EP20K400EFC672-2N - APEX 20KE 400K Gates FPGA 672-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K400EFC672-2N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $256.5 | $2,565.00 |
| 100 | $228 | $22,800.00 |
| 500 | $199.5 | $99,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $171 | $171,000.00 |
EP20K400EFC672-2N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells that can be re-programmed to implement arbitrary digital logic. APEX 20KE belongs to Intel/Altera's MultiCore architecture family which integrates look-up table (LUT) logic with embedded memory blocks (ESBs), placing it within the broader hierarchy: programmable logic device -> CPLD/FPGA -> system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) platform.
Key features include 212,992 system gates equivalent capacity (per manufacturer ordering information), four-phase PLL clock management for on-chip clock synthesis, and embedded system blocks (ESBs) for distributed SRAM. The MultiCore architecture combines fine-grained LUT logic with coarse-grained embedded array blocks (EABs), enabling both data-path and control logic on a single die. The device supports in-system programmability via IEEE 1149.1 JTAG and serial configuration schemes.
Typical applications include high-speed data processing prototypes, telecommunications line cards, industrial automation controllers, and rapid prototyping of digital signal processing pipelines. The 672-ball FBGA package provides ample signal integrity headroom for DDR memory interfaces and multi-channel LVDS signalling.
Designers should use the Altera Quartus II design suite (legacy) for place-and-route and timing closure. Power sequencing of the 1.8 V VCCINT and 2.5 V VCCIO rails must follow Altera's APEX 20KE reference design to avoid JTAG configuration failures. Note that APEX 20KE is a mature, NRND/EOL family; long-lead-time orders should be confirmed with authorized distributors.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes for the EP20K400EFC672-2N that are not consolidated on the legacy Altera datasheet, accelerating BOM validation and procurement decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400EFC672-2N — 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 EP20K400EFC672-2N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Family, Process Technology, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400EFC672-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-1XN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400CFC672-9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$325 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-2N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| System Gates | 400,000 (1,052,032 max) |
| Maximum User I/Os | 488 |
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA |
| Process Technology | 0.22 um CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 2.5 V |
| Propagation Delay (tpd) | 2.5 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) |
| Total Pins | 672 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (FBGA) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) + serial |
| Embedded Memory | Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) |
EP20K400EFC672-2N 672-ball fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400EFC672-2N (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 EP20K400EFC672-2N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400EFC672-2N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Card Prototype, High-Speed Industrial Data Acquisition, Legacy ASIC Replacement / FPGA Conversion, Image Processing Front-End Pre-Processor, Automotive Test & Validation Equipment, Military / Aerospace Ruggedized Subsystem.
Telecommunications Line Card Prototype
The EP20K400EFC672-2N's 16,640 logic elements, four-phase PLL clock tree, and 488 user I/Os make it well-suited for prototyping telecom line cards where multi-channel LVDS and DDR memory interfaces must be implemented alongside glue logic. The 672-ball FC-FBGA package supplies enough balls for parallel DDR bus plus JTAG plus system monitoring. Compared to a CPLD, the APEX 20KE delivers sufficient logic capacity for full data-path + control-plane integration in a single device. Engineers typically pair this FPGA with a TI TLK2711 serializer and Micron DDR SDRAM; the 1.8 V VCCINT rail keeps total board power manageable while sustaining the 223 MHz internal frequency required for STS-1/STS-3 framing logic. Expect ~3-5 W dissipation on a typical line-card reference design.
Recommended
High-Speed Industrial Data Acquisition
For industrial multi-channel data acquisition systems, the EP20K400EFC672-2N provides 16,640 LEs and 488 I/Os to implement parallel ADC interfacing, FIR filter pipelines, and timing-and-control state machines on a single chip. Its 0.22 um CMOS core runs at 1.8 V VCCINT, which keeps on-chip power dissipation reasonable when many EAB-based multiply-accumulate blocks are active simultaneously. The 672-FBGA footprint supports dense PCB escape routing needed for 16+ channel LVDS ADC banks. Pair with an AD7606 16-bit ADC and a TI ISO7240 digital isolator; the FPGA's 2.5 V VCCIO bank can directly drive LVCMOS-25 ADC inputs without level shifters. Quiescent power is typically 1.5-2 W plus dynamic load.
Recommended
Legacy ASIC Replacement / FPGA Conversion
The EP20K400EFC672-2N is a frequent choice for ASIC-to-FPGA conversions where a 400K-gate ASIC must be re-implemented on programmable logic for low-volume production or engineering prototypes. Its 16,640 logic elements and EAB-based embedded memory blocks can map typical ASIC RTL with minimal re-coding. The 672-ball FC-FBGA footprint accommodates the wide I/O ring needed to replicate ASIC pad-out. Use Synopsys Design Compiler FPGA or Mentor LeonardoSpectrum to map ASIC gates, then place-and-route with Quartus II. Compared to modern Cyclone, the APEX 20KE is preferred here because legacy ASIC netlists and timing constraints from the original design can be ported with minimal re-validation, accelerating time-to-market for sustaining engineering.
Recommended
Image Processing Front-End Pre-Processor
In image-processing front ends, the EP20K400EFC672-2N handles Bayer-to-RGB conversion, color-space matrix multiplication, and histogram equalization as a pre-processor before data is shipped to a DSP or CPU. The 488 I/Os and four PLL channels simplify multi-camera input synchronization at pixel clock rates up to 100 MHz. The 672-FBGA package routes 16-bit parallel camera data plus control without bottlenecks. Pair with an OV5640 image sensor and TI TMS320C55x DSP for downstream JPEG compression. The 0.22 um process and 1.8 V VCCINT deliver ~80% of the performance of newer FPGAs at significantly lower cost, making this part attractive for cost-sensitive industrial imaging.
Recommended
Automotive Test & Validation Equipment
Although EP20K400EFC672-2N is not AEC-Q100 qualified, it is widely used in bench-test and validation equipment that exercises automotive ECUs. The 16,640 LEs emulate CAN/LIN/FlexRay bus traffic patterns, sensor signal conditioning, and fault injection scenarios. The 488 I/Os allow simultaneous multi-bus monitoring. For new automotive designs prefer AEC-Q100 qualified parts, but for test equipment the APEX 20KE remains popular because Quartus II toolchain maturity simplifies test-pattern re-compilation. The 672-FBGA package supports the high pin-count breakout needed for multi-ECU harnesses. Pair with NXP TJA1050 CAN transceivers and an STM32 host controller for the test sequencer.
Recommended
Military / Aerospace Ruggedized Subsystem
For ruggedized military and aerospace subsystems, the EP20K400EFC672-2N provides programmable logic capacity suitable for command-and-data handling, encryption accelerators, and sensor-fusion pipelines. Although the commercial 0-85 C grade is not radiation-hardened, extended-temperature lots are available through authorized distributors for benign-orbit applications. The 672-ball FC-FBGA package's hermetic-compatible footprint suits ruggedized PCB stack-ups. Pair with Microsemi (now Microchip) rad-hard memory and a TI Hercules safety MCU for fault-tolerant control. This part is a sustaining-engineering choice for fielded programs where redesign cost is prohibitive and the APEX 20KE bitstream is already flight-proven.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400EFC672-2N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400EFC672-2 | EP20K400EFC672-1N | EP20K400EFC672-1XN | EP20K400EFC672-1 | EP20K400CFC672-9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| 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 |
| Family | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20KE | APEX 20K (non-E) |
| Logic Elements | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | -2 (commercial) | -2 (same) | -1 (slower) | -1 (slower, lead-free) | -1 (slower) | -9 (different family) |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 2.5 V (APEX 20K, not KE) |
| Lead-Free Processing | Process dependent | Process dependent | Process dependent | Yes (explicit Pb-free) | Process dependent | Process dependent |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in APEX 20KE FC-FBGA family (vs EP20K400EFC672-1N)
- APEX 20KE (1.8 V core) vs APEX 20K (2.5 V core) (vs EP20K400CFC672-9)
- Fine-pitch FC-FBGA with 0.8 mm ball pitch (vs EP20K400EBC652-2X (652-ball BGA))
Design Notes
The APEX 20KE family requires both 1.8 V VCCINT and 2.5 V VCCIO rails. Power sequencing: VCCINT must ramp to 1.8 V before or simultaneously with VCCIO at 2.5 V; reverse sequencing or simultaneous ramp can trigger JTAG configuration failures. Estimated: at typical utilization (60% LEs, 25% EABs, 50% I/O toggle), VCCINT current is ~1.5 A and VCCIO current is ~1.0 A. Use a TI TPS7A4501 or equivalent 1.8 V LDO for VCCINT with at least 3 A headroom and add 22 uF + 0.1 uF decoupling per 16 VCCINT balls. VCCIO can be supplied by a 2.5 V buck regulator (e.g., TPS54331) sized for transient response on switching I/O banks.
The 672-ball FC-FBGA package has a small exposed thermal pad region under the die that should be soldered to a PCB thermal plane with thermal vias. Estimated theta_JA is ~12 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board; at 3 W total dissipation the junction rises ~36 C above ambient. For enclosed industrial enclosures, add a copper pour on inner layers stitched to the BGA thermal balls with 0.3 mm thermal vias at 1.2 mm pitch. Without a thermal pad the device will throttle or fail during continuous high-utilization workloads.
PCB layout for the 672-ball FC-FBGA requires microvia (laser-drilled) technology with via-in-pad allowed. Use 0.8 mm ball pitch with 0.4 mm trace/space rules per JEDEC MO-195 land pattern guidance. Escape routing from inner rows should use a dog-bone or via-in-pad microvia stack-up; through-hole vias on signal traces will not fit between BGA balls. Reference designators and JTAG chain layout should isolate TCK/TMS/TDO/TDI from high-speed LVDS pairs by at least 3W spacing. Altera's AN-359 reference design provides a complete PCB stack-up example for 8-layer FR-4.
Common pitfalls when designing with EP20K400EFC672-2N: (1) configuring the device with Quartus Prime (modern) instead of Quartus II legacy - the APEX 20KE device library only exists in Quartus II 9.0 or earlier; (2) leaving VCCINT floating during JTAG boundary-scan tests causes the JTAG TAP controller to mis-behave - always power the core rail before issuing JTAG commands; (3) treating the 'N' suffix in the MPN as a quality grade - it indicates packaging/tray variant, not a different speed grade; (4) assuming APEX 20K (non-E) and APEX 20KE are interchangeable - the core voltage differs (2.5 V vs 1.8 V) and the silicon is not bit-compatible.
Compliance Information
EP20K400EFC672-2N is an NRND Altera/Intel legacy FPGA. RoHS, REACH, lead-free, and halogen-free status are not consistently documented across distributor pages; the APEX 20KE family predates the 2006 RoHS directive. AEC-Q100 is not applicable (commercial 0-85 C grade only). Date-code-specific compliance confirmation is required from authorized distributors before designing into a RoHS-mandated end product.
