Altera Stratix IV 40-nm FPGA Architecture and Performance Comparison White Paper

About this manual

This document is a white paper comparing the architecture and performance of Altera's 40-nm Stratix IV FPGAs against competing Virtex-5 FPGAs. It details how the Stratix IV devices achieve higher processing performance and lower power consumption through specific architectural innovations like Programmable Power Technology and the MultiTrack interconnect architecture. The paper claims that Stratix IV FPGAs are 35 percent faster than Virtex-5 FPGAs on average.

What's inside

• Benchmark Methodology
• Core Architecture
• High System-Level Performance
• On-chip RAM and DSP Blocks
• High-Performance I/Os
• Stratix IV GX Transceivers
• PCI Express Hard IP

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

What is the performance advantage of Stratix IV in slow speed grades?

The slow speed grade of Stratix IV FPGAs is 41% faster than the nearest competitor's slow speed grade and 9% faster than the competitor's fast speed grade.

What is the maximum data rate for the Stratix IV GX transceiver block?

The Stratix IV GX transceiver block implements protocols operating at data rates up to 8.5 Gbps.

What is the power consumption per channel for Stratix IV FPGAs at 8.5 Gbps?

Stratix IV FPGAs consume 165 mW per channel at a data rate of 8.5 Gbps.