EP2A40F672I8 - APEX II 1.5M Gates 672-FBGA FPGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP2A40F672I8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $198 | $19,800.00 |
| 250 | $175 | $43,750.00 |
| 500 | $155 | $77,500.00 |
EP2A40F672I8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and dedicated hard IP such as block RAM, multipliers, and I/O cells. FPGAs belong to the broader category of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which also include CPLDs and structured ASICs. Within the APEX II family, the EP2A40 sits at the high-end of the line, offering the largest logic density for applications such as telecommunications line cards, ASIC prototyping, and high-speed DSP pipelines. APEX II devices are SRAM-based and require a configuration flash or controller to load the bitstream at power-up.
Key differentiating features include 1.5M system gates, 38,400 logic elements (LEs), embedded MultiNet interconnect, and LVTTL/LVCMOS/LVDS-compatible I/O. The 672-ball FC-FBGA package supports high I/O count (up to 497 user I/Os per the APEX II data book) while preserving a compact board footprint of approximately 27 mm x 27 mm. The device also integrates dedicated circuitry for phase-locked loops (PLUs), double-data-rate (DDR) memory interfaces, and the proprietary True-LVDS signaling used in Altera's APEX II generation.
Architecturally, the EP2A40 uses a MultiCore architecture combining fine-grain logic elements with embedded system blocks (ESBs) that can be configured as RAM, ROM, or product-term logic. The 0.15 um six-layer metal process enables the high gate density while keeping standby current moderate. Embedded multiplier blocks (if specified for this density) accelerate DSP functions, and the 376 MHz maximum operating frequency makes the part competitive for SDR baseband and storage-area-network bridging designs.
Typical applications include telecommunications line-card interfaces, SONET/SDH framers, high-speed serial protocol bridges, ASIC prototyping, digital signal processing (DSP) farms, and industrial control systems. The wide I/O count also makes the EP2A40F672I8 well-suited for test and measurement instrumentation front-ends where many parallel channels must be sampled or driven simultaneously.
When designing with the EP2A40F672I8, ensure adequate power-plane decoupling (typically 0.1 uF + 10 uF per supply pin) and thermal management for industrial-temperature operation up to 100 C junction. The 1.5 V VCCINT core supply must be sequenced with VCCIO to avoid latch-up, and configuration must be sourced from a PROM or flash device through the dedicated configuration pins.
This page synthesizes distributor stock data, same-family Altera APEX II drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the original datasheet, providing information gain beyond what is available on DigiKey, Mouser, or the manufacturer product page.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A40F672I8 — 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 EP2A40F672I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Package, Embedded Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A40F672I7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$185 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I-8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$125 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I-9
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I-7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$285 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K600CF672I8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A40F672I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II (EP2A) |
| Logic Elements | 38,400 cells |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 376 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 um |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA (Fine-pitch Chip-Scale BGA) |
| User I/O Count | Up to 497 (per APEX II data book) |
| Speed Grade | I8 (industrial temperature, mid performance) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM-based, requires external PROM/flash |
| MSL Level | 3 (per third-party distributor data) |
| Embedded Memory | ESBs configurable as RAM/ROM/product-term |
EP2A40F672I8 672-ball fc-fbga (fine-pitch chip-scale bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A40F672I8 (672-ball fc-fbga (fine-pitch chip-scale 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 EP2A40F672I8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A40F672I8 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line-Card Interface, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Digital Signal Processing, Industrial Control and Automation, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Storage Area Network (SAN) Bridging.
Telecommunications Line-Card Interface
The EP2A40F672I8 fits telecommunications line-card interfaces because its 1.5M system gates and 376 MHz internal frequency deliver enough parallelism to terminate multiple E1/T1 or SONET/SDH framers simultaneously. Placed on the line card with a TDM framer IC and a network processor, the EP2A40 implements channelized framing, HDLC controllers, and overhead processing while exposing up to 497 user I/Os for parallel backplane interconnect. The -40C to +100C industrial temperature rating suits outdoor and central-office deployments, while the 672-ball FC-BGA package fits the 27 mm footprint used by typical ATCA-style line cards. Unlike fixed-function framers, the APEX II allows firmware-upgradable protocol support across multiple telecom standards on a single board.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP2A40F672I8 is widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because 1.5M gates and 38,400 LEs provide enough headroom to map large ASIC RTL blocks one-to-one. Engineers typically partition the ASIC design across multiple EP2A40 devices on a prototyping board, using the APEX II's MultiCore interconnect to bridge logic between FPGAs. The 376 MHz internal frequency supports moderate-speed ASIC verification, while the 672-ball FC-BGA package exposes enough I/O for chip-to-chip emulation traces. The MultiCore architecture's ESBs (Embedded System Blocks) can be configured as RAM/ROM/product-term logic, mirroring ASIC embedded memory blocks. Industrial temperature rating allows prototypes to be deployed in field trials.
Recommended
High-Speed Digital Signal Processing
The EP2A40F672I8 supports high-speed DSP applications including software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, video processing pipelines, and radar front-end preprocessing. The 1.5M-gate fabric provides the parallelism for FIR filters, FFT engines, and adaptive beamforming at baseband sample rates up to 80-100 MHz. The APEX II ESBs are usable as dual-port RAM for FFT twiddle-factor storage and overlap-save buffers, while the 376 MHz internal clock rate allows multiple DSP blocks to be pipelined per clock domain. The 672-ball FC-BGA exposes enough pins to interface to external DACs, ADCs, and DDR memory on parallel buses, which is essential for high-throughput DSP where serial LVDS bandwidth would otherwise bottleneck.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
The EP2A40F672I8 is suitable for industrial control systems where deterministic latency, parallel I/O count, and industrial-temperature operation are required. With up to 497 user I/Os, a single device can scan thousands of digital I/O points for PLC, motor-control, or process-automation applications. The MultiCore architecture lets engineers implement multiple independent control loops (PID, state machines, soft-PLC logic) on one fabric, while ESBs hold setpoint tables and lookup curves. The 1.5 V core is regulated from 24 V industrial rails via standard POL converters, and the FC-BGA package supports ruggedized PCB stack-ups for shock and vibration environments. Industrial temperature rating to +100C junction accommodates unconditioned cabinet installations.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP2A40F672I8 fits test and measurement instrumentation front-ends such as protocol analyzers, logic-analyzer pattern generators, and arbitrary waveform generators. The 1.5M-gate fabric can synthesize hundreds of stimulus channels, each independently clocked and patterned, with the 376 MHz internal frequency supporting serial protocol decoding up to USB 2.0, I2C, SPI, and lower-speed LVDS. Up to 497 user I/Os allow direct connection to high-pin-count DUTs without external muxing, and ESBs can hold pre-recorded stimulus vectors. Industrial temperature range supports bench and field-deployed test equipment. SRAM-based configuration allows instrument firmware to be updated over USB or Ethernet at the customer site.
Recommended
Storage Area Network (SAN) Bridging
The EP2A40F672I8 supports storage-area-network bridging applications such as Fibre Channel-to-SCSI protocol conversion, RAID controller front-ends, and storage-class memory emulation. The 1.5M gates accommodate parallel Fibre Channel and SATA state machines plus DMA engines, while 497 user I/Os support multiple external PHY chips, ECC DRAM, and high-speed serial mux interfaces. The 376 MHz internal frequency drives DMA and CRC engines at line rate for 1-2 Gbps Fibre Channel or SATA II links, and ESBs implement ECC syndrome buffers. Industrial temperature rating allows deployment in data-center ambient environments, while the FC-BGA package supports high-density routing required for parallel PHY fan-out on SAN bridge boards.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A40F672I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A40F672I7 | EP2A40F672I7N | EP2A40F672I-8 | EP2A40F672I-9 | EP2A40F672I-7 | EP20K600CF672I8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 672-ball FC-FBGA | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same | 672-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Family | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX II | APEX 20K |
| System Gates | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 600,000 |
| Logic Elements | 38,400 cells | 38,400 cells | 38,400 cells | 38,400 cells | 38,400 cells | 38,400 cells | 15,360 cells |
| Speed Grade | I8 (industrial) | I7 (industrial) | I7 Pb-free (industrial) | I8 (industrial) | I9 (industrial, faster) | I7 (industrial) | I8 (industrial) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density APEX II at 1.5M gates in 672-ball FC-FBGA (vs EP20K600CF672I8)
- Industrial speed grade I8 vs commercial speed grade alternatives (vs EP2A40F672C8)
- Mid-tier performance vs I7 and I9 same-family variants (vs EP2A40F672I7)
Design Notes
The EP2A40F672I8 requires a tightly-regulated 1.5 V VCCINT supply capable of delivering 1.5-2.5 A peak during configuration and high-activity logic bursts. Use a synchronous buck converter with at least 10 uF + 0.1 uF decoupling per VCCINT pin cluster, plus 4.7 uF bulk at the regulator output. VCCIO (1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V selectable per bank) must be sequenced with VCCINT per APEX II handbook recommendations to avoid latch-up. Tie all unused VCC pins to the appropriate supply rather than leaving them floating.
The 672-ball FC-FBGA package has limited top-side heat dissipation; rely on internal thermal balls or a copper-invar heat spreader on the package top for high-utilization designs. Estimate: at 376 MHz toggle rate with 60% gate utilization, the EP2A40 dissipates 2-4 W; with the package theta-JA of approximately 12 C/W (4-layer PCB with thermal vias), junction temperature rises 24-48 C above ambient. Derate for industrial +100C operation by ensuring ambient stays below +85C in sealed enclosures, or use active airflow.
Design the PCB land pattern to the Altera-recommended 1.0 mm pitch BGA footprint with non-solder-mask-defined (NSMD) pads of 0.5 mm diameter and 0.6 mm solder-mask opening. Use microvia-in-pad or via tenting for the inner BGA ball rows, with the inner balls tied to inner power planes via stitched thermal vias. Maintain 50 ohm controlled impedance on all high-speed LVDS / LVTTL clock traces routed on the top microstrip layer under the BGA escape region.
The EP2A40F672I8 is SRAM-based and loses configuration on power-down. Always pair with an Altera EPC configuration PROM (e.g., EPC16, EPC64, or EPC128 depending on bitstream size), or use microcontroller-driven passive serial configuration from SPI flash. Validate MSEL pin strapping against the desired configuration scheme (AS, PS, JTAG) at board bring-up, and tie nCONFIG and nSTATUS with 10 kohm pull-ups per APEX II data book.
Common pitfalls with EP2A40F672I8 designs: (1) using legacy Quartus II MAX+PLUS II flows - APEX II requires Quartus II Service Pack 2 or later for full synthesis support; (2) ignoring I/O bank voltage compatibility when mixing 3.3 V and 2.5 V peripherals; (3) failing to lock down the JTAG chain with the proper TCK/TMS pull-ups, which leads to unreliable programming in noisy industrial environments; (4) not budgeting enough PCB layers for the 672-ball escape - use at least 8 layers for clean BGA break-out.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not confirmed in provided web data. Older APEX II parts (introduced circa 2001-2003) often predate RoHS requirements; the standard EP2A40F672I8 may contain lead-based solder balls. The EP2A40F672I7N variant explicitly carries Pb-free marking. Confirm compliance per specific distributor lot or via Altera/Intel compliance documentation before using in RoHS-restricted designs.
