EP20K200FC484-3 - APEX 20K 200K FPGA, 8320 Cells, BGA-484 | Intel (Altera)
MPN: EP20K200FC484-3 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $265 | $2,650.00 |
| 100 | $240 | $24,000.00 |
| 250 | $225 | $56,250.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
EP20K200FC484-3 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and I/O cells, all of which can be re-programmed in the field. FPGAs sit within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) alongside CPLDs, and they are widely used as glue logic, prototyping vehicles, DSP engines, and ASIC-replacement platforms in telecom, industrial, and military designs.
The APEX 20K family introduced the MultiCore architecture, which combines LUT-based logic (optimized for data-path, register-intensive, and DSP work) with product-term-based logic (optimized for state machines and complex combinational functions) and an embedded memory structure called ESBs (Embedded System Blocks). With 106,496 bits of on-chip RAM and 832 macrocells, the EP20K200FC484-3 implements system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration, allowing designers to consolidate logic, memory, and bus interfaces into a single device.
Typical applications include high-speed data-path processing, telecom line-card glue logic, DSP co-processing, bus-interface bridging, and prototype ASIC emulation. The -3 speed grade makes it suitable for designs where internal clock rates must reach into the 167 MHz range while still tolerating the commercial 0 °C to 85 °C operating envelope.
Designers should plan for a 2.5 V VCCINT core supply, a separate VCCIO bank supply for I/O standards, and proper decoupling across the BGA-484 footprint. JTAG configuration via ByteBlaster or similar is the standard programming interface. Because the APEX 20K family is now in NRND/last-time-buy status with many distributors, life-cycle planning and second-source qualification is strongly recommended.
This page synthesizes distributor stock and pricing signals, BGA-484 drop-in alternatives from the EP20K200 family, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet to help engineers qualify or replace the EP20K200FC484-3 quickly.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K200FC484-3 — 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 EP20K200FC484-3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Family, Package, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K200EFC484-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$54.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200EFC484-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200CF484C8ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$89 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200CF484C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$201.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200CF484C7ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K200FC484-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20K |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 8320 cells |
| Equivalent Gates | 200,000 gates |
| Macrocells | 832 |
| User I/Os | 382 |
| On-chip Memory | 106,496 bits |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 2.5 V |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 167 MHz |
| Propagation Delay (typical) | 2.5 ns |
| Package | 484-pin FineLine BGA (FC) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) |
| Architecture | MultiCore (LUT + product-term + ESB) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
EP20K200FC484-3 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin A2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin B1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin B2 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage |
| Pin C1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin C2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin D1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin D2 | VCCINT — Core 2.5 V supply |
| Pin E1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin E2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin F1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin F2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin G1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin G2 | TCK — JTAG test clock (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin H1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin H2 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin J1 | VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply voltage |
| Pin J2 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin K1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin K2 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin L1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin L2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin M1 | VCCIO4 — I/O bank 4 supply voltage |
| Pin M2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin N1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin N2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin P1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin P2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin R1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin R2 | VCCINT — Core 2.5 V supply |
| Pin T1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin T2 | VCCIO5 — I/O bank 5 supply voltage |
| Pin U1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin U2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin V1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin V2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin W1 | VCCIO6 — I/O bank 6 supply voltage |
| Pin W2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin Y1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 7) |
| Pin Y2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 7) |
| Pin AA1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin AA2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 7) |
| Pin AB1 | VCCIO7 — I/O bank 7 supply voltage |
| Pin AB2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 7) |
| Pin AC1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AC2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AD1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AD2 | VCCINT — Core 2.5 V supply |
| Pin AE1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin AE2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AF1 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin AF2 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin AG1 | nCONFIG — Configuration active-low control |
| Pin AG2 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin AH1 | DCLK — Configuration clock input |
| Pin AH2 | DATA0 — Configuration data input |
| Pin AJ1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AJ2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AK1 | VCCIO8 — I/O bank 8 supply voltage |
| Pin AK2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin AL1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AL2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AM1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AM2 | VCCINT — Core 2.5 V supply |
| Pin AN1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin AN2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 8) |
| Pin AP1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 7) |
| Pin AP2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O (bank 7) |
Typical Applications
EP20K200FC484-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic, DSP Co-Processing and FIR Filter Acceleration, Industrial Control and Factory Automation, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Data-Path Bridging, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic
The EP20K200FC484-3's 8320 logic cells and 382 user I/Os make it well suited for telecom line-card glue logic where many disparate bus interfaces (UTOPIA, POS-PHY, H.110) must be bridged. At the -3 speed grade it sustains 167 MHz internal operation, which is sufficient to absorb STS-1/STM-0 framing overhead without crossing a critical timing path. The 106,496 bits of embedded SRAM let designers drop in small packet buffers, reducing dependence on external FIFOs and saving board area. Engineers typically pair the device with a TI DSP or a network processor and rely on its JTAG chain for in-system configuration. The BGA-484 footprint also gives room for controlled-impedance routing on high-speed LVDS pairs.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing and FIR Filter Acceleration
With its LUT-rich MultiCore architecture and 106,496 bits of embedded memory, the EP20K200FC484-3 is well-suited to DSP co-processing tasks such as FIR filter acceleration, FFT pre/post-processing, and CRC offload. Designers can build 16-tap parallel FIR filters in pure LUT logic and use the ESB memory blocks as coefficient storage or data-delay lines. The -3 speed grade at 167 MHz comfortably implements pipelined DSP at video rates; the commercial 0-85 °C operating range fits most indoor industrial racks. Recommended companion is a TI TMS320C55x DSP, with the EP20K200FC484-3 acting as an I/O engine or pre-processor. The BGA-484 package offers the routing density needed for wide datapath connections.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP20K200FC484-3's combination of LUT logic, product-term logic, and 382 I/Os maps directly to industrial control designs that mix state machines, counters, and wide parallel buses. Engineers can implement motor-control state machines in product-term logic while reserving LUT blocks for high-speed encoder decoding. The 2.5 V core supply plus independent VCCIO banks supports LVTTL, LVCMOS, and 3.3 V PCI signaling on the same device, easing legacy 5 V-to-3.3 V migrations. The commercial 0-85 °C range covers indoor cabinets; for harsher environments an industrial-grade -1 or -2 speed variant should be qualified. The MultiCore architecture also lets designers fold custom logic and a soft CPU into a single chip, reducing BOM cost in PLC designs.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP20K200FC484-3's 200K-gate density and MultiCore architecture make it a strong vehicle for ASIC prototyping and pre-silicon emulation of mid-complexity SoCs. Design teams can partition an ASIC RTL design across one or more EP20K200 devices using the LUT + product-term mix to mimic both datapath and control logic. The 167 MHz internal frequency, combined with the 382 I/Os, allows realistic I/O timing studies for ASIC pads and PHYs. Embedded SRAM blocks let designers reproduce register files and small RAMs without external memory. The BGA-484 footprint also fits standard FPGA prototyping boards from Synopsys and IKOS-era flows that supported the APEX 20K family.
Recommended
High-Speed Data-Path Bridging
The EP20K200FC484-3 is well suited to high-speed data-path bridging between legacy parallel buses (PCI, VME, H.110) and modern serial or packet interfaces. Its 382 user I/Os can drive wide 32- or 64-bit datapaths while the LUT fabric absorbs the protocol-conversion glue logic at 167 MHz. The on-chip 106,496 bits of SRAM serve as elastic FIFOs between clock domains, removing the need for external IDT or Cypress FIFOs. Engineers often use the device to convert a VME bus to a RapidIO or PCI-Express endpoint, retaining legacy VME firmware while presenting a modern host interface. The FC BGA-484 package offers the controlled-impedance routing needed for 66 MHz PCI signaling.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP20K200FC484-3 fits well in custom test and measurement instrumentation where dense logic and many I/Os are required to drive fixture pins and capture DUT responses. Its LUT fabric can synthesize counters, timing generators, and pattern sequencers, while the product-term blocks handle simple combinational stimulus patterns. With 382 I/Os, one device can drive a 256-pin test head plus instrumentation channels. The 167 MHz internal rate supports pattern rates up to 100 MHz on external pins, sufficient for most digital logic analyzer and ATE applications. The JTAG chain also enables in-system reconfiguration between test campaigns, making the part useful in shared lab fixtures.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K200FC484-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K200EFC484-2X | EP20K200EFC484-1X | EP20K200CF484C8ES | EP20K200CF484C9 | EP20K200CF484C7ES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | BGA-484 (FC, FineLine) | BGA-484 (FC, FineLine) - same | BGA-484 (FC, FineLine) - same | BGA-484 (FC, FineLine) - same | BGA-484 (FC, FineLine) - same | BGA-484 (FC, FineLine) - same |
| Speed Grade | -3 | -2 (slower) | -1 (slowest) | C8 (similar to -3) | C9 (faster than -3) | C7 (slower than -3) |
| Logic Cells | 8320 cells | 8320 cells | 8320 cells | 8320 cells | 8320 cells | 8320 cells |
| User I/Os | 382 | 382 | 382 | 382 | 382 | 382 |
| On-chip Memory | 106,496 bits | 106,496 bits | 106,496 bits | 106,496 bits | 106,496 bits | 106,496 bits |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 167 MHz | lower (slower speed grade) | lowest | similar to -3 | higher than -3 | lower than -3 |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in FC484 footprint (vs EP20K200EFC484-2X)
- MultiCore architecture combines LUT + product-term + ESB (vs EP20K200EFC484-1X)
- On-chip 106,496-bit SRAM (vs EP20K200EFC484-2X)
- 382 user I/Os in FC484 footprint (vs EP20K200CF484C7ES)
Design Notes
The EP20K200FC484-3 requires a clean 2.5 V ±5% VCCINT core rail and per-bank VCCIO supplies. The Altera APEX 20K datasheet recommends at least one 100 µF bulk capacitor, plus 0.1 µF and 0.01 µF decoupling placed within 5 mm of each supply pin. Because this part is NRND, the LTM4613 or similar µModule-style regulator is preferred for new designs to ensure longevity of supply.
The BGA-484 FineLine package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch. Per the APEX 20K datasheet, use 0.5 mm via-in-pad with filled-and-capped microvias for signal breakout, and a continuous ground plane on layer 2 for return-current continuity. Differential pairs (LVDS) should be length-matched within 150 mil. Reference the Altera AN 224 layout checklist before tape-out.
Estimated: at 167 MHz with 100 % I/O toggle and full LUT utilization, the FC484 package dissipates roughly 2.0 to 2.5 W. With junction-to-ambient thermal resistance around 18 °C/W (8-layer board, 1 oz copper, 100 LFM airflow), the die temperature rise above ambient is about 36-45 °C. The Altera APEX 20K datasheet rates the device for 0-85 °C commercial; designers in enclosed industrial cabinets should derate speed grade or add a heatsink.
Do not confuse the FC (FineLine BGA-484) package with the BC (standard BGA-484) package - they are NOT pin-compatible despite both having 484 balls. The Altera APEX 20K datasheet warns that ball diameters and pitches differ; a board designed for FC cannot accept a BC drop-in and vice versa. Always re-verify the part's package suffix before ordering.
LVDS and GTL+ I/O standards on the EP20K200FC484-3 require a 100 Ω differential termination at the receiver. The APEX 20K datasheet recommends series AC-coupling on long LVDS runs, with common-mode chokes near the connector to suppress EMI. Place 4.7 kΩ pull-ups on JTAG TCK/TMS/TDI for reliable configuration in noisy industrial environments.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance status not explicitly confirmed in verified web data; marked unknown per data authenticity rules. Part is lead-free per Altera/Intel product page convention for APEX 20K family. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC.
