EP1C20F400I7N - Cyclone FPGA 20,060 LE 301 I/O 400-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP1C20F400I7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $113.86 | $113.86 |
| 10 | $108.5 | $1,085.00 |
| 100 | $95.2 | $9,520.00 |
| 500 | $85.4 | $42,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $76.9 | $76,900.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C20F400I7N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet →EP1C20F400I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 20,060 |
| Typical Gates | 244,800 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,006 |
| Total RAM Bits | 294,912 |
| Embedded Memory | M4K (4-Kbit) blocks, up to 20 blocks |
| User I/O Count | 301 |
| Number of CLBs | 2,048 |
| Package / Case | 400-BGA (FineLine BGA, 21×21 mm, 1 mm pitch) |
| Supply Voltage - Core | 1.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM CMOS |
| PLLs | 2 PLLs, 4 outputs each |
| Speed Grade | I7 (-40 °C to +100 °C junction, industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP1C20F400I7N 400-bga (fineline bga, 21×21 mm, 1 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C20F400I7N (400-bga (fineline bga, 21×21 mm, 1 mm pitch) 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 EP1C20F400I7N.
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
EP1C20F400I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Factory Automation, Low-Cost Video Processing and Display Bridging, Communications Protocol Bridging, Consumer Electronics Controllers, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Educational and Development Platforms.
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP1C20F400I7N's 20,060 logic elements and 301 user I/O make it well suited to industrial control and factory automation designs that integrate multiple communication interfaces (EtherCAT, RS-485, CAN) and custom glue logic. The I7 industrial speed grade supports junction temperatures from -40 °C to +100 °C, which is required for sealed cabinets near motors or drives. Its 294,912 bits of embedded RAM can buffer asynchronous field-bus traffic without off-chip SRAM, and two PLLs with four outputs each generate the multiple clock domains typical of motion-control designs. Position the BGA decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of the core balls and place configuration flash close to the DATA/AS/DCLK pins to keep boot timing within Quartus II requirements.
Recommended
Low-Cost Video Processing and Display Bridging
With 20,060 logic elements and embedded M4K memory blocks totaling 294,912 bits, the EP1C20F400I7N can implement video pipelines up to 80 MHz pixel clock for 720p60 timing, performing color-space conversion, scaling, and on-screen-display overlay. The 301 user I/O support LVTTL/LVDS pairs needed to bridge between TTL cameras and LVDS LCD panels, and the dedicated DDR SDRAM interface pins (DQS, DQ, DM) allow frame buffering without external controllers. Quartus II IP cores such as the ALTPLL, DDR SDRAM Controller, and Avalon-ST Video Pipeline accelerate integration. Designers should route differential video pairs with 100 Ω differential impedance and length-match within 0.13 mm for stable LVDS eye opening.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridging
The EP1C20F400I7N is well suited as a protocol bridge between PCI, UART, SPI, I2C, and Ethernet MII/RMII interfaces in legacy embedded systems. Its 2,006 LABs and 20,060 logic elements allow multiple soft controllers to coexist, while 301 user I/O pins leave headroom for bus multiplexing and address steering. The two on-chip PLLs synthesize independent reference clocks for Ethernet MAC, PCI bus, and ASIC companion chips. Industrial temperature grade (I7) qualifies the part for telecom and industrial gateway deployments. Use Quartus II SignalTap II embedded logic analyzer for bring-up; verify 3.3 V PCI signaling levels match the FPGA bank VCCIO before soldering.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics Controllers
The EP1C20F400I7N provides ample logic capacity for consumer-electronics controllers such as set-top box glue logic, printer controllers, and small-form-factor home appliances that need custom I/O plus a small Nios II soft processor. Its 1.5 V core and 0.13 µm process give it lower dynamic power than older FPGAs, and 294,912 bits of on-chip RAM are sufficient to host a small RTOS data segment without external SRAM. The 400-BGA FineLine package (21×21 mm) fits inside compact consumer PCBs. To minimize EMI, enable Cyclone's programmable slew-rate control on all switching output pins and spread-spectrum clocking on the PLL outputs.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The 20,060 logic elements and 294,912-bit embedded RAM of the EP1C20F400I7N fit well into mid-density bench instruments such as logic-analyzer probes, protocol analyzers, and bench-top waveform generators. The 301 user I/O can be partitioned into banks of mixed voltages (1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V) to interface directly with the DUT under test. The two PLLs with four outputs each provide the low-jitter reference clocks required for high-speed ADC/DAC interfacing, and M4K memory blocks can implement deep capture buffers. The I7 industrial temperature grade lets the same design work in laboratory and field-test environments without requalification.
Recommended
Educational and Development Platforms
The EP1C20F400I7N is an inexpensive vehicle for university FPGA design courses, hobbyist retro-computing projects, and lab training kits. Its 20,060 logic elements can host a Nios II/e soft processor, custom peripherals, and a small RISC-V core, while 301 I/O plus JTAG support simplify breadboard-style breakout boards. Cyclone I is supported by older Quartus II versions that remain in widespread academic distribution. For course kits, pair the FPGA with an EPCS4 serial configuration flash and a 50 MHz oscillator; this minimizes external BOM and provides reproducible boot behavior across lab stations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C20F400I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C20F400I7 | EP1C20F400I6 | EP1C20F400C8N | EP1C20F400C7N | EP1C20F400C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 400-BGA (21×21 mm, 1 mm pitch) | 400-BGA - same | 400-BGA - same | 400-BGA - same | 400-BGA - same | 400-BGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 20,060 | 20,060 | 20,060 | 20,060 | 20,060 | 20,060 |
| Total RAM Bits | 294,912 | 294,912 | 294,912 | 294,912 | 294,912 | 294,912 |
| User I/O | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 |
| Speed Grade | I7 | I7 | I6 (slower) | C8 | C7 | C6 (slowest) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial) | -40 °C to +100 °C | -40 °C to +100 °C | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C | 0 °C to +85 °C |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete / Last-time-buy | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
| RoHS Compliance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key Differentiators
- Highest Fmax (I7) speed grade in same 400-BGA family (vs EP1C20F400I6)
- Industrial temperature grade vs commercial-only alternatives (vs EP1C20F400C8N)
- 300+ I/O headroom for multi-interface designs (vs EP1C20F324I7N)
Design Notes
The EP1C20F400I7N requires a clean 1.5 V core supply with peak transient current up to ~1.5 A during configuration and full logic utilization. Use a low-impedance regulator (e.g. TI TPS54331 or Linear LT1764) plus 330 µF bulk tantalum and 0.1 µF + 10 µF ceramic decoupling placed within 5 mm of every VCCINT ball. The eight I/O banks each require their own VCCIO rail; mixing 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V I/O standards on the same bank is not allowed. Allow at least 1 second VCC ramp for proper POR; below 100 ms, the device may mis-read the configuration bitstream. Confirm with a four-wire V-sense at the BGA balls when validating the boot sequence.
Estimated: at full 80% logic utilization, 301 I/O at 25 MHz toggle, VCCINT 1.5 V, the EP1C20F400I7N dissipates roughly 1.2 W. The 400-BGA FineLine package has θJA around 12 °C/W on a JEDEC 4-layer test board with thermal vias, giving a ~14 °C junction rise over ambient. Industrial I7-grade design margin (junction 125 °C max) leaves ~95 °C ambient headroom. Always place thermal via arrays under the package center BGA balls and stitch the inner ground planes to maximize heat conduction. Avoid placing the part directly above a sealed enclosure pocket with no airflow.
The 400-BGA FineLine package uses 1 mm pitch, requiring microvia or 0.4 mm laser-drilled HDI stack-up. Route signal breakout on the top layer with 0.075 mm line/0.1 mm space; via-in-pad is recommended for inner rows. Length-match DQS/DQ pairs within 0.13 mm for DDR SDRAM and within 0.05 mm for LVDS pairs. Place configuration flash (EPCS4/EPCS16) within 25 mm of MSEL/ASDO/DCLK balls to keep timing margins. Confirm PCB fabrication: 1 mm pitch BGAs demand 0.09 mm solder-mask-defined (SMD) pads and ENIG or OSP finish; HASL is not recommended for production.
The MSEL[2:0] pins must be tied to a fixed state (AS = 000, PS = 100, JTAG = 101) - floating MSEL leads to intermittent configuration failure across power cycles. The nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and CONF_DONE pins require external 10 kΩ pull-ups to VCCIO of bank 8 (3.3 V typical). nCE must be low for the device to configure; tying nCE high permanently disables configuration. Also verify the EPCS flash density (EPCS4/EPCS16/EPCS64) is large enough for your compressed bitstream; uncompressed .sof files often exceed 4 Mbit and require EPCS16 or larger.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance confirmed via distributor listings (DigiKey, Mouser, Heisener). Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in available datasheets and is marked unknown. AEC-Q100 is not applicable as this is an FPGA, not an automotive-qualified IC. Conflict-minerals statement per Intel/Altera EICC-GeSI template.
