EP2C8Q208 - Cyclone II FPGA, 8256 LE, 208-PQFP | Altera
MPN: EP2C8Q208 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $52.36 | $52.36 |
| 10 | $47.12 | $471.20 |
| 100 | $42 | $4,200.00 |
| 500 | $38.5 | $19,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $35.2 | $35,200.00 |
EP2C8Q208 Overview
A field programmable gate array (FPGA) is a programmable semiconductor device that implements custom digital logic through configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable routing, and dedicated hard IP. FPGAs sit in the broader programmable logic taxonomy between programmable logic devices (CPLDs) and more complex SOCs, and are typically used as glue logic, co-processors, prototyping platforms and small-to-medium digital systems. Cyclone II, introduced in 2004, is positioned as the low-cost, low-power end of the Altera FPGA family tree: Cyclone -> Cyclone II -> Cyclone III/IV/V.
Headline features of the EP2C8Q208 include 8,256 logic elements (LEs), 36 M4K memory blocks providing 165,888 bits (about 20 Kbyte) of true dual-port RAM, 18 hardware 18x18 multipliers (delivering up to ~1.3 GMACs at 250 MHz) and 4 PLLs with up to 16 output clock paths. Configuration is via Altera active serial (AS), passive serial (PS) or JTAG modes, supported through dedicated pins on the package. The 208-pin PQFP (often referred to as BFQFP or 208-PQFP) offers 138 user I/O pins, allowing wide parallel buses, memory interfaces and LVDS pairs.
Typical applications include industrial control and factory automation backplanes, video processing front-ends, motor control and inverter signal chains, telecom line cards, low-cost DSP pre-processing, and educational / academic hardware platforms such as the DE2 development board. The Cyclone II architecture is supported by Altera's Quartus II design suite (now part of the Intel Quartus Prime toolchain) with reference designs, megafunctions and DSP Builder support.
When designing with EP2C8Q208, pay attention to the I/O standard grouping (the 208-PQFP splits I/O into multiple banks with independent VCCIO rails), the LVDS pair count limit per bank, and the 1.2 V core supply requirement. This part is now in the legacy/EOL family tier; new designs should consider Cyclone IV E, MAX 10, or Lattice ECP5 as modern equivalents.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C8Q208 — 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 EP2C8Q208 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Process Technology, Configuration Modes, PLLs.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C8Q208I8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C5Q208C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$10.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C8Q208C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$43.92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C8Q208 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone II |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 8,256 |
| Total RAM Bits | 165,888 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 18 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| User I/O Pins | 138 |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85C (commercial, C8 suffix) |
| Package | 208-pin PQFP (BFQFP, plastic QFP) |
| Configuration Modes | AS, PS, JTAG |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP2C8Q208 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 52 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 104 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5) |
| Pin 156 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7) |
| Pin 208 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8) |
Typical Applications
EP2C8Q208 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control & Factory Automation, Video Processing Front-End, Educational & Academic FPGA Platform, Motor Control & Inverter Signal Chain, Telecom Line Card Glue Logic, Low-Cost DSP Pre-Processing.
Industrial Control & Factory Automation
The EP2C8Q208 fits industrial control backplanes because its 8,256 LEs and 18 hardware 18x18 multipliers deliver deterministic real-time logic for PLC scan engines, motor-control loops and serial field-bus bridges. Its 138 user I/Os in the 208-PQFP support parallel buses to encoder counters and isolated GPIO, while 4 PLLs generate the multi-rate clocks required by Ethernet MAC, RS-485 and Profibus transceivers on the same board. Estimated: at 100 MHz logic speed with 50% toggle rate, the device consumes approximately 0.4-0.6 W core power, suitable for fan-less DIN-rail enclosures. The Cyclone II family supports industrial operating temperatures (industrial speed grade I8) which qualifies it for cabinet environments from -40C to 100C.
Recommended
Video Processing Front-End
The EP2C8Q208 serves as a cost-effective pre-processor in video pipelines, with 8,256 LEs sized for 2D filter kernels, color-space conversion and Bayer demosaicing on CIF-to-VGA streams. Its 36 M4K RAM blocks (165,888 bits) provide line buffers and small frame stores without external SRAM, and the 18 hardware 18x18 multipliers accelerate 5-tap horizontal/vertical FIR filters at pixel rates up to 100 MHz. According to the Cyclone II Device Handbook, the device supports LVDS pairs across multiple I/O banks, enabling direct connection to CMOS image sensors and DVI/HDMI bridges. For HD video, the EP2C8Q208 is generally insufficient; Cyclone IV E or later families are recommended.
Recommended
Educational & Academic FPGA Platform
The EP2C8Q208 is the silicon at the heart of the well-known Altera/Intel DE2 development board, which is widely used in university digital logic, computer architecture and embedded systems courses. Its 8,256 LEs provide enough headroom for students to implement a RISC-V soft core, SDRAM controller, VGA and audio CODEC interfaces within a single lab project. The 208-PQFP package is hand-solderable, supporting through-hole and breakout-board designs for lab prototyping. Estimated: combined with 8 MB SDRAM and 4 MB flash on the DE2, the device delivers a complete teaching platform. Quartus II Web Edition supports the device at no cost, lowering the barrier for academic adoption.
Recommended
Motor Control & Inverter Signal Chain
The EP2C8Q208 handles the digital control loop for three-phase motor drives and solar inverters because its 18 hardware 18x18 multipliers accelerate Park/Clarke transforms and PI controllers running at 10-50 kHz switching frequencies. With 4 PLLs the FPGA can derive PWM-aligned clocks for IGBT/MOSFET gate drivers and synchronized ADC sampling clocks. The 138 user I/Os of the 208-PQFP support multi-channel encoder feedback (QEP), resolver excitation and Hall-sensor inputs simultaneously. Estimated: at a 10 kHz control loop and 50 MHz system clock, headroom remains for additional safety logic and CAN/UART diagnostics in firmware. Industrial speed grade variant EP2C8Q208I8N is preferred for under-hood automotive and outdoor inverter cabinets.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The EP2C8Q208 serves as low-cost glue logic on telecom line cards, aggregating TDM/E1 streams, providing HDLC framing and CRC, and bridging between a network processor's SPI/PCI interface and backplane SERDES links. Its 8,256 LEs are sufficient for 4-8 channel TDM aggregation plus an on-chip soft UART bank for diagnostics. The 165,888 embedded RAM bits can buffer small packets without external SRAM. The Cyclone II PLL count (4) generates the multiple clock domains required by TDM (1.544/2.048 MHz) and Ethernet (25/125 MHz) interfaces. For new designs in this segment, modern Cyclone IV GX/V or Lattice ECP5 with hardened SERDES are recommended.
Recommended
Low-Cost DSP Pre-Processing
The EP2C8Q208 functions as a DSP front-end for sensor arrays and audio pre-processing, leveraging its 18 hardware 18x18 multipliers to deliver up to 1.3 GMACs of multiply-accumulate throughput at 250 MHz. Its 36 M4K RAM blocks (165,888 bits) hold FIR coefficients and small FFT working buffers, enabling real-time 256-point FFT or 64-tap FIR filters without external memory. The 4 PLLs derive the multi-rate clocks required by MEMS microphones (3.072 MHz), I2S audio (12.288 MHz) and PDM decimation filters. Estimated: a 64-tap audio FIR running at 48 kHz consumes less than 5% of the device's logic. For more demanding DSP, Cyclone IV E or Cyclone V SoC with ARM hard cores are recommended.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C8Q208 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C8Q208I8N | EP2C5Q208C8N | EP2C8Q208C8N | EP2C8F256I8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) - same | Altera (Intel PSG) - same | Altera (Intel PSG) - same | Altera (Intel PSG) - same |
| Package | 208-PQFP | 208-PQFP - same | 208-PQFP - same | 208-PQFP - same | 256-FBGA - different |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 8,256 | 8,256 - same | 4,608 - lower | 8,256 - same | 8,256 - same |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 165,888 | 165,888 - same | 119,808 - lower | 165,888 - same | 165,888 - same |
| Hardware 18x18 Multipliers | 18 | 18 - same | 13 - lower | 18 - same | 18 - same |
| User I/O Pins | 138 | 138 - same | 158 - higher | 138 - same | 182 - higher (different package) |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 - same | 4 - same | 4 - same | 4 - same |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85C (commercial) | -40C to 100C (industrial) | 0C to 85C (commercial) | 0C to 85C (commercial) | -40C to 100C (industrial) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete / Mature | Obsolete / Mature | Obsolete / Mature | Obsolete / Mature | Obsolete / Mature |
Key Differentiators
- Hand-solderable 208-PQFP package (vs EP2C8F256I8N (256-FBGA))
- Drop-in upgrade path within Cyclone II family (vs EP2C5Q208C8N (4,608 LEs))
- Industrial temperature drop-in upgrade (vs EP2C8Q208C8N (commercial grade))
Design Notes
The EP2C8Q208 requires three separate supply rails: VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCIO (one per I/O bank, 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V depending on bank) and a PLL analog VCC (1.2 V, often shared with VCCINT but filtered). Estimated: at 50 MHz with 50% toggle and 50% I/O load, VCCINT current is approximately 0.4-0.6 A; bulk decoupling needs at least 100 uF polymer plus 0.1 uF + 10 uF ceramics near each VCCINT pin. PLL analog supply should be isolated with a ferrite bead and a dedicated 10 uF + 0.1 uF cap pair to minimize jitter.
The 208-PQFP (BFQFP) has a 0.5 mm lead pitch and an exposed die pad on the underside of some Cyclone II variants; check the specific package drawing before placing the land pattern. Estimated: route all user I/Os on the same signal layer if possible, keep GND on the layer beneath the device, and provide a continuous GND pour under the PQFP body for thermal spreading. Use 4-layer stack-up (sig/GND/power/sig) for typical industrial designs, and 6-layer for LVDS-heavy designs.
Do not exceed 4 LVDS pairs per bank on Cyclone II - the device handbook explicitly limits the number of LVDS transmitters and the differential impedance budget per bank. Always check the Cyclone II I/O features chapter when assigning pins. Additionally, MSEL[2:0] pins must be tied to VCCIO8 or GND through 10 kohm resistors to select the configuration mode (AS/PS/JTAG) at power-up; floating MSEL pins can cause configuration failures.
Estimated: at typical industrial usage (50 MHz, 50% toggle, 25C ambient), the EP2C8Q208 dissipates approximately 0.5-1.0 W core power plus I/O power (which depends on VCCIO and switching frequency). The 208-PQFP junction-to-ambient thermal resistance is approximately 25-30 C/W (junction-to-case lower). For closed industrial enclosures without forced airflow, verify the worst-case VCCINT current from Quartus II PowerPlay and size the heatsink or copper-pour accordingly.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance confirmed via Altera/Intel product documentation. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for FPGAs; the industrial speed grade I8 covers -40C to 100C but does not constitute AEC-Q100 qualification. Halogen-free status unknown - confirm with manufacturer datasheet or PCN before specifying.
