EP20K600CF1020I8 - 600K Gate APEX 20KC FPGA, 1020-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K600CF1020I8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $485 | $485.00 |
| 10 | $445 | $4,450.00 |
| 100 | $398 | $39,800.00 |
| 500 | $360 | $180,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $325 | $325,000.00 |
EP20K600CF1020I8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that combines the integration density of a custom ASIC with the flexibility of software-reconfigurable hardware. FPGAs occupy the top of the programmable-logic taxonomy: PLD > CPLD > FPGA. APEX 20KC devices extend classical PLD/CPLD architecture with embedded memory, embedded multipliers (for DSP functions), and high-speed I/O, making them suitable for system-on-chip integration in communications, image processing, and high-performance data-path designs.
The EP20K600CF1020I8 provides 4 dedicated input pins, a high-performance MultiCore interconnect fabric, and supports configuration via the Passive Serial, Passive Parallel Synchronous, Passive Parallel Asynchronous, and JTAG modes. The 'I' suffix denotes the industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C ambient), and the '8' speed grade places it in the mid-band of APEX 20KC speed options. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package exposes the full I/O count of the silicon, while still requiring careful PCB layout for power, ground, and decoupling.
Architecturally, the EP20K600CF1020I8 implements the APEX 20KC LUT-based logic element, MegaLAB block structure, and embedded array blocks (EABs) used for memory or specialized logic. The 0.15 um process allows 1.8V core operation, with multi-voltage I/O supporting mixed-voltage interfacing to surrounding ASICs, microprocessors, and memory devices.
Typical applications include telecommunications infrastructure (SONET/SDH framer, ATM switch fabric), high-speed image and video processing pipelines, DSP co-processing, custom protocol bridging, and high-performance industrial control systems. The combination of high logic density, generous I/O, and embedded multipliers makes it a natural choice for designers migrating gate-array or ASIC prototypes to programmable hardware.
A key design consideration is signal integrity on the BGA escape routing. With 1020 balls on a fine-pitch flip-chip BGA, designers must plan power and ground planes, controlled-impedance traces, and decoupling capacitor placement from the schematic stage; otherwise power-rail collapse and logic-rail noise will limit achievable Fmax. Thermal management is also important - although APEX 20KC is fabricated on a 0.15 um process, the high gate utilization produces appreciable power dissipation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-package alternatives from the APEX 20KC family, and practical design notes for high-density BGA FPGA implementation that are not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K600CF1020I8 — 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 EP20K600CF1020I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Maximum Operating Frequency.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K600CF1020I7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$105 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$115 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1320 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF1020C9
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF1020C8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF1020I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KC |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 |
| System Gates | 600,000 |
| Maximum User I/O | 588 |
| Dedicated Input Pins | 4 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 301.21 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 um CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C ambient) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33x33 mm) |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial, Passive Parallel Sync/Async, JTAG |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP20K600CF1020I8 1020-ball fc-fbga (33x33 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K600CF1020I8 (1020-ball fc-fbga (33x33 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 EP20K600CF1020I8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K600CF1020I8 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Infrastructure, High-Performance Image and Video Processing, DSP Co-Processing and Arithmetic Acceleration, Custom Protocol Bridging and ASIC Prototyping, Industrial Control and Automation, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The EP20K600CF1020I8's 600K system gates, 588 user I/Os, and embedded multipliers make it a strong fit for telecom framer, mapper, and protocol-conversion designs. With 24,320 logic elements and 4 dedicated input pins, the device can implement multi-channel SONET/SDH framers, ATM cell processors, and custom HDLC/PPP bridges in a single device. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C) meets outside-plant and central-office deployment requirements. The 1.8V core and MultiCore interconnect fabric allow complex datapath-heavy designs at clock rates up to approximately 301 MHz, while the BGA's abundant I/O provides the parallel bus width required for STS-1 / STM-1 and higher-rate telecom interfaces.
Recommended
High-Performance Image and Video Processing
The EP20K600CF1020I8's embedded multipliers and high gate count make it well-suited to image-processing pipelines (FIR filters, motion estimation, color-space conversion). The 588 I/O pins allow direct connection to multi-channel video ADCs/DACs and DDR memory buses, while the 24,320 logic elements can host parallel pixel pipelines at video line rates. The 1.8V core keeps dynamic power lower than larger-node FPGAs for the same throughput. Industrial temperature grade supports camera and machine-vision deployments in factory environments. Embedded array blocks (EABs) can be configured as line buffers or frame-store memory, removing the need for external SRAM in cost-sensitive designs.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing and Arithmetic Acceleration
The APEX 20KC architecture adds embedded multiplier blocks that the EP20K600CF1020I8 uses to accelerate FIR, IIR, and FFT operations in DSP co-processor roles. Designers can offload MAC-heavy kernels (modem signal processing, beamforming, codec functions) from a host DSP or microprocessor onto the FPGA's parallel datapath. The 600K gates can hold dozens of independent filter channels, while 588 I/Os connect to multiple high-speed ADC/DAC streams. Industrial temperature grade suits outdoor wireless base-station and avionics deployments where commercial-grade parts would otherwise require thermal derating.
Recommended
Custom Protocol Bridging and ASIC Prototyping
The EP20K600CF1020I8's high logic density and 588 I/Os allow it to bridge between incompatible bus protocols (PCI, VME, custom backplanes, RapidIO, proprietary memory buses) in a single device. It is also widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle: designers map RTL onto the 24,320 LEs to validate functionality before taping out an ASIC. Industrial temperature grade supports defense, aerospace, and industrial-control prototypes that must operate in harsh environments. The 1020-ball BGA package exposes nearly the full I/O count, while configuration via JTAG allows rapid design-iteration cycles during prototype bring-up.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
The EP20K600CF1020I8's industrial temperature range (-40C to +100C), abundant I/O, and high logic density suit PLC-style controllers, motion-control loops, and high-speed data acquisition in factory automation. The 588 I/Os can directly drive stepper/servo interfaces, encoder feedback, isolated digital I/O, and analog front-end chips. The 24,320 logic elements host real-time control loops at kHz-MHz rates, while embedded multipliers handle DSP-style filters for vibration analysis or torque-loop compensation. The 1020-ball BGA with proper thermal design supports sealed enclosures with limited airflow.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP20K600CF1020I8's combination of high gate count, embedded multipliers, and 588 user I/Os makes it useful in protocol-aware test equipment: logic-analyzer capture blocks, BERT pattern generators, and ATE pin electronics. The 24,320 logic elements can implement deep stimulus/response comparators, while 1.8V core operation keeps heat manageable in densely populated ATE racks. Industrial temperature grade supports lab and field-test environments. The 1020-ball BGA package exposes enough I/O to drive high-channel-count test heads; JTAG configuration simplifies in-the-field firmware updates between test campaigns.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K600CF1020I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K600CF1020I7 | EP20K600CB652C8 | EP20K600CB652C8N | EP20K600CB652C7 | EP20K600CF1020C9 | EP20K600CF1020C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| System Gates | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 7 (slower) | 8 (same) | 8 (same) | 7 (slower) | 9 (faster) | 8 (same) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | RoHS compliant (lead-free) | RoHS compliant | RoHS compliant | RoHS compliant (N suffix) | RoHS compliant | RoHS compliant | RoHS compliant |
| Unit Price (qty 1, as of 2026-09-08) | USD 485 | USD 460 (lower) | USD 430 | USD 435 | USD 410 (lower) | USD 510 (higher) | USD 470 |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade (vs EP20K600CF1020C8)
- Mid-band speed grade 8 (vs EP20K600CF1020I7)
- APEX 20KC DSP multipliers (vs APEX 20K (non-KC) EP20K600BC652-3)
Design Notes
The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package has a fine BGA pitch and requires a multi-layer PCB (typically 8-12 layers) with at least one dedicated ground plane and one dedicated VCCINT (1.8V) plane. Decoupling capacitors (0.1 uF X7R plus 10 uF bulk) must be placed directly beneath the BGA footprint on the bottom side of the package via micro-vias; insufficient decoupling causes power-rail collapse and limits achievable Fmax.
Estimated: at high toggle rate with 60-80% logic utilization, the EP20K600CF1020I8 can dissipate 5-15 W. With typical FC-FBGA theta-JA around 12-15 C/W on a 4-layer PCB, junction temperature can rise 60-90 C above ambient. Ensure airflow or attach a heatsink; for sealed enclosures, derate operating frequency or utilization, and validate thermal performance with the manufacturer's PowerPlay / Power Calculator tools (pre-Quartus-era APEX tools use the APEX Power Calculator spreadsheet).
BGA escape routing requires matched-length differential pairs for LVDS and controlled-impedance single-ended traces (typically 50 ohm to VCCIO/2). Use the package's IBIS model (Altera provided ap20kc.ibs) for signal-integrity simulation before final layout. Mismatched impedance on high-speed I/O produces reflections that the FPGA's I/O buffers cannot correct, leading to setup/hold violations at the highest toggle rates.
Configuration mode selection must match the design's boot scheme: the EP20K600CF1020I8 supports PS, PPS, PPA, and JTAG, and the MSEL pins must be tied correctly at power-up. Mixing MSEL settings between prototype (JTAG) and production (PS from serial PROM) is a common source of first-power-up failure. Also, the 'I8' suffix denotes industrial grade - do not substitute with commercial-grade 'C8' parts (e.g. EP20K600CF1020C8) for outdoor or industrial deployments.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Intel/Altera datasheet. APEX 20KC devices are not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGAs are not generally AEC-Q100 unless explicitly stated). Lead-free BGA balls per the 'CF' suffix. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated for this mature product; refer to Intel/Altera material declaration for confirmation.
