EP20K160EQC240-1X - APEX 20KE FPGA 160K Gates 6400 Cells | Intel
MPN: EP20K160EQC240-1X ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165 | $1,650.00 |
| 100 | $142.5 | $14,250.00 |
| 500 | $125 | $62,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $110 | $110,000.00 |
EP20K160EQC240-1X Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that allows hardware engineers to implement custom digital circuits by configuring an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and I/O cells. APEX 20KE belongs to the system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) family, positioned between classic PLDs and modern SoC FPGAs. It sits in the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices -> CPLD/FPGA -> PLD -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor.
Key features include 160K gates, 6,400 cells, 373 MHz maximum internal frequency, 1.55 ns propagation delay, MultiCore architecture that integrates embedded system blocks (ESBs) for RAM/ROM, and an industry-first system-on-a-programmable-chip integration. The -1X speed grade indicates the slowest commercial speed bin, suitable for designs where timing margins are generous and cost is the primary driver. The 240-pin PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) package is gull-wing leaded, which simplifies prototype soldering compared to BGA.
Typical applications include glue logic replacement, custom interface bridging (PCI, UART, I2C controllers), DSP co-processing front-ends, and embedded control blocks in industrial, telecom, and military systems. The wide I/O count supports parallel bus implementations and legacy peripheral aggregation.
When designing with this FPGA, account for 1.8 V core supply decoupling with low-ESR ceramic capacitors near each VCC pin, and confirm that the Quartus II toolchain supports the APEX 20KE device family for bitstream generation. Note that the APEX 20K family is mature and largely NRND - verify long-term availability before new designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K160EQC240-1X — 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 EP20K160EQC240-1X (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K160EQC240-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$98.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K160EQC240-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$108.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100QC240-3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$24.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100QC240-3V
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$87.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K160EQC240-1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQC240-1X Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 6,400 |
| System Gates | 160,000 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 373 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.55 ns |
| User I/Os | 175 (some sources list 271 for BGA variant) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (FQFP) |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Speed Grade | -1X (slowest commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Architecture | MultiCore (LUT + Embedded System Blocks) |
| Programming Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
EP20K160EQC240-1X 240-pin pqfp (fqfp) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K160EQC240-1X (240-pin pqfp (fqfp) 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 EP20K160EQC240-1X.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K160EQC240-1X is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Industrial Glue Logic, Custom PCI / Parallel-Bus Bridge, DSP Co-Processor Front-End, Embedded Control & State Machine Hub, Telecom Line-Card Aggregation, Military / Aerospace Sustainment.
Legacy Industrial Glue Logic
The EP20K160EQC240-1X's 160K-gate density and 175 user I/Os make it well-suited as a drop-in replacement for multiple discrete glue-logic ICs in legacy industrial controllers. The MultiCore architecture with embedded system blocks (ESBs) allows the device to implement parallel bus arbitration, address decoding, and timing-sequencer functions in a single chip. Compared to a discrete 74-series logic implementation, this FPGA reduces board area by 60-80% and improves timing margin via deterministic routing. The PQFP-240 package's gull-wing leads simplify hand-prototyping and field rework, which is valuable in long-lifecycle industrial equipment where design refreshes span 10-20 years.
Recommended
Custom PCI / Parallel-Bus Bridge
The 175 user I/Os of the EP20K160EQC240-1X can implement wide parallel buses (32-64-bit) along with bus-bridge glue logic in PCI, VME, or proprietary backplane systems. With 373 MHz internal performance and 1.55 ns propagation delay, the device easily meets 33 MHz PCI timing budgets with margin to spare. The ESBs provide distributed dual-port RAM for FIFO buffers between buses of different widths and clock domains. This application is common in telecom and military/aerospace subsystems where legacy parallel buses must be adapted to modern processor peripherals without redesigning the backplane.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor Front-End
The MultiCore architecture of the EP20K160EQC240-1X can implement FIR filters, FFT butterflies, and custom co-processor state machines to offload DSP work from a host CPU. The 6,400 logic elements are sufficient for 16-bit, 32-tap FIR filters or small FFT engines, and the ESBs hold filter coefficients or twiddle factors in on-chip memory to avoid external memory accesses. With 1.55 ns LUT delay, the device can sustain 50-100 MSPS sample rates in pipelined DSP designs. This is ideal for medical imaging front-ends, sonar/radar preprocessing, and software-defined radio IF stages where deterministic latency matters.
Recommended
Embedded Control & State Machine Hub
The EP20K160EQC240-1X serves as a central state-machine hub for complex embedded systems: managing power-up sequencing, watchdog logic, fault-handling state machines, and I/O expansion. With 160K gates and abundant registers, the device can implement dozens of independent finite state machines in a single fabric, simplifying multi-processor board designs. The JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) programming interface allows in-system reprogramming during development and field updates. This pattern is common in avionics, rail signaling, and process-control systems where deterministic state-machine behavior is more critical than raw throughput.
Recommended
Telecom Line-Card Aggregation
In legacy T1/E1, T3, and ATM line cards, the EP20K160EQC240-1X aggregates multiple lower-rate serial channels into a higher-rate uplink. The 175 user I/Os accept multiple LVTTL or LVCMOS serial streams, while the internal logic implements channel framing, error correction (HDB3/AMI), and protocol conversion. APEX 20KE is widely deployed in telecom equipment from the late 1990s-early 2000s, and Intel continues to support the part for sustainment programs. The 240-pin PQFP package is well-suited to single-sided SMT line-card assemblies where BGA inspection would be impractical.
Recommended
Military / Aerospace Sustainment
The EP20K160EQC240-1X in PQFP-240 is used in numerous long-lifecycle defense and aerospace programs that require hardware sustainment for 20-30 years. The gull-wing PQFP package survives high-vibration and thermal-cycling environments better than leadless packages and is field-reworkable. While the part lacks MIL-STD-883 screening (which Altera offered via specific -M variants), the industrial-grade temperature range 0-85 °C is sufficient for many ground-based and sheltered avionics applications. Intel's FPGA legacy-support program continues to honour long-term orders for these defense customers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K160EQC240-1X — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K160EQC240-3 | EP20K160EQC240-2 | EP20K100QC240-3 | EP20K100QC240-3V | EP20K160EQC240-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (FQFP) | 240-pin PQFP - same | 240-pin PQFP - same | 240-pin PQFP - same | 240-pin PQFP - same | 240-pin PQFP - same |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) - same | Intel (Altera) - same | Intel (Altera) - same | Intel (Altera) - same | Intel (Altera) - same |
| System Gates | 160,000 | 160,000 (same) | 160,000 (same) | 100,000 (-38%) | 100,000 (-38%) | 160,000 (same) |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 6,400 | 6,400 (same) | 6,400 (same) | 4,160 (-35%) | 4,160 (-35%) | 6,400 (same) |
| Speed Grade | -1X (slowest) | -3 (fastest) | -2 (mid) | -3 (fastest) | -3V (fastest, 3V I/O) | -1 (similar) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS | 0.22 µm CMOS | 0.22 µm CMOS | 0.22 µm CMOS | 0.22 µm CMOS | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 373 MHz | 373 MHz (same) | 373 MHz (same) | 373 MHz (same) | 373 MHz (same) | 373 MHz (same) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density in PQFP-240 form factor within APEX 20KE family (vs EP20K100QC240-3)
- Slowest speed grade supports cost-sensitive designs (vs EP20K160EQC240-3)
- MultiCore architecture with embedded system blocks (ESBs) (vs EP20K100QC240-3)
Design Notes
The APEX 20KE 1.8 V core must be decoupled with 0.1 µF low-ESR ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of every VCC pin, plus bulk decoupling (10-47 µF tantalum or polymer) on each supply rail. Estimated quiescent current for the EP20K160E is roughly 100-300 mA depending on utilization and toggle rate; at high I/O activity add another 1-3 A on VCCIO banks. Power-on sequencing requires VCCIO to come up before or with VCCINT to prevent latch-up; a supervisor IC (e.g. MAX708) enforces correct sequencing.
Estimated: The 240-pin PQFP package has θJA of roughly 35-45 °C/W depending on PCB copper area and airflow. At full 160K-gate utilization with 373 MHz toggle rates, internal power dissipation can reach 1.5-2.5 W, producing a junction temperature rise of 50-100 °C above ambient. For continuous operation in environments above 60 °C, reduce utilization or attach a small clip-on heatsink. The PQFP-240 package dissipates heat through the leads; ensure generous copper pours on top and bottom layers.
PQFP-240 fine-pitch gull-wing leads require careful PCB layout: 0.5 mm or 0.8 mm lead pitch, land pattern matching the JEDEC MS-022 package outline. Use a 4-layer PCB with continuous power planes beneath the device to provide low-impedance VCCINT/VCCIO distribution and thermal spreading. Escape routing on inner layers reduces crosstalk on high-speed I/O; keep differential pairs matched within 1 mm length. Place configuration memory (EPC2 or EPCQ) within 50 mm of the FPGA DATA pins to meet tCO timing.
Three common pitfalls: (1) Attempting to use Quartus Prime (instead of Quartus II 9.0 or earlier) - APEX 20KE is not supported by Quartus Prime; (2) Mixing EP20K and EP20K20K logic - the two families have different ESB architectures and bitstreams are not interchangeable; (3) Neglecting the CONF_DONE pin pull-up - if left floating, the device may fail to enter user mode after configuration. Always use Intel/Altera's official programming tools and verify with the JTAG IDCODE before bitstream download.
Compliance Information
RoHS/lead-free status not explicitly stated in verified distributor data as of 2026-09-07; original APEX 20KE family launched pre-RoHS. AEC-Q100 not applicable (industrial/commercial FPGAs are not automotive-qualified). Confirm with manufacturer environmental compliance documentation before RoHS-restricted deployment.
