EP20K1000CF33C9ES - APEX-20KC FPGA 1M Gates 38400 LE 1020-FBGA
MPN: EP20K1000CF33C9ES ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $268.5 | $2,685.00 |
| 100 | $245 | $24,500.00 |
| 250 | $228 | $57,000.00 |
| 500 | $215 | $107,500.00 |
EP20K1000CF33C9ES Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose digital logic fabric is configured by the customer after manufacture. FPGAs sit hierarchically within programmable logic devices (PLDs), which belong to the broader category of digital logic ICs and ultimately semiconductor devices. The APEX-20KC family is built on a 0.18 um CMOS process with multi-level interconnect and four-stage look-up-table (4-LUT) based logic elements, providing a platform for high-density glue logic, on-chip bus bridges, and DSP co-processing.
Key features of the EP20K1000CF33C9ES include 4-input LUT-based logic elements, dedicated carry chains for fast arithmetic, embedded SRAM with dual-port and FIFO modes, up to four enhanced Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) with up to eight clock outputs, MultiVolt I/O supporting 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V and 5.0V interfacing, and Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) boundary-scan test support compliant with IEEE 1149.1. The 1,020-ball FineLine BGA package provides high signal density suitable for complex memory and bus interfaces.
Technically, the APEX-20KC architecture combines row-and-column interconnect with FastRow interconnects optimized for high-speed register-to-register paths, while ESBs implement true dual-port RAM up to 32 Kbits per block with byte enables and parity. The four enhanced PLLs deliver programmable multiplication and division, supporting frequency synthesis for system clocking and SDRAM/DDR interfaces.
Typical applications include telecommunications switching equipment, high-speed data buffering, SDR/DDR memory controllers, PCI/PCI-X bus interfaces, and industrial control systems where high gate count and abundant I/O are required. Designers should note that the APEX-20KC family is now in legacy/EOL status; Intel (which acquired Altera in 2015) recommends Cyclone or Stratix families for new designs, but the part remains widely supported for maintenance of legacy systems.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K1000CF33C9ES — 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 EP20K1000CF33C9ES (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Family, Process Technology, Mounting Type.
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EP20K1000CF33C8ES
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$155 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1000CF33I9ES
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K1000CF33C9ES Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX-20KC |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Typical Gate Count | 1,000,000 system gates |
| Logic Elements | 38,400 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3,840 |
| Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) | 212 |
| Total Embedded RAM Bits | 327,680 bits |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 708 |
| Package | 1,020-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) |
| Speed Grade | C9 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 um CMOS |
| Logic Element Architecture | 4-input LUT with dedicated carry chain |
| Maximum Embedded RAM per ESB | 32,768 bits (dual-port, FIFO support) |
| Phase-Locked Loops | Up to 4 enhanced PLLs |
| MultiVolt I/O Support | 1.8V / 2.5V / 3.3V / 5.0V |
| JTAG Support | IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan |
| Configuration Method | Passive serial / Passive parallel / JTAG |
EP20K1000CF33C9ES 1,020-ball fineline bga (fbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K1000CF33C9ES (1,020-ball fineline bga (fbga) 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 EP20K1000CF33C9ES.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K1000CF33C9ES is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Switching and Routing, PCI / PCI-X Bus Bridge and Controller, SDR / DDR Memory Controller, Industrial Automation and Process Control, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Legacy Avionics and Mil-Aero Upgrades.
Telecommunications Switching and Routing
The EP20K1000CF33C9ES fits telecom switching because of its 1M system gate density, 327,680 bits of embedded SRAM, and 708 user I/O pins which are sufficient to implement high-throughput TDM/ATM/SONET fabric interfaces. The 212 ESBs can be configured as dual-port FIFOs for cell buffering without external memory, freeing board space. The four enhanced PLLs deliver clock synthesis for multi-rate line cards, while MultiVolt I/O (1.8V/2.5V/3.3V/5.0V) interfaces directly to legacy bus drivers. Compared with a discrete ASIC approach, the FPGA offers reduced NRE and faster time-to-market for protocol upgrades.
Recommended
PCI / PCI-X Bus Bridge and Controller
The 38,400-LE fabric of EP20K1000CF33C9ES comfortably fits a 64-bit/66 MHz PCI-X 2.0 target or master bridge with scatter-gather DMA, FIFOs, and interrupt controllers. The 708 I/O pins allow direct connection to the 64-bit PCI-X bus plus local memory and a host CPU bus. Using ESBs for internal FIFOs reduces external SRAM count. Designers should account for FastRow interconnect delay (1.5 ns typical) when targeting the 66 MHz PCI-X timing budget, and use the on-chip PLLs to deskew the PCI clock.
Recommended
SDR / DDR Memory Controller
The EP20K1000CF33C9ES supports SDRAM and early DDR memory controllers thanks to its 212 ESBs providing up to 327,680 bits of buffering for row/column address sequencing, refresh counters, and write/read data alignment registers. MultiVolt I/O at 2.5V/3.3V matches SSTL_2/SSTL_3 interface levels, and the enhanced PLLs generate the -90 degree DDR clocks required by DDR SDRAM. With 708 I/O the device can drive 64-bit memory buses plus control plus ECC parity.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and Process Control
In factory automation, the EP20K1000CF33C9ES implements high-channel-count PLC scan engines, encoder interfaces, and motor-control co-processors. Its 38,400 LEs can host multiple soft-CPU cores (Nios equivalents) or DSP blocks for sensor fusion, while 708 I/O drive parallel field-bus interfaces (PROFIBUS, CC-Link) and analog front-ends. Industrial users should specify the EP20K1000CF33I9ES variant for guaranteed -40 C to +100 C operation. Long-term availability is a key procurement risk: factories should qualify a second source such as the Stratix EP1S25F780C5 family.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test equipment vendors leveraged the APEX-20KC family for logic-analyzer probe cards and protocol-analyzer backplanes. The EP20K1000CF33C9ES captures high-speed parallel data streams with on-chip ESB FIFOs, then compresses and transfers them over PCI/PCI-X to the host. The 1M gate budget supports protocol decoding state machines for USB 2.0, Ethernet, and I2S in a single device. Designers should note that newer test platforms have migrated to Cyclone V / Stratix V families with transceivers.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics and Mil-Aero Upgrades
A subset of legacy avionics and military-aero platforms use EP20K1000CF33C9ES for MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and high-speed sensor aggregation due to its gate density and MultiVolt I/O flexibility. For avionics programs, the industrial-temperature EP20K1000CF33I9ES variant is the preferred choice. Modern migration paths include the radiation-tolerant (rad-tolerant) variants of newer Intel FPGA families; designers should consult Intel's avionics selector guide.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K1000CF33C9ES — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K1000CF33C8ES | EP20K1000CF33I9ES | EP20K1000CB652C9ES | EP20K1000CB652C8ES | EP20K1000CB652I9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 1020-BBGA (FineLine BGA) | 1020-BBGA - same | 1020-BBGA - same | 652-BGA - different (PCB redesign) | 652-BGA - different (PCB redesign) | 652-BGA - different (PCB redesign) |
| Logic Elements | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 327,680 | 327,680 | 327,680 | 327,680 | 327,680 | 327,680 |
| Speed Grade | C9 | C8 (faster) | I9 (industrial temp) | C9 | C8 (faster) | I9 (industrial temp) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | 0 C to +85 C | -40 C to +100 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | -40 C to +100 C |
| Lifecycle Status | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy |
| Approx. Unit Price (Qty 1) | USD 285 | USD 305 | USD 320 | USD 250 | USD 270 | USD 285 |
Key Differentiators
- Largest-package option maximizes user I/O (vs EP20K1000CB652C9ES (652-BGA))
- Faster timing margin in same package (vs EP20K1000CF33C8ES (C8 speed grade))
- Industrial temperature coverage option (vs EP20K1000CF33I9ES)
Design Notes
The 1,020-ball FineLine BGA package dissipates a moderate amount of power (typical 1.5 W to 3 W at full utilization) and requires proper PCB thermal management. Estimated: at 2 W dissipation, a JEDEC JESD51-9 still-air test board yields a junction temperature rise of ~30 C above ambient, so derating by 10 C is recommended. Add thermal vias under the central BGA array and a copper pour on outer layers. Active cooling is rarely required at C9 speed grade but should be considered if the design fully utilizes all 212 ESBs at maximum toggle rate.
The 1,020-ball FBGA has a 1.27 mm ball pitch. Design PCB pads with NSMD (non-solder mask defined) geometry for better joint reliability and use 0.4 mm drill micro-vias in any HDI breakout layer. Estimate: keep-out zone around the BGA is approximately 35 mm x 35 mm; place decoupling capacitors on the underside of the BGA using micro-vias. Maintain 50 ohm controlled impedance on all high-speed LVDS/clock traces; avoid via stubs longer than 0.5 mm on these nets. Follow Altera's 1020-BGA layout guideline in the APEX-20KC handbook.
With 708 user I/O capable of toggling up to 250 MHz LVTTL and 200 MHz LVDS, simultaneous-switching-noise (SSN) analysis is critical. Use the MultiVolt I/O reference voltage pins (VREF) for SSTL interfaces and add sufficient on-board decoupling (estimated 0.1 uF X7R per pin group, plus bulk 22 uF tantalum per bank). For PCI-X 64-bit/66 MHz interfaces, maintain trace-length matching within +/- 150 ps and use the enhanced PLLs to deskew clock-to-data skew.
Common pitfalls when designing with EP20K1000CF33C9ES include: (1) ignoring C9 vs C8 speed-grade timing differences - C9 has ~10% longer tpd and can fail setup/hold in tight designs; (2) using the wrong configuration mode - confirm the MSEL pins are set correctly for passive serial versus passive parallel; (3) over-spending JTAG chain length - keep below 64 devices to avoid signal-integrity issues; (4) not allocating enough ESBs - heavy FIFO usage can quickly consume the 327,680 bits and force external memory.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free and halogen-free status was not provided in the Verified Web Data and is marked [DATA_NEEDED] in specs. APEX-20KC family predates RoHS-6 era; customers requiring RoHS-compliant parts should verify with the specific lot. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to FPGAs of this era.
