EP2A25F672C9 - APEX II FPGA 25K LE 492 I/O 672-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP2A25F672C9 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $936.41 | $936.41 |
| 10 | $890 | $8,900.00 |
| 100 | $820 | $82,000.00 |
| 500 | $760 | $380,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $700 | $700,000.00 |
EP2A25F672C9 Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) connected by programmable interconnect. APEX II devices belong to the broader hierarchy: programmable logic device (PLD) → FPGA → embedded programmable logic → high-density programmable logic IC. They are manufactured on a 0.15 µm all-layer copper process supporting up to eight metal layers and are designed for systems that require parallel processing, deterministic timing, and on-chip memory integration.
Key features of the EP2A25F672C9 include embedded system blocks (ESBs) for dual-port RAM, ROM, and FIFO functions, fast interconnect with MultiCore interconnect routing, dedicated carry and cascade chains for arithmetic, and 1 Gbps LVDS-capable I/O support per the APEX II architecture. The device supports in-system programmability through Altera's passive serial (PS), passive parallel synchronous (PPS), and JTAG interfaces. It also offers multi-voltage I/O support (1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V) for interfacing with legacy and modern logic families.
The APEX II architecture combines Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic with embedded memory and a high-speed interconnect fabric. The 0.15 µm copper process reduces interconnect resistance, enabling higher toggle rates and lower dynamic power per logic operation compared to the previous-generation APEX 20K family. The 672-ball FineLine BGA package supports high pin count with controlled impedance for high-speed signal integrity.
Typical applications of the EP2A25F672C9 include telecommunications baseband processing, network switching fabrics, high-speed data acquisition front ends, digital signal processing (DSP) co-processors, and ASIC prototyping. With 492 user I/Os, it can interface with multi-channel parallel ADC/DAC arrays, PCI bus bridges, and memory subsystems in embedded computing platforms.
Designers should note that the APEX II family has been classified as a mature/legacy product line, with new designs generally directed to Altera/Intel Stratix or Cyclone families. The 672-ball FCBGA also requires careful PCB stack-up, controlled-impedance routing, and reflow profile management to ensure reliable assembly. Lead-time for this legacy part should be confirmed before committing to volume production.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A25F672C9 — 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 EP2A25F672C9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A25F672C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$951.18 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$118 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$205 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672I8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A25F672C9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Logic Elements (LE) | Approximately 25,000 |
| Macro Cells | 2432 |
| User I/O | 492 |
| Package | 672-ball FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Package Dimensions | 27 mm x 27 mm |
| Ball Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm all-layer copper, up to 8 metal layers |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Propagation Delay | 1.69 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 85°C (Commercial) |
| I/O Standards | LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, LVDS, HSTL, SSTL (multi-voltage 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V) |
| Configuration | Passive Serial, Passive Parallel Synchronous, JTAG |
| Embedded Memory | ESBs for dual-port RAM, ROM, FIFO |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP2A25F672C9 27 mm x 27 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A25F672C9 (27 mm x 27 mm 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 EP2A25F672C9.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A25F672C9 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Baseband Processing, Network Switching Fabric, High-Speed Data Acquisition Front-End, ASIC Prototyping, Industrial Motor Control, Legacy Telecom MRO and Board Replacement.
Telecommunications Baseband Processing
The EP2A25F672C9's approximately 25,000 logic elements, 2,432 macro cells, and 1 Gbps LVDS I/O capability make it a strong fit for telecommunications baseband processing where parallel DSP-like operations and high-throughput I/O are required. The APEX II architecture's embedded system blocks (ESBs) provide dual-port RAM and FIFO storage for packet buffering between PHY and processor. With 492 user I/Os, the device can connect to multiple TDM/E1/T1 framers, serializer/deserializer ICs, and external memory buses simultaneously. Designers place the FPGA between the line interface and an embedded PowerPC/MIPS host processor, offloading CRC generation, scrambling, channel coding (Reed-Solomon/Convolutional), and Viterbi decoding into hardware. The LVDS support eliminates external glue logic for high-speed links to ADCs/DACs in IF-stage interfaces.
Recommended
Network Switching Fabric
Network switches and routers often use APEX II devices to implement multi-gigabit switching fabrics because the architecture supports wide internal buses and high I/O pin counts for parallel data paths. The EP2A25F672C9's 492 user I/Os allow direct connection to multiple PHY/MAC ICs, TCAM look-up engines, and high-speed SRAM/SSRAM buffers without external bus switches. Embedded system blocks in the APEX II family implement FIFOs and dual-port CAM/RAM, eliminating external SSRAM chips for queue management. The 1.69 ns propagation delay (per the manufacturer datasheet) supports tight pipeline timing for store-and-forward at 64-byte minimum packet sizes. Compared with newer Cyclone families, this APEX II device is preferred when maintaining existing switch-line designs or in MRO scenarios.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition Front-End
The EP2A25F672C9 is well-suited for high-channel-count data acquisition front ends because its 492 user I/Os can accept parallel data from multiple ADC channels (e.g., 8/16-bit 100+ MSPS ADCs in a large parallel array) without intermediate buffers. The APEX II MultiCore interconnect and dedicated carry chains accelerate FIR filters and digital down-conversion in DSP front-end applications. According to the manufacturer datasheet, the 0.15 µm copper process and embedded ESBs allow designers to implement on-chip sample buffers and trigger logic for oscilloscope/instrumentation products. LVDS I/O support directly interfaces with modern LVDS-output ADC/DAC chips, reducing interface complexity. The 27×27 mm FCBGA package provides the mechanical stability and controlled-impedance routing required for multi-GSPS acquisition cards.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
ASIC prototyping with the EP2A25F672C9 leverages approximately 25,000 logic elements and 2,432 macro cells to emulate multi-million-gate ASIC designs by partitioning across one or more APEX II devices. The 672-FCBGA package exposes 492 I/Os to enable multi-board FPGA arrays via high-speed connectors or cable harnesses, supporting system-level ASIC validation. The APEX II architecture supports JTAG in-system programming, allowing rapid design iteration; bitstreams can be reloaded in seconds to test ASIC revisions. According to the manufacturer datasheet, the Quartus II toolchain provides synthesis, place-and-route, and timing analysis comparable to ASIC flows, making this part a useful pre-silicon verification vehicle. Designers should plan for I/O sharing between sub-modules and floor-plan the design to manage interconnect congestion in the APEX II fabric.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control
In industrial motor-control platforms, the EP2A25F672C9 implements multi-axis field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms, PWM generation, encoder feedback processing, and safety logic in a single device. The 492 user I/Os handle multiple quadrature encoder inputs, Hall sensors, current-sense ADCs, and isolated gate-driver enable signals for 3-phase IGBT/MOSFET bridges. The APEX II's embedded system blocks (ESBs) provide dual-port RAM for sine/cosine lookup tables and PID coefficient storage, eliminating external memory. According to the manufacturer datasheet, the 0.15 µm CMOS process is robust enough for industrial environments when paired with the industrial-temperature EP2A25F672I8 variant. The 1.69 ns propagation delay enables sub-microsecond control loop times for high-speed spindle or servo drives.
Recommended
Legacy Telecom MRO and Board Replacement
The EP2A25F672C9 is frequently sourced for maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) of legacy telecom equipment originally deployed in the early 2000s, where APEX II FPGAs implement line-card controllers, framer back-ends, and custom glue logic. Because the APEX II family is NRND on Altera's portfolio, end-of-life replacement requires drop-in substitutes in the same 672-FCBGA footprint. The EP2A25F672C8 (faster speed grade) or EP2A25F672C9N (lead-free finish) are typically sourced for replacing failed C9 units on populated boards. According to the manufacturer datasheet, the device's pin-to-pin compatibility across speed grades simplifies swap-in board repair without re-routing the PCB. Franchised distributors such as Rochester Electronics stock EP2A25F672C9 for long-term support contracts.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A25F672C9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A25F672C8 | EP2A25F672C7 | EP2A25F672C8N | EP2A25F672I8 | EP2A25F672C9N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-ball FCBGA (27x27 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) | 672-ball FCBGA - same | 672-ball FCBGA - same | 672-ball FCBGA - same | 672-ball FCBGA - same | 672-ball FCBGA - same |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Speed Grade | C9 | C8 (faster) | C7 (fastest) | C8 (faster) | I8 (industrial temp) | C9 (lead-free) |
| Logic Elements | ~25,000 | ~25,000 | ~25,000 | ~25,000 | ~25,000 | ~25,000 |
| User I/O | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 85°C (Commercial) | 0°C to 85°C | 0°C to 85°C | 0°C to 85°C | -40°C to +100°C | 0°C to 85°C |
| Approx. Unit Price (qty 1) | ~$936.41 | ~$1,000-1,200 (vintage stock) | ~$1,200-1,500 (vintage stock) | ~$1,100-1,400 (vintage stock) | ~$1,300-1,800 (industrial grade premium) | ~$1,000-1,300 (vintage stock) |
Key Differentiators
- Drop-in speed grade flexibility across the 672-FCBGA footprint (vs EP2A25F672C8)
- Industrial temperature option in identical footprint (vs EP2A25F672I8)
- Lead-free RoHS variants available (vs EP2A25F672C9N)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 25,000 LE utilization near 80% and a 100 MHz internal clock, the EP2A25F672C9 can dissipate up to 3-5 W. The 672-FCBGA's bottom-side thermal pad is the primary heat-removal path; per the APEX II datasheet, θJA is approximately 12-15 °C/W with thermal vias to a 4-layer inner-plane copper pour. Designers must use an array of thermal vias under the central BGA pad, tied to inner copper layers, to stay within the 0-85 °C commercial range. Industrial variants (-40 to +100 °C) such as EP2A25F672I8 require additional heatsink attachment for high-utilization designs.
The 672-FCBGA's 1.0 mm ball pitch requires a 4- or 6-layer PCB stack-up with controlled-impedance traces for LVDS/clock nets. Per the manufacturer datasheet, each I/O bank has its own VCCIO supply (1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V); the PCB must provide separate voltage planes per bank with sufficient decoupling (0.1 µF + 10 µF bulk) within 200 mil of each bank. JTAG chain routing must follow IEEE 1149.1 length-matching to avoid TAP-controller lockup. For legacy designs migrating from older APEX 20K boards, verify that the power-sequencing ramp meets the APEX II datasheet's POR (power-on-reset) timing.
The APEX II family is NRND; do not initiate new designs unless maintaining existing production. Common pitfalls: (1) configuring the wrong MSEL0/MSEL1 strapping resistors for the intended configuration mode (PS/PPS/JTAG); (2) leaving unused I/O pins floating - tie them to a defined logic level via the Quartus II .qsf settings to avoid shoot-through current; (3) mixing 2.5 V and 3.3 V I/O in the same bank without proper VCCIO planning; (4) overlooking that C-speed-grade bin numbers indicate relative speed (C7 fastest, C9 slowest in C-tier), not an absolute MHz. Always confirm timing closure with Quartus II TimeQuest before committing to layout.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH/lead-free status not explicitly stated in the verified web data. APEX II parts predate RoHS mandates (early 2000s); lead-free finish is typically indicated by an 'N' suffix in the MPN (e.g., EP2A25F672C9N, EP2A25F672C8N). Confirm compliance with the distributor's certificate of conformance before EU-bound shipments.
