Altera Agilex 5 Ordering Codes and Replacement Guide

An Agilex 5 orderable part number must be read as a complete configuration, not as a density plus package. For the production E-Series device A5ED065BB32AE4S, the safe field split is A5 | E | D | 065 | B | B32A | E | 4 | S | blank suffix. Those fields identify the family, series, feature specification, density, device group, physical package, temperature range, core speed, power implementation and production status.

Altera's August 2026 Device Overview now publishes separate ordering diagrams for Agilex 5 D-Series and E-Series. That distinction matters: the two series do not share one interchangeable list of specification, device-group, package and power choices. This guide uses a current production E-Series OPN as the worked example and explains the D-Series boundary separately.

Decode A5ED065BB32AE4S field by field #

The official Altera development-kit page identifies A5ED065BB32AE4S as the device fitted to the production E-Series 065B modular development kit. It is therefore a useful real OPN for showing how the current decoder reads without relying on a made-up string.

The specification character is a feature matrix #

The third character in the worked code, D, selects a documented combination of hard processor system, transceivers, user-mode cryptographic services and post-quantum secure-boot support. It should not be generalized into a brand-wide mnemonic. In the official E-Series figure, specification codes A, B, C, D, E, G, H, I, K and L map to different combinations of those capabilities.

That makes a one-character substitution potentially architectural. A device without the required HPS is not an alternate for an SoC design. A device with different cryptographic-service or secure-boot support may also fail the security requirements even when density and package match. Procurement should copy the entire released OPN and require engineering approval before accepting a different specification code.

Density and device group must be checked together #

The E-Series decoder lists density codes 005, 007, 008, 013, 028, 043, 052 and 065, ranging from 50K to 656K logic elements in the current figure. Not every density is available with every specification, package or device group.

Device Group A is documented as the 28G-transceiver, DDR5-capable, SmartVID group. Device Group B is the 17G-transceiver, no-DDR5, fixed-voltage group. The group character therefore changes transceiver capability, memory-interface scope and power architecture. A higher density in the wrong group is not a functional upgrade.

Altera's transceiver migration guidance adds another boundary: Group B devices support up to 17.16 Gbps in M16A, B23A and B32A packages, while Group A supports up to 28.1 Gbps in B23A and B32A. Group A/B migration is limited to supported common packages and still requires the migration documentation and Quartus checks.

Package codes and the pin-to-pin boundary #

The current E-Series decoder lists these physical package choices:

Equal body dimensions do not establish a common footprint: B23A and B23B have different ball counts. M16A is also a different package technology and pitch. None of these changes should be described as pin-to-pin merely because the density code remains unchanged.

Even an identical package code does not make every device migration automatic. Altera's B23A migration requirements document pin exceptions such as AJ39 and BE33 changing between NC and GND, and AM30 and AT30 changing between VCCPT_HVIO and NC for particular groups. The PCB must satisfy the current package-specific migration rules for both the original and proposed device.

Temperature, core speed and power choices #

The current decoder defines E as 0°C to 100°C junction temperature and I as −40°C to 100°C. Moving from E to I widens the low-temperature rating, but it is only a possible engineering alternate when every hard architectural and package field remains supported. Qualification, power, timing and customer AVL approval still apply.

Core speed grades run from 1, the fastest, through 6 in the E-Series diagram. A numerically faster grade can be screened as an alternate, but the released Quartus project must be recompiled and timing, transceiver and power results reviewed. Availability of a speed grade must be confirmed for the exact density, group and package.

Power letters are not packaging options. The decoder defines V as standard-power SmartVID, E as lower-power SmartVID, S as standard-power fixed voltage and X as lowest-voltage fixed voltage. Group A and Group B use different power approaches. A change between SmartVID and fixed voltage can affect regulators, telemetry, settings and power-up behavior, so it is not a drop-in purchasing substitution.

Optional suffixes are part of the OPN #

A blank optional suffix means production build with RoHS 6 status. The E-Series decoder also documents CS for the 1 MB HPS L3-cache option, N for I/O Limited FPGA, L for engineering sample and R<n> for a device revision; other special suffixes may be defined for particular orderable devices. The current figure notes that 008 and 013 OPNs with the CS suffix do not support PQC.

Do not shorten an RFQ by dropping the suffix. An engineering sample is not a production substitute, an I/O-limited device is not equivalent to the unrestricted production OPN, and a security/cache option can affect the approved system configuration.

How D-Series differs #

D-Series retains the A5 family signature but uses its own series, specification, density, package and power tables. The August 2026 official D-Series figure lists densities 051, 064, 110, 130 and 160; VPBGA package codes B23B, B37A and B41A; extended and industrial temperature grades; core grades 1 through 3; and SmartVID power codes V and E.

Do not take the E-Series D specification code, B device-group meaning or fixed-voltage S/X power choices and transplant them into a D-Series quotation. Decode a D-Series OPN against Figure 4 of the same current Device Overview.

Replacement screening and purchasing checklist #

A shortage alternate may enter engineering review when the family, series, required specification, device group and package code are preserved. A wider temperature range or faster core grade may be considered, but only if the exact option exists and the project passes timing, power, transceiver, security and qualification review.

Reject an alleged drop-in replacement when:

• the E-Series/D-Series field changes;
• the specification loses an HPS, transceiver or required security capability;
• the device group changes transceiver rate, DDR5 support or voltage architecture;
• the package code, ball count, body size or pitch differs;
• the power code moves between SmartVID and fixed voltage without a board review;
• an optional suffix changes production, cache, I/O-limited or revision status;
• the official migration document does not support both exact devices and package groups.

Before issuing the purchase order:

1. Copy the complete released OPN, including a blank-or-present suffix decision. 2. Confirm the exact series and use its current official decoder. 3. Match specification, density and device group to the implemented features. 4. Confirm package code, pins, dimensions, pitch and shipping form. 5. Check temperature, core speed and power mode against the qualified Quartus and PCB design. 6. Review the applicable E-Series or D-Series migration guideline and pin exceptions. 7. Confirm production status and known issues for the exact OPN pattern. 8. Rerun Quartus migration, timing and power checks before approving any alternate.

Conclusion #

Agilex 5 ordering codes are manageable once E-Series and D-Series are kept separate. For A5ED065BB32AE4S, the critical boundaries are the D feature specification, B device group, B32A package and S fixed-voltage power field. Temperature and speed upgrades can be candidates for engineering review; a different series, feature matrix, device group, package, power architecture or suffix is not automatically pin-compatible.

Official references #

• Altera Agilex 5 Device Overview — current Part Number Decoder
• Altera Agilex 5 E-Series product overview
• Altera Agilex 5 E-Series 065B modular development kit with A5ED065BB32AE4S
• Altera Agilex 5 E-Series Device Migration Guidelines
• Altera B23A package migration requirements
• Altera Agilex 5 transceiver migration overview
• Altera Agilex 5 production-device Known Issue List