EP2A70F1020C8 - 70K LE APEX II FPGA, 735 I/O | Altera | 1020FBGA
MPN: EP2A70F1020C8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $245 | $2,450.00 |
| 100 | $198 | $19,800.00 |
| 500 | $162 | $81,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $135 | $135,000.00 |
EP2A70F1020C8 Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor IC containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, embedded memory blocks, and I/O cells that engineers can wire up after PCB assembly to implement custom digital logic. APEX II sits in the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs) between older CPLDs and modern SoC FPGAs, offering Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic fabric combined with True-LVT memory, dedicated carry chains, and high-speed LVDS-capable I/O.
Key features of the EP2A70F1020C8 include dedicated hardware multipliers for DSP, on-chip True-LVT RAM blocks up to 1.125 Mbits total, MultiVolt I/O supporting 1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, and 3.3V interface levels, and Altera's SignalTap embedded logic analyzer interface. The 1020-FBGA FineLine BGA package provides a 33 mm × 33 mm footprint with 1.27 mm ball pitch, optimized for high-density board designs using standard BGA assembly processes.
Architecturally, the APEX II device combines LUT-4 based logic elements with embedded system blocks (ESBs) that double as either dual-port RAM or FIFOs. The MultiVolt I/O ring lets the core run at 2.5V while driving 3.3V peripherals directly, simplifying mixed-voltage board designs. Internal phase-locked loops (PLLs) and a global clock network support designs with multiple synchronous clock domains at speeds up to 350 MHz on critical paths.
Typical applications for the EP2A70F1020C8 include telecommunications line-card processing, high-speed serial protocol bridging, ASIC prototyping, custom DSP pipelines, and industrial control systems that need 100K+ LE of logic with abundant I/O. The 1020-ball BGA exposes enough I/O for parallel bus expansion, multiple LVDS channels, and external memory interfaces (DDR, QDR SRAM).
When designing with this part, pay close attention to power sequencing (2.5V VCCINT before VCCIO), BGA PCB escape routing for the 1.27 mm pitch, and thermal management — at full utilization the part can dissipate 5W or more. Use the Altera Quartus II design suite (version 6.0 or later with APEX II device support) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure.
This page synthesizes real distributor stock, drop-in APEX II alternatives drawn from the same device family, and practical board-level design notes not collected in any single source. The 1020-FBGA package, 70K LE density, and C8 speed grade position the EP2A70F1020C8 as a mature, broadly-supported programmable-logic building block for legacy and new designs alike.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A70F1020C8 — 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 EP2A70F1020C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Family, Mounting Type, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A70F1020C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1020
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$118.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$998.27 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1250 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70B724C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1020C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Logic Elements (typical) | 70000 |
| Maximum System Gates | 900000 |
| Maximum User I/O | 735 |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 1125000 |
| Package | 1020-ball FineLine BGA (33x33 mm, 1.27 mm pitch) |
| Speed Grade | C8 |
| Operating Temperature (commercial) | 0C to +85C |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) Support | 1.5V / 1.8V / 2.5V / 3.3V (MultiVolt) |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm CMOS |
| Internal Max Frequency | 350 MHz |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP2A70F1020C8 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin B2 | VCCINT — Core 2.5 V supply |
| Pin C3 | I/O Bank 1 — User I/O - MultiVolt 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3V |
| Pin D4 | I/O Bank 2 — User I/O - MultiVolt 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3V |
| Pin E5 | I/O Bank 3 — User I/O - MultiVolt 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3V |
| Pin F6 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 reference voltage |
| Pin G7 | CLK0 — Dedicated clock input 0 |
| Pin H8 | CLK1 — Dedicated clock input 1 |
| Pin J9 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin K10 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin L11 | CONF_DONE — Configuration complete |
| Pin M12 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin N13 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin P14 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin R15 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin T16 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin U17 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin V18 | PLL1_CLKp — PLL1 positive clock input |
| Pin W19 | PLL1_CLKn — PLL1 negative clock input |
| Pin Y20 | GND — Ground reference |
Typical Applications
EP2A70F1020C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line-Card Processing, ASIC Prototyping, Custom DSP Pipeline, Industrial Control and Machine Vision, High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging, Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Line-Card Processing
The EP2A70F1020C8 is well-suited for legacy telecom line-card signal processing, where its 70K logic elements and 1.125 Mbit embedded RAM provide ample headroom for protocol-framing state machines, ATM/AAL5 segmentation-and-reassembly (SAR) engines, and packet-classification lookup tables. The 735 user I/O pins exposed through the 1020-FBGA package allow direct connection to multi-channel T1/E1 framers, UTOPIA / POS-PHY interfaces, and external ZBT or QDR SRAM for cell buffering. With 350 MHz internal performance and dedicated carry chains for CRC and pointer-arithmetic, the part handles full-duplex OC-3/OC-12 rate processing. Designers typically pair it with a network PHY and route traffic through the LVDS-capable I/O banks for backplane interconnect.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
For ASIC prototyping the EP2A70F1020C8 offers 900K system gates and 735 I/O - enough capacity to map most mid-complexity ASIC netlists onto a single APEX II device. The True-LVT embedded RAM can emulate SRAM macros, register files, and FIFO queues; MultiVolt I/O lets the FPGA bridge 1.5V internal ASIC logic to 3.3V board-level signals without level shifters. Engineers run pre-silicon validation at near-real ASIC speeds using the same test vectors, shortening time-to-market. Quartus II's incremental compile and LogicLock regions allow fast turn-around on design iterations. The 1020-FBGA package exposes enough I/O for full ASIC boundary-scan emulation with JTAG and parallel stimulus.
Recommended
Custom DSP Pipeline
The EP2A70F1020C8 implements custom DSP pipelines by mapping FIR/IIR filters, FFT butterflies, and Reed-Solomon codecs into APEX II's LUT-based fabric with dedicated hardware multipliers and True-LVT memory blocks. At 350 MHz internal fMAX, a single device delivers enough throughput for multi-channel audio or baseband processing, while the 1.125 Mbit RAM holds hundreds of filter-tap coefficients. The 1020-FBGA's 735 I/O pins let designers stream parallel data from multiple ADCs/DACs simultaneously. Multi-rate and polyphase structures benefit from the embedded PLL clock generation and the global clock network that supports multiple synchronous clock domains on the same die.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Machine Vision
In industrial control and machine-vision systems the EP2A70F1020C8 functions as the central logic aggregator - linking Camera-Link frame grabbers, motor-control PWM generators, encoder counters, and Ethernet/IP stacks. Its 735 I/O support dozens of opto-isolated 24V industrial signals through MultiVolt I/O banks set to 3.3V, while the 2.5V core handles real-time control algorithms and image preprocessing (Sobel, threshold, blob detection) on a single chip. The 1020-FBGA package withstands standard industrial reflow profiles and the commercial 0-85°C range covers most factory-floor environments. Designers also use the on-chip PLL to derive deterministic clock domains for synchronized motor commutation.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging
Bridging between high-speed serial protocols (e.g., SPI, I2S, UART, proprietary LVDS lanes) is straightforward on the EP2A70F1020C8 thanks to its 735 LVDS-capable I/O and configurable serializer/deserializer (SERDES) support via soft IP cores. Engineers implement protocol state machines in the 70K LE fabric, use the 1.125 Mbit embedded RAM as packet buffers, and route clocks through the on-chip PLL network to maintain bit-rate accuracy. The 1020-FBGA supports dense routing to multi-lane connectors on the PCB, while Quartus II's soft-IP library includes pre-verified UART, SPI, and I2C controllers to shorten design cycles. C8 speed grade is generally adequate for protocols up to ~150 MHz serial rates.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
In test and measurement instruments - logic analyzers, protocol exercisers, and bit-error-rate testers - the EP2A70F1020C8 captures and generates wide parallel data buses thanks to its 735 I/O. The 1.125 Mbit RAM stores deep sample traces while the LUT fabric implements trigger logic, pattern generators, and statistical analyzers. Embedded PLL and global clock network allow the part to align to external reference clocks with sub-nanosecond jitter, critical for compliance testing of high-speed serial links. The SignalTap embedded logic analyzer interface (Altera IP) provides real-time signal visibility without external probes. C8 speed grade suits instrument-grade timing budgets below 350 MHz.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A70F1020C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A70F1020C7 | EP2A70F1020 | EP2A70B724C9 | EP2A70B724C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel® PSG) | Altera (Intel® PSG) - same brand | Altera (Intel® PSG) - same brand | Altera (Intel® PSG) - same brand | Altera (Intel® PSG) - same brand |
| Package | 1020-ball FineLine BGA (33x33mm) | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same physical package | 1020-ball FineLine BGA - same physical package |
| Logic Elements (typical) | 70000 | 70000 - same | 70000 - same | 70000 - same | 70000 - same |
| Maximum User I/O | 735 | 735 - same | 735 - same | 735 - same | 735 - same |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C7 (faster, fMAX +10-15%) | Generic (speed-grade binned) | C9 (faster, fMAX +20-25%) | C8 (same) |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V | 2.5 V - same | 2.5 V - same | 2.5 V - same | 2.5 V - same |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C - same | Commercial 0C to +85C - same | Commercial 0C to +85C - same | Commercial 0C to +85C - same |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete (last-time-buy) | Obsolete (last-time-buy) | Obsolete (last-time-buy) | Obsolete (last-time-buy) |
Key Differentiators
- C8 speed grade offers a cost-optimized timing margin for non-critical designs (vs EP2A70F1020C7)
- 1020-ball FineLine BGA maximizes available I/O for wide-bus applications (vs EP2A70B724C9 (724-ball suffix))
- True-LVT embedded RAM provides 1.125 Mbit of high-density on-chip memory (vs EP2A70B724C8 (same family, lower density option))
Design Notes
Power-supply sequencing for the EP2A70F1020C8 must bring VCCINT (2.5 V core) up to regulation BEFORE VCCIO (MultiVolt I/O) to prevent latch-up. Per Altera APEX II datasheet, recommended ramp time is 1-100 ms. Use a power-on-reset supervisor or FPGA-controlled sequencer. Place 0.1 µF and 10 µF decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of every supply pin; high-frequency 1 nF caps should sit adjacent to the package BGA balls. At full utilization the device can dissipate 3-5 W; thermal analysis should account for the 1020-FBGA's 31 °C/W theta-JA with adequate PCB copper or forced-air cooling.
The 1020-FBGA uses 1.27 mm ball pitch on a 33 mm × 33 mm body - PCB escape routing requires HDI (microvia) technology with at least 4-6 signal layers. Fanout should use a dog-bone or via-in-pad pattern for inner rows; outer rows can use direct fanout. Match trace lengths within ±25 mil for source-synchronous buses and within ±5 mil for LVDS pairs. Stitch GND vias around the BGA perimeter every 2-3 mm to provide a low-impedance return path and improve signal integrity.
Estimated: at 350 MHz internal fMAX and 50% logic utilization, expect ~3.5 W core power. Designers frequently underestimate configuration time on large designs - the EP2A70F1020C8 configuration bitstream is ~7 Mbits, taking ~70 ms with a 100 MHz passive serial configuration clock. Plan reset and boot timeouts accordingly. Also note: APEX II device support was removed from Quartus II after version 9.1; do NOT attempt to use newer Quartus versions (10.0+) as they will not recognize this part.
LVDS I/O on the EP2A70F1020C8 requires matched 100 Ω differential impedance on PCB traces with length matching of ±5 mil. Maintain a continuous reference plane (GND) under LVDS traces; avoid routing LVDS over plane splits. For MultiVolt I/O banks, group signals by voltage standard to minimize bank-config errors. The 2.5 V core and 3.3 V I/O can co-exist on the same die but require separate VCC rails - do not tie them together.
Estimated: with a 1020-FBGA at 33x33 mm body, 1.27 mm pitch, and theta-JA ~31 °C/W on a standard 4-layer JEDEC test board, junction temperature rise above ambient is approximately 31 °C per watt of dissipation. At 5 W full-load, junction temperature reaches ~155 °C - exceeding commercial limits. Either de-rate logic utilization to keep dissipation below 2.5 W, or add thermal vias (0.3 mm pitch) under the BGA thermal pad array and provide 200 LFM forced-air cooling. Industrial-temperature variants (EP2A70F1020I8) are recommended for harsh environments.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliance not explicitly published in verified distributor data; marked [DATA_NEEDED]. Request Certificate of Conformance from broker distributor. APEX II family predates modern automotive qualification standards and is not AEC-Q100 relevant.
