EP2A70B724I8 - APEX II 70K LE FPGA 724-FCBGA | Altera
MPN: EP2A70B724I8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $268 | $2,680.00 |
| 100 | $245 | $24,500.00 |
| 250 | $228 | $57,000.00 |
| 500 | $210 | $105,000.00 |
EP2A70B724I8 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory blocks, and programmable interconnect that can be reconfigured by the customer after manufacture. APEX II devices sit in the high-density, multi-standard I/O tier of the Altera product tree: FPGA -> programmable logic -> programmable logic IC -> semiconductor. Each LE is paired with a four-input lookup table, a programmable register, and dedicated carry chain logic, while embedded system blocks (ESBs) implement dual-port RAM, ROM, and CAM. The combination makes APEX II suitable for bus interfaces, on-chip datapaths, and glue-logic consolidation.
Key features of the EP2A70B724I8 include 67200 LEs, 3 M system gates, embedded multiplier support, True-LVDS and high-speed I/O standards, and a dedicated phase-locked loop (PLL) block for clock multiplication and deskew. The device supports active serial, passive serial, and passive parallel asynchronous configuration modes through the EPC4/EPC8/EPC16 enhanced configuration devices, and in-system programmability via JTAG (IEEE 1149.1). Each I/O bank is independently powered, allowing mixed-voltage interfacing (1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V) on the same die.
The architecture is built on a 0.15 µm metal-layer CMOS process with eight layers of interconnect for low-skew global clock distribution. The embedded system block memory ranges to hundreds of kilobits and can be concatenated horizontally or vertically. TriMatrix memory supports per-bit write-masking and mixed-width data ports. The PLL block generates up to four derivative clocks with sub-100 ps jitter, while the MultiTrack interconnect minimizes routing congestion in dense designs.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, high-speed serial protocol bridging (UTOPIA, SPI-4.2, POS-PHY), DSP co-processing front-ends, and industrial control backplanes. The wide LVDS I/O count makes it well suited to bus multiplexing and parallel-to-serial concentration tasks.
When designing with this part, plan for a 1.5 V core supply, four PLL analog supplies (VCC_PLL pins), and careful bank voltage grouping; the 724-pin FCBGA requires a multilayer PCB with microvia fan-out. Use the Quartus II design software (legacy support) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure; signal-integrity simulations should account for simultaneous switching noise on the 1.5 V rail.
This page consolidates distributor stock, drop-in same-package alternatives, and practical design notes for engineers sourcing the EP2A70B724I8 outside of Avnet/Mouser long-term contracts.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A70B724I8 — 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 EP2A70B724I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Package, System Gates, Logic Elements, Maximum Internal Frequency.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A70B724C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1250 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$240 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$218 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724I-8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$119 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724I-7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$245 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$998.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 67200 |
| System Gates | 3 M (typical maximum) |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 281 MHz (typical) |
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA |
| Pin Count | 724 |
| Operating Temperature (Industrial) | -40 °C to +100 °C |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Embedded Memory | ESB / TriMatrix (size not in provided data) |
| Configuration Modes | Active Serial, Passive Serial, Passive Parallel Asynchronous |
| Supported I/O Standards | LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, LVDS (True-LVDS), PCI, HSTL |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Configuration Device Compatibility | EPC4, EPC8, EPC16 (Enhanced Configuration Devices) |
| Design Software | Quartus II (legacy support) |
EP2A70B724I8 724-pin fcbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A70B724I8 (724-pin fcbga 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 EP2A70B724I8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A70B724I8 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line-Card Interface, DSP Co-Processing Front-End, Industrial Control Backplane Bridging, High-Speed Parallel-to-Serial Concentration, Aerospace Avionics Data Concentrator, Medical Imaging Pre-Processing, Legacy Network Switching Fabric Glue.
Telecommunications Line-Card Interface
The EP2A70B724I8 is well suited for high-density telecom line cards because of its 67200 LEs, embedded memory blocks, and True-LVDS I/O support. The device can implement UTOPIA, SPI-4.2, or POS-PHY Level 3 bridging between network processors and framer/mapper ASICs in a single chip. With industrial temperature rating (-40 °C to +100 °C), it tolerates the airflow temperatures inside central-office racks. Designers should allocate separate I/O banks per voltage domain to mix 1.5 V LVDS with 3.3 V LVCMOS control signals on the same die.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Front-End
With up to 3 M system gates and embedded multiplier blocks, the EP2A70B724I8 acts as a parallel pre-processor that performs filtering, FFT pre-conditioning, and protocol decode before handing data to a host DSP or ASIC. The 281 MHz internal Fmax supports 16-tap FIR filtering at 100 MSPS with headroom for sample-rate conversion. The dedicated PLL block generates low-jitter derivative clocks for the multiplier array, minimizing spurious content in spectral-sensitive applications. Pin compatibility with EP2A70B724I7N enables drop-in upgrades when timing margin is too tight.
Recommended
Industrial Control Backplane Bridging
The industrial temperature rating and 1.5 V low-power operation make the EP2A70B724I8 a reliable glue-logic hub on factory automation backplanes. It bridges legacy 5 V peripheral buses to modern 3.3 V or 2.5 V controllers, implements motor-control state machines, and provides per-channel fault isolation. Its 724-pin FCBGA package offers sufficient I/O count for parallel encoder interfaces, while embedded ESBs implement buffer RAM for asynchronous transfer between clock domains. Estimated power dissipation at typical industrial workloads: 3-5 W.
Recommended
High-Speed Parallel-to-Serial Concentration
The True-LVDS I/O transceivers of the EP2A70B724I8 aggregate multiple parallel LVDS data streams into a smaller number of high-speed serial links. This is particularly useful in test and measurement equipment where multiple ADC channels must be serialized for off-board transport. The 281 MHz core frequency and dedicated multiplier blocks enable 8B/10B encoding and CRC insertion without external logic. The 724-pin FCBGA's high pin density accommodates both the parallel input banks and the serialized outputs on the same die.
Recommended
Aerospace Avionics Data Concentrator
Aerospace data-concentrator designs use the EP2A70B724I8 for ARINC 429/664 channel aggregation and MIL-STD-1553 bus bridging. The industrial temperature range is suitable for pressurized avionics bays, though designers typically derate to commercial parts for long-lifecycle programs. The device's JTAG support and in-system programmability enable in-flight reconfiguration. Note: for flight-critical applications, designers should consult DO-254 compliance evidence, which is not available for this obsolete commercial part.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pre-Processing
In ultrasound and MRI pre-processing pipelines, the EP2A70B724I8 implements beamforming, FIR filtering, and envelope detection across dozens of channels in parallel. Its embedded memory blocks serve as line buffers for ultrasound scan-line accumulation, while the 67200 LEs hold finite-state machines for adaptive gain control. The 281 MHz Fmax comfortably exceeds the 100 MHz sample rates typical of mid-range imaging systems. Industrial temperature rating supports the controlled thermal environment of diagnostic carts and rack-mounted imaging equipment.
Recommended
Legacy Network Switching Fabric Glue
The EP2A70B724I8 remains a popular drop-in for legacy 10G/40G switching fabrics that were designed around APEX II glue logic. It implements cell-header editing, congestion-status aggregation, and per-port statistics counters that interface between switch ASICs and CPU management controllers. Despite its obsolete lifecycle, large installed bases continue to use it for in-service upgrades. Designers upgrading legacy hardware can use the EP2A70B724C8 commercial variant for cost savings when industrial temperature is not required.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A70B724I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A70B724C8 | EP2A70B724C8N | EP2A70B724I7N | EP2A70B724I7 | EP2A70B724I-8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 724-pin FCBGA | 724-pin FCBGA (same) | 724-pin FCBGA (same) | 724-pin FCBGA (same) | 724-pin FCBGA (same) | 724-pin FCBGA (same) |
| Logic Elements | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 |
| System Gates | 3 M | 3 M | 3 M | 3 M | 3 M | 3 M |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 8 | 7 (faster) | 7 (faster) | 8 | 9 (slower) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial) | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) |
| 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
- Industrial temperature grade with same performance envelope (vs EP2A70B724C8)
- Slower speed grade for power-constrained designs (vs EP2A70B724I7N)
- Same die across industrial and commercial variants (vs EP2A40B724I8)
Design Notes
The EP2A70B724I8 requires a stable 1.5 V core supply with peak currents up to 3-5 A during simultaneous switching events. Use a low-ESR ceramic decoupling network of 4-6 × 100 µF bulk capacitors plus 0.1 µF high-frequency bypass on every power pin. Estimated power dissipation at typical industrial workloads (50% utilization, 100 MHz): 4-6 W. Bulk supply ripple must remain below 50 mV pk-pk to avoid PLL jitter degradation.
Estimated: at 6 W dissipation in a 724-pin FCBGA with θJA around 12 °C/W (assuming 4-layer JEDEC test board with airflow), junction temperature rises roughly 72 °C above ambient. For industrial operation up to +100 °C ambient, maximum allowable dissipation is approximately 1.5 W without airflow or 3 W with 200 LFM forced air. Use thermal vias beneath the package thermal pad and a copper spreader for higher power budgets.
The 724-pin FCBGA requires a multilayer PCB with microvia-in-pad or staggered microvia fan-out. Maintain 50 Ω controlled impedance on all high-speed LVDS and clock traces, with length matching within ±50 ps for parallel interfaces. Route four PLL analog VCC pins separately from the digital core supply, with their own ferrite-bead isolation and star-ground topology. Layer stack-up should provide uninterrupted reference planes beneath each BGA row.
Do not assume the trailing 'I' suffix guarantees -40 °C operation; verify the device datasheet's full temperature window. The '8' suffix indicates a slower speed grade than '7' or '6'; mis-ordering between speed grades causes timing closure failures. Avoid mixing leaded and lead-free solder profiles when reworking populated boards - the EP2A70B724I8 is not lead-free unless marked with an 'N' suffix.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, and lead-free status not explicitly stated in the provided data; verify against the device marking or Intel/Altera legacy documentation. The 'N' suffix in alternate part numbers typically indicates lead-free balls per Altera convention.
