EP1K100FC256-3 - 100K Gate ACEX-1K FPGA, 256-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP1K100FC256-3 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $60.44 | $60.44 |
| 10 | $54.4 | $544.00 |
| 100 | $45.33 | $4,533.00 |
| 500 | $36.26 | $18,130.00 |
| 1,000 | $30.22 | $30,220.00 |
EP1K100FC256-3 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory blocks, and programmable interconnect that designers can configure after manufacture to implement custom digital circuits. FPGAs sit within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) and, compared to fixed-function ASICs, trade raw performance-per-watt and unit cost for flexibility, rapid prototyping, and the ability to re-spin logic without changing the silicon. The ACEX-1K family targets low-cost system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration in a single device, combining an enhanced embedded array with logic for efficient memory and specialized functions.
Key features of the EP1K100FC256-3 include 624 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), per-LE arithmetic mode support (two 3-input LUTs per LE for fast adder/accumulator/comparator implementation), dual-port embedded array blocks (EABs) for memory-mapped peripherals, and JTAG-based IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan testing. The 2.5 V VCCINT supply keeps power dissipation modest relative to later 1.8 V and 1.2 V families, while the 256-ball FineLine BGA footprint provides high I/O density in a compact 17 × 17 mm outline.
The EP1K100FC256-3 architecture combines a continuous interconnect network of fast row and column channels with embedded array blocks (EABs), each EAB providing 4,096 bits of RAM that can be configured as single- or dual-port memory, ROM, or as a multiplier/lookup table for DSP-style operations. Fine-grained carry chains and dedicated cascade paths accelerate arithmetic and wide fan-in functions, while per-LE registers enable pipelined data paths. The chip supports the legacy Altera MAX+PLUS II and Quartus design flows.
Typical applications include glue logic and bus interfacing in legacy industrial control systems, custom peripheral controllers for PCI and ISA backplanes, prototype ASIC replacements, and digital signal preprocessing where the 4,992 LEs and embedded RAM suffice. The 256-ball FineLine BGA also offers SameFrame pin compatibility with smaller ACEX-1K devices such as the EP1K30 and EP1K50, simplifying board-level migration.
When designing with this device, engineers should plan for the 2.5 V core supply, route a complete VCCINT/VCCIO decoupling network, and confirm Quartus II version support because the ACEX-1K family pre-dates the Cyclone series and is maintained only by Intel's legacy device support program. For new designs, modern Cyclone or MAX 10 families are recommended unless legacy compatibility or existing IP is mandatory.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives (speed-grade and temperature variants), and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet to help engineers decide whether the EP1K100FC256-3 still fits their application.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K100FC256-3 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP1K100FC256-3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1K100FC256-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$78.1951 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K100FC256-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$27.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K100FC256-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$22.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K100FC256-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$53.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K100FI256-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K100FC256-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ACEX-1K |
| Logic Elements | 4,992 |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 |
| Embedded Memory (EAB RAM) | 49,152 bits |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 624 |
| User I/O Count | 186 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| JTAG / Boundary Scan | IEEE 1149.1 compliant |
EP1K100FC256-3 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O (bank determined by VCCIO grouping) |
| Pin A2 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A3 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A4 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A5 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A6 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage 2.5 V |
| Pin A7 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A8 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A9 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A10 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A11 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A12 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin A13 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A14 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A15 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
| Pin A16 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O |
Typical Applications
EP1K100FC256-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Industrial Control Glue Logic, PCI/ISA Bus Peripheral Controllers, ASIC Prototype and Emulation Platform, Digital Signal Pre-Processing, Test & Measurement Instrumentation Front-End, Communications Protocol Bridging.
Legacy Industrial Control Glue Logic
The EP1K100FC256-3's 4,992 LEs and 186 user I/O pins in a compact 256-ball FineLine BGA make it a strong fit for legacy industrial control boards that need custom glue logic between microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators. The 100K-gate capacity comfortably accommodates complex state machines, timing generators, and protocol translators without requiring an external CPLD or ASIC. With 49,152 bits of EAB RAM available, designers can also implement FIFOs and small lookup tables on-chip, reducing external memory cost on PC/104 and VME backplanes.
Recommended
PCI/ISA Bus Peripheral Controllers
The 186 I/O pins and 624 LABs of the EP1K100FC256-3 provide sufficient bandwidth and logic to implement custom PCI target devices, ISA bus controllers, and legacy peripheral bridges. The dual-port EABs can serve as mailbox RAM between bus domains, while per-LE arithmetic mode accelerates address decoder and parity logic. Because the device supports the 5V-tolerant I/O standards common to PCI/ISA, it remains a practical choice for maintaining installed-base industrial PCs where migration to modern PCIe would require a complete board redesign.
Recommended
ASIC Prototype and Emulation Platform
The EP1K100FC256-3 is well suited as a rapid ASIC prototype platform for designs targeting the 100K-gate complexity range. Engineers can map RTL into the 4,992 LEs and validate functionality, timing, and I/O behavior before committing to NRE charges for mask fabrication. The dual-port EABs emulate register files and small SRAMs, while the rich interconnect allows full system-level integration. Quartus II and MAX+PLUS II design flows provide mature synthesis and place-and-route support for the ACEX-1K family.
Recommended
Digital Signal Pre-Processing
For low-rate digital signal preprocessing, the EP1K100FC256-3's arithmetic mode (two 3-input LUTs per LE for fast adders and accumulators) and 49,152-bit EABs support FIR filters, gain control, and simple FFT pre-processing at sample rates up to a few MHz. Each EAB can also be configured as a multiplier lookup table, providing 4-tap parallel multiplication in a single block. While the device cannot replace a dedicated DSP for high-rate work, it remains useful as a pre-processor or custom co-processor feeding a host DSP or microcontroller.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation Front-End
The EP1K100FC256-3's high I/O count and flexible logic enable custom timing generators, pulse-pattern sequencers, and protocol-aware trigger logic for benchtop test equipment. Engineers can implement per-pin stimulus formatting with hardware-timed sequencing inside the FPGA, while the embedded RAM captures pre-trigger samples for scope-like analysis. The 2.5 V core keeps power dissipation modest in fanless bench instruments, and the 256-ball FineLine BGA allows dense PCB layouts behind multi-channel analog front-ends.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridging
The EP1K100FC256-3's 186 I/O pins and 4,992 LEs are well-matched to bridging legacy communication protocols such as UART, SPI, I2C, parallel bus, and custom industrial protocols. Designers can implement multi-channel protocol converters, packet builders, and FIFO-based flow control using the dual-port EABs, while the rich interconnect handles simultaneous full-duplex traffic on multiple channels. The commercial temperature grade suits indoor telecommunications and networking equipment where harsh-environment parts are unnecessary.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K100FC256-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K100FC256-2N | EP1K100FC256-2 | EP1K100FC256-1N | EP1K100FC256-1 | EP1K100FI256-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| User I/O | 186 | 186 | 186 | 186 | 186 | 186 |
| Speed Grade | -3 (slowest) | -2 (faster) | -2 (faster) | -1 (fastest) | -1 (fastest) | -2 |
| Temperature Range | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) | Commercial (0°C to +70°C) | Industrial (-40°C to +85°C) |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| Embedded RAM | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits |
Key Differentiators
- SameFrame pin-compatible migration path (vs EP1K100FC256-2N)
- Lowest cost in the speed-grade family (vs EP1K100FC256-1)
- Same FPGA capacity at industrial temperature (vs EP1K100FI256-2)
Design Notes
The EP1K100FC256-3 requires a clean 2.5 V ±5% VCCINT rail capable of delivering 100-300 mA depending on toggle rate and utilization. Estimated: at 50% utilization and 100 MHz toggle, plan for at least 250 mA on VCCINT plus per-bank VCCIO current. Decouple each VCCINT pin with a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the BGA pad, and add bulk 47 µF tantalum or polymer caps near the regulator. VCCIO banks should be decoupled with 0.1 µF + 10 µF combinations per the ACEX-1K family reference schematic.
The 256-ball FineLine BGA uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires a 4-layer or 6-layer PCB with microvia or via-in-pad technology for reliable assembly. Use a fanout pattern that places signal vias on a 1.0 mm grid in the inner layers, and provide continuous GND and VCCINT planes directly under the device to minimize loop inductance. Per ACEX-1K layout guidelines, keep all decoupling capacitors on the same side as the BGA or directly beneath it on inner layers to maintain low-impedance return paths.
Do not confuse the EP1K100FC256-3 (commercial, speed grade -3) with the EP1K100FI256-2 (industrial, speed grade -2) - both share the same BGA pinout but only the FC variant operates over the commercial 0°C to +70°C range. When migrating a design from EP1K100FC256-3 to a Cyclone-family successor, the I/O bank voltages and pin functions are NOT drop-in compatible; a complete re-pin assignment is required because the Cyclone BGA pinout differs from the ACEX-1K SameFrame pattern.
Route all configuration and JTAG signals (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, nCONFIG, MSEL0, MSEL1) with controlled impedance and keep them short to avoid programming failures. The dedicated configuration clock (DCLK) for passive serial mode should be length-matched to the data line. Place the EPC configuration ROM within 100 mm of the FPGA to meet passive serial timing, and add external pull-up resistors on nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, and nCONFIG per the ACEX-1K configuration user guide.
Estimated: the EP1K100FC256-3's BGA package has a theta-JA of approximately 20-25 °C/W with a properly designed thermal pad and inner-plane stackup. At full 100% utilization and 100% toggle rate, junction temperature may approach 85°C even at room ambient. For continuous operation in enclosures above 40°C ambient, derate utilization to 70% or provide forced-air cooling to maintain the commercial 70°C junction limit.
Compliance Information
Detailed RoHS, REACH, lead-free, and halogen-free status for the EP1K100FC256-3 are not documented in the verified web data; consult Intel/Altera product compliance documentation or contact the manufacturer directly for current compliance certificates.
