EP2A40F1020I7N - APEX II FPGA 1.5M Gates 1020-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP2A40F1020I7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $198 | $19,800.00 |
| 500 | $165 | $82,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $142 | $142,000.00 |
EP2A40F1020I7N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells that the user can re-program to implement arbitrary digital circuits. Within the broader programmable logic hierarchy, FPGAs sit alongside CPLDs and ASICs, and the APEX II family in particular targets data-path-intensive designs such as DSP, communications, and memory-interface bridging. The EP2A40 sits at the high-capacity end of the APEX II line, distinguished by its 1.5M-gate density and 1020-ball Fine-pitch Chip-Scale BGA package.
Key specifications include 1.5M system gates, 38,400 logic elements, embedded memory, 4 PLL clock managers, and high-speed LVDS I/O support. The -I7 industrial speed grade and the F1020 FC-FBGA package make this device suitable for designs requiring both performance and a compact board footprint. The APEX II architecture provides dedicated carry chains, embedded multipliers, and TriMatrix memory blocks to accelerate arithmetic and storage operations.
The 0.15 µm CMOS process, combined with APEX II's multi-core interconnect, enables deterministic timing and predictable routing delays. Designers benefit from Quartus II design software support, an extensive IP library (MegaCore functions), and reference designs that shorten time-to-market for complex telecom, networking, and DSP systems.
Typical applications include high-speed telecommunications infrastructure, ASIC prototyping, DSP accelerator cards, networking line cards, and image/video processing platforms. The large logic capacity allows multiple IP cores to be instantiated on a single device, reducing board complexity and overall system cost.
When designing with this FPGA, ensure the PCB has a 1020-ball FC-FBGA land pattern with controlled-impedance routing for LVDS pairs. Use the Quartus II toolchain with the correct device library and timing model; verify pin assignments against the F1020 package pinout file. Thermal management is recommended because high utilization can produce significant power dissipation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative listings, and practical engineering notes specific to the EP2A40F1020I7N that are not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40F1020I7N — 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 EP2A40F1020I7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, System Gates, Operating Temperature, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40F1020I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$160 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Device Logic Elements | 38,400 cells |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 562 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Package | 1020-pin FC-FBGA |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Speed Grade | I7 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Architecture | PLA-type / Look-up Table hybrid |
| Design Software | Quartus II |
EP2A40F1020I7N 1020-pin fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A40F1020I7N (1020-pin fc-fbga 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 EP2A40F1020I7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A40F1020I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Infrastructure, ASIC Prototyping, DSP Accelerator Cards, Networking Line Cards, Image and Video Processing, Industrial Control Systems.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The EP2A40F1020I7N's 1.5M system gates and 38,400 logic cells make it well suited for telecom infrastructure such as SONET/SDH framer/mapper ASIC replacement and DSLAM line cards. The 562 MHz core frequency supports high-speed serial protocol bridging and parallel data-path processing, while the 1020-pin FC-FBGA exposes enough user I/O for multi-channel PHY interfaces. Designers typically instantiate multiple SERDES cores and protocol framer IPs on this device, with Quartus II providing the timing closure and the TriMatrix memory blocks buffering packet payloads at line rate.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
Engineers use the EP2A40F1020I7N as an ASIC prototype vehicle because its 1.5M-gate density approximates real silicon gate counts for verification before mask tape-out. The industrial -I7 speed grade and 1020-ball FC-FBGA package expose enough I/O and logic capacity to emulate complex ASICs including microprocessors, DSP cores, and custom peripherals. Quartus II's incremental compile and the APEX II MegaCore library allow rapid design iteration; FPGAs in this class routinely substitute for multi-million-gate ASICs in pre-silicon bring-up.
Recommended
DSP Accelerator Cards
The EP2A40F1020I7N provides sufficient logic resources for parallel DSP acceleration, including FIR filters, FFT cores, and convolutional networks on a single device. Its embedded multiplier blocks and TriMatrix memory deliver high multiply-accumulate throughput; the 562 MHz internal clock supports real-time signal processing for radar, software-defined radio, and audio/voice DSP pipelines. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA provides differential-pair I/O for high-speed ADC/DAC interfacing, making the part a popular choice for signal-intelligence and instrumentation accelerator cards.
Recommended
Networking Line Cards
Network equipment designers leverage the EP2A40F1020I7N for packet classification, queue management, and protocol bridging functions on 1G/10G Ethernet line cards. The 1.5M-gate fabric supports large content-addressable memories, deep FIFO buffers, and parallel lookup pipelines needed for L2/L3 forwarding. The 1020-pin FC-FBGA exposes enough LVDS-capable I/O to interface with multiple SGMII/SerDes PHYs; Quartus II IP cores for 10G MAC and Interlaken LAE enable rapid line-card development with predictable timing closure.
Recommended
Image and Video Processing
Video processing systems use the EP2A40F1020I7N for real-time pixel pipelines, including HD-SDI capture, JPEG2000 encode/decode, and multi-stream video mixing. The 38,400 logic cells and embedded memory allow multi-megabyte frame buffers to be stored on-chip, eliminating external SRAM in many designs; the 562 MHz clock rate supports HD and 4K pixel-rate processing. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA provides abundant LVDS pairs for direct connection to HD-SDI serializers, DVI/HDMI transmitters, and CMOS image sensors.
Recommended
Industrial Control Systems
Industrial designers deploy the EP2A40F1020I7N in motion-control, PLC, and SCADA platforms where deterministic, parallel logic is required. The industrial -I7 temperature grade (-40C to +100C) and 1.5M-gate density support multi-axis motor controllers, redundant safety logic, and complex protocol bridges (EtherCAT, Profinet, CAN). The embedded PLLs provide precisely tuned clocks for encoder interfacing, while the abundant user I/O supports analog front-end integration via SPI/I2C control of ADCs and DACs across long industrial cable runs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40F1020I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40F1020I7 | EP2A40F1020C9N | EP2A40F1020C9 | EP2A40F1020C8N | EP2A40F1020C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same |
| Family | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II |
| System Gates | 1.5M | 1.5M | 1.5M | 1.5M | 1.5M | 1.5M |
| Speed Grade | -7 (Industrial) | -7 | -9 (Commercial) | -9 (Commercial) | -8 (Commercial) | -7 (Commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | -40C to +100C | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm | 0.15 µm |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density member of the APEX II family (vs EP2A25F672I7N)
- Industrial -I7 speed grade enables -40C operation (vs EP2A40F1020C7N)
- 562 MHz fMAX at the -7 speed grade (vs EP2A40F1020C9N)
Design Notes
The 1020-pin FC-FBGA package requires a flip-chip land pattern with NSMD pads (typically 0.5 mm pitch). Microvia and via-in-pad construction are recommended to break out the inner balls; standard 4-layer stack-up with 0.2 mm via drill is acceptable for prototype runs. Designers should follow the APEX II Hardware Design Guidelines for ball-mapping, decoupling, and signal-integrity constraints.
Estimated: at full utilization (1.5M gates switching), the EP2A40F1020I7N can dissipate up to 6-8 W. A thermal pad must be soldered to the central ground balls, and the board should include a 50 mm x 50 mm copper pour beneath the BGA. For high-ambient environments, attach a small heatsink or use forced-air cooling to keep the junction below 100C.
Quartus II support for APEX II was discontinued in Quartus II 9.1; new designs must use older releases (Quartus II 9.0 sp2 or earlier) or maintain a legacy installation. Bitstream compatibility between Quartus II releases is not guaranteed, so record the toolchain version. APEX II JTAG IDs differ from Stratix/Cyclone families, requiring a Quartus II programmer configuration update.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not explicitly published in the verified sources; RoHS/REACH status should be confirmed with the manufacturer before new deployments. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an FPGA, not an automotive-qualified IC.
