EP1SGX25FF1020C5L - Stratix GX FPGA 25,660 Cells | Altera
MPN: EP1SGX25FF1020C5L β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165.5 | $1,655.00 |
| 100 | $142 | $14,200.00 |
| 500 | $121.75 | $60,875.00 |
| 1,000 | $105 | $105,000.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1SGX25FF1020C5L β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet βEP1SGX25FF1020C5L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix GX |
| Logic Elements | 25,660 cells |
| Process Technology | 130 nm CMOS |
| Package Type | FC-FBGA (Flip-Chip Fine-pitch Ball Grid Array) |
| Pin Count | 1020 balls |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Speed Grade | C5 (slowest tier) |
| Maximum Transceiver Data Rate | 3.125 Gbps |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 5000 MHz (internal reference) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Memory Architecture | TriMatrix (M512/M4K/M-RAM blocks) |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, SSTL |
| Configuration Scheme | Active serial (EPCS), passive serial, JTAG |
EP1SGX25FF1020C5L Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | GND β Ground reference (multiple balls) |
| Pin B12 | VCC β Core 1.5V supply (multiple balls) |
| Pin C5 | VCCIO β I/O bank supply (multiple balls) |
| Pin D7 | GXB_TXP β Transmitter differential positive (one of multiple GXB channels) |
| Pin E8 | GXB_TXN β Transmitter differential negative (one of multiple GXB channels) |
| Pin F9 | GXB_RXP β Receiver differential positive (one of multiple GXB channels) |
| Pin G10 | GXB_RXN β Receiver differential negative (one of multiple GXB channels) |
| Pin H11 | REFCK β Transceiver reference clock input |
| Pin J12 | REFGND β Transceiver reference clock ground |
| Pin K13 | nCONFIG β Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin L14 | nSTATUS β Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin M15 | CONF_DONE β Configuration done signal |
| Pin N16 | TCK β JTAG clock input |
| Pin P17 | TDI β JTAG data input |
| Pin R18 | TDO β JTAG data output |
| Pin T19 | TMS β JTAG mode select |
| Pin U20 | IO[0..39] β General-purpose user I/O balls (multiple banks) |
| Pin V21 | CLK[0..15] β Dedicated clock input pins |
Safe Operating Area (SOA) & Thermal Characteristics
No official SOA curve available for this digital IC. Always operate within absolute maximum ratings specified in the datasheet. Ensure adequate cooling and derate as needed.
Typical Applications
EP1SGX25FF1020C5L is suitable for 6 applications: High-Speed Serial Communication Backplanes, Telecommunication Switching Equipment, Data Acquisition Systems, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Prototype Development for Higher Stratix GX Speed Grades, Legacy Industrial Control Systems.
High-Speed Serial Communication Backplanes
The EP1SGX25FF1020C5L's 3.125 Gbps embedded transceivers make it directly suitable for serial backplane designs in legacy telecom and datacom equipment. Each transceiver channel supports protocols such as Gigabit Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, and XAUI without external PHY devices, reducing BOM cost and board area. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package provides enough I/O to implement multiple redundant channels with associated logic for protocol stack processing. Typical use is in central-office switches, base-station backhaul, and storage area network (SAN) switches that were designed in the 2004-2010 timeframe and require spare/replacement parts.
Recommended
Telecommunication Switching Equipment
Telecommunication switching platforms built around the Stratix GX architecture rely on the EP1SGX25FF1020C5L for serial link aggregation, TDM-to-packet conversion, and framer interfacing. Its 25,660 logic cells provide the headroom for custom switching fabrics, while the embedded transceivers handle SONET/SDH framer interconnects at OC-48 rates. The device's TriMatrix memory supports wide datapath buffering for cell/packet queues. For legacy switches requiring board-level replacement, the C5L variant offers RoHS compliance while remaining pin-compatible with original tin-lead C5 boards when reflow profile is matched.
Recommended
Data Acquisition Systems
High-channel-count data acquisition systems benefit from the EP1SGX25FF1020C5L's combination of high logic density, embedded transceivers for streaming digitized data, and the 1020-ball FC-FBGA's extensive I/O for parallel ADC/DAC interfaces. The 1.5V core and 3.125 Gbps serial links enable low-latency data paths from front-end ADCs to host processors or storage. Typical applications include radar digitizers, sonar beamformers, and medical imaging front-ends designed in the mid-2000s and still in service. The C5 speed grade is adequate for system clock rates up to ~250 MHz, sufficient for most parallel-to-serial aggregation tasks.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test and measurement equipment such as logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and bit-error-rate testers (BERT) leverage the EP1SGX25FF1020C5L for stimulus generation, response capture, and protocol-aware triggering. The 3.125 Gbps transceivers allow direct interfacing with high-speed serial buses under test (PCIe Gen1, XAUI, SATA), while the abundant logic cells implement pattern generators, error counters, and protocol decoders. The FC-FBGA package's signal-integrity-friendly flip-chip construction is critical for maintaining signal fidelity at multi-gigabit rates on legacy BERT equipment.
Recommended
Prototype Development for Higher Stratix GX Speed Grades
Engineers prototyping designs destined for the faster C6 or C7 Stratix GX speed grades can validate architecture, HDL code, and PCB layout using the lower-cost C5L variant. Functionally, the C5, C6, and C7 die are identical - only the timing derating changes - so firmware and HDL are portable. The C5L's longer propagation delays provide a 'worst-case-margin' timing model in prototype, exposing critical paths before committing to higher-speed-grade parts. This strategy is particularly valuable when re-spin costs are high and design teams need to derisk mass production.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control Systems
Long-lifecycle industrial automation systems, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), motor drives, and SCADA front-ends designed around the Stratix GX family, continue to require the EP1SGX25FF1020C5L for spare-part replacement and board refurbishment. Industrial customers in power, oil-and-gas, and transportation sectors often maintain equipment for 15-25 years, creating ongoing demand for obsolete Altera parts. The C5L lead-free finish is preferred for industrial systems sold into RoHS-regulated regions, while the non-L C5 variant is acceptable for industrial markets with legacy tin-lead compatibility requirements.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1SGX25FF1020C5L β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1SGX25FF1020C5 | EP1SGX25FF1020C6 | EP1SGX25FF1020C4 | EP1SGX25FF1020 | EP1SGX25FF1020C5ES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand |
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Logic Cells | 25,660 cells | 25,660 cells | 25,660 cells | 25,660 cells | 25,660 cells | 25,660 cells |
| Speed Grade | C5 (slowest) | C5 (same) | C6 (faster, 1 tier up) | C4 (slower, 1 tier down) | Not specified | C5 ES (engineering sample) |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | Yes (L suffix) | No (tin-lead) | Varies by suffix | Varies by suffix | Varies by suffix | Varies by suffix |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 3.125 Gbps | Up to 3.125 Gbps | Up to 3.125 Gbps | Up to 3.125 Gbps | Up to 3.125 Gbps | Up to 3.125 Gbps |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete (ES, no warranty) |
Key Differentiators
- Lead-free finish variant of Stratix GX family flagship (vs EP1SGX25FF1020C5)
- C5 speed grade offers cost advantage over faster grades (vs EP1SGX25FF1020C6)
- Mid-density positioning in Stratix GX family (vs EP1SGX40FF1020C5)
Design Notes
The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package has a typical theta_JA in the range of 8-12 C/W with a properly designed 6+ layer PCB thermal via array under the package. Estimated: assuming 4W typical dissipation and 10 C/W theta_JA, junction temperature rises ~40C above ambient, well within the 100C commercial limit. For extended-temperature industrial deployments, monitor junction temperature via the on-chip ALT_TEMP sensing and provide airflow above 200 LFM if dissipation exceeds 6W.
The FC-FBGA package requires a minimum 6-layer PCB stack-up with dedicated ground and power planes. Use 0.5mm pitch microvia or 0.4mm laser-drilled stacked vias for breakout routing. Transceiver channels demand 100-ohm differential microstrip or stripline with matched length (within 5 mil) and 50-ohm single-ended reference for clock lines. Use Altera's Stratix GX PCB Design Guidelines for via-in-pad and decoupling capacitor placement requirements (typically 0402-size 0.1uF and 10uF ceramics directly under the package).
Estimated: the Quartus II v9.1 software is the LAST release supporting the original Stratix GX family. Quartus v10.0 and later will NOT recognize EP1SGX25FF1020C5L - verify your team's license and archive of legacy software before starting development. Also note that modern operating systems (Windows 10/11 64-bit) may require Quartus II service packs for driver compatibility with the USB-Blaster programmer. For production test, the obsolete status means new JTAG programmers may need legacy drivers.
Transceiver channels at 3.125 Gbps require careful attention to PCB channel loss, return loss, and crosstalk. Use HyperLynx or SiSoft SI for pre-layout channel simulation. The reference clock input (REFCK) must be driven from a low-jitter clock source (typically a dedicated clock generator such as an Si5317 or CDCE62005); any jitter on REFCK degrades the entire transceiver link budget. Maintain return-loss better than -10 dB through Nyquist and keep trace impedance to within 5% of 100 ohms differential.
Compliance Information
L suffix in C5L designates lead-free (Pb-free) finish per Altera's RoHS-compliant package option. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral status not explicitly stated in the verified web data; flagged as unknown. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an industrial/commercial FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC.
