EP20K600CF33C9 - APEX 20KC FPGA 600K Gates, 1020-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K600CF33C9 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $256.5 | $2,565.00 |
| 100 | $228 | $22,800.00 |
| 250 | $199.5 | $49,875.00 |
| 500 | $171 | $85,500.00 |
EP20K600CF33C9 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device containing an array of programmable logic blocks, embedded memory, and interconnect that an engineer can program post-manufacture to implement arbitrary digital logic. APEX 20KC sits within the FPGA category hierarchy: FPGA -> programmable logic device (PLD) -> logic IC -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. It supersedes the APEX 20K family by integrating high-speed LVDS interfaces and additional embedded memory, targeting high-bandwidth datapaths and parallel processing.
Key features include 24,320 logic cells, 588 user I/O, LVDS-compatible I/O on selected banks, dedicated dual-port RAM blocks, and JTAG-based in-system programmability (ISP) via the IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan interface. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package exposes the full I/O count and supports high-speed signal integrity required by multi-gigabit parallel buses. Embedded CAM blocks and true dual-port RAM accelerate table lookups and FIFO buffering without consuming logic resources.
Architecturally, the device uses a MultiCore architecture that combines look-up tables (LUTs), product-term logic, and embedded memory on a unified interconnect, allowing efficient mapping of both register-heavy datapaths and memory-intensive control structures. The 0.15 µm process and 1.8 V core power contribute to lower dynamic power than earlier APEX 20K devices at equivalent utilization.
Typical applications include telecom line cards, ATM switch fabrics, high-speed serial protocol bridges, ASIC prototyping, and DSP co-processing front-ends. The wide I/O count and embedded memory also suit parallel image-processing pipelines and high-density glue logic consolidation.
When designing, allocate JTAG access for ISP, place decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of every supply pin pair, and validate signal-integrity for simultaneous-switching outputs. Reference the APEX 20KC device handbook for I/O standard configuration, PLL settings, and Quartus II legacy support flow.
This page synthesizes distributor stock data, same-brand APEX 20K family drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated on the manufacturer legacy datasheet PDF.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K600CF33C9 — 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 EP20K600CF33C9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Configuration Interface, Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K600CF33C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$285.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF33C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$162.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF33C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$105.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF33C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF1020C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF1020C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF33C9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KC |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| System Gates | 600,000 (maximum) |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 24,320 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 250 MHz |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 303.03 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 2.0 ns |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V nominal (1.71 V to 1.89 V) |
| User I/O | 588 (4 dedicated inputs + 580 general-purpose I/O) |
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Embedded RAM | Dual-port RAM blocks (per family) |
| Programmability | JTAG / IEEE 1149.1 ISP, SRAM-based |
| Logic Block Architecture | MultiCore (LUT + product-term + embedded memory) |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, LVDS (per family datasheet) |
EP20K600CF33C9 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — User I/O bank (per datasheet ball map) |
| Pin A2 | I/O — User I/O bank (per datasheet ball map) |
| Pin B1 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage reference |
| Pin B2 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin C1 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.8 V nominal) |
| Pin C2 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin D1 | TCK — JTAG test clock (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin D2 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin E1 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin E2 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin F1 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin F2 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin G1 | DCLK — Configuration clock |
| Pin G2 | DATA0 — Configuration data input |
| Pin H1 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin H2 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin J1 | I/O — User I/O bank (per datasheet ball map) |
| Pin J2 | I/O — User I/O bank (per datasheet ball map) |
| Pin K1 | I/O — User I/O bank (per datasheet ball map) |
| Pin K2 | GND — Ground reference |
Typical Applications
EP20K600CF33C9 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line Card Glue Logic, ASIC Prototyping Platform, High-Speed Parallel Image Processing, ATM / Cell-Based Switch Fabric Interface, DSP Co-Processing Front-End, Industrial High-Density Glue Logic Consolidation.
Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The EP20K600CF33C9's 600K system gates and 588 user I/O make it a strong fit for telecom line-card glue logic, where it consolidates bus arbitration, framing, and protocol bridging between network processors, framers, and SERDES devices. The 250 MHz core frequency supports 8B/10B and HDLC framing at OC-48 line rates, while the 24,320 logic elements absorb multi-channel TDM switching fabrics. Embedded dual-port RAM blocks accelerate per-channel elastic buffers without consuming general LUT resources, and the 1.8 V core supply (1.71-1.89 V) simplifies integration with mixed-voltage backplanes. JTAG-based ISP enables in-field firmware updates on deployed line cards.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
With 600K system gates and 24,320 logic elements, the EP20K600CF33C9 provides sufficient capacity to prototype mid-complexity ASIC designs before tape-out. The MultiCore architecture combines LUTs, product-term logic, and embedded memory on a unified interconnect, allowing accurate modeling of mixed datapath and control logic typical of ASICs. The 588 user I/O permit breakout of wide ASIC buses to logic analyzers and validation benches, and the JTAG/IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan interface supports fast prototype bring-up. Designers typically iterate at 250 MHz core frequency with timing constraints derived from the eventual ASIC library, validating functional correctness before committing to mask sets.
Recommended
High-Speed Parallel Image Processing
The EP20K600CF33C9's wide 588 I/O count and embedded dual-port RAM blocks suit parallel image-processing pipelines, where the FPGA simultaneously ingests multiple camera or sensor data streams and performs real-time pixel-level operations. The 24,320 logic elements implement convolution kernels, thresholding, and color-space conversion, while embedded RAM buffers line and frame data without off-chip memory contention. At 250 MHz core frequency, multi-tap filters can sustain real-time HD video throughput; the 0.15 µm process keeps dynamic power manageable even with high utilization. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package supports controlled-impedance PCB routing required for parallel video buses above 100 MHz.
Recommended
ATM / Cell-Based Switch Fabric Interface
The EP20K600CF33C9 fits ATM and cell-based switch fabric interfaces where it implements cell delineation, queue management, and header translation at line-card rates. Its 24,320 logic elements handle per-VC queuing logic and policing functions, while the 588 user I/O connect to multiple PHY devices and UTOPIA-level interfaces. The 1.8 V core and 0.15 µm process deliver a favorable performance-per-watt profile for line-card thermal envelopes, and JTAG ISP permits field-upgradeable protocol stacks as ATM evolved toward MPLS. Embedded CAM blocks accelerate VPI/VCI lookup tables for fast cell forwarding decisions at 250 MHz.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Front-End
As a DSP co-processing front-end, the EP20K600CF33C9 pre-processes high-speed data streams before they reach a host DSP, performing decimation, filtering, and FFT pre-computation in hardware. Its 24,320 logic elements implement parallel FIR filters and pipelined FFT butterflies at 250 MHz, offloading significant compute from the host DSP and reducing system power. The 588 user I/O connect to multiple ADC/DAC channels with frame-sync distribution, while embedded dual-port RAM buffers time-domain samples between processing stages. The 1.8 V core supply integrates easily with mixed-voltage DSP and ADC systems.
Recommended
Industrial High-Density Glue Logic Consolidation
Industrial controllers often require consolidating dozens of discrete logic ICs, bus bridges, and custom state machines into a single programmable device; the EP20K600CF33C9 fits this role with 24,320 logic elements and 588 user I/O. Its MultiCore architecture supports both register-heavy PLC scan engines and product-term logic for legacy I/O mapping, while embedded RAM stores lookup tables for recipe management and runtime configuration. Operating from a 1.71-1.89 V core supply, the device integrates with industrial 3.3 V and 5 V I/O via on-chip bank references, and the FC-FBGA package withstands industrial thermal and vibration profiles when properly PCB-mounted.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K600CF33C9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K600CF33C8 | EP20K600CF33C8N | EP20K600CF33C7 | EP20K600CF33C7N | EP20K600CF1020C9 | EP20K600CF1020C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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-pin variant - same | 1020-pin variant - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Speed Grade | -9 | -8 | -8 | -7 | -7 | -9 | -8 |
| 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 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) | 1.8 V (1.71-1.89 V) |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in the EP20K600CF33 family (vs EP20K600CF33C8)
- Broader I/O availability than the -7 speed grade (vs EP20K600CF33C7)
- Same-density drop-in across the speed grade family (vs EP20K600CF1020C9)
Design Notes
Place decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of every VCCINT and VCCIO ball pair, using a mix of 0.1 µF X7R ceramic for high-frequency transients and 10 µF bulk tantalum or polymer for lower-frequency decoupling. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package demands a multilayer PCB with continuous ground and power planes directly under the BGA to provide a low-impedance return path. Use 4-6 inner power/ground layers to share current and reduce simultaneous-switching noise across the 588 I/O. Confirm via-in-pad and microvia stack-up per IPC-6012 Class 3 for high-reliability applications.
Route high-speed LVDS pairs with 100 Ω differential impedance and length-matching tolerance of ±10 mil (0.25 mm). Maintain at least 3W spacing between differential pairs and single-ended signals to minimize crosstalk. The APEX 20KC supports LVDS on selected I/O banks only; consult the device handbook's I/O bank map before committing a PCB layout. For multi-gigabit interfaces, simulate with the IBIS model to validate eye margins before fabrication.
Do not assume APEX 20KC FPGAs are supported by modern Quartus Prime - use the legacy Quartus II 32-bit version (Service Pack indicated in the device handbook) to avoid synthesis errors. Verify configuration mode (MSEL) settings against the selected boot source (EPCS, flash, JTAG); incorrect MSEL strapping leaves the device unconfigured. When migrating between speed grades (-9, -8, -7), re-run timing analysis because internal delay derating differs across grades.
Estimated: at 100% logic utilization with 250 MHz core toggle rate, the EP20K600CF33C9 dissipates approximately 3-5 W. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA package's θJA is approximately 12-15 C/W with a properly designed 4-layer PCB (per APEX 20KC package thermal model). Forced airflow (200 LFM minimum) is recommended for continuous high-utilization operation; confirm with a board-level thermal probe in worst-case ambient.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not explicitly stated in verified distributor data (as of 2026-09-08). Older Altera FPGAs were available in both leaded and lead-free variants; confirm with distributor lot documentation. AEC-Q100 not applicable for legacy FPGA.