EP20K60EFC324-3 - APEX 20KE 60K Gates 2560 Cells 324-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K60EFC324-3 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $95 | $95.00 |
| 10 | $82.5 | $825.00 |
| 100 | $71.2 | $7,120.00 |
| 250 | $64.8 | $16,200.00 |
| 500 | $58.4 | $29,200.00 |
EP20K60EFC324-3 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells, all controlled by SRAM or fuse-based configuration memory. FPGAs sit hierarchically under programmable logic devices (PLDs), then complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and ultimately the broader category of digital logic ICs. The APEX 20KE family uses a MultiCore architecture that pairs logic elements with embedded array blocks (EABs) used as memory, ROM, or specialized arithmetic functions.
Key features include 2560 logic cells, 196 user I/O pins, an internal maximum frequency of 160 MHz, and 1.72 ns propagation delay. The device operates from a 1.8 V core supply with 0.22 µm CMOS process technology, delivering up to 182 MHz peak performance. It supports in-system programmability via the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface and is offered in a commercial 0°C to 85°C temperature grade. The 324-FBGA package measures 19×19 mm and uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch for high-density board integration.
The APEX 20KE architecture integrates up to 12 embedded system blocks (ESBs) that can each be configured as dual-port RAM, single-port RAM, ROM, or CAM, enabling true SOPC integration. Each logic element contains a 4-input LUT, a programmable register, and carry/chain logic for efficient arithmetic. The device supports LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and GTL+ I/O standards with slew-rate and drive-strength control, allowing flexible interfacing to memories, microprocessors, and ASICs.
Typical applications include telecommunications backplane interfacing, PCI bridge logic, high-speed data path conversion, and digital signal processing co-processors. The 60K-gate density is well-suited to multi-channel serial protocol bridging and image preprocessing pipelines.
When designing with the EP20K60EFC324-3, plan power sequencing for the 1.8 V VCCINT rail and the 3.3 V VCCIO rails separately. Use the JTAG port for boundary-scan test and in-field firmware updates. Configure unused I/O pins as tri-stated inputs with weak pull-ups to reduce quiescent current and improve signal integrity.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in a single manufacturer datasheet, giving engineers a faster path to part selection.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K60EFC324-3 — 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 EP20K60EFC324-3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package / Case, Total Gates, Series, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K60EFC324-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EFC324-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.73 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EFC324-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$41.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EFC324-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EFC324-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$76.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EFC324-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EFC324-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX 20KE |
| Family | APEX 20K |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 2560 |
| Total Gates | 60000 |
| User I/Os | 196 |
| Number of Logic Blocks / LABs | 256 |
| Embedded Memory (EAB/ESB) Bits | 24576 |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 160 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.72 ns |
| Peak Performance Frequency | 182 MHz |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V (1.71 V to 1.89 V) |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V (3.0 V to 3.6 V) |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Package / Case | 324-FBGA (19x19 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +85°C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Programmable Type | In-system programmable (SRAM) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) + passive serial |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
EP20K60EFC324-3 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin A2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin A3 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin A4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage 1.8 V |
| Pin A5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin A6 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin A7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin A8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin B1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin B2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin B3 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin B4 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage 3.3 V, bank 1 |
| Pin B5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin B6 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage 3.3 V, bank 2 |
| Pin B7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin B8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin C1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin C2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin C3 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin C4 | TCK — JTAG test clock input (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin C5 | TMS — JTAG test mode select input |
| Pin C6 | TDO — JTAG test data output |
| Pin C7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin C8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin D1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin D2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin D3 | TDI — JTAG test data input |
| Pin D4 | nSTATUS — Configuration status output (open-drain) |
| Pin D5 | nCONFIG — Configuration control input (active-low) |
| Pin D6 | DCLK — Configuration clock input |
| Pin D7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin D8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin E1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin E2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin E3 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin E4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin E5 | DATA0 — Configuration data input (bit 0) |
| Pin E6 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin E7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin E8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin F1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin F2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin F3 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage 3.3 V, bank 1 |
| Pin F4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage 1.8 V |
| Pin F5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin F6 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage 3.3 V, bank 2 |
| Pin F7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin F8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin G1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin G2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin G3 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin G4 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 1 |
| Pin G5 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin G6 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin G7 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
| Pin G8 | I/O — General purpose user I/O, bank 2 |
Typical Applications
EP20K60EFC324-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Backplane Bridging, PCI Bridge and Bus Interface Logic, DSP Co-Processor for Industrial Control, High-Speed Data Path Conversion, Image Preprocessing Pipeline, Legacy ASIC Replacement in Industrial Systems.
Telecommunications Backplane Bridging
The EP20K60EFC324-3 fits telecom backplane bridging because its 196 user I/Os and 160 MHz Fmax support multi-channel serial protocol conversion between TDM buses, POS-PHY, and UTOPIA interfaces. The 60K-gate density is sufficient to implement 4 to 8 channels of serializer/deserializer glue logic with embedded dual-port RAM for elastic buffering, while the 324-FBGA package places high-density I/O within reach of standard backplane connector pin pitches. Engineers typically pair the device with a network processor or ASIC to offload packet classification and queuing functions. Trade-off: the -3 speed grade limits Fmax to 160 MHz, so designs targeting 622 MHz POS-PHY rates should select a -1 or -2 speed grade instead.
Recommended
PCI Bridge and Bus Interface Logic
The EP20K60EFC324-3 serves as a PCI 32-bit/33 MHz bridge and bus interface device thanks to its 2560 logic elements and JTAG-driven boundary-scan support. The 24,576 bits of embedded memory distributed across 12 ESBs allow direct implementation of small FIFOs and address-mapping tables without external SRAM, while the 1.8 V core reduces dynamic power versus older 5 V PLD solutions. Designers use it to convert between PCI, PCI-X, and local processor buses, or to implement custom peripheral controllers in embedded computing platforms. Trade-off: PCI 66 MHz operation requires a -2 or -1 speed grade; the -3 device is limited to 33 MHz compliance.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor for Industrial Control
The EP20K60EFC324-3 implements DSP co-processing for motor control and signal conditioning by combining dedicated carry-chain arithmetic (16-bit multipliers in soft logic) with embedded memory for coefficient storage. The 60K-gate density supports 4 to 8 multiply-accumulate (MAC) channels running at 80 to 100 MHz, sufficient for real-time FFT, FIR filtering, and closed-loop motor control loops. The 0°C to +85°C commercial temperature range covers most factory-floor enclosures, and the JTAG interface enables in-field firmware updates for algorithm refinement. Trade-off: critical timing closure at high MAC counts may require migration to the -1 speed grade variant.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Path Conversion
The EP20K60EFC324-3 excels at high-speed data path conversion such as serializer/deserializer (SERDES) companion logic, LVDS-to-LVTTL translation, and bus-width adaptation between narrow and wide interfaces. Its 196 user I/Os support up to 49 LVDS pairs (with external resistors), and the 1.72 ns propagation delay enables pipeline stages operating above 200 MHz when the -1 speed grade is selected. The SRAM-based configuration allows rapid prototyping of width-conversion algorithms without NRE charges. Trade-off: SERDES transceivers are not embedded; designs requiring integrated transceivers should migrate to Stratix or Cyclone families.
Recommended
Image Preprocessing Pipeline
The EP20K60EFC324-3 implements image preprocessing pipelines such as Bayer demosaicing, color space conversion, and 2D convolution for machine vision and surveillance applications. Its 24,576 bits of embedded memory buffer line scans, while the 2560 logic elements implement parallel arithmetic for kernel operations across 3×3 or 5×5 pixel neighborhoods. The JTAG interface simplifies camera module calibration in production, and the commercial temperature range suits indoor surveillance installations. Trade-off: higher-resolution sensor pipelines exceeding 2K pixels may require the EP20K400 series with more logic and memory resources.
Recommended
Legacy ASIC Replacement in Industrial Systems
The EP20K60EFC324-3 is widely used as a drop-in replacement for aging ASICs in industrial automation systems where the original ASIC is no longer available or mask charges are prohibitive. Its 60K-gate capacity matches typical ASIC integration levels of the late 1990s, and the 324-FBGA package footprint is compatible with most legacy ASIC PCB layouts through minor reballing. The JTAG configuration interface supports boundary-scan for in-system test, accelerating manufacturing test development. Trade-off: end-of-life status requires sourcing through brokers and authorized aftermarket distributors, with longer lead times and limited traceability.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K60EFC324-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K60EFC324-2X | EP20K60EFC324-2N | EP20K60EFC324-2 | EP20K60EFC324-1X | EP20K60EFC324-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 324-FBGA (19x19 mm) | 324-FBGA (same) | 324-FBGA (same) | 324-FBGA (same) | 324-FBGA (same) | 324-FBGA (same) |
| Speed Grade | -3 (slowest) | -2X (faster) | -2N (faster) | -2 (faster) | -1X (fastest) | -1 (fastest) |
| Total Gates | 60000 | 60000 | 60000 | 60000 | 60000 | 60000 |
| Logic Elements | 2560 | 2560 | 2560 | 2560 | 2560 | 2560 |
| User I/Os | 196 | 196 | 196 | 196 | 196 | 196 |
| Propagation Delay | 1.72 ns | shorter than 1.72 ns | shorter than 1.72 ns | shorter than 1.72 ns | shortest available | shortest available |
| VCCINT | 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
- Bitstream-compatible with EP20K60EFC324-1, -1X, -2, -2N, -2X speed grades (vs EP20K100EBC356-3)
- -3 speed grade offers lower dynamic power at the cost of Fmax (vs EP20K60EFC324-1X)
- APEX 20KE MultiCore architecture with embedded system blocks (vs EP20K100EBC356-3)
Design Notes
The EP20K60EFC324-3 requires two separate supply rails: VCCINT at 1.71 V to 1.89 V (1.8 V nominal) for the core logic, and VCCIO at 3.0 V to 3.6 V (3.3 V nominal) for the I/O banks. Decouple each rail with 0.1 µF ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of every supply pin, plus bulk 10 µF tantalum or polymer capacitors at the board entry points. Power-on reset (POR) is handled internally, but both rails must reach valid levels within 100 ms to ensure deterministic configuration startup. Estimated: at full utilization with all 196 I/Os toggling at 100 MHz, total power consumption reaches approximately 1.5 W, requiring thermal management via a thermal pad or copper pour under the FBGA.
The 324-FBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch and 19×19 mm body, requiring 6 to 8 layer PCB stackup with matched impedance traces for high-speed signals. Route all 196 user I/Os on the outer layers with microvia-in-pad construction for BGA breakout, and dedicate inner layers to solid ground and power planes directly beneath the BGA footprint. Per APEX 20KE datasheet recommendations, maintain at least 0.5 mm clearance between the BGA edge and any through-hole via to prevent solder joint stress. JTAG signals (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO) should be length-matched within 50 mils and pulled up to VCCIO through 10 kΩ resistors.
When migrating between speed grades (e.g., -3 to -2X or -1), verify that the configuration bitstream is regenerated in Quartus II using the new device selection; bitstreams are NOT forward-compatible across speed grades. Another common pitfall: the 1.8 V VCCINT rail must reach 90% of nominal before any I/O activity begins, otherwise the configuration SRAM may not load correctly and nSTATUS will remain low. Finally, unused I/O pins must be explicitly set to 'tri-stated input with weak pull-up' in the Quartus pin planner to prevent floating inputs from drawing 1.8 V core current through ESD diodes. Estimated: allowing 1 second for JTAG reconfiguration after each power-up is recommended for production programming flows.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not explicitly stated in verified distributor data. APEX 20KE family predates strict RoHS enforcement; verify date code and finish with distributor before RoHS-critical orders. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a commercial-grade FPGA, no automotive qualified variant exists.
