EP2A25F672C8 - APEX II FPGA 492 I/O 672-FBGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP2A25F672C8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1305.72 | $1,305.72 |
| 10 | $1280.5 | $12,805.00 |
| 50 | $1245 | $62,250.00 |
| 100 | $1195 | $119,500.00 |
| 500 | $951.18 | $475,590.00 |
EP2A25F672C8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose logic functionality is defined by the user after manufacture, via a hardware description language and a configuration bitstream. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic hierarchy, above CPLDs and simple PLDs, and below fixed-function ASICs. APEX II specifically combines Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic, Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) for memory and product-term functions, and True-LVDS/PLL clock management, making it suitable for high-throughput data-path and bus-interface designs.
Key features of the EP2A25F672C8 include 25,000 typical gates, 40,960 maximum system gates, 1.69 ns propagation delay, 1 Gbps LVDS-capable I/O performance, 4 PLLs, dual-port RAM, and embedded content-addressable memory (CAM) blocks. The device supports multiple I/O standards including LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI-X, GTL+, SSTL-2/3, HSTL, LVDS, and LVPECL through 16 I/O banks, allowing mixed-voltage interfacing to DDR SDRAM, ZBT SRAM, and QDR SRAM without external translators.
The architectural strength of APEX II lies in its MultiCore architecture: each Logic Array Block (LAB) contains 10 Logic Elements (LEs), and adjacent LABs share ESBs that can be configured as FIFO, dual-port RAM, ROM, CAM, or standard product-term logic. Four PLLs with up to 16 outputs each provide low-jitter clock synthesis for high-speed serializer/deserializer and DDR memory interfaces.
Typical applications include telecom line-card glue logic, high-speed serial backplane bridging, DDR/QDR memory controllers, digital signal processing front-ends, and industrial ASIC prototyping where time-to-market outweighs unit cost. Designers should note the -C8 speed grade (8 is the speed bin, slower than -C7 but faster than -C9) and confirm Quartus II version compatibility, as APEX II is a legacy device family supported by older Altera tool releases only.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A25F672C8 — 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 EP2A25F672C8 (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:
EP2A25F672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$118 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$700 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A15F672C8
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2A25B652C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25B724C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$760 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II (EP2A25) |
| Logic Elements | 25,000 (typical gates) |
| Maximum System Gates | 40,960 |
| Macrocells / Embedded Logic | 2,432 macros |
| User I/O Count | 492 |
| Package | 672-FBGA (FineLine BGA, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) |
| Propagation Delay (tpd) | 1.69 ns |
| Speed Grade | C8 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C (commercial) |
| Process Technology | 0.15 microm CMOS, 8-layer copper interconnect |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI-X, GTL+, SSTL-2/3, HSTL, LVDS, LVPECL |
| LVDS Data Rate | 1 Gbps |
| PLL Count | 4 |
| Embedded Memory | ESB blocks (dual-port RAM, FIFO, CAM, ROM) |
| I/O Banks | 16 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Non-compliant (legacy product) |
EP2A25F672C8 672-fbga (fineline bga, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A25F672C8 (672-fbga (fineline bga, 27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) 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 EP2A25F672C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A25F672C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic, DDR SDRAM Memory Controller, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Industrial Control & Machine Vision, High-Speed Serial Backplane Bridging, Legacy System Sustainment.
Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic
The EP2A25F672C8's 25,000 logic elements and 4 PLLs make it well-suited for telecom line-card bridging between backplane SERDES and TDM/datacom fabrics. Its 16 mixed-voltage I/O banks directly accept LVDS, LVPECL, GTL+, and SSTL, eliminating external translator chips and shrinking BOM. The 492 user I/Os expose enough pins for a 32-bit data path plus protocol-specific sideband signaling without multiplexing, and the 1.69 ns tpd in C8 grade supports 155 MHz POS-PHY interfaces comfortably.
Recommended
DDR SDRAM Memory Controller
With embedded dual-port RAM blocks, 4 PLLs, and SSTL-2/3 I/O standard support, the EP2A25F672C8 can implement a 64-bit DDR SDRAM controller with a 133 MHz clock and source-synchronous capture without external buffers. The 1 Gbps LVDS capability on dedicated channels enables RSDS-class point-to-point links to companion memory or ASSP devices, while 16 I/O banks let designers isolate DDR VREF from GTL+ control planes. Trade-off: the C8 speed grade requires an extra pipeline stage vs C7 for 200 MHz DDR designs.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Engineers prototyping ASICs in the 50k-200k gate range choose the EP2A25F672C8 because its 25,000 logic elements (40,960 max system gates) and 492 I/Os are large enough to map medium-complexity ASICs with reasonable partition cost. Quartus II APEX II support provides synthesis, simulation libraries, and incremental compile flows that match pre-silicon verification needs. Designers should select C7 for timing-margin headroom on the prototype; C8 as in the EP2A25F672C8 is acceptable for designs targeting 100 MHz or below.
Recommended
Industrial Control & Machine Vision
The EP2A25F672C8's parallel-processing fabric, on-chip CAM blocks, and LVDS throughput are well-suited to industrial machine-vision pipelines where multiple Camera Link streams must be merged, line-buffered, and preprocessed in real time. ESB-based dual-port RAM provides per-line buffering without external SRAM, and the 4 PLLs let designers derive pixel, line, and frame clocks from a single LVDS reference. The 0-85 C commercial temperature range is sufficient for most factory-floor enclosures; industrial temperature -I8 grades exist on the APEX II family.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Backplane Bridging
The APEX II's 1 Gbps LVDS I/O and True-LVDS support make the EP2A25F672C8 a viable pre-transceiver bridging device between legacy parallel backplanes and emerging serial fabrics. Its 16 I/O banks allow mixed LVDS/LVPECL/HSTL domains on a single die, supporting protocol conversion for SPI-4.2, SFI-4, and POS-PHY Level 4 interfaces. Designers typically pair the FPGA with external SERDES ASSPs and use the FPGA's 25k logic elements for buffer management and protocol mapping; 492 I/Os accommodate 16-bit data paths plus overhead.
Recommended
Legacy System Sustainment
Long-lifecycle defense, aerospace, and industrial customers maintaining deployed APEX II-based systems use the EP2A25F672C8 as a direct replacement for field failures. Because APEX II is obsolete, sustaining engineering must qualify sources carefully, validate bitstream compatibility across C7/C8/C9 speed grades, and verify that Rochester Electronics or franchised brokers have traceable stock. The 672-FBGA package is footprint-stable across the EP2A25 family, so existing PCBs accept the EP2A25F672C7, EP2A25F672C8, or EP2A25F672C9 without re-layout.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A25F672C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A25F672C7 | EP2A25F672C9 | EP2A15F672C8 | EP2A25B652C8 | EP2A25B724C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 672-FBGA | 672-FBGA - same | 672-FBGA - same | 672-FBGA - same | 652-BGA | 724-BGA |
| Logic Elements | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 15,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C7 (faster) | C9 (slower) | C8 (same) | C8 | C7 |
| Propagation Delay (tpd) | 1.69 ns | ~1.5 ns | ~1.9 ns | 1.69 ns | 1.69 ns | ~1.5 ns |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| LVDS Data Rate | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible speed-bin flexibility within the same 672-FBGA footprint (vs EP2A25F672C7)
- Larger logic capacity than the EP2A15 family in identical package (vs EP2A15F672C8)
- Industry-standard fine-pitch BGA with established second-source distribution (vs Altera Stratix IV EP4SGX230KF40C2)
Design Notes
Estimated: APEX II EP2A25 quiescent current at 1.5V core is approximately 0.5-1.0A plus I/O bank current. For 16 active banks at 3.3V VCCIO driving 20 mA each, add approximately 320 mA. Total estimated system power at full utilization is 5-8W. Designers should provide at least 4 power planes (VCCINT, VCCIO, VCCPD, VCCPLL) with 0.1 uF decoupling per bank and bulk capacitors rated for the worst-case transient load step.
Estimated: at 6W total dissipation with the 672-FBGA package (typical theta_JA ~10 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC board), junction temperature rise is approximately 60 C above ambient. Combined with the 0-85 C commercial operating range, maximum ambient is approximately 25 C - below typical office temperatures. Designers must use thermal vias under the package center array, multiple inner-plane copper pours, and confirm airflow to remain within spec.
The 672-FBGA package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch on a 27 x 27 mm body. PCB design requires HDI microvia stack-ups (laser-drilled microvias to inner planes), 0.4 mm pad-to-trace clearance, and matched-length routing on LVDS pairs within 150 mil skew. Use 50 ohm controlled impedance for LVDS/LVPECL traces and 60 ohm differential. Refer to Altera AN315 (PCB Layout Guidelines for APEX II) and the device handbook package diagrams for via-pattern and ball-map references.
Three recurring pitfalls: (1) mixing 3.3V PCI and 2.5V SSTL signals on the same I/O bank without separate VCCIO and VREF rails; (2) failing to connect all unused I/O banks to a valid VCCIO - floating VCCIO causes I/O buffer oscillation that couples noise into VCCINT; (3) ignoring the JTAG TRST pin which must be tied low for normal operation - leaving it floating prevents configuration. Also: APEX II is supported only through Quartus II 13.0sp1; newer Quartus Prime releases will not synthesize this device.
Compliance Information
RoHS non-compliant per Rochester Electronics listing (legacy part predates RoHS revisions). Lead-free status: no (legacy SnPb or matte Sn finish). REACH compliant per EU declaration. AEC-Q100 not applicable for commercial-grade FPGA. Halogen-free status unknown - not stated on distributor pages.
