EP2A40B724I7N - APEX II FPGA 1.5M Gates 724-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2A40B724I7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $425 | $425.00 |
| 10 | $395 | $3,950.00 |
| 100 | $360 | $36,000.00 |
| 500 | $335 | $167,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $310 | $310,000.00 |
EP2A40B724I7N Overview
APEX II is a high-density FPGA family that sits in the programmable logic hierarchy between classic CPLDs and modern SoC FPGAs. FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) are semiconductor devices built around an array of configurable logic blocks (LEs), embedded memory, and programmable interconnect that designers can tailor to any digital function after manufacture. APEX II extended this concept by combining Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic elements with Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) for memory and specialized I/O, making it well suited for data-path and bus-interface workloads.
Key features include a maximum internal clock frequency of 562 MHz, 16 macrocells per logic array block, 32 product terms per macrocell, and up to 536 user I/O pins. The part supports both single-ended and differential I/O standards including LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, GTL+, SSTL-2, SSTL-3, HSTL, LVPECL, LVDS, and AGP. Embedded System Blocks provide up to 414 Kbit of dual-port RAM, while four Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) handle clock multiplication, division, phase shifting, and skew control across up to eight clock networks.
The architecture combines MultiCore interconnect routing with dedicated carry chains and cascade chains, enabling efficient implementation of wide arithmetic functions, state machines, and bus bridges. Multi-voltage I/O lets portions of the device interface with 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5 V buses simultaneously without external translators.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, high-speed data routers, PCI bridge and bridge/repeater designs, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching fabrics, high-performance DSP pipelines, and graphics/AGP interfaces. The 724-pin FCBGA package supports the large I/O count required for these bus-intensive designs.
When designing with this device, use the Quartus II design software (legacy support) and respect the LVTTL/LVCMOS drive-strength settings to keep SSO (Simultaneously Switching Outputs) noise within the IBIS-modeled limits. Decoupling requires low-impedance power planes with bulk, mid-frequency, and high-frequency ceramic capacitors distributed across the FCBGA footprint.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, drop-in APEX II family alternatives, and practical design notes that complement the official APEX II datasheet and Quartus II device handbook.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40B724I7N — 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 EP2A40B724I7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Configuration Mode.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40B724I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I-7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$158 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I-8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$280 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I-9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$605 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$99.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Series | EP2A40 |
| Device Type | FPGA (Loadable PLD) |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 |
| Logic Cells | 38,400 |
| Macrocells | 16 |
| Product Terms per Macrocell | 32 |
| Maximum User I/O | 536 |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 562 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA |
| Operating Temperature | Industrial grade (I suffix) |
EP2A40B724I7N Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O — User I/O bank (multi-voltage, LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI/HSTL) |
| Pin 2 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 3 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 4 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 5 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 6 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 7 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 8 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 9 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 10 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 11 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage (per bank) |
| Pin 12 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 13 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 14 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 15 | CLK — Dedicated clock input |
| Pin 16 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 17 | I/O — User I/O bank |
| Pin 18 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage 1.5 V |
| Pin 19 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 20 | I/O — User I/O bank |
Typical Applications
EP2A40B724I7N is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line Cards, High-Speed Data Routers, PCI Bridge and Bridge/Repeater Designs, ATM Switching Fabrics, DSP Pipeline Acceleration, Graphics / AGP Interfaces, Legacy Industrial Control Systems.
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP2A40B724I7N fits telecom line cards because its 1.5M system gates and 38,400 logic cells can host ATM cell-processing pipelines, HDLC framers, and T1/E1 mappers in a single device. The 562 MHz internal clock rate sustains per-channel wire-speed throughput for OC-3/STM-1 aggregation, while up to 536 user I/O lines interface directly to buswide framers, network processors, and backplane SERDES. Multi-voltage I/O (LVTTL, LVCMOS, GTL+, HSTL) eliminates external level shifters, simplifying dense line-card layouts. Designers should use Quartus II timing closure with the APEX II Device Handbook pin-out file to meet per-channel bit-error budgets.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Routers
In high-speed data routers the EP2A40B724I7N provides the lookup-table depth required for IPv4/IPv6 forwarding tables, QoS schedulers, and packet-classifier state machines. Its 414 Kbit of Embedded System Block RAM stores route-cache entries and statistics without external SRAM, reducing board complexity. The four PLLs generate the multiple clock domains needed for ingress, egress, fabric, and management interfaces. Up to 536 I/O let designers connect directly to SPI-4.2/POS-PHY Level-4 channels; the FCBGA-724 footprint provides the signal-integrity headroom required for 200+ MHz parallel buses.
Recommended
PCI Bridge and Bridge/Repeater Designs
The EP2A40B724I7N is well suited to PCI bridge and bridge/repeater designs because the APEX II family includes dedicated PCI-compliant I/O buffers and supports 33/66 MHz PCI operation with zero wait states. The 1.5M-gate capacity implements the primary/secondary bus arbiters, address decoding, and transaction-layer state machines on one device. Up to 536 user I/O pins handle multiple PCI segments plus auxiliary buses (CompactPCI, PMC, I2C). Industrial-temperature grade and the rugged FCBGA-724 package suit embedded computing platforms. Quartus II MegaWizard PCI compiler generates the compliant state-machine and timing-closure templates.
Recommended
ATM Switching Fabrics
ATM switching fabrics benefit from the EP2A40B724I7N's 562 MHz internal clock rate and abundant Embedded System Block RAM for cell-buffer memory. The device can implement an 8x8 or 16x16 shared-bus switch fabric with per-port queue management, ABR congestion control, and OAM cell processing integrated alongside the cell router. PCI I/O standards interface directly to SAR chips; GTL+ and HSTL I/O connect to UTOPIA Level-2/3 PHY interfaces. The 724-pin FCBGA keeps bus skew low on wide cell-data buses, and the industrial temperature grade supports central-office deployments.
Recommended
DSP Pipeline Acceleration
For DSP pipeline acceleration, the EP2A40B724I7N's 38,400 logic cells implement FIR filters, FFT butterflies, and turbo-decoder trellis stages. The dedicated carry-chain in every Logic Element runs at 562 MHz, sustaining multi-MSPS sample rates on 16-bit datapaths. Four PLLs derive the multiple clock domains needed for sample, processing, and memory interfaces. The 414 Kbit Embedded System Block RAM holds coefficient tables and ping-pong sample buffers without external memory. Multi-voltage I/O lets the FPGA talk directly to 1.8 V ADCs and 3.3 V DSP processors.
Recommended
Graphics / AGP Interfaces
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) interfaces rely on the EP2A40B724I7N's support for AGP 2X/4X signaling and its 536 I/O for wide graphics buses. Designers implement the command queue, GART (Graphics Address Remapping Table), and side-band signal handlers in fabric; PCI-compliant I/O handles the AGP protocol layer. Up to 414 Kbit of dual-port RAM provides read/write buffering between system memory and the graphics controller. The 724-pin FCBGA package keeps the AGP signal-integrity budget intact at 66 MHz, and Quartus II includes AGP timing-closure templates.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control Systems
Long-life industrial control systems continue to specify the EP2A40B724I7N because of its industrial temperature grade and proven reliability in 15+ year deployments. The device hosts motor-control state machines, PLC scan engines, and safety-logic interlocks on a single fabric. Multi-voltage I/O interfaces with 5 V sensors and 3.3 V microcontrollers without external translators, and the 724-pin FCBGA tolerates industrial thermal cycling. For new designs, engineers migrate to Cyclone IV/V but maintain the EP2A40B724I7N in installed-base spares. Quartus II Web Edition supports legacy maintenance programming.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40B724I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40B724I7 | EP2A40B724I-7 | EP2A40B724I-8 | EP2A40B724I-9 | EP2A40B724C7N | EP2A40B724C9N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Family | APEX II EP2A40 | APEX II EP2A40 | APEX II EP2A40 | APEX II EP2A40 | APEX II EP2A40 | APEX II EP2A40 | APEX II EP2A40 |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 |
| Logic Cells | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 |
| Speed Grade | -7 | -7 | -7 | -8 | -9 | -7 | -9 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Commercial (0-85C) | Commercial (0-85C) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial-temperature grade with same die and footprint as commercial variant (vs EP2A40B724C7N)
- Fastest speed grade (-7) in the APEX II EP2A40 family (vs EP2A40B724I-9)
- 1.5M system gates in 724-pin FCBGA, more I/O than 652-pin BGA tier (vs EP2A40B652C7)
Design Notes
Estimated: The 724-pin FCBGA package exhibits theta_JA of approximately 8-10 C/W with a properly designed 1-oz 8-layer PCB and continuous ground planes on inner layers. At typical APEX II operating power of 2-3 W, junction temperature rise is 16-30 C above ambient, well within the industrial -40 C to +100 C range. Designers MUST follow Intel's APEX II thermal management application note and provide at least 1 oz copper pours beneath the FCBGA footprint with thermal vias to internal ground planes.
FCBGA-724 requires 1.0 mm pitch BGA fanout with microvia stackups. Use 0.2 mm via-in-pad for inner balls, dog-bone fanout for outer rows, and ensure escape routing complies with the APEX II Device Handbook pin-out. Decoupling: place 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitors every 10 I/O balls plus bulk 10 uF tantalum or polymer capacitors at each VCCINT/VCCIO bank. Maintain continuous VCCINT and VCCIO planes; avoid splits under the FCBGA footprint.
Route high-speed differential pairs (LVDS, LVPECL) with 100 ohm differential impedance and length matching to within 150 ps. Single-ended SSTL/GTL+ buses require 50 ohm single-ended impedance with termination at the receiver end. Match clock-to-DQS traces within 50 ps. The four PLL analog supply pins (VCC_PLL) must be isolated from digital VCCINT with a ferrite bead and filtered with 10 uF + 0.1 uF local decoupling.
Avoid exceeding the maximum I/O count of 536 user I/O - designers sometimes misinterpret the FCBGA-724 pin map and accidentally use JTAG, configuration, or power pins as GPIO. Always regenerate the Quartus II pin-out file from the FCGBA-724 package selection before committing to PCB layout. Misuse of MSEL[2:0] configuration mode settings is another common pitfall - use AS (Active Serial) mode for most modern designs.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not available in the provided Verified Web Data for EP2A40B724I7N; APEX II family datasheet should be consulted directly. AEC-Q100 is not applicable because the part is a logic device, not an automotive-qualified analog/power IC.