EP1C20F400C6 - 20,060 LEs Cyclone FPGA 400-FBGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1C20F400C6 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $32.5 | $32.50 |
| 10 | $28.75 | $287.50 |
| 100 | $24.9 | $2,490.00 |
| 500 | $21.4 | $10,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $18.95 | $18,950.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C20F400C6 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1C20F400C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C20F400I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$76.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C20F400C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C20F400C7N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1C20F400C6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$53.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C20F400C6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements | 20,060 |
| Logic Array Blocks | 2,006 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 294,912 bits (128 x 36-bit M4K blocks x 64) |
| Total RAM Blocks | 64 M4K blocks |
| Maximum User I/O | 301 |
| PLLs | 1 |
| Package | 400-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial, C6 speed grade) |
| Speed Grade | 6 (commercial) |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial, Active Serial, JTAG |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| LVDS Data Rate | Up to 311 Mbps |
| Design Software | Altera Quartus II / Intel Quartus Prime |
EP1C20F400C6 400-ball fineline bga (fbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C20F400C6 (400-ball fineline bga (fbga) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for EP1C20F400C6.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Safe Operating Area (SOA) & Thermal Characteristics
No official SOA curve available for this digital IC. Always operate within absolute maximum ratings specified in the datasheet. Ensure adequate cooling and derate as needed.
Typical Applications
EP1C20F400C6 is suitable for 6 applications: Flat-Panel Display Controller, Industrial Machine Control Interface, Telecom Protocol Bridge / Glue Logic, Low-Cost Video Capture / Image Processing, ASIC Replacement / Bus Bridge, Consumer Audio/Video Processing.
Flat-Panel Display Controller
The EP1C20F400C6 is well-suited for flat-panel display controller designs where parallel RGB/TTL video data must be processed, scaled, and reformatted for LVDS or RSDS panel interfaces. Its 20,060 LEs and 64 M4K RAM blocks (294,912 bits) provide enough logic and on-chip memory to implement line buffers for de-interlacing and color-space conversion without external SRAM. The 301 user I/Os comfortably handle 18/24-bit video buses plus I2C, SPI, and GPIO side channels, and LVDS support up to 311 Mbps covers XGA/SXGA panel timing.
Recommended
Industrial Machine Control Interface
In industrial machine control, the EP1C20F400C6 (commercial grade) or its pin-compatible EP1C20F400I7N (industrial grade) serves as the central glue-logic device between PLCs, motor drivers, and sensor arrays. Its 1 PLL generates the clocks for multiple stepper/servo channels, while 301 user I/Os accept quadrature encoder inputs, end-stop switches, and PWM outputs without external muxing. The 294 Kbits of block RAM enable on-chip FIFO buffering for high-speed serial protocols such as RS-485 or CAN, replacing discrete UART chips.
Recommended
Telecom Protocol Bridge / Glue Logic
The EP1C20F400C6 is a proven choice for telecom protocol-bridge applications where TDM streams, HDLC framing, or custom serial protocols must be converted between backplanes. Its 20,060 LEs handle multi-channel state machines, while the 64 M4K RAM blocks implement elastic FIFOs and look-up tables for protocol translation. Designers appreciate the 301 user I/Os for direct connection to multiple bus widths (8/16/32-bit), eliminating external transceiver buffers. Per Altera's telecom reference designs, the Cyclone EP1C20 family was widely deployed in DSLAM line cards and base-station interface boards.
Recommended
Low-Cost Video Capture / Image Processing
For low-cost video capture and pre-processing pipelines, the EP1C20F400C6 delivers enough logic to implement Bayer demosaicing, color correction, and scaling in real time at standard-definition rates. The 294,912 bits of embedded RAM are sized for line buffers without external memory, reducing BOM cost. The 400-FBGA package's 301 user I/Os accept parallel sensor data plus DMA handshakes to a host controller. LVDS I/O at 311 Mbps supports direct connection to megapixel image sensors.
Recommended
ASIC Replacement / Bus Bridge
When a low-volume ASIC must be replaced without PCB redesign, the EP1C20F400C6 frequently serves as a drop-in equivalent. With 20,060 LEs it can absorb the original gate count of 80k-120k-system-gate ASICs, while its 301 user I/Os match common 32-bit external buses (PCI, ISA, generic memory-mapped interfaces). The 1.5 V core reduces dynamic power relative to older 3.3 V ASICs, and the SRAM-based configuration allows last-minute firmware updates. Per Altera's reference designs, this is the canonical use case for the entire Cyclone family.
Recommended
Consumer Audio/Video Processing
The EP1C20F400C6 was widely adopted in consumer audio/video products such as set-top boxes, DVD recorders, and home-theater receivers where parallel processing of multiple audio streams and video overlays is required. Its 64 M4K RAM blocks are ideal for audio sample buffers and small video line stores, while the 20,060 LEs handle multi-channel decoding and HDMI/SDPIF muxing. The commercial temperature grade (0 °C to +85 °C) fits indoor consumer electronics environments. Altera's Cyclone Family datasheet lists DVD recorders and digital TVs as flagship consumer applications for this device.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C20F400C6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C20F400C7N | EP1C20F400I7N | EP1C20F400C8 | EP2C20F400C7N | EP1C20F400C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | 400-ball FBGA | 400-ball FBGA - same | 400-ball FBGA - same | 400-ball FBGA - same | 400-ball FBGA - same | 400-ball FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 20,060 | 20,060 | 20,060 | 20,060 | 18,752 | 20,060 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 294,912 bits | 294,912 bits | 294,912 bits | 294,912 bits | 239,616 bits | 294,912 bits |
| Maximum User I/O | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 | 315 | 301 |
| Speed Grade | 6 (commercial) | 7 (commercial) | 7 (industrial) | 8 (commercial) | 7 (Cyclone II) | 6 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C | 0 °C to +85 °C | -40 °C to +100 °C | 0 °C to +85 °C | 0 °C to +85 °C | 0 °C to +85 °C |
| Hardware Multipliers (18x18) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | NRND / Limited | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Original Cyclone high-density 20k-LE flagship with 301 user I/Os (vs EP1C12Q240C6)
- Drop-in vertical migration across speed grades and temperature ranges (vs EP1C20F400I7N)
- Migration path to Cyclone II adds hardware multipliers (vs EP2C20F400C7N)
- Open datasheet archive across multiple distributors (vs Lattice/Xilinx competitors)
Design Notes
Estimated: at typical 25% toggle rate and 50% I/O utilization, the EP1C20F400C6 draws approximately 300-500 mA from a 1.5 V VCCINT rail and 100-200 mA total from VCCIO banks. Designers must sequence VCCINT (1.5 V) before VCCIO (1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V) to prevent I/O latch-up; per Altera's Cyclone handbook, an FPGA-controller power supervisor or Altera's recommended sequencer circuit is mandatory. Bulk decoupling needs at least 220 µF near the FBGA, plus 0.1 µF and 1 µF ceramics at every VCCINT ball pair.
The 400-ball FBGA requires a multilayer PCB (typically 6-8 layers) with a 1.0 mm or finer ball pitch and microvia or via-in-pad technology for the inner rows. Per Altera's AN 74: Designing with FineLine BGA Packages, designers must match the recommended land diameter (typically 0.4 mm) and use non-solder-mask-defined (NSMD) pads to ensure reliable joint formation. A continuous ground plane on layer 2 and a power island on layer 3 are strongly recommended for signal-integrity compliance at LVDS rates up to 311 Mbps.
Differential pairs (LVDS) must be length-matched within ±10 mil and routed on a single layer to avoid stub reflections; per Altera's High-Speed Differential Signaling Design Guidelines, characteristic differential impedance should be 100 Ω ±10%. CLK and PLL feedback traces must be guarded by ground on both sides and kept under 200 mil. Place the JTAG chain components within 2 inches of the TAP pins and isolate from switching signals to prevent configuration failures.
Common pitfalls: (1) connecting nCONFIG to a pushbutton without debounce causes spurious reconfigurations; (2) omitting the 10 kΩ pull-up on nCE enables daisy-chain misconfiguration; (3) leaving MSEL[2:0] floating selects an unknown configuration mode - tie to VCCINT or GND per the desired standard; (4) using EP1C20-specific bitstreams on a Cyclone II board fails because the IDCODE differs - regenerate in Quartus. Per Altera's configuration handbook, all MSEL settings must match the configuration device voltage and mode.
Estimated: the 400-FBGA has theta_JA of approximately 15-20 °C/W with a 1 oz copper ground plane and 100 LFM airflow. At 1 W total dissipation, junction rises 15-20 °C above ambient - well within the 0 °C to +85 °C commercial limit. However, in enclosed consumer enclosures with no airflow, designers should de-rate to 0.5 W maximum or upgrade to the EP1C20F400I7N industrial variant. A thermal via array under the FBGA thermal pad is essential for the theta_JB path to chassis ground.
Compliance Information
Original Cyclone generation (2003-2007) predates widespread RoHS transition; EP1C20F400C6 contains lead-bearing solder balls. The 'N' suffix variants (e.g. EP1C20F400C6N, EP1C20F400I7N) typically indicate Pb-free terminal finish. AEC-Q100 not applicable - use automotive-grade Cyclone II/III/IV Q1 variants instead. REACH SVHC status unknown without specific manufacturer declaration.
