EP1AGX50DF1152 - Arria GX FPGA, 50K LE, 3.125 Gbps Transceivers
MPN: EP1AGX50DF1152 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $265 | $2,650.00 |
| 100 | $235 | $23,500.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $195 | $195,000.00 |
EP1AGX50DF1152 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device that allows designers to implement arbitrary digital logic functions, memory blocks, arithmetic units and I/O protocols after silicon fabrication. The Arria GX family sits between the lower-cost Cyclone series and the high-end Stratix series, balancing transceiver bandwidth, logic density and power consumption for cost-sensitive applications such as industrial video, broadcast equipment, storage area networks and telecom line cards. Within the broader taxonomy, the EP1AGX50DF1152 occupies the mid-range transceiver FPGA tier of the Intel/Altera programmable logic portfolio.
Key features include 12 full-duplex 3.125 Gbps transceivers with 8B/10B, SERDES framer interface (SFI), and Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) hard IP, a 36x36-bit multiplier mode (when configured for DSP blocks), embedded PCI Express hard IP, and support for external memory interfaces including DDR2 SDRAM, QDRII SRAM and RLDRAM II. The device operates from a 1.2 V core supply and supports multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, SSTL) across 8 I/O banks.
Typical applications include PCI Express endpoint and root complex designs, Serial RapidIO and XAUI backplanes, HD-SDI video broadcast equipment, industrial control planes, and wireless baseband preprocessing. The combination of transceiver density and logic capacity makes it a strong fit for protocol bridging cards where one side terminates 1-3 Gbps serial links and the other side performs packet processing.
When designing with this part, pay close attention to PCB layout of the transceiver channels: 100-ohm differential impedance, length matching within 5 mils, and AC-coupling capacitors placed near the receiver pins are mandatory for 3.125 Gbps operation. The FPGA also requires multiple decoupling rails (VCC, VCCA, VCCD_PLL) with ferrite beads and bulk capacitors per the reference design.
This page combines verified distributor data, drop-in same-package alternates, and practical layout guidance not found on the manufacturer datasheet cover page, helping sourcing engineers and PCB designers evaluate the EP1AGX50DF1152 against modern transceiver-FPGA alternatives.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1AGX50DF1152 — 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 EP1AGX50DF1152 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Configuration Method, Logic Elements, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1AGX50DF1152C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$270 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1AGX50DF1152I6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$105 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1AGX50CF484I6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$504.158 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1AGX50CF484C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1AGX35DF780I6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1AGX50DF1152 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Arria GX |
| Logic Elements | 50,160 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,475,072 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 514 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,508 |
| Maximum User I/O | 514 |
| Transceivers | 12 (up to 3.125 Gbps) |
| Package | 1152-ball FC-FBGA, 35x35 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Process Technology | 90 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| I/O Banks | 8 |
| External Memory Support | DDR2 SDRAM, QDRII SRAM, RLDRAM II |
| Hard IP Blocks | PCI Express, 8B/10B, SFI PCS |
| Operating Temperature (I grade) | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP1AGX50DF1152 1152-ball fc-fbga, 35x35 mm, 1.0 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP1AGX50DF1152 (1152-ball fc-fbga, 35x35 mm, 1.0 mm pitch 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 EP1AGX50DF1152.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP1AGX50DF1152 is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Express Endpoint Cards, HD-SDI Video Broadcasting Equipment, Serial RapidIO Backplane Bridges, Industrial Motor Control and Servo Drives, Storage Area Network (SAN) Protocol Bridging, Wireless Baseband Preprocessing.
PCI Express Endpoint Cards
The EP1AGX50DF1152 is a strong fit for PCI Express endpoint designs because it integrates dedicated PCIe hard IP and supports Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) signaling on its 3.125 Gbps transceivers. The 50,160 logic elements provide ample headroom for endpoint TLP handling, DMA engines and protocol layer state machines, while the 514 embedded 18x18 multipliers handle high-throughput data path arithmetic. With 2.4 Mbits of block RAM, multiple DMA channels can buffer payload data directly on-chip. Designers typically place the FPGA between a host CPU and a downstream sensor or storage array, mapping 4 PCIe lanes to 4 transceiver channels and using the remaining transceivers for external serial connectivity.
Recommended
HD-SDI Video Broadcasting Equipment
The 12 transceivers on the EP1AGX50DF1152 are well matched to SMPTE HD-SDI serial digital video at 1.485 Gbps and 3G-SDI at 2.97 Gbps, supporting up to 4 simultaneous HD-SDI input or output channels with on-chip clock recovery. The 2,475,072 bits of embedded RAM provide line buffers, frame stores and audio de-embedding FIFOs without external memory for moderate frame sizes. The 514 18x18 multipliers are suitable for color space conversion and image scaling. Designers build SDI router cards, broadcast switchers and production monitor walls with this part, using the embedded SERDES for cable equalization and reclocker functions.
Recommended
Serial RapidIO Backplane Bridges
Each EP1AGX50DF1152 can implement multiple Serial RapidIO (SRIO) ports at 1.25, 2.5 or 3.125 Gbps using its 12 transceivers, making it ideal for bridging between DSP clusters, FPGAs and host processors on wireless baseband or signal-processing backplanes. The 50,160 logic elements support full SRIO logical layer with message passing and doorbell interrupts, while the 514 multipliers accelerate FIR filters and FFT butterflies. Common designs use 4 SRIO links (4x) plus a PCIe endpoint to host, fitting well within the device's resource budget. The part's hardware error detection and CRC generation offload the embedded DSP significantly.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control and Servo Drives
The industrial temperature grade (I6N) of EP1AGX50DF1152 operates from -40C to +100C, suitable for motor control cabinets, servo drives and CNC machine controllers where ambient temperatures exceed commercial ranges. The 514 18x18 multipliers implement field-oriented control (FOC) loops, SVPWM modulators and current/torque observers at tens of kHz switching frequencies. The transceiver channels connect to multi-axis encoder interfaces, EtherCAT or SERCOS III master controllers and external DACs. With 8 I/O banks, designers can simultaneously interface to 5V TTL encoders, 3.3V LVCMOS control logic and differential RS-485 feedback lines without external level shifters.
Recommended
Storage Area Network (SAN) Protocol Bridging
The combination of 3.125 Gbps transceivers and 50K logic elements positions the EP1AGX50DF1152 for Fibre Channel (1.0625/2.125 Gbps), SATA (1.5/3.0 Gbps) or SAS bridge cards that aggregate multiple storage links into a higher-speed uplink. The embedded RAM buffers payload packets during protocol translation, and the 12 transceivers support up to 4 dual-port bridge channels per device. Designers in enterprise storage use this FPGA to build iSCSI-to-Fibre Channel gateways, RAID controller front-ends and protocol-aware disk arrays. The 1.2V core voltage and 90nm process keep power consumption manageable in dense storage shelves.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband Preprocessing
In 3G/4G wireless base stations the EP1AGX50DF1152 performs front-end CPRI or OBSAI digitization, channel filtering, crest factor reduction (CFR) and digital predistortion (DPD) before forwarding baseband data to a DSP cluster. The 514 multipliers enable hundreds of FIR taps running at hundreds of MHz, while the 3.125 Gbps transceivers carry CPRI links to remote radio heads. The device's PCI Express hard IP connects to the host baseband card over a 4-lane Gen1 link. Designers appreciate that all preprocessing fits in a single FPGA, reducing board area and BOM cost relative to multi-FPGA partitions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1AGX50DF1152 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1AGX50DF1152C6N | EP1AGX50DF1152I6N | EP1AGX50CF484I6N | EP1AGX50CF484C6N | EP1AGX35DF780I6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | 1152-ball FC-FBGA | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 1152-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 484-ball FC-FBGA | 484-ball FC-FBGA | 780-ball FC-FBGA |
| Logic Elements | 50,160 | 50,160 | 50,160 | 50,160 | 50,160 | 35,000 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 514 | 514 | 514 | 514 | 514 | 330 |
| Transceivers | 12 x 3.125 Gbps | 12 x 3.125 Gbps | 12 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 8 x 3.125 Gbps | 12 x 3.125 Gbps |
| Max User I/O | 514 | 514 | 514 | 294 | 294 | 486 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | 0C to +85C | -40C to +100C |
| Process Technology | 90 nm | 90 nm | 90 nm | 90 nm | 90 nm | 90 nm |
| PCI Express Hard IP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest I/O count in the Arria GX 50K LE family (vs EP1AGX50CF484C6N)
- 12 transceiver channels at 3.125 Gbps (vs EP1AGX50CF484C6N)
- Maximum logic density with same die (vs EP1AGX35DF780I6N)
Design Notes
Estimated: For 3.125 Gbps transceiver operation on the EP1AGX50DF1152, the differential TX and RX traces must be 100-ohm differential impedance with length matching within 5 mils. Place 100 nF AC-coupling capacitors within 200 mils of the receiver pins on each differential pair. Use a 4-layer PCB with continuous ground reference beneath the transceiver channels; reference planes must not be split under any high-speed serial lane. Avoid routing LVTTL or LVCMOS signals across transceiver lanes to minimize crosstalk.
The EP1AGX50DF1152 requires multiple supply rails: 1.2 V VCCINT (core), 1.2 V/2.5 V VCCD_PLL (PLL analog), 3.3 V VCCA (transceiver analog), 1.2 V VCCR (transceiver RX analog) and per-bank VCCIO (1.2 V to 3.3 V). Each rail must be decoupled with a 100 uF bulk capacitor, four 10 uF ceramics, and sixteen 0.1 uF ceramics placed close to the BGA balls. A PI filter with ferrite bead is recommended on VCCA and VCCR to isolate switching noise from the analog transceivers.
Estimated: At maximum transceiver utilization (12 channels at 3.125 Gbps) and 100% logic toggle rate, the EP1AGX50DF1152 can dissipate up to 8 W. The 1152-ball FC-FBGA package has a theta_JA of approximately 12 C/W with forced air cooling (200 LFM), yielding a 96 C junction temperature rise above ambient. Industrial-grade designs should target ambient below 0 C to keep Tj below 100 C maximum. A thermal pad or copper heat spreader on top of the BGA is recommended for production boards.
Configure the Quartus II ALTGX megafunction with the correct VOD (voltage output differential) and pre-emphasis settings based on channel loss budget. For PCB traces shorter than 6 inches, VOD of 800 mVpp and pre-emphasis of 0 dB typically suffice. For longer backplane channels or external connectors, increase pre-emphasis to 3-6 dB. Use IBIS-AMI models from Altera for channel simulation before tape-out; SFI backplane insertion loss should not exceed 8 dB at 1.875 GHz.
Do not configure I/O banks with mixed VCCIO voltages in adjacent banks unless the pin placement is verified in the Quartus II pin planner. Failure to observe VREF pin assignments for HSTL/SSTL memory interfaces will cause calibration failures at boot. When using the PCI Express hard IP, the PERST# signal must be debounced and held low until all power rails have stabilized for at least 100 ms. Programming the wrong factory ROM or missing the EPCS configuration device causes the FPGA to fail to configure on power-up.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Altera product declaration since 2007. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this is a commercial/industrial FPGA, not an automotive-grade part. Halogen-free package substrate. EU REACH SVHC compliant per Altera material declaration.
