EP4SGX70DF29C4G - Stratix IV GX FPGA, 72.6K LE, 780-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP4SGX70DF29C4G β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $328.31 | $328.31 |
| 10 | $295.48 | $2,954.80 |
| 100 | $262.65 | $26,265.00 |
| 500 | $229.82 | $114,910.00 |
| 1,000 | $196.99 | $196,990.00 |
EP4SGX70DF29C4G Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable semiconductor device that contains an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) interconnected through programmable routing fabric, allowing hardware designers to implement arbitrary digital logic, DSP pipelines, or entire microprocessors after silicon manufacturing. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy, FPGAs sit between Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and general-purpose microcontrollers/MCUs: they deliver ASIC-level performance and parallelism for high-throughput workloads while retaining the reprogrammability and short time-to-market of software-defined development.
Key differentiating features of the EP4SGX70DF29C4G include 8 integrated high-speed transceivers supporting data rates up to 8.5 Gbps, hard memory controllers for DDR/DDR2/DDR3 SDRAM, dedicated DSP blocks with variable-precision multipliers, up to 24 full-duplex CDR-based transceivers for serial connectivity, and a multi-gigabit serial link capability that targets protocols such as PCIe Gen1/Gen2, Serial RapidIO, XAUI, CEI-6G, and 10 GbE PHY interfaces. The 780-FCBGA package provides a 29 mm Γ 29 mm body with 1.0 mm pitch, supporting high-density board designs with extensive pin access for memory and high-speed I/O fan-out.
Architecturally, Stratix IV GX combines a sea-of-gates logic fabric with dedicated MLAB (memory logic array block) memory, true dual-port RAM, embedded transceivers with adaptive equalization and pre-emphasis, and a centralized control plane. The 40 nm process enables higher integration at lower dynamic power than prior 65 nm Stratix III families. Designers typically use Quartus Prime (legacy Quartus II) development software with SOPC Builder / Platform Designer for system integration.
Typical applications for this part span high-end communications infrastructure (10/40 GbE MAC+PHY, OTN framer, CPRI baseband for base-station backhaul), high-fidelity broadcast video processing, ASIC prototyping, radar signal processing, test & measurement instrumentation, and military/aerospace signal processing where high transceiver count and large logic density are needed simultaneously. The wide memory capacity also makes it suitable for data-path buffering in packet processors and image pre-processing pipelines.
When designing with the EP4SGX70DF29C4G, careful PCB layout is essential for the high-speed serial channels: matched-length differential pairs, controlled impedance (100 Ξ© differential) routing, and proper ground-return stitching are required. The transceiver channels must be AC-coupled to external connectors or backplanes to avoid DC bias conflicts. Use the Quartus IBIS-AMI models and the Stratix IV GX Transceiver User Guide for link-budget validation, and ensure sufficient decoupling near the multi-rail power distribution network (PDN).
This page consolidates distributor inventory and pricing (DigiKey, Mouser, LCSC, Element14, Jotrin, Vyrian, FPGAkey), same-brand Stratix IV drop-in alternatives, and design resources that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet summary. Pricing reflects current market data as of 2026-09-10.
Drop-in alternatives for EP4SGX70DF29C4G β 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 EP4SGX70DF29C4G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Transceivers, Mounting Type, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP4SGX70DF29C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1425 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX70DF29C2XN
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2450 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX70DF29C2XG
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1295 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX110DF29C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1495 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX110DF29C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2610.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX110DF29C2XG
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1265 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX110DF29I4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1085 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SGX70DF29C4G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix IV GX |
| Family | Stratix IV |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 72,600 |
| Total Memory Bits | 7,564,880 |
| User I/O Count | 372 |
| Number of Transceivers | 8 |
| Transceiver Data Rate (max) | 8.5 Gbps |
| Package Type | 780-BBGA, FCBGA |
| Package Code | BGA |
| Package Body Size | 29 mm Γ 29 mm |
| Ball Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP4SGX70DF29C4G 29 mm Γ 29 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP4SGX70DF29C4G (29 mm Γ 29 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 EP4SGX70DF29C4G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP4SGX70DF29C4G is suitable for 7 applications: 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet Network Interface Cards, Wireless Base Station CPRI Baseband Processing, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Broadcast Video Processing and Image Manipulation, Radar and Military Signal Processing, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, High-Performance Computing (HPC) Acceleration Cards.
10/40 Gigabit Ethernet Network Interface Cards
The EP4SGX70DF29C4G's 8 integrated transceivers up to 8.5 Gbps and 72.6K logic elements make it well-suited for 10 GbE and 40 GbE MAC+PHY line-card designs, where 4 lanes at 10.3125 Gbps can drive a QSFP+ 40 GbE interface. The hard PCIe Gen2 endpoint and 7.56 Mbit embedded block memory enable packet buffering and QoS scheduling without external memory for short bursts. Designers typically instantiate the Altera 10GbE MAC IP with XAUI/CAUI-4 PMA variants, leveraging the 780-FCBGA DF29's 372 user I/Os for direct-attached memory and board interconnect. Compared to ASIC implementations, the FPGA provides rapid PMA reconfiguration for protocol experimentation (10GBASE-KR, KR4, CR4) and faster time-to-market for emerging Ethernet standards.
Recommended
Wireless Base Station CPRI Baseband Processing
The 8 transceivers at 8.5 Gbps align directly with CPRI Line Bit Rate Option 6 (6.144 Gbps) and 7 (9.830 Gbps) for LTE/WCDMA base-station backhaul between the radio equipment (RE) and the radio equipment controller (REC). The Stratix IV GX 72.6K LEs accommodate forward-error-correction (Turbo/LDPC) codecs, IQ sample buffering, and the digital up/down-conversion (DUC/DDC) pipelines required by 4G/LTE remote-radio-heads. Hard DDR3 controllers support high-bandwidth sample storage, while 372 user I/Os allow direct interface to ADC/DAC pairs (e.g., TI DAC5682Z, Analog Devices AD9125). Industrial-temperature variants exist in the same DF29 family for outdoor radio unit installations.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
With 72,600 logic elements, 7.56 Mbit embedded memory, and 8 high-speed serial links, the EP4SGX70DF29C4G is well-positioned as a building block in multi-FPGA ASIC prototyping platforms where designs of 1-3 million ASIC gates are partitioned across multiple FPGAs. Designers use the 8 transceivers for chip-to-chip partitioning interconnect at 8.5 Gbps, often with Altera's SoftTouch or custom time-division-multiplexing protocols to bridge high-fanout ASIC nets. The 780-FCBGA package's 29 mm Γ 29 mm body supports high-density socketed daughter cards, and the mature Quartus II design flow with synthesis from Verilog/VHDL/SystemVerilog enables rapid compile-and-test cycles. Compared to ASIC fabrication, FPGA prototyping cuts validation time from months to days.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing and Image Manipulation
The 7.56 Mbit embedded block memory and variable-precision DSP blocks of the EP4SGX70DF29C4G enable real-time SD/HD/3G-SDI video processing pipelines, including color-space conversion, deinterlacing, scaling, and frame-rate conversion. The 8 high-speed transceivers at 8.5 Gbps support HDMI 1.4/2.0 receivers, DisplayPort 1.2, and 12G-SDI standards through external reclockers. Designers build video overlay and PIP (picture-in-picture) systems with the on-chip RAM storing multiple frame buffers and the high-speed I/Os streaming pixel data into external DDR3 SDRAM. The 780-FCBGA DF29 footprint supports full 4K/8K-ready broadcast reference designs with multiple banks of DDR3.
Recommended
Radar and Military Signal Processing
The combination of high DSP block density, large embedded memory, and 8 multi-gigabit transceivers in the EP4SGX70DF29C4G makes it ideal for radar front-end preprocessing such as digital beamforming, pulse compression, and CFAR detection. Industrial-temperature variants in the same DF29 family are used in military and aerospace applications including EW (electronic warfare), SIGINT, and phased-array radar systems. Designers implement FFT engines for synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and moving-target-indication (MTI) processing, leveraging the Stratix IV's variable-precision DSP blocks for 18Γ18 and 36Γ36 multiplier modes. The transceivers interface to high-speed ADCs (e.g., TI ADC12D1800, Analog Devices AD9680) with JESD204B subclass-1 support on similar Stratix V families.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The 8 high-speed transceivers of the EP4SGX70DF29C4G at 8.5 Gbps allow designers to build protocol-aware test equipment such as PCIe Gen2 analyzer cards, Serial RapidIO exercisers, and OTU2 optical-link BERT testers. The 7.56 Mbit embedded memory provides real-time pattern buffering for protocol-aware pattern generators and error counters without external memory. Designers instantiate the Altera Native PHY IP for adaptive equalization and link training with display via integrated JTAG or external USB-Blaster, all under Quartus Prime control. The DF29 780-FCBGA allows compact PXI/PXIe form-factor cards for production-line automated test equipment (ATE) with deterministic latency.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing (HPC) Acceleration Cards
The PCIe Gen2 hard IP block of the EP4SGX70DF29C4G, combined with 72.6K LEs and DDR3 controllers, makes it a drop-in compute accelerator for HPC and machine-learning inference workloads in PCIe form-factor cards. Designers use OpenCL SDK for FPGA to compile kernel code to custom datapaths, accelerating Monte Carlo simulations, option pricing, and low-power CNN inference at the edge. The 8 transceivers support both PCIe Γ4 host links and Aurora or 10 GbE side-channels for clustered HPC racks. Compared with GPU accelerators, the Stratix IV GX offers per-watt efficiency advantages for low-precision (INT8) inference at modest batch sizes.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP4SGX70DF29C4G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP4SGX70DF29C3G | EP4SGX70DF29C2XN | EP4SGX70DF29C2XG | EP4SGX110DF29C4G | EP4SGX110DF29C3G | EP4SGX110DF29C2XG | EP4SGX110DF29I4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same DF29 family | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same DF29 family | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same DF29 family | 780-FCBGA (DF29), 29 mm Γ 29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch - same DF29 family |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 72,600 | 72,600 - same | 72,600 - same | 72,600 - same | 110,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial) | C3 (faster) | C2 (slower, N = lead-free) | C2 (slower) | C4 (commercial) | C3 (faster) | C2 (slower) | I4 (industrial temp) |
| Number of Transceivers | 8 | 8 - same | 8 - same | 8 - same | 8 - same (some SKUs may differ) | 8 - same | 8 - same | 8 - same |
| Max Transceiver Data Rate | 8.5 Gbps | 8.5 Gbps - same | 8.5 Gbps - same | 8.5 Gbps - same | 8.5 Gbps - same | 8.5 Gbps - same | 8.5 Gbps - same | 8.5 Gbps - same |
| User I/O Count | 372 | 372 - same | 372 - same | 372 - same | 372 - same | 372 - same | 372 - same | 372 - same |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 40 nm - same | 40 nm - same | 40 nm - same | 40 nm - same | 40 nm - same | 40 nm - same | 40 nm - same |
Key Differentiators
- C4 speed grade offers timing-margin headroom over C2/C3 at lower price (vs EP4SGX70DF29C3G)
- Higher LE density within the same DF29 PCB footprint (vs EP4SGX110DF29C4G)
- Commercial temperature grade vs industrial variants (vs EP4SGX110DF29I4G)
Design Notes
The 780-FCBGA DF29 package has 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires high-density PCB layout: 8 transceiver channels at up to 8.5 Gbps demand 100 Ξ© differential impedance-controlled pairs with matched length to within Β±5 mil for a single channel. Use 12+ layer stack-up (microstrip or stripline) with continuous reference planes over each differential pair. Place AC-coupling capacitors (0.1 Β΅F 0402 X7R) within 200 mil of the FPGA TX/RX balls; missing capacitors cause link failures even with correct channel tuning.
Stratix IV GX devices require a multi-rail power distribution network: core voltage VCC (typically 0.9 V), VCCD_PLL (1.0 V), VCCPT (1.5 V), VCCAUX (2.5 V), VCCIO (1.2-3.0 V bank-dependent), and the transceiver VCCEHT_GXB (1.4 V). Use a sequencing controller such as the LM3880 or LTC2934 to enforce proper rail turn-on order (core before I/O before transceivers) - improper sequencing can damage the device. Decoupling must include 220 Β΅F bulk caps per rail and a high-density array of 0.1 Β΅F/0.01 Β΅F ceramic caps near the BGA balls.
The 8 transceivers require IBIS-AMI simulations for the channel and connector to validate the 8.5 Gbps link budget. Apply Stratix IV GX pre-emphasis settings (typically 4-tap) and adaptive equalization in the receiver. Pre-layout planning should target -8 dB channel loss at 4.25 GHz Nyquist frequency with under-3 dB return loss for the connector pair. Use the Altera Transceiver Toolkit (in Quartus II) for real-time link tuning once hardware is available. Crosstalk from adjacent high-speed signals can severely degrade margin - maintain 3W spacing between differential pairs in the breakout region.
Do not hot-swap the configuration JTAG chain while the device is in user mode - reset the FPGA before re-attaching an external programmer. Avoid using the EPCS or EPCQ flash devices for configuration if the design requires 100 ms startup time; use an EPCQ with appropriate compression mode instead. When porting designs from Stratix III to Stratix IV, verify PLL reference clock ranges and I/O standard compatibility - some legacy I/O standards (LVDS 2.5 V) require voltage-referenced termination that differs from Stratix IV recommendations. Configuration bitstream security should be enabled with AES-128 (256-bit optional) for production to protect IP.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Intel/Altera product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGA family, automotive is not the primary target market). Lead-free packaging is standard for all 'G' and 'N' suffix variants. Halogen-free status and full conflict-minerals documentation should be requested from Intel's product compliance portal.
