EP1S40F1020I6 - Stratix 41,250-Cell FPGA, 773 I/O, 1020-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP1S40F1020I6 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2926.9982 | $2,927.00 |
| 10 | $2700 | $27,000.00 |
| 100 | $2450 | $245,000.00 |
| 500 | $2200 | $1,100,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1995 | $1,995,000.00 |
EP1S40F1020I6 Overview
What is an FPGA? An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device whose logic, interconnect, and I/O behaviour are defined by the user after manufacture, rather than at the foundry. Architecturally an FPGA sits below an ASIC and above a CPLD on the programmable-logic hierarchy: it offers the highest logic density, the fastest internal fabrics, and the largest block-RAM and DSP budgets of the programmable family. The Stratix series was Altera's first family to embed TriMatrix memory, DSP blocks, and high-speed transceivers directly into the general-purpose fabric, making it suitable for DSP and data-path designs that previously required a discrete ASIC.
Key features of the EP1S40F1020I6 include 4,697 CLBs (per the verified Mouser listing) and a 1.0 mm ball pitch on a 33 × 33 mm substrate, allowing denser routing than previous-generation BGA packages. The device supports Altera's Quartus II design flow and is configured via the standard passive-serial, passive-parallel, or JTAG schemes supported by the Stratix family. Multiple I/O banks support a range of single-ended and differential I/O standards (LVTTL, LVCMOS, LVDS, SSTL, HSTL), enabling flexible interfacing to DDR SDRAM, QDR SRAM, and ZBT SRAM external memories.
Technical depth: the EP1S40F1020I6 uses Altera's DirectDrive and MultiTrack interconnect technologies, which are designed to minimise routing congestion and provide predictable timing closure. The embedded DSP blocks include 18 × 18-bit hardware multipliers, accumulator chains, and optional pipeline registers, giving designers a multiplier density well above what is achievable with soft logic on LE resources. The TriMatrix memory architecture provides three block RAM sizes (M512, M4K, M-RAM) for tuning memory width/depth trade-offs at compile time.
Typical applications include high-performance DSP (modem baseband, radar front-end), ASIC prototyping, networking line-card interface logic, video and image processing pipelines, and test-and-measurement instrumentation. When designing with this device, pay close attention to power-rail sequencing - Stratix devices require VCCINT, VCCIO, and VCCPD to come up in a specified order to avoid I/O latch-up. Plan thermal dissipation around the 1020-ball FC-FBGA exposed-die package; the device's power consumption can exceed 20 W in heavily-utilised designs, and a heatsink or thermal interface material is recommended for production deployments. This page synthesises distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives drawn from the Stratix family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1S40F1020I6 — 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 EP1S40F1020I6 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, DSP Blocks, RoHS Status, PLLs.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1S40F1020C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$926.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S40F1020C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1380 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S40F1020C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$695 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S40F1020C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1380 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S40F1020C5N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$280 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S40F1020C5
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S40F1020I6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix |
| Logic Elements | 41,250 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 4,697 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 4,125 |
| Embedded Memory | 3,423,744 bits |
| Maximum User I/O | 773 |
| Embedded DSP Blocks | 14 (per Stratix family datasheet) |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA, 33 × 33 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (per distributor listings) |
EP1S40F1020I6 1020-ball fc-fbga, 33 × 33 mm, 1.0 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP1S40F1020I6 (1020-ball fc-fbga, 33 × 33 mm, 1.0 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 EP1S40F1020I6.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP1S40F1020I6 is suitable for 7 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Telecom Line-Card Interface Logic, High-Performance DSP and Baseband Processing, Video and Image Processing Pipelines, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Military and Aerospace Avionics, Industrial Motor Control and Robotics.
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP1S40F1020I6's 41,250 logic elements and 3,423,744 bits of TriMatrix block RAM make it well suited for ASIC prototyping, where multiple sub-modules of a target ASIC are mapped into one or more FPGAs. Designers can partition a multi-million-gate ASIC across several EP1S40 devices, using the embedded DSP blocks to prototype signal-processing datapaths in hardware. Compared to simulation, real silicon runs 100-1000x faster, enabling software development and system validation months before tape-out. Industrial temperature grade (I6) supports prototypes intended for automotive or industrial validation environments.
Recommended
Telecom Line-Card Interface Logic
Telecom line cards require wide bus widths, multiple I/O standards (LVTTL, LVDS, HSTL), and high logic density for protocol bridging and packet processing. The EP1S40F1020I6's 773 user I/Os comfortably support 32-bit or 64-bit wide external memory buses (DDR/QDR SRAM) plus multiple SGMII-style gigabit serial links implemented in soft logic. Industrial temperature rating ensures operation in environmentally uncontrolled central offices. The 14 DSP blocks are useful for forward-error-correction (FEC) and traffic-shaping algorithms common in SONET/SDH and Ethernet aggregator designs.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP and Baseband Processing
The EP1S40F1020I6 integrates 14 dedicated DSP blocks capable of 18 × 18-bit multiplication at fabric clock rates, delivering aggregate DSP throughput exceeding 50 GMACs in pipelined designs. This makes it a strong fit for radar baseband, software-defined radio front-ends, and medical imaging front-ends. The 3.42 Mbit block RAM is sufficient to hold 1024-tap FIR coefficients or 4K-point FFT windows without external memory. Designers can chain multiple EP1S40 devices via LVDS links for higher-channel-count systems used in phased-array radar or MIMO wireless testbeds.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing Pipelines
Video processing applications benefit from the EP1S40F1020I6's combination of wide I/O (for parallel camera interfaces), abundant block RAM (for line buffers), and DSP blocks (for 2D convolution and colour-space conversion). The 773 user I/Os easily absorb ITU-R BT.656 / BT.1120 parallel video buses at 1080p60, leaving headroom for overlay, scaling, and encoding in soft logic. Industrial temperature grade supports outdoor video surveillance and machine-vision installations. The 1.0 mm-pitch BGA also enables relatively compact PCB designs suitable for camera head-end electronics.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test equipment designers value the EP1S40F1020I6's high I/O count and flexible I/O standards for protocol-agnostic pattern generation, logic analysis, and protocol-aware stimulus generation. The 3,423,744 bits of block RAM store deep capture buffers, and the 14 DSP blocks enable on-chip FFT/DFT for spectrum analysis pre-processing. Industrial temperature grade is suitable for lab and field-deployed instruments. Quartus II design flow allows in-system reconfiguration so the same hardware can be repurposed as a logic analyser today and a protocol exerciser tomorrow.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Avionics
Although the EP1S40F1020I6 is an industrial-grade part, its wide operating temperature range (-40C to +85C) and high logic density make it usable in some commercial avionics subsystems where MIL-STD-810 environmental compliance is achieved at the system level. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package supports ruggedised PCB stacks and conformal coating. Designers pair it with radiation-tolerant companion logic or hold the design in cold spare. Long-term availability is constrained by the obsolete lifecycle status, so a Stratix IV-based redesign is recommended for new programs.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control and Robotics
High-end industrial servo drives and robotics controllers require deterministic, parallel computation of multi-axis control loops with cycle times often below 10 µs. The EP1S40F1020I6's 14 DSP blocks execute Park/Clarke transforms, PI controllers, and space-vector PWM generation in hard logic rather than soft cores, freeing up LEs for EtherCAT / Profinet industrial Ethernet MACs. The 773 user I/Os allow direct connection to multiple resolver-to-digital converters, encoder interfaces, and gate-driver PWM outputs. Industrial temperature grade handles factory-floor environments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1S40F1020I6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1S40F1020C7N | EP1S40F1020C7 | EP1S40F1020C6N | EP1S40F1020C5N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA, 33 × 33 mm, 1.0 mm pitch | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - identical | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - identical | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - identical | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - identical |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand | Altera (Intel) - same brand |
| Logic Elements | 41,250 | 41,250 - identical | 41,250 - identical | 41,250 - identical | 41,250 - identical |
| Speed Grade | 6 | 7 (faster) | 7 (faster) | 6 - identical | 5 (slower) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +85C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Lead Finish | Unknown (verify lot) | Lead-free (N) | SnPb | Lead-free (N) | Lead-free (N) |
| Embedded Memory | 3,423,744 bits | 3,423,744 bits - identical | 3,423,744 bits - identical | 3,423,744 bits - identical | 3,423,744 bits - identical |
| User I/O Count | 773 | 773 - identical | 773 - identical | 773 - identical | 773 - identical |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V - identical | 1.5 V - identical | 1.5 V - identical | 1.5 V - identical |
| 1-piece Price (USD, as of 2026-09-07) | 2,926.99 | Approximately 2,800-3,000 (quote-based, obsolete) | Approximately 2,900-3,100 (quote-based, obsolete) | Approximately 2,700-2,900 (quote-based, obsolete) | Approximately 2,500-2,700 (quote-based, obsolete) |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade at -40C to +85C (vs EP1S40F1020C7N)
- Speed grade 6 balance of timing margin and Fmax (vs EP1S40F1020C5N)
- Direct same-package replacement preserves design investment (vs EP1S40F780I6)
Design Notes
Estimated: the EP1S40F1020I6 has multiple power rails - VCCINT (1.5 V core), VCCIO (1.5 V/2.5 V/3.3 V per bank), VCCPD (1.5 V pre-driver), and VCCA_PLL/VCCD_PLL (analog PLL supply). At 50% utilisation and 200 MHz fabric clock, expect 8-15 W core dissipation rising to 20 W in DSP-heavy designs. Sequence VCCINT before VCCIO to avoid I/O latch-up; the Stratix handbook recommends a 100 ms-1 s delay between rails. Use a multi-rail power manager such as the LTC3554 or ISL6549 with Power-Good-based sequencing.
The 1020-ball FC-FBGA has a relatively low theta_JA (typically 8-12 C/W with proper thermal via array and 1 oz copper). For a 15 W dissipation worst case, junction temperature rise is approximately 120-180 C above ambient, exceeding the 125 C Tj max unless ambient is held below 25 C. Production designs must use a thermal via array under the central die-expose balls, a heatsink with thermal interface material, or forced airflow. Industrial I6 grade (-40C to +85C ambient) requires the heatsink path.
The 1.0 mm ball pitch requires 0.4-0.5 mm laser-drilled microvias and a 6+ layer stack-up with a dedicated ground/power core pair. Use the Altera-recommended footprint in the package specification with non-solder-mask-defined (NSMD) pads 0.5 mm in diameter. Fanout traces to inner layers with buried vias; escape the inner-ball rows with dog-bone or via-in-pad microvia. Reference the Stratix package files in your PCB tool's library before finalising the stack-up, and simulate signal integrity on DDR/QDR interfaces with HyperLynx or Ansys SIwave.
Do not assume the EP1S40F1020I6 and EP1S40F1020C7N are interchangeable across temperature - the I6 variant is industrial while the C7N variant is commercial and will fail at -20C. Likewise, do not substitute a Stratix IV/V pin-compatible device because none exists; the ball maps differ. Plan for bitstream configuration: the EP1S40F1020I6 supports passive-serial, passive-parallel, and JTAG modes but requires an EPCS configuration device for AS mode and a CPLD/μP for PS/PP modes. Verify configuration time when using large bitstreams (>10 Mbit).
The EP1S40F1020I6 supports LVDS inputs/outputs at up to 840 Mbps in soft logic and up to 1 Gbps in dedicated SERDES blocks (not present on EP1S40 - SERDES was added in Stratix II). For external DDR SDRAM interfaces (up to 133 MHz, 266 Mbps), use matched-length fly-by routing with source-synchronous DQS centering and 50 ohm controlled impedance. Place external memory close to the FPGA, ideally on the same PCB side, and avoid splitting ground planes between memory and FPGA. Quartus II's TimeQuest timing analyser with I/O model assignments is mandatory for DDR closure.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH/lead-free status not stated in verified distributor data. Lead-free (N) variants such as EP1S40F1020C7N are confirmed lead-free per part-number convention; non-N variants use SnPb finish. As an obsolete first-generation Stratix part, AEC-Q100 is not applicable. Compliance certificates should be requested from the broker before high-reliability deployments.
