EP4CE75F23C8N Datasheet, Pinout, Equivalents, and Specs

The EP4CE75F23C8N is a high-density FPGA in Intel's (formerly Altera) Cyclone IV E family, fabricated on a 60 nm low-power process with a 1.2 V core supply. It integrates 75,408 logic elements, 2,745 Kbit of embedded M9K SRAM, 200 embedded 18×18 multipliers, and 4 PLLs in a 484-pin FineLine BGA package. With 292 user I/O pins, speed grade C8, and commercial-grade operation (0 °C to 85 °C), the EP4CE75F23C8N targets high-channel-count DSP processing, Nios II multi-core SoC platforms, video and image processing pipelines, and industrial control systems requiring substantial programmable logic density within the Cyclone IV architecture.

1. What Is the EP4CE75F23C8N?

The EP4CE75F23C8N belongs to the Cyclone IV E product line — Intel's 60 nm, low-power FPGA family designed for cost-sensitive, high-volume applications. The “EP4CE75” designation indicates the Cyclone IV E die with 75,408 logic elements (the second-largest in the family after the EP4CE115), “F23” specifies the 484-FBGA package (23 × 23 mm body), “C8” denotes the slowest commercial speed grade, and the trailing “N” confirms lead-free (RoHS-compliant) packaging.

Compared to smaller members of the family such as the EP4CE55F23C8N (55,856 LEs) or the EP4CE30F23C8N (28,848 LEs), the EP4CE75 delivers 35% more logic capacity than the EP4CE55 and nearly triple that of the EP4CE30, along with substantially more embedded RAM and multiplier resources. This positions the EP4CE75 as the ideal device for designs that outgrow the EP4CE55 but do not require the full capacity of the EP4CE115.

The 305 M9K embedded memory blocks provide 2,745 Kbit of dual-port SRAM, each configurable as single-port RAM, simple dual-port, true dual-port RAM, ROM, or FIFO buffers operating at up to 260 MHz. The 200 embedded 18×18 multipliers support high-throughput DSP operations, with each block capable of implementing one 18×18 or two independent 9×9 multiplications. Four general-purpose PLLs deliver clock synthesis, multiplication, division, and phase shifting across 20 global clock networks.

2. Pinout Configuration and Packaging

The EP4CE75F23C8N is housed in a 484-pin FineLine BGA (FBGA) package with a 23 × 23 mm body and 1.0 mm ball pitch. The BGA uses a 22 × 22 ball grid array with depopulated corners. Of the 484 balls, 292 are available as user I/O, distributed across eight independent I/O banks.

Each I/O bank supports an independent V_CCIO supply rail, enabling mixed-voltage interfacing within a single device. The I/O element (IOE) architecture supports multiple single-ended standards — LVTTL (3.3 V), LVCMOS (1.2 V to 3.3 V), SSTL-2, SSTL-18, and HSTL — along with differential LVDS at up to 640 Mbps, mini-LVDS, RSDS, LVPECL, BLVDS, and PPDS. PCI and PCI-X compliance is supported for 33 MHz and 66 MHz bus operation.

The F23 package provides dedicated clock input pins on all four sides of the die that connect directly to the 20 global clock networks and 4 PLLs. Configuration pins support Active Serial (AS) mode using an EPCS64SI16N serial configuration device, Passive Serial (PS), Fast Passive Parallel (FPP), and JTAG via the IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan port. The MSEL[1:0] pins determine the configuration scheme at power-up. BGA ball assignments are documented in the Cyclone IV E Pin-Out Files available from Intel's download center.

3. Specifications Parameter Table

Parameter	Value
Manufacturer	Intel (formerly Altera)
Family	Cyclone IV E
Process Node	60 nm low-power CMOS
Logic Elements (LEs)	75,408
Logic Array Blocks (LABs)	4,713
M9K Memory Blocks	305
Total Embedded RAM	2,745 Kbit
Embedded 18×18 Multipliers	200
PLLs	4 (5 outputs per PLL)
Global Clock Networks	20
User I/O Pins (F484)	292
I/O Banks	8
Package	484-FBGA (23 × 23 mm, 1.0 mm ball pitch)
Core Voltage (VCCINT)	1.15 V to 1.25 V (nominal 1.2 V)
Max I/O Voltage (VCCIO)	3.6 V
Speed Grade	C8 (Commercial, 0 °C to 85 °C)
I/O Standards	LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL-2, SSTL-18, HSTL, LVDS, PCI, PCI-X
External Memory Interfaces	DDR (167 MHz), DDR2 (200 MHz), SDR SDRAM, QDRII SRAM
Configuration Modes	Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), FPP, JTAG
Recommended Config Device	EPCS64SI16N (64 Mbit)
RoHS Compliant	Yes (lead-free, “N” suffix)

4. Typical Applications and Circuit Considerations

The EP4CE75F23C8N is designed for applications requiring high programmable logic density in the Cyclone IV E family with extensive I/O connectivity and low power consumption. Its combination of over 75,000 LEs, 200 multipliers, 2,745 Kbit embedded RAM, and 292 user I/Os makes it suitable for a broad range of demanding system designs:

• Multi-Channel DSP and Signal Processing: The 200 multiplier blocks — the most available in the Cyclone IV E family short of the EP4CE115 — support parallel FIR/IIR filtering, multi-channel FFT computation, digital down-conversion, and modulation/demodulation for communications systems. Quartus Prime includes optimized DSP IP cores (FIR Compiler, FFT, NCO) that efficiently map to the Cyclone IV E multiplier architecture.
• Nios II Multi-Core SoC Platforms: With 75,408 LEs and 2,745 Kbit of on-chip RAM, the EP4CE75 comfortably hosts multiple Nios II/f processor cores (each requiring approximately 1,800 LEs) along with DMA controllers, UART, SPI, I2C, timers, and custom hardware accelerators. Quartus Platform Designer generates the Avalon-MM interconnect fabric and memory maps automatically.
• Video and Image Processing: The EP4CE75F23C8N supports VGA/HDMI display controllers, CMOS camera sensor interfaces (DVP parallel), real-time image filtering, edge detection, and framebuffer management using its large embedded memory combined with external DDR2 SDRAM. The Enclustra Mercury CA1 module demonstrates high-bandwidth streaming with this FPGA die.
• Industrial Automation and Protocol Bridging: The eight independent I/O banks with separate V_CCIO supplies enable flexible multi-voltage protocol translation — bridging between processors, ADCs, DACs, Ethernet PHYs, and multiple industrial fieldbus interfaces simultaneously.

For power supply design, Intel recommends separate decoupling for V_CCINT (1.2 V core), V_CCIO (per-bank), and V_CCA (PLL analog supply at 2.5 V — all VCCA pins must be powered even when PLLs are unused). Each power ball on the BGA should have a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed within 2 mm of the via, supplemented by bulk capacitors of 10–47 µF per rail. The BGA land pattern requires at least 6 PCB layers for full pin escape routing. Browse EP4CE10E22C8N for a smaller Cyclone IV E alternative, or explore the full Cyclone IV Series for related components.

4b. Video: Cyclone IV FPGA Development Tutorial

5. Equivalents, Cross-Reference, and Lifecycle

Intel announced in March 2024 that the Cyclone IV product line will remain in active production through at least 2040, guaranteeing long-term supply for designs using the EP4CE75F23C8N. Quartus Prime Lite and Standard editions continue to support Cyclone IV, with the toolchain placed in maintenance mode (continued bug fixes, no new features).

For engineers evaluating migration paths or pin-compatible alternatives, the following cross-reference is useful:

• EP4CE75F23C7N — Same die and package, faster speed grade C7. Drop-in replacement when higher clock performance is needed.
• EP4CE75F23C6N — Same die and package, fastest speed grade C6. Use when timing closure at C8 is difficult.
• EP4CE115F23C8N — The largest Cyclone IV E device with 114,480 LEs in the same 484-FBGA package. Pin-compatible step-up when design utilization exceeds 80%.
• EP4CE55F23C8N — Next step down with 55,856 LEs in the same 484-FBGA package. Pin-compatible downgrade when logic utilization is below 70%.
• 10CL080YE144C8G (Cyclone 10 LP) — Intel's recommended forward migration for new designs. Similar logic density with improved power efficiency and continued active development in a different package.

Second-source options for the EP4CE75 die do not exist, as Cyclone IV is proprietary to Intel. Functionally equivalent devices from competing vendors include the Lattice ECP5-85F (84,000 LUTs, open-source toolchain) and Xilinx Spartan-7 XC7S75 (76,800 logic cells, Vivado toolchain). Neither is pin-compatible.

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the difference between EP4CE75F23C8N and EP4CE55F23C8N?

A: The EP4CE75F23C8N provides 75,408 logic elements with 2,745 Kbit of embedded M9K RAM and 200 multipliers, while the EP4CE55F23C8N offers 55,856 LEs with 2,340 Kbit RAM and 154 multipliers. Both share the same 484-FBGA package (23 × 23 mm) and C8 speed grade. The EP4CE75 delivers 35% more logic, 17% more embedded memory, and 30% more multipliers, making it the preferred choice for designs that exceed EP4CE55 utilization limits such as multi-core Nios II SoC builds, high-channel-count DSP pipelines, or complex protocol bridging.

Q: What development tools and boards support the EP4CE75F23C8N?

A: The EP4CE75F23C8N is programmed using Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition, a free download with full Cyclone IV support and no license restrictions. Design entry supports Verilog HDL, VHDL, and schematic capture. A USB Blaster or USB Blaster II JTAG programmer is required for configuration and debugging. The Enclustra Mercury CA1 and the HuMANDATA ACM-023 are commercially available FPGA modules featuring the EP4CE75 die. Quartus Platform Designer (formerly Qsys) enables rapid Nios II SoC integration.

Q: What is the maximum operating frequency of the EP4CE75F23C8N?

A: The EP4CE75F23C8N carries speed grade C8, the slowest of three commercial grades. Its global clock network performance reaches approximately 402 MHz, with core fabric speeds up to 420 MHz for simple register-to-register paths. The faster C6 and C7 grades of the same EP4CE75 die achieve higher clock rates. Actual achievable frequency depends on design complexity, routing congestion, and the timing constraints applied during Quartus Prime compilation.

Q: What external memory interfaces does the EP4CE75F23C8N support?

A: The EP4CE75F23C8N supports DDR SDRAM up to 167 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM up to 200 MHz (400 Mbps per pin), SDR SDRAM, and QDRII SRAM. External memory interfaces can be placed on any I/O bank around the FPGA perimeter, providing board layout flexibility. Intel provides the ALTMEMPHY megafunction and UniPHY IP for automated memory controller generation with calibrated DQS alignment.

Q: What package type is the EP4CE75F23C8N and what are its PCB layout requirements?

A: The EP4CE75F23C8N uses a 484-pin FineLine BGA (FBGA) package with a 23 × 23 mm body and 1.0 mm ball pitch. PCB layout requires a minimum of 6 routing layers for full pin escape. Each power ball requires a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed within 2 mm of the via, supplemented by 10–47 µF bulk capacitors per power rail. All VCCA pins must be connected to 2.5 V even when PLLs are unused. The EPCS64SI16N (64 Mbit) is the recommended serial configuration device.

Q: Is the EP4CE75F23C8N still in production and what are the migration options?

A: Yes. Intel announced in March 2024 that the Cyclone IV product line will remain in active production through at least 2040, guaranteeing long-term supply. For new designs requiring more resources, Intel recommends migration to Cyclone 10 LP (similar logic density, improved power) or Cyclone V (higher density, hard memory controllers, transceivers). The EP4CE115F23C8N is the pin-compatible step-up within the same Cyclone IV E family, offering 114,480 LEs in the identical 484-FBGA package.

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