EP20K400GC655-3X - 400K Gates APEX-20KC FPGA | Intel/Altera
MPN: EP20K400GC655-3X ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $94.7 | $94.70 |
| 10 | $88.5 | $885.00 |
| 100 | $80.2 | $8,020.00 |
| 500 | $72 | $36,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $65 | $65,000.00 |
EP20K400GC655-3X Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device that lets engineers implement arbitrary digital logic, DSP, and on-chip memory after PCB fabrication. The APEX-20KC family specifically introduced system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration by merging look-up-table logic, product-term logic, and embedded memory into a unified MultiCore fabric, allowing single-chip implementation of glue logic, register-intensive datapaths, and FIFO/dual-port RAM buffers without external devices.
Key differentiating features include 212,992 bits of distributed and embedded memory, 16,640 logic cells, the -3 speed grade targeting 167 MHz internal clock rates, and the -X suffix indicating a ceramic CPGA (CPGA655) package with extended environmental tolerance. The device supports LVDS I/O when paired with the APEX 20KE family datasheet variants, Hot-Socketing for live insertion, and the Quartus/MAX+PLUS II development flow with Boundary-Scan (IEEE 1149.1 JTAG).
Architecturally, the EP20K400GC655-3X uses Altera's MultiCore logic array, MegaLAB structures that group 16 Logic Elements (LEs) plus an Embedded System Block (ESB) of 2 Kbits. Product-term logic supports fast arithmetic and state machines, while LUT logic accelerates register-intensive datapaths. The 2.5 V VCCINT core and separate VCCIO banks enable mixed-voltage interfacing with 1.8 V, 2.5 V, and 3.3 V peripherals on the same die.
Typical applications include high-throughput telecommunications backplanes, industrial DSP and image-processing pipelines, military and aerospace systems requiring ceramic CPGA packaging, ASIC prototyping platforms, and complex glue-logic replacement in compute and storage systems where 400K gates and 212 Kbit embedded memory can absorb complete sub-systems on one device.
When designing with the EP20K400GC655-3X, confirm thermal management for the ceramic CPGA (θJA around 10 °C/W typical for natural convection, exact figure per datasheet) and ensure your tool flow supports the -3 speed grade; Altera Quartus II and MAX+PLUS II are the primary supported toolchains. The -3X package is rated for extended-temperature and MIL-spec-style environments, making it the preferred choice where plastic BGA equivalents are not acceptable.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative listings, and practical design notes that are not aggregated on the manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers evaluate lifecycle status and pick a compatible substitute.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K400GC655-3X — 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 EP20K400GC655-3X (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Family, Package Type, Speed Grade, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K400GC655-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$310 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400GC655-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400GC655-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$193.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400GC655-3V
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$160 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400GC655-2V
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400GC655-1V
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$555 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400GC655-3X Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX-20KC |
| Family | APEX 20K (MultiCore architecture, LUT + product-term + embedded memory) |
| Manufacturer | Altera (now Intel FPGA) |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| System Gates | 400,000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 212,992 bits |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 167 MHz (speed grade -3) |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.71 V to 1.89 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 2.5 V (LVDS support per APEX 20KE datasheet) |
| Package / Case | 655-BCPGA (CPGA655, 62.48 x 62.48 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole (CPGA, ceramic) |
| Speed Grade | -3 (fastest) |
| Suffix Code | -X (extended / ceramic CPGA variant) |
| JTAG / Boundary Scan | IEEE 1149.1 (per APEX 20K family) |
EP20K400GC655-3X 655-bcpga (cpga655, 62.48 x 62.48 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K400GC655-3X (655-bcpga (cpga655, 62.48 x 62.48 mm) 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 EP20K400GC655-3X.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K400GC655-3X is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Backplane Bridging, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Military and Aerospace Avionics, Industrial DSP and Image Processing Pipelines, Complex Glue-Logic and Bridge Replacement, Data Storage and Server Control Path.
Telecommunications Backplane Bridging
The EP20K400GC655-3X suits telecom backplane bridging because its 16,640 logic cells and 212,992 bits of embedded RAM can absorb multi-port ATM, SONET, or Ethernet datapaths while the -3 speed grade sustains 167 MHz internal clocks required for 622 MHz STS-12 / STM-4 framing. Its 1.71 V to 1.89 V VCCINT core pairs with 2.5 V LVDS I/O to interface legacy line cards. Compared with modern Cyclone IV replacements, the APEX-20KC's MultiCore fabric integrates LUT and product-term logic in one die, reducing latency for high-speed pointer processors.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
For ASIC prototyping the EP20K400GC655-3X offers 400K system gates and 16,640 logic elements on a 0.22 µm process that closely emulates mid-1990s ASIC geometries, making it ideal for re-validating legacy gate-level netlists. The 212,992 bits of embedded RAM serve as dual-port FIFOs and register files without external SRAM. Engineers migrating to modern emulation should note that Quartus II 9.1 or earlier is required because current Intel Quartus Prime releases have dropped APEX 20K support.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Avionics
The -X suffix denotes ceramic CPGA packaging and extended temperature screening, which qualifies the EP20K400GC655-3X for avionics, flight-control computers, and military radar signal processing where plastic packages fail reliability audits. Its radiation-tolerance characteristics on 0.22 µm CMOS, combined with the rugged BCPGA solder column interconnects, allow it to survive thermal cycling, vibration, and shock profiles. Designers should consult the APEX 20KE datasheet for LVDS I/O limits and use Altera's military-grade Quartus II flow for SEU analysis.
Recommended
Industrial DSP and Image Processing Pipelines
The EP20K400GC655-3X's MultiCore architecture combines LUT-based register-rich datapaths with product-term arithmetic for FFT, FIR, and convolution kernels commonly used in machine-vision and industrial imaging pipelines. At 167 MHz internal fMAX, the device delivers sufficient throughput for 8-bit grayscale or 16-bit precision video at moderate frame rates. The 212,992 bits of embedded RAM provide line buffers and coefficient tables without external memory access penalties. Consider Cyclone IV EP4CE115 for new designs needing higher DSP block density.
Recommended
Complex Glue-Logic and Bridge Replacement
When a board houses multiple 74-series TTL chips, PAL/GAL devices, or discrete CPLDs, the EP20K400GC655-3X can absorb an entire glue-logic island on one programmable device, simplifying PCB layout and reducing BOM count. Its 400K gates comfortably host address decoding, bus arbitration, interrupt controllers, and FIFOs in a single chip. The 655-pin ceramic CPGA provides 496 user I/Os (per Altera-Micro datasheet), enough to bridge legacy 32-bit and 64-bit buses simultaneously. Migration to Cyclone V 5CEFA7 is recommended for new designs.
Recommended
Data Storage and Server Control Path
Legacy RAID controllers, storage area network (SAN) switches, and high-end disk arrays used the EP20K400GC655-3X for command queuing, ECC encoding, and SERDES glue logic. The device's 212 Kbit embedded RAM supports scatter-gather table lookup and command buffer FIFOs, while its LVDS-capable I/O at 2.5 V links to Fibre Channel or SCSI interfaces. Engineers maintaining these systems today rely on Rochester Electronics for factory-traceable spares. Plan a Cyclone V 5CEFA7 or Stratix V migration for new board spins.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K400GC655-3X — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K400GC655-3 | EP20K400GC655-3V | EP20K400GC655-2X | EP20K400GC655-1X | EP20K400GC655-2V | EP20K400GC655-1V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 655-BCPGA (CPGA655, 62.48 x 62.48 mm) | 655-BCPGA - same | 655-BCPGA - same | 655-BCPGA - same | 655-BCPGA - same | 655-BCPGA - same | 655-BCPGA - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel FPGA) | Altera - same | Altera - same | Altera - same | Altera - same | Altera - same | Altera - same |
| Speed Grade | -3 (167 MHz) | -3 (167 MHz) - same | -3 (167 MHz) - same | -2 (~133 MHz) | -1 (~100 MHz) | -2 (~133 MHz) | -1 (~100 MHz) |
| Logic Elements | 16,640 | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same | 16,640 - same |
| Total RAM Bits | 212,992 | 212,992 - same | 212,992 - same | 212,992 - same | 212,992 - same | 212,992 - same | 212,992 - same |
| System Gates | 400,000 | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same | 400,000 - same |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.71 V to 1.89 V | 1.71 V to 1.89 V - same | 1.71 V to 1.89 V - same | 1.71 V to 1.89 V - same | 1.71 V to 1.89 V - same | 1.71 V to 1.89 V - same | 1.71 V to 1.89 V - same |
| Package Suffix / Screening | -X (extended temperature, ceramic CPGA) | Standard CPGA temp grade | V-screened variant | -X (same extended screening, -2 speed) | -X (same extended screening, -1 speed) | V-screened variant, -2 speed | V-screened variant, -1 speed |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest speed grade on the 655-pin ceramic CPGA footprint (vs EP20K400GC655-2X)
- Extended-temperature ceramic CPGA screening for high-reliability environments (vs EP20K400GC655-3)
- Identical pinout and software model with the standard CPGA variant (vs EP20K400GC655-3V)
Design Notes
The EP20K400GC655-3X VCCINT core draws substantial current (estimated 1-3 A under full toggle load per APEX 20KC datasheet) at 1.71 V to 1.89 V, requiring a low-dropout regulator such as an LT1585 or TPS74401 with at least 10% headroom and bulk decoupling of 4 x 100 µF tantalum plus 0.1 µF ceramics placed within 1 cm of each VCCINT pin pair. The VCCIO 2.5 V rail should be sourced from a separate low-noise LDO to keep switching noise below the LVDS 50 mV peak-to-peak budget.
Estimated: with all 16,640 logic cells switching at 167 MHz in the 655-pin ceramic CPGA package (θJA ~10 °C/W natural convection, value to be confirmed against the APEX 20KE datasheet), worst-case power dissipation can approach 5-8 W, producing a junction-to-ambient rise of 50-80 °C above ambient. A heatsink or forced-air cooling is required for continuous full-load operation. Place a thermal couple or RTD on the ceramic lid during qualification testing to verify TJ stays below 125 °C.
The 655-pin ceramic CPGA through-hole footprint requires plated-through-holes on a 2.54 mm (0.1 inch) pitch grid spanning 62.48 mm x 62.48 mm. Use a 4-layer or 6-layer PCB with continuous power and ground planes beneath the package. Add guard traces around JTAG (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, TRST) routed to a 10-pin header for in-system programming. Socket the device (e.g., 3M Textool or Aries CPGA socket) in development fixtures to avoid repeated soldering thermal stress on the ceramic package.
Estimated input-by-pin-count: 655 pins / 2 ≈ 320 user I/O pins, of which 496 are user I/Os per the Altera-Micro listing (verify against the APEX 20KC datasheet). A common pitfall is over-assigning LVDS pairs; the APEX-20KC LVDS implementation requires matched length traces (within 50 mil) and a 100 Ω differential termination. Never apply voltage to any I/O before VCCINT and VCCIO are powered - the device does not support hot-socketing without proper sequencing and will latch up. Finally, use the -X temperature-grade part only if your design actually needs the extended range; the standard CPGA variant is cheaper and more available.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not available from Verified Web Data. Ceramic CPGA packages from the APEX 20KC era (0.22 µm process, early 2000s) are historically not RoHS-compliant because they used SnPb solder columns; consult Rochester Electronics for the latest REACH and RoHS documentation. AEC-Q100 is not applicable because the part is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC. Verify with the original Altera datasheet or authorized distributor for definitive compliance statements.
