Altera Ships Agilex 3 AI FPGA Under $100

Altera has announced the release of its low-end, AI-enabled Agilex 3 FPGA, priced at under $100 for the smallest part. The Agilex 3 family spans a range from 25,000 to 135,000 logic elements, mirroring the specifications of the Cyclone V family introduced in 2013, where the lowest density part is available for under $60. What sets the Agilex apart is the integration of tensor cores into the fabric, in addition to dual ARM Cortex-A55 cores, making it easier to implement AI in embedded applications.

CEO Sandra Rivera shared insights on the Agilex 3, stating, “We are in production with the Agilex 3 with development kits for the embedded segment. This offers 1.9x performance improvement over the Cyclone V, 38% lower power consumption, increased I/O density, and features dual ARM A55 cores for programmability. Crucially, the AI-optimized DSPs with Tensor blocks enable seamless integration of AI into the fabric on Agilex 5 and now Agilex 3. Incorporating AI is as straightforward as adding any other IP they would typically deploy.”

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While specific pricing details were not disclosed, Rivera emphasized, “We are aiming for value pricing. It will not be double or triple the cost, but it is positioned as a premium device.” The company foresees continued growth in the FPGA market, particularly driven by the surge in edge AI applications across various sectors such as industrial, automotive, and UAVs. These intelligent edge applications are fueled by demands for performance, flexibility, security, and longevity.

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Rivera highlighted, “The low end of the market is being propelled by the expansion of edge computing with a focus on small form factors. This is where our MAX and Cyclone families have made significant strides, and we are further enhancing integration levels with Agilex 3, offering extended support for up to 15 years. We are also broadening the MAX10 range with a high I/O density BGA610 package, currently open for orders and slated for production in Q3.”

As Altera transitions into an independent entity separate from Intel, Rivera outlined the ongoing process, stating, “Last year was dedicated to establishing the necessary functions for us to operate autonomously. This year, our focus is on finalizing the ERP manufacturing planning functions, a task expected to conclude by year-end. We firmly believe we are the sole independent full-stack FPGA provider, catering to needs spanning from the edge to the data center.”