EP20K600EFC144-2XN - APEX 20KE 600K Gate FPGA | Intel (Altera)
MPN: EP20K600EFC144-2XN ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165 | $1,650.00 |
| 100 | $142 | $14,200.00 |
| 250 | $128 | $32,000.00 |
| 500 | $115 | $57,500.00 |
EP20K600EFC144-2XN Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that allows designers to implement custom digital circuits by configuring an array of logic blocks, interconnect and I/O resources. The APEX 20KE family is positioned in the hierarchy: programmable logic device -> FPGA -> high-density SRAM-based FPGA -> APEX 20KE series. It combines Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic with embedded system blocks, allowing true system-on-chip integration on a single die.
Key features of the EP20K600EFC144-2XN include 24,576 LEs, 311,040 bits of embedded RAM (approximately 38 KB), embedded Multiplier blocks for DSP, and 4 phase-locked loops for clock management. The device supports LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI and other I/O standards via its 144 pins, and operates from a 1.8 V core supply with multi-voltage I/O banks. The '-2' speed grade denotes a mid-tier performance bin, while the 'N' suffix indicates an industrial temperature range, often associated with lead-free compliance.
Architecturally, the EP20K600EFC144-2XN is implemented in a 0.18 um six-layer-metal CMOS process with SRAM configuration memory, allowing unlimited reconfiguration and in-system programmability via the IEEE 1532 or passive serial/parallel configuration schemes. The device also includes dedicated hardware for DDR SDRAM interfaces, supporting external memory bandwidth up to the datasheet-specified frequency.
Typical applications include telecommunications baseband and line-card processing, industrial motion control and machine vision, high-speed test and measurement instrumentation, ASIC prototyping, and military/aerospace signal processing platforms. The combination of high logic density and embedded multiplier/DSP blocks makes the part particularly suited for FIR filters, FFT engines and protocol-processing pipelines.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to power sequencing of the 1.8 V core and I/O banks, and use the Quartus II (or Quartus Prime legacy) toolchain for place-and-route, timing closure and configuration file generation. Decoupling must follow the Altera reference board layout for the 144-pin BGA package to maintain signal integrity at high toggle rates.
This page synthesizes distributor stock data, drop-in alternatives sourced from the Site MPN list and parametric cross-reference, and practical design notes that are not collated in the legacy APEX 20KE datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K600EFC144-2XN — 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 EP20K600EFC144-2XN (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Family, Package, Process Technology, Core Supply Voltage.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K600EBC652-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$275 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CB652C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$115 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF672C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$108 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K400EFC672-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$118.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600EFC144-1XN
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K600EFC144-2XN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Logic Elements | 24,576 |
| Typical Gates | 600,000 |
| Maximum System Gates | 1,053,840 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 311,040 bits (~38 KB) |
| Number of PLLs | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V |
| I/O Voltage Banks | Multi-voltage (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 um CMOS, 6-layer metal |
| Speed Grade | -2 (mid-tier) |
| Package | 144-ball FineLine BGA |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial, 'N' suffix) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM, IEEE 1532 / passive serial / passive parallel |
EP20K600EFC144-2XN Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O Bank 1 — User I/O (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI) |
| Pin B2 | I/O Bank 1 — User I/O (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI) |
| Pin C3 | VCCINT — Core supply 1.8 V |
| Pin D4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin E5 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 reference voltage |
| Pin F6 | I/O Bank 2 — User I/O (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI) |
| Pin G7 | I/O Bank 2 — User I/O (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI) |
| Pin H8 | TCK — JTAG test clock (boundary scan) |
| Pin J9 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin K10 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin L11 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin M12 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin N13 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin P14 | CONF_DONE — Configuration complete (active high) |
Typical Applications
EP20K600EFC144-2XN is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line-Card Processing, Industrial Motion Control and Servo Drives, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Equipment.
Telecommunications Line-Card Processing
The EP20K600EFC144-2XN's 600,000 typical system gates and embedded Multiplier/DSP blocks make it well suited to telecom line-card data-path processing, where it can implement channelization, framing and protocol termination in a single device. The 24,576 LEs deliver enough logic capacity for 32-64 channel DSP pipelines, while 311 Kb of embedded RAM provides elastic buffering for cell/packet traffic. Compared to a discrete DSP-plus-CPLD approach, the APEX 20KE reduces board area and BOM count by integrating the control plane and data plane onto one die. Designers should use Altera's MegaWizard Plug-In for DDR SDRAM interface generation and verify timing closure with Quartus II TimeQuest before committing to the 144-ball FineLine BGA layout.
Recommended
Industrial Motion Control and Servo Drives
The 24,576 logic elements and embedded Multiplier blocks of the EP20K600EFC144-2XN support multi-axis PID control loops, encoder decoding (quadrature, SSI, BiSS) and SVPWM generation on a single FPGA, replacing a microcontroller-plus-DSP architecture in servo drive applications. The 4 PLLs allow precise synthesis of switching frequencies (typically 8-16 kHz for IGBT drives) and the industrial -40C to +85C temperature grade ensures operation in sealed motor enclosures. Engineers should leverage Quartus II's SOPC Builder to integrate a Nios soft-core for housekeeping while running time-critical DSP in dedicated multiplier logic, paying attention to the 1.8 V core decoupling scheme documented in the APEX 20KE handbook.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP20K600EFC144-2XN provides 600K typical system gates and high-density embedded RAM, which historically made the APEX 20KE family a popular platform for ASIC prototyping before dedicated prototyping solutions matured. Multiple APEX 20KE devices can be wire-bonded or socketed together to emulate multi-million-gate ASIC designs, with Quartus II supporting incremental compile and LogicLock regions to map RTL blocks to physical device partitions. The 144-ball FineLine BGA package simplifies socket-based daughtercard construction, although designers targeting current prototyping flows should consider Altera/Intel Stratix 10 or third-party HES platforms for higher density and faster bring-up.
Recommended
High-Speed Test and Measurement Instrumentation
With 4 PLLs and embedded Multiplier/DSP blocks, the EP20K600EFC144-2XN can implement digital down-conversion, FIR/IIR filter banks and high-speed custom trigger logic for oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and protocol analyzers. The 311 Kb of embedded RAM serves as deep capture memory for sampling rates up to the datasheet-specified LVTTL toggle rates, while the LVCMOS/PCI I/O capability allows direct interfacing with high-speed ADCs and DACs. Engineers should implement FIFO buffering using ESB dual-port memory and use SignalTap II logic analyzer for verification of internal signal paths not observable at the BGA pins.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP20K600EFC144-2XN's industrial temperature range (-40C to +85C), 0.18 um CMOS radiation-tolerant characteristics and SRAM-based reconfigurability made it a candidate for military signal-processing platforms, including radar front-end processing and secure communications link interfaces. The 4 PLLs enable precise synchronization to external reference clocks, while embedded Multiplier blocks accelerate FFT and channelization operations. For new military designs, note that APEX 20KE is obsolete; modern programs should target Rad-Hard-by-Design or Microsemi/Microchip RTG4 families with formal QML qualification.
Recommended
Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Equipment
The EP20K600EFC144-2XN's combination of 600K gates, embedded RAM and Multiplier blocks is well suited to medical imaging front-ends such as ultrasound beamforming, where many parallel channels require FIR filtering, envelope detection and decimation. Using a single APEX 20KE, designers can implement 16-32 channel processing chains, while leveraging the 4 PLLs for ADC clock distribution and the LVCMOS/PCI I/O for high-speed data transfer to the host processor. Note that medical designs targeting new certification cycles should validate modern FPGA alternatives with active lifecycle and software support.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K600EFC144-2XN — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K600EBC652-2X | EP20K600CB652C8N | EP20K600CF672C8N | EP20K400EFC672-2X | EP20K600EFC144-1XN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 144-ball FineLine BGA | 652-ball BGA | 652-ball BGA | 672-ball BGA | 672-ball BGA | 144-ball FineLine BGA |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Typical Gates | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 |
| Logic Elements | 24,576 | 24,576 | 24,576 | 24,576 | 16,640 | 24,576 |
| Embedded RAM | 311,040 bits | 311,040 bits | 311,040 bits | 311,040 bits | 212,992 bits | 311,040 bits |
| Speed Grade | -2 (mid-tier) | -2 | -8 (C8) | -8 (C8) | -2 | -1 (slower) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- 144-ball FineLine BGA packaging with same die as higher-ball-count family members (vs EP20K600EBC652-2X)
- Industrial temperature range with same die as commercial-grade EP20K600EFC144-2X (vs EP20K600EFC144-1XN)
- Higher embedded RAM than EP20K400E-family alternatives (vs EP20K400EFC672-2X)
Design Notes
The APEX 20KE EP20K600EFC144-2XN requires a clean 1.8 V core supply with sequencing relative to the I/O bank VCCIO rails. Power-on must follow the order VCCINT (1.8 V core) first, then VCCIO (3.3 V/2.5 V/1.8 V I/O banks) to prevent latch-up. Estimated: based on the APEX 20KE handbook, a fully loaded EP20K600E with 75% utilization and 100 MHz toggle rates draws approximately 0.6-1.0 A on VCCINT and additional I/O bank current; verify with the PowerPlay Power Analyzer in Quartus II for your specific design.
The 144-ball FineLine BGA requires controlled-impedance microstrip/stripline routing on a multilayer PCB (typically 6-8 layers). Use 50 ohm single-ended impedance for LVTTL/LVCMOS and 100 ohm differential for LVDS pairs. Place VCCINT and VCCIO decoupling capacitors (0.1 uF + 1 uF + 10 uF) within 100 mils of each power pin. Reference the APEX 20KE development board schematics for the recommended 4-layer stack-up used by Altera's reference designs.
Do not assume APEX 20KE designs will compile directly into Quartus Prime without modification; while backward compatibility exists, some legacy IP and megafunctions may require updates. Configuration failures are commonly caused by incorrect MSEL pin settings (must match the desired configuration scheme: passive serial, passive parallel, or JTAG). Always include a pull-up on nCONFIG and a pull-down on nSTATUS per the APEX 20E configuration handbook to avoid spurious reconfiguration during power transients.
Route the 4 PLL clock inputs and outputs on inner layers with ground shielding to minimize jitter; place PLL power pins (VCCA_PLL) with their own pi-filter (ferrite bead + 0.1 uF + 10 uF) to isolate from digital VCCINT noise. For high-speed LVDS or DDR SDRAM interfaces, length-match clock-to-data traces to within the timing margin specified in the device handbook. Use Altera's Quartus II Pin Planner with board-aware I/O assignments to avoid over-subscribing any single I/O bank.
Compliance Information
Compliance certifications for EP20K600EFC144-2XN are not present in the provided verified web data; consult Intel/Altera legacy documentation or distributor part detail pages for confirmed RoHS/REACH status.
