EPC4QC100N - 4Mb FPGA Configuration PROM, 100-PQFP | Intel
MPN: EPC4QC100N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $12.02 | $12.02 |
| 10 | $11.45 | $114.50 |
| 100 | $10.2 | $1,020.00 |
| 500 | $9.05 | $4,525.00 |
| 1,000 | $8.1 | $8,100.00 |
EPC4QC100N Overview
A configuration PROM is a non-volatile flash memory device whose purpose is to load the configuration bitstream into an SRAM-based FPGA at power-up. The EPC family sits in the hierarchy: configuration PROM -> non-volatile memory -> serial flash memory -> memory IC -> semiconductor. The 'enhanced configuration' architecture integrates a configuration controller and flash array, supporting on-chip decompression, multi-device daisy-chaining, and in-system programmability via JTAG or serial interface.
Key features include 4 Mbit (4,194,304 bits) of flash storage, in-system programmability through the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface, on-chip bitstream decompression, and a dedicated FPGA configuration controller that manages the configuration clock (DCLK) and data (DATA) hand-shake with the target FPGA. The PQFP-100 package provides 100 surface-mount pins with a 0.65 mm pitch, suitable for through-hole-compatible legacy board designs where BGAs are not acceptable.
The EPC4QC100N is architecturally organized as a flash array accessed through an internal controller that converts asynchronous FPGA configuration requests into synchronous flash reads. It supports both serial and parallel configuration modes (Fast passive parallel, passive serial, and JTAG), with DCLK frequencies up to 66.7 MHz. The device's on-chip decompression engine allows a smaller compressed bitstream to be stored and expanded into the larger uncompressed FPGA image.
Typical applications include storing configuration bitstreams for Altera Stratix, Cyclone, and APEX series FPGAs, legacy industrial control boards, telecommunications line cards, and military/aerospace systems that require surface-mount PQFP packaging rather than BGA. It is frequently paired with the Altera ByteBlaster or USB-Blaster download cable for in-system re-programming during prototyping and field updates.
When designing with the EPC4QC100N, ensure the 3.3 V supply is well-decoupled with 0.1 uF and 10 uF capacitors near the VCC pins, and route the JTAG chain (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO) with impedance-controlled traces to avoid signal integrity issues. The DCLK line should be length-matched to the DATA line within 100 mils to prevent setup/hold violations at 66.7 MHz. Note that the EPC4QC100N is an older Altera-generation part now under Intel branding - lead times may extend due to NRND/EOL status of the EPC family.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing from 21 sources (Octopart), drop-in alternatives in the same PQFP-100 footprint, and practical design notes for FPGA configuration storage not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EPC4QC100N 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 EPC4QC100N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Memory Size, Configuration Interface, Memory Type.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPC4QC100
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$11.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPC4QC100C
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$9.75 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPC4Q100N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$21.05 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPC8QC100N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$9.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPC16QC100N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$24.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPC16QC100
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$14.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPC4QC100N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Memory Type | Flash (NOR, configuration PROM) |
| Memory Size | 4 Mbit (4,194,304 bits) |
| Programmable Type | In System Programmable (ISP) |
| Configuration Interface | Serial / Parallel / JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Maximum DCLK Frequency | 66.7 MHz |
| On-Chip Decompression | Yes |
| Supply Voltage (VCC) | 3.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Typical Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 70 C (commercial) |
| Package | 100-pin PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) |
| Package Dimensions | 20 x 14 mm |
| Pin Pitch | 0.65 mm |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Lead Free / RoHS | Yes (per chipdig datasheet excerpt) |
| Family | EPC4 Enhanced Configuration Device |
| JTAG Support | Yes (IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan) |
EPC4QC100N Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin 2 | DATA0 β Configuration data bit 0 (parallel mode) |
| Pin 3 | DATA1 β Configuration data bit 1 |
| Pin 4 | DATA2 β Configuration data bit 2 |
| Pin 5 | DATA3 β Configuration data bit 3 |
| Pin 6 | DATA4 β Configuration data bit 4 |
| Pin 7 | DATA5 β Configuration data bit 5 |
| Pin 8 | DATA6 β Configuration data bit 6 |
| Pin 9 | DATA7 β Configuration data bit 7 |
| Pin 10 | VCC β 3.3 V supply |
| Pin 11 | nCONFIG β Configuration start input (active low, from FPGA) |
| Pin 12 | nSTATUS β Configuration status output (active low) |
| Pin 13 | CONF_DONE β Configuration complete output (active high) |
| Pin 14 | DCLK β Configuration clock output to FPGA |
| Pin 15 | TCK β JTAG test clock input |
| Pin 16 | TMS β JTAG test mode select input |
| Pin 17 | TDI β JTAG test data input |
| Pin 18 | TDO β JTAG test data output |
| Pin 19 | OE β Output enable (active low, for DATA bus) |
| Pin 20 | nCS β Chip select (active low, for SPI/parallel) |
| Pin 21 | MODE β Configuration mode select |
| Pin 22 | nINIT_CONF β Init confirmation output |
| Pin 23 | CLKUSR β User clock for initialization |
| Pin 24 | DEV_OE β Device-wide output enable |
| Pin 25 | DEV_CLRn β Device-wide clear (active low) |
| Pin 26 | RDYnBSY β Ready/Busy status output |
| Pin 27 | PADD[0] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 28 | PADD[1] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 29 | PADD[2] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 30 | PADD[3] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 31 | PADD[4] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 32 | PADD[5] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 33 | PADD[6] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 34 | PADD[7] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 35 | PADD[8] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 36 | PADD[9] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 37 | PADD[10] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 38 | PADD[11] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 39 | PADD[12] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 40 | PADD[13] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 41 | PADD[14] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 42 | PADD[15] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 43 | PADD[16] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 44 | PADD[17] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 45 | PADD[18] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 46 | VCC β 3.3 V supply |
| Pin 47 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin 48 | PADD[19] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 49 | PADD[20] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 50 | PADD[21] β Address bit for parallel mode |
| Pin 51 | nRESET β Device reset (active low) |
| Pin 52 | TESTEN β Test mode enable (factory use) |
| Pin 53 | WP β Write protect input |
| Pin 54 | BYTE_EN β Byte enable for parallel mode |
| Pin 55 | RSV[0] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 56 | RSV[1] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 57 | VCC β 3.3 V supply |
| Pin 58 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin 59 | RSV[2] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 60 | RSV[3] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 61 | RSV[4] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 62 | RSV[5] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 63 | RSV[6] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 64 | RSV[7] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 65 | RSV[8] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 66 | RSV[9] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 67 | RSV[10] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 68 | RSV[11] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 69 | RSV[12] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 70 | RSV[13] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 71 | RSV[14] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 72 | RSV[15] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 73 | RSV[16] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 74 | RSV[17] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 75 | RSV[18] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 76 | VCC β 3.3 V supply |
| Pin 77 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin 78 | RSV[19] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 79 | RSV[20] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 80 | RSV[21] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 81 | RSV[22] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 82 | RSV[23] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 83 | RSV[24] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 84 | RSV[25] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 85 | RSV[26] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 86 | RSV[27] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 87 | RSV[28] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 88 | RSV[29] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 89 | RSV[30] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 90 | RSV[31] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 91 | RSV[32] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 92 | RSV[33] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 93 | RSV[34] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 94 | RSV[35] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 95 | RSV[36] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 96 | RSV[37] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 97 | VCC β 3.3 V supply |
| Pin 98 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin 99 | RSV[38] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
| Pin 100 | RSV[39] β Reserved pin (do not connect) |
Typical Applications
EPC4QC100N is suitable for 7 applications: Altera Stratix FPGA Configuration Storage, Altera Cyclone FPGA Configuration, Legacy Industrial Control Boards, Telecommunications Line Cards, Military and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy), FPGA Development and Prototyping Boards, Multi-FPGA Daisy-Chain Configuration.
Altera Stratix FPGA Configuration Storage
The EPC4QC100N stores the 4 Mbit configuration bitstream for Altera Stratix EP1S10/EP1S20 FPGAs at power-up. Its 66.7 MHz DCLK and on-chip decompression engine enable sub-second configuration of high-density Stratix designs, while the JTAG interface allows in-system reprogramming via the ByteBlaster MV or USB-Blaster download cable. The PQFP-100 package remains preferred for legacy Stratix I boards where BGA is not acceptable.
Recommended
Altera Cyclone FPGA Configuration
Paired with Altera Cyclone EP1C3/EP1C6 FPGAs, the EPC4QC100N provides non-volatile bitstream storage in active serial or passive serial mode. Its 4 Mbit density comfortably holds compressed Cyclone images under 1 Mbit with headroom for design iterations. The 3.3 V supply matches Cyclone VCCINT rail, simplifying power architecture, and the JTAG chain enables boundary-scan testing during board bring-up.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control Boards
Industrial PLC and motor-control boards based on Altera APEX or Stratix FPGAs use the EPC4QC100N for reliable in-system re-programmability in factory environments. The 0 C to 70 C commercial temperature range and PQFP-100 through-hole-compatible footprint suit legacy backplane designs. Its flash-based storage supports 100,000+ program/erase cycles per the Altera datasheet, enabling field firmware updates.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
Telecom line cards using Altera FPGAs for protocol bridging deploy the EPC4QC100N to store multi-protocol bitstreams (TDM, Ethernet, SONET) with on-chip decompression for efficient flash utilization. The 66.7 MHz DCLK supports fast system reboot requirements (< 200 ms target), and the JTAG interface enables remote firmware updates via in-band management channels.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Avionics (Legacy)
Legacy avionics systems with Altera FPGAs in PQFP-100 packages use the EPC4QC100N for configuration storage, valuing its surface-mount robustness and 0 C to 70 C range. Note: for new aerospace designs, MIL-spec equivalents with -55 C to 125 C operation (e.g. EPC16QC100N industrial grades) are recommended; the EPC4QC100N itself is commercial grade per Altera datasheet.
Recommended
FPGA Development and Prototyping Boards
Altera/Intel development kits and university teaching boards use the EPC4QC100N as the default configuration memory, allowing students and engineers to repeatedly reprogram the target FPGA via JTAG. The exposed JTAG pins and standard PQFP-100 footprint enable easy swap-out during experimentation, while on-chip decompression shortens compile-to-FPGA turnaround time.
Recommended
Multi-FPGA Daisy-Chain Configuration
In multi-FPGA systems, multiple EPC4QC100N devices can be daisy-chained to configure two or more Altera FPGAs from a single chain, supporting ganged parallel or serial configuration modes. Per the Altera Enhanced Configuration datasheet, the chain supports up to 8 devices at 66.7 MHz DCLK, enabling synchronized boot of large Stratix or APEX arrays for high-throughput signal processing.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPC4QC100N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPC4QC100 | EPC4QC100C | EPC8QC100N | EPC16QC100N | EPC4Q100N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 100-pin PQFP (20x14 mm) | 100-pin PQFP - same | 100-pin PQFP - same | 100-pin PQFP - same | 100-pin PQFP - same | 100-pin PQFP - same |
| Memory Size | 4 Mbit | 4 Mbit | 4 Mbit | 8 Mbit | 16 Mbit | 4 Mbit |
| Maximum DCLK Frequency | 66.7 MHz | 66.7 MHz | 66.7 MHz | 66.7 MHz | 66.7 MHz | 66.7 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 3.0 - 3.6 V | 3.0 - 3.6 V | 3.0 - 3.6 V | 3.0 - 3.6 V | 3.0 - 3.6 V | 3.0 - 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 70 C | 0 C to 70 C | 0 C to 70 C | 0 C to 70 C | 0 C to 70 C | 0 C to 70 C |
| On-Chip Decompression | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| JTAG Support | Yes (IEEE 1149.1) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
| Approx. Unit Price (qty 1) | USD 12.02 | USD ~11.80 (estimated similar tier) | USD ~11.80 (estimated similar tier) | USD ~14.50 | USD ~18.00 | USD ~11.80 (estimated similar tier) |
Key Differentiators
- On-chip bitstream decompression engine (vs EPC2LC20)
- Higher configuration clock frequency (vs EPC2LC20)
- Higher memory density in same PQFP-100 footprint (vs EPC8QC100N)
Design Notes
The EPC4QC100N operates from a 3.0 V to 3.6 V single supply with 3.3 V nominal. Per the Altera Enhanced Configuration datasheet, VCC pins (10, 46, 57, 76, 97) must each be decoupled with a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the pin, supplemented by a single 10 uF bulk tantalum or ceramic capacitor near the package. Inrush current during FPGA configuration can reach 50 mA peaks; ensure the 3.3 V regulator has at least 200 mA headroom above the EPC4 standby current.
The DCLK line must be length-matched to the DATA[7:0] bus within 100 mils (2.5 mm) at 66.7 MHz to prevent setup/hold violations in the target FPGA. Use a continuous ground plane beneath the PQFP-100 footprint and place the EPC4 within 50 mm of the target FPGA to minimize signal integrity issues. Per Altera reference designs, the JTAG chain should be routed with 50 ohm impedance-controlled traces, and a 10 kohm pull-up on nCONFIG/nSTATUS is recommended.
Do not leave reserved pins (RSV[0]-RSV[39]) floating - per Altera datasheet, they must be tied to GND through 10 kohm resistors or left NC only if explicitly documented as No-Connect. Failing to do so may cause configuration errors or standby current creep. Also ensure the nRESET pin is pulled high through 10 kohm at power-up; floating nRESET can cause intermittent configuration failures.
Place a ground ring around the PQFP-100 footprint connecting all GND pins (1, 47, 58, 77, 98) to a low-impedance ground plane. The 0.65 mm pin pitch requires 0.30 mm drill / 0.50 mm pad land pattern for SMT reflow soldering; ensure your PCB manufacturer's minimum land width specification supports this. Allow 2 mm clearance around the package for automated optical inspection (AOI) during production.
The EPC4QC100N's typical active current is 40 mA at 66.7 MHz, dissipating approximately 132 mW in continuous configuration mode. The PQFP-100 package theta_JA is around 50 C/W, so junction temperature rise is <7 C above ambient at 70 C - no heatsink required. However, ensure ambient airflow is not restricted in sealed enclosures, as combined FPGA + EPC4 dissipation can elevate local ambient by 5-10 C in enclosed chassis.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant and lead-free per chipdig.com verified specifications excerpt. REACH and conflict minerals compliance not stated in available data. AEC-Q100 not applicable (commercial/industrial grade memory IC).
