Altera's Arria® FPGA series is designed for cost- and power-sensitive transceiver-based and embedded applications. The Arria FPGA series has a rich feature set of memory, logic, and digital signal processing (DSP) blocks combined with the superior signal integrity of up to 12.5 Gbps transceivers to allow you to integrate more functions and maximize system bandwidth. Furthermore, the SoC FPGAs in the Arria V device family offer an ARM-based hard processor system (HPS) for even higher integration and power savings.
The Arria series includes Arria GX, Arria II, and Arria V devices which have always had on-chip transceivers that allow the transfer of serial data in and out of the FPGA at high frequencies. The newest member to the Arria series is the Arria V GZ FPGA offering the highest bandwidth of any mid-range FPGA with its integrated 12.5 Gbps backplane-capable transceivers. Compare Arria series devices at our online Product Selector.
Table 1. Arria FPGA Series Introduction
| Arria GX FPGA | Arria II GX FPGA | Arria II GZ FPGA | Arria V GX, GT, SX, ST FPGA | Arria V GZ FPGA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of introduction | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Process technology | 90 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Recommended for new designs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The Arria V FPGA family offers the lowest power, and highest bandwidth for mid-range FPGAs. For faster performance, higher bandwidth, and protocol support for 12.5 Gbps backplane applications, Arria V GZ devices provide the highest bandwidth of any mid-range FPGA. Arria V GX and GT devices offer the lowest power for applications running up to 6.5336 Gbps and 10.3125 Gbps. Arria V SX, and ST FPGAs include unique innovations, such as a HPS centered around the dual-core ARM® CortexTM-A9 MPCoreTM processor. The HPS includes a rich set of hardened peripherals, the lowest power transceivers at 6.5536 Gbps and 10.3125 Gbps, hardened memory interfaces, and a power-optimized core architecture that comprises redesigned adaptive logic modules (ALMs), variable-precision DSP blocks, distributed and new M10K embedded memory blocks, and fractional clock synthesis phase-locked loops (PLLs). With these innovations, Arria V FPGAs deliver the power, bandwidth, and cost to meet your unique design needs.
The Arria II FPGA family is ideal for cost-sensitive applications. Arria II FPGAs are based on a 40 nm, full-featured FPGA fabric that includes ALMs, DSP blocks, embedded RAM, and a hard PCI Express® (PCIe®) intellectual property (IP) core. The Arria II GX and GZ FPGAs from the Arria II FPGA family feature the industry's lowest power FPGAs with up to 6.375 Gbps transceivers. Unlike other 6G FPGA families, Altera's Arria II FPGA family offers improvements in usability that allow you to complete your projects faster.
The Arria GX FPGA family is Altera's cost-optimized 90 nm FPGA family with transceivers. With transceiver speeds up to 3.125 Gbps, you can connect existing modules, devices, and support protocols, such as PCIe, Gbps Ethernet, Serial RapidIO®, serial digital interface (SDI), XAUI, and more. The Arria GX FPGA family incorporates Altera's proven transceiver technology, ensuring excellent signal integrity for your designs.
