EP2C5Q208C7 - Cyclone II FPGA, 142 I/O, 208QFP | Intel
MPN: EP2C5Q208C7 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $23.14 | $23.14 |
| 10 | $21.12 | $211.20 |
| 100 | $19.3 | $1,930.00 |
| 500 | $17.84 | $8,920.00 |
| 1,000 | $16.56 | $16,560.00 |
| 3,000 | $15.92 | $47,760.00 |
EP2C5Q208C7 Overview
An FPGA is a programmable logic device whose internal logic blocks, routing resources, and I/O behavior are configured after manufacturing. Unlike a fixed-function ASIC or a sequential microcontroller, an FPGA lets engineers implement parallel datapaths, custom interfaces, and state machines in hardware. FPGAs fit in the programmable logic device segment of the semiconductor hierarchy and are commonly used when a design needs field reconfigurability, parallel processing, or a large number of fast I/O signals without committing to custom silicon.
According to the DigiKey product listing, the EP2C5Q208C7 is categorized as a Cyclone II FPGA IC with 142 user I/O, 119,808 RAM bits, and 4,608 logic elements in a 208-BFQFP package. The core supply voltage is 1.2 V, and the logic family is CMOS. The 208-pin plastic quad flat pack provides a gull-wing, surface-mount footprint that is more convenient for prototype assembly and rework than a fine-pitch BGA, while still supporting a substantial number of parallel board-level signals.
Cyclone II was Altera's low-cost 90 nm CMOS FPGA family, designed to balance density, I/O count, and unit price for industrial and consumer systems. The device uses SRAM-based configuration, which means it must be loaded from an external configuration source at power-up. The 4,608 logic elements in this part are suitable for moderate-size control logic, bus bridging, sensor preprocessing, video timing, and other functions that fit comfortably in a small FPGA without requiring external logic ICs.
The EP2C5Q208C7 is used in applications such as industrial motor-control signal processing, fieldbus protocol bridging, test and measurement data acquisition, low-cost display timing, audio effects, and custom I/O expansion. The 142 user I/O pins allow designers to connect multiple parallel ADCs, DACs, memory buses, or general-purpose transceivers. The commercial temperature version covers typical indoor equipment from 0°C to +85°C, and the low-cost QFP body makes board assembly straightforward with standard reflow processes.
A key design consideration is that this is a 1.2 V core FPGA, so the board must provide a clean 1.2 V rail with sufficient decoupling and current capability. The configuration source must also be selected early in the design because Cyclone II is volatile and must be configured from a serial configuration device, a host processor, or a JTAG download cable after every power-up.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, same-family drop-in variants, and practical design notes not found in a single datasheet listing, helping engineers compare procurement options and select the correct Cyclone II QFP-208 variant for their project.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C5Q208C7 — 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 EP2C5Q208C7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Total RAM Bits, Package, Maximum Clock Frequency, Number of Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C5Q208C7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$16.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C5Q208C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$10.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C5Q208C6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2C5Q208I8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$201.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C5Q208I8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$8.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C5Q208C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Series | Cyclone II |
| Number of Logic Elements | 4,608 LE |
| Total RAM Bits | 119,808 bits |
| Number of User I/O | 142 |
| Package Type | 208-BFQFP (PQFP-208) |
| Number of Pins | 208 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0°C to +85°C (32°F to 185°F) |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Terminal Form | Gull wing |
| Package Shape | Square |
| RoHS Status | Unknown |
EP2C5Q208C7 square Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2C5Q208C7 (square 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 EP2C5Q208C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2C5Q208C7 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motion Control, Industrial Fieldbus Gateway, Test and Measurement Data Acquisition, Low-Cost Video Timing and Display Control, Embedded Audio Effects and Synthesis, Custom Parallel I/O Expansion.
Industrial Motion Control
The EP2C5Q208C7 is well suited for industrial motion control because its 4,608 logic elements can implement multiple PWM channels, quadrature encoder counters, and fail-safe interlock logic in parallel. The 142 user I/O pins connect directly to gate-driver inputs, current-sense ADC outputs, and encoder interfaces without needing an external CPLD for glue logic. With a 1.2 V core and commercial temperature range, it fits inside indoor drive electronics while still providing enough logic to handle commutation state machines. A serial configuration device such as EPCS4SI8N stores the FPGA image so the drive powers up reliably. Designers should pay attention to I/O bank voltage assignment so PWM output banks use the correct VCCIO for the gate-driver interface.
Recommended
Industrial Fieldbus Gateway
The EP2C5Q208C7 can act as a low-cost protocol engine for an industrial fieldbus gateway because its 119,808 RAM bits provide FIFO buffering between asynchronous serial links, parallel host buses, and backplane interfaces. The 4,608 logic elements are enough to implement UARTs, SPI masters, checksum logic, and mailbox registers that translate Modbus, PROFIBUS, or custom protocols. The 208-BFQFP package simplifies routing through a multilayer industrial PCB, and the 142 I/O pins allow connection to isolated transceivers, host microcontrollers, and status LEDs. Cyclone II is volatile, so the gateway should include EPCS configuration memory or a host-loaded configuration path. Use separate I/O banks for the 3.3 V transceiver side and the 2.5 V FPGA core-side host interface to avoid electrical conflicts.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Data Acquisition
For a bench or industrial data acquisition system, the EP2C5Q208C7 provides enough programmable logic to control ADC timing, store samples in internal block RAM, and generate trigger events. The 119,808 RAM bits can hold moderate capture buffers, while the 142 user I/O lines interface to parallel high-speed ADCs and DACs. The commercial temperature range covers most test equipment, and the 208-pin QFP allows engineers to route analog and digital domains cleanly on a standard PCB. Its 1.2 V core supply keeps switching noise lower than older 3.3 V FPGAs, which helps preserve measurement accuracy when the FPGA is placed close to sensitive analog front ends. A state machine written in Verilog or VHDL can manage acquisition sequencing, decimation, and host readout without burdening an external processor.
Recommended
Low-Cost Video Timing and Display Control
The EP2C5Q208C7 can generate pixel clocks, horizontal and vertical sync timing, blanking intervals, and simple image overlay logic for low-cost display applications. Its logic elements create line counters and FIFO pointers, while the internal RAM buffers small image regions for text or cursor overlays. The 142 I/O pins are useful for driving parallel LCD data buses and receiving a video decoder's 8-bit or 16-bit output. Because Cyclone II is SRAM-based, the video timing controller must be configured from serial flash at power-up, often using an EPCS configuration device. Designers should match the FPGA I/O standard to the LCD controller's logic level and add a clean oscillator for the video pixel clock. The QFP package keeps the display board inspectable and reworkable in low-cost assembly lines.
Recommended
Embedded Audio Effects and Synthesis
The EP2C5Q208C7 can implement digital audio delay effects, filters, wavetable oscillators, and noise gates using its 4,608 logic elements and 119,808 RAM bits. Audio sample rates are low enough that even a modest FPGA has abundant timing margin, allowing designers to run multiple filter stages in parallel. The 142 user I/O pins connect directly to audio codecs, ADCs, DACs, and control interfaces. Because the FPGA is not executing sequential instructions, filter structures can be fully pipelined for deterministic latency. Power-supply decoupling on the 1.2 V core is important to minimize digital noise coupling to analog audio outputs. A small configuration flash such as EPCS4SI8N lets the audio board boot automatically into its effects bitstream when power is applied.
Recommended
Custom Parallel I/O Expansion
The EP2C5Q208C7 excels as a flexible parallel I/O expansion device because it provides 142 usable I/O pins in a readily routable 208-BFQFP. A designer can implement address decoding, registered outputs, interrupt aggregation, and voltage-level translation between multiple peripherals in one device. The 4,608 logic elements support wide multiplexers, bus arbiters, and FIFO controllers, while the 119,808 RAM bits buffer data bursts crossing between buses. The commercial temperature version fits indoor networking equipment and industrial controllers. The I/O banks should be assigned according to each interface voltage, and the configuration source must be considered early because a volatile FPGA needs a host or serial-flash device to reload after every power cycle. This makes the part useful for prototyping custom interfaces before committing to an ASIC or a more expensive FPGA.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C5Q208C7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C5Q208C7N | EP2C5Q208C8N | EP2C5Q208C6N | EP2C5Q208I8N | EP2C5Q208I8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 4,608 | 4,608 | 4,608 | 4,608 | 4,608 | 4,608 |
| Total RAM Bits | 119,808 | 119,808 | 119,808 | 119,808 | 119,808 | 119,808 |
| Number of User I/O | 142 | 142 | 142 | 142 | 142 | 142 |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial C7, 0°C to +85°C | Commercial C7, 0°C to +85°C | Commercial C8, 0°C to +85°C | Commercial C6, 0°C to +85°C | Industrial I8, -40°C to +100°C | Industrial I8, -40°C to +100°C |
| Speed Grade Code | C7 | C7 | C8 | C6 | I8 | I8 |
| Finish Type | Legacy / non-N finish | Lead-free N finish | Lead-free N finish | Lead-free N finish | Lead-free N finish | Legacy / non-N finish |
Key Differentiators
- C7 commercial speed grade gives a useful middle timing margin in the EP2C5 Q208 family (vs EP2C5Q208C8N)
- 208-pin BFQFP package is easier to prototype and rework than 256-pin BGA alternatives (vs EP2C5F256C7N)
- Commercial C7 grade provides lower cost than industrial I-grade variants for indoor equipment (vs EP2C5Q208I8N)
Design Notes
The EP2C5Q208C7 core runs from a 1.2 V supply. Estimate: if the device draws 100 mA of core current during a moderate 100 MHz design, core power is 0.12 W. However I/O and PLL power can raise total device current, so provide a 1.2 V rail capable of at least 0.5 A to 1 A and place 0.1 uF and 10 uF decoupling capacitors close to the FPGA power pins. Use separate analog-filtered power for any PLL pins because ripple on the core supply can increase jitter.
Cyclone II is an SRAM-based FPGA and has no non-volatile memory. The EP2C5Q208C7 must be configured at power-up through JTAG, passive serial, active serial, or passive parallel schemes. For autonomous boot on a production board, connect an EPCS serial configuration device to the dedicated DATA and DCLK pins. Keep the configuration trace short, add pull-up resistors per the Cyclone II Device Handbook, and reserve a JTAG header for boundary-scan and in-system debugging.
The 208-BFQFP package has gull-wing leads with a fine pitch; use a solder paste stencil matched to the package and follow the manufacturer's recommended land pattern. Provide thermal and ground vias in the QFP thermal pad area only if the pad exists on the selected variant. Route the 1.2 V core power and ground as a dedicated plane because the logic switching current is large relative to the 1.2 V supply level. Add series terminations on high-speed clock and configuration signals.
Compliance Information
MPN without N suffix is likely a legacy leaded finish, but the retrieved web data does not state RoHS/REACH compliance or conflict-mineral status. Verify lot-specific compliance from Intel/Altera or the distributor.