EP20K400EBC652-3 - 400K Gates APEX 20KE FPGA 652-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K400EBC652-3 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $268.5 | $2,685.00 |
| 100 | $245 | $24,500.00 |
| 250 | $225 | $56,250.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
EP20K400EBC652-3 Overview
An FPGA is a reprogrammable semiconductor device that lets engineers implement custom digital logic by configuring an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, and I/O cells. APEX 20KE specifically belongs to the PLD (programmable logic device) family, sitting at the hierarchy FPGA -> programmable logic -> digital IC -> semiconductor. APEX 20KE devices pioneered System-on-a-Programmable-Chip (SOPC) integration by combining look-up-table logic, embedded memory blocks, and high-speed interconnect in a single die.
Key differentiating features include the MultiCore™ architecture that integrates look-up tables with embedded dual-port RAM, four dedicated clock pins plus four dedicated fast-input pins driving register control signals for low-skew distribution, and 16,640 cells with 212,992 bits of RAM. The device also supports in-system programmability via the Altera (now Intel) Quartus® toolchain. The BGA-652 footprint with 488 user I/Os (502 user pins per the digchip datasheet summary) makes this device a high-density logic platform for communication, ASIC prototyping, and DSP front-end applications.
Technically, the EP20K400EBC652-3 implements an SRAM-based configuration cell array, allowing unlimited reconfiguration through JTAG or configuration EPROMs. The speed grade -3 places it in the moderate-performance tier of the APEX 20KE family, suitable for designs where throughput beyond 100 MHz is not required on every path. The 0.22 µm CMOS process delivers a good balance of density, power, and cost at the expense of the latest low-power nodes.
Typical applications include telecommunications infrastructure such as ATM switches and SONET/SDH framer designs, ASIC prototyping for high-complexity glue logic, DSP data-path pre-processing, and bus-interface bridging in industrial backplanes. The 488 user I/Os and 16,640 cells make it suitable for high-bandwidth parallel interfaces.
When designing with this part, ensure your power tree delivers clean 1.8 V core and 2.5 V I/O rails with proper decoupling, account for the BGA-652 PCB layout and the BGA escape routing for all four clock pins. Quartus II (legacy) or Quartus Prime can synthesize, place-and-route, and program the device via JTAG or Altera configuration devices.
This page consolidates distributor stock, lifecycle data, drop-in variants in the Site MPN list, and design considerations not found in the standalone datasheet, helping engineers verify supply, identify speed-grade substitutions, and select a working APEX 20KE device for legacy designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400EBC652-3 — 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 EP20K400EBC652-3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Series, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400EBC652-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$142 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$60 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CB652I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$149.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CB652C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$158 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EBC652-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Series / Device | EP20K400E |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| System Gates | 400,000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 212,992 |
| User I/Os | 488 |
| User Pins (per datasheet summary) | 502 |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage | 2.5 V |
| Propagation Delay | 2.5 ns |
| Max Internal Frequency | 213 MHz |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Package | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 85 °C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP20K400EBC652-3 652-ball bga (bc-652) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400EBC652-3 (652-ball bga (bc-652) 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 EP20K400EBC652-3.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400EBC652-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Infrastructure (ATM/SONET Framers), ASIC Prototyping and Logic Emulation, Industrial Backplane Bus Interface Bridging, DSP Front-End Data-Path Pre-Processing, Legacy Embedded Compute and Glue Logic Consolidation, Networking Line-Card Glue and Protocol Bridging.
Telecommunications Infrastructure (ATM/SONET Framers)
The EP20K400EBC652-3's 400K system gates, 16,640 logic cells, and 488 user I/Os make it well suited to telecom framer and protocol-processing designs such as ATM cell builders and SONET/SDH mappers. The device's 213 MHz internal frequency and 2.5 ns propagation delay support STS-1/STM-0 channel rate aggregation with margin, while the 212 Kb of embedded dual-port RAM serves as cell/packet buffer memory. Pair it with a T1/E1 or Ethernet transceiver; the 652-ball BGA provides ample I/O to drive parallel backplanes. Compared with newer Stratix/Cyclone parts, this APEX 20KE remains useful for legacy telecom central-office designs where requalification of newer silicon is cost-prohibitive.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Logic Emulation
Engineers use the EP20K400EBC652-3 to prototype ASIC RTL pre-silicon, because the 16,640 cells, 488 user I/Os, and Quartus II synthesis flow allow the FPGA to mimic the gate count and pin count of mid-complexity ASICs. The MultiCore™ architecture combining look-up tables with embedded RAM closely matches typical ASIC building blocks, simplifying verification correlation. The 1.8 V core and 0.22 µm process make timing characteristics predictable for back-annotation. Compared with smaller FPGAs, the 652-ball BGA brings enough I/O to break out 32-bit buses plus test headers; use the dedicated clock pins (CLK0–CLK3) and fast-input pins for emulating source-synchronous interfaces. Designers should plan for a migration target once the ASIC tape-out is complete.
Recommended
Industrial Backplane Bus Interface Bridging
The EP20K400EBC652-3's 488 user I/Os in the BGA-652 footprint make it ideal for industrial backplane bridges that need to map VME, CompactPCI, or proprietary parallel buses to internal peripherals. The 16,640 cells provide enough logic to implement bus arbitration, parity generators, and interrupt controllers, while the 212 Kb embedded RAM buffers transactions at up to 213 MHz. The 2.5 V I/O is compatible with many 1990s-vintage industrial ASICs and transceivers, simplifying PCB integration. Pair the FPGA with a backplane transceiver (e.g., SN74LVTH245) and a real-time clock; the dedicated clock pins support deterministic bus timing. This is the preferred APEX 20KE device for factory-automation retrofit programs.
Recommended
DSP Front-End Data-Path Pre-Processing
In DSP front-end designs, the EP20K400EBC652-3 implements pre-processing stages such as FIR filtering, FFT windowing, and sample-rate conversion before handing data to a dedicated DSP processor. The 16,640 cells accommodate several 16-bit FIR filters in parallel, and the 212 Kb embedded RAM stores filter coefficients with single-cycle access. The 213 MHz internal frequency comfortably processes baseband signals up to ~50 MHz, and the 488 I/Os route digital sample streams from high-speed ADCs and DACs. The BGA-652 package allows fan-out to multiple parallel data converters. Compared with dedicated DSP ICs, the FPGA gives reconfigurable filter profiles that the DSP cannot match.
Recommended
Legacy Embedded Compute and Glue Logic Consolidation
The EP20K400EBC652-3 consolidates 74-series glue logic, bus transceivers, and interrupt controllers into a single APEX 20KE device for legacy embedded systems that are too costly to redesign. Designers can integrate 20–40 discrete MSI/SSI packages onto one 652-ball BGA, simplifying the PCB and reducing BOM cost. The 488 user I/Os absorb wide address/data buses, and the 2.5 V I/O is compatible with TTL/CMOS peripherals from the same era. Use Quartus II legacy flow to capture existing schematics as HDL and re-target the design to this part. This is a typical bridge strategy when a board refresh is needed but the system-level architecture cannot change.
Recommended
Networking Line-Card Glue and Protocol Bridging
In legacy router and switch line cards, the EP20K400EBC652-3 implements glue logic between network processors, PHY transceivers, and SRAM packet buffers. The 16,640 cells handle packet header parsing and queue management at line rate, while the 212 Kb embedded RAM provides CAM-style lookup tables for fast forwarding decisions. The 488 user I/Os in the BGA-652 package drive multi-port PHYs and parallel TCAM interfaces at up to 213 MHz. Pair the FPGA with a network processor such as the IXP1200 or AMCC 4400 and external ZBT SRAM. Compared with modern SoCs, this APEX 20KE remains useful for incremental line-card revs where ASIC re-spin is impractical.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400EBC652-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400EBC652-2X | EP20K400EBC652-2 | EP20K400EBC652-1X | EP20K400CB652I7 | EP20K400CB652C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) - same | Intel (formerly Altera) - same | Intel (formerly Altera) - same | Intel (formerly Altera) - same | Intel (formerly Altera) - same |
| Package | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) - same | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) - same | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) - same | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) - same | 652-ball BGA (BC-652) - same |
| Speed Grade | -3 (fastest) | -2X | -2 | -1X | I7 (industrial) | C7 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 85 C (commercial) | 0 to 85 C (commercial) | 0 to 85 C (commercial) | 0 to 85 C (commercial) | -40 to 100 C (industrial) | 0 to 85 C (commercial) |
| System Gates | 400,000 | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same |
| Logic Cells | 16,640 | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same |
| Embedded Memory | 212,992 bits | 212,992 bits - same | 212,992 bits - same | 212,992 bits - same | 212,992 bits - same | 212,992 bits - same |
| Core / I/O Voltage | 1.8 V / 2.5 V | 1.8 V / 2.5 V - same | 1.8 V / 2.5 V - same | 1.8 V / 2.5 V - same | 1.8 V / 2.5 V - same | 1.8 V / 2.5 V - same |
| Lifecycle Status | last_time_buy | last_time_buy | last_time_buy | last_time_buy | last_time_buy | last_time_buy |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest commercial speed grade in the APEX 20KE 400K-gate family (vs EP20K400EBC652-2X)
- Commercial temperature grade optimized for controlled environments (vs EP20K400CB652I7)
- High I/O density in BC-652 BGA package (vs EP20K400BC652-3V (smaller BGA variant))
Design Notes
Estimated: the APEX 20KE EP20K400E draws approximately 0.5 mA per logic cell and 5 µA per RAM bit at 1.8 V core with a 50 MHz toggle rate. For a fully utilized 16,640-cell design with 100% RAM utilization, total core current can reach 1.5–2.0 A under worst-case conditions. Use a buck regulator with at least 3 A peak capability for VCCINT and add 100 µF bulk plus 0.1 µF + 0.01 µF decoupling distributed every 10–15 BGA balls.
The 652-ball BGA escape requires either a 4-layer or 6-layer PCB with 4-mil trace/space to route all 488 user I/Os and dedicated clock/fast-input pins out of the array. Place 0.1 µF decoupling capacitors on the BGA bottom side directly beneath each power/ground ball pair. Use microvia-in-pad if the PCB fab supports it; otherwise route the power islands to outer pads with stitched ground pours to reduce inductance. Add a 4-layer controlled-impedance stack-up for high-speed LVDS or PECL routes.
Drive the four dedicated clock pins (CLK0–CLK3) from a low-jitter crystal oscillator (e.g., <50 ps RMS phase jitter) with a 50-Ω terminated transmission line if the distance exceeds 25 mm. Match trace lengths to within ±25 mil for any DDR or source-synchronous bus routed through the FPGA. Use IBIS simulation in Quartus II (legacy) or HyperLynx to verify signal integrity on I/O standards above 100 MHz; the 2.5 V I/O cannot drive 3.3 V TTL directly.
Do not confuse the EP20K400E (APEX 20KE, MultiCore, 1.8 V) with the EP20K400 (APEX 20K, 1.8 V without embedded multipliers) - they share the same datasheet family but different silicon features. Verify the bitstream compatibility before reuse. Also, do not assume drop-in equivalence to EP20K600EBC652-3: the higher-density part has a different bitstream and configuration map even though it shares the same BC-652 BGA. Finally, ensure your JTAG chain ordering matches the BSDL file from the APEX 20KE handbook when in-system programming.
Estimated: at 50% utilization, 1.8 V core, and 85 °C ambient, the EP20K400EBC652-3 dissipates approximately 2.5–3.5 W. The BGA-652 package has a typical theta-JA of 18 °C/W with 1 sq. in. copper pour; junction temperature rises to 95–110 °C under worst-case conditions, which is within the 125 °C maximum for commercial grade. For industrial applications using EP20K400CB652I7, verify the thermal envelope at 100 °C ambient; consider thermal vias under the center balls to spread heat into an internal ground plane.
Compliance Information
RoHS/lead-free status not explicitly confirmed in the verified web data; Altera legacy parts were originally lead-bearing but later revisions may have been lead-free. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGA. Conflict-minerals compliance per Altera (now Intel) corporate policy. Customers must verify RoHS compliance at order time for last-time-buy APEX 20KE parts.
