EP20K200CB356C8ES - 200K Gate APEX 20KC FPGA 356-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K200CB356C8ES ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $252 | $2,520.00 |
| 100 | $218 | $21,800.00 |
| 500 | $195 | $97,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $178 | $178,000.00 |
EP20K200CB356C8ES Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device whose logic fabric, interconnect, and I/O behavior can be redefined by the user after manufacture. APEX 20KC FPGAs extend the APEX architecture by adding MultiCore Interconnect for predictable timing and embedded memory blocks (ESBs) for distributed or buffered RAM/ROM. They occupy the tier of high-density SRAM-based programmable logic, sitting below structured ASICs and above simple CPLDs in terms of gate count and performance. The APEX 20KC family is widely used in telecom line cards, custom data-path accelerators, and pre-silicon prototyping for ASICs.
Key specifications of the EP20K200CB356C8ES include 200K system gates, 8,320 logic elements/cells, 271 user I/Os, 1.8 V core voltage, 0.15 µm process technology, and a commercial operating temperature grade. The 'CB356' designator indicates the 356-ball BGA package; the 'C8' suffix denotes an 8 ns Commercial speed grade; the 'ES' suffix denotes an Engineering Sample offering. The device supports in-system programming via the Altera ByteBlaster or USB-Blaster download cables and is configured through the Quartus II or MAX+PLUS II design software.
Typical applications include high-speed custom datapath engines, protocol bridging, telecom backplane glue logic, pre-ASIC prototyping, and parallel DSP co-processing. The 200K-gate capacity and 271 I/O make it suitable for designs that exceed the capacity of smaller FPGAs like the EP20K100 series but do not require the 1M-gate resources of the EP20K1000 family.
When designing with this part, verify that your Quartus version supports the APEX 20KC device family (Quartus II 9.1 or earlier, or MAX+PLUS II), as newer Quartus releases focus on Cyclone and Stratix families. The BGA package demands reflow soldering and X-ray inspection; ensure your contract manufacturer has BGA handling capability.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, real-time stock from major brokers, parameter cross-checks against same-package APEX 20KC variants, and design considerations drawn from the Altera APEX 20KC datasheet - information not aggregated on any single distributor page.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K200CB356C8ES — 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 EP20K200CB356C8ES (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Package, Family, Operating Temperature, Embedded Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K200CB356C8
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K200CB356C7ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$108.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200CB356C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200CB356C9
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$69.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100CB356C8ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$199.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200CB356C8ES Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX 20KC |
| Family | APEX 20KC MultiCore Interconnect FPGA |
| System Gates | 200,000 |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 8,320 |
| User I/O Count | 271 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm |
| Operating Frequency (max) | 301.21 MHz |
| Package Type | 356-LBGA (Ball Grid Array) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +85°C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C8 (8 ns) |
| Memory Type | SRAM-based, Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) |
| Programming Interface | JTAG / ByteBlaster / USB-Blaster |
| Design Software | Quartus II / MAX+PLUS II |
| Embedded Memory | Yes (ESBs) |
EP20K200CB356C8ES 356-lbga (ball grid array) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K200CB356C8ES (356-lbga (ball grid array) 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 EP20K200CB356C8ES.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K200CB356C8ES is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Backplane Glue Logic, Pre-ASIC Prototyping, Custom Datapath / DSP Co-Processing, Industrial Control and Instrumentation, Legacy Avionics / Defense Retrofit, Educational / University FPGA Lab Platforms.
Telecom Backplane Glue Logic
The EP20K200CB356C8ES's 200K-gate capacity, 271 user I/Os, and 301 MHz internal frequency make it well-suited for telecom backplane bridging logic where multiple bus standards must be converted in real time. Its 0.15 µm 1.8 V core consumes modest power for a high-density FPGA, and the 356-LBGA package routes the wide parallel buses common in legacy backplane designs without requiring board re-layout. Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) provide on-chip buffering for packet payloads, eliminating external FIFOs. Quartus II supports industry-standard telecom IP cores (UTOPIA, POS-PHY, SPI) targeting this device family.
Recommended
Pre-ASIC Prototyping
With 200,000 system gates and 8,320 logic cells, the EP20K200CB356C8ES was historically a popular vehicle for ASIC prototyping before modern FPGA-based prototyping platforms emerged. Quartus II design entry, simulation, and synthesis flows target this family directly, and the BGA package supports high I/O count required to map ASIC pad rings to physical FPGA pins. The C8 speed grade's 8 ns pin-to-pin delay corresponds to roughly 125 MHz operation, sufficient for most ASIC prototypes. JTAG-based configuration allows rapid design iteration via ByteBlaster or USB-Blaster cables.
Recommended
Custom Datapath / DSP Co-Processing
The EP20K200CB356C8ES's 8,320 logic cells deliver roughly 5-10 GMACs of DSP throughput when configured as multiply-accumulate arrays - ample for audio codecs, channel filters, or pre-silicon DSP algorithm validation. The MultiCore Interconnect architecture provides predictable routing delays critical for synchronous datapath pipelines, and the 271 user I/Os accommodate parallel ADC/DAC interfaces. Quartus II's MegaWizard Plug-In Manager generates configurable multipliers, adders, and FIR filters optimized for the APEX 20KC ESBs, accelerating datapath implementation.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Instrumentation
The commercial 0°C to +85°C operating range and SRAM-based reprogrammability make the EP20K200CB356C8ES suitable for industrial control platforms where field updates of control logic are required. The 1.8 V core voltage and 0.15 µm process yield low dynamic power for 24/7 industrial operation. The 356-LBGA footprint supports the high pin-count interface needs of multi-axis motor controllers, PLC backplanes, and process instrumentation. Altera's NIOS soft-core processor can be instantiated within the 8,320-cell fabric, providing an embedded CPU alongside custom control logic.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics / Defense Retrofit
Long-lived defense platforms often contain original APEX 20KC-based circuit cards that need identical replacements after obsolescence. The EP20K200CB356C8ES matches the original APEX 20KC silicon exactly, allowing drop-in repair of avionics displays, radar signal processors, and military communication cards originally qualified around 2003-2008. The Engineering Sample ('ES') suffix is acceptable for repair purposes where the system was previously qualified to the same silicon die. Brokers like Heisener and Censtry maintain legacy stock for defense sustainment programs.
Recommended
Educational / University FPGA Lab Platforms
The APEX 20KC family, of which EP20K200CB356C8ES is a member, was widely adopted in university FPGA design courses during the 2000s and early 2010s. Educational labs continue to use the free Quartus II Web Edition toolchain to teach HDL design, synthesis, place-and-route, and timing analysis. The 200K-gate capacity exercises full-chip design flows without exceeding student project budgets, and the 356-LBGA package introduces students to BGA soldering and PCB layout for fine-pitch components. MAX+PLUS II and Quartus II tutorial flows remain online and license-free for academic use.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K200CB356C8ES — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K200CB356C8 | EP20K200CB356C7ES | EP20K200CB356C7N | EP20K200CB356C9 | EP20K100CB356C8ES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 356-LBGA | 356-LBGA - same | 356-LBGA - same | 356-LBGA - same | 356-LBGA - same | 356-LBGA - same |
| System Gates | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 100,000 (-50%) |
| Logic Cells | 8,320 | 8,320 | 8,320 | 8,320 | 8,320 | 4,160 (-50%) |
| Speed Grade | C8 (~8 ns) | C8 (~8 ns) | C7 (~7 ns) - faster | C7 (~7 ns) - faster | C9 (~9 ns) - slower | C8 (~8 ns) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
| Lifecycle / Grade | NCNR / Engineering Sample | Production (if available) | NCNR / Engineering Sample | Lead-free / Production | Production / NCNR | NCNR / Engineering Sample |
Key Differentiators
- 200K-gate capacity in the 356-LBGA package vs 100K-gate capacity of EP20K100CB356C8ES (vs EP20K100CB356C8ES)
- C8 speed grade vs faster C7 variants (vs EP20K200CB356C7ES)
- Engineering Sample (ES) variant availability vs production parts (vs EP20K200CB356C8 (production))
Design Notes
Estimated: the 356-LBGA package at 1.0 mm pitch requires a PCB with 0.4-0.5 mm laser-drilled microvias or via-in-pad construction to route the inner balls to inner signal layers. Place at least 4 ground balls and 4 VCCINT (1.8 V) balls in a symmetric pattern around the die center, and add 4-6 VCCIO (3.3 V) balls distributed across the periphery. Decoupling: 0.1 µF X7R ceramic within 5 mm of every VCC ball, plus a single 10 µF tantalum bulk capacitor per supply rail. Matched-length traces for clocks (within 50 mil) prevent skew-induced setup/hold violations in the MultiCore Interconnect.
Estimated: the APEX 20KC EP20K200 dissipates approximately 1.5-2.5 W under typical 50% utilization at 100 MHz clock. The 356-LBGA exposes a center thermal pad (E-pad) that must be soldered to a copper pour on the PCB top layer; without thermal pad soldering, junction temperature can rise 25-35°C above ambient. For continuous 100% utilization designs, add a 4-layer PCB with a 2 oz inner copper ground plane and provide 4-6 thermal vias under the center pad to conduct heat to the bottom layer. No external heatsink is required for typical commercial-temperature (0°C to +85°C) operation.
Three pitfalls to avoid when using EP20K200CB356C8ES: (1) Do not install Quartus II 10.0 or later - APEX 20KC support was dropped after Quartus 9.1. Legacy Quartus II 9.1 SP2 or MAX+PLUS II 10.2 are the supported versions. (2) The 'ES' (Engineering Sample) suffix indicates the part is not fully qualified for production - qualification testing, ESD characterization, and reliability data may be incomplete. For production designs, source the non-ES EP20K200CB356C8 instead. (3) Configuration files for APEX 20KC are .sof / .pof format; using a Cyclone .sof will fail to load and may corrupt the configuration flash.
The MultiCore Interconnect architecture of APEX 20KC provides predictable routing delays once a design is placed-and-routed - timing reports from Quartus II are highly accurate and rarely require margin extension. However, the 271 user I/Os operate at 3.3 V LVTTL/LVCMOS by default with optional PCI and LVDS support via software configuration. For LVDS inputs, add a 100 Ω differential termination resistor near the FPGA pin; for SSTL2/3 memory interfaces, add a 50 Ω series damping resistor to control overshoot. SSO (Simultaneous Switching Output) noise can be mitigated by limiting the number of simultaneously switching outputs to 16-20 per bank.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not present in Verified Web Data; set to 'unknown' rather than guessed. EP20K200CB356C8ES is an Engineering Sample (ES) variant of an FPGA - AEC-Q100 is not applicable (automotive ICs only). The 'ES' suffix and NCNR lifecycle typically exempt such parts from full RoHS/REACH reporting.
