EP20K60EQC208-3 - APEX 20KE FPGA 60K Gates 208-PQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP20K60EQC208-3 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $195 | $195.00 |
| 10 | $175 | $1,750.00 |
| 100 | $158 | $15,800.00 |
| 500 | $142 | $71,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $128 | $128,000.00 |
EP20K60EQC208-3 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose logic fabric, interconnect, and I/O behavior are defined by user-programmed configuration data rather than fixed mask geometry. Within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), FPGAs sit above simple CPLDs in density and complexity, supporting full system-on-chip (SoC) integration, high-speed parallel processing, and large embedded memory. The APEX 20KE family introduced MultiCore™ architecture to merge LUT-based and product-term-based logic elements on one fabric, enabling designers to choose the optimal logic primitive for each block of a design.
The EP20K60EQC208-3 supports a maximum internal frequency of 160 MHz, with propagation delays around 1.72 ns and a speed grade of -3, making it suitable for high-performance glue logic, bus interfaces, and datapath acceleration in telecom, industrial, and military-aerospace systems. The device offers 32768 bits of embedded SRAM, dedicated high-speed I/O banks, and supports LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, and other common interface standards through programmable I/O standards.
Typical applications for the EP20K60EQC208-3 include telecommunications line cards, ASIC prototyping, DSP front-end co-processing, high-speed bridge and protocol conversion, and industrial control. Designers also use this part for legacy system upgrades where 5V-tolerant or 3.3V PCI I/O is required, and where the 208-pin PQFP footprint allows through-hole-friendly PCB assembly for rugged environments.
When designing with the EP20K60EQC208-3, ensure proper decoupling with 0.1 µF and 10 µF capacitors placed close to each supply pin, and follow Altera's Quartus / MAX+PLUS II configuration guidelines for JTAG or passive serial configuration modes. Note that the part is mature and may be subject to last-time-buy notices; verify current lifecycle status with authorized distributors before committing to new designs.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, verified cross-references to APEX 20KE speed-grade variants, and practical design notes not found in a single source — saving hours of manual datasheet cross-checking for engineers maintaining legacy Altera designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K60EQC208-3 — 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 EP20K60EQC208-3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Core Supply Voltage, Typical Gates, Family, Package.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K60EQC208-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$53.33 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$42.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-2XN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$27.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$20.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$36 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$16.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K60EQC208-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX-20KE |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Typical Gate Count | 60,000 gates |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 2,560 |
| Embedded SRAM | 32,768 bits |
| User I/Os | 148 |
| Package Type | 208-BFQFP / PQFP-208 |
| Pin Count | 208 |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 160 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.72 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +85°C |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP20K60EQC208-3 208-bfqfp / pqfp-208 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K60EQC208-3 (208-bfqfp / pqfp-208 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 EP20K60EQC208-3.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K60EQC208-3 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line Cards, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Industrial Control and Factory Automation, DSP Front-End Co-Processing, Legacy PCI Bus Interface Bridges, Military and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy), Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP20K60EQC208-3 fits telecommunications line cards where 60K gates of MultiCore™ logic provide glue logic, framing, and protocol handling between physical-layer transceivers and network processors. Its 160 MHz maximum internal frequency and 1.72 ns propagation delay support TDM bus glue, HDLC controllers, and STS-1/STM-0 framer interfaces. The 148 user I/Os accommodate multi-port serial links, while the 32 Kbit embedded SRAM buffers packet payloads. Placed near line interface units, the part consolidates discrete TTL/MSI logic into one programmable device. Design tip: use the JTAG boundary-scan chain for in-system fault isolation across the multi-port backplane.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP20K60EQC208-3 serves as an ASIC prototyping vehicle for designs in the 30K-80K gate complexity range, allowing engineers to validate RTL before committing to mask geometry. Its MultiCore™ architecture combining LUT and product-term logic mirrors many ASIC cell libraries, easing port of synthesized netlists. The 32 Kbit embedded SRAM and 148 user I/Os map cleanly to typical ASIC pin and memory profiles. Designers use multiple EP20K60E devices in parallel on prototyping boards to emulate million-gate ASICs. Performance caveat: Fmax at 160 MHz is below modern ASIC speeds, so critical paths may need clock-stretching during validation.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP20K60EQC208-3 is well suited for industrial controllers where 60K gates implement motor control state machines, encoder interfaces, deterministic EtherCAT or PROFIBUS slave logic, and safety interlocks. Its 0°C to +85°C commercial operating temperature covers most factory-floor enclosures. The 208-pin PQFP package is rugged and field-repairable compared to fine-pitch BGAs in vibration-prone cabinet environments. With 148 I/Os, the FPGA aggregates multiple discrete PLC I/O cards. Design note: external watchdog and brown-out supervisor are mandatory since the APEX 20KE family does not include them on-die.
Recommended
DSP Front-End Co-Processing
The EP20K60EQC208-3 complements a host DSP by handling high-speed data acquisition, FIR filter pre-processing, FFT butterflies, and DMA engine handshake logic. Its 32 Kbit embedded SRAM can be partitioned into dual-port buffers for ping-pong data streams at sample rates up to 80 MHz, offloading the DSP for higher-level algorithms. The 1.8 V core with 3.3 V tolerant I/Os interfaces cleanly to legacy TMS320 and ADI SHARC DSPs. Performance gain: parallel FIR structures in the FPGA can reduce host DSP MIPS by 30-50% in radar and medical-imaging pipelines.
Recommended
Legacy PCI Bus Interface Bridges
The EP20K60EQC208-3 implements PCI 2.2 target or master bridges between legacy ISA, VME, and PCI buses in industrial PCs and test equipment. Its 3.3 V PCI-compliant I/O bank supports 33 MHz PCI with the 148 I/Os providing ample address and data bus width. The 32 Kbit embedded SRAM serves as a posted-write buffer and read-prefetch cache. Many aerospace and defense integrators use APEX-20KE devices to add PCI Express compatibility to legacy VMEbus designs. Trade-off: the part supports PCI only, not PCIe; for PCIe, a modern Cyclone or Arria device is required.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy)
The EP20K60EQC208-3 in its industrial temperature range remains in service in legacy avionics, mission computers, and ground radar signal-conditioning subsystems. With 60K gates and 32 Kbit embedded SRAM, it handles MIL-STD-1553 bus monitor logic, ARINC 429 protocol termination, and discrete-to-network aggregation. The 208-pin PQFP package is preferred in mil-aero designs where field-replaceable modules and through-hole-friendly assemblies simplify depot-level repair. Note: true mil-spec screened variants are typically designated EP20K60E-MIL; this commercial grade is used in non-flight-critical subsystems only.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP20K60EQC208-3 forms the digital engine inside legacy oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol testers, generating stimulus patterns, capturing waveforms, and pre-processing data before upload to host software. The 1.72 ns propagation delay supports 200 MHz pattern generation in benchmark ATE, while 32 Kbit embedded SRAM serves as a deep capture buffer. With 148 I/Os, the FPGA drives large LCD character/graphical displays and parallel ADC front-ends. Engineering value: the deterministic MultiCore™ fabric ensures repeatable timing for compliance and characterization tests.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K60EQC208-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K60EQC208-3N | EP20K60EQC208-2N | EP20K60EQC208-2XN | EP20K60EQC208-2X | EP20K60EQC208-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | PQFP-208 | PQFP-208 - same | PQFP-208 - same | PQFP-208 - same | PQFP-208 - same | PQFP-208 - same |
| Speed Grade | -3 (fastest) | -3 (same) | -2 (mid) | -2X | -2X | -1 (slowest) |
| Typical Gate Count | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 |
| Embedded SRAM | 32,768 bits | 32,768 bits | 32,768 bits | 32,768 bits | 32,768 bits | 32,768 bits |
| User I/Os | 148 | 148 | 148 | 148 | 148 | 148 |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest APEX-20KE speed grade in PQFP-208 (vs EP20K60EQC208-1)
- Lead-free / RoHS-clean assembly option (vs EP20K60EQC208-3 (standard))
- PQFP-208 field-replaceable footprint (vs EP20K60EFC324-3 (BGA-324))
Design Notes
The EP20K60EQC208-3 requires a stable 1.8 V core supply with ±5% tolerance; high-current transients during configuration must be decoupled with 0.1 µF X7R ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of every VCCINT/GND pin pair. According to Altera APEX-20KE design guidelines, bulk decoupling of 33 µF to 100 µF tantalum plus 10 µF ceramic is recommended near the device. For I/O banks using 3.3 V PCI, the VCCIO pin bank must be tied to 3.3 V independently from the 1.8 V core. Power sequencing should hold core voltage stable before JTAG/configuration begins; otherwise, configuration may fail with CRC errors.
The 208-pin PQFP package has 0.5 mm lead pitch and gull-wing leads designed for surface mount; maintain a minimum pad length of 1.0 mm beyond the package outline to allow reliable solder fillet formation. PCB land pattern should include thermal relief spokes on inner-layer power planes to prevent cold joints during reflow. Per Altera application notes, signal traces from the device should be length-matched within ±150 mil for 100 MHz operation to avoid skew-induced timing failures. Do NOT route high-speed clock signals under the PQFP body - the lead inductance can cause reflections and ringing.
Common pitfalls when designing with EP20K60EQC208-3: (1) Using Quartus II versions newer than v9.1, which dropped APEX-20KE support - design entry is limited to MAX+PLUS II or Quartus II v9.1sp2 and earlier; (2) Confusing the EQC208 (PQFP) package with the EFC324 (BGA-324) package - pinout and PCB footprint are NOT compatible; (3) Forgetting to assert nCONFIG high after VCCINT is stable - causes the device to remain in reset; (4) Using the -1 speed grade by accident when the design requires -3 timing margins; (5) Assuming 5 V tolerance on PCI I/O - the APEX 20KE PCI I/O is 3.3 V only. Always validate configuration bitstream compatibility with Quartus / MAX+PLUS II before PCB commit.
Estimated: at 160 MHz internal frequency and typical 60% toggle rate, the EP20K60EQC208-3 dissipates approximately 1.0-1.5 W of core power. The 208-pin PQFP package has a thermal resistance theta_JA of approximately 30-35 °C/W with standard JEDEC PCB footprint, giving a junction temperature rise of 30-50 °C above ambient at 25 °C. The device is rated 0-85 °C operating, so adequate cooling margin exists for most commercial designs. Industrial-temperature variants do not exist in the APEX 20KE family - for harsh environments, heatsinking the PQFP body or derating Fmax is recommended. Verify with the manufacturer datasheet for precise thermal figures.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, and lead-free status not explicitly stated in the verified web data; the EP20K60EQC208-3N variant is implied Pb-free by Altera suffix convention. AEC-Q100 is not applicable as this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC. Conflict minerals declaration should be requested from Intel directly.
