Altera Cyclone V GT Ordering Codes Guide

The Cyclone V GT ordering code carries logic density, hard-IP configuration, transceiver resources, package and environmental grades in one string. Altera's official sample 5CGTFD9E5F35C7N reads as 5C | GT | F | D9 | E | 5 | F | 35 | C | 7 | N.

That sequence identifies Cyclone V, the GT 6-Gbps-transceiver variant, F hard-IP option, D9 member, 12 transceivers, transceiver speed grade 5, FineLine BGA, 1,152 pins, commercial temperature, FPGA fabric speed grade 7 and lead-free packaging. The full OPN must appear on the BOM and RFQ; 5CGTD9 alone does not define the footprint, temperature or channel count.

Open the full-size Cyclone V GT ordering diagram and zoom.

Decode 5CGTFD9E5F35C7N field by field #

Member, hard IP and transceiver fields #

Cyclone V GT member codes are D5, D7 and D9, representing approximately 77K, 150K and 301K logic elements. The official GT decoder lists the F embedded-hard-IP option, allowing as many as two hard PCIe blocks and two hard memory controllers.

The following character selects transceiver count: B, F, A, C, D and E mean 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 12 channels. The next digit is a separate field: transceiver speed grade 5 supports 6.144 Gbps. A candidate that preserves D9 but changes E to D therefore reduces the nominal channel count from 12 to 9 and cannot be treated as a transparent substitute.

Package and footprint boundaries #

FineLine BGA options are F23, F27, F31 and F35 for 484, 672, 896 and 1,152 pins. Ultra FineLine BGA uses U19 for 484 pins. Micro FineLine BGA uses M11, M13 and M15 for 301, 383 and 484 pins.

Equal pin count does not establish pin compatibility. F23, U19 and M15 all have 484 connections, but their package family, body size, pitch and ball map differ. Keep the package letter and numeric code together when comparing quotations.

The package plan also limits which members and transceiver counts are offered in each package. A higher-density or higher-channel device may not exist in the same footprint. Confirm the exact orderable-product record, package plan and pin file rather than extrapolating from another Cyclone V variant.

Temperature, speed and suffixes #

The official decoder lists C for commercial 0°C to 85°C, I for industrial −40°C to 100°C and A for automotive −40°C to 125°C junction temperature. Cyclone V GT uses FPGA fabric speed grade 7. The N suffix identifies lead-free packaging, while ES identifies an engineering sample and is not a production equivalent.

The production records for 5CGTFD9E5F35C7N and 5CGTFD9E5F35I7N confirm that the same D9/E5/F35 combination exists in commercial and industrial grades. That does not automatically authorize substitution; temperature qualification, timing, power and customer AVL status remain project-specific.

Replacement screening and pin-to-pin limits #

For a first-pass alternate, preserve 5CGT, the F hard-IP field and the complete package code. Then compare member, transceiver count, transceiver grade, temperature, fabric grade and suffix.

For example, 5CGTFD9E5F35C7N and 5CGTFD9E5F35I7N retain the same variant, hard IP, density, 12-channel transceiver configuration and F35 footprint. The industrial part widens the low-temperature range, so it can enter shortage-alternate review. It may cost more and still requires timing, power, qualification and customer approval.

Changing F35 to F31, F27 or U19 is not pin-to-pin. Changing E to D or C reduces the transceiver count. Changing GT to GX changes the transceiver capability class. Altera's vertical-migration guidance requires checking migration compatibility in Quartus Prime Pin Planner; devices in a common package can still differ in dedicated, configuration, power and optional-function pins.

Reject a claimed drop-in alternate when:

• the GT variant or F hard-IP field changes;
• the complete package field changes;
• member resources or transceiver channels fall below the released design;
• temperature or fabric grade is outside the qualified build;
• ES appears unexpectedly;
• Quartus Pin Migration View reports incompatible assignments;
• clock, transceiver-bank, configuration, power or dedicated-pin requirements differ.

Procurement checklist #

1. Copy the complete OPN from the released BOM. 2. Confirm 5C family, GT variant and F hard-IP field. 3. Match the D5, D7 or D9 member to required resources. 4. Verify transceiver-count letter and grade 5 separately. 5. Treat package letter and package number as one footprint field. 6. Confirm exact pin count, body, pitch, package plan and shipping media. 7. Match C, I or A temperature qualification and fabric grade 7. 8. Preserve N material status and reject ES unless explicitly authorized. 9. Run Quartus Pin Migration View and recompile timing and pin assignments.

Conclusion #

Cyclone V GT comparisons are safe only when both transceiver and package fields remain visible. In 5CGTFD9E5F35C7N, E5 specifies 12 transceivers at the 6.144-Gbps grade, while F35 defines the 1,152-pin FineLine BGA. A wider temperature grade may help during shortages, but a different package, channel count or family variant crosses the drop-in boundary.

Official references #

• Altera Cyclone V Device Overview
• Intel-hosted Cyclone V Device Overview PDF, Figure 3
• Altera 5CGTFD9E5F35C7N product record
• Altera Cyclone V GT product family records
• Altera Cyclone V I/O vertical migration guidance
• Altera Cyclone V device datasheet