EP1S20F672I7N - Stratix 18460 LEs FPGA 672-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP1S20F672I7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $295 | $295.00 |
| 10 | $268.5 | $2,685.00 |
| 100 | $235 | $23,500.00 |
| 250 | $215 | $53,750.00 |
| 500 | $198 | $99,000.00 |
EP1S20F672I7N Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks (LABs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and high-speed transceivers on a single semiconductor die. FPGAs occupy the middle ground between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven microcontrollers, offering hardware-level parallelism, deterministic timing, and field reprogrammability. Within the wider taxonomy, FPGAs belong to programmable logic devices (PLDs) and sit alongside CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices) in the digital IC hierarchy.
Key features of the EP1S20F672I7N include 1,846 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 426 maximum user I/Os, embedded TriMatrix memory (M512, M4K, M-RAM blocks), dedicated DSP blocks for fixed- and floating-point multiplication, and high-speed LVDS interfaces. The device supports multiple I/O standards including LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, PCI-X, HSTL, and SSTL, making it suitable for mixed-voltage system bridging.
The Stratix architecture implements adaptive logic modules (ALMs) rather than simple 4-input LUTs, providing higher logic utilization per area. The die includes dedicated hardware multipliers, on-chip PLLs for clock management, and support for source-synchronous interfaces up to 840 Mbps with dedicated DPA circuitry. Configuration is via passive serial (PS), passive parallel synchronous/asynchronous (PPS/PPA), JTAG, or Altera-enhanced configuration devices.
Typical applications include telecom line cards, high-speed image processing, military signal intelligence, ASIC prototyping, and industrial motion controllers. The 672-BGA FineLine BGA package (35 mm x 35 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) is chosen when high I/O count and signal-integrity margins outweigh cost sensitivity, typical for backplane and daughtercard designs.
When designing with this device, verify power sequencing requirements since Stratix devices require VCCINT and VCCIO rails with controlled ramp rates. Thermal management is critical: the FC-FBGA package demands a multi-layer PCB with thermal vias under the exposed die-pad for adequate heat extraction.
This page synthesizes distributor stock and pricing, Stratix-family drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the original Altera Stratix Device Handbook.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1S20F672I7N — 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 EP1S20F672I7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, MSL Level.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1S20F672I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$199.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S20F672I5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$188.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S20F672C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$109.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S20B672C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$425 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S20F672C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$68.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S20F672C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$470 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S20F672I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix |
| Logic Elements | 18,460 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 1,846 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 426 |
| Embedded Memory (RAM bits) | 1,669,248 |
| Total Memory Bits | 1,669,248 |
| Number of I/O Banks | 8 |
| Process Technology | 130 nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Package | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA, 35 x 35 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C (Industrial) |
| Operating Frequency (max) | 420.17 MHz |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Compliant |
EP1S20F672I7N 672-bbga (fineline bga, 35 x 35 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP1S20F672I7N (672-bbga (fineline bga, 35 x 35 mm, 1.27 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 EP1S20F672I7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP1S20F672I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line Card Processing, ASIC Prototyping Platform, High-Speed Image Processing, Industrial Motion Control, Military Signal Intelligence / SDR, High-Performance DSP Accelerator.
Telecom Line Card Processing
The EP1S20F672I7N suits telecom line cards where multi-channel packet classification, traffic shaping, and SERDES aggregation must be processed in hardware. Its 18,460 logic elements and 1,669,248 RAM bits provide headroom for up to 16 OC-48 channel framers or 4 OC-192 interfaces via external SERDES, while the 426 user I/Os (8 banks) accommodate multiple SFP/GBIC connectors and backplane buses. The dedicated TriMatrix memory blocks (M512/M4K/M-RAM) reduce external SRAM dependency, simplifying PCB layout.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Engineering teams use the EP1S20F672I7N to validate ASIC RTL before committing to mask sets because its 18,460 LEs and 1.6 Mbit of on-chip memory can map mid-complexity SoCs (up to ~3-5 million ASIC gates) for at-speed verification. The 130 nm process and 1.5 V core deliver 420 MHz internal operation with deterministic timing closure, while the 672-BGA provides ample I/O for ASIC pin multiplexing. JTAG-based configuration supports rapid iteration during bring-up.
Recommended
High-Speed Image Processing
The EP1S20F672I7N is well-matched to real-time image processing pipelines: Camera Link or LVDS imagers stream pixel data into the FPGA's high-speed LVDS pairs (up to 840 Mbps with DPA), while on-chip DSP blocks execute convolution, FFT, and color-space conversion at line rate. The 426 user I/Os accept multi-tap image sensor buses, and the 1.6 Mbit embedded memory serves as line buffers, eliminating off-chip SRAM for many designs. Industrial temperature grade (-I7) supports factory-floor vision systems.
Recommended
Industrial Motion Control
Industrial motion controllers leverage the EP1S20F672I7N's hardware parallelism for multi-axis servo loops. Each LAB chain can implement a PID loop with deterministic single-cycle latency, and the dedicated DSP blocks handle encoder interpolation and field-oriented control math. The 426 user I/Os accept quadrature encoder inputs, Hall-effect sensors, and PWM outputs for stepper drives. Industrial temperature grade (0-85 C) ensures reliable operation in factory cabinets.
Recommended
Military Signal Intelligence / SDR
Defense signal-intelligence platforms exploit the EP1S20F672I7N's 420 MHz logic performance and LVDS capability to implement wideband digital down-conversion and beamforming. The device's 1.6 Mbit of embedded memory handles FFT windows of 16K complex samples without external SRAM, while 8 I/O banks simplify mixed-voltage interfaces to legacy MIL-STD-1553 and modern Ethernet links. Industrial temperature range with the -I7 speed bin enables reliable operation in ruggedized enclosures.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP Accelerator
The EP1S20F672I7N's dedicated hardware multiplier blocks accelerate FIR filtering, FFT/iFFT, and matrix multiplication at sample rates that software DSPs cannot match. Designers implement 16-bit x 16-bit multiplications in a single DSP block cycle, and the 1.6 Mbit on-chip memory supports dual-port buffering for overlap-save convolution. The 426 I/Os accept multi-channel ADC data and stream processed outputs to host processors via parallel or high-speed serial links.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1S20F672I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1S20F672I7 | EP1S20F672I5N | EP1S20F672C7N | EP1S20B672C6N | EP1S20F672C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA) | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA) | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA) | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA) | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA) | 672-BBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 18,460 | 18,460 | 18,460 | 18,460 | 18,460 | 18,460 |
| Speed Grade | -7 | -7 | -5 | -7 | -6 | -6 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C (Industrial) | 0 C to 85 C (Industrial) | 0 C to 85 C (Industrial) | 0 C to 70 C (Commercial) | 0 C to 70 C (Commercial) | 0 C to 70 C (Commercial) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (RoHS) | No (leaded) | Yes (RoHS) | Yes (RoHS) | Yes (RoHS) | Yes (RoHS) |
| Embedded Memory (RAM bits) | 1,669,248 | 1,669,248 | 1,669,248 | 1,669,248 | 1,669,248 | 1,669,248 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 426 | 426 | 426 | 426 | 426 | 426 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in EP1S20 family (-7) (vs EP1S20F672I5N)
- Industrial temperature grade (-I7 suffix) (vs EP1S20F672C7N)
- Lead-free / RoHS compliant (N suffix) (vs EP1S20F672I7)
Design Notes
Stratix EP1S20 devices require sequenced power-up of VCCINT (1.5 V core) before VCCIO (I/O banks). Per the Stratix Device Handbook, both rails must ramp monotonically within 0.1 ms to 100 ms; failure to sequence rails can cause high inrush currents and latch-up. Decoupling requires at least twenty 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of the BGA balls, plus a single 47 uF bulk capacitor per supply plane.
The 672-FineLine BGA package dissipates 3-5 W typical, 8 W peak, demanding a thermal management strategy. Design the PCB with a continuous ground plane directly beneath the BGA, stitch the exposed die-pad to the inner ground plane with a 4x4 thermal via array (0.3 mm vias on 1.0 mm pitch), and consider attaching a small heatsink or heat-spreader for closed-enclosure applications. Without thermal vias, junction temperature can exceed 100 C at ambient.
For 672-BGA fan-out, use a 1.0 mm or 0.8 mm via-pitch PCB stack-up with microvia-in-pad technology. Route differential pairs (LVDS) with 100 ohm controlled impedance; keep trace lengths matched within 150 mil to satisfy the DPA capture window. Use at least 6 PCB layers: signal, ground, signal, power, ground, signal. Avoid routing LVDS signals over power-plane splits to prevent reference-plane discontinuities.
Do not assume all 672-BGA Stratix variants share identical bitstreams. The -I7 vs -C7 vs -I5 speed grades and industrial/commercial temp grades have different configuration data; loading the wrong bitstream may cause setup/hold violations that manifest as intermittent JTAG readback errors. Always regenerate the .sof/.pof with Quartus II targeting the exact speed-grade and temperature suffix of the installed device. Verify configuration CRC before user-mode operation.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per 'N' suffix in MPN. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGA is not an automotive-grade part). REACH compliance is typical for Intel/Altera Stratix devices but not explicitly stated in Verified Web Data.
