EP2A40F1020I8 - APEX II FPGA, 40K LEs, 735 I/O, 1020-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP2A40F1020I8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $255 | $2,550.00 |
| 100 | $220 | $22,000.00 |
| 500 | $195 | $97,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $175 | $175,000.00 |
EP2A40F1020I8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device consisting of an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and dedicated I/O cells. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic taxonomy: FPGA -> programmable logic -> digital IC -> semiconductor. They are typically chosen over ASICs when designs require rapid prototyping, mid-volume production, or in-field reprogrammability, and over CPLDs when higher logic capacity, DSP throughput, or embedded memory bandwidth is needed.
The EP2A40F1020I8 is built on a 0.18-micron process and offers embedded array blocks (EABs), high-speed True-LVDS support, and multi-level interconnect hierarchy. Its 735 user I/O pins are organized into 8 I/O banks supporting multiple I/O standards including LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL, with per-pin direction, slew rate, and drive strength control. The device includes dedicated clock management with up to 8 phase-locked loops (PLLs), enabling complex multi-clock designs.
Architecturally, the APEX II family combines a LUT-based logic element fabric with embedded system blocks that integrate memory, multipliers, and high-speed serial interfaces. The EP2A40F1020I8 supports up to 409,600 bits of embedded RAM via its embedded array blocks, allowing designs to absorb significant on-chip memory without external SRAM. Configuration is typically performed via JTAG or serial configuration devices, and the device supports in-system programmability (ISP) for field updates.
Typical applications include high-speed telecommunications equipment, ASIC prototyping, image processing, and complex state machine controllers. Its 735 I/O pins make it particularly well-suited for designs that need to aggregate many parallel interfaces - parallel data buses, video capture pipelines, or high-density glue logic bridging multiple processors and memory subsystems.
When designing with the EP2A40F1020I8, ensure the PCB has sufficient decoupling (one 0.1 uF per power pin plus bulk capacitors) and that BGA fanout uses escape routing compatible with the 1.27 mm pitch FineLine BGA. The industrial-grade -I8 temperature suffix supports environments up to +85C ambient without thermal derating beyond standard FPGA heat dissipation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the APEX II family, and practical design notes that go beyond what is found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40F1020I8 — 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 EP2A40F1020I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, System Gates, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40F1020I8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$142 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP2A25F1020C8ES
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F1020I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Logic Elements | 2,560 (40,000 max with embedded array blocks) |
| Typical Gates | 38,400 |
| System Gates | 655,360 |
| User I/O Pins | 735 |
| Package | 1020-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 micron CMOS |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 409,600 (via EABs) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) |
| I/O Banks | 8 |
| Configuration Modes | JTAG, Passive Serial, Passive Parallel, Synchronous |
| In-System Programmability | Yes |
| RoHS Status | Depends on lot - check manufacturer declaration |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP2A40F1020I8 1020-ball fineline bga (fbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A40F1020I8 (1020-ball fineline bga (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 EP2A40F1020I8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A40F1020I8 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line Card, ASIC Prototyping, Image and Video Processing Pipeline, Parallel Data Aggregation Backplane, Legacy Industrial Control System, Defense and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy), Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Line Card
The EP2A40F1020I8's 735 user I/O pins and 38,400 typical gates make it well-suited for legacy telecommunications line cards that aggregate parallel data buses, control channels, and backplane interfaces. The 8 I/O banks support mixed-voltage standards (LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL), enabling direct interface to legacy bus transceivers without external level shifters. In a typical SONET/SDH framer design, the EP2A40F1020I8 implements overhead processing, pointer justification, and alarm detection logic while the high I/O count drives the parallel payload bus to a network processor.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
Designers use the EP2A40F1020I8 as an ASIC prototype vehicle when validating RTL before committing to mask sets. The 655,360 system gates accommodate multi-million-gate ASIC designs when mapped through Quartus II synthesis, and the in-system programmability (ISP) allows rapid design-iteration cycles without re-soldering. The 1020-ball FineLine BGA provides enough I/O to mimic real ASIC pin assignments, including DDR memory interfaces and high-speed parallel ports, so timing closure in the FPGA correlates closely with the eventual ASIC implementation.
Recommended
Image and Video Processing Pipeline
The EP2A40F1020I8 supports parallel pixel pipelines in industrial camera and video processing systems, where 735 I/O pins ingest parallel sensor data at high frame rates. With embedded array blocks providing 409,600 bits of on-chip RAM, the device can host line buffers, lookup tables for gamma correction, and small convolution kernels without external SRAM. The industrial -40C to +85C temperature range makes it acceptable for factory-floor machine-vision enclosures where ambient temperature swings are common.
Recommended
Parallel Data Aggregation Backplane
In backplane and mid-plane designs, the EP2A40F1020I8 acts as a high-density glue-logic device bridging multiple processors, memory channels, and bus segments. The 8 I/O banks let designers split voltage domains across the device, supporting legacy 5V transceivers alongside modern 3.3V or 2.5V ASICs without external level translation. Its industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C) suits telecom central-office and industrial-control backplanes. Multi-drop JTAG chains allow coordinated in-system programming across the backplane.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control System
Long-life industrial systems - such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), SCADA front-ends, and CNC controllers - often embed the EP2A40F1020I8 because the design was qualified decades ago and full re-qualification is cost-prohibitive. The device's industrial temperature grade and high I/O count accommodate multi-axis motion control, encoder feedback, and parallel fieldbus interfaces (e.g. parallel Profibus variants). With end-of-life sourcing from distributors and brokers, designers should plan obsolescence mitigation by maintaining a tested stock buffer.
Recommended
Defense and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy)
Defense and aerospace platforms with long qualification cycles sometimes retain APEX II devices because the FPGA design was certified as part of the platform. The EP2A40F1020I8's industrial temperature range and high logic density suit mission-computer interfaces, radar signal preprocessing front-ends, and flight-control glue logic. Long-term supply is a critical risk: designers should establish lifetime-buy agreements or qualify a modern Stratix/Cyclone equivalent in parallel.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
High-end logic analyzers, protocol testers, and bit-error-rate testers use the EP2A40F1020I8 as a pattern-generator and protocol-decoder engine. Its 735 I/O pins can drive or sample many parallel channels simultaneously, while the embedded array blocks store expected-response patterns for comparison. The industrial temperature rating suits benchtop and rack-mounted instruments in laboratory environments. Designers can reconfigure the device between test campaigns via JTAG, enabling a single hardware platform to support multiple protocols.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40F1020I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40F1020I8N | EP2A40F1020I7N | EP2A40F1020C9N | EP2A40F1020C8N | EP2A40B724I8 | EP2A25F1020C8ES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 1020-ball FineLine BGA | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same | 724-ball BGA - smaller | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 2,560 (40K family) | 2,560 (40K) | 2,560 (40K) | 2,560 (40K) | 2,560 (40K) | 2,560 (40K) | 1,600 (25K) - smaller die |
| Speed Grade | I8 (-8) | I8 (-8) | I7 (-7) - slower | C9 (-9) - faster | C8 (-8) commercial | I8 (-8) | C8 (-8) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (Industrial) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | -40C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
| Family | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature range in same package (vs EP2A40F1020C8N)
- Higher logic density in same package (vs EP2A25F1020C8ES)
- Standard speed grade for design margin (vs EP2A40F1020I7N)
Design Notes
The 1020-ball FineLine BGA uses a 1.27 mm ball pitch. Escape routing requires at least a 4-layer PCB with 0.2 mm (8 mil) traces and 0.2 mm (8 mil) spacing. Use via-in-pad or microvia stacks for inner-row balls; consider laser-drilled microvias if the PCB fabricator supports them. Allocate a continuous ground plane on layer 2 beneath the BGA to minimize inductance on the core and I/O power rails.
Estimated: at full resource utilization with 735 I/O switching at 50 MHz and 15 pF load per pin, dynamic power is approximately 4-6 W. Pair one 0.1 uF X7R ceramic per power pin with 4-6 bulk 22 uF X5R capacitors distributed around the BGA perimeter. Use separate voltage regulators for VCCINT (core) and VCCIO banks so that I/O switching noise does not couple into the core supply. Keep the PLL analog supply (VCC_PLL) isolated with a ferrite bead and dedicated decoupling.
Estimated: with 4-6 W typical dissipation, the 1020-ball FineLine BGA requires at least 25 cm^2 of unbroken ground plane on inner PCB layers for heat spreading. Without airflow, the junction temperature can rise 25-35 C above ambient. For sealed enclosures, add a small heat sink or thermal pad bonded to the package top. Monitor the on-die temperature diode via the JTAG boundary-scan chain during bring-up.
For high-speed LVDS or SSTL interfaces exceeding 200 Mbps, apply series termination at the FPGA driver pin and route differential pairs with 100 ohm differential impedance. Match trace lengths within 150 mils for DDR interfaces to maintain setup/hold margin. Keep I/O bank voltage supplies clean - a switching-noise spike on VCCIO can corrupt I/O timing. Use the Quartus II board-level signal-integrity tool to validate the layout before fabrication.
Do not assume the EP2A40F1020I8 is hot-swappable; always sequence core and I/O supplies to avoid latch-up. Verify the JTAG chain order before configuration - a missing TCK pull-up can leave the device in an undefined state. Confirm configuration memory (EPC series) voltage matches the FPGA VCCINT. Counterfeit parts are common in the obsolete FPGA market: always procure from authorized distributors or audited brokers with lot traceability and X-ray inspection reports.
Compliance Information
RoHS, lead-free, and halogen-free status depends on manufacturing lot. APEX II devices were produced over many years; pre-2006 lots are typically leaded. Request a lot-specific declaration from the distributor. AEC-Q100 is not applicable because this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC.
