - same | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) - same | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) - same | 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 531200 | 531200 | 531200 | 531200 | 531200 | 360000 (-32%) |
| Speed Grade | C3 | C2 (faster) | C3 | C2 (faster) | C3 | C3 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Engineering sample | Industrial |
| Embedded Transceivers | 24 x 8.5 Gbps | 24 x 8.5 Gbps | 24 x 8.5 Gbps | 24 x 8.5 Gbps | 24 x 8.5 Gbps | 24 x 8.5 Gbps |
| Embedded Memory | 28 Mb | 28 Mb | 28 Mb | 28 Mb | 28 Mb | 18 Mb |
| DSP Blocks (18x18) | 1288 | 1288 | 1288 | 1288 | 1288 | 1040 (-19%) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Stratix IV GX FPGA in KH40 package (vs EP4SGX360KH40C3N)
- Faster C3 speed grade balances Fmax and cost (vs EP4SGX530KH40C2N)
- Industrial temperature range supports ruggedized deployments (vs EP4SGX530KH40C3)
Design Notes
Estimated: the EP4SGX530KH40C3N dissipates approximately 20W (14W transceiver + 6W core) at typical Stratix IV GX utilization per Intel PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) defaults. The 1517-ball FC-HFBGA package requires substantial PCB thermal relief: full ground plane under the BGA, microvia-in-pad construction, and at least 8 thermal vias per thermal pad. Without active airflow, the junction temperature can exceed 100C at 85C ambient; design with a heatsink or fan for industrial deployments. Junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) for this package is typically 1.5 C/W with proper thermal design.
The 1517-ball FC-HFBGA (KH40) package requires a multi-layer PCB (12+ layers recommended) with microvias, controlled-impedance routing for the 24 SERDES channels at 8.5 Gbps (100 ohm differential with 7-8 mil trace width), and matched-length traces within 5 mils for transceiver pairs. Use the Stratix IV GX pin connection guidelines to identify decoupling capacitor placement - typically 0402 or 0201 size X7R ceramics within 100 mils of each power pin. Reference Intel AN 583: 'Design Guidelines for Stratix IV GX High-Speed Serial Interfaces' for SERDES routing.
Do not assume Quartus II version compatibility for new designs - Stratix IV is supported through Quartus II v14.1 and Intel/Altera has classified the family as mature/NRND for new designs. Verify that your configuration scheme (Passive Serial, Fast Passive Parallel, JTAG) matches MSEL pin strapping in the pin connection guidelines. The -N suffix denotes industrial temp, but military programs may require the EM/military grade (no N suffix) for -55C to +125C operation. Lastly, do not hot-plug transceiver inputs without proper DC blocking capacitors.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Altera/Intel product page. AEC-Q100 is not applicable (FPGA is not an automotive-qualified IC in the standard AEC-Q100 sense). Lead-free BGA assembly per JEDEC J-STD-020. Lifecycle is mature/NRND as of 2026-09-10.
