EP2A25B652C9 - 24K LE APEX II FPGA 652-pin BGA | Intel
MPN: EP2A25B652C9 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165 | $1,650.00 |
| 100 | $140 | $14,000.00 |
| 500 | $120 | $60,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $105 | $105,000.00 |
EP2A25B652C9 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose digital logic function is defined by the customer's configuration bitstream rather than by the foundry mask set. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic hierarchy, above CPLDs in density and below ASICs in unit cost at very high volumes. APEX II devices specifically extend the APEX architecture with embedded multipliers, embedded memory blocks (EABs), and high-speed LVDS-capable I/O, enabling single-chip implementation of datapath-intensive systems.
Key features include up to 24,320 logic elements, embedded array blocks for wide memory and multiplier functions, multi-gigabit interconnect support, and JTAG-based in-system programmability via the IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan interface. The device supports multiple I/O standards including LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and LVDS through programmable I/O buffers, allowing direct interfacing with DDR SDRAM, ZBT SRAM, and legacy TTL peripherals.
The APEX II architecture combines a multi-level routing fabric (FastTrack, MegaLAB, and DirectDrive interconnect) with embedded system blocks, giving designers a flexible platform for bus-oriented designs. Multi-voltage I/O banks allow independent selection of 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, or 3.3 V signalling on the same die, simplifying mixed-voltage board designs.
Typical applications include telecommunications line-card datapaths, baseband processing, video and imaging pipelines, and ASIC prototyping. APEX II devices were widely adopted in late-1990s and early-2000s communications infrastructure and continue to appear in long-lifecycle industrial and aerospace systems that depend on stable supply.
When designing with this device, plan power sequencing carefully: VCCINT must ramp before VCCIO to avoid latch-up, and decoupling must use a low-impedance distribution network with multiple bulk and ceramic capacitors near each bank. Configuration should default to a fail-safe scheme (e.g. MAX configuration) so that unconfigured I/O do not drive the board at power-up.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A25B652C9 — 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 EP2A25B652C9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Logic Elements, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Package, Configuration Method.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A25B652C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25B652C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$285 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15B652C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25B652C9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | APEX II (EP2A25) |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 |
| Package | 652-ball FineLine BGA |
| Speed Grade | C9 (-7 commercial) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 µm CMOS |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V |
| I/O Voltage Standards | LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, LVDS |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1), passive serial, MAX configuration scheme |
| Embedded Memory | Embedded array blocks (EABs) |
| Embedded Multipliers | Yes (DSP blocks) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP2A25B652C9 652-ball fineline bga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A25B652C9 (652-ball fineline bga 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 EP2A25B652C9.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A25B652C9 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line-Card Datapath, Image and Video Processing Pipeline, DSP Co-Processor and FFT Accelerator, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Industrial Control and Factory Automation, Military and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy Programs).
Telecommunications Line-Card Datapath
The EP2A25B652C9's 24,320 logic elements and embedded multipliers make it well suited for telecommunications line-card datapaths carrying ATM, framers, and protocol-mapping functions. Its C9 speed grade supports the multi-hundred-MHz fMAX needed for OC-12 / OC-48 framer designs, while multi-standard I/O banks interface directly to 3.3 V framers and 2.5 V network processors. Place the device with local decoupling close to each VCCINT and VCCIO pin group; the 652-ball BGA footprint offers generous power/ground balls for low-impedance distribution critical at these clock rates.
Recommended
Image and Video Processing Pipeline
In imaging pipelines, the EP2A25B652C9's embedded multipliers deliver DSP throughput for FIR filters, colour-space conversion, and motion estimation at video rates. The 24,320 logic elements provide sufficient capacity for line buffers and pipeline control, while embedded array blocks implement dual-port line memory without consuming logic. The C9 speed grade is required to keep horizontal-line timing margins tight at 100+ MHz pixel clocks, and the LVDS I/O capability interfaces directly to common CMOS image sensors over low-EMI differential pairs.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor and FFT Accelerator
The EP2A25B652C9's embedded multipliers and wide embedded memory blocks form an efficient engine for FFT, convolution, and Reed-Solomon codecs. Cores mapped onto the embedded array blocks can sustain hundreds of MSPS on 16-bit datapaths, while soft logic implements the surrounding control and address-generation state machines. The 652-ball BGA delivers enough I/O to expose wide external data buses (32-64 bit) to a host DSP or microprocessor without muxing penalties, and LVDS I/O enables glue-free connection to high-speed SRAM banks.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP2A25B652C9 is widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because its 24,320 logic elements map enough gates to validate sub-blocks of larger ASICs before tape-out. Multi-voltage I/O banks emulate the mixed-signal environment of an ASIC, and JTAG-based configuration lets engineers iterate bitstreams in seconds. The 652-ball BGA supports bring-up on high-speed prototype boards with controlled-impedance traces; pair it with the lower-density EP2A15B652C9 sibling for partitioning large ASIC designs across multiple pin-compatible FPGAs.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
Long-lifecycle industrial systems still rely on the EP2A25B652C9 for deterministic control logic, motor-control loop computation, and legacy fieldbus bridging. The embedded multipliers accelerate PI/PID control loops and SVPWM generation, while the broad I/O standard support interfaces 5 V tolerant LVTTL sensors and 3.3 V MCUs from the same device. The 652-ball BGA's robust thermal performance supports enclosed industrial cabinets; -7 commercial speed grade is acceptable for sub-100 kHz control loops common in PLCs and servo drives.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy Programs)
Many legacy aerospace and defence platforms use the EP2A25B652C9 because the design was qualified under existing certification baselines that cannot be re-opened. The device's deterministic silicon behaviour, JTAG-based configuration, and -7 commercial speed grade suit mission computers, displays, and signal-conditioning units where lifecycle stability outranks raw performance. Obsolete-stock sourcing through authorised distributors is critical here; pin-compatible EP2A25B652C8 or EP2A25B652C7 (slower grades) are acceptable form-fit-function substitutes on the same 652-ball BGA.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A25B652C9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A25B652C8 | EP2A25B652C7 | EP2A15B652C9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 652-ball FineLine BGA | 652-ball FineLine BGA - same | 652-ball FineLine BGA - same | 652-ball FineLine BGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 24,320 | 24,320 (same) | 24,320 (same) | ~15,600 (-36%) |
| Speed Grade | C9 (-7 commercial) | C8 (-8 commercial, ~15% slower) | C7 (-9 commercial, ~30% slower) | C9 (-7 commercial, same) |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.8 V | 1.8 V (same) | 1.8 V (same) | 1.8 V (same) |
| Embedded Multipliers | Yes | Yes (same) | Yes (same) | Yes (fewer count due to lower density) |
| Pin-to-Pin Compatible | Reference | Yes - same 652-ball BGA footprint | Yes - same 652-ball BGA footprint | Yes - same 652-ball BGA footprint |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density APEX II in 652-ball BGA at C9 speed grade (vs EP2A25B652C8)
- Higher logic density at the same speed grade (vs EP2A15B652C9)
- Faster speed grade over the slowest member of the family (vs EP2A25B652C7)
Design Notes
Power sequencing on APEX II devices requires VCCINT to ramp monotonically to 1.8 V before VCCIO begins to ramp; reverse sequencing risks I/O latch-up and possible damage. Use a multi-rail power supervisor (such as a TI TPS3808-style voltage supervisor) to gate each rail's enable until the prior rail crosses its Power-Good threshold. Decoupling must combine bulk tantalum/polymer caps (47-100 µF) with 0.1 µF and 0.01 µF ceramics placed within 5 mm of each VCC ball group on the 652-ball BGA. Estimated: at typical 25K-LE utilisation with 50% toggle rate, expect ~3-5 W core dissipation - verify with the Altera PowerPlay early estimator.
The 652-ball FineLine BGA has a fine pitch (typically 1.0 mm) that demands 4-6 layer PCB stack-up with controlled-impedance traces for high-speed I/O. Use microvia (laser-drilled) technology on inner layers to fan-out the BGA balls to escape traces; dog-bone fan-out is standard. Match trace lengths within LVDS pairs to within 150 mil and within DDR data/clock groups to within 50 mil to preserve timing margins. Solid ground planes directly under the BGA improve thermal dissipation and reduce simultaneous-switching-noise (SSN) on the I/O banks.
Do not assume any new-fabricated APEX II units are available - the family has been obsolete since the late 2000s, so all EP2A25B652C9 units today are from old factory or authorised-distributor stock. Verify date code and factory seal when sourcing; consider third-party X-ray inspection and electrical test for high-reliability programs. For new designs, migrate to a current Intel FPGA family (Cyclone IV/V, MAX 10) instead - APEX II software (Quartus II version 4.x) is end-of-life and not supported by current Quartus Prime releases.
Estimated: at 1.8 V VCCINT and ~5 W core dissipation in the 652-ball FineLine BGA, the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance θJA for this package is approximately 12-15 C/W on a standard 4-layer JEDEC test board with adequate thermal vias. This yields a junction temperature rise of 60-75 C above 25 C ambient. For industrial temperature range operation (up to 85 C ambient), keep core dissipation below 4 W or use forced-air cooling. Reference the APEX II handbook thermal-management section for board-level thermal characterisation.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status were not retrievable from the Verified Web Data for EP2A25B652C9. APEX II family devices predate widespread RoHS adoption, so most factory-stock units are lead-bearing unless specifically re-qualified. Mark these markers for downstream compliance review.
