EP1K30FC256-2 - 30K-Gate ACEX-1K FPGA, 256-BGA, -2 Speed | Intel
MPN: EP1K30FC256-2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $42.5 | $42.50 |
| 10 | $38.2 | $382.00 |
| 100 | $31.75 | $3,175.00 |
| 500 | $26.4 | $13,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $22.95 | $22,950.00 |
EP1K30FC256-2 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device (PLD) within the broader integrated-circuit hierarchy (PLD -> programmable logic -> semiconductor). FPGAs provide hardware-reconfigurable digital logic, sitting between CPLDs and high-density ASICs in the design flexibility vs. cost spectrum, and ACEX-1K specifically targets cost-sensitive system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration.
Key features include built-in dual-port memory blocks (EABs) for efficient FIFO and buffer implementation, JTAG-based IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan testing, MultiVolt I/O supporting 2.5 V core with mixed-voltage I/O banks, and SRAM-based configuration loaded from a serial PROM or via JTAG. The device operates from a 2.5 V core supply and supports commercial temperature grading.
The ACEX-1K architecture combines a continuous embedded array for memory and specialized logic functions with a logic array for general-purpose registers and routing. This hybrid embedded/logic approach makes ACEX-1K efficient for designs requiring megafunctions such as multipliers, FIFOs, and DSP primitives, without paying the cost of a high-density APEX or Stratix-class device.
Typical applications include glue logic in telecom line cards, industrial control interfaces, low-cost communication bridges, and legacy PCI/ISA bus controllers. The 256-BGA FineLine footprint also makes it suitable for space-constrained designs where surface-mount ball-grid assembly is preferred over QFP.
When designing with EP1K30FC256-2, ensure the configuration plan accounts for SRAM-based volatility (external serial configuration PROM required at boot) and verify MultiVolt I/O bank compatibility with connected peripherals. The -2 speed grade should be evaluated against the -3 (slower) and -1 (faster) variants for timing margin.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative part numbers, and practical design guidance not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K30FC256-2 — 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 EP1K30FC256-2 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Package, Speed Grade, Configuration Method, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1K30FC256-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K30FC256-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$13.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K30FC256-2N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$21.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K30FC256-2F
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1K30F256-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$15.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K30FI256-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$18.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K100FC256-2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$27.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K30FC256-2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ACEX-1K |
| Logic Elements | 1,728 |
| Typical Gates | 30,000 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 216 |
| On-chip RAM Bits | 24,576 |
| User I/O Pins | 171 |
| Speed Grade | -2 |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) |
| Pin Count | 256 |
| Configuration Method | SRAM (volatile, serial PROM or JTAG) |
| JTAG Support | Yes (IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan) |
| Memory Type | Dual-port EAB blocks |
| Maximum Frequency | 200 MHz |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP1K30FC256-2 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin A2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin A3 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin A4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin B1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin B2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin B3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin B4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin C1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin C2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin C3 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin C4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin D1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin D2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin D3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin D4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin E1 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin E2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin E3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin E4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin F1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin F2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin F3 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin F4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin G1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin G2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin G3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin G4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin H1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin H2 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin H3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin H4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin J1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin J2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin J3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin J4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin K1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin K2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin K3 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin K4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin L1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin L2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin L3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin L4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin M1 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin M2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin M3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin M4 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin N1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin N2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin N3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin N4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin P1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin P2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin P3 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin P4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin R1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin R2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin R3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin R4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin T1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin T2 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin T3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin T4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin U1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin U2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin U3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin U4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
Typical Applications
EP1K30FC256-2 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic, Industrial Control Interface Bridges, Legacy PCI / ISA Bus Controllers, Low-Cost Communication Bridges, DSP Co-Processor Front-End, Legacy Test & Measurement Equipment.
Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic
The EP1K30FC256-2 fits telecom line-card glue logic because its 1,728 logic elements provide ample capacity for bridging TDM buses, generating framing pulses, and implementing HDLC controllers without a high-cost APEX device. Its -2 speed grade supports 200 MHz internal operation, easily meeting typical 77.76 MHz telecom backplane rates. The 24,576-bit dual-port EAB memory enables small elastic buffers and lookup tables critical for protocol conversion. Compared with discrete 74-series glue logic, this FPGA reduces board area by 60-70% while adding JTAG-testable boundary scan.
Recommended
Industrial Control Interface Bridges
The EP1K30FC256-2 is well suited to industrial control bridging because its 171 user I/O pins accommodate parallel industrial buses such as PCI, ISA, and HPI without external muxing. MultiVolt I/O banks let the 2.5 V core drive 3.3 V and 5 V peripherals directly, simplifying interface to legacy PLC backplanes. The -2 speed grade provides adequate timing margin for 33 MHz PCI operation. ACEX-1K dual-port EABs can implement small DPRAM blocks for inter-CPU mailbox functions commonly required in industrial controller designs.
Recommended
Legacy PCI / ISA Bus Controllers
The EP1K30FC256-2 acts as a compact PCI/ISA bus controller because its 216 CLBs provide enough logic for state machines, address decoding, and interrupt arbitration in legacy PC-architecture cards. The -2 speed grade comfortably handles 33 MHz PCI target-operation timing. With 24,576 bits of dual-port RAM, the device can implement small mailbox buffers between the host CPU and embedded controller. The 256-FBGA package enables compact card designs while the JTAG port allows in-system programming during bring-up.
Recommended
Low-Cost Communication Bridges
The EP1K30FC256-2 fits low-cost communication bridges because the ACEX-1K family's embedded array blocks efficiently implement serial protocol FIFOs, UART buffers, and small protocol converters at minimal logic cost. Its 200 MHz internal performance supports typical 10/100 Ethernet MAC glue logic, and the 171 I/O pins allow direct connection to PHY chips and external transceivers. Compared with ASIC NRE, the EP1K30FC256-2 reduces prototyping cost for bridge chips shipping in the low-thousands annual volume.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor Front-End
The EP1K30FC256-2 functions as a DSP co-processor front-end because its 24,576-bit dual-port EABs can implement small coefficient tables, delay lines, and FIR filter data buffers paired with external fixed-point DSPs. The -2 speed grade supports the high sample rates needed for audio processing front-ends, and the 171 I/O pins easily accommodate parallel DSP host-ports. Engineers use the EP1K30FC256-2 to handle data formatting, addressing, and DMA handshaking, freeing the DSP for compute-intensive inner loops.
Recommended
Legacy Test & Measurement Equipment
The EP1K30FC256-2 is used in legacy test and measurement equipment because its 171 I/O pins and 1,728 logic elements can implement custom waveform generators, pattern sequencers, and protocol-aware instrument front-ends. The -2 speed grade supports timing-critical T&M sample rates up to 200 MHz, and JTAG boundary-scan simplifies board test in manufacturing. The SRAM-based configuration allows field firmware updates via configuration PROM reprogramming, useful for evolving T&M platforms.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K30FC256-2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K30FC256-1 | EP1K30FC256-1N | EP1K30FC256-2N | EP1K30FC256-2F | EP1K30F256-3 | EP1K30FI256-2N | EP1K100FC256-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) - same |
| Speed Grade | -2 | -1 (faster) | -1 (faster) | -2 (same) | -2 (same) | -3 (slower) | -2 (same) | -2 (same) |
| Typical Gates | 30,000 | 30,000 (same) | 30,000 (same) | 30,000 (same) | 30,000 (same) | 30,000 (same) | 30,000 (same) | 100,000 (3x upgrade) |
| Logic Elements | 1,728 | 1,728 (same) | 1,728 (same) | 1,728 (same) | 1,728 (same) | 1,728 (same) | 1,728 (same) | 4,992 (3x upgrade) |
| User I/O Pins | 171 | 171 (same) | 171 (same) | 171 (same) | 171 (same) | 171 (same) | 171 (same) | 171 (same) |
| On-chip RAM Bits | 24,576 | 24,576 (same) | 24,576 (same) | 24,576 (same) | 24,576 (same) | 24,576 (same) | 24,576 (same) | 49,152 (2x) |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V (same) | 2.5 V (same) | 2.5 V (same) | 2.5 V (same) | 2.5 V (same) | 2.5 V (same) | 2.5 V (same) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (upgrade) | Commercial |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Drop-in -1 speed-grade upgrade available (vs EP1K30FC256-1)
- Higher-density pin-compatible upgrade path (vs EP1K100FC256-2)
- Industrial-temperature variant available in same package (vs EP1K30FI256-2N)
Design Notes
The EP1K30FC256-2 requires a clean 2.5 V core supply (VCCINT) plus separately regulated VCCIO rails for each I/O bank (typically 2.5 V, 3.3 V, or 5 V). Place 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitors as close as practical to every VCCINT and VCCIO ball, with bulk 10-100 µF tantalum or polymer caps on the supply rails. Power-on ramp should follow the datasheet-specified monotonic sequence to avoid configuration latch-up. Estimated: total quiescent current draw is approximately 200-400 mA depending on configuration utilization.
Although FPGAs do not dissipate the power of a high-current ASIC, the EP1K30FC256-2 still requires thermal management in enclosed enclosures. At maximum toggle rates and full I/O utilization, junction temperature rise above ambient may reach 15-20°C. Provide unobstructed airflow or thermal vias beneath the BGA for heat removal. The 256-FBGA package's theta-JA is approximately 25-30°C/W with proper PCB thermal design.
The 256-ball FineLine BGA uses 1.0 mm ball pitch, which is reflow-compatible but requires precise PCB pad design (NSMD preferred over SMD for BGA reliability). Use a 4-6 layer stack-up with continuous ground planes beneath the BGA to control return paths and reduce simultaneous-switching noise. Maintain 50-ohm controlled impedance on high-speed I/O traces. Keep configuration PROM (e.g. EPC2) within 2-3 cm of the FPGA to minimize DCLK/nCONFIG trace lengths.
ACEX-1K devices are SRAM-based and volatile - the FPGA loses configuration at every power-down. An external configuration PROM (EPC2, EPC4, EPC8, or EPC16 depending on bitstream size) is mandatory. Verify nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and CONF_DONE pull-up/pull-down networks per datasheet; incorrect values prevent configuration. Do not confuse FC (commercial BGA) with FI (industrial BGA) suffixes - verify temperature grade before PCB layout freeze.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not stated in ACEX-1K legacy datasheet. As an obsolete device, engineers should request a compliance certificate from the distributor at the time of purchase. AEC-Q100 not applicable to FPGAs.
