EP20K30EFC144-1 - APEX-20K FPGA 30K Gates 144-LQFP | Altera
MPN: EP20K30EFC144-1 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $78.5 | $78.50 |
| 10 | $72 | $720.00 |
| 100 | $65.5 | $6,550.00 |
| 500 | $58.2 | $29,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $51.4 | $51,400.00 |
EP20K30EFC144-1 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic blocks, interconnect, and I/O cells that engineers can configure after manufacturing to implement custom digital circuits. APEX-20K devices combine look-up table (LUT)-based logic, embedded memory, and high-speed I/O on a single die, occupying the middle tier of the programmable logic hierarchy: PLD → CPLD → FPGA → SoC FPGA. The -1 speed grade indicates the slowest of three commercial temperature-grade speed bins, optimized for cost-sensitive designs where 160 MHz internal performance is sufficient.
Key features include MultiCore™ architecture combining fine-grained LUT logic with embedded cache logic, in-system programmability via IEEE 1149.1 JTAG, built-in clock management with up to four phase-locked loops, and LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI-compatible I/O support. The device supports multi-voltage I/O and provides per-pin configuration for slew rate, drive strength, and bus-hold. The -1 commercial speed grade is rated for 0°C to 85°C operation, while industrial and military temperature variants exist in the same family.
Typical applications for the EP20K30EFC144-1 include telecommunications line cards, glue logic for embedded processors, peripheral controllers in industrial automation, and PCI bridge functions in legacy PC architectures. The 92 user I/Os and 144-pin LQFP footprint make it suitable for prototype builds and moderate-volume production where fine-pitch BGA soldering is undesirable. Designers migrating from APEX-20K to Cyclone or Cyclone II should verify logic utilization, memory depth, and I/O standard compatibility before re-targeting bitstreams.
When designing with this part, observe the 1.71V-1.89V core supply tolerance: a 1.80V nominal regulator with ±5% accuracy is acceptable, but bench testing with marginal supplies can cause configuration failures. Decouple VCCINT and VCCIO planes with 0.1 µF ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of each supply pin, and follow Altera's APEX-20K Hardware Reference Manual guidelines for JTAG chain ordering when programming multi-device chains.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K30EFC144-1 — 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 EP20K30EFC144-1 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Family, Series, Typical Gates.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K30EFC144-2
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K30EFC144-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$10.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K30EFC144-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K30EFC144-1X
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K30EQC144-2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K30ETC144-2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K30EFC144-1 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX-20K |
| Family | APEX-20K MultiCore |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 1200 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 120 |
| Typical Gates | 30000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 24576 |
| Number of I/O | 92 |
| Number of Macros | 192 |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.71 V to 1.89 V |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 160 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.68 ns |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 85°C |
| Package | 144-LQFP (20x20 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | -1 (slowest commercial) |
EP20K30EFC144-1 144-lqfp (20x20 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K30EFC144-1 (144-lqfp (20x20 mm) 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 EP20K30EFC144-1.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K30EFC144-1 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line Card Interface Logic, PCI Bridge and Peripheral Controller, Industrial Automation Glue Logic, Legacy Hardware Maintenance and Repair, FPGA Education and Training Platforms, Prototype and Pre-Production Volume Builds, Custom DSP Coprocessor Logic.
Telecommunications Line Card Interface Logic
The EP20K30EFC144-1's 30,000-gate density and 92 user I/O are well-suited for telecom line-card glue logic that bridges an ASIC, network processor, or DSP to a backplane bus. The device's 160 MHz internal frequency accommodates 155 Mbps STM-1/OC-3 channelization, and its MultiCore™ architecture lets designers partition logic between fine-grained LUT paths and embedded cache-logic blocks for high-throughput data-path operations. The 144-LQFP package supports prototype debugging with standard JTAG probes, simplifying bring-up in lab environments.
Recommended
PCI Bridge and Peripheral Controller
With 92 I/O pins and 160 MHz performance, the EP20K30EFC144-1 historically served as a PCI bus bridge or peripheral controller in embedded PCs and industrial PCs. Its embedded RAM blocks (24,576 bits) provide fast FIFO buffers for DMA transfers, while the MultiCore™ architecture efficiently implements 32-bit address/data multiplexing. Designers should note that PCI 33 MHz implementation requires careful pin assignment to meet the 7 ns Tval timing budget; consult the APEX-20K Hardware Reference Manual's PCI reference design.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Glue Logic
The EP20K30EFC144-1's 144-LQFP package (20x20 mm) is suitable for industrial PLC, motor drive, and process-control boards where moderate gate counts are needed for protocol bridging, custom timer logic, or safety interlock implementation. The 0°C to 85°C commercial operating range covers most factory-floor enclosures; for outdoor or extended-temperature installations, the -1N industrial variant extends to -40°C to 100°C. The 1.8V core supply integrates cleanly with modern low-voltage ASICs and DSPs.
Recommended
Legacy Hardware Maintenance and Repair
The EP20K30EFC144-1 is now primarily sourced for legacy hardware maintenance—replacing failed devices in deployed telecom, industrial, and military systems originally built in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Authorized obsolete-component distributors like Rochester Electronics and Avnet hold remaining wafer/die stock for long-term support. Customers should verify date code requirements (some military contracts require <5-year-old date codes) and consider last-time-buy orders if field-deployment lifetime exceeds 5 years.
Recommended
FPGA Education and Training Platforms
The EP20K30EFC144-1 in 144-LQFP is large enough to host meaningful lab exercises (DSP filter design, soft-processor cores like Nios, bus-protocol implementations) yet inexpensive enough to populate student development boards. Its Quartus II 9.x support allows students to learn on classic Altera toolchains without modern Quartus Prime's complexity. Universities maintaining legacy Altera curricula often stock this part alongside EP1K30 and EP2C5 devices for comparison labs.
Recommended
Prototype and Pre-Production Volume Builds
The 144-LQFP package of the EP20K30EFC144-1 supports prototype assembly using standard SMT pick-and-place lines, avoiding the BGA X-ray inspection and rework challenges of higher-density packages. Pre-production volumes of a few hundred boards can be assembled quickly with 144-LQFP, then ported to BGA-packaged APEX-20K variants (EP20K30EBC652, EP20K30EFC324) when production volumes justify the package change. This makes the EP20K30EFC144-1 an ideal platform for proof-of-concept builds.
Recommended
Custom DSP Coprocessor Logic
The EP20K30EFC144-1's embedded cache-logic blocks implement efficient multiply-accumulate (MAC) functions for custom DSP coprocessors handling FIR filters, FFT butterflies, or video preprocessing tasks. Combined with 24,576 bits of dual-port RAM, designers can build Q15-format FFT engines processing up to 256 points at real-time rates. For higher-throughput DSP, the 160 MHz internal frequency and 92 I/O support parallel multiplier chains with LVCMOS-33 external interfaces.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K30EFC144-1 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K30EFC144-2 | EP20K30EFC144-3 | EP20K30EFC144-1N | EP20K30EFC144-1X | EP20K30EQC144-2 | EP20K30ETC144-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 144-LQFP (20x20 mm) | 144-LQFP - same | 144-LQFP - same | 144-LQFP - same | 144-LQFP - same | 144-LQFP - same | 144-LQFP - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Speed Grade | -1 (slowest) | -2 (mid) | -3 (fastest) | -1 (industrial temp) | -1 (lead-free) | -2 (mid) | -2 (mid) |
| Typical Gates | 30000 | 30000 | 30000 | 30000 | 30000 | 30000 | 30000 |
| Logic Elements | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 |
| User I/O | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 24576 | 24576 | 24576 | 24576 | 24576 | 24576 | 24576 |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 85°C (commercial) | 0°C to 85°C | 0°C to 85°C | -40°C to 100°C (industrial) | 0°C to 85°C (lead-free) | 0°C to 85°C | 0°C to 85°C |
| RoHS Compliance | No (SnPb finish) | No | No | No | Yes (lead-free) | No | No |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 160 MHz | higher than -1 | highest | 160 MHz | 160 MHz | higher than -1 | higher than -1 |
Key Differentiators
- Same-package speed-grade upgrade option available (vs EP20K30EFC144-2)
- RoHS-compliant variant for EU market (vs EP20K30EFC144-1X)
- Industrial temperature variant available (vs EP20K30EFC144-1N)
- MultiCore architecture combines LUT and cache logic (vs Cyclone series)
Design Notes
The EP20K30EFC144-1 requires a 1.71V to 1.89V core supply (VCCINT) with ±50 mV tolerance under load transients. Use a dedicated 1.8V LDO (e.g., TI TPS7A4533 or equivalent) rather than a switching regulator to minimize FPGA core noise. Provide separate VCCIO rails for each I/O bank when mixing 3.3V and 2.5V signaling. Decouple each VCCINT pin with 0.1 µF ceramic + 10 µF bulk tantalum placed within 5 mm of the package. Estimate: ICCINT ≈ 100–300 mA typical, rising to 500 mA at full utilization.
Route all 92 user I/O signals on the 144-LQFP package within 25 mm of the device, with matched impedance (50 Ω for LVCMOS) and matched length within 100 ps for bus signals. The 0.5 mm LQFP lead pitch requires 0.15 mm trace/spacing rules; use 4-layer PCB with continuous ground plane beneath the device for return-current integrity. JTAG chain (TCK/TMS/TDI/TDO) signals should be guarded with ground traces and pulled up to VCCIO via 10 kΩ resistors per the APEX-20K Hardware Reference Manual.
Estimated: simultaneous switching output (SSO) noise on 92 I/O at 33 MHz PCI can induce up to 200 mV of ground bounce; mitigate by configuring drive strength to 'medium' (8 mA) rather than 'high' (16 mA) when timing budget allows. Use the Quartus II Pin Planner to assign high-fanout clock and bus signals to dedicated clock input pins (CLK0–CLK3) rather than regular I/O to reduce skew. Maintain 100 ps length matching on the global clock tree.
Common pitfalls include: (1) using Quartus Prime instead of legacy Quartus II 9.x (APEX-20K devices are not supported in Quartus Prime); (2) ignoring -1 vs -2 vs -3 speed grade differences during timing closure—downgrading from -2 to -1 may require lowering Fmax targets; (3) connecting VCCIO banks to mixed voltages (3.3V + 5V) without configuring per-bank I/O standards; (4) omitting the JTAG nCONFIG pull-up resistor, which causes configuration failures on power-up. Always verify the configuration scheme (Passive Serial, JTAG, or EPC16) matches your board design.
Compliance Information
Standard EP20K30EFC144-1 uses tin-lead (SnPb) finish and is NOT RoHS compliant. Choose EP20K30EFC144-1X for RoHS compliance. No AEC-Q100 qualification (FPGA not designed for automotive). REACH and halogen-free status not documented in available datasheets.