EP20K600CF672I7 - APEX 20KC 600K-Gate FPGA, 672-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP20K600CF672I7 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $268.5 | $2,685.00 |
| 100 | $252 | $25,200.00 |
| 500 | $235 | $117,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $220 | $220,000.00 |
EP20K600CF672I7 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable digital IC whose logic, memory and routing resources are defined after manufacture by a configuration bitstream. The APEX 20KC family sits in the hierarchy FPGA -> programmable logic device -> PLD -> semiconductor. APEX 20KC devices in particular combine a sea-of-logic architecture with embedded system blocks for on-chip memory, providing a balance of register-rich datapath logic and structured SRAM/CAM. The -7 industrial speed grade places EP20K600CF672I7 in the slow-grade of APEX 20KC timing, optimized for 1.8 V low-power operation.
Key features of the EP20K600CF672I7 include 24,320 logic elements, up to 311,296 bits of embedded memory, support for LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, HSTL and SSTL I/O standards, and a FineLine BGA-672 package measuring 27 mm × 27 mm with 1.00 mm ball pitch. The device supports in-system programmability via IEEE 1149.1 JTAG and is configured through Altera's Quartus design software (legacy: MAX+PLUS II), allowing designers to implement high-speed datapaths, bus interfaces, and protocol bridges.
The FineLine BGA-672 package offers an ideal balance between thermal performance, signal-integrity pin count, and board-routing density. Combined with its 508 available user I/O, the EP20K600CF672I7 can interface with wide external memories (DDR, ZBT, QDR) and multiple parallel bus standards. The device's 0.15 µm process and 1.8 V VCCINT deliver favorable power-per-gate figures versus earlier 5 V PLDs, while its industrial temperature range (-40 °C to +100 °C) makes it suitable for harsh-environment embedded systems.
Typical applications include high-speed telecommunications backplanes, industrial automation controllers, military and aerospace signal processing, ASIC prototyping, and high-bandwidth data-acquisition systems. The 508 I/O lines allow direct connection to legacy 32-bit and 64-bit parallel buses without external multiplexing, and the embedded memory blocks ease implementation of FIFO buffers, lookup tables, and CAM-based packet classifiers.
When designing with this part, supply decoupling is critical because the 672-ball BGA delivers 1.8 V core and 3.3 V I/O simultaneously with high transient current demand. Use a multi-layer PCB with dedicated power planes, low-ESR decoupling within 100 mil of each power pin group, and verify Quartus II pin assignments against the device pin-out table (document number not quoted in the provided data; consult the manufacturer datasheet). This page synthesizes distributor availability, same-brand drop-in alternatives drawn from the APEX 20KC family, and engineering notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K600CF672I7 — 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 EP20K600CF672I7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Maximum Internal Frequency.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K600CF672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2267.89 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF672I6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$142 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF672C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$322.4109 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF672C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$149 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF672I7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KC |
| Maximum Logic Elements | 24,320 cells |
| System Gates | 600,000 |
| Maximum User I/O | 508 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 375.94 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V (LVTTL/LVCMOS compatible) |
| Speed Grade | -7 |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial, I-suffix) |
| Package | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FC-FBGA, 27×27 mm) |
| Ball Pitch | 1.00 mm |
| Embedded System Blocks | Yes (dual-port RAM / CAM) |
| Configuration Interface | IEEE 1149.1 JTAG, passive serial, fast passive parallel |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP20K600CF672I7 672-ball fineline bga (fc-fbga, 27×27 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K600CF672I7 (672-ball fineline bga (fc-fbga, 27×27 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 EP20K600CF672I7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K600CF672I7 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Backplane Bridging, Industrial Automation Controllers, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Bandwidth Data Acquisition Systems, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, Network Packet Classification and QoS Engines.
Telecommunications Backplane Bridging
The EP20K600CF672I7 fits telecom backplane bridging because it combines 24,320 logic elements with 508 user I/O, enabling direct termination of multi-gigabit parallel buses such as SPI-4.2, POS-PHY Level 3, and UTOPIA without external glue logic. Its 375.94 MHz internal fMAX supports payload throughput well above 1 Gbps in pipelined datapaths. The 672-ball BGA gives designers dedicated pins per LVDS pair, simplifying impedance-controlled routing. Industrial -40C to +100C operation suits outdoor base-station equipment. Place the FPGA downstream of a SERDES framer and use the embedded system blocks as FIFO/elastic-store memory to absorb clock-domain crossings between backplane and line-card domains.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Controllers
The EP20K600CF672I7 is well suited to PLC and motion-control applications requiring high logic density and parallel sensor/actuator interfaces. Its 508 I/O accept up to 32-bit field-bus data (PROFIBUS, EtherCAT slave, CANopen) plus quadrature encoder streams, while the 1.8 V core keeps power-per-gate low enough for fan-less DIN-rail enclosures. The -40C to +100C industrial temperature range covers factory-floor extremes. Embedded system blocks provide deterministic dual-port RAM for servo-loop setpoint and feedback histories. Use the FPGA as a co-processor alongside an ARM or x86 host to offload real-time control loops and safety diagnostics.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP20K600CF672I7 serves ASIC prototyping because its 600,000 system gates can map medium-complexity ASICs (typical 200-300K ASIC gates) with timing headroom. Designers partition the ASIC into APEX 20KC logic regions and run at the -7 speed grade to model worst-case ASIC timing before tape-out. The 672-ball BGA exposes 508 I/O, enough to map multi-bank DDR-style memory interfaces for verification. JTAG-based configuration allows rapid bitstream reload during regression runs. Plan for at least two FPGAs per ASIC partition if your design exceeds 600K gates, and verify I/O timing with Quartus II TimeQuest before sign-off.
Recommended
High-Bandwidth Data Acquisition Systems
The EP20K600CF672I7 supports high-speed DAQ by providing 508 I/O to interface with parallel ADC/DAC arrays (LVDS or LVCMOS) at sample rates up to 200 MSPS. Embedded system blocks implement circular DMA buffers in on-chip dual-port RAM, eliminating the need for external FIFOs on short captures. The 375.94 MHz internal clock enables per-channel decimation and digital-down-conversion in the FPGA fabric. The -40C to +100C industrial range suits outdoor instrumentation. Use the FPGA between the ADC bank and a downstream DSP or PCIe bridge, and place a low-jitter clock distribution network within 100 mil of the global clock pins.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP20K600CF672I7 (industrial -40C to +100C, I-suffix) is used in defense and aerospace signal-processing subsystems where its high logic density, abundant I/O, and radiation-tolerant design flow (legacy Altera Mil/Aero family heritage) are valued. The device supports secure JTAG bitstream loading and is suitable for radar IF processing, electronic-countermeasures (ECM) datapaths, and avionics bus concentrators. Engineers target the -7 speed grade as the baseline for timing closure and use the embedded system blocks for FFT twiddle-factor tables and overlap-save buffers. Plan for up-screen screening if a true MIL-PRF-38535 grade is required.
Recommended
Network Packet Classification and QoS Engines
The EP20K600CF672I7 implements line-rate packet classification and QoS engines because its 24,320 logic elements and embedded system blocks (CAM) can sustain 100+ Mpps lookup throughput. The 508 I/O connect to multi-lane SPI-4.2 or XAUI interfaces from network processors. Use TCAM emulation in the embedded system blocks for ACL and QoS rule storage, and the logic fabric for longest-prefix-match (LPM) and hashing. Industrial temperature supports central-office and outdoor cabinet deployments. Place the FPGA between the NPU and the switch fabric, and reserve at least 25 percent logic utilization for graceful rule updates without traffic interruption.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K600CF672I7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K600CF672C7 | EP20K600CF672I6 | EP20K600CF672C8 | EP20K600CF672C9 | EP20K600CB652I7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 672-ball FineLine BGA | 672-ball FineLine BGA - same | 672-ball FineLine BGA - same | 672-ball FineLine BGA - same | 672-ball FineLine BGA - same | 652-ball BGA - different (smaller) |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 | 24,320 |
| Speed Grade | -7 | -7 | -6 (slower) | -8 (faster) | -9 (fastest) | -7 |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature with -7 speed grade in the same package (vs EP20K600CF672C7)
- Balanced speed-grade and temperature mix (vs EP20K600CF672I6)
- Highest I/O count in the APEX 20K family at this density (vs EP20K600CB652I7)
Design Notes
The APEX 20KC core draws substantial transient current during configuration and high-utilization operation; place low-ESR 0.1 µF and 10 µF decoupling capacitors within 100 mil of every VCCINT and VCCIO ball cluster, and use a dedicated 1.8 V plane with stitched vias to the BGA ball grid. Estimated: peak VCCINT current can exceed 1.5 A at 60-80% logic utilization, so size the regulator with at least 25 percent margin.
The 672-ball FineLine BGA dissipates 3-5 W at typical industrial workloads. Ensure the PCB thermal design includes a minimum 4-layer stack-up with solid inner power/ground planes; for high-utilization designs, attach a small heatsink or thermal pad to the top of the package. Estimated: at 5 W dissipation with θJA ≈ 12 °C/W on a 4-layer board, junction temperature rises ~60 °C above ambient, leaving limited headroom in the upper industrial range.
The 1.00 mm ball pitch and 27×27 mm body require 4 mil trace/space routing on outer layers and microvia stack-ups on inner-to-outer transitions. Use dog-bone fanout with 8 mil pads and 12 mil drilled vias, or alternatively a via-in-pad construction with planarization for higher-density escape routing. Verify BGA coplanarity ≤0.1 mm before reflow to avoid head-in-pillow defects.
With 508 user I/O, signal-integrity planning is essential. Group LVDS pairs to adjacent balls, maintain 100 Ω differential impedance over the breakout region, and use length-matching within 25 mil for source-synchronous interfaces. Place series-termination resistors within 200 mil of the FPGA output for SSTL and HSTL memories. Reference the APEX 20KC device handbook (legacy Altera document, not quoted in provided data) for I/O standard-specific guidelines.
Do not confuse APEX 20K (no embedded multiplier) with APEX 20KC (with embedded multiplier blocks); verify your design does not rely on hardware multipliers before substituting an EP20K600E variant. Also, confirm configuration mode (passive serial vs JTAG vs fast passive parallel) matches your board design - mixing modes requires different MSEL pin strapping. Finally, since the device is obsolete, lock a second-source broker at design-in to avoid production line-down events.
Compliance Information
APEX 20KC family predates many modern compliance reporting requirements; RoHS/REACH status for EP20K600CF672I7 was not present in the verified web data and is therefore marked unknown. AEC-Q100 is not applicable (FPGA, not an automotive analog IC). Designers should request the latest material declaration from franchised brokers.
