EP2C8F256C7 - Cyclone II FPGA, 8K LEs, 256-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2C8F256C7 β Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $32.5 | $32.50 |
| 10 | $28.4 | $284.00 |
| 100 | $24.1 | $2,410.00 |
| 500 | $20.85 | $10,425.00 |
| 1,000 | $18.2 | $18,200.00 |
EP2C8F256C7 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device whose logic fabric, interconnect, and I/O are configured by the customer after manufacture. FPGAs sit in the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLD) alongside CPLDs, and they occupy the middle ground between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven processors β offering hardware parallelism, deterministic timing, and the ability to re-spin logic without respinning silicon. The Cyclone II family specifically targets cost-sensitive, high-volume applications where designers need the flexibility of FPGA fabric without paying the silicon-area premium of high-end FPGAs.
Key features include 8,256 logic elements (LEs), 36 embedded 18x18 multipliers, 165,888 bits (about 20 Kbytes) of M4K embedded memory blocks, two PLLs for clock multiplication and phase shifting, and 182 maximum user I/O pins supporting LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and PCI I/O standards. Configuration is supported through JTAG, Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), and Fast Passive Parallel (FPP) modes. The device is supported by the Quartus II design software.
Architecturally, the Cyclone II family uses a 1.2 V core supply with separate VCCIO banks for mixed-voltage I/O, allowing the FPGA to bridge between 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and differential I/O domains on the same die. The fabric consists of 4-input look-up tables arranged in logic array blocks (LABs), with dedicated routing, embedded multiplier blocks for DSP, and M4K memory blocks that can be configured as RAM, ROM, or FIFO. The 'C7' speed grade denotes a specific Fmax bin relative to other Cyclone II speed grades.
Typical applications include industrial motor and motion control, video processing and display bridges, telecommunications line cards, low-cost prototyping for ASIC replacement, and educational / DSP development kits. The 256-FBGA package provides sufficient I/O count for memory-bus and parallel-data interfaces while still being hand-solderable with reflow and hot-air rework for prototypes.
Design considerations include careful decoupling of the 1.2 V core and VCCIO bank supplies, length-matched routing for LVDS pairs, and management of the four PLL power pins. The device is in the mature phase of its lifecycle β designers should verify long-term availability before committing to high-volume production. This page synthesizes lifecycle status, drop-in same-brand alternatives, and practical design notes not aggregated on any single distributor listing.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C8F256C7 β 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 EP2C8F256C7 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Process Technology, Operating Temperature.
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EP2C8F256C8N
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View Datasheet βEP2C8F256C6N
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$31.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C8F256I8N
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$21.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C8AF256I8N
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$21.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C8AF256A7N
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$41.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C20F256C7N
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$38.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C5F256C7N
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$23.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C8F256C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone II |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 8,256 |
| Total RAM Bits | 165,888 |
| Embedded Multipliers | 36 (18x18) |
| Number of Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 516 |
| Maximum User I/O | 182 |
| Number of PLLs | 2 |
| Package | 256-LBGA (FineLine BGA, 17x17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial, 7th bin) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial, TJ) |
EP2C8F256C7 256-lbga (fineline bga, 17x17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2C8F256C7 (256-lbga (fineline bga, 17x17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) 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 EP2C8F256C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2C8F256C7 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Display Bridge, Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic, ASIC Prototyping Platform, DSP and Educational Development, Test and Measurement Front-End.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP2C8F256C7 is well suited to industrial motor and motion-control systems where deterministic, hardware-parallel PWM generation and encoder feedback are required. With 36 embedded 18x18 multipliers and 8,256 logic elements, the device can run field-oriented control (FOC) loops on a single chip while driving 3-phase PWM at 20 kHz with sub-microsecond duty-cycle resolution. The two on-chip PLLs allow precise phase-locking of the current-loop sampling clock to the PWM switching frequency, minimizing EMI. The 256-FBGA package exposes 182 user I/Os to interface with multiple encoder inputs (QEP), Hall sensors, RS-485 comm ports, and an external ADC bus. Designers migrating legacy Altera designs can drop in the C8 or I8 speed grade for tighter timing margin without re-laying the board.
Recommended
Video Display Bridge
The EP2C8F256C7 functions as a video-format bridge between source devices and displays, performing conversion between HDMI/DVI/RGB/parallel-TTL domains. The 8,256 LEs and 36 multipliers handle color-space conversion (RGB to YCrCb) and frame-rate conversion at resolutions up to 1080p at 60 Hz. The 165,888 bits of M4K memory serve as line buffers for scan conversion or deinterlacing without requiring external SRAM. The 182 user I/Os in the FBGA-256 footprint provide enough LVDS pairs to receive DVI/HDMI TMDS links and to drive RGB888 panels. Designers should use Quartus II timing constraints to close the LVDS receive-path timing, which is typically the limiting factor for image-pipeline throughput.
Recommended
Telecom Line-Card Glue Logic
In telecom line-card applications, the EP2C8F256C7 serves as glue logic for backplane bridging, TDM/SONET framing, and low-density packet processing. The two PLLs allow re-timing of recovered clocks from the line interface, while the 36 hardware multipliers support convolutional FEC or simple Reed-Solomon decoding. With 182 user I/Os, the part can glue multiple E1/T1 framers, a serial backplane transceiver, and a CPU bus interface in a single device. The 256-FBGA package is footprint-compatible with the larger EP2C20F256C7N and EP2C35F256C7N, allowing port-up to higher logic densities without board rework.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
The EP2C8F256C7 is widely used as a low-cost ASIC prototyping substrate for designs in the 5K-10K gate-equivalent range. With 8,256 LEs and 182 user I/Os, it can host a medium-complexity ASIC RTL through multiple synthesis iterations before tape-out. The Quartus II design flow supports incremental compile and partitioning, enabling IP-block reuse across prototype iterations. For prototypes that target higher gate counts, designers can port the RTL to the EP2C20F256C7N or EP2C35F256C7N (same FBGA-256 footprint) without modifying the board. Quartus II also supports DO-254/industrial-grade verification flows that take advantage of the C7 speed grade's predictable timing.
Recommended
DSP and Educational Development
The EP2C8F256C7 with 36 dedicated 18x18 multipliers provides cost-effective DSP acceleration for FFT, FIR, and IIR pipelines in educational labs and prototype DSP kits. The 165,888 bits of embedded RAM is sufficient to hold a 1024-point complex FFT working buffer, while the eight LAB-row multiplier blocks deliver up to 250 MHz MAC throughput. The 182 user I/Os support direct connection to A/D and D/A converters on external daughter boards. Cyclone II development kits, including the DE2 board, popularized this part in university curricula; the same FBGA-256 footprint is preserved across the Cyclone II family for reuse of student hardware across cohorts.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Front-End
The EP2C8F256C7 is used as the timing, control, and DSP front-end in mid-range test and measurement instruments such as logic-analyzer probe heads, function generators, and protocol exercisers. The two PLLs provide jitter-clean clock multiplication from a low-frequency crystal, while the embedded multipliers perform real-time FFT or digital-filtering of digitized input streams. With 182 user I/Os, the FPGA can fan out to multiple ADC/DAC channels, a front-panel display bus, and a USB-to-LVDS bridge. Designers appreciate that the FBGA-256 package is footprint-compatible with the larger Cyclone II variants, allowing a single board design to support products from 2-channel to 8-channel configurations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C8F256C7 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C8F256C8N | EP2C8F256C6N | EP2C8F256I8N | EP2C8AF256I8N | EP2C8AF256A7N | EP2C20F256C7N | EP2C5F256C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-LBGA (FBGA-256) - same |
| Logic Elements | 8,256 | 8,256 | 8,256 | 8,256 | 8,256 | 8,256 | 20,060 (+143%) | 4,608 (-44%) |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial) | C8 (commercial) | C6 (commercial) | I8 (industrial) | I8 (industrial, automotive) | A7 (automotive) | C7 (commercial) | C7 (commercial) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C TJ) | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Automotive / Industrial | Automotive AEC-Q100 | Commercial | Commercial |
| User I/O | 182 (max) | 182 | 182 | 182 | 182 | 182 | 142 | 158 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 52 | 26 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 165,888 | 165,888 | 165,888 | 165,888 | 165,888 | 165,888 | 239,616 | 119,808 |
| Number of PLLs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Lifecycle Status | Last-time-buy (as of 2026-09-08) | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy |
Key Differentiators
- Drop-in flexibility across 7 same-package Cyclone II variants on the FBGA-256 footprint (vs EP2C8F256C8N)
- Commercial C7 speed grade optimizes price/Fmax for cost-sensitive volume production (vs EP2C8F256C8N (C8 speed grade))
- 2x logic-element headroom via pin-compatible upward migration within Cyclone II family (vs EP2C5F256C7N (4,608 LEs))
- Mature ecosystem with Quartus II tooling and abundant legacy IP (vs Newer Cyclone IV / Cyclone V families)
Design Notes
The Cyclone II requires three supply rails: VCCINT = 1.2 V (core), VCCAUX = 2.5 V (PLL analog), and one or more VCCIO bank rails at 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V. Estimated: with VCCINT at 1.2 V drawing ~300 mA typical and VCCAUX at ~50 mA, total core current is roughly 350 mA at room temperature with moderate toggle rates. Place a 100 uF bulk + 0.1 uF per pin pair of low-ESR ceramic decoupling, and isolate VCCAUX with a ferrite bead to prevent PLL jitter from core switching noise. Sequence VCCINT before VCCAUX by at least 100 us to satisfy POR requirements, and hold nCONFIG low until both rails are stable.
The 256-FBGA package has theta_JA around 25-30 C/W with a standard 4-layer PCB and adequate ground-pour thermal vias under the central die-attach pad. Estimated: at 1 A VCCINT and 50 mA VCCAUX plus typical I/O switching, total dissipation is roughly 1.5 W, yielding a junction temperature rise of 40 C above 25 C ambient. For enclosed industrial enclosures with 50 C ambient, the device remains within the 85 C commercial TJ limit. For the I8N variant (-40C to +100C TJ), a copper-pour footprint of at least 1 square inch on the top layer plus a 4x4 thermal-via array under the BGA is recommended.
Route differential LVDS pairs with 100 ohm differential impedance and length-match the P and N legs to within 20 mil. The 1.0 mm pitch FBGA-256 land pattern requires 0.5 mm ball pads with 0.4 mm solder-mask openings; use NSMD (non-solder-mask-defined) pads for reliable reflow. Breakout the inner rows using dog-bone fan-out on a 4-layer stack-up, or use via-in-pad with filled-and-capped micro-vias if the fabricator supports them. Place the JTAG header (TMS, TCK, TDI, TDO) within 2 inches of the FPGA to avoid stub-effect issues at high TCK frequencies.
Do not leave the MSEL[2:0] configuration-mode pins floating β they determine Active Serial / Passive Serial / JTAG / Fast Passive Parallel mode and must be tied to VCCIO or GND through 4.7 kohm resistors. Do not exceed the 18 mA per-pin and 250 mA per-bank I/O current limits, or the I/O supply will droop and cause logic errors. Common pitfall: forgetting that VREF pins on VCCIO banks configured as SSTL/HSTL I/O standards must be driven by an external reference voltage, not left floating.
Place configuration memory (EPCS4 / EPCS16 / EPCS64) within 2 inches of the FPGA in AS configuration mode, and route the DCLK signal with controlled impedance. Keep the nSTATUS, nCONFIG, and CONF_DONE traces short and away from noisy switching signals. For FPP (Fast Passive Parallel) mode with an external microcontroller host, length-match the 8-bit DATA[7:0] bus to within 100 mil across all bits to satisfy the tDS / tDH setup-and-hold timing margins documented in the Cyclone II handbook configuration chapter.
Compliance Information
RoHS status not explicitly confirmed in the provided web data; consult Intel product page or manufacturer PCN for authoritative statement. The EP2C8AF256A7N variant carries AEC-Q100 automotive qualification β choose that for automotive applications. Lead-free (Pb-free) assembly is supported per the FBGA package ball composition.
