EP2A40F672I7N - APEX II FPGA 1.5M Gates 562MHz 672-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2A40F672I7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $268 | $2,680.00 |
| 100 | $245 | $24,500.00 |
| 500 | $220 | $110,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $198 | $198,000.00 |
EP2A40F672I7N Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a type of programmable logic device that combines the high integration of an ASIC with the flexibility of post-manufacture reprogrammability. FPGAs sit within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which also includes CPLDs and SPLDs. APEX II is Intel's (formerly Altera's) high-performance, multi-volt family targeting datapath-intensive applications such as communications infrastructure, video processing, and custom ASIC prototyping. A 562 MHz internal frequency enables sustained DSP and bus-interface throughput in mid-2000s generation telecom and imaging designs.
Key features include 1.5 M system gates, 38,400 logic cells, 16 macrocells, 32 product terms per macrocell, and a 1.55 ns propagation delay (per PLA-mode characterization). The device supports in-system programmability via JTAG and configuration via passive serial, passive parallel, or synchronous modes. Multi-voltage I/O banks permit interfacing to 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, and 3.3 V logic without external level translation. Embedded block RAM and dedicated carry chains support arithmetic-intensive datapaths.
The APEX II architecture combines Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic elements with a hierarchical routing fabric and embedded array blocks, delivering a balance of fine-grained logic and block-level memory. The 0.15 µm process and 1.5 V core supply reduce dynamic power versus the original 0.18 µm APEX family, while the 672-pin FC-FBGA package provides controlled-impedance signal integrity for high-speed I/O. The 'I7N' suffix denotes industrial temperature grade (-40 °C to +85 °C) and lead-free / Pb-free assembly.
Typical applications include telecommunications infrastructure (SONET/SDH framers, ATM switches, baseband processing), video and image processing (broadcast codecs, motion estimation), high-speed datapath bridging (PCI-to-PCI bridges, custom bus interfaces), and ASIC prototyping. The 1.5 M gate capacity supports designs that would otherwise require an entry-level ASIC, while preserving design revision flexibility.
When designing with this device, plan power sequencing carefully: 1.5 V core must ramp before I/O banks. Use the JTAG interface for boundary-scan test and in-field firmware updates. Decoupling requires at least 22 low-ESR 0.1 µF capacitors placed close to the package, with bulk capacitance at the regulator outputs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible alternatives from the same APEX II family, and practical design considerations not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet, giving procurement and engineering teams a single source for sourcing decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40F672I7N — 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 EP2A40F672I7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40F672I9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1145 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I-9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I-8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I-7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$285 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| System Gates | 1.5 M |
| Logic Cells / Elements | 38,400 |
| Macrocells | 16 |
| Product Terms per Macrocell | 32 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 562 MHz |
| Propagation Delay (PLA mode) | 1.55 ns |
| User I/O Lines | 492 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm |
| Package | 672-pin FC-FBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (Industrial) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG, Passive Serial, Passive Parallel, Synchronous |
EP2A40F672I7N 672-pin fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A40F672I7N (672-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 EP2A40F672I7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A40F672I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Infrastructure, Video and Image Processing, ASIC Prototyping, High-Speed Datapath Bridging, Industrial Control and Automation, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The EP2A40F672I7N's 1.5 M system gates and 562 MHz maximum internal frequency make it well-suited for telecom infrastructure designs of its generation, including SONET/SDH framers, ATM switching fabric controllers, and baseband signal processing units. The 492 user I/O lines permit direct interfacing to multiple T1/E1 framers, UTOPIA-II bus interfaces, and SPI/SCI links without external bridge logic. Designers historically deployed this device in mid-2000s central-office equipment where the APEX II's MultiVolt I/O banks (1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V) eliminated level-translation overhead. Trade-off: the 0.15 µm process draws more power than modern 28 nm Stratix/Cyclone FPGAs, so legacy retrofits should confirm thermal budget remains acceptable.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing
The 1.5 M gate capacity and 38,400 logic cells of the EP2A40F672I7N support mid-complexity video pipelines such as MPEG-2/H.264 codec preprocessing, deinterlacing, and motion estimation blocks used in broadcast and surveillance equipment of its era. Embedded block RAM and dedicated carry chains accelerate FIR filter and discrete-cosine transform operations required for real-time video encoding. The 562 MHz internal clock enables pixel-rate processing at standard-definition and lower-resolution high-definition resolutions. Recommended companion components include external DDR SDRAM buffers and high-speed video ADCs/DACs; verify timing closure with Quartus II timing analysis tools since the 1.55 ns propagation delay (PLA mode) sets the baseline for critical paths.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP2A40F672I7N served as a high-density prototyping platform for ASIC designs in the mid-2000s, offering 1.5 M gates sufficient for prototyping networking ASICs, custom DSP chipsets, and peripheral controllers before committing to masked silicon. The 672-pin FC-FBGA package exposes 492 user I/O for connecting to prototype daughterboards that emulate the target ASIC's pinout, while the JTAG configuration interface allows rapid design iteration. Multi-voltage I/O banks simplify emulation of mixed-voltage ASIC environments. Caveat: modern ASIC prototyping typically uses larger Cyclone V/Stratix 10 or third-party ASIC-emulation platforms; the EP2A40 remains relevant only for legacy IP re-validation flows.
Recommended
High-Speed Datapath Bridging
The 562 MHz internal frequency and 492 I/O count of the EP2A40F672I7N historically enabled custom bus-bridge designs such as PCI-to-PCI, PCI-X to local-bus, and proprietary high-speed serial-to-parallel converters. The 1.55 ns propagation delay provides comfortable timing margin for 66 MHz PCI and 100 MHz PCI-X bridging, while the abundant embedded block RAM supports deep FIFOs required for crossing clock domains. The dedicated clock management blocks (PLLs) allow multiple clock domains to coexist on a single device, simplifying multi-protocol bridge designs. Modern alternatives should be evaluated for new bridge designs since PCIe is now the dominant interconnect.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
The EP2A40F672I7N's industrial temperature grade (-40 °C to +85 °C) and 1.5 V core supply make it suitable for industrial control chassis, motor-control signal preprocessing, and programmable logic controller (PLC) backplane interfacing. The 38,400 logic cells support custom encoder interface logic, quadrature decoder channels, and high-speed serial protocol implementations (RS-485, CAN, Modbus bridging) commonly required in factory automation. The 672-pin FC-FBGA package, while larger than typical industrial designs, provides the I/O headroom to consolidate multiple discrete logic ICs into a single programmable device. For new industrial designs, lower-cost Cyclone IV/V devices are now preferred.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The 1.5 M gates and 562 MHz operation of the EP2A40F672I7N support custom logic-analyzer pattern generation, protocol-analyzer state machines, and arbitrary waveform generator datapaths used in test and measurement equipment of the 2000s generation. The 492 I/O permit direct connection to high-pin-count DUT (device under test) boards via high-density probe fixtures. Embedded block RAM can store deep capture buffers and pattern sequences, reducing external memory cost. The JTAG interface simplifies in-field firmware updates for evolving test protocols. Performance-per-watt has improved dramatically on modern FPGAs, so new T&M designs typically target Cyclone V or Arria 10 families.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40F672I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40F672I9N | EP2A40F672I8N | EP2A40F672I-9 | EP2A40F672I-8 | EP2A40F672I-7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 672-pin FC-FBGA | 672-pin FC-FBGA - same | 672-pin FC-FBGA - same | 672-pin FC-FBGA - same | 672-pin FC-FBGA - same | 672-pin FC-FBGA - same |
| System Gates | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 1.5 M |
| Logic Cells | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 | 38,400 |
| Propagation Delay (PLA mode) | 1.55 ns | 1.25 ns (faster) | 1.40 ns (faster) | ~1.30 ns (faster) | ~1.45 ns (faster) | ~1.55 ns (equivalent) |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 562 MHz | 562 MHz | 562 MHz | 562 MHz | 562 MHz | 562 MHz |
| User I/O Lines | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 | 492 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest speed-grade option in the EP2A40F672 family for cost-sensitive applications (vs EP2A40F672I9N)
- Industrial temperature grade for harsh-environment deployment (vs EP2A40F672C7N (commercial temperature))
- Same 672-pin FC-FBGA footprint enables direct upgrade path to higher speed grades (vs EP2A40F1020I7N (1020-pin BGA))
Design Notes
The EP2A40F672I7N requires a tightly regulated 1.5 V core supply with sub-3 % tolerance during transients to avoid configuration memory corruption and PLL unlock events. Place at least 22 low-ESR 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitors distributed evenly beneath the 672-BGA footprint, plus four 10 µF bulk capacitors near the four package corners. Estimate: at 562 MHz with typical toggle activity the core draws approximately 1.2 A; derate the regulator for 50 % headroom to handle worst-case simultaneous-switching noise.
The 0.15 µm process and 672-pin FC-FBGA package dissipate significant heat under high toggle rates. Estimate: junction-to-ambient thermal resistance θJA is approximately 12 °C/W with proper 8-layer PCB layout (inner ground/power planes), giving a 1.5 W power budget for an 85 °C ambient. For designs approaching 2 W, add a heatsink or forced-air cooling. Use the device's internal temperature-sensing diode with the Quartus II thermal analyzer to verify margins in production.
The 672-ball FC-FBGA pitch is 1.0 mm; PCB breakout requires HDI (High-Density Interconnect) design with laser-drilled microvias or staggered via-in-pad construction. Maintain a continuous reference plane (ground for signal layers) directly beneath signal traces to control impedance to 50 Ω single-ended or 100 Ω differential. Use the manufacturer's reference design stack-up (typically 8-12 layers) for first-pass success, and avoid routing signals across plane splits near the BGA.
Do not confuse the 'I' (Industrial temperature) suffix with the 'C' (Commercial) suffix: the C-grade variants are 0 °C to +70 °C and are NOT drop-in for industrial environments. Also, the EP2A40F672I7N's configuration interface requires a 1.5 V-compatible PROM or controller; older 5 V EPC configurations will not work without a level translator. Finally, route all four PLL analog supply pins (separate from digital core) and decouple them with their own dedicated 1.5 V LDO; sharing the digital supply causes jitter degradation.
Compliance Information
Pb-free assembly per Altera/Intel product marking 'N' suffix. RoHS compliance confirmed via Intel product page. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in available data - marked unknown. AEC-Q100 not applicable as this is a commercial/industrial FPGA not automotive-qualified per the verified data.
