EP20K160EQC240-2 - APEX 20KE 160K Gates FPGA | Intel | QFP-240
MPN: EP20K160EQC240-2 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $165 | $165.00 |
| 10 | $148.5 | $1,485.00 |
| 100 | $132 | $13,200.00 |
| 250 | $121 | $30,250.00 |
| 500 | $108.5 | $54,250.00 |
EP20K160EQC240-2 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs/LEs) connected via programmable routing. APEX 20KE sits within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) and belongs to the high-density segment of that family, between older CPLD architectures (PAL/GAL derived) and modern SoC FPGAs. Its MultiCore structure is a predecessor to modern heterogeneous FPGA fabrics that combine logic, block RAM, and DSP blocks.
Key features include a maximum internal frequency of 160 MHz, 175 user I/Os (up to 271 in higher-density package variants), 56 Kbytes of embedded system block (ESB) memory, four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock management, support for LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, and GTL+ I/O standards, and embedded JTAG (IEEE Std. 1149.1) boundary-scan circuitry. The 'E' suffix indicates enhanced I/O standards and the 'C240' suffix indicates the 240-pin PQFP package with commercial 0 to 85 C temperature grading.
The APEX 20KE architecture combines a fine-grained logic fabric with coarse-grained embedded system blocks, allowing the device to be configured as logic, memory, or a mixture of both. The four PLLs reduce clock skew and support frequency multiplication and division across multiple clock domains, while dedicated high-speed I/O structures allow data rates up to 622 Mbps on LVDS or GTL+ links. The device is fabricated on a 0.18-micron CMOS process with six-layer metal interconnect.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, network switching fabrics, high-speed serial backplane interfaces, DSP preprocessing pipelines, and embedded control systems where deterministic hardware logic is required. The 622 Mbps LVDS capability also makes the EP20K160EQC240-2 suitable for SPI-4.2 (POS-PHY Level 4) and similar chip-to-chip interconnect standards.
When designing with this device, ensure that the Quartus design tool (or MAX+PLUS II for legacy flows) supports the target APEX 20KE variant and that all I/O banks receive their reference voltages correctly for SSTL or GTL+ signalling. Configuration is typically performed via passive serial (PS), passive parallel synchronous (PPS), or JTAG programming using a serial configuration device such as the EPC2 or EPC16.
This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the APEX 20K/20KE family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K160EQC240-2 β 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 EP20K160EQC240-2 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, Operating Temperature, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K160EQC240-1X
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP20K160EQC240-2X
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$22.75 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP20K160EQC240-2N
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQC240-2XN
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQC240-3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$92.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP20K160EQC240-2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Typical Gates | 160,000 |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 6,400 |
| Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) | 64 |
| Maximum Embedded Memory | 56 Kbits (approx. 7 Kbytes usable) |
| Maximum User I/O (this package) | 175 |
| Maximum User I/O (largest package) | 271 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 160 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.55 ns |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Process Technology | 0.18-micron SRAM CMOS |
| Package | PQFP-240 (QFP-240, FQFP) |
| Pin Count | 240 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (Gull Wing) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | -2 |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, GTL+, LVDS |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial, Passive Parallel Synchronous, JTAG |
| JTAG Support | IEEE Std. 1149.1 boundary-scan |
| RoHS Status | Non-compliant (original Altera-era PQFP) |
| MultiCore Architecture | Yes (Logic + ESB + I/O) |
| 5.0 V Tolerance | Achievable with external resistor |
EP20K160EQC240-2 pqfp-240 (qfp-240, fqfp) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K160EQC240-2 (pqfp-240 (qfp-240, 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 EP20K160EQC240-2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K160EQC240-2 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line Card Interface, Network Switching Fabric and Backplane Bridging, DSP Preprocessing Pipeline, Industrial Embedded Control Systems, High-Speed Serial Chip-to-Chip Interconnect, Legacy Avionics and Military Data Acquisition, Image Processing Front-End (Legacy).
Telecommunications Line Card Interface
The EP20K160EQC240-2 fits telecommunications line cards because its 160,000 typical gates and 6,400 logic elements support framer, mapper, and cell-processing pipelines for OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4 class interfaces. The device's four PLLs generate multiple clock domains needed for jitter-clean and transmit-clock synthesis, while LVDS I/O pairs support 622 Mbps chip-to-chip links to PHY devices. The MultiCore architecture lets designers allocate logic and embedded system block (ESB) memory side-by-side, which is ideal for storing lookup tables, route caches, and packet headers. APEX 20KE industrial pedigree in telecom equipment makes this part common in legacy ATM switches and SONET/SDH multiplexers.
Recommended
Network Switching Fabric and Backplane Bridging
In network switching applications, the EP20K160EQC240-2's 175 user I/Os and high-speed I/O support up to 622 Mbps LVDS make it suitable for backplane bridging between line cards and switch fabric ASICs. The 64 embedded system blocks (ESBs) provide 56 Kbits of configurable memory that can be partitioned into FIFOs, content-addressable memories, or distributed RAM for queue management. The four PLLs permit multiple switch-fabric clock domains (e.g., 77.76 MHz for OC-48) to coexist on a single device. APEX 20KE devices were widely deployed in mid-2000s Ethernet and ATM switches, where deterministic hardware forwarding required the LUT-based fabric.
Recommended
DSP Preprocessing Pipeline
The EP20K160EQC240-2 supports DSP preprocessing roles such as FIR filter banks, FFT butterflies, or radar pulse processing where high logic density and embedded memory are needed. The 6,400 logic elements can implement approximately 50-100 18x18-bit multipliers when using distributed-arithmetic techniques, and the 56 Kbits of ESB memory can store coefficient tables. At 160 MHz internal frequency, the device processes up to 160 million multiply-accumulate operations per second. Quartus II design flows with the APEX 20KE device library include legacy MegaCore IP cores for FIR, FFT, and Reed-Solomon codecs.
Recommended
Industrial Embedded Control Systems
For industrial embedded control, the EP20K160EQC240-2 provides sufficient logic capacity for motor-control state machines, encoder counters, and safety-logic interlocks while its 175 I/Os drive parallel sensor buses and quadrature decoders. The 0 to 85 C commercial temperature range suits factory-floor cabinets, and the JTAG IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan enables in-system programming and board-test during manufacturing. APEX 20KE devices were deployed in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), CNC controllers, and motion-control boards in the 2000s where deterministic logic response was required.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Chip-to-Chip Interconnect
The EP20K160EQC240-2 supports high-speed serial chip-to-chip interconnect standards such as SPI-4.2 (POS-PHY Level 4) and RapidIO physical interfaces, where LVDS data rates up to 622 Mbps are required between the FPGA and an ASIC or PHY. The 175 user I/Os include enough LVDS pairs for 16-bit data plus clock lanes at 16:1 serialization. The four PLLs generate the required 77.76 MHz or 125 MHz reference clocks. Designers use APEX 20KE devices as protocol-conversion bridges between different ASIC families.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics and Military Data Acquisition
Although the EP20K160EQC240-2 is rated only for 0 to 85 C commercial temperature, many APEX 20KE devices found long-life deployment in avionics data-acquisition subsystems where design-in longevity and field-proven behavior outweighed modern packaging. The device's MultiCore architecture supports mixed logic-and-memory data pipelines typical of radar front-ends, sonar beamformers, and mission-computer I/O concentrators. JTAG boundary-scan enabled field diagnostics on flight-line test equipment. Modern redesigns would use radiation-hardened FPGAs, but for sustainment of legacy platforms this part remains in active inventory.
Recommended
Image Processing Front-End (Legacy)
In image-processing front-ends such as machine-vision cameras and medical-imaging digitizers, the EP20K160EQC240-2 provided preprocessing pipeline logic for Bayer demosaicing, color-space conversion, and edge detection. The 64 embedded system blocks (ESBs) are partitioned into line buffers and lookup tables, while 175 user I/Os connect to image sensors, ADCs, and host processors. At 160 MHz the device sustains up to 60 fps at 1-megapixel resolution. APEX 20KE parts were deployed in legacy industrial inspection systems and ultrasound front-ends.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K160EQC240-2 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K160EQC240-1X | EP20K160EQC240-2X | EP20K160EQC240-2N | EP20K160EQC240-2XN | EP20K160EQC240-3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | PQFP-240 | PQFP-240 - same | PQFP-240 - same | PQFP-240 - same | PQFP-240 - same | PQFP-240 - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same |
| Family | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE |
| Typical Gates | 160,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 |
| User I/Os | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 |
| Speed Grade | -2 | -1X (faster) | -2X (extended) | -2N (lead-free) | -2XN (extended + lead-free) | -3N (slower) |
| Logic Elements | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 |
Key Differentiators
- Same-footprint X-suffix speed grade variant available (vs EP20K160EQC240-2X)
- Lower-cost -3N variant for non-critical timing paths (vs EP20K160EQC240-3N)
- Lead-free N-suffix available for modern assembly (vs EP20K160EQC240-2N)
- Faster -1X speed grade for timing-critical designs (vs EP20K160EQC240-1X)
- No cross-brand drop-in alternative available (vs Cross-brand FPGAs (Xilinx, Lattice, Microsemi))
Design Notes
The EP20K160EQC240-2 is obsolete. Verify configuration bitstream compatibility with your Quartus II version - Quartus 13.1sp1 is the last officially supported release for APEX 20KE. Newer Quartus versions drop APEX 20KE from the device library and cannot generate a programming file. Configuration bitstreams generated by older Quartus that target APEX 20KE will load correctly but cannot be regenerated on modern toolchains.
PQFP-240 packages require careful power-delivery design because multiple VCC and GND pins must all be connected. APEX 20KE typically requires at least four 0.1 uF decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of each power pin cluster, plus a single 33 uF bulk capacitor near the device. Estimated: with all 175 I/Os switching at 100 MHz and 50% toggle rate, dynamic current draw can exceed 500 mA on the 1.8 V core rail - ensure your regulator has at least 1 A headroom.
When using SSTL or GTL+ I/O standards on the EP20K160EQC240-2, route the reference voltage (VREF) trace to all VREF pins with a star topology from a single low-impedance source. SSTL Class 2 requires 0.9 V VREF with 1.5 V VTT termination; GTL+ requires 1.0 V VREF with 50 ohm parallel termination to VTT. Without proper VREF distribution, jitter on synchronous interfaces increases and Setup/Hold margins degrade.
Although the EP20K160EQC240-2 is rated for 0 to 85 C commercial temperature, PQFP-240 packages have limited thermal dissipation (theta-JA approx. 25-35 C/W without airflow). At full I/O switching load and 1.8 V core, internal power dissipation can reach 1.5-2 W. For enclosed chassis without airflow, attach a clip-on heatsink or use thermal vias under the exposed thermal pad if available on your PCB land pattern.
PQFP-240 has 0.5 mm lead pitch, which requires careful PCB layout. Per Altera application note AN-113, place at least two vias per power pin, four vias per ground pin, and use 8 mil traces for power routing. Maintain a continuous ground plane on an inner layer directly beneath the device to provide both reference and thermal conduction. Lead-free (N-suffix) variants require peak reflow temperature of 245 C per JEDEC J-STD-020.
Compliance Information
Original Altera PQFP parts are typically non-RoHS; choose N-suffix variants (e.g., EP20K160EQC240-2N) for lead-free compliance. Reach, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status not stated in verified web data.
