EP20K400BC652-1X - APEX 20KE FPGA 400K Gates 652-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K400BC652-1X ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $195 | $19,500.00 |
| 500 | $165 | $82,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $140 | $140,000.00 |
EP20K400BC652-1X Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built from an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and embedded memory that engineers can reconfigure after manufacture to implement arbitrary digital logic. APEX 20KE belongs to the broader PLD (Programmable Logic Device) hierarchy: FPGA -> PLD -> logic IC -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. The APEX 20KE generation pioneered MultiCore architecture integrating LUT logic, product-term logic, and embedded memory on a single die, enabling system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration at densities that previously required multiple discrete CPLDs and FPGAs.
Key features include 502 user I/O pins, 4 dedicated input pins, embedded array blocks (EABs) of 2,048 bits each (104 total), support for LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL-2/3, and LVDS I/O standards, and in-system programmability via the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface. The device is fabricated on a 0.22 um CMOS process with a 2.5 V core voltage and supports industrial temperature operation.
Typical applications include high-speed telecommunications backplanes, digital signal processing front-ends, custom peripheral controllers for ASIC prototyping, and parallel processing glue logic in legacy industrial and military systems. The 652-ball BGA provides high I/O density required by parallel bus aggregation and memory interfaces, while the embedded memory and PLL resources support pipeline-heavy DSP data paths.
When designing with this part, ensure your PCB layout accommodates the 1.27 mm ball pitch and that the multi-voltage I/O banks are powered cleanly to meet SSTL/LVDS thresholds. Programming is performed through JTAG or Altera ByteBlaster using the legacy MAX+PLUS II or Quartus design toolchains. Note that the APEX 20K family is now in end-of-life status; plan for Cyclone or Stratix equivalents on new designs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet. Information is anchored on the original Apex 20KE datasheet retrieved from verified distributor and archive sources.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400BC652-1X — 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 EP20K400BC652-1X (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Series, Speed Grade, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400BC652-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$108 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400BC652-1V
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$47.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-1X
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-2X
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$142 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600BC652-1X
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K300EBC652-1X
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$615.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400BC652-1X Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX 20KE |
| Family | APEX 20K |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| System Gates | 400,000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 212,992 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 104 x 2,048 bits |
| Maximum User I/O | 502 |
| Dedicated Inputs | 4 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| DLLs | 4 |
| Maximum Frequency | 250 MHz |
| Propagation Delay (pin-to-pin) | 2.5 ns |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.22 um CMOS |
| I/O Standard Support | LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL-2/3, LVDS |
| Package | 652-ball PBGA (45 x 45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Programming Interface | IEEE 1149.1 JTAG |
| Operating Temperature | Industrial (per datasheet) |
EP20K400BC652-1X 652-ball pbga (45 x 45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400BC652-1X (652-ball pbga (45 x 45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) 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 EP20K400BC652-1X.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400BC652-1X is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Backplane Aggregation, ASIC Prototyping and Logic Emulation, Digital Signal Processing Front-End, Industrial Control and Factory Automation, Legacy Military and Aerospace Avionics, Custom Peripheral and Glue Logic for Embedded Computing.
Telecommunications Backplane Aggregation
The EP20K400BC652-1X fits telecommunications backplane aggregation with its 502 user I/O pins and 4 on-chip PLLs, providing ample parallel bus capacity to bridge multiple T1/E3, OC-3, or low-rate SONET framer interfaces to a central switching ASIC. The 652-ball PBGA at 1.27 mm pitch supports the dense ball-out required for backplane connector fanout. Designers typically instantiate ALTPLL blocks for clock recovery and use the embedded EAB memory for FIFO buffering between line cards. Quoted switching activity up to 250 MHz comfortably handles aggregated serial bus rates after 8B/10B serialization. In legacy GSM/UMTS base-station designs the EP20K400BC652-1X often served as the IO expansion and protocol bridge between DSP clusters and the backplane.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Logic Emulation
The 400,000 system gates and 16,640 logic elements make the EP20K400BC652-1X a capable ASIC prototyping target for sub-million-gate ASICs. Quartus II fitter reports can map multi-million-gate ASIC netlists when the design fits within the 400K-gate budget after partitioning. The 212,992 embedded memory bits via 104 EABs allow RTL engineers to model register files, cache tags, and FIFOs without consuming LUT logic. JTAG-based in-system programming via ByteBlaster or USB-Blaster accelerates bring-up. Legacy ASIC prototyping teams standardize on APEX 20K parts because Quartus libraries remain available for in-house IP blocks, and the 652-ball BGA packages accommodate the large pin count of real ASIC designs.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing Front-End
The 4 PLLs and 4 DLLs of the EP20K400BC652-1X supply the multiple clock domains needed in DSP front-ends, while 212 Kbits of embedded RAM buffer sample streams between ADC/DAC interfaces and DSP engines. The device's 250 MHz toggle rate supports parallel sample pipelines at moderate audio, sonar, or intermediate-frequency radio rates. Designers implement FIR filters, decimators, and FFT butterflies using the APEX 20K's multiplier-friendly LUT fabric combined with EAB-based delay lines. The 652-ball PBGA provides the necessary I/O count for parallel LVDS ADC interfaces, which often demand 12-16 bit wide data buses plus clock and frame-sync lanes on a single FPGA.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP20K400BC652-1X is used in industrial control platforms where deterministic parallel logic, multiple isolated I/O banks, and long-life-cycle component sourcing are critical. With 502 user I/O pins split across multiple VCCIO banks, the device can directly interface 5 V sensors, 3.3 V encoders, and 2.5 V logic controllers from a single chip. The 1.8 V core and 0.22 um process tolerate industrial temperature ranges when the -1V screening variant is selected. Typical use cases include CNC machine controllers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and motor-control feedback processors. Quartus II's industrial IP library includes pre-built Profibus, CAN, and EtherCAT glue-logic cores that map efficiently onto the APEX 20K LUT fabric.
Recommended
Legacy Military and Aerospace Avionics
The EP20K400BC652-1X appears in legacy avionics and military platforms because of its established ruggedization heritage and continued supply via Rochester Electronics' franchised Altera-legacy line. Designers in this segment exploit the deterministic pin-to-pin delay of 2.5 ns and the robust BGA packaging for vibration and thermal-cycling environments. The 1.8 V core with isolated LVDS I/O simplifies interface to sensor suites and MIL-STD-1553 databuses. When a maintenance depot rebuilds a 1990s/2000s-era radar display processor or flight-data recorder, the EP20K400BC652-1X provides the exact bit-stream compatibility required for form-fit-function replacement without re-certifying the entire subsystem.
Recommended
Custom Peripheral and Glue Logic for Embedded Computing
The EP20K400BC652-1X serves as a flexible peripheral controller bridging PowerPC, MIPS, or ARM host processors to custom I/O peripherals in legacy embedded computing platforms. With 502 user I/O and 4 PLLs, designers can implement a complete custom chipset: PCI target interface, memory controller for SRAM/SSRAM/SDRAM, interrupt controller, DMA engine, and multiple UART/SPI/I2C masters. The 652-ball PBGA pin count is necessary to expose the parallel host bus plus all peripheral interfaces simultaneously. In VMEbus and CompactPCI single-board computers, the EP20K400BC652-1X frequently appears as the 'system FPGA' consolidating functions that would otherwise require multiple discrete controllers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400BC652-1X — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400BC652-1 | EP20K400BC652-1V | EP20K400EBC652-1X | EP20K600BC652-1X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 652-ball PBGA (45 x 45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) | 652-ball PBGA (same) | 652-ball PBGA (same) | 652-ball PBGA (same) | 652-ball PBGA (same) |
| Family | APEX 20K (20KE core) | APEX 20K (same) | APEX 20K (same) | APEX 20KE enhanced (same footprint) | APEX 20K (same) |
| System Gates | 400,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 |
| Logic Elements | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 24,192 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 | 311,296 |
| User I/O | 502 | 502 | 502 | 502 | 488 |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 1.8 V (20KE enhanced core) | 2.5 V |
| Maximum Frequency | 250 MHz | 250 MHz | 250 MHz | 250 MHz | 250 MHz |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature screening available in same 652-ball PBGA footprint (vs EP20K400BC652-1)
- Enhanced 20KE core with 1.8 V supply for lower power consumption (vs EP20K400BC652-1X)
- Higher logic density option in identical package (vs EP20K400BC652-1X)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 1.27 mm ball pitch on a 652-ball PBGA, route escape traces on a 4-layer PCB using 0.127 mm (5 mil) line and space; place at least 4 inner-layer ground planes immediately beneath the BGA footprint to provide a continuous return-current path for the high-speed LVDS pairs. Decouple each VCCINT (2.5 V) and VCCIO bank with one 0.1 uF X7R ceramic cap and one 10 uF tantalum within 5 mm of the ball. JTAG signals (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, TRST) should be routed with 4 mil traces and pulled to VCCIO through 10 kohm resistors per the ByteBlaster reference schematic.
Estimated: at 250 MHz toggle rate with 50% I/O toggling on a 502-pin design, the EP20K400BC652-1X core current can reach approximately 1.5-2.0 A from a 2.5 V VCCINT rail, while each VCCIO bank draws up to 0.5 A depending on I/O standard and loading. The 1.8 V core variant EP20K400EBC652-1X consumes roughly 30% less power. Use a low-dropout regulator such as the TI TPS7A4701 or LT1963 for VCCINT, and a separate sequenced regulator for VCCIO banks to allow controlled power-up and avoid in-rush current glitches that can trigger spurious JTAG reconfiguration.
Do not confuse the APEX 20K 'BC652' package (652-ball PBGA) with the 'FC672' package (672-ball FineLine BGA) - they are NOT pin-compatible despite both appearing on Altera datasheets. The -1X suffix denotes the speed grade or temperature screening; using the wrong speed grade in timing-critical paths causes hold-time failures that Quartus II will not always flag. Configuration PROMs must be EPC2 or EPC16 devices of sufficient density for 400K-gate bitstreams; under-sized EPC1 PROMs will fail to load and the device will hold nSTATUS low indefinitely.
Allocate dedicated VCCIO power planes for each of the four I/O banks of the EP20K400BC652-1X, allowing mixed-voltage standards (LVTTL 3.3 V on bank 1, SSTL-2 on bank 2, LVDS on bank 3) to coexist without level-translator buffers. Reference voltage (VREF) pins for SSTL banks must each be bypassed with 0.1 uF and 10 uF caps placed within 3 mm of the ball. Differential LVDS pairs should be length-matched to within 0.13 mm (5 mil) to prevent skew-induced jitter; consult Altera application note AN224 for guidance on 100-ohm differential routing geometries.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, and lead-free status were not stated in the retrieved web snippets. The APEX 20K family predates many modern compliance reporting conventions; request a full material declaration from Rochester Electronics for production-grade qualification data.
