EP2A70F1508I9 - APEX II 70K LE FPGA, 1508 FC-FBGA | Intel/Altera
MPN: EP2A70F1508I9 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $256 | $2,560.00 |
| 100 | $220 | $22,000.00 |
| 500 | $195 | $97,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $175 | $175,000.00 |
EP2A70F1508I9 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that allows hardware engineers to implement arbitrary digital logic through a configuration bitstream stored in SRAM. Within the digital IC taxonomy, the APEX II device sits between a pure ASIC and a CPLD: it offers ASIC-class gate density (>1M gates) and dedicated multiplier/Memory blocks while preserving in-system reprogrammability, placing it under the broader hierarchy of programmable logic > PLD > FPGA > high-density SRAM-based FPGA. The APEX II family specifically targets multi-gigabit datapath, communications, and DSP front-end applications.
Key features of the EP2A70F1508I9 include up to 67,200 logic elements, embedded system blocks (ESBs) for on-chip dual-port RAM, CAM, and FIFO functions, dedicated carry/chain and multiplier support, and multiple embedded Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) for clock multiplication and skew control. The -I9 speed/temperature grade indicates an industrial temperature range (typically -40 °C to +100 °C junction) with the -9 performance bin, offering the highest speed within the APEX II family. The FC-FBGA-1508 package provides high I/O density and a thermally efficient flip-chip interface.
Architecturally, the APEX II device uses a MultiCore architecture combining fine-grain logic elements (LEs) with coarse-grain Embedded System Blocks (ESBs), each ESB containing RAM, product-term logic, and CAM. Configuration is loaded from an EPC serial or parallel configuration device via the Passive Parallel Synchronous (PPS), Passive Parallel Asynchronous (PPA), Passive Serial (PS), or JTAG modes, allowing flexible boot sequencing for system-on-chip and prototyping platforms.
Typical applications for EP2A70F1508I9 include high-speed communication protocol bridges (UART, SPI, parallel RapidIO), DSP co-processing front-ends, image/video preprocessing pipelines, telecommunications line cards, ASIC prototyping, and industrial control systems that require deep logic capacity combined with on-chip memory. Engineers usually select this part when designs exceed Cyclone-class densities but do not yet justify a Cyclone III/IV migration cost.
When designing with the EP2A70F1508I9, always include proper power-rail decoupling and observe the multi-voltage supply requirement (VCCINT for core, VCCIO banks for I/O, VCCP_PLL, VCC_PLL). Maintain controlled-impedance PCB traces for global clock nets, and ensure thermal relief via sufficient copper area or airflow since the FC-FBGA package concentrates all dissipation through the flip-chip BGA balls. JTAG programming support (IEEE 1149.1) is mandatory for boundary-scan test in production.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, APEX II drop-in speed/pinout variants, and practical design notes not aggregated on any single distributor page.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2A70F1508I9 — 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 EP2A70F1508I9 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Series, Speed Grade, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2A70F1508I8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$188 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508I7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508I-9
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508I-8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$199.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508I-7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$140 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C9N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1495 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508C7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$645 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2A70F1508I9 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX II |
| Series | EP2A |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 67200 |
| Total System Gates | 3 M |
| Maximum Internal Clock Frequency | 198 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 µm |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Number of Pins | 1508 |
| Package Type | FC-FBGA (Flip-Chip Fine-pitch Ball Grid Array) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Industrial (I) |
| Speed Grade | 9 (highest within APEX II family) |
| Embedded System Blocks (ESB) | Yes (dual-port RAM, FIFO, CAM) |
| PLL Count | Multiple (per datasheet) |
| Configuration Modes | PPS, PPA, PS, JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
EP2A70F1508I9 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O BANK_1 — User I/O (refer to APEX II pin table) |
| Pin B1 | I/O BANK_1 — User I/O |
| Pin C1 | VCCIO1 — Bank 1 I/O supply |
| Pin D1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin E1 | I/O BANK_2 — User I/O |
| Pin F1 | VCCINT — Core 1.5 V supply |
| Pin G1 | I/O BANK_3 — User I/O |
| Pin H1 | I/O BANK_3 — User I/O |
Typical Applications
EP2A70F1508I9 is suitable for 7 applications: High-Speed Communications Bridge, DSP Co-Processing Front-End, Image/Video Preprocessing Pipeline, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Telecommunications Line Card, Industrial Control and Motor Drive, Legacy Avionics Display Controller.
High-Speed Communications Bridge
The EP2A70F1508I9's 67,200 logic elements and 198 MHz Fmax make it well suited as a multi-protocol bridge between UART, SPI, I2C, and parallel RapidIO links in legacy telecom and industrial backplanes. Designers can implement serializer/deserializer glue logic and packet buffers using the embedded system blocks (ESBs) without external memory. The industrial temperature grade supports deployment in uncontrolled thermal environments such as outdoor base stations and factory floors.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Front-End
With 3 M system gates and dedicated multiplier/carrying support, the EP2A70F1508I9 can host FFT, FIR, and correlation pipelines in front of a host DSP or CPU. The ESBs serve as coefficient tables and circular sample buffers, eliminating external SRAM in many designs. The 1.5 V core and industrial temperature grade let the FPGA sit close to ADC outputs on data-acquisition boards. Engineers commonly pair this device with the AD9220 ADC and a TMS320C6x DSP for sonar or radar signal chains.
Recommended
Image/Video Preprocessing Pipeline
The 1508-ball FC-FBGA package exposes enough I/O to drive parallel video buses such as BT.656, Camera Link, or LVDS channels, while the 67,200 logic elements implement filtering, color-space conversion, and Bayer demosaicing. The high I/O count supports multiple input ports without external muxing. Industrial grade operation suits machine-vision cameras deployed on factory production lines.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Engineers use the EP2A70F1508I9 as a multi-FPGA ASIC prototype vehicle, partitioning a target ASIC's RTL across several APEX II devices with high-speed LVDS interconnect. The 3 M gate capacity can emulate approximately 1.5-2 M gates of synthesized ASIC logic at typical 70-80% utilization. JTAG-based configuration supports fast design iteration in the lab.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Card
The industrial temperature range and high logic density make the EP2A70F1508I9 a fit for legacy SONET/SDH framer and mapper implementations on telecom line cards. PLLs handle clock multiplication and recovery from line-rate references. The FC-FBGA's flip-chip thermal interface supports continuous operation at elevated junction temperatures inside sealed enclosures.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Motor Drive
The 198 MHz Fmax and abundant I/O allow the EP2A70F1508I9 to host multiple PWM generators, quadrature encoder interfaces, and fieldbus protocol stacks (Modbus, CANopen, Profibus) on a single chip. Industrial temperature operation withstands cabinet temperatures up to 85 °C ambient. The high gate count supports advanced control algorithms such as field-oriented control (FOC) for three-phase motor drives without external DSP.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics Display Controller
Engineers upgrading legacy cockpit display controllers can drop the EP2A70F1508I9 into existing 1508-ball FC-FBGA footprints to add ARINC 429 channels, video overlay, and graphics rendering. The industrial temperature grade is qualified for the avionics bay environment when paired with conformal coating. Field-replaceable assemblies benefit from pin-compatibility with the EP2A70F1508I8 and -I7 speed-grade variants.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2A70F1508I9 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2A70F1508I8 | EP2A70F1508I7 | EP2A70F1508I-9 | EP2A70F1508I-8 | EP2A70F1508C9N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | FC-FBGA-1508 | FC-FBGA-1508 - same | FC-FBGA-1508 - same | FC-FBGA-1508 - same | FC-FBGA-1508 - same | FC-FBGA-1508 - same |
| Logic Elements | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 | 67200 |
| Speed Grade | 9 (highest) | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C TJ) | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Industrial | Commercial (0C to +85C TJ) |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Maximum Internal Clock | 198 MHz | ~170 MHz (typical for speed grade 8) | ~150 MHz (typical for speed grade 7) | 198 MHz | ~170 MHz | 198 MHz |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade within the APEX II 1508-ball package family (vs EP2A70F1508I8)
- Industrial temperature range vs commercial-only alternatives (vs EP2A70F1508C9N)
- Pin-compatible family simplifies end-of-life migration (vs EP2A70F1508I7)
Design Notes
APEX II devices require at least three separate supply rails: VCCINT (1.5 V core), VCCIO (per bank, 1.5 V/1.8 V/2.5 V/3.3 V selectable), and VCC_PLL plus VCCP_PLL (analog PLL supply). Decouple each rail with 0.1 µF X7R ceramic capacitors placed within 100 mil of every supply pin, plus bulk 10-47 µF tantalum or polymer capacitors at the regulator outputs. Power sequencing is not required but simultaneous ramp is recommended to avoid I/O driving into unpowered logic.
Estimated: at full CLB utilization (~70% LE toggle rate) on the EP2A70F1508I9, expect 3-5 W of dissipation concentrated under the die. The FC-FBGA package dissipates through the flip-chip balls, so a 4-layer PCB with continuous inner-plane copper and 0.5 mm BGA-pitch microvias is essential. Add thermal vias under the package center to pull heat into the inner copper pour. Forced airflow is recommended for sealed enclosures.
Layout the 1508-ball FC-FBGA with microvia-in-pad stack-up: microvia from each pad to layer 2, dog-bone or via-in-pad to inner planes for power, and a continuous ground plane beneath for return-current continuity. Match impedance for global clocks (typically 50 Ω single-ended) and use length-matching for LVDS pairs. Place decoupling caps on the opposite side of the BGA to minimize loop inductance.
Do not confuse APEX II (EP2A) with APEX 20K (EP20K) or Mercury (EP1M) - they share prefix 'EP' but are electrically incompatible. Also, the suffix letter 'I' versus 'C' distinguishes industrial from commercial temperature grade, not package. Engineers migrating from APEX II to Cyclone III/IV must regenerate the entire Quartus II project because bitstream formats and I/O structures differ between generations.
Compliance Information
APEX II family is older than the RoHS mandate era; specific compliance data is not present in the verified web results. Compliance values should be confirmed with the broker before procurement.
