EP20K600CB652I7 - 600K Gate APEX 20KC FPGA BGA-652 | Intel
MPN: EP20K600CB652I7 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $195 | $19,500.00 |
| 250 | $168 | $42,000.00 |
| 500 | $149 | $74,500.00 |
EP20K600CB652I7 Overview
An APEX 20KC FPGA is a programmable logic device that combines look-up table (LUT) based logic elements, embedded system blocks (ESBs) for memory and specialized functions, and a high-bandwidth MultiCore interconnect. The APEX family sits within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic -> FPGA -> SRAM-based FPGA -> PLD (programmable logic device) -> semiconductor, and is the predecessor to the Stratix/Arria series that Intel (formerly Altera) ships today. APEX 20KC was widely used in telecom line cards, DSP front-ends, and high-speed bus bridges during the early 2000s.
Key differentiating features of the EP20K600CB652I7 include 488 user I/O pins (4 dedicated inputs plus 480 I/O lines), four embedded PLL-style clock blocks per row, embedded system blocks configurable as dual-port RAM, ROM, or CAM, MultiVolt I/O support for interfacing with 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5.0 V buses, and JTAG-based IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan plus in-system programmability. The 652-ball FineLine BGA exposes a generous number of differential pairs and global clock networks, which is why the part was popular in communications infrastructure.
In terms of architecture depth, the 24,320 logic elements are organised into MegaLAB structures of 16 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), each LAB containing 10 Logic Elements (LEs). ESBs can be configured as 4 Kbit memory blocks, and the MultiCore interconnect provides predictable routing delays that scale with fan-out rather than die position, simplifying timing closure versus earlier FPGAs.
Typical applications include telecommunications backplane glue logic, high-speed serial protocol bridging (UTOPIA, POS-PHY, SPI-4.2), DSP co-processing front-ends, image and video pipeline processing, and PCI bus bridging. The wide I/O count also makes it well suited to test instrumentation and ASIC prototyping platforms.
When designing with the EP20K600CB652I7, ensure the 1.8 V core rail has bulk decoupling close to the BGA, provide proper MultiVolt reference biasing for any 5 V-tolerant banks, and respect the JTAG chain ordering if the device is cascaded with other programmable logic on the board. A thermal copper pour under the BGA is recommended because the -7 industrial speed grade can dissipate several watts under full utilisation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing for the obsolete APEX 20KC family, same-brand Intel/Altera drop-in alternatives that share the 652-ball footprint, and practical design notes that are not consolidated in the original datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K600CB652I7 — 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 EP20K600CB652I7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Device Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K600CB652C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1320 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$305 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C7ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C7E5
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$105 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652I8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652I7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KC |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS, SRAM-based |
| System Gates | 600,000 |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 375.94 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.6 ns |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V (1.71 V to 1.89 V range) |
| User I/O Count | 488 (4 dedicated inputs + 480 I/O) |
| Number of Outputs | 480 |
| Package | 652-ball FineLine BGA (LBGA, 1.27 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (industrial, 'I' suffix) |
| Speed Grade | -7 |
| Programming Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1), in-system programmable |
| Embedded Memory | ESBs configurable as dual-port RAM / ROM / CAM |
| MultiVolt I/O Support | 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V tolerant banks |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
EP20K600CB652I7 652-ball fineline bga (lbga, 1.27 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K600CB652I7 (652-ball fineline bga (lbga, 1.27 mm pitch) 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 EP20K600CB652I7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K600CB652I7 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Backplane Glue Logic, High-Speed Protocol Bridging, DSP Co-Processing Front-End, Image and Video Pipeline Processing, PCI Bus Bridging, ASIC Prototyping Platform.
Telecom Backplane Glue Logic
The EP20K600CB652I7's 488 user I/Os and 24,320 logic elements make it well suited to telecom backplane glue logic where bus bridging, parity generation, and protocol conversion are required. The 652-ball BGA exposes enough global clock networks and differential pairs to support parallel backplane buses, while the APEX 20KC MultiCore interconnect gives predictable routing delays across the die. In one typical use, the FPGA bridges a UTOPIA / POS-PHY interface to an internal ASIC, replacing several discrete CPLDs and saving PCB area. Industrial temperature rating (-40 °C to +85 °C) covers outdoor base-station enclosures, and 5 V-tolerant MultiVolt I/O banks interface directly to legacy 5 V backplane transceivers without level shifters.
Recommended
High-Speed Protocol Bridging
The EP20K600CB652I7 is frequently used as a parallel-bus bridge between ASICs, network processors, and ASSPs. With 375 MHz internal performance and 488 I/O, the device can implement wide parallel interfaces such as SPI-4.2, UTOPIA Level 2/3, and PCI 64-bit with parity, all on a single chip. The ESBs (embedded system blocks) provide the dual-port RAM needed for packet buffering, eliminating external SRAM in many designs. Industrial temperature and -7 speed make it viable for both carrier-grade and ruggedised embedded systems, while the 652-ball BGA exposes enough I/O to terminate multiple parallel buses simultaneously. A typical reference design consumes less than half of the logic elements and uses roughly a quarter of the I/O.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Front-End
The EP20K600CB652I7 was widely deployed as a DSP co-processing front-end that handles high-bandwidth preprocessing before data is handed to a dedicated DSP or GPP. With 24,320 logic elements the device can implement FIR filters, FFT address generators, sample-rate converters, and ADPCM codecs entirely in fabric. The ESBs provide the dual-port RAM needed for sample buffering, while the 375 MHz internal clock handles sustained sample rates well above 100 MSPS. Industrial temperature rating lets the FPGA sit close to the ADC on a daughter card without thermal derating, and the 1.8 V core keeps power dissipation manageable in dense signal-processing channels.
Recommended
Image and Video Pipeline Processing
The EP20K600CB652I7's combination of 600 K system gates, ESB-based line buffers, and 488 I/O pins makes it a viable pipeline processor for image and video applications such as medical imaging front-ends, machine-vision frame grabbers, and broadcast video routers. The 652-ball BGA exposes enough pins to interface directly to parallel digital video buses (e.g. BT.1120, Camera Link), while the embedded system blocks can be configured as line buffers, lookup tables for gamma correction, or dual-port RAM for frame storage. The -7 industrial speed grade sustains 375 MHz internal rates, sufficient for real-time HD video at 148.5 MHz pixel clock plus margin for pipeline latency.
Recommended
PCI Bus Bridging
The EP20K600CB652I7 was a popular PCI bridge solution in the early 2000s because it can implement a full 64-bit/66 MHz PCI master/target with parity and other side signals in fabric, with abundant logic elements left over for application logic. The 652-ball BGA exposes 488 I/Os which can comfortably absorb both the 64-bit PCI bus plus the local side bus, and the 1.8 V core keeps the device within the PCI 5 V signalling envelope via the MultiVolt I/O banks. Industrial temperature rating makes the FPGA suitable for industrial backplane and embedded computing platforms.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Designers frequently chose the EP20K600CB652I7 as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because 24,320 logic elements are large enough to map mid-complexity ASICs (300 K to 500 K gates) when combined with multiple APEX 20KC devices. The 652-ball BGA exposes enough I/O to break out the entire ASIC pin list, while the JTAG-based in-system programming allows rapid design-iteration cycles. The ESBs map easily onto ASIC RAM macros, and the MultiVolt I/O banks let the FPGA emulate ASIC I/O standards without level translators. Industrial temperature rating lets the same prototype board validate in both lab and field environments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K600CB652I7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K600CB652C7 | EP20K600CB652C7N | EP20K600CB652C8 | EP20K600CB652I8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 652-ball LBGA (1.27 mm pitch) | 652-ball LBGA (1.27 mm pitch) - same | 652-ball LBGA (1.27 mm pitch) - same | 652-ball LBGA (1.27 mm pitch) - same | 652-ball LBGA (1.27 mm pitch) - same |
| Family | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC | APEX 20KC |
| System Gates | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 |
| Speed Grade | -7 (fastest) | -7 | -7 | -8 (slower by ~10%) | -8 (slower by ~10%) |
| Operating Temperature | Industrial -40C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Commercial 0C to +70C | Industrial -40C to +85C |
| Max Internal Frequency | 375.94 MHz | 375.94 MHz | 375.94 MHz | ~338 MHz (slower bin) | ~338 MHz (slower bin) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial -40C to +85C temperature grade with -7 (fastest) speed bin (vs EP20K600CB652C7)
- Same-density APEX 20KC silicon as the EP20K600CB652C7 family (vs EP20K600CB652I8N)
- 652-ball FineLine BGA exposes 488 user I/Os (vs EP20K400CB652I7)
Design Notes
Estimated: At 375 MHz with 50% logic utilisation the EP20K600CB652I7 draws approximately 1.5-2.0 A from the 1.8 V core rail (2.7-3.6 W). Use a low-impedance 1.8 V plane with bulk ceramic decoupling (47 µF tantalum + 10 µF + 0.1 µF) within 1 cm of the BGA. The MultiVolt I/O banks draw additional current that scales with switching frequency and bank voltage (5 V banks draw the most). Include a VCCIO plane per bank voltage to avoid ground bounce.
The 652-ball FineLine BGA at 1.27 mm pitch requires 4-6 layer PCB stack-up with microvia-in-pad for breakout. Escape routing on the top layer should use 0.1 mm (4 mil) trace-and-space with the second layer dedicated as a continuous GND pour for return paths. Place at least four 4x4 via arrays under the BGA thermal balls for thermal relief, and stitch the perimeter with GND vias every 5 mm to control EMI from the MultiVolt I/O edges.
APEX 20KC MultiVolt I/O banks require VREF bias for any bank driving a 5 V TTL/CMOS bus. Tie VREF to the midpoint between VCCIO and GND (typically 2.5 V for a 5 V tolerant bank) through a 10 kΩ resistor with 0.1 µF bypass. Unused I/O pins should be configured as outputs driving low or as inputs with internal pull-ups to avoid floating-input oscillation that injects noise into adjacent banks.
Do not assume the EP20K600CB652I7 is compatible pin-to-pin with the APEX 20K (non-KC) family - the KC suffix denotes faster ESBs and a different speed-grade curve. Verify the Quartus APEX 20KC device library is installed before synthesising, and respect the JTAG chain order if cascading with other programmable logic. Finally, the APEX 20KC is NOT recommended for new designs - prefer Stratix or Cyclone for active lifecycle support.
Compliance Information
Compliance information not present in the verified web data. APEX 20KC family was originally released in the early 2000s before RoHS was mandated on most FPGA packages; some variants (e.g. the C7N suffix) indicate lead-free reflow compatibility but full RoHS / REACH status must be verified with the specific distributor's certificate of conformance.
