EP2A70B724C7N - APEX II FPGA, 67.2K LEs, 3M Gates, 724-FCBGA | Altera
MPN: EP2A70B724C7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $262 | $2,620.00 |
| 100 | $235 | $23,500.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $188 | $188,000.00 |
EP2A70B724C7N Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device that contains an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells, all of which can be redefined by the designer after manufacture. FPGAs sit in the broader category of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which also include CPLDs and SPLDs. APEX II devices specifically target high-performance, high-density applications such as data-path acceleration, telecommunications backplanes, and ASIC prototyping, where the combination of embedded memory, PLLs, and high-speed I/O is critical.
Key features include up to 420 MHz internal clock frequency, a propagation delay as low as 2.17 ns, 536 user I/O lines, and a 1.5 V core supply with multi-voltage I/O support. The device supports in-system programmability via JTAG and configuration via the Fast Passive Parallel (FPP) or Passive Serial (PS) modes. The 724-pin FCBGA package uses a 1.27 mm ball pitch and provides 3.5 mm seated height, making it suitable for high-density PCB designs with controlled impedance routing.
Architecturally, the APEX II family combines Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic elements with embedded system blocks (ESBs) that can be configured as dual-port RAM, ROM, or CAM. MultiVolt I/O pins allow interfacing with 1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V, and 5V systems, which simplifies mixed-voltage designs. Built-in PLLs support clock multiplication, division, and phase shifting for high-speed serial or parallel interfaces.
Typical applications include ASIC prototyping, telecommunications switching, high-speed data acquisition systems, DSP co-processing, and video/image processing pipelines. Industrial controls and military/aerospace systems also leverage the device for its high logic density and reconfigurability.
Design considerations include careful power-rail sequencing on the 1.5V core, decoupling close to every supply pin, controlled-impedance routing for high-speed I/O, and JTAG chain management for board-level programming. Designers must also verify Quartus II device support and bitstream compatibility, as APEX II is supported by legacy Altera toolchains rather than the latest Intel Quartus Prime releases.
This page synthesizes distributor inventory, drop-in same-package alternatives, application examples, and practical design notes that go beyond the manufacturer datasheet summary.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A70B724C7N — 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 EP2A70B724C7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Configuration Method, Family, System Gates.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A70B724C7
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View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C7ES
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$2190 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C9
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$998.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C8
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$1250 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II (EP2A70) |
| Device Type | FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) |
| Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| System Gates | 3,000,000 |
| Logic Cells / Logic Elements | 67,200 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 420 MHz |
| Propagation Delay (typ.) | 2.17 ns |
| User I/O Pins | 536 |
| Macrocells (memory blocks reference) | 16 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V nominal |
| I/O Supply Voltage | MultiVolt (1.5V / 1.8V / 2.5V / 3.3V / 5V tolerant) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA (Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Ball Pitch | 1.27 mm |
| Seated Height | 3.5 mm |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Method | JTAG, Passive Serial (PS), Fast Passive Parallel (FPP) |
| Embedded Memory | Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) - dual-port RAM / ROM / CAM |
EP2A70B724C7N 724-pin fcbga (flip-chip bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A70B724C7N (724-pin fcbga (flip-chip 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 EP2A70B724C7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A70B724C7N is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Telecommunications Switching and Backplanes, High-Speed Data Acquisition Systems, DSP Co-Processing and Acceleration, Video and Image Processing Pipelines, Industrial Control and Automation.
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP2A70B724C7N's 3,000,000 system gates and 67,200 logic elements make it a strong vehicle for ASIC prototyping and pre-silicon emulation, where designers need a high-density reprogrammable fabric to model large SoC subsystems. Its 724-pin FCBGA exposes 536 user I/O pins, sufficient for emulating wide on-chip buses and connecting to external memory models. Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) can be configured as dual-port RAM, ROM, or CAM, allowing the FPGA to mimic ASIC SRAM blocks at speeds up to 420 MHz internal. Compared with smaller FPGAs, this part absorbs RTL partitions that would otherwise require multi-FPGAs, simplifying bring-up and reducing inter-FPGA pin multiplexing. The Altera Quartus II flow supports in-system JTAG configuration, so multiple design iterations can be downloaded rapidly during the prototyping cycle.
Recommended
Telecommunications Switching and Backplanes
Telecommunications line cards and switching fabrics require high I/O counts and deterministic multi-voltage signaling - both of which the EP2A70B724C7N delivers. The 536 user I/Os and MultiVolt I/O support (1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V, 5V tolerant) let the device bridge legacy 5V PHYs and modern 1.5V ASICs without external level shifters, reducing BOM cost and board area. The 724-FCBGA package provides controlled-impedance escape for high-speed parallel buses, while on-chip PLLs support clock multiplication, division, and phase shifting required for TDM, SONET/SDH, and Ethernet backplane designs. With 3M system gates available, the FPGA can implement deep FIFOs, traffic managers, and protocol-aware routing in a single chip, eliminating the need for companion ASICs on lower-volume SKUs.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition Systems
High-speed data-acquisition front ends sample analog signals into parallel LVDS or HSTL buses and require wide, deep FIFO storage close to the converter array. The EP2A70B724C7N's 536 user I/Os accept 16- or 32-bit-wide LVDS buses from multi-channel ADCs, and its embedded system blocks (ESBs) provide dual-port RAM for sample buffering at line rate. The 420 MHz internal clock rate allows real-time decimation, FIR filtering, and trigger detection directly in the FPGA, offloading the host CPU. The 1.5V core keeps dynamic power within manageable limits at full toggle rate, and the 724-FCBGA exposes enough pins to retain headroom for future channel-count expansion without PCB redesign.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing and Acceleration
DSP co-processors offload FFTs, convolutions, and adaptive filters from a host processor to accelerate signal-processing pipelines. The EP2A70B724C7N's 3M system gates accommodate hundreds of 18x18 multipliers (realized in embedded multipliers and LUT fabric) for high-throughput DSP, while 536 user I/Os connect to external SDRAM/DDR banks and host buses. The 420 MHz Fmax supports multi-Gigasample/second aggregate throughput, sufficient for radar, software-defined radio, and image-processing pre-processors. Designers map their algorithms using Quartus II's DSP IP, which synthesizes pipelined FIR and FFT cores onto the APEX II logic and embedded memory, balancing latency and resource use. The same 724-FCBGA footprint also allows a smooth migration to higher-density EP2A70 variants if algorithm complexity grows.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing Pipelines
Broadcast and machine-vision pipelines demand high pixel rates and wide internal datapaths. The EP2A70B724C7N's 67,200 logic elements and ESB memory implement deep line buffers and frame stores for de-interlacing, color-space conversion, and motion estimation. MultiVolt I/O accepts 1.8V or 2.5V BT.656/BT.1120 streams directly from video ADCs without external translation, while 536 I/Os expose enough pins for parallel camera interfaces (e.g., Camera Link) plus host-side DMA buses. Designers can scale designs vertically by upgrading to denser EP2A70 family members within the same 724-FCBGA footprint or horizontally by stitching multiple devices across a video backplane.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
Industrial controllers integrate motor control, deterministic networking (EtherCAT, Profinet), and safety logic on a single programmable platform. The EP2A70B724C7N's 3M system gates fit a complete soft-CPU SoC (e.g., Nios II), deterministic Ethernet MACs, and custom motion-control IP, while 536 user I/Os connect to encoder inputs, PWM outputs, and isolated digital I/O. The 1.5V core supply and commercial 0 °C to +85 °C operating range suit cabinet-mounted controllers. Because the part is obsolete, designers specifying it for new industrial platforms should plan a migration roadmap to current Altera/Intel Cyclone or MAX families, but EP2A70B724C7N remains a viable choice for sustaining legacy production lines through their full lifecycle.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A70B724C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A70B724C7 | EP2A70B724C7ES | EP2A70B724C8 | EP2A70B724C9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (now Intel) | Altera (now Intel) | Altera (now Intel) | Altera (now Intel) | Altera (now Intel) |
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same | 724-pin FCBGA - same |
| Family | APEX II (EP2A70) | APEX II (EP2A70) | APEX II (EP2A70) | APEX II (EP2A70) | APEX II (EP2A70) |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 67,200 | 67,200 | 67,200 | 67,200 | 67,200 |
| System Gates | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
| Speed Grade | C7 (fastest) | C7 (fastest) | C7 (fastest) | C8 | C9 (slowest) |
| User I/O Pins | 536 | 536 | 536 | 536 | 536 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade available within the EP2A70 FCBGA family (vs EP2A70B724C9)
- Lead-free finish with N suffix for RoHS-aligned production (vs EP2A70B724C7)
- Engineering-sample-marked variant supports prototype and low-volume runs (vs EP2A70B724C7ES)
Design Notes
EP2A70B724C7N requires a tightly regulated 1.5 V core supply with ramp rates within the manufacturer-specified window (typically 0.5 ms to 100 ms) to avoid inrush damage. Use a 4-6 layer PCB with a dedicated power plane for the 1.5 V rail; place 10 µF bulk tantalum/polymer and 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of every VCCINT pin. MultiVolt I/O banks require separate VCCIO rails (1.5V / 1.8V / 2.5V / 3.3V) and must be powered up in the correct sequence relative to VCCINT to prevent latch-up. For high-utilization designs near 3M gates, estimate core current draw from the Quartus II PowerPlay early estimator before finalizing the regulator.
The 724-pin FCBGA uses a 1.27 mm ball pitch, which demands laser-drilled microvias or staggered via structures on standard 4-layer stack-ups. Use a 6-8 layer stack-up with buried capacitance or thin dielectric cores to maintain 50 Ω controlled-impedance single-ended and 100 Ω differential traces for high-speed I/O banks. Escape routing on the top layer should fan out from each ball with neck-down vias, and ground stitching vias must be placed every 3-4 mm around the BGA perimeter to provide low-impedance return paths. Confirm land pad design per IPC-7351 and follow Altera's BGA fanout guidelines for APEX II packages.
Estimated: at full logic utilization toggle rate (12.5% average switching) on a 3M-gate design, the EP2A70B724C7N core can dissipate 4-6 W. The FCBGA package relies primarily on PCB copper for heat spreading, so a minimum 1 oz copper ground/power plane stack-up with thermal vias beneath the BGA is recommended. For designs exceeding 5 W, attach a small heatsink via thermal interface material (TIM) directly to the package top or use forced-air cooling. Always validate junction temperature against the manufacturer's 0 °C to +85 °C commercial operating range in a thermal chamber during bring-up.
The EP2A70B724C7N is supported by legacy Altera Quartus II (versions up to ~13.0) but is NOT supported in current Intel Quartus Prime releases. Designers migrating a design to a current toolchain must re-target to Stratix, Cyclone, or Arria devices. Configuration mode selection (PS vs FPP vs JTAG) and MSEL pin strapping must match the board-level configuration memory - mismatches result in configuration failures that look like hardware defects. Finally, counterfeit APEX II devices have surfaced on the open market; source EP2A70B724C7N through authorized channels or insist on traceability documentation and third-party inspection (e.g., decapsulation, X-ray) when procuring from independent distributors.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free and halogen-free status for EP2A70B724C7N were not present in the Verified Web Data and have been marked 'unknown'. The 'N' suffix in the Altera naming convention typically denotes lead-free finish, but this should be verified against the manufacturer lot documentation before claiming compliance. AEC-Q100 is not applicable to FPGAs of this generation.
