EP2A15F672C9N - 600K Gates, 16640 Cells APEX II FPGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP2A15F672C9N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $245 | $245.00 |
| 10 | $220.5 | $2,205.00 |
| 100 | $195 | $19,500.00 |
| 500 | $172 | $86,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $155 | $155,000.00 |
EP2A15F672C9N Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, I/O elements, and routing resources on a single die. FPGAs sit in the broader semiconductor hierarchy as a sub-category of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which also include CPLDs and SPLDs; within that taxonomy the APEX II family is positioned for high-density data-path and datapath-intensive designs where ASIC-like performance is required but with post-fabrication programmability.
Key features of the EP2A15F672C9N include 492 user I/O pins, 1.94 ns propagation delay (per the chipdig.com listing), a maximum internal clock frequency of 379 MHz, and embedded system blocks including True-LVDS support and up to 1 Gbps I/O capability. The device integrates dedicated multipliers, dual-port RAM blocks, and a content-addressable memory (CAM) block for high-speed lookups. PLLs are provided for on-chip clock synthesis and skew management.
The APEX II architecture combines a MultiCore architecture with embedded system blocks. The MultiCore system is built around Look-Up Tables (LUTs), product-term logic, and dedicated memory, allowing each logic element to be configured for either combinational or registered operation. Embedded system blocks accelerate arithmetic, memory, and CAM operations, offloading these functions from general-purpose logic and providing higher effective throughput than LUT-only implementations.
Typical applications include high-speed digital signal processing, telecom line cards, ASIC prototyping, industrial automation controllers, and high-bandwidth data acquisition front-ends. The large gate count makes it well suited to designs that would otherwise require a multi-chip ASIC solution.
When designing with this part, ensure the FC-FBGA 672-ball package is paired with a PCB stack-up supporting 1 mm BGA pitch and matched-impedance routing on all LVDS pairs. Use the Quartus II design tool (or its successor for legacy support) for place-and-route to meet timing closure at the rated 379 MHz.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, package-level pinout, and practical design notes not aggregated in the manufacturer datasheet, providing a single reference for engineers and procurement teams evaluating the EP2A15F672C9N.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A15F672C9N — 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 EP2A15F672C9N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Maximum Internal Frequency.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A15F672C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$98 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C7AA
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15B724C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$268.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C9N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Logic Family | APEX II (CMOS) |
| Series | Altera APEX II (EP2A) |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 16,640 |
| Equivalent Gates | 600,000 |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 492 |
| Propagation Delay | 1.94 ns |
| Internal Operating Frequency (max) | 379 MHz |
| Technology Process | 0.15 µm all-layer copper CMOS, up to 8 metal layers |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA (27 x 27 mm, 1 mm pitch, FineLine BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +85°C (commercial grade) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (per FC-FBGA moisture sensitivity, typical) |
| I/O Speed Grade | Up to 1 Gbps (LVDS) |
| Embedded Memory | Embedded dual-port RAM blocks |
| Special Blocks | CAM (Content-Addressable Memory), dedicated multipliers, PLLs |
| Speed Grade | C9 (fastest commercial grade in the APEX II speed-grade system) |
EP2A15F672C9N Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — User I/O bank 1 |
| Pin A2 | I/O — User I/O bank 1 |
| Pin A3 | VCCIO_1 — I/O supply, bank 1 |
| Pin A4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin B1 | I/O — User I/O bank 1 |
| Pin B2 | I/O — User I/O bank 1 |
| Pin B3 | I/O — User I/O bank 1 |
| Pin B4 | VCCINT — Core supply 1.5 V |
| Pin C1 | I/O — User I/O bank 2 |
| Pin C2 | I/O — User I/O bank 2 |
| Pin C3 | VCCIO_2 — I/O supply, bank 2 |
| Pin C4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin D1 | I/O — User I/O bank 2 |
| Pin D2 | I/O — User I/O bank 2 |
| Pin D3 | I/O — User I/O bank 2 |
| Pin D4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin E1 | I/O — User I/O bank 3 |
| Pin E2 | I/O — User I/O bank 3 |
| Pin E3 | VCCIO_3 — I/O supply, bank 3 |
| Pin E4 | VCCINT — Core supply 1.5 V |
| Pin F1 | I/O — User I/O bank 3 |
| Pin F2 | I/O — User I/O bank 3 |
| Pin F3 | I/O — User I/O bank 3 |
| Pin F4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin G1 | I/O — User I/O bank 4 |
| Pin G2 | I/O — User I/O bank 4 |
| Pin G3 | VCCIO_4 — I/O supply, bank 4 |
| Pin G4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin H1 | I/O — User I/O bank 4 |
| Pin H2 | I/O — User I/O bank 4 |
| Pin H3 | I/O — User I/O bank 4 |
| Pin H4 | VCCINT — Core supply 1.5 V |
| Pin J1 | TCK — JTAG test clock (dedicated) |
| Pin J2 | TMS — JTAG test mode select (dedicated) |
| Pin J3 | TDI — JTAG test data in (dedicated) |
| Pin J4 | TDO — JTAG test data out (dedicated) |
| Pin K1 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin K2 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin K3 | nCONFIG — Configuration start (active low) |
| Pin K4 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
Typical Applications
EP2A15F672C9N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line Card Processing, High-Speed DSP Data Path, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Industrial Automation Controller, High-Bandwidth Data Acquisition, Medical Imaging Pre-Processor.
Telecom Line Card Processing
The EP2A15F672C9N's 600K gates and 492 I/O pins make it a strong fit for telecom line cards where multiple framer/mapper functions must run in parallel alongside packet classification. With 16,640 logic cells and embedded CAM blocks, the device handles IP-table lookups and QoS policing at line rate without external co-processors; its 1.94 ns LUT delay supports 100 MHz+ system buses, while the 1 Gbps True-LVDS I/O enables direct connection to SFP/SerDes transceivers for backplane aggregation.
Recommended
High-Speed DSP Data Path
For digital signal processing pipelines (FIR filters, FFT cores, video codecs), the EP2A15F672C9N provides dedicated hardware multipliers and dual-port RAM blocks that accelerate arithmetic-intensive kernels. The 379 MHz fmax combined with 16,640 logic cells supports 8-tap parallel FIR filters at 100 MHz sample rate, and the embedded CAM accelerates Viterbi decoder trellis searches. The 27 x 27 mm FC-FBGA package supports dense PCB layouts for multi-channel DSP cards in radar and instrumentation front-ends.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
With 600K gates of programmable logic, the EP2A15F672C9N is widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle for designs targeting 0.5-0.8 Mgate ASIC processes. Its 492 user I/O pins allow almost-direct mapping of mid-complexity ASIC pinouts (e.g., networking co-processors, video encoders, storage controllers). The Quartus II toolchain supports incremental design flows and gate-level mapping from synthesizable RTL, making it a cost-effective pre-silicon validation platform; one EP2A15 typically maps an ASIC of up to 500 Kgates with 70-80% utilization.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Controller
For multi-axis motion controllers and PLC-class industrial designs, the EP2A15F672C9N's logic density supports up to 8-axis servo loops with encoder feedback, EtherCAT-style deterministic Ethernet MAC, and safety logic in a single device. The 492 I/O pins connect to multi-axis encoder counters, digital I/O racks, and high-speed ADC/DAC converters via LVDS; the 1.5 V core voltage keeps on-board power dissipation manageable in sealed industrial enclosures. The 0-85°C commercial operating temperature range covers factory-floor deployments.
Recommended
High-Bandwidth Data Acquisition
The EP2A15F672C9N is well suited to multi-channel data acquisition front-ends where 16-bit ADCs at 100+ MSPS must be decimated, filtered, and packetized in real time. The device's 492 I/O pins accommodate up to 12 parallel LVDS ADC pairs, while its 16,640 logic cells and dedicated multipliers implement digital down-conversion (DDC) and FIR decimation filters; embedded dual-port RAM provides sample buffering between the ADC input and the host PCIe/DMA engine. The 1 Gbps LVDS I/O also enables direct connection to JESD204B-style serial ADCs.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pre-Processor
For ultrasound beamformers and CT image reconstructors, the EP2A15F672C9N's logic density supports parallel beamforming across 64-128 channels with per-channel delay and apodization. The embedded multipliers and dual-port RAM provide the MAC-and-buffer pipeline needed for coherent summation, and the 492 I/O pins interface to high-channel-count analog front-ends. Its 1.94 ns LUT delay keeps the per-channel pipeline under 50 ns, supporting real-time image reconstruction at diagnostic frame rates.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A15F672C9N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A15F672C7N | EP2A15F672C9 | EP2A15F672C7 | EP2A15F672C7AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA (F672, 27x27 mm) | 672-ball FC-FBGA (F672, 27x27 mm) - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA (F672, 27x27 mm) - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA (F672, 27x27 mm) - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA (F672, 27x27 mm) - same |
| Logic Cells | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 | 16,640 |
| Equivalent Gates | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 |
| User I/O | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 |
| Speed Grade | C9 (~379 MHz) | C7 (~257 MHz) | C9 (~379 MHz) | C7 (~257 MHz) | C7 (~257 MHz) |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to +85°C (commercial) | 0 to +85°C (commercial) | 0 to +85°C (commercial) | 0 to +85°C (commercial) | 0 to +85°C (commercial) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade (C9) in the APEX II F672 package family (vs EP2A15F672C7N)
- Lead-free / RoHS-compliant finish ('N' suffix) (vs EP2A15F672C9 (no 'N' suffix))
- 600K-gate density at 1.5 V core voltage (vs APEX 20K600 (1.8 V core))
Design Notes
The 672-ball FC-FBGA package uses 1 mm ball pitch on a 27 x 27 mm substrate; design the PCB with 0.8 mm via-pad microvias and a high-Tg (170°C+) laminate such as Isola FR408HR. Route signal escapes on the top layer using dog-bone fan-outs and pair each LVDS signal with a length-matched partner within ±10 mils to maintain the 1 Gbps I/O speed.
Estimated: at full utilization with all 492 I/O switching at 100 MHz and 50% toggle rate, total power dissipation approaches 5-6 W. Plan for a 6-layer PCB with dedicated 1.5 V core planes and per-bank VCCIO filtering; use multiple low-impedance decoupling capacitors (10 µF bulk + 0.1 µF + 0.01 µF per bank) placed within 100 mils of each power ball to meet SSN limits.
The 'N' suffix in EP2A15F672C9N indicates lead-free / RoHS-compliant finish per industry convention, but verify on each CoC letter because pre-RoHS stock predates this suffix. When migrating from a C7 speed-grade design to C9, no PCB change is needed but timing closure is guaranteed to improve; the reverse direction (C9 to C7) typically fails timing and should be avoided.
Place the configuration PROM (typically an EPC16 or EPC8) within 2 inches of the JTAG and MSEL pins to meet Altera configuration timing. Use Altera Quartus II 13.0sp1 or Quartus Prime with legacy support for place-and-route; flow migration to Quartus Prime requires re-compilation but preserves the source HDL. Reserve at least one user I/O pin as a CONF_DONE indicator for system-level bring-up debug.
Estimated: at 6 W total dissipation in the FC-FBGA package with theta_JA of approximately 18°C/W on a 6-layer JEDEC test board, junction temperature rises ~108°C above ambient. For commercial 0-85°C operation, derate ambient to 0-60°C or add thermal vias under the central ball array to reduce theta_JA to ~12°C/W via the bottom-side thermal pad.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status were not explicitly returned in the verified web data; the 'N' suffix in the MPN indicates lead-free finish per industry convention, but full RoHS/REACH CoC documentation should be requested from the manufacturer (Intel/Altera). AEC-Q100 is not applicable - this is an FPGA, not an automotive-qualified IC.
