EP2A70F1508I-9 - APEX II FPGA 70K LE, FBGA-1508 | Altera / Intel
MPN: EP2A70F1508I-9 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $262 | $2,620.00 |
| 100 | $238.5 | $23,850.00 |
| 500 | $215 | $107,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $195 | $195,000.00 |
EP2A70F1508I-9 Overview
An FPGA is a programmable logic device belonging to the broader category of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which also includes CPLDs and SPLDs. Within the PLD hierarchy, APEX II sits at the high-density end, sharing the silicon taxonomy with structured ASICs: PLD -> CPLD/FPGA -> high-density FPGA -> SRAM-based FPGA. The device is configured by an on-chip SRAM-based configuration memory, allowing in-system reprogrammability without removing the part from the board. This makes APEX II devices suitable for ASIC prototyping, logic emulation, and high-density glue logic.
Key features of the EP2A70F1508I-9 include 70,000 typical gates, embedded system blocks (ESBs) for on-chip dual-port RAM and ROM, fast row/column interconnect, dedicated clock trees and PLLs, and multi-voltage I/O support (LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, HSTL, LVDS, LVPECL) on a per-pin basis. The APEX II architecture also integrates True-LVDS circuitry for high-speed differential signaling at hundreds of megabits per second, reducing BOM cost relative to external transceiver ICs.
The EP2A70F1508I-9 is built around a MultiCore architecture: each logic element (LE) contains a 4-input look-up table (LUT), a programmable register, and dedicated carry and cascade chains. Embedding the ESBs in every row/column of the logic array provides efficient distributed memory and FIFO support with predictable timing closure, a notable advantage over older distributed-RAM architectures in datapath-intensive designs such as protocol bridges and telecom backplanes.
Typical applications include high-speed telecommunications backplanes, ASIC prototyping and emulation, video and image processing pipelines, network routers and switches, and industrial control systems with high logic density. The wide I/O count and True-LVDS support also suit multi-channel data acquisition and serializer/deserializer (SerDes) emulation when used with external transceivers.
When designing with EP2A70F1508I-9, allocate FPGA I/O banks by voltage reference and use the Quartus II design software (legacy APEX II support) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing analysis. Note that APEX II is a mature product family - confirm long-term supply through Intel's product longevity program before committing to new designs. The 1508-ball FBGA requires a multi-layer PCB with controlled-impedance traces and matched-length differential pairs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in speed-grade and package alternatives sourced from the XAIPART internal database, and practical design notes not found on any single manufacturer datasheet - giving engineers a single reference for selection, sourcing, and PCB bring-up.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A70F1508I-9 — 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 EP2A70F1508I-9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Core Voltage.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A70F1508C9N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C9ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$199 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C9
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1310 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1495 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$645 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508I-9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II (EP2A) |
| Typical Gates | 70,000 |
| Package | 1508-ball FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 um CMOS, SRAM-based |
| Speed Grade | -9 (fastest APEX II speed grade) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial, suffix I) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM-based, in-system reprogrammable |
| On-chip Memory | Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) - dual-port RAM/ROM |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, HSTL, LVDS, LVPECL |
| Differential I/O | True-LVDS capable |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) | 3 |
| Peak Reflow Temperature | 220 C |
| Design Software | Quartus II (legacy APEX II support) |
EP2A70F1508I-9 1508-ball fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2A70F1508I-9 (1508-ball fbga (fineline 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 EP2A70F1508I-9.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2A70F1508I-9 is suitable for 7 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Logic Emulation, Telecommunications Backplane Bridging, Video and Image Processing Pipelines, Network Router and Switch Line Cards, Industrial Control and Factory Automation, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Aerospace and Defense Legacy Avionics.
ASIC Prototyping and Logic Emulation
The EP2A70F1508I-9 fits ASIC prototyping because its 70,000 typical gates, ESB-based embedded memory, and 1508-ball FBGA pin count provide the density and I/O breadth needed to map multi-million-gate ASIC netlists into a single FPGA. Quartus II supports incremental compile flows so RTL iterations can be turned around in hours. Compared with newer Stratix families, APEX II offers proven IP compatibility for legacy cores, which keeps re-validation cost low for long-lifecycle programs.
Recommended
Telecommunications Backplane Bridging
In telecom backplanes the EP2A70F1508I-9's True-LVDS transceivers and wide I/O count let a single device aggregate multiple lower-speed tributaries into a higher-speed trunk. The 1508-ball FBGA exposes enough LVDS pairs for parallel bus fan-out without external serializers. Embedded dual-port RAM inside ESBs implements elastic FIFOs with deterministic timing, which is critical for clock-domain crossing between backplane and line-card domains. Industrial temperature grading supports outdoor cabinet deployments.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing Pipelines
The EP2A70F1508I-9 is well suited to multi-channel video processing where its ESBs act as line buffers and frame stores, while the LUT-rich logic elements implement pixel-pipeline arithmetic at low cost. True-LVDS interfaces accept camera-link or flat-panel LVDS inputs directly, eliminating external deserializer ICs. The -9 speed grade comfortably closes timing for SD/HD pixel rates and modest JPEG/MJPEG preprocessing, while the 1508-ball BGA supports enough parallel video buses for 4-8 simultaneous channels.
Recommended
Network Router and Switch Line Cards
For router line cards the EP2A70F1508I-9 provides 70K gates of forwarding logic plus enough LVDS pairs to interface with external tri-mode Ethernet MAC/PHY devices or legacy POS/SONET framers. The industrial temperature range accommodates central-office and outside-plant cabinets. APEX II's MultiCore interconnect delivers predictable timing for deep FIFO queues used in QoS scheduling. New designs typically pair this FPGA with a network processor or ASIC for control-plane offload.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP2A70F1508I-9's industrial -40C to +100C rating and 1508-ball FBGA density fit PLCs, motion controllers, and high-axis servo drives that must run multiple encoder interfaces, EtherCAT/EtherNet/IP stacks, and safety logic in a single device. ESB-based dual-port RAM simplifies deterministic axis-to-host communication, and the True-LVDS I/O supports industrial field-bus galvanic-isolated links. Quartus II IP libraries include legacy industrial Ethernet cores that map cleanly onto APEX II resources.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test gear such as logic analyzers, protocol exercisers, and data-acquisition front ends leverage the EP2A70F1508I-9's large ESB memory for deep capture buffers and its True-LVDS links for high-speed stimulus/response paths. The industrial temperature grade suits benchtop and ATE rack environments. Designers can map an entire instrument-on-a-chip architecture into one APEX II, including pattern generation, timing sequencers, and trigger logic, replacing multiple discrete CPLDs with a single FPGA.
Recommended
Aerospace and Defense Legacy Avionics
Long-lifecycle aerospace programs continue to qualify the EP2A70F1508I-9 for mission computers, displays, and signal-conditioning modules because the APEX II family has decades of in-service reliability data. The 1508-ball FBGA supports redundant MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and high-speed sensor buses with full galvanic isolation around the FPGA. APEX II's SRAM configuration allows late-stage bitstream updates for avionics software revisions without board rework, a key advantage for DO-254 programs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A70F1508I-9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A70F1508C9N | EP2A70F1508C9ES | EP2A70F1508C9 | EP2A70F1508C8N | EP2A70F1508C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | FBGA-1508 (FineLine BGA) | FBGA-1508 - same | FBGA-1508 - same | FBGA-1508 - same | FBGA-1508 - same | FBGA-1508 - same |
| Family | APEX II (EP2A) | APEX II (EP2A) | APEX II (EP2A) | APEX II (EP2A) | APEX II (EP2A) | APEX II (EP2A) |
| Typical Gates | 70,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 |
| Speed Grade | -9 (fastest) | -9 (same) | -9 (same) | -9 (same) | -8 (slower) | -7 (slowest) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial, ES) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Lifecycle | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Engineering sample, EOL | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy |
| Param Match to EP2A70F1508I-9 | 100% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 80% | 70% |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade at the fastest APEX II speed grade (vs EP2A70F1508C9N)
- Highest APEX II speed grade -9 (vs EP2A70F1508C8N)
- Drop-in compatible with the full APEX II F1508 family (vs EP2A25F672I-9)
Design Notes
The 1508-ball FineLine BGA of the EP2A70F1508I-9 requires a multi-layer PCB (typically 8-12 layers) with 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm ball pitch. Use laser-drilled microvias or sequential lamination for breakout; route signal traces on inner layers to escape the dense ball grid. Matched-length differential pair routing is required for True-LVDS pairs, with intra-pair skew below 5 ps and pair-to-pair skew within the timing budget of the receiver. A continuous ground plane beneath the BGA and stitched ground vias around the perimeter suppress return-path discontinuities.
Do not assume APEX II will be in production through the life of your program. Verified Web Data shows the part is offered by obsolete-component brokers rather than authorized distributors, signaling last-time-buy status. For new designs, request a long-term supply agreement from Intel or migrate to a Cyclone IV/V or Stratix device that remains in active production. Inventory APEX II parts with at least 12-24 months of safety stock if the design must ship for >5 years.
Estimated: at typical APEX II toggle rates around 100 MHz with 50% I/O activity, the EP2A70F1508I-9 dissipates roughly 2-3 W into the FBGA package. With an FBGA-1508 junction-to-ambient thermal resistance near 12-15 C/W (estimated, 4-layer JEDEC test board, no airflow), this produces a junction temperature rise of approximately 30-45 C above ambient. For closed enclosures, derate to industrial ambient 100 C - keep junction below 125 C by adding 200-400 LFM airflow or a heat-spreader lid.
Configure I/O banks so that each bank shares a single VCCIO voltage reference; mixing LVTTL (3.3 V) and LVDS (2.5 V) in the same bank is not permitted on APEX II. Use the Quartus II Pin Planner to assign pins by bank before board layout commits. For high-speed LVDS, place 100 ohm differential termination within 1 cm of the receiver pin and route pairs with controlled 100 ohm differential impedance on the chosen stack-up.
Compliance Information
Verified Web Data does not include RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, or conflict-mineral statements for EP2A70F1508I-9; all compliance values are marked [DATA_NEEDED] until confirmed via distributor certificate of conformance. AEC-Q100 is not applicable - APEX II is not an automotive-grade qualified part.
