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Intel

EP2C8Q208I8 - Cyclone II FPGA, 8K LEs, 208-QFP | Intel

MPN: EP2C8Q208I8 ⚠ Last Time Buy
In Stock Ships in 1-3 business days
1.2 V Vdss 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) Package I8 (industrial) Speed
From $34.6 USD / Unit
MOQ: 1 |
Price updated: 2026-09-08
Volume Pricing
Qty Unit Price Extended
1 $51.89 $51.89
10 $48.5 $485.00
100 $42.75 $4,275.00
500 $38.1 $19,050.00
1,000 $34.6 $34,600.00
ℹ️ All prices are in USD

EP2C8Q208I8 Overview

The Intel EP2C8Q208I8 is a Cyclone II family Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) fabricated on a 90 nm low-k process, delivering 8,256 logic elements and 165,888 bits of embedded RAM in a 208-pin Plastic Quad Flat Pack (PQFP/BFQFP) package. The device exposes 138 user I/O pins, supports up to 36 M4K RAM blocks, and integrates up to 18 embedded 18x18 multipliers, making it suitable for cost-sensitive digital signal processing, glue logic, and parallel data acquisition designs.

A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable integrated circuit whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O can be customized by the designer after manufacture. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy, FPGAs sit alongside microcontrollers, DSPs, and ASICs as a programmable logic device (PLD) category used for prototyping, low-volume production, and applications requiring hardware-level parallelism. The Cyclone II family specifically targets low-power, cost-optimized designs in the industrial, communications, and consumer markets.

Key features of the EP2C8Q208I8 include a core supply of 1.2 V with multi-volt I/O support up to 3.3 V LVTTL/LVCMOS, on-chip PLL blocks for clock generation and skew management, and configuration support via JTAG and active serial (AS) modes. The M4K RAM blocks deliver true dual-port operation with parity, while the 18x18 multipliers enable single-cycle DSP operations at system clock rates up to 250 MHz in the I8 industrial speed grade.

Architecturally, the device combines a 2D array of logic array blocks (LABs), each containing ten logic elements (LEs) built from 4-input look-up tables (LUTs), with dedicated routing, memory, and multiplier resources. Cyclone II was the first low-cost FPGA family to use a 90 nm process, enabling a substantial density increase over the original Cyclone series while maintaining static power below 0.25 W in typical configurations.

Typical applications include industrial control and machine vision, motor drive and inverter control, software-defined radio front-ends, low-cost video processing, and protocol bridging such as UART-to-PCIe or SPI-to-DDR controllers. The 138 available user I/Os comfortably support parallel SRAM/SSRAM and DDR SDRAM interfaces when paired with the dedicated DQS delay lines.

When designing with the EP2C8Q208I8, pay attention to power decoupling: place 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramic capacitors near every VCCINT and VCCIO pin, and use a four-layer PCB with a continuous ground plane to control simultaneous-switching-noise (SSN). The I8 speed grade is the industrial-temperature variant operating from -40 C to +100 C case temperature.

This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible alternatives in the same 208-pin PQFP footprint, and practical design notes that complement the manufacturer datasheet and accelerate your board bring-up.

Drop-in alternatives for EP2C8Q208I8 — 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 EP2C8Q208I8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Total RAM Bits, Process Technology, PLLs.

Altera
Operating Temperature: 0C to 85C (commercial, C8 suffix)
Package: 208-pin PQFP (BFQFP, plastic QFP)
Total RAM Bits: 165,888
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →
Intel
Operating Temperature: 0C to +85C (commercial)
Package: 208-pin PQFP (Q208)
Process Technology: 90 nm CMOS
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →
Altera
Total RAM Bits: 165888 bits
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →
Altera
Total RAM Bits: 165888
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →
Intel
Operating Temperature: 0°C to +85°C (commercial, C8 grade)
Package: 208-pin PQFP (BFQFP), plastic, gull-wing
Process Technology: 90 nm CMOS
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →
Altera
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 85°C (commercial)
Total RAM Bits: 165888 bits
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →
Altera
Operating Temperature: -40C to +100C (Industrial grade)
Package: 208-Pin PQFP (BFQFP)
Process Technology: TSMC 90 nm low-k dielectric
Compare with EP2C8Q208I8 →

Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:

EP2C8Q208C8N

✅ Drop-In
Altera
📦 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Cyclone II · 8256 · 165888 bits · 138 · 208-BFQFP (PQFP-208) · 208 · CMOS · 90 nm

✓ In Stock

$43.92 / Unit

View Datasheet →

EP2C8Q208C7N

✅ Drop-In
Altera
📦 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) · Cyclone II · 8256 · 165888 · 138 · 208 · 208-BFQFP · Square (FQFP)

✓ In Stock

$6.43 / Unit

View Datasheet →

EP2C8Q208C8

✅ Drop-In
Intel
📦 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Cyclone II · Intel (formerly Altera) · 8,256 · 540 logic cells / 516 LABs · 165,888 bits · 138 · 36 · Up to 4

✓ In Stock

$17.1 / Unit

View Datasheet →

EP2C8Q208C7

✅ Drop-In
Altera
📦 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Cyclone II · 8256 · 165888 bits · 138 · 516 · 450 MHz (per distributor listing) · 208-BFQFP (PQFP208) · 208

✓ In Stock

$19.42 / Unit

View Datasheet →

EP2C8Q20818

✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证
Intel
📦 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Cyclone II · 8,256 · 165,888 bits · 36 · 138 · 2 · 208-pin PQFP (Q208) · 90 nm CMOS

✓ In Stock

$28.8 / Unit

View Datasheet →

EP2C8Q208

✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证
Altera
📦 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Cyclone II · 8,256 · 165,888 · 18 · 4 · 138 · 90 nm CMOS · 1.2 V

✓ In Stock

$35.2 / Unit

View Datasheet →

EP2C8Q208I8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics

Family Cyclone II
Logic Elements 8,256
Total RAM Bits 165,888 bits
Embedded Multipliers (18x18) 18
M4K RAM Blocks 36
User I/O Count 138
PLL Count 2
Package 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP)
Core Voltage (VCCINT) 1.2 V
I/O Voltage (VCCIO) 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V
Speed Grade I8 (industrial)
Process Technology 90 nm low-k CMOS
Operating Temperature -40 C to +100 C (industrial)
Configuration Modes JTAG, Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS)
MSL Level 3
RoHS Status Non-compliant (legacy BFQFP)

EP2C8Q208I8 Pin Configuration

Generic Component Pin Configuration Generic integrated-circuit pinout placeholder. Pin 1 indicated by dot; exact pin count and functions in the pin table below. 1 N 2 N-1 3 N-2 4 N-3 Pin Configuration See pin table below for pin functions Package-specific diagram not available
Pin 1 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 2 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 3 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 4 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 5 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 6 VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage
Pin 7 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 8 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 9 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 10 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 11 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 12 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 13 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 14 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 15 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 16 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1)
Pin 17 GND — Ground
Pin 18 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 19 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 20 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 21 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 22 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 23 VCCIO2 — I/O bank 2 supply voltage
Pin 24 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 25 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 26 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 27 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 28 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 29 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 30 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 31 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 32 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 33 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 34 VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.2 V)
Pin 35 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 36 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 37 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 38 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 39 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 40 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 41 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 42 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 43 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 44 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2)
Pin 45 GND — Ground
Pin 46 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 47 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 48 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 49 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 50 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 51 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 52 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 53 VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply voltage
Pin 54 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 55 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 56 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 57 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 58 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 59 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 60 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 61 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 62 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 63 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 64 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 65 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 66 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 67 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3)
Pin 68 GND — Ground
Pin 69 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 70 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 71 VCCIO4 — I/O bank 4 supply voltage
Pin 72 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 73 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 74 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 75 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 76 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 77 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 78 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 79 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 80 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 81 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 82 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 83 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 84 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 85 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 86 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 87 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 88 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 89 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 90 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 91 VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.2 V)
Pin 92 GND — Ground
Pin 93 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 94 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 95 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 96 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 97 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 98 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 99 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 100 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 101 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 102 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 103 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 104 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 105 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 106 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 107 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 108 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 109 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4)
Pin 110 GND — Ground
Pin 111 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 112 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 113 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 114 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 115 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 116 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 117 VCCIO5 — I/O bank 5 supply voltage
Pin 118 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 119 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 120 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 121 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 122 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 123 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 124 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 125 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 126 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 127 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 128 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 129 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 130 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 131 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 132 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 133 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 5)
Pin 134 GND — Ground
Pin 135 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 136 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 137 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 138 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 139 VCCIO6 — I/O bank 6 supply voltage
Pin 140 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 141 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 142 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 143 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 144 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 145 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 146 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 147 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 148 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 149 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 150 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 151 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 152 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 153 VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.2 V)
Pin 154 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 155 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 156 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 6)
Pin 157 GND — Ground
Pin 158 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 159 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 160 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 161 VCCIO7 — I/O bank 7 supply voltage
Pin 162 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 163 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 164 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 165 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 166 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 167 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 168 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 169 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 170 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 171 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 172 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 173 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 174 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 175 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 176 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 177 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 178 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 7)
Pin 179 GND — Ground
Pin 180 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 181 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 182 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 183 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 184 VCCIO8 — I/O bank 8 supply voltage
Pin 185 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 186 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 187 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 188 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 189 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 190 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 191 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 192 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 193 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 194 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 195 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 196 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 197 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 198 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 199 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 200 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 201 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 202 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 203 I/O — User I/O pin (bank 8)
Pin 204 VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.2 V)
Pin 205 GND — Ground
Pin 206 TCK — JTAG test clock input
Pin 207 TMS — JTAG test mode select input
Pin 208 TDI — JTAG test data input

Typical Applications

EP2C8Q208I8 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Machine Vision and Image Processing, Legacy Communication Protocol Bridging, Low-Cost Video Processing, Industrial Data Acquisition and Control.

🏭

Industrial Motor Control

The EP2C8Q208I8 fits industrial motor control because its 138 user I/Os can drive parallel PWM channels for three-phase inverters while the 18 embedded 18x18 multipliers execute Park and Clarke transforms for field-oriented control (FOC) in real time. The two on-chip PLLs synthesize high-resolution switching frequencies from a single external crystal, eliminating external clock-generation ICs. Its 36 M4K RAM blocks store sine/cosine lookup tables and current-loop setpoints with single-cycle access. The I8 industrial speed grade ensures reliable operation from -40 C to +100 C in cabinet environments. Compared with a DSP+microcontroller pair, this single-chip approach reduces BOM cost and PCB area.

📻

Software-Defined Radio Front-End

The EP2C8Q208I8 is well-suited for software-defined radio (SDR) front-end signal processing because its 8,256 LEs and 18 hardware multipliers deliver the parallel arithmetic throughput needed for digital downconversion (DDC), filtering, and demodulation. The M4K RAM blocks implement efficient FIR/IIR filter banks and small FFT cores with deterministic latency. Multi-volt I/O support (1.5 V to 3.3 V) interfaces directly to common ADCs and DACs without level shifters, simplifying PCB routing. The I8 industrial temperature grade meets outdoor and vehicular deployment requirements. Designers can leverage Cyclone II reference designs to accelerate development of complete SDR platforms.

🎥

Machine Vision and Image Processing

The EP2C8Q208I8 fits entry-level machine vision pipelines because its parallel LE fabric and 18 dedicated 18x18 multipliers accelerate Sobel, Gaussian, and pixel-level morphology operations frame-by-frame. The 138 user I/Os accept parallel CMOS image sensor data up to 18-bit per pixel and drive LCD preview outputs without external bus controllers. 36 M4K RAM blocks buffer line-scan image data and store convolution kernels. Industrial temperature rating suits factory-floor deployments. Compared with CPU-based vision pipelines, the FPGA implementation delivers deterministic latency and frees the host processor for higher-level inspection logic.

🌐

Legacy Communication Protocol Bridging

The EP2C8Q208I8 excels at protocol bridging - UART-to-Ethernet, SPI-to-PCIe, I2C-to-parallel - because its flexible I/O banks support mixed-voltage signals simultaneously (1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V) without external translators. The 36 M4K RAM blocks implement FIFOs and ring buffers for asynchronous clock-domain crossings, while two PLLs generate independent clocks for each protocol domain. Industrial temperature grade and PQFP packaging make it ideal for factory retrofit modules. Reference designs available from Intel accelerate time-to-market.

📺

Low-Cost Video Processing

The EP2C8Q208I8 supports low-cost video processing - scaling, color-space conversion, on-screen display overlay - because its parallel logic fabric delivers the throughput required for real-time 480p/576p pixel pipelines. Multipliers enable efficient chroma upsampling and sharpening filters, while M4K RAM blocks implement line buffers with single-cycle access. Multi-volt I/O interfaces directly to BT.656 video ADCs and DACs. The PQFP package simplifies hand-rework and prototype iterations. The I8 industrial speed grade supports outdoor signage and kiosk applications.

🖥️

Industrial Data Acquisition and Control

The EP2C8Q208I8 is ideal for multi-channel data acquisition and control systems because its 138 user I/Os sample parallel ADC inputs, drive isolated digital outputs, and manage encoder inputs simultaneously without bus contention. The two PLLs generate independent ADC sampling clocks and DSP processing clocks from a single reference. 36 M4K RAM blocks accumulate sample buffers, while 18 multipliers execute real-time FFT and digital-filter operations. Industrial -40 C to +100 C temperature operation ensures reliable factory-floor deployment in unconditioned enclosures.

What is the logic element count of EP2C8Q208I8?
The EP2C8Q208I8 contains 8,256 logic elements (LEs). According to the Cyclone II datasheet, these LEs are organized into logic array blocks (LABs) of ten LEs each, with each LE built from a 4-input look-up table (LUT), a programmable register, and a carry chain for arithmetic operations.
How much embedded memory does EP2C8Q208I8 have?
The EP2C8Q208I8 includes 165,888 bits of embedded SRAM organized into 36 M4K RAM blocks (4,608 bits each, configurable as true dual-port with parity). This on-chip memory can be used for buffers, FIFOs, lookup tables, and shift registers without consuming external logic resources.
How many user I/O pins does EP2C8Q208I8 provide?
The EP2C8Q208I8 exposes 138 user I/O pins in its 208-pin BFQFP package, of which 208 are physical pins and the remaining are power, ground, JTAG, and configuration pins. The 138 user I/Os support LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards up to 3.3 V.
What is the difference between EP2C8Q208I8 and EP2C8Q208C8N?
The EP2C8Q208I8 is the industrial speed grade (I8) variant operating from -40 C to +100 C, while the EP2C8Q208C8N is the commercial speed grade (C8) operating from 0 C to +85 C with a faster timing closure. Both share the identical 208-pin PQFP footprint and pinout, so they are drop-in compatible when thermal and timing budgets permit.
Is EP2C8Q208I8 still in production?
The Cyclone II family, including the EP2C8Q208I8, is in last-time-buy status per Intel's product longevity program. According to distributor listings, remaining stock is available through authorized channels, but new designs are steered toward Cyclone IV E/GX or Cyclone 10 LP families that are form-factor compatible with the Quartus toolchain.
Where can I buy EP2C8Q208I8?
The EP2C8Q208I8 is available through authorized distributors including DigiKey, Mouser, and OEM brokers such as ICs-100 and Veswin Electronics, as of 2026-09-09. Because the part is on last-time-buy, pricing fluctuates; check real-time stock at DigiKey (datasheets.com part 1468693) for current qty-1 pricing and lead time.
What is the price of EP2C8Q208I8?
As of 2026-09-09, the EP2C8Q208I8 reference price is approximately USD 51.89 at qty 96+ per ICs-100 listing, with higher qty-1 spot pricing at brokers. Volume pricing below USD 40 is achievable at qty 500-1000 on the secondary market, but RoHS and date-code verification are essential when sourcing from brokers.
What is the lead time for EP2C8Q208I8?
Lead time for the EP2C8Q208I8 is broker-dependent because the part is in last-time-buy; as of 2026-09-09, DigiKey typically ships immediately from residual stock while independent brokers quote 4-12 weeks. Engineers should confirm RoHS status and factory date codes before procurement, and evaluate the EP4CE6E22C8N (Cyclone IV E) as a modern, in-production alternative.
Which Intel FPGA is the modern drop-in replacement for EP2C8Q208I8?
The closest modern in-production Intel equivalent is the EP4CE6E22C8N from the Cyclone IV E family, which is not pin-compatible but offers comparable logic density at lower power. Within the same 208-pin PQFP footprint and Cyclone II family, the EP2C8Q208C8N is a speed-grade-only drop-in alternative for designs that do not require the -40 C industrial temperature range.
EP2C8Q208I8 vs EP2C20Q240I8N - which should I choose?
Choose the EP2C8Q208I8 when 8,256 LEs, 138 I/Os, and a 208-pin PQFP footprint meet your requirements at lower cost. Choose the EP2C20Q240I8N (Cyclone II, 18,752 LEs, 240 pins) when you need more logic density, more I/Os, and can accept a different PCB footprint - both share the Cyclone II architecture and Quartus II design flow but are not pin-compatible.
When should I choose EP2C8Q208I8 over a microcontroller?
Choose the EP2C8Q208I8 over a microcontroller when your application requires hardware-level parallelism, custom I/O timing, real-time DSP throughput, or flexible peripheral mapping. The 18 embedded 18x18 multipliers and 36 M4K RAM blocks deliver DSP performance that microcontrollers cannot match, but at the cost of higher unit price and the need for Quartus II synthesis.
Can EP2C8Q208I8 be used for motor control applications?
Yes, the EP2C8Q208I8 is well-suited for motor control and inverter designs because its 138 user I/Os can drive multiple PWM outputs, encoder interfaces, and protection signals in parallel. The two on-chip PLLs generate the high-resolution switching frequencies required for field-oriented control (FOC), while the embedded multipliers accelerate Park/Clarke transforms in real time.
Where to download EP2C8Q208I8 datasheet PDF?
The official Cyclone II datasheet (covering EP2C8Q208I8 and all package variants) is available at the Intel documentation portal as a PDF handbook (literature/hb/cyc2). Third-party mirrored PDFs also appear at Octopart and datasheets.com - cross-reference the document revision letter against your silicon date code to ensure you have the latest errata.
Where can I find the EP2C8Q208I8 pinout?
The EP2C8Q208I8 pinout is published in the Cyclone II device handbook chapter 6 (Pin Information) and identifies each of the 208 PQFP pins by name, function (user I/O bank, JTAG, power, configuration, GND), and recommended connection. Always consult the device-specific pinout file (.pin) generated by Quartus II for your exact I/O assignment before PCB layout.
What are the key specifications of EP2C8Q208I8 that engineers should know?
The EP2C8Q208I8 has 8,256 logic elements, 165,888 bits of embedded SRAM in 36 M4K blocks, 18 hardware 18x18 multipliers, 138 user I/Os, 2 PLLs, a 1.2 V core supply, and multi-volt I/O supporting 1.5 V to 3.3 V standards. Per the Cyclone II datasheet, internal speeds up to 250 MHz are achievable in the I8 industrial speed grade with proper Quartus II timing closure.

Engineering reference data for EP2C8Q208I8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.

Selection Guide

Choose the EP2C8Q208I8 when you need an industrial-temperature (-40 C to +100 C) Cyclone II FPGA in a 208-pin PQFP footprint with 8,256 LEs and 138 user I/Os - the most common configuration for outdoor motor control and industrial gateway designs. Choose the EP2C8Q208C8N for indoor, commercial-temperature deployments where the C8 speed grade provides better timing margin at lower cost. Choose the EP2C8Q208C7N when C8 fails timing closure and the system is temperature-controlled. Choose the EP2C8Q20818 if you specifically require the I8 industrial speed grade but in a different marking variant. For new designs, consider migrating to Cyclone IV E or Cyclone 10 LP families (e.g., EP4CE6E22C8N) which are in active production, though PCB redesign is required because those families use different footprints and offer significantly more logic density.

Comparison with Alternatives

Parameter This Product EP2C8Q208C8N EP2C8Q208C7N EP2C8Q208C8 EP2C8Q208C7 EP2C8Q20818
Package 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) - same 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) - same 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) - same 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) - same 208-pin BFQFP (PQFP) - same
Brand Intel Intel Intel Intel Intel Intel
Logic Elements 8,256 8,256 8,256 8,256 8,256 8,256
Speed Grade I8 (industrial) C8 (commercial) C7 (commercial, faster) C8 (commercial) C7 (commercial, faster) I8 (industrial)
Operating Temperature -40 C to +100 C 0 C to +85 C 0 C to +85 C 0 C to +85 C 0 C to +85 C -40 C to +100 C
User I/O Count 138 138 138 138 138 138
Embedded Multipliers 18 x (18x18) 18 x (18x18) 18 x (18x18) 18 x (18x18) 18 x (18x18) 18 x (18x18)
Lifecycle Status Last-time-buy Last-time-buy Last-time-buy Last-time-buy Last-time-buy Last-time-buy

Key Differentiators

  • Industrial -40 C to +100 C speed grade (vs EP2C8Q208C8N)
  • Industrial temperature qualification (vs EP2C8Q208C7N)
  • RoHS lead-free finish variant available (vs EP2C8Q208C8)

Design Notes

Place 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramic decoupling capacitors as close as physically possible to every VCCINT and VCCIO pin. Use one bulk 100 uF tantalum or aluminum-polymer capacitor per voltage rail. Estimate: at typical 50% toggle rate the EP2C8Q208I8 draws ~250 mA from VCCINT and ~100 mA from each VCCIO bank - verify with the Quartus II PowerPlay early estimator before final layout.

Use a four-layer PCB with a continuous solid ground plane directly under the EP2C8Q208I8 PQFP body to minimize simultaneous-switching-noise (SSN) on the 138 user I/Os. Keep all 208 PQFP leads as short as possible (under 5 mm) and route differential pairs (LVDS) with 100 ohm differential impedance. Provide dedicated stitching vias between ground layers around the device perimeter every 100 mil.

Configure unused user I/O pins as tri-stated inputs with weak pull-up resistors in the Quartus II pin planner to prevent floating inputs that can cause excessive I/O bank current. For DDR SDRAM interfaces, use the dedicated DQS delay lines and follow the Cyclone II external memory interface guidelines for tDSS, tDSH, and tDQSS timing - skipping these usually results in intermittent read errors that are very difficult to debug.

Do not confuse the C8 commercial speed grade with the I8 industrial speed grade when ordering - they share the same PQFP footprint but the C8 variant is only rated 0 C to +85 C and will fail in outdoor or industrial enclosures. Also verify RoHS status before procurement: the legacy BFQFP package is non-RoHS and may require a lead-free-compatible solder profile during reflow rework.

Compliance Information

RoHS
Non Compliant
REACH
Unknown
AEC-Q100
Not Applicable
Lead Free
No
Halogen Free
Unknown
Conflict Minerals
Unknown

Legacy 208-pin BFQFP package is non-RoHS per ICs-100 listing. Lead-free variants exist in the EP2C8Q208C8N / EP2C8Q208C7N speed-grade family. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - choose Cyclone IV or Cyclone 10 LP for automotive applications.

Data verified on: 2026-09-09 — data verified and curated by XAIPART's component engineering team

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