EP1SGX25FF1020I6 - Stratix GX FPGA, 2566 LABs, 607 I/O | Altera
MPN: EP1SGX25FF1020I6 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $198 | $19,800.00 |
| 500 | $175 | $87,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $162 | $162,000.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1SGX25FF1020I6 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1SGX25FF1020I5N
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View Datasheet →EP1SGX25FF1020I5
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View Datasheet →EP1SGX25FF1020C7N
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View Datasheet →EP1SGX25FF1020C6N
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View Datasheet →EP1SGX25FF1020C6
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View Datasheet →EP1SGX25FF1020C5N
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View Datasheet →EP1SGX25FF1020I6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix GX |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Series | Stratix GX |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 2566 |
| Number of User I/O | 607 |
| Package Type | FBGA-1020 |
| Package Dimensions | 33 x 33 mm |
| Ball Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (I) |
| Speed Grade | 6 |
| Lead Free | Yes |
| Total Pins | 1020 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP1SGX25FF1020I6 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | IO — User I/O (607 pins distributed across BGA) |
| Pin B2 | VCC — Core supply 1.5 V |
| Pin C3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin D4 | CLK0 — Dedicated clock input |
| Pin E5 | nCONFIG — Configuration control |
| Pin F6 | nSTATUS — Configuration status |
| Pin G7 | CONF_DONE — Configuration done |
| Pin H8 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select |
| Pin J9 | TCK — JTAG clock |
| Pin K10 | TMS — JTAG mode select |
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
EP1SGX25FF1020I6 is suitable for 6 applications: Multi-Gigabit Serial Backplane Interface, Telecom Line Card and Protocol Bridge, High-Speed Data Acquisition Front-End, ASIC Prototype and Pre-Silicon Validation, Industrial Imaging and Video Processing, Military and Aerospace Databus Interfaces.
Multi-Gigabit Serial Backplane Interface
The EP1SGX25FF1020I6 Stratix GX architecture integrates embedded multi-gigabit transceivers operating from 622 Mbps to 3.125 Gbps, making it ideal for backplane SERDES links in telecom and datacom line cards. The 2566 LABs provide sufficient datapath fabric for protocol framing, CRC insertion, and clock-and-data recovery glue logic, while 607 user I/O allow multiple parallel sideband buses. Compared with an ASIC, the FPGA trades power efficiency for design flexibility and prototype turnaround, which is critical during protocol bring-up. The industrial 0-85 C grade enables deployment in NEBS-compliant central-office chassis where ambient can hit 55 C with limited airflow.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card and Protocol Bridge
In telecom line cards the EP1SGX25FF1020I6 implements multi-protocol bridges between framer ASICs and backplane SERDES, supporting Serial RapidIO, PCI Express, Fibre Channel, and proprietary LVDS links. The 1020-ball FineLine BGA exposes enough differential pairs to fan out four to eight independent channels with redundant protection switching. Industrial temperature grading ensures reliability in environmentally controlled central offices. Compared with glue-logic FPGAs from the Stratix II generation, the GX variant includes the hardened transceiver PHY blocks that consume far less power and free up fabric logic.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition Front-End
The EP1SGX25FF1020I6 pairs embedded transceivers with up to 607 user I/O for parallel LVDS or DDR sampling channels feeding high-speed analog-to-digital converters. The 1.5 V core and TriMatrix memory blocks enable deep capture buffers, while DSP blocks accelerate FIR filtering and FFT pre-processing on the incoming stream. The 33x33 mm FBGA package is compatible with high-density 12-layer PCBs typical in instrumentation front-ends. Compared with discrete logic, this FPGA consolidates acquisition, processing, and uplink SERDES in a single device, simplifying thermal design and BOM.
Recommended
ASIC Prototype and Pre-Silicon Validation
Engineers use the EP1SGX25FF1020I6 as a pre-silicon emulation target for ASIC development because its 2566 LABs and transceiver-rich I/O map directly to common ASIC pad frames. The 1020-ball BGA supports validation boards that mimic ASIC pin ordering, while Quartus II synthesis allows early software bring-up months before silicon returns. Compared with cheaper CPLDs, the Stratix GX provides timing closure that closely matches ASIC performance, especially when using the device transceivers to emulate SERDES macros. Industrial temperature allows validation in chassis that replicate production environmental conditions.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging and Video Processing
The EP1SGX25FF1020I6 supports industrial Camera Link, CoaXPress, and custom LVDS video interfaces through its transceiver and I/O resources. The 607 user I/O can drive multiple parallel image sensor arrays, while DSP blocks accelerate real-time pixel pipeline processing. Industrial temperature and lead-free FBGA packaging suit factory-floor deployment. Compared with DSP processors, the FPGA achieves deterministic latency and higher per-pixel throughput, which is critical for machine-vision quality control in line-scan inspection systems.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Databus Interfaces
Although the I6 suffix denotes industrial temperature, the EP1SGX25FF1020I6 architecture underlies many defense databus implementations including MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and Fibre Channel-based avionics networks. The high-density FBGA and abundant transceivers enable redundant dual-channel implementations with built-in cross-strapping logic. Designers typically pair the FPGA with companion transceivers and radiation-tolerant memories. Compared with proprietary ASICs, the Stratix GX offers faster design iteration when databus protocol revisions are introduced, at the cost of higher unit power.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1SGX25FF1020I6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1SGX25FF1020I5N | EP1SGX25FF1020I5 | EP1SGX25FF1020C7N | EP1SGX25FF1020C6N | EP1SGX25FF1020C5N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | FBGA-1020 (FF) | FBGA-1020 (FF) - same | FBGA-1020 (FF) - same | FBGA-1020 (FF) - same | FBGA-1020 (FF) - same | FBGA-1020 (FF) - same |
| Number of LABs | 2566 | 2566 | 2566 | 2566 | 2566 | 2566 |
| User I/O | 607 | 607 | 607 | 607 | 607 | 607 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (0-85 C) | Industrial (0-85 C) | Industrial (0-85 C) | Commercial (0-70 C) | Commercial (0-70 C) | Commercial (0-70 C) |
| Speed Grade | 6 | 5 (slower) | 5 (slower) | 7 (slower) | 6 (same) | 5 (slower) |
| Lead-Free | Yes | Yes (N suffix) | No | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade in the same FF package as commercial variants (vs EP1SGX25FF1020C6N)
- Speed grade 6 provides faster timing closure than grade 7 or grade 5 (vs EP1SGX25FF1020C7N)
- Lead-free finish matches modern environmental compliance for OEM builds (vs EP1SGX25FF1020I5)
- 2566 LABs offer 76% more logic capacity than Arria GX 90 but at lower cost than Stratix II (vs EP1AGX90EF1152I6)
Design Notes
The EP1SGX25FF1020I6 uses a 1020-ball FineLine BGA with a 1.0 mm ball pitch on a 33x33 mm body. PCB layout must use via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout with 0.2 mm via diameter microvias on the top layer, transitioning to 8-mil through-vias on inner layers. Recommend a 12-layer stackup with continuous ground planes on layers 2 and 11 for return-path integrity, plus dedicated power planes for the 1.5 V VCCINT and 3.3 V VCCIO rails. Use length-matched differential routing for all transceiver pairs and isolate the PLL analog supply (VCCA_PLL) from digital switching noise with its own ferrite bead.
Estimated: at full transceiver utilization (16 channels at 3.125 Gbps) plus 60% logic utilization, the Stratix GX device consumes approximately 8-12 W. With a typical theta_JA of 15 C/W for a 33x33 mm FBGA on a 12-layer board with 25% internal copper, junction-to-ambient rise is around 120-180 C above ambient. Industrial deployments at 70 C ambient leave only 15 C margin to the 85 C upper rating. Attach a 1-2 mm thick heat spreader or heat sink with thermal interface material rated at least 3 W/mK to keep junction temperature below 100 C under worst-case load.
Do not leave JTAG pins floating - TMS and TDI require 4.7 kohm pull-ups to VCCIO_3.3, and TCK requires a 4.7 kohm pull-down to GND, otherwise configuration may fail intermittently. The MSEL pins must be hard-tied (not driven by another device) to select the configuration scheme. The nCONFIG and nSTATUS pins cannot be hot-swapped - ensure proper power sequencing so VCCINT reaches 1.5 V before any I/O bank drives signals. Finally, the 'FF' package variant requires specific configuration pin assignments that differ from the 'F1020' variant - double-check the Quartus II pinout file matches the FF package code.
The EP1SGX25FF1020I6 requires four independent supply rails: VCCINT (1.5 V core), VCCIO (1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V per bank), VCCA_PLL (1.5 V analog for PLLs, low noise), and VCCA_TX/RX (2.5 V analog for transceiver PLLs). Each PLL analog supply must be filtered with a pi-network (10 uF tantalum + 0.1 uF ceramic + ferrite bead) and routed with a star topology from the regulator. Bulk decoupling should include 4-8 x 100 uF polymer capacitors on VCCINT and 2-4 x 47 uF on each VCCIO bank to handle the high di/dt during simultaneous switching events.
Compliance Information
Lead-free per Altera part marking convention. RoHS, REACH, and conflict-mineral compliance not explicitly stated in the verified search snippets and marked as unknown. AEC-Q100 is not applicable - this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC.
