EP20K1500CF33C8 - 1.5M Gates APEX FPGA 1020-FCBGA | Altera
MPN: EP20K1500CF33C8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1450 | $1,450.00 |
| 10 | $1380 | $13,800.00 |
| 100 | $1290 | $129,000.00 |
| 500 | $1190 | $595,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1090 | $1,090,000.00 |
EP20K1500CF33C8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a type of integrated circuit that can be configured by the customer after manufacturing to implement arbitrary digital logic functions. APEX 20K devices belong to the hierarchical category: programmable logic device (PLD) -> complex PLD (CPLD) / FPGA hybrid -> SRAM-based FPGA -> high-density embedded-memory FPGA -> system-on-chip programmable logic. Within this taxonomy they sit at the upper end of the pre-Stratix era, distinguished by their embedded system blocks (ESBs) which deliver dual-port RAM, ROM, and CAM functions without consuming logic resources.
Key differentiating features include the 1020-ball FCBGA package supporting up to 808 user I/O pins, in-system programmability via IEEE 1149.1 JTAG, multi-volt I/O standards (1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V LVTTL/LVCMOS), four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock management, and dedicated high-speed interconnect (FastTrack). The die integrates 1,152 Kbits of distributed SRAM alongside the ESBs, enabling single-chip implementation of processor cores, FIFOs, and memory-intensive DSP blocks. Configuration is SRAM-based, requiring a configuration device or system-on-chip controller for in-field reprogramming.
Architecturally the EP20K1500 uses a MultiCore architecture that fuses fine-grain logic elements (LEs) with MegaLAB structures grouping 16 Logic Array Blocks (LABs) per MegaLAB, interconnected by the FastTrack routing hierarchy. This provides predictable timing closure for high-utilisation designs and supports True-LVDS signalling on selected I/O banks. The four on-chip PLLs provide clock multiplication, division, phase shifting, and zero-delay buffering for distributed clock trees.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, high-speed data-path designs, network switches, digital signal processing engines, and complex glue logic replacement on legacy backplane systems. Industrial automation controllers and military/aerospace imaging subsystems also leverage its high gate count and large embedded memory in commercial-grade designs. The commercial temperature grade (0 °C to +85 °C) restricts deployment to controlled-environment systems rather than automotive under-hood or extended-industrial environments.
When designing with the EP20K1500CF33C8, ensure your power-rail sequencing respects SRAM-configuration requirements and provision an Altera EPC configuration device or equivalent serial flash loader. Use the Altera Quartus II design software (legacy support) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing analysis, as modern Quartus Prime versions retain APEX 20K device support only as a legacy device family. Decoupling strategy must follow the manufacturer's multi-rail (VCCINT, VCCIO, VCC_PLL) reference schematic to avoid in-rush issues during configuration.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative sources, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone. All specifications are referenced against the Altera APEX 20K datasheet, distributor listings, and the XAIPART internal database as of 2026-09-07.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K1500CF33C8 — 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 EP20K1500CF33C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Family, Operating Temperature, Series, Logic Elements / Cells.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K1500CF33C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$205 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1500CF33C7ES
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$138 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1000CF33I8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$210 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1000CF33C8ES
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$155 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1500CF33C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20K |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 51,840 |
| Total RAM Bits | 442,368 |
| Number of Gates (typical) | 1,500,000 |
| Number of I/O | 808 (maximum user I/O) |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 2,592 LABs (organized in MegaLABs) |
| Number of Embedded System Blocks | 216 ESBs |
| Number of PLLs | 4 |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V (typical for APEX 20K core) |
| Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V (bank-dependent) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Package / Case | 1020-BBGA, FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Number of Terminals | 1020 balls |
| Process Technology | 0.18 µm CMOS, SRAM-based configuration |
| Configuration | SRAM-based, JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant per distributor listings |
| Lead-Free | Yes (per distributor specifications) |
EP20K1500CF33C8 1020-bbga, fcbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K1500CF33C8 (1020-bbga, fcbga (fineline bga) 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 EP20K1500CF33C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K1500CF33C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Card Design, High-Speed Network Switch Backplane, Industrial Automation Controller, Digital Signal Processing Engine, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Legacy Aerospace Imaging Subsystem.
Telecommunications Line Card Design
The EP20K1500CF33C8's 51,840 logic elements and 442,368 ESB RAM bits make it well-suited for legacy telecommunications line-card applications where single-chip integration of packet processing, FIFOs, and timing-recovery logic is needed. With 808 user I/O, designers can interface directly to multiple POS-PHY/SPI-3 framers, UTOPIA buses, and TDM backplanes without external bus-switching devices. The four on-chip PLLs provide the precise clock-multiplexing required for multi-rate SERDES backplane synchronization at 8/16/32 Mbps. According to the APEX 20K datasheet, the device supports SSTL-2 and HSTL I/O for direct SDRAM/SRAM attachment, eliminating external bus transceivers on TDM traffic managers.
Recommended
High-Speed Network Switch Backplane
Network switch backplanes of the early 2000s commonly used the EP20K1500CF33C8 to implement Layer-2 forwarding engines and shared-memory switch fabrics. The 216 embedded system blocks can be configured as 32-bit-wide dual-port RAM to build the shared-datapath buffer, while the LUT logic implements MAC tables and queue managers. The 1020-ball FCBGA package gives designers the I/O headroom to attach 8 to 12 gigabit Ethernet PHYs in parallel. Estimated logic utilization for a 24-port 10/100 switch fabric is around 60-70 percent, leaving headroom for management-plane code on the same die.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Controller
Industrial PLC and motion-controller boards use the EP20K1500CF33C8 to consolidate encoder interfaces, PWM generation, and EtherCAT/CAN protocol stacks into a single device. The 808 I/O are sufficient to attach 32 to 48 incremental encoder channels with hardware quadrature decoding, while the ESB memory holds commutation tables and PID-loop state. The commercial 0 to +85 °C operating range suits cabinet-mounted controllers; for harsher environments the industrial-grade -1 speed bin (where available) is preferred. Estimated core consumption at 100 MHz is 2.5 W, requiring thermal copper pour on the BGA land pattern.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing Engine
The EP20K1500CF33C8 was widely deployed in mid-density DSP engines for radar, sonar, and software-defined radio front-ends. The 442 Kbits of ESB RAM hold FFT coefficient tables and overlap-save buffers, while the LUT fabric implements 16-bit MAC pipelines at 80 to 100 MHz. With four PLLs the device can derive the ADC sampling clock, the DSP core clock, and the DAC reconstruction clock from a single low-jitter reference. Estimated 1024-point radix-4 FFT throughput is around 25 µs, sufficient for real-time audio-bandwidth spectral analysis.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Logic-analyzer and protocol-analyzer platforms of the APEX 20K era relied on the EP20K1500CF33C8 for trigger sequencing, time-stamping, and protocol-decode state machines. The 808 I/O support direct probing of multi-lane buses (PCI, AGP, DDR, SPI-3), and the 4 PLLs allow independent time-base generation for the acquisition and display subsystems. The ESB blocks hold pattern-matching databases and compression dictionaries in real time. According to the APEX 20K datasheet, the LVDS support on selected banks enables sub-nanosecond skew matching across probe channels.
Recommended
Legacy Aerospace Imaging Subsystem
Avionics and aerospace imaging payloads of the early 2000s used the EP20K1500CF33C8 to implement real-time image preprocessing, JPEG/MPEG-2 compression, and high-speed serial downlink framing. The 808 I/O accommodate parallel image-sensor interfaces (Camera Link, LVDS), and the ESB RAM serves as line buffers for 2D convolution kernels. The commercial temperature grade limits deployment to pressurized payloads; pressurized-cabin or ground-rack systems are typical. For radiation-tolerant applications the APEX 20K is NOT recommended - design houses should consider Virtex-4QV or Microsemi RTG4 instead.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K1500CF33C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K1500CF33C7 | EP20K1500CF33C7ES | EP20K1000CF33I8N | EP20K1000CF33C8ES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1020-BBGA FCBGA | 1020-BBGA FCBGA - same | 1020-BBGA FCBGA - same | 1020-BBGA FCBGA - same | 1020-BBGA FCBGA - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) |
| Logic Elements | 51,840 | 51,840 | 51,840 | 38,400 (estimated) | 38,400 (estimated) |
| Speed Grade | -8 (commercial) | -7 (commercial, faster) | -7 ES | -8 industrial | -8 ES commercial |
| Total Gates (typical) | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 442,368 | 442,368 | 442,368 | 327,680 | 327,680 |
| Number of PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Maximum User I/O | 808 | 808 | 808 | 708 (estimated) | 708 (estimated) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | -40 °C to +100 °C (Industrial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density APEX 20K variant in the FCBGA-1020 package (vs EP20K1000CF33C8ES)
- Commercial temperature grade with maximum Fmax tuning (vs EP20K1500CF33C7)
- Versus smaller 652-BGA option, more I/O and embedded memory (vs EP20K1500CB652C8ES)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 1.8 V VCCINT and 100 MHz core clock with typical 51,840-LE utilization, core current is around 1.4 A (2.5 W). Add VCCIO bank current of approximately 50 mA per bank at 3.3 V for heavily loaded outputs. Provide at least four 100 µF tantalum bulk capacitors and twenty-two 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitors placed uniformly across the FCBGA land area, with via-on-pad to inner power planes.
The 1020-ball FCBGA requires a 1.27 mm ball pitch with via-on-pad escape and at least six PCB layers (four signal, two plane). Use microvia or stacked-via technology with 0.1 mm laser-drilled vias for fan-out under the BGA. Per Altera PCB layout guidelines, all VCCIO/VCCINT balls must connect to dedicated power planes split by bank, and the four PLL VCC pins require their own filtered island with ferrite-bead isolation from the digital core rail.
Common pitfalls: (1) forgetting JTAG TCK pull-down resistor leaves configuration in undefined state at power-up; (2) MSEL pins must be tied to ground or VCC through 1 kΩ resistors to select passive-serial mode correctly; (3) EPC configuration PROM must be the larger EPC16 for full 1.5M-gate designs because EPC8 only stores ~50% of the bitstream; (4) nSTATUS and nCONFIG open-drain pins require 10 kΩ pull-ups to VCCIO_3V3; (5) clocking LVDS inputs without AC-coupling causes common-mode voltage violations.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliance reported by distributors (Heisener, Micro-Semiconductor, Vyrian). Halogen-free status not stated in the Verified Web Data. AEC-Q100 not applicable because the part is commercial-temperature grade.
