EP20K400CB652C9 - APEX 20KC FPGA 400K Gates 652-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K400CB652C9 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $145 | $145.00 |
| 10 | $128.5 | $1,285.00 |
| 100 | $112 | $11,200.00 |
| 500 | $98.75 | $49,375.00 |
| 1,000 | $89.2 | $89,200.00 |
EP20K400CB652C9 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built from an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and dedicated I/O and memory resources. FPGAs sit within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), alongside CPLDs (Complex PLDs) and SPLDs (Simple PLDs), and are widely used for digital signal processing, glue logic, prototyping, and ASIC replacement. The APEX 20K series introduced MultiCore™ architecture that combines look-up-table (LUT) logic with embedded memory blocks (ESBs), enabling single-chip implementation of logic, memory, and specialty functions.
Key features of the EP20K400CB652C9 include 16,640 logic elements, embedded system blocks (ESBs) for on-chip memory, MultiVolt™ I/O support for interfacing with 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5 V systems, and four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock management. Signal Integrity supports hot-socketing and PCI-compliant I/O, and the device is rated for commercial temperature operation (0 °C to 85 °C).
Architecturally, the APEX 20K family uses a hierarchical MegaLAB™ structure that groups 16 Logic Array Blocks (LABs) plus one ESB, simplifying timing closure and providing predictable performance for designs above 100K gates. The 0.15 µm process and 1.8 V core reduce dynamic power relative to older APEX 20KE/20K devices operating at higher voltages.
Typical applications include high-speed communication backplanes, telecommunications switching, DSP co-processing, system-on-chip prototyping, and PCI bridge designs where 488 user I/Os and high logic density are required. The wide I/O count also makes it suitable for memory-controller hubs and ASIC prototyping platforms.
When designing with this device, use the legacy Altera Quartus II design software (or the Quartus Prime legacy support path) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure; modern Quartus releases retain APEX 20K device support. Ensure PCB layout accommodates the 1.27 mm BGA pitch, with controlled-impedance routing and matched-length clocks for high-speed interfaces.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in BGA-652 alternatives within the APEX 20K family, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400CB652C9 — 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 EP20K400CB652C9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Propagation Delay.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400CB652C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$155 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CB652C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$158 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CB652C7ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400BC652-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$189 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400BC652-3V
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CB652C9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KC |
| Logic Elements | 16640 |
| Gate Count | 400000 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 250 MHz |
| User I/Os | 488 |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Propagation Delay | 2.5 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Package | BGA-652, 45 × 45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Number of PLLs | 4 |
| Embedded Memory Blocks | MultiCore ESBs (Embedded System Blocks) |
| I/O Standard Support | LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, HSTL, SSTL (MultiVolt I/O) |
EP20K400CB652C9 bga-652, 45 × 45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400CB652C9 (bga-652, 45 × 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 EP20K400CB652C9.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400CB652C9 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Switching Systems, High-Speed DSP Co-Processing, ASIC Prototyping Platforms, PCI Bridge and Interface Hub, Industrial Control and Automation, High-Density Glue Logic and System Integration.
Telecommunications Switching Systems
The EP20K400CB652C9 fits telecom switching fabrics because its 488 user I/Os provide abundant parallel interconnect for backplane buses, while its 16,640 logic elements handle cell/packet processing and queuing logic. The four integrated PLLs enable precise clock recovery and distribution across multi-gigabit backplane interfaces. With C9-grade internal Fmax near 250 MHz, designers can meet 133 MHz PCI and 100 MHz Utopia-style bus timing budgets. Its BGA-652 footprint and 1.8 V core reduce power dissipation relative to older 2.5 V APEX 20K devices, which matters in dense line-card designs with tight thermal envelopes.
Recommended
High-Speed DSP Co-Processing
For DSP co-processing applications, the EP20K400CB652C9's 16,640 logic elements and embedded system blocks (ESBs) deliver the parallel multiply-accumulate resources required for FIR filters and FFT pipelines. The 1.8 V 0.15 µm CMOS process provides a favorable power-performance ratio relative to earlier 2.5 V APEX 20KE silicon, enabling denser compute fabrics on the same thermal budget. The 488 user I/Os can connect directly to external SRAM/ZBT memory buses at 100+ MHz. MultiVolt I/O supports glueless interface to 3.3 V DSP chips such as the TMS320C6000 series without external level shifters.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platforms
ASIC prototyping is one of the strongest use cases for the EP20K400CB652C9, as the 400K-gate capacity and MultiCore architecture let designers map million-gate ASIC RTL blocks into a single device. The 488 I/Os provide ample fan-out to bring up ASIC pads in a real system environment. The C9 speed grade supports internal clock rates near 250 MHz, sufficient to prototype ASIC cores targeting 100-150 MHz operation. The BGA-652 footprint, while complex, is widely supported on prototype PCBs designed with the APEX 20K development board ecosystem and Quartus II design flow.
Recommended
PCI Bridge and Interface Hub
The EP20K400CB652C9 is well suited for PCI bridge and multi-protocol interface hub designs, where MultiVolt I/O supports direct connection to 5 V PCI slots without external buffering. Its four PLLs allow generation of independent PCI 33 MHz, PCI 66 MHz, and local bus clocks from a single reference. The 488 I/Os accommodate multiple downstream buses (PCI, H.110, I²C, memory) plus DMA channels. Designers targeting 64-bit / 66 MHz PCI achieve comfortable timing margin in the C9 speed grade, while C8N suffices for 64-bit / 33 MHz implementations.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
Industrial automation backplanes benefit from the EP20K400CB652C9's high I/O count and deterministic MultiCore logic, which simplify parallel motor-control, encoder, and sensor aggregation designs. While the EP20K400CB652C9 is commercial-grade (0 °C to 85 °C), the pin-compatible EP20K400EBC652-3N industrial variant extends operation to -40 °C to +100 °C. The 1.8 V core reduces in-cabinet power dissipation, important in sealed enclosures. Quartus II supports industrial protocol IP (Modbus, EtherCAT slave) targeting APEX 20K silicon, accelerating time-to-prototype.
Recommended
High-Density Glue Logic and System Integration
The EP20K400CB652C9 excels as a system-integration 'glue' device on complex motherboards, replacing dozens of 74-series logic parts, FIFOs, and protocol bridges with a single programmable device. Its 488 user I/Os can absorb wide parallel buses (32-64 bit) plus serial control planes, while embedded system blocks (ESBs) provide configurable FIFOs and dual-port RAM. The C9 speed grade handles 100 MHz+ asynchronous bus crossings with comfortable timing margin. Designers transitioning from discrete logic benefit from Quartus II schematic capture and HDL support, reducing board area and BOM cost.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400CB652C9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400CB652C8N | EP20K400CB652C7N | EP20K400CB652C7ES | EP20K400EBC652-3N | EP20K400BC652-3 | EP20K400BC652-3V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) - same | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) - same | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) - same | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) - same | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) - same | BGA-652 (45x45 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Family / Sub-family | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC (ES screening) | APEX 20KE | APEX 20K | APEX 20K (V-grade) |
| Logic Elements | 16640 | 16640 | 16640 | 16640 | 16640 | 16640 | 16640 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.22 µm | 0.22 µm | 0.22 µm |
| Speed Grade / Max Fmax | C9 (~250 MHz) | C8 (~213 MHz) | C7 (~166 MHz) | C7 ES (~166 MHz) | -3 (3 ns pin delay) | -3 (3 ns pin delay) | -3 V (3 ns pin delay) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial, ES) | -40 °C to +100 °C (Industrial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial V-grade) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest internal Fmax in the APEX 20K BGA-652 family (vs EP20K400CB652C8N)
- 1.8 V core reduces power vs APEX 20K silicon (vs EP20K400BC652-3)
- Drop-in compatible within the APEX 20KC BGA-652 family (vs EP20K400CB652C7N)
Design Notes
The BGA-652 package has 1.27 mm ball pitch on a 45 × 45 mm body, requiring 6-8 layer PCB stack-up with microvia or laser-drilled via technology for fan-out escape routing. Use the manufacturer's recommended land pattern (NSMD pads with 0.55 mm diameter and solder mask-defined openings) and follow IPC-7351 guidelines for BGA land pattern tolerance. Signal layers should use 50 Ω controlled impedance (microstrip or stripline) for clocks and high-speed buses to preserve signal integrity at 100+ MHz.
Estimated: at 250 MHz internal clock with full 488 I/O toggling, the EP20K400CB652C9 can dissipate 4-6 W. The BGA-652 package has theta_JC on the order of 0.4 °C/W and theta_JA near 15 °C/W with adequate PCB copper. Design the PCB with at least 4 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill) under the central die region to conduct heat to internal ground planes, and avoid placing the BGA over thermal isolation cutouts in inner planes. For sealed industrial enclosures, derate internal junction temperature to keep below 100 °C at max ambient.
Do not confuse APEX 20KC (1.8 V core, 'C' suffix) with APEX 20K (2.5 V core, no 'C' in sub-family indicator) when ordering replacement parts. The 20KC and 20K silicon differ in core supply voltage and I/O bank configuration, so a 20K device on a 1.8 V supply will not function, and a 20KC on 2.5 V risks damage. Also verify the speed grade (C9/C8/C7/-3) matches the timing requirements of your Quartus II design compilation; mixing speed grades within a multi-FPGA design can cause timing analysis failures.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not present in the verified web results. APEX 20K family predates RoHS-mandated documentation in many cases; verify with the supplier before claiming RoHS/lead-free compliance. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGAs are not automotive-qualified in this family).
