EP20K1500CB652C8ES - APEX 20KE FPGA 1.5M Gates 488 I/O | Intel
MPN: EP20K1500CB652C8ES ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $265 | $2,650.00 |
| 100 | $240 | $24,000.00 |
| 500 | $220 | $110,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $205 | $205,000.00 |
EP20K1500CB652C8ES Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and embedded memory, all controlled by a user-loaded bitstream. FPGAs occupy the same role in the digital hierarchy as ASICs but are reprogrammable, sitting between microcontrollers and fixed-function ASICs in flexibility. The APEX 20KE series specifically targets high-density logic integration, combining LUT-based logic with on-chip dual-port RAM to replace discrete logic, memory, and glue ICs on a single die.
Key features of the EP20K1500CB652C8ES include a MultiCore interconnect that routes signals across the die with predictable timing, 4 embedded PLL-like clock management blocks, support for LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, and GTL+ I/O standards, and in-system programmability via IEEE 1149.1 JTAG. The 488 user I/O pins make it well suited to bus-intensive designs, while the 442,368 bits of embedded RAM remove the need for external SRAM in many applications.
The APEX 20KE architecture combines four-input LUTs, product-term logic, and Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) on a single die, allowing each region to be configured as either distributed logic or synchronous dual-port SRAM. This flexibility makes the EP20K1500CB652C8ES a workhorse for designers replacing multiple discrete ICs with one programmable device, particularly where board real-estate, EMI, and signal-integrity drive the design.
Typical applications include telecommunications backplane switching, high-speed data-acquisition front ends, DSP co-processing pipelines, industrial motion control, ASIC prototyping, and PCI-bus bridging. The 652-ball BGA footprint also makes the part attractive for high-I/O designs where QFP packages would be pin-limited.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to simultaneous-switching output (SSO) noise because 488 I/O at 2.5 V can induce significant ground bounce on a poorly decoupled PCB. Use at least six 0.1 uF plus four 10 uF decoupling capacitors distributed evenly under the BGA, and follow Altera's APEX 20KE pin-out guidelines for VCCINT and VCCIO plane splits.
This page synthesizes distributor stock levels, same-package APEX 20KE family drop-in alternatives, and BGA-layout guidance not consolidated in the original Altera datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K1500CB652C8ES — 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 EP20K1500CB652C8ES (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Process Technology, Family, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K1500CB652C7ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1000CB652C8ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$220 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100EBC652-2X
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1500CB652C8ES Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Series | APEX-20KE |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 51840 |
| Total RAM Bits | 442368 |
| Number of Gates | ~1.5 M system gates |
| Number of I/O | 488 |
| Voltage - Supply | 2.375 V to 2.625 V |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Package / Case | 652-BBGA |
| Supplier Device Package | 652-BGA (45 x 45 mm) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
EP20K1500CB652C8ES 652-bga (45 x 45 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K1500CB652C8ES (652-bga (45 x 45 mm) 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 EP20K1500CB652C8ES.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K1500CB652C8ES is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Backplane Switching, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Data Acquisition Front End, Industrial Motion Control, PCI-Bus Bridge and Adapter, DSP Co-Processing Pipeline.
Telecommunications Backplane Switching
The EP20K1500CB652C8ES suits telecom backplane switching designs that need high I/O density and fast parallel logic. The device exposes 488 user I/O pins in a 652-ball BGA, enough to drive multi-port TDM buses, Utopia interfaces, or POS-PHY Level 3 links without external bus muxing. Its 51,840 logic elements and 442,368 bits of embedded dual-port RAM let designers implement ingress FIFOs, header-processing state machines, and traffic-shaping tables on a single die. The 2.5 V core supply pairs naturally with LVTTL and LVCMOS I/O standards used in legacy line-card designs, and JTAG-based in-system programmability simplifies field upgrades on installed equipment.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
Engineers use the EP20K1500CB652C8ES as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because its 1.5 M system gates approximate the density of a small-to-medium ASIC while remaining in-system reprogrammable. The MultiCore interconnect with predictable routing delays lets synthesis tools target the part with timing closure comparable to a synthesized ASIC, and 442,368 bits of embedded dual-port RAM emulate embedded SRAM blocks common in ASIC designs. The 488 I/O pin budget accommodates the wide on-chip buses typical of processor or peripheral emulation, and the 652-BGA package exposes enough pins to bring out full 32-bit buses plus debug signals.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition Front End
The EP20K1500CB652C8ES fits high-speed data-acquisition front ends where 488 user I/O pins digitize many parallel analog channels through external ADC banks. Each Embedded System Block (ESB) operates as a dual-port SRAM, perfect for building per-channel sample buffers that the back-end DSP reads while the front end continues to acquire - no external SRAM needed for moderate record lengths. The 2.5 V core plus LVCMOS I/O simplifies interfacing to low-voltage ADCs, and the APEX 20KE MultiCore routing ensures deterministic clock-to-out delays across all 488 pins for time-correlated sampling.
Recommended
Industrial Motion Control
Industrial motion-control boards pair the EP20K1500CB652C8ES with multiple resolver-to-digital converters, optical encoders, and PWM generators, all of which require deterministic timing and abundant parallel I/O. The 488 I/O count and 51,840 logic elements drive 6 to 8 axis servo loops with PID computation, trajectory planning, and safety interlocks on one device. The 442,368-bit embedded RAM holds trajectory tables and lookup compensations (lead-lag, backlash) without external memory. Industrial designs benefit from the APEX 20KE family's PCI-compatible I/O banks for host communication with industrial PCs.
Recommended
PCI-Bus Bridge and Adapter
The EP20K1500CB652C8ES is widely used to build PCI-bus bridges, custom adapters, and protocol converters because its PCI-compatible I/O banks and 488 I/O count can simultaneously drive 32-bit PCI plus multiple peripheral buses. Designers implement the PCI target/master state machine, FIFO buffers, and arbitration logic entirely in the 51,840 logic elements, while the 442,368 bits of dual-port RAM serve as transaction FIFOs. The JTAG configuration chain eases board-level debug, and the 2.5 V core plus 3.3 V VCCIO bank configuration matches legacy PCI add-in card requirements without external level shifters.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Pipeline
DSP co-processing boards pair the EP20K1500CB652C8ES with a host DSP to offload FFTs, FIR filters, and custom vector arithmetic. The 51,840 logic elements implement many parallel MAC units (typically 32 to 64 taps), and the 442,368 bits of embedded dual-port RAM hold coefficient tables and overlap-save buffers close to the multipliers. The 488 user I/O pins handle wide data and coefficient buses between the host DSP and external SRAM banks, while the 2.5 V core and 3.3 V I/O banks connect directly to legacy DSP peripherals. JTAG in-system programming simplifies firmware updates for evolving filter coefficients.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K1500CB652C8ES — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K1500CB652C7ES | EP20K1000CB652C8ES | EP20K100EBC652-2X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 652-BBGA (45 x 45 mm) | 652-BBGA - same | 652-BBGA - same | 652-BBGA - same family |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Family | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE |
| Logic Elements | 51840 | 51840 | ~38400 | ~4160 |
| System Gates | ~1.5 M | ~1.5 M | ~1.0 M | ~100 K |
| Total RAM Bits | 442368 | 442368 | 327680 | 53248 |
| User I/O | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 7 (slower) | 8 | -2X (industrial, slower) |
| Core Voltage | 2.375 V to 2.625 V | 2.375 V to 2.625 V | 2.375 V to 2.625 V | 2.375 V to 2.625 V |
Key Differentiators
- Maximum density in APEX 20KE family at 1.5 M system gates (vs EP20K1000CB652C8ES)
- Faster speed grade (8) than the 7 variant (vs EP20K1500CB652C7ES)
- 488 user I/O enables bus-intensive designs (vs EP20K100EBC652-2X)
Design Notes
Estimated: At 2.5 V core supply with all 488 I/O toggling at 50 MHz, the EP20K1500CB652C8ES dissipates roughly 3 to 5 W depending on utilization. The 45 x 45 mm BBGA package has a junction-to-ambient theta-JA of approximately 8 to 10 C/W with a 4-layer PCB and center thermal via array. Designers should place at least 25 thermal vias under the center BGA balls and provide a 6 x 6 cm copper pour on the top layer to keep junction temperature below 100C at 85C ambient. Forced-air cooling (>= 200 LFM) is recommended above 60C ambient or >70% logic utilization.
Place at least six 0.1 uF high-frequency ceramic capacitors and four 10 uF bulk capacitors distributed evenly under the 652-ball BGA footprint to suppress VCCINT ripple. Follow Altera's APEX 20KE pin-out guide for VCCINT and VCCIO plane splits - do not route signal traces across plane splits or signal integrity will degrade. Use a 1.27 mm pitch BGA breakout with 0.2 mm via-in-pad and 4-mil trace/space on the top layer transitioning to 5-mil on inner layers. Matched-length pairs must be within 50 mil for LVDS and within 100 mil for parallel bus signals.
With 488 I/O switching simultaneously, SSO-induced ground bounce can exceed 250 mV on a poorly decoupled board; this corrupts LVTTL inputs and violates PCI Vih/Vil. To minimize SSO, spread switching outputs across multiple I/O banks rather than concentrating them on one side of the BGA, and limit the number of simultaneously switching outputs per bank to 16 for LVTTL 2.5 V. Use series-termination resistors (22 to 33 ohm) on high-drive outputs and consider lowering drive strength via the Quartus/APEX software setting to 4 mA in SSN-sensitive regions of the design.
Compliance Information
RoHS, lead-free, and halogen-free status not confirmed in verified web data; Intel/Altera APEX 20KE family pre-dates modern compliance documentation requirements. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGA logic devices.
