EP20K400CF672I8 - APEX 20KC FPGA 400K Gates 488 I/O | Intel
MPN: EP20K400CF672I8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
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| 1 | $0 | $0.00 |
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EP20K400CF672I8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a type of programmable logic device (PLD) that integrates configurable logic blocks (LABs), embedded memory arrays (ESBs), and I/O elements on a single die. The APEX 20KC family extends the APEX 20K architecture with MultiCore architecture combining LUT-based logic with embedded memory, occupying the same role in the broader taxonomy as other SRAM-based FPGAs from Xilinx Virtex and later Stratix families. The -I8 speed grade and industrial temperature range (-40 °C to +100 °C) make this device suitable for compute-intensive embedded systems that require deterministic logic density and high I/O bandwidth.
Key features of the EP20K400CF672I8 include 16,640 logic elements (LEs), 212,992 RAM bits organized as embedded system blocks (ESBs), 488 user I/O pins, JTAG boundary-scan (IEEE 1149.1) support for in-system configuration, 1.8 V core with MultiVolt I/O supporting 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V interfaces, and in-system programmability (ISP) via serial configuration or passive/active serial modes using EPC configuration devices. The device includes dedicated clock management circuitry with four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for high-speed clock synthesis and skew control.
The APEX 20KC architecture uses a MultiCore interconnect that links distributed logic, embedded memory, and I/O through a four-level hierarchy of FastRow and FastColumn interconnects. This design delivers high utilization rates even when implementing mixed logic-and-memory functions such as FIFOs, dual-port RAM, and content-addressable memory, while keeping predictable timing closure for synchronous designs clocked at 100–200 MHz.
Typical applications include high-performance data-path processing in telecom line cards, parallel DSP co-processing in industrial imaging and machine vision, ASIC prototyping for SoC verification, glue-logic and bus-bridging in communications backplanes, and protocol-agnostic packet processing in network equipment. The wide 488-I/O footprint simplifies board-level fan-out to DDR-style memory buses and LVDS parallel channels.
When designing with this device, ensure the configuration scheme (passive serial, active serial, JTAG, or parallel) is selected before PCB layout, since configuration pin usage affects board routing. Thermal management must consider the FC-FBGA substrate, which relies on forced airflow or a heatsink for sustained 301 MHz operation; provide at least 200 LFM at 70 °C ambient for industrial-grade deployments. Decoupling must include 0.1 µF and 0.01 µF low-ESL ceramics within 5 mm of every VCC and VCCIO pin pair.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, package-level compatibility data, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers source and integrate the EP20K400CF672I8 with confidence.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400CF672I8 — 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 EP20K400CF672I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400CF672I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$620 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CF672I7
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$190.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CF672C9
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$390.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CF672C8
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$108 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CF672C7
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$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CF672C-8
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$95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CF672I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KC |
| Series | EP20K400 |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Device Type | FPGA - Field Programmable Gate Array |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| System Gates | 400,000 |
| Embedded Memory (RAM bits) | 212,992 |
| Number of Logic Macros | 1664 |
| User I/O Pins | 488 |
| Supply Voltage - Core | 1.8 V |
| I/O Voltage (MultiVolt) | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 301.21 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Speed Grade | I8 |
| Package Type | 672-pin FC-FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Operating Temperature (Industrial) | -40 °C to +100 °C |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Configuration Method | Passive Serial / Active Serial / JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| PLLs | 4 |
EP20K400CF672I8 672-pin fc-fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400CF672I8 (672-pin fc-fbga (fineline bga) 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 EP20K400CF672I8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400CF672I8 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecom Line Card Data-Path Processing, ASIC Prototyping and SoC Verification, Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision, Parallel DSP Co-Processing, Network Equipment and Protocol Bridging, Glue Logic and Bus Bridging in Industrial Backplanes, Legacy Aerospace and Avionics Retrofit.
Telecom Line Card Data-Path Processing
The EP20K400CF672I8 fits telecom line-card applications because its 16,640 logic elements combined with 212,992 bits of embedded memory (ESBs) deliver 400,000 system gates and 488 user I/O pins in a single 672-ball FC-FBGA package. At its 301 MHz core frequency, the FPGA can implement multi-channel framer/MAC/HDLC engines, parallel crossbar switches, and 64-bit/66-bit POS-PHY interfaces without external glue logic. The 1.8 V core with MultiVolt I/O supports 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, and 3.3 V bus voltage mixing, which is essential when interfacing legacy bus devices alongside modern ASICs. The four on-chip PLLs let designers derive multiple clock domains for TDM buses, SERDES framing, and backplane synchronization. Estimated: a typical 256-channel STS-1 cross-connect consumes ~12,000 LEs and 96 Kbit ESBs, leaving headroom for protection switching logic. Compared to a discrete ASIC solution, this single-chip approach cuts BOM cost and shortens time-to-market for next-generation SDH/SONET equipment.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and SoC Verification
The EP20K400CF672I8 is widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because its MultiCore architecture emulates million-gate ASICs at near-ASIC clock speeds. With 400,000 system gates and 16,640 LEs distributed across LABs and ESBs, designers can map multi-million-gate SoC sub-systems and validate software before tape-out. The 488 user I/O pins break out enough signals to connect external memory, JTAG trace probes, and PCIe-style edge connectors. The I-8 industrial speed grade and -40 °C to +100 °C operating range make this device suitable for prototype boards that must operate in lab and chassis environments. JTAG-based in-system programmability via the Altera USB-Blaster accelerates bring-up iterations, while the EPC configuration EPROMs (EPC16/EPC8) enable standalone boot for unattended validation runs. Compared to simulation, real hardware prototyping at 100–200 MHz catches race conditions and reset bugs that RTL simulation often misses.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision
Machine-vision systems require real-time pixel pipelines with deterministic latency, and the EP20K400CF672I8 meets this need by combining 400,000 system gates with 212,992 ESB memory bits for line buffers, look-up tables, and histogram accumulators. The FPGA can implement multi-tap FIR filters, Bayer demosaicing, color-space conversion, and edge-detection kernels running at 100–200 MHz, while the 488 user I/O pins carry Camera Link LVDS pairs and 32-bit pixel buses. Its 1.8 V core and MultiVolt I/O allow direct interfacing to 1.8 V image sensors without external level shifters, while legacy 3.3 V motor-control and lighting triggers can share the same board. The four on-chip PLLs synthesize the pixel clock, line-trigger, and exposure-control frequencies from a single oscillator. Industrial-grade -40 °C to +100 °C operation supports factory-floor deployments where consumer-grade parts fail. Estimated: a 4-tap 5×5 Sobel pipeline uses ~3,500 LEs and runs comfortably at 120 MHz pixel rate.
Recommended
Parallel DSP Co-Processing
Parallel DSP coprocessing for sonar, radar, and software-defined radio benefits from the EP20K400CF672I8's 16,640 logic elements and 212,992 ESB bits arranged in a MultiCore interconnect optimized for Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) primitives. The 400K system gates can host a 16-tap FIR array, an FFT butterfly network, or a polyphase filter bank running at 200 MHz sample rates, while the 488 user I/O pins drive DDR-style sample memories and LVDS ADC/DAC data links. The four PLLs derive independent clocks for the ADC, DAC, and processor interface, eliminating external clock-generation chips. Industrial temperature range and 301 MHz internal frequency guarantee headroom for oversampled systems that require deterministic latency. Estimated: a 1024-point radix-4 FFT uses ~6,000 LEs and fits well within the 16,640-LE budget, leaving room for windowing and bit-reversal logic on the same die.
Recommended
Network Equipment and Protocol Bridging
The EP20K400CF672I8 is well suited to protocol bridging between legacy TDM/E1/T1 and modern Ethernet backplanes in router and switch line cards. Its 16,640 logic elements and 212,992 ESB bits host HDLC controllers, MLPPP framer/deframer blocks, and 64-bit/66-bit PCS layers in parallel, while the 488 user I/O pins connect directly to SPI-4.2/POS-PHY bus lanes. The 1.8 V core combined with MultiVolt I/O supports 2.5 V and 3.3 V SERDES interconnect without external level translation, reducing BOM count. The four PLLs synthesize per-channel clocks from a single board oscillator, simplifying jitter budget analysis. Industrial temperature grade ensures reliable operation in non-climate-controlled telecom shelters. Compared to a discrete ASSP bridge, the programmable APEX 20KC lets OEMs support multiple protocol variants in firmware without respinning hardware, dramatically shortening the engineering change cycle.
Recommended
Glue Logic and Bus Bridging in Industrial Backplanes
Industrial backplanes frequently require custom glue logic to bridge VME, CompactPCI, and proprietary parallel buses, and the EP20K400CF672I8 is a natural fit because of its 488 user I/O pins and 400K system gates. The FPGA can implement bus arbiters, interrupt controllers, DMA engines, and FIFO buffers simultaneously, while the 212,992 ESB bits host large mailbox FIFOs that smooth bursty backplane traffic. MultiVolt I/O lets the same die talk to 3.3 V legacy cards and 1.8 V modern ASICs in the same chassis, simplifying board stack-up. The I-8 industrial speed grade guarantees operation at -40 °C to +100 °C, which is essential in factory automation enclosures where ambient temperatures swing widely. Compared to multiple discrete CPLDs and FIFOs, a single APEX 20KC reduces board area, BOM count, and inventory SKUs.
Recommended
Legacy Aerospace and Avionics Retrofit
The EP20K400CF672I8's industrial temperature range and BGA-package robustness make it suitable for retrofit programs that need to replicate obsolete ASIC functionality in modern avionics and aerospace systems. The 16,640 logic elements provide enough capacity to re-implement legacy MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and discrete-signal interfaces in a single die, while the 488 user I/O pins expose the parallel bus widths required for legacy backplane compatibility. The 1.8 V core with MultiVolt I/O allows direct connection to modern FPGAs and ASICs operating at 3.3 V or 2.5 V, easing mixed-vintage integration. The four PLLs provide the deterministic, low-jitter clocks demanded by synchronous serial avionics buses. Note that new aerospace programs typically require -Q automotive or military temperature grades; consult the original Altera datasheet for grade qualification before deployment.
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Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400CF672I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400CF672I7N | EP20K400CF672I7 | EP20K400CF672C9 | EP20K400CF672C8 | EP20K400CF672C7 | EP20K400CF672C-8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-pin FC-FBGA (27 × 27 mm, 1 mm pitch) | 672-pin FC-FBGA (identical) | 672-pin FC-FBGA (identical) | 672-pin FC-FBGA (identical) | 672-pin FC-FBGA (identical) | 672-pin FC-FBGA (identical) | 672-pin FC-FBGA (identical) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Family | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC |
| Logic Elements | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 | 212,992 |
| User I/O | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40 °C to +100 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +100 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +100 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) |
| Speed Grade | -8 (I8) | -7 (I7, slightly slower) | -7 (I7, slightly slower) | -9 (C9, comparable) | -8 (C8, equivalent) | -7 (C7, slightly slower) | -8 (C-8, equivalent) |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS | 0.15 µm CMOS | 0.15 µm CMOS | 0.15 µm CMOS | 0.15 µm CMOS | 0.15 µm CMOS | 0.15 µm CMOS |
Key Differentiators
- Largest user-I/O variant in the APEX 20KC 400K family (vs EP20K400CB652I8)
- Industrial temperature grade plus -8 speed grade (vs EP20K400CF672C8)
- 400,000 system gates with on-chip PLLs and embedded memory (vs EP20K200CF484C8)
Design Notes
The EP20K400CF672I8 requires a low-noise 1.8 V core supply capable of delivering up to 1.5 A under worst-case toggling conditions. Use an LDO or DC-DC converter with <50 mV peak-to-peak ripple, and place 0.1 µF + 0.01 µF low-ESL ceramic decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of every VCCINT/VCCIO ball pair. The MultiVolt I/O banks can be powered independently at 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, or 3.3 V, but all banks must be powered before configuration begins.
Estimated: with 100 % toggle rate and 488 active I/O at 1.8 V core, total power consumption can exceed 2.5 W, raising junction temperature by approximately 50 °C above ambient at θJA = 20 °C/W. Provide at least 200 LFM airflow across the FC-FBGA package, or attach a small heatsink via thermal pad. Industrial-grade operation to +100 °C junction requires ambient no higher than +50 °C without airflow.
The 672-ball FC-FBGA uses 1 mm ball pitch and requires a 4-layer or 6-layer PCB with controlled-impedance routing for high-speed LVDS and clock signals. Route JTAG and configuration signals (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, TRST, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, nCONFIG) with 50 Ω trace impedance and keep them away from switching power lines. Microvia or HDI PCB technology is strongly recommended for fan-out of the inner balls.
Do not confuse MSEL pin strapping when selecting passive serial, active serial, or JTAG-only configuration; an incorrect strap will prevent bitstream loading. Always include an EPC configuration EPROM (EPC16, EPC8, EPC4, EPC2, or EPC1) on the board for standalone boot, even if JTAG is used during bring-up. Power-on ramp must satisfy VCCINT ≤ VCCIO − 0.5 V sequencing to avoid latch-up on the MultiVolt I/O cells.
Differential LVDS pairs on the APEX 20KC require 100 Ω differential termination at the receiver, placed within 5 mm of the FPGA ball. Match trace lengths within 5 mil to preserve duty cycle on clock pairs, and use 4× the 1 ns rise-time as the max stub length rule for SDR data buses. Place reference ground vias every 200 mil along high-speed traces to maintain continuous return-path impedance.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance not stated in the verified web data. APEX 20KC was originally designed for industrial / telecom markets, but a definitive EU RoHS certificate must be requested from Intel/Altera customer support. AEC-Q100 qualification is not applicable to general-purpose FPGAs.
