EP2C20F484C8 - Cyclone II FPGA 18,752 LE 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2C20F484C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $36.5 | $36.50 |
| 10 | $33.2 | $332.00 |
| 100 | $29.8 | $2,980.00 |
| 500 | $26.4 | $13,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $22.2 | $22,200.00 |
EP2C20F484C8 Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, and I/O cells that can be reconfigured by the designer after manufacturing. FPGAs sit between discrete logic and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs): unlike ASICs they require no fabrication masks, and unlike microcontrollers they implement logic in dedicated parallel hardware rather than sequential firmware. FPGAs are widely used for digital signal processing, glue logic, video/display bridging, and prototype ASIC emulation.
Key Cyclone II features include up to 150 embedded 18×18 multipliers, four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock management, and support for external memory interfaces including DDR/DDR2 SDRAM and QDRII SRAM. The Cyclone II architecture provides a low-power, cost-optimized platform that was a popular choice in the late-2000s era for consumer, industrial, and communications designs. The 484-FBGA package exposes a high I/O count while maintaining a small PCB footprint suitable for high-density designs.
Typical applications include digital video processing pipelines, motor control and industrial automation, telecommunications line cards, test and measurement equipment, and embedded control systems. The combination of embedded multipliers and dedicated memory blocks also makes the EP2C20 well suited for soft-core processor implementations such as Nios II, which Altera provides royalty-free for this family.
Designers should consult Altera's Quartus II design software (legacy versions still in use) and the Cyclone II Device Handbook for pin assignments, timing closure, and configuration schemes (AS, PS, JTAG). The EP2C20F484C8 is in production but is positioned as a mature, cost-down device - engineers building new designs should evaluate Cyclone IV or Cyclone V/10 families unless an exact Cyclone II replacement is required for board-level compatibility.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes that are not aggregated in a single place on the manufacturer datasheet. Engineers evaluating this part for new designs or maintenance of legacy Cyclone II hardware will find the alternatives and comparison data here particularly useful.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C20F484C8 — 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 EP2C20F484C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C20F484C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$23.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C20F484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$42.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C20F484C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$18.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C20F484C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$68.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C20F484C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65.31 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C20F484C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone II |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 18,752 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 239,616 |
| Memory Blocks | M4K |
| User I/Os | 315 |
| Number of I/O Banks | 8 |
| Core Voltage (Vccint) | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 90 nm |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Speed Grade | C8 (commercial, 8) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Configuration Modes | AS, PS, JTAG |
EP2C20F484C8 484-ball fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2C20F484C8 (484-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 EP2C20F484C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2C20F484C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Digital Video Processing, Industrial Motor Control, Telecommunications Line Cards, Test and Measurement Equipment, Embedded Control with Nios II Soft Core, Display Bridging and LVDS Interfaces.
Digital Video Processing
The EP2C20F484C8 is well suited for digital video processing pipelines including de-interlacing, scaling, color space conversion, and on-screen display overlay. Its 18,752 logic elements and 315 user I/Os provide headroom for multi-standard SD/HD video data paths at 27-148.5 MHz pixel rates, while 239 Kbits of embedded RAM buffer line storage for video scaling and chroma resampling. The Cyclone II M4K memory blocks are well matched to 32-bit line-buffer widths typical of video pipe implementations. Designers typically pair the FPGA with an external DDR SDRAM for frame buffers, using the device's dedicated DDR memory interface and PLL-based clock generation.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control
The EP2C20F484C8 is widely used in industrial motor control boards for FOC (field-oriented control), PWM generation, encoder decoding, and safety logic. Its 315 user I/Os allow direct interface to multi-axis encoder inputs, gate drivers, and current-sense ADCs without external logic, and the 4 PLLs synthesize the high-resolution PWM carrier clocks from a low-cost crystal. The Cyclone II's 90 nm process gives the EP2C20 predictable jitter performance at moderate power. Industrial designers often implement the Nios II soft-core to run a motor control state machine alongside the hardware PWM/encoder blocks. The commercial 0C to +85C temperature grade matches most factory-floor enclosures.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP2C20F484C8 was a popular glue-logic and protocol-conversion device on telecom line cards in the 2000s. Its 315 I/Os accept multi-protocol backplane buses (UTOPIA, SPI, I2C, parallel LVCMOS), and the 18,752 logic elements comfortably implement TDM crossbar switches up to 8 Mbps per timeslot. The 4 PLLs derive the major telecom clocks (T1/E1, 8 kHz frame, BITS) from a single board reference. Designers targeting newer systems should note that the Cyclone II does not include high-speed transceivers, so it is best for non-SERDES aggregation roles rather than multi-gigabit serial links. Long-term availability through Intel's longevity program is the key reason it remains in telecom spares.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Equipment
The EP2C20F484C8 is used in mid-range test and measurement instruments such as protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and arbitrary waveform generators where flexible I/O mapping and rapid custom logic are needed. The 315 I/Os allow direct sampling of multi-channel logic at rates that match the internal 402 MHz clock domain, while 239 Kbits of embedded RAM store captured frames before offload to a host. Engineers can use the soft Nios II core to run instrument control code alongside high-speed sampling logic in a single device. The C8 speed grade keeps the part cost-effective for instruments where maximum Fmax is not the bottleneck.
Recommended
Embedded Control with Nios II Soft Core
The EP2C20F484C8 hosts a Nios II soft-core processor with plenty of room left for custom peripherals - a popular configuration in embedded control designs. The 18,752 logic elements implement a full Nios II/f core (around 1,800 LEs) plus substantial custom logic, and 239 Kbits of RAM is enough for a small RTOS and data buffers. The 4 PLLs generate core and peripheral clocks independently, and the 315 I/Os expose all standard Nios II peripherals (UART, SPI, I2C, timers, GPIO). The -C8 speed grade is more than sufficient for typical Nios II/f clock targets of 50-100 MHz, keeping the part cost-effective.
Recommended
Display Bridging and LVDS Interfaces
The EP2C20F484C8 implements flat-panel display bridges such as RGB-to-LVDS, DisplayPort aux-channel handlers, and HDMI/DVI pixel pre-processing in digital signage and kiosk designs. The Cyclone II supports LVDS I/O at up to 805 Mbps per pair, which is adequate for 24-bit color panels up to 1366x768 at 60 Hz. With 315 user I/Os the device accepts parallel RGB, ITU-R BT.656, or OpenLDI inputs and fans out to LVDS pairs without external mux logic. Embedded M4K memory blocks provide line-buffer storage for chroma upsampling and dithering. Designers choose the Cyclone II for its cost-to-IO ratio in this space.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C20F484C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C20F484C8N | EP2C20F484C7N | EP2C20F484C7 | EP2C20F484C6N | EP2C20F484C6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA | 484-FBGA |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 18,752 | 18,752 | 18,752 | 18,752 | 18,752 | 18,752 |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 |
| User I/Os | 315 | 315 | 315 | 315 | 315 | 315 |
| Speed Grade | C8 (slowest) | C8 | C7 | C7 | C6 (fastest) | C6 (fastest) |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | No (SnPb) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
| Approx. Unit Price (qty 1) | $36.50 | $37.20 | $39.50 | $38.80 | $42.10 | $41.40 |
Key Differentiators
- Cost-optimized 90 nm Cyclone II silicon with 18,752 LEs (vs EP2C20F484C6N)
- Pin-compatible lead-free equivalent in same 484-FBGA (vs EP2C20F484C6)
- Mature, long-lifecycle Cyclone II product with active distribution (vs EP2C20F256C6N)
Design Notes
The EP2C20F484C8 requires a clean 1.2 V core supply (Vccint) with a recommended tolerance of plus/minus 30 mV and a separate PLL analog supply (Vccd_PLL) of 1.2 V with its own ferrite-bead-isolated plane. Bulk decoupling of 100 uF polymer plus 4.7 uF ceramic is recommended at the regulator output, with 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramics placed within 100 mils of every Vccint and Vccd_PLL ball. I/O banks can be powered at 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V independently. Sequence Vccint before Vccio per the Cyclone II Device Handbook to avoid latch-up during hot-plug events.
The 484-FBGA has a 1.00 mm ball pitch and requires microvia (HDI) PCB technology for escape routing - a 4-layer stack with 1-2-1 via structure is the practical minimum. BGA break-out should fan out on the top layer with via-in-pad recommended for inner rows to maintain signal integrity for high-speed LVDS pairs. Maintain continuous reference planes under all high-speed routes; the Cyclone II reference schematics show 50 ohm single-ended and 100 ohm differential impedance targets. JTAG, MSEL configuration, and POR pins must be pulled to defined states per the configuration scheme table before Vccint ramps.
Do not migrate a design to Cyclone II and assume Cyclone III/IV/10 bitstreams will load - configuration file formats and JTAG IDs are not compatible. Verify the configuration mode (AS/PS/JTAG) using MSEL[3..0] pins exactly per the datasheet; incorrect MSEL encoding is the most common board-bring-up failure. The C8 speed grade is the slowest in the family; designs migrated from a -6 or -7 part may fail timing closure on the EP2C20F484C8. Always re-run Quartus II timing analysis after changing speed grade. Finally, confirm the ball finish (SnPb vs lead-free) matches your assembly process.
Compliance Information
EP2C20F484C8 (without N suffix) is supplied in SnPb ball finish and is NOT RoHS compliant. The N-suffixed variant EP2C20F484C8N is lead-free and RoHS compliant. AEC-Q100 is not applicable (Cyclone II is not automotive qualified - choose Cyclone IV E or Cyclone V automotive parts for vehicle applications). All other compliance values are not stated explicitly in the verified web data.