EP4CE15F17C9L - Cyclone IV E FPGA, 15,408 LEs, 256-LBGA | Altera
N.º de pieza: EP4CE15F17C9L ✓ ActivoEP4CE15F17C9L Descripción general
A field-programmable gate array is a programmable digital integrated circuit whose internal interconnect and logic blocks are configured at power-up from a bitstream held in external flash or loaded by a processor. FPGAs sit in the semiconductor hierarchy above fixed-function logic ICs: they replace large glue-logic and CPLD solutions with a single reconfigurable die, while sitting below application-specific standard products in cost and flexibility. Altera positions the Cyclone IV E family as a low-cost, low-power family of FPGAs for embedded and industrial designs.
Key characteristics of this device include a 15,408-element logic fabric, 516,096 bits of embedded RAM for on-chip buffering, 165 available I/O for external interfacing, and an industrial-style 256-LBGA package that supports high-density board escape routing on a 1.55 mm ball pitch. The F17 package offers a smaller board area than the 29 mm and 32 mm options in the same family, which matters when the FPGA must sit alongside a processor on a space-constrained control board.
The 'F17' portion of the ordering code identifies the 17 mm-class 256-ball package, while 'EP4CE15' identifies the Cyclone IV E device with 15,408 logic elements. The 'C9' segment identifies the commercial ordering option for this package and speed-grade combination. Configuration, clocking and I/O standards for this device are described in the Cyclone IV E device handbook and the EP4CE15F17C9L datasheet, which list electrical characteristics, pin (ball) assignments, and package outlines for the F17 option.
Typical applications include industrial control and PLC-style logic, motor drive and power-conversion control, instrumentation front ends, gateway and protocol-conversion equipment, video timing and display control, and low-cost embedded test or measurement platforms. In each case the device supplies parallel logic, state machines, counters, and data movement that would otherwise require several CPLDs and glue logic.
When planning the board, budget for a 3.3 V core and I/O supply structure per the datasheet supply recommendations, and confirm ball assignment and I/O standard support for your design in the pin connection table before routing. Because the F17 package is a fine-pitch BGA, assembly houses should use the standard JEDEC-compatible land pattern defined in the package mechanical drawing and inspect solder joints under X-ray.
This page brings together manufacturer ordering information, distributor channel listings, drop-in replacement analysis within the Cyclone IV E F17 family, and practical board-level design notes, so you can decide quickly whether this exact ordering code fits your design before requesting a quote.
Alternativas directas para EP4CE15F17C9L — mismo encapsulado, compatible pin a pin. Se excluyen las piezas de otro encapsulado que requieren retrabajo de la PCB.
Variantes de esta serie
Modelos de la misma serie compatibles directamente con EP4CE15F17C9L (mismo factor de forma y huella) — difiere en Embedded Memory.
EP4CE15F17C8L
✅ Sustitución directa ⚠️ Especificaciones sin verificarConsulte el precio
Ver hoja de datos →EP4CE15F17C9N
✅ Sustitución directa ⚠️ Especificaciones sin verificar📋 Alternativa de referencia (no en el catálogo)
EP4CE15F17C7L
✅ Sustitución directa ⚠️ Especificaciones sin verificar📋 Alternativa de referencia (no en el catálogo)
EP4CE10F17C9L
✅ Sustitución directa ⚠️ Especificaciones sin verificarConsulte el precio
Ver hoja de datos →EP4CE22F17C9L
✅ Sustitución directa ⚠️ Especificaciones sin verificar📋 Alternativa de referencia (no en el catálogo)
EP4CE6F17C9LN
✅ Sustitución directaConsulte el precio
Ver hoja de datos →EP4CE15F17C9L Valores máximos y características eléctricas
| Device Family | Cyclone IV E |
| Device Designator | EP4CE15 |
| Logic Elements | 15,408 |
| Embedded Memory | 516,096 bits |
| I/O Count | 165 |
| Package Type | 256-LBGA (F17) |
| Ball Pitch | 1.55 mm |
| Package Body Size | 17 mm class, 256-ball LBGA |
| Tipo de montaje | Surface Mount |
| Programming Interface | Active Serial (AS) / passive serial / JTAG |
| Logic Block Architecture | Cyclone IV E programmable logic fabric with embedded memory blocks |
| Estado del ciclo de vida | Active (manufacturer product page lists product lifecycle status) |
| Manufacturer Product Page | altera.com Cyclone IV E EP4CE15 (F17) ordering information |
Guía de configuración de pines de EP4CE15F17C9L 17 mm class, 256-ball lbga
Configuración de pines para EP4CE15F17C9L (encapsulado 17 mm class, 256-ball lbga). Este CI digital incluye GPIO, interfaces de comunicación (UART, SPI, I2C) y pines de alimentación. Consulte la hoja de datos del fabricante para conocer las funciones alternativas de los pines y las opciones de configuración. Esencial para el diseño de sistemas embebidos y el diseño de PCB.
No hay datos detallados de patillaje disponibles para EP4CE15F17C9L.
Consulte la hoja de datos para ver la configuración completa de patillas.
Aplicaciones típicas
EP4CE15F17C9L es adecuado para 6 aplicacións: Industrial Control and PLC-Style Logic, Motor Drive and Power Conversion Control, Instrumentation and Test Front Ends, Protocol Conversion and Gateway Equipment, Video Timing, Display and Control Logic, Audio and Interface Signal Conditioning.
Industrial Control and PLC-Style Logic
The EP4CE15F17C9L fits machine-control boards where deterministic sequencing, interlocking and I/O mapping must run alongside a supervisory processor. Its 15,408 logic elements absorb timer chains, state machines and interlock matrices that would otherwise need several CPLDs, while 516,096 bits of embedded RAM provides on-chip buffering for fieldbus frames and event logs. The 165 I/O support enough discrete lines for limit switches, solenoids and encoder inputs in one 256-ball device, keeping the control panel compact and reducing the number of components between the sensors and the processor.
Recomendado
Motor Drive and Power Conversion Control
In inverter and power-conversion controllers, the FPGA typically handles PWM generation, dead-time insertion, current-sense conditioning and fault interlocking in parallel with a control microcontroller. The EP4CE15F17C9L delivers the logic-element budget for multi-channel PWM compare units and state-based fault handling, and the embedded memory can hold lookup tables and captured fault snapshots. Placing that logic in a dedicated 256-ball LBGA keeps the deterministic path off the microcontroller, shortens the loop and lets the control code focus on higher-level regulation.
Recomendado
Instrumentation and Test Front Ends
Test and measurement front ends need deterministic sequencing of stimulus, gain stages and ADC triggers, and that logic must not disturb the analog path. The EP4CE15F17C9L is used as the sequencer and data-mover that triggers converters, formats results and manages the instrument handshake, with the 516,096 bits of embedded RAM acting as a deep capture buffer between the converter and the host interface. Its 165 I/O give enough parallel data and control lines to drive multi-channel front ends without an external bus switch.
Recomendado
Protocol Conversion and Gateway Equipment
Gateways that translate between fieldbus, serial and network stacks need byte-level buffering, framing and checksum logic running alongside dedicated controllers. The EP4CE15F17C9L is commonly used as the protocol engine that formats frames, manages FIFO boundaries between mismatched bus rates and handles escape or CRC insertion. Its embedded RAM supports the elasticity buffers needed when one side of the link is bursty, and the 256-ball F17 package keeps the design small enough for compact DIN-rail or embedded gateway housings.
Recomendado
Video Timing, Display and Control Logic
Video timing generators, blanking control and multi-screen synchronisation are classic parallel-logic jobs where an FPGA replaces large amounts of discrete counter and latch logic. The EP4CE15F17C9L provides 15,408 logic elements for horizontal/vertical counters, pixel-clock alignment and de-embedding, with 165 I/O sufficient to drive timing signals and pixel data at modest resolutions. Its programmable nature allows timing parameters to be revised over a product cycle, which is valuable when display standards or panel interfaces change between hardware revisions.
Recomendado
Audio and Interface Signal Conditioning
Audio products often need sample-rate conversion framing, channel routing, level control and clock-domain crossing between a codec and a DSP or host processor. The EP4CE15F17C9L handles the parallel side of that chain: I2S or DSD framing, mute and routing matrices, and delay-line buffers built from its 516,096 bits of embedded RAM. Because it operates in parallel logic rather than a DSP kernel, it adds no arithmetic load to the co-processor and its I/O count is ample for multi-channel routing matrices.
Recomendado
Resumen de productos recomendados
Datos de referencia de ingeniería para EP4CE15F17C9L — comparación, orientación de diseño e información de cumplimiento.
Guía de selección
Comparación con alternativas
| Parámetro | Este producto | EP4CE15F17C8L | EP4CE15F17C9N | EP4CE15F17C7L | EP4CE10F17C9L | EP4CE22F17C9L | EP4CE6F17C9LN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 256-LBGA (F17) | 256-LBGA (F17) - identical | 256-LBGA (F17) - identical | 256-LBGA (F17) - identical | 256-LBGA (F17) - identical | 256-LBGA (F17) - identical | 256-LBGA (F17) - identical |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 15,408 | 15,408 | 15,408 | 15,408 | 10,320 (-33%) | 22,320 (+45%) | 6,272 (-59%) |
| Device Family | Cyclone IV E | Cyclone IV E | Cyclone IV E | Cyclone IV E | Cyclone IV E | Cyclone IV E | Cyclone IV E |
| Ordering Code / Marking | C9 commercial ordering code | C8 speed-grade character | C9 with Pb-free 'N' marking suffix | C7 speed-grade character | C9 on EP4CE10 die | C9 on EP4CE22 die | C9 with Pb-free 'N' marking suffix |
| Ball Pitch | 1.55 mm | 1.55 mm | 1.55 mm | 1.55 mm | 1.55 mm | 1.55 mm | 1.55 mm |
| Configuration / Programming | Active Serial / JTAG configuration | Active Serial / JTAG configuration | Active Serial / JTAG configuration | Active Serial / JTAG configuration | Active Serial / JTAG configuration | Active Serial / JTAG configuration | Active Serial / JTAG configuration |
Diferenciadores clave
- Mid-capacity fabric in a small 17 mm-class BGA (frente a EP4CE22F17C9L)
- Pin-compatible speed and marking variants for supply resilience (frente a EP4CE15F17C8L)
- Pin-compatible Pb-free-marked option (frente a EP4CE15F17C9N)
- Higher logic-element headroom than the small F17 member (frente a EP4CE6F17C9LN)
Notas de diseño
The F17 option is a 256-ball LBGA on a 1.55 mm ball pitch, which makes escape routing the dominant layout constraint. Follow the package mechanical drawing for the land pattern, keep power and ground balls on a solid plane where the ball map allows, and route high-speed pairs on the shortest layer with continuous reference planes beneath. Because every alternative listed here shares the same F17 256-ball footprint, the footprint and via field can be reused unchanged if you later step up or down within the Cyclone IV E F17 family.
Plan the supply network from the datasheet recommended operating conditions and the power-estimate tables rather than from a generic rule of thumb, because core and I/O supplies in a device of this class have separate current budgets that scale with toggle rate. Decouple each supply rail with the capacitance and ESR range given in the datasheet, place bulk bulk capacitance near the device supply balls and distribute the high-frequency decoupling evenly across the footprint. Estimated note: total supply decoupling of roughly 0.1 uF per supply ball pair, plus bulk capacitance at the regulator, is a reasonable starting point that must still be checked against the datasheet recommendation.
Assign ball locations for the configuration pins, clock inputs and any dedicated user I/O early, before committing the surrounding component placement. The configuration scheme dictates where the flash device and its traces sit relative to the FPGA, and clock input pins are sensitive to return-path discontinuities. Keep the JTAG chain accessible and, if the design uses the Active Serial flash on the underside or opposite PCB side, verify the package outline and keepout drawings permit the routing without via stubs in the clock path.
Two mistakes cause most field problems with this class of device. First, ordering a speed-grade or Pb-free-marked variant without confirming the marking suffix your customer requires, which can stop a build at incoming inspection. Second, treating the logical-element headline number as capacity: the real limits are memory blocks, multiplier resources and routing, so compile with margin and re-check timing after any device swap within the F17 family. Because EP4CE15F17C8L, EP4CE15F17C9N and EP4CE15F17C7L share the die but differ in speed grade, re-run timing analysis after each substitution.
Información de cumplimiento
The manufacturer ordering-information page publishes trade-compliance details, material attributes and product lifecycle status for this ordering code, but those declarations were not reproduced in the channel listings reviewed. The Pb-free-marked sibling EP4CE15F17C9N is the ordering option to use when a lead-free-marked part is required; confirm the specific declaration you need against the manufacturer page before release.
