At its Innovators Day event, Altera, a newly independent Intel subsidiary, unveiled the Agilex 3 line of FPGAs, designed for applications where cost and power consumption are critical. This new series targets industries like industrial manufacturing, surveillance, medical, and edge computing, offering AI functionality and integrated Arm Cortex A55 processors.
Altera's new Agilex 3 FPGA line. Image used courtesy of Intel
Agilex 3 FPGAs feature significant performance enhancements, including the Hyperflex architecture, which nearly doubles the processing speed compared to the previous generation. With 25K–135K logic elements, 12.5 Gbps transceivers, DSP, and AI-optimized tensor blocks, the chips are ideal for real-time processing in IoT and automotive systems. They also offer up to 38% lower power consumption compared to competitors, making them suitable for compact, power-sensitive environments.
In addition to hardware improvements, the latest version of the Quartus Prime design software enhances usability and accelerates time to market, reducing compile times by 29%. This allows developers to efficiently iterate and optimize their designs, ultimately speeding up the deployment of solutions.
Altera Agilex 3 series compared to other Agilex FPGAs. Image used courtesy of Intel
Agilex 3 strengthens Altera’s portfolio by offering AI and edge computing capabilities without the need for discrete GPUs, making it a versatile solution for low-power, cost-conscious applications. The FPGA line is expected to be available in early 2025.
