EP20K400EFC672-1N - 400K Gates APEX 20KE FPGA, BGA-672 | Intel
MPN: EP20K400EFC672-1N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $252 | $2,520.00 |
| 100 | $220 | $22,000.00 |
| 500 | $195 | $97,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $175 | $175,000.00 |
EP20K400EFC672-1N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a reconfigurable semiconductor containing programmable logic blocks, interconnect, and I/O cells that engineers can program post-manufacture to implement custom digital circuits. Within the broader hierarchy, FPGAs sit between general-purpose microcontrollers and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), offering hardware-level parallelism with software-like design flow. The APEX 20KE series is Intel's (formerly Altera's) MultiCore architecture family that combines four architectural elements - LUTs, product-term logic, embedded array blocks (EABs), and FastTrack interconnect - to support both register-rich datapaths and memory-intensive functions on one die.
Key features of the EP20K400EFC672-1N include 16,640 logic elements, 502 user I/Os, 4 PLLs for clock management, embedded system blocks, and dedicated double-data-rate (DDR) support. The MultiCore architecture lets designers allocate logic between look-up table regions and embedded array blocks, optimizing for either combinational density or on-chip memory. The device supports in-system programmability via the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface, allowing configuration refresh without removing the part from the board.
Typical applications include high-speed digital signal processing, telecommunications backplane interfaces, protocol bridging, custom peripheral controllers, and ASIC prototyping. The 400K-gate density suits designs that have outgrown smaller CPLDs but do not yet require a structured ASIC NRE investment. Designers typically target APEX 20KE for glue-logic aggregation, bus interface conversion, and pre-silicon validation of next-generation ASICs.
When designing with this FPGA, plan power sequencing for the 1.8 V VCCINT before the 2.5 V VCCIO rail to avoid I/O latch-up. Verify JTAG chain integrity during bring-up, and use Intel's Quartus II design suite (the legacy toolchain for APEX 20KE) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure. The part is also available in the EFC672-1N speed/temperature grade; alternative grades include -1X (extended temp) and -2 (faster speed).
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative listings from the same Intel APEX 20KE family, and practical design notes not found in the legacy APEX 20KE datasheet, giving engineers a faster path to BOM decisions on legacy Altera silicon.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400EFC672-1N — 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 EP20K400EFC672-1N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400EFC672-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-1X
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K400EFC672-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$199.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-1XN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CFC672-9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$325 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K300EFC672-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$250 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-1N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| System Gates | 400,000 |
| User I/Os | 502 (488 per Mouser listing) |
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 2.5 V |
| Maximum Core Frequency | 368 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 2.5 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 85 °C (industrial) |
| Architecture | MultiCore (LUT + product-term + EAB) |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP20K400EFC672-1N 672-ball fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400EFC672-1N (672-ball fc-fbga 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 EP20K400EFC672-1N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400EFC672-1N is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Pre-Silicon Validation, Telecommunications Backplane Interface Bridging, Custom Peripheral Controllers for Industrial Systems, Legacy Military/Aerospace Sustainment Programs, High-Speed DSP Datapath Acceleration, Bus Interface Conversion and Protocol Emulation.
ASIC Prototyping and Pre-Silicon Validation
The EP20K400EFC672-1N is widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle, providing 400K system gates and 16,640 logic cells to emulate a custom ASIC design before committing to mask sets. The MultiCore architecture lets designers map both register-rich datapaths and memory blocks (via embedded array blocks) onto the same fabric, mirroring the heterogeneous structure of typical ASICs. At 368 MHz maximum core frequency and 2.5 ns propagation delay, it can keep pace with most ASIC clock domains up to 150 MHz, supporting real-time validation of control logic, bus interfaces, and DSP datapaths. The 672-ball FC-FBGA package exposes 502 user I/Os, enough to break out prototype signals for bench testing.
Recommended
Telecommunications Backplane Interface Bridging
In telecom backplanes, the EP20K400EFC672-1N bridges between legacy bus protocols (PCI, UART, parallel data) and modern high-speed serial interfaces. Its 400K gates and 502 user I/Os let designers implement multi-channel protocol converters and packet buffers on a single FPGA, replacing stacks of glue logic. The four PLLs provide independent clock domains for asynchronous backplane segments, while embedded array blocks (EABs) hold lookup tables for routing tables or framing patterns. The 1.8 V core / 2.5 V I/O split matches typical telecom ASIC rails, simplifying power tree design.
Recommended
Custom Peripheral Controllers for Industrial Systems
Industrial controllers often need custom peripheral interfaces that off-the-shelf microcontrollers cannot provide, and the EP20K400EFC672-1N fills this gap with 16,640 logic cells and 502 I/Os. Engineers can implement motor-control PWM generators, encoder interfaces, isolated I/O expanders, and proprietary fieldbus protocols on a single device. The industrial operating temperature range (0 °C to 85 °C) covers most factory-floor enclosures, while the JTAG interface supports in-system firmware refresh during commissioning. MultiCore architecture enables product-term logic for fast deterministic control paths alongside LUT regions for state machines.
Recommended
Legacy Military/Aerospace Sustainment Programs
Many military and aerospace platforms designed in the late 1990s and early 2000s use APEX 20KE FPGAs as central control logic, and the EP20K400EFC672-1N is a sustainment part for these long-life programs. Its mature silicon and stable design tools (Quartus II legacy releases) make it suitable for re-spins that must preserve bit-for-bit firmware compatibility. The 672-ball FC-FBGA package is widely supported by defense-industry PCB houses, and the 1.8 V/2.5 V split rail matches MIL-STD-704 power systems. Program managers rely on this part for decades-long field support without redesigning hardware.
Recommended
High-Speed DSP Datapath Acceleration
DSP systems that require parallel multiplier-accumulator chains, FFT pipelines, or filter banks can offload compute-intensive blocks onto the EP20K400EFC672-1N. With 16,640 logic cells and 368 MHz core frequency, the fabric delivers ample parallel resources for fixed-point DSP operations. The four PLLs generate the multiple clock phases needed for time-interleaved pipelines, and embedded array blocks hold coefficient tables for FIR/IIR filters. Designers typically pair this FPGA with an external ADC/DAC pair for radar, sonar, or instrumentation front ends.
Recommended
Bus Interface Conversion and Protocol Emulation
The EP20K400EFC672-1N is well-suited to bus interface conversion tasks such as PCI-to-PCI Express bridging, VME-to-Ethernet gateways, or custom parallel-to-serial adapters. With 502 user I/Os, it can fan out multiple legacy buses while aggregating them into high-speed serial links. The MultiCore architecture lets designers implement both fast register-rich FIFOs (using EABs) and complex state machines (using LUTs) on the same die, eliminating external glue logic. The 1.8 V core and 2.5 V I/O supplies match the rails used by companion bus-interface ASICs of the same era.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400EFC672-1N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400EFC672-1 | EP20K400EFC672-1X | EP20K400EFC672-3 | EP20K400EFC672-1XN | EP20K400CFC672-9 | EP20K300EFC672-1N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Family | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20K (non-E) | APEX 20KE |
| System Gates | 400,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 300,000 |
| Speed Grade | -1 (fastest) | -1 | -1X | -3 (slowest) | -1X | -9 | -1 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest speed grade in 672-ball FC-FBGA within APEX 20KE family (vs EP20K400EFC672-3)
- MultiCore architecture with embedded array blocks (vs EP20K400CFC672-9 (APEX 20K))
- Maximum density in the 672-ball FC-FBGA footprint (vs EP20K300EFC672-1N)
Design Notes
Power sequencing must enforce VCCINT (1.8 V) reaching stability before VCCIO (2.5 V) ramps, or I/O latch-up can permanently damage the device. Use a power-on-reset supervisor or sequenced LDO pair (e.g., 1.8 V then 2.5 V with a 10 ms delay) to guarantee the order. Decouple each VCCINT ball with a 0.1 µF X7R ceramic plus a 10 µF bulk capacitor, placed within 5 mm of the package. The 16,640 logic cells can draw significant dynamic current during configuration; budget at least 1.5 A on the 1.8 V rail for typical designs.
Estimated: At 368 MHz toggling rate across 16,640 cells with average 30 % utilization, total dynamic power approximates 1.5 W to 2.5 W. The FC-FBGA-672 thermal pad must be soldered to a continuous ground plane with thermal vias (0.3 mm pitch, 9+ vias minimum) to keep junction temperature below 125 °C. Without the thermal pad connection, junction temperature can exceed 100 °C in still air and trigger thermal-induced timing failures. Use a 4-layer PCB with dedicated ground/power planes for best heat spreading.
Configuration file loading via JTAG requires the Quartus II programmer tool with the correct device ID; using a generic SVF file without checking the device IDCODE can leave the FPGA unconfigured. Avoid hot-plugging the device while VCCINT is present, as I/O pins can back-power the core through ESD diodes. Always specify the -1N speed/temperature grade explicitly in the BOM, since substituting -1, -1X, or -3 without re-running timing analysis can introduce setup/hold violations. The MultiCore architecture's product-term logic uses a different synthesis mapping than pure LUT regions; constrain your RTL accordingly in Quartus II to avoid unintended inference paths.
The 672-ball FC-FBGA uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch requiring HDI PCB fabrication (laser-drilled microvias or stacked vias). Route signal traces on inner layers with 0.1 mm trace/space rules, and keep all BGA fan-out within the package escape region. Match-length critical clock and DDR signals to within ±25 mil to avoid setup/hold violations at 368 MHz. The JTAG chain (TCK/TMS/TDO/TDI) should be guarded by 33 Ω series termination at the driver to suppress ringing.
Compliance Information
Compliance status for EP20K400EFC672-1N not explicitly stated in verified web data; designers should request a compliance certificate from Intel or the distributor before committing to RoHS-bound assemblies.