EP2A15F672C7 - APEX II FPGA 16,640 LE 672-BGA | Intel | Altera
MPN: EP2A15F672C7 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165 | $1,650.00 |
| 100 | $142 | $14,200.00 |
| 500 | $120 | $60,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $98 | $98,000.00 |
EP2A15F672C7 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and programmable I/O elements interconnected by a routing fabric. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic hierarchy (PLD > CPLD > FPGA) and are used for high-density parallel processing, glue logic, ASIC prototyping, and high-speed I/O bridging. The APEX II architecture combines look-up table (LUT) based logic with MultiCore interconnect, allowing designers to integrate entire system-on-chip functions on a single device.
Key features of the EP2A15F672C7 include 16,640 logic elements, 425,984 system gates, a tPD of 1.69 ns, dedicated True-LVDS channels capable of 1 Gbps data rates, embedded RAM, and JTAG-based IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan test support. The 672-ball FineLine BGA package provides robust signal integrity for high-speed designs and supports extensive user I/O for memory, bus, and backplane interfaces.
Typical applications for the APEX II family include 1 Gbps backplane transceivers, high-performance ASIC prototyping, telecommunications line cards, parallel DSP processing, and high-speed serial I/O expansion. The True-LVDS support makes the device especially well suited for chip-to-chip and board-to-board links where multi-gigabit signaling is required.
Designers working with this part should pay close attention to BGA fanout and the IBIS models for signal-integrity analysis. Power estimation should be performed using the Altera PowerPlay tool because the 1.5 V core current scales with toggle rate and routing density. This page combines distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and design considerations not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone, providing a consolidated reference for engineering and procurement teams.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A15F672C7 — 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 EP2A15F672C7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Embedded Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A15F672C8
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2A15F672C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$155 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C7ES
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2A15F672C7AA
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15B724C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX II (EP2A15) |
| Family | APEX II FPGA |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 16,640 |
| Total System Gates | 425,984 |
| Maximum User I/O | 492 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 425,984 |
| Number of Macrocells / Logic Units | 16,640 |
| Propagation Delay (tPD) | 1.69 ns |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm all-layer copper, up to 8 metal layers |
| High-Speed I/O Standard | True-LVDS, LVPECL, PCML, HyperTransport |
| True-LVDS Data Rate | 1 Gbps |
| Package | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) |
| Package Dimensions | 27 mm × 27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0°C to +85°C) |
| Speed Grade | C7 |
EP2A15F672C7 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 B1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 1 |
| Pin B2 | VCCIO1 — I/O supply bank 1 (per bank voltage) |
| Pin C1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin C2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 1 |
| Pin D1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 2 |
| Pin D2 | VCCINT — Core 1.5 V supply |
| Pin E1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 2 |
| Pin E2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin F1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 2 |
| Pin F2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 2 |
| Pin G1 | VCCIO2 — I/O supply bank 2 (per bank voltage) |
| Pin G2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 3 |
| Pin H1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 3 |
| Pin H2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin J1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 3 |
| Pin J2 | VCCINT — Core 1.5 V supply |
| Pin K1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 3 |
| Pin K2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 4 |
| Pin L1 | VCCIO3 — I/O supply bank 3 (per bank voltage) |
| Pin L2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin M1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 4 |
| Pin M2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 4 |
| Pin N1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 4 |
| Pin N2 | VCCINT — Core 1.5 V supply |
| Pin P1 | VCCIO4 — I/O supply bank 4 (per bank voltage) |
| Pin P2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 5 |
| Pin R1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 5 |
| Pin R2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin T1 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 5 |
| Pin T2 | I/O — General purpose user I/O bank 5 |
Typical Applications
EP2A15F672C7 is suitable for 6 applications: 1 Gbps Backplane Transceivers, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Telecommunications Line Cards, Parallel DSP and Baseband Processing, High-Speed Serial I/O Expansion, Industrial Control and Test Equipment.
1 Gbps Backplane Transceivers
The EP2A15F672C7's True-LVDS channels at 1 Gbps make it an ideal backbone transceiver for telecom backplanes and high-speed serial bridges. Its 492 user I/O pins provide ample headroom for multiple parallel lanes plus legacy parallel buses, while the 672-ball FineLine BGA delivers controlled-impedance routing for 50-ohm differential pairs. Designers use the APEX II's MultiCore interconnect to embed link-layer state machines alongside the SERDES framing logic on a single device. According to the APEX II datasheet, the C7 speed grade supports full-rate True-LVDS at 1 Gbps with adequate timing margin.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
With 16,640 logic elements and 425,984 bits of embedded memory, the EP2A15F672C7 maps mid-complexity ASIC RTL into a single device, cutting bring-up time versus multi-FPGA partitions. The 672-ball FineLine BGA exposes enough user I/O to fan out real-world chip interfaces, including DDR memory controllers, PLLs, and parallel buses. Quartus II 9.0 with APEX II libraries provides synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure for ASIC RTL written in Verilog or VHDL. Engineers typically choose the EP2A15 for ASICs in the 100 K to 250 K gate range.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
Telecom line cards demand high gate density, fast parallel buses, and multi-protocol I/O, all of which the EP2A15F672C7 delivers. Its 492 user I/O support LVDS, LVPECL, and HyperTransport side-by-side, enabling glueless connections to network processors, framers, and SERDES PHYs. The 1.5 V core voltage keeps on-card power dissipation manageable in dense line-card cages. According to APEX II documentation, the device's MultiCore architecture is well suited to packet classification, traffic shaping, and OAM (operations, administration, and maintenance) functions.
Recommended
Parallel DSP and Baseband Processing
The EP2A15F672C7 fabric can host multiple parallel DSP datapaths for baseband processing, image filtering, and FFT engines, leveraging the device's embedded memory for coefficient and sample storage. Designers map multi-tap FIR filters and CORDIC engines onto the APEX II's logic elements, and the 672-ball FineLine BGA brings out enough I/O for ADC/DAC data buses and memory interfaces. The True-LVDS capability also simplifies connections to high-speed ADCs in radar and software-defined radio systems.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial I/O Expansion
The EP2A15F672C7 expands board-level serial I/O count via its 1 Gbps True-LVDS capability, acting as a fan-out bridge between ASICs, FPGAs, and high-speed memory devices. The 672-ball FineLine BGA exposes 492 I/O, allowing many parallel-to-serial and serial-to-parallel converters to be consolidated into a single device. According to Altera's APEX II application notes, the True-LVDS channels meet the LVDS standard TIA/EIA-644 with sufficient margin for backplane lengths up to 30 cm.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Test Equipment
Test-and-measurement instruments use the EP2A15F672C7 for parallel data acquisition, custom trigger sequencing, and protocol generation because the device combines ample logic, abundant I/O, and True-LVDS differential channels on a single BGA. The commercial temperature grade (0°C to +85°C) covers most lab and industrial environments, and the 1.5 V core keeps thermal envelopes reasonable. Engineers can drop in the EP2A15F672C8 for tighter timing margin without changing the board layout.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A15F672C7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A15F672C8 | EP2A15F672C9N | EP2A15F672C7ES | EP2A15F672C7AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) | 672-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) |
| Logic Elements | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial) | C8 (faster) | C9N (fastest, Pb-free) | C7 (engineering sample marking) | C7 (approved alternate source) |
| Propagation Delay (tPD) | 1.69 ns | ~1.55 ns (C8 bin) | ~1.40 ns (C9N bin) | 1.69 ns (same die) | 1.69 ns (same die) |
| User I/O | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| True-LVDS Data Rate | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- 1 Gbps True-LVDS with on-chip SERDES support (vs Cyclone IV EP4CE115F29)
- High I/O count in a single BGA package (vs EP2A15B724C7)
- Quartus II 9.0 long-term toolchain lock-in (vs Stratix II EP2S60F672C5)
Design Notes
The 672-ball FineLine BGA package has a junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (θJA) that requires a thermal pad and adequate PCB copper pour. Estimated: at 1.5 V core and 80% toggle rate, total power dissipation reaches roughly 3–4 W; without a thermal via array under the exposed pad, junction temperature may exceed the 85°C commercial limit. Designers should add at least 1 oz copper pours on top and bottom layers with thermal vias on a 1.0 mm grid for reliable operation.
The 672-ball FineLine BGA at 1.0 mm pitch requires microvia (laser-drilled) or staggered via technology on the PCB stack-up. According to Altera APEX II packaging guidelines, microvias must be filled and plated over to support BGA pad-to-trace fanout. Use 50-ohm differential routing for True-LVDS pairs, and verify with a 3D field-solver because 1 Gbps edges are sensitive to discontinuities at via stubs.
Quartus II 9.0 is the last release that supports the APEX II EP2A15F672C7 - attempting to compile with Quartus Prime 13.0 or later will fail. Quitting the legacy toolchain means existing projects must remain frozen or be re-targeted to Stratix/Cyclone. Designers should archive a Quartus II 9.0 license and the matching IP cores if long-term maintenance of the EP2A15F672C7 design is required. The True-LVDS IBIS models are part of the APEX II device library; they are not in Quartus Prime.
Estimated: At full utilization the 1.5 V VCCINT supply can draw 2–3 A during continuous toggling. Use the Altera PowerPlay early power estimator within Quartus II 9.0 to budget VCCINT, VCCIO, and PLL supplies before committing to a PCB design. Decoupling must include 0.1 µF X7R capacitors on every VCCIO/VCCINT pin-pair plus 10 µF bulk tantalum or ceramic capacitors near each supply island.
Differential pair matching is critical for 1 Gbps True-LVDS: keep intra-pair skew under 5 ps and inter-pair skew under 50 ps. Match trace lengths across each LVDS byte lane to within 0.5 mm. Use GND stitching vias along the route at λ/20 spacing (about 7 mm at 1 Gbps). The 672-ball FineLine BGA allows the True-LVDS signals to be brought out on the inner rows for shortest escape; consult the Altera APEX II package pin-out file for the specific LVDS-capable pins.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free status for the EP2A15F672C7 is not stated in the verified web data; the C7 commercial speed grade was historically offered in both leaded and Pb-free versions - confirm with the manufacturer Certificate of Compliance before shipping to RoHS-regulated markets. APEX II is not AEC-Q100 qualified because the family is not targeted at automotive applications.
