EP2A40B724I9 - APEX II FPGA, 1.5M Gates, 724-FCBGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP2A40B724I9 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $250 | $2,500.00 |
| 100 | $215 | $21,500.00 |
| 500 | $180 | $90,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $150 | $150,000.00 |
EP2A40B724I9 Overview
What is an FPGA? An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device built from an array of configurable logic blocks (LABs/MegaLABs), embedded memory, and programmable interconnect. FPGAs occupy a tier above CPLDs and below ASICs in the programmable-logic hierarchy: FPGA > CPLD > SPLD > PAL/GAL. APEX II was Altera's second-generation multi-gigabit-capable architecture, designed for high-speed communications, DSP, and processor-coprocessor emulation, before being succeeded by Stratix, Cyclone, and finally Agilex families.
Key features of the EP2A40B724I9 include 38,400 logic elements, 655,360 bits of embedded SRAM distributed across multiple embedded array blocks (EABs), built-in support for LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, and GTL+ I/O standards, and up to 16 high-speed clock networks with dedicated PLL blocks for frequency synthesis and clock deskew. The device also integrates up to four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock multiplication and jitter control.
The APEX II architecture combines look-up-table (LUT)-based logic with embedded system blocks (ESBs) that can each be configured as dual-port RAM, ROM, FIFO, or CAM. Each EAB provides 2,048 bits of memory, and the embedded multiplier structure accelerates DSP building blocks such as FIR filters and FFT butterflies. Multi-gigabit transceivers and LVDS I/O support line rates up to several hundred Mbps per channel.
Typical applications include high-speed serial protocol bridging (UTOPIA, POS-PHY, RapidIO), telecom line cards, base-station channel cards, image-processing pipelines, and ASIC prototyping. The large logic capacity also makes EP2A40B724I9 suitable for system-on-chip emulation of processor peripherals and bus architectures. Designers typically target the device with the Quartus II design suite (legacy) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure.
When designing with EP2A40B724I9, ensure adequate decoupling: 0.1 µF and 0.01 µF high-frequency ceramics must be placed within 100 mils of every power pin, plus bulk decoupling at the board level. The 1.5 V core supply requires tight regulation; a drop of more than 5 % can cause functional failure. Note that APEX II parts are legacy/EOL, so long-term production programs should validate second-source options or migration to Stratix/Agilex equivalents.
This page consolidates distributor pricing, drop-in alternative candidates, package data, and design notes beyond the original datasheet, helping sourcing engineers and hardware designers evaluate the EP2A40B724I9 for both new designs and legacy board maintenance.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40B724I9 — 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 EP2A40B724I9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40B724I-9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$605 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$138.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$611 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$310 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$395.38 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$99.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40B724I9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Series | EP2A40 |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 38,400 |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 655,360 |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial) |
| Speed Grade | 9 (slower, robust timing margin) |
| Temperature Grade Suffix | I (industrial) |
| PLLs | Up to 4 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP2A40B724I9 724-pin fcbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A40B724I9 (724-pin fcbga (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 EP2A40B724I9.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A40B724I9 is suitable for 6 applications: High-Speed Telecom Line Card, ASIC Prototyping & Emulation Platform, DSP / FIR Filter Acceleration, Industrial Imaging Pipeline, Baseband Channel Card / Wireless Modem, Legacy Industrial Control & Test Equipment.
High-Speed Telecom Line Card
The EP2A40B724I9's 1.5M gates and multi-gigabit LVDS capability make it well suited for telecom line-card bridges such as UTOPIA / POS-PHY and Serial RapidIO. With 38,400 logic elements, designers can implement 8+ parallel SERDES channels plus MAC-layer framer logic in a single device. The 1.5 V core keeps per-channel power low, and the 724-pin FCBGA footprint gives enough I/O for multiple independent backplane interfaces. Pair it with an external PHY (e.g., a TDK / Inphi optical transceiver) for full link-card integration. Estimated: at 50 % utilization the device dissipates roughly 3-5 W.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping & Emulation Platform
With 1.5M system gates and 38,400 LEs, the EP2A40B724I9 has enough capacity to map mid-complexity ASICs (multimedia SoCs, networking co-processors, image-pipeline blocks) one-for-one. The embedded system blocks (ESBs) can emulate SRAM/ROM/FIFO macros from the target ASIC. Industrial temperature grade also allows in-vehicle or outdoor emulators. Designers typically use Quartus II with incremental compile and pin-aware floorplanning. Trade-off: APEX II is EOL, so for new emulators migrate to Stratix V / Agilex.
Recommended
DSP / FIR Filter Acceleration
The 655,360 embedded SRAM bits serve as data and coefficient buffers for high-throughput FIR / IIR / FFT engines, while the dedicated multiplier structure inside each EAB accelerates DSP primitives without consuming general-purpose logic. EP2A40B724I9 can sustain hundreds of MSPS of complex filter operations, fitting audio-processing, baseband channel filtering, or radar pre-processing. The 4 PLLs generate the necessary clock domains from a single reference. Estimated: a 64-tap FIR at 200 MHz consumes ~5-8 % of the device.
Recommended
Industrial Imaging Pipeline
Image-processing pipelines (camera-link or LVDS sensor ingest → DMA → preprocessing → display) benefit from the EP2A40B724I9's 38,400 LEs and abundant embedded memory, allowing Bayer demosaic, gamma correction, and edge detection to run in parallel at 60-100 fps. Industrial-grade temperature is essential for outdoor cameras, machine-vision, and factory-floor inspection systems. The 724-pin FCBGA exposes enough LVDS pairs to bring in multi-channel sensor data without external muxing.
Recommended
Baseband Channel Card / Wireless Modem
The APEX II PLLs and rich I/O mix (LVDS for ADC/DAC interfaces, GTL+ for memory bus, LVTTL for control) suit wireless baseband channel cards where multiple low-IF streams must be mixed, filtered, and routed to a backplane DSP. Industrial temperature grade (-40 °C to +100 °C) lets designers reuse the same board across outdoor and indoor deployments. The 1.5M gates are enough for 4-8 channels of 20 MHz LTE-style processing. Pair with an external ADC and a DSP co-processor for full modem functionality.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control & Test Equipment
Many legacy industrial controllers, ATE platforms, and protocol testers still rely on the EP2A40B724I9 for protocol conversion (PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, custom fieldbus) and pattern generation. The industrial temperature grade and long-term Altera/Intel part lifecycle made it a go-to for aerospace test racks and railway signalling. Today, replacement boards are still fabricated to keep legacy systems running. The 655 Kbits of embedded memory helps with deep capture buffers in logic-analyzer test heads.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40B724I9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40B724I-9 | EP2A40B724I8N | EP2A40B724I8 | EP2A40B724I7N | EP2A40B724C9 | 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 (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 |
| Embedded SRAM (bits) | 655,360 | 655,360 | 655,360 | 655,360 | 655,360 | 655,360 | 655,360 |
| Speed Grade | 9 | 9 | 8 (faster) | 8 (faster) | 7 (fastest) | 9 | 9 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40 to +100 °C) | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Commercial (0 to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 to +85 °C) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Largest APEX II device by logic capacity (vs EP2A25F672C9 / EP2A15B724C9)
- Industrial temperature with conservative speed grade (vs EP2A40B724I8N (speed grade 8))
- Largest embedded SRAM in the APEX II family (vs EP20K600EBC652-3 (APEX 20K600))
Design Notes
The EP2A40B724I9 requires a tightly regulated 1.5 V core supply with peak current up to several amps depending on toggle rate. Place 0.1 µF and 0.01 µF high-frequency ceramic decoupling within 100 mils of every VCCINT pin, and add at least one bulk 47-100 µF tantalum or polymer capacitor per VCC bank. VCCIO banks must be powered before or simultaneously with VCCINT during power-up; failure to do so can latch-up I/O cells. The APEX II APEX II Hardware Reference manual section on 'Power-Up Sequencing' documents the recommended ramp order.
The 724-pin FCBGA has a fine 1.27 mm pitch BGA footprint requiring via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout. Use 0.4 mm laser-drilled vias and microvia stack-ups (e.g., 1+N+1) to fan signals out from inner rows. Matched-impedance routing (50 Ω SE, 100 Ω diff) is mandatory for LVDS pairs. Pair the FPGA with a 0.1 µF cap on every PLL power pin and a ferrite bead on PLL analog supply. Reference Altera's AN 75: 'High-Speed Board Layout' for fanout and stack-up guidance.
Avoid these common EP2A40B724I9 pitfalls: (1) configuring JTAG chain with conflicting device IDs - the EP2A40B724 shares silicon ID with EP2A40B672 variants, so check IR length; (2) running signal taps on every I/O during test - each LVDS pair generates significant dynamic power; (3) using the device above 1.6 V VCCINT - APEX II is not 1.8 V tolerant; (4) mixing 5 V PCI VCCIO with 3.3 V LVCMOS VCCIO on the same bank - I/O banks are independent but supply sequencing must respect the I/O standard. Always revalidate timing with Quartus II TimeQuest after place-and-route.
For high-speed LVDS links above 400 Mbps, use matched-length routing within 50 mil tolerance per pair and keep stubs off the LVDS trace. AC-couple LVDS pairs with 100 nF caps if the receiving device requires it. The EP2A40B724I9 LVDS drivers have 3.5 mA drive strength - sufficient for board traces up to ~6 inches; for longer runs use external LVDS buffers (e.g., SN65LVDS series). TI SLLA105 ('LVDS Owner's Manual') is a useful supplementary reference.
Compliance Information
RoHS / REACH / lead-free status not confirmed by verified web data. APEX II was originally released before widespread RoHS transition; Pb-free variants typically carry the 'N' suffix (e.g., EP2A40B724I8N). AEC-Q100 not applicable as this is a programmable logic device, not an automotive-qualified IC.
