EP2A40F1020C9ES - APEX II FPGA 1.5M Gates 38400 Cells 366MHz | Altera
MPN: EP2A40F1020C9ES ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165 | $1,650.00 |
| 100 | $142 | $14,200.00 |
| 500 | $120 | $60,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $98 | $98,000.00 |
EP2A40F1020C9ES Overview
What is an FPGA? An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells that can be reconfigured by the user after manufacture. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic hierarchy (FPGA -> programmable logic device -> logic IC -> integrated circuit) and are used to implement arbitrary digital circuits, DSP pipelines, and bus interfaces without the cost of an ASIC. The APEX II family specifically targets high-performance, high-density applications such as telecommunications, video processing, and ASIC prototyping, combining LUT-based logic with embedded memory blocks and a MultiCore architecture.
Key features of the EP2A40F1020C9ES include 1.5 M system gates, 38,400 logic elements, embedded system blocks (ESBs) for RAM and ROM, high-speed I/O support including LVDS, and a 1.5 V core operating voltage with 0.15 µm CMOS technology. The device supports both synchronous and asynchronous RAM operation, allowing designers to implement FIFO buffers, dual-port memories, and content-addressable memories directly on-chip.
The APEX II architecture combines Look-Up Table (LUT) logic with embedded memory and a high-speed interconnect fabric, enabling designs up to several hundred MHz of effective performance. The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package uses a flip-chip land-grid-array construction that minimizes lead inductance, which is essential when running multi-hundred-megahertz interfaces.
Typical applications include high-speed telecommunications switching, ASIC prototyping, DSP co-processing, video and image processing pipelines, and high-throughput data acquisition systems. The combination of high gate count and high I/O count also makes it suitable for complex protocol bridging and test instrumentation.
When designing with this part, pay close attention to power integrity - a 1.5 V core at this density requires multi-rail decoupling and solid thermal management. The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package demands reflow-profile-controlled PCB assembly and controlled-impedance routing on all high-speed traces.
This page synthesizes distributor stock and pricing, same-package alternatives from the APEX II family, and practical design notes not collected in a single section of the original Altera datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40F1020C9ES — 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 EP2A40F1020C9ES (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Core Supply Voltage, Embedded Memory, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40F1020C8ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$185.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C7ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$185 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$149 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C9ES Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| System Gates | 1.5 M |
| Logic Cells / Elements | 38,400 |
| Maximum Internal Clock Frequency | 366 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Package | 1020-pin FC-FBGA |
| Package Type | Flip-Chip Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Embedded Memory | Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) - RAM/ROM |
| I/O Standards | LVDS and other high-speed standards (per family datasheet) |
| RAM Support | Synchronous and asynchronous |
EP2A40F1020C9ES flip-chip fine-pitch ball grid array Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A40F1020C9ES (flip-chip fine-pitch ball grid array 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 EP2A40F1020C9ES.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A40F1020C9ES is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Telecommunications Switching and Routing, Video and Image Processing Pipelines, High-Throughput Data Acquisition Systems, DSP Co-Processing for Compute-Intensive Systems, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP2A40F1020C9ES delivers 1.5 M system gates and 38,400 logic elements in a 1020-pin FC-FBGA package, providing the silicon density needed to prototype and validate multi-million-gate ASIC designs before tape-out. The package's 1020-ball count exposes hundreds of user I/O, allowing real-world I/O stress and ASIC pin multiplexing to be exercised. Engineers typically use APEX II for ASIC prototyping because the Quartus II toolchain maps RTL directly to APEX II primitives with predictable timing. The trade-off versus current-generation FPGAs is static power (older 0.15 µm node) and lower max frequency, but for verification of mid-complexity ASICs the EP2A40F1020C9ES remains a viable workhorse.
Recommended
Telecommunications Switching and Routing
The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package on the EP2A40F1020C9ES exposes a high I/O count (multiple banks of LVDS-capable pins) and the device's 366 MHz internal clock supports high-throughput telecom switching fabrics. In telecom line-card and cross-connect designs the FPGA implements serial-to-parallel conversion, traffic shaping, and protocol bridging between backplane SERDES and payload ASICs. The flip-chip BGA package's low lead inductance is critical when running LVDS at hundreds of MHz. Compared with newer Cyclone V / Cyclone 10 parts, EP2A40F1020C9ES consumes more power per gate but offers the legacy pinout required to maintain existing telecom line-card designs.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing Pipelines
The EP2A40F1020C9ES provides 38,400 logic elements and embedded system blocks (ESBs) that act as on-chip dual-port RAM for line buffers, frame stores, and pixel-rate FIFO queues in video pipelines. The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package delivers the bandwidth needed to drive multiple parallel video data buses and LVDS channels at typical HD video clock rates. In broadcast video processing, the FPGA performs de-interlacing, scaling, color-space conversion, and overlay composition under real-time constraints. Engineers choose this part when they need proven APEX II silicon and existing IP cores; for new designs, a current-generation Cyclone IV/V with dedicated video IP blocks would be a more power-efficient alternative.
Recommended
High-Throughput Data Acquisition Systems
The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package of the EP2A40F1020C9ES provides enough user I/O to interface with multiple high-speed ADC/DAC channels simultaneously, while the 1.5 M system gates implement the digital post-processing (decimation, filtering, FFT). The embedded system blocks can be configured as dual-port RAM to capture and time-stamp ADC sample streams, while the LVDS-capable I/O receives high-rate serial ADC data. Industrial data acquisition designs targeting multi-MHz sampling rates benefit from the device's 366 MHz internal clock for the digital signal chain. The trade-off is the 0.15 µm process draws more power per gate than newer 60 nm / 28 nm FPGAs, so thermal management with a copper pour and possibly airflow is needed.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing for Compute-Intensive Systems
With 1.5 M system gates and 38,400 logic elements, the EP2A40F1020C9ES has the density to implement multi-channel FIR filters, FFT engines, and convolutional accelerators as a coprocessor alongside a host processor or DSP chip. The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package supports high-bandwidth host interfaces (e.g., 64-bit local bus, LVDS links) and the device's 366 MHz fabric clock can sustain hundreds of MSPS of signal processing throughput. Industrial and defense systems historically used APEX II as a DSP coprocessor; for new designs, Cyclone V SoC with embedded ARM cores integrates host and FPGA in a single chip.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP2A40F1020C9ES is well suited to digital test and measurement instruments - logic analyzers, protocol exercisers, and bit-error-rate testers - where the 1020-pin FC-FBGA provides the I/O count to monitor or stimulate dozens of channels simultaneously. The 38,400 logic elements implement pattern generators, capture buffers, and protocol-state machines, while the 366 MHz fabric clock supports real-time stimulus rates up to several hundred MHz on parallel channels. Test-equipment manufacturers historically standardized on APEX II because of mature IP and proven reliability; for new designs consider current-generation Intel FPGAs, but the EP2A40F1020C9ES remains a viable legacy platform.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40F1020C9ES — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40F1020C8ES | EP2A40F1020C7ES | EP2A40F1020C8N | EP2A40F1020C7N | EP2A40F1020C6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 1020-pin FC-FBGA | 1020-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1020-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1020-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1020-pin FC-FBGA - same | 1020-pin FC-FBGA - same |
| Speed Grade | -9 (fastest) | -8 | -7 | -8 | -7 | -6 |
| System Gates | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M |
| Logic Elements | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Process | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm |
| Suffix | ES (engineering sample / Pb-free handling) | ES | ES | N (Pb-free) | N (Pb-free) | (no suffix) |
| Lifecycle | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest speed grade in APEX II 1020-ball FC-FBGA family (vs EP2A40F1020C8ES)
- Engineering-sample handling suffix (ES) preserves Pb-free assembly compatibility (vs EP2A40F1020C6 (no suffix))
- Drop-in compatibility with APEX II -8, -7, and -6 speed grades in the same 1020-ball FC-FBGA (vs EP2A40F1020C7ES)
Design Notes
Estimated: at typical APEX II utilization of 30-50% and 366 MHz operation, ICCINT for the EP2A40F1020C9ES runs several hundred mA; at 1.5 V core that is roughly 0.5-1.0 W of core power alone, plus I/O power. Provide at least 4-6 low-ESR 0.1 µF + 10 µF decoupling caps per power pin group, with a 4-layer PCB and a solid inner VCCINT/GND plane. Sequence VCCINT before VCCIO if your board-monitor chip supports it.
The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package requires a controlled-impedance PCB stack-up (typically 50 ohm single-ended, 100 ohm differential) and microvia or via-in-pad technology for reliable assembly. Use ENIG or immersion-silver surface finish to avoid pad oxidation before reflow. The Altera APEX II family datasheet provides recommended land patterns and via stitching - follow them rather than guessing the BGA breakout geometry.
Estimated: at ~1 W core dissipation plus I/O power in a small board area, the EP2A40F1020C9ES can run hot. Provide a copper pour directly under the FC-FBGA package on top and inner layers, stitched with thermal vias to the inner plane. If the design is enclosed with no airflow, consider a small heatsink or forced-air cooling; verify with a thermal probe at worst-case utilization.
Do not rely on engineering-sample ('ES') suffix parts for production volumes - they may have parametric or reliability differences vs the non-ES ordering code. When migrating from EP2A40F1020C9ES to a current-generation FPGA (Cyclone V/10), the package footprint, I/O standard set, and Quartus tool version all change - this is a redesign, not a drop-in migration. Always run static timing analysis at worst-case PVT corners before sign-off.
Compliance Information
Operating temperature grade, RoHS, lead-free, and halogen-free status were not present in the Verified Web Data for EP2A40F1020C9ES and are marked [DATA_NEEDED]. APEX II is a legacy family and most parts predate modern RoHS declarations; confirm with the seller before claiming compliance. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for commercial/industrial-grade FPGAs.
