EPC8820ARC208-3N - 672-Cell FLEX 8000 PLD, 5V, RQFP-208 | Altera
MPN: EPC8820ARC208-3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $32.75 | $327.50 |
| 100 | $27.4 | $2,740.00 |
| 500 | $23.9 | $11,950.00 |
| 1,000 | $21.25 | $21,250.00 |
EPC8820ARC208-3N Overview
What is a FLEX 8000 PLD? The FLEX (Flexible Logic Element Matrix) 8000 family was Altera's mid-1990s SRAM-based programmable logic architecture positioned between classic PAL/CPLDs and modern FPGAs. Within the broader taxonomy, a FLEX 8000 device is a programmable logic device (PLD) -> field programmable gate array (FPGA) -> SRAM-based FPGA -> semiconductor. Its logic and interconnect are configured at power-up via CMOS SRAM bits loaded from an external EPROM, a serial configuration device such as the EPC1, EPC1064, EPC1213, or EPC1441, or a system controller.
Key features include 152 user I/O pins with 3.3 V or 5 V programmable I/O standards, a propagation delay of 5.0 ns, an internal 5 V core (4.75 V to 5.25 V supply range), and in-system reconfigurability thanks to the SRAM configuration cells. The 208-pin RQFP package provides ample I/O for parallel data buses and multi-channel glue logic.
Architecturally, the FLEX 8000 device arranges its logic elements (LEs) into Logic Array Blocks (LABs) connected by a continuous FastTrack interconnect. Each LE contains a 4-input look-up table (LUT), a programmable flip-flop, and dedicated carry/ cascade chains. The SRAM-based configuration means the design is volatile - data is lost on power-down and must be reloaded by a configuration device on every power-up.
Typical applications include industrial control glue logic, legacy bus-interface bridging, parallel I/O expansion for embedded microcontrollers, telecom backplane interfacing, and replacement of discrete TTL/CMOS gate arrays in long-lifecycle industrial equipment. The 5 V I/O tolerance and 208-pin footprint make it a drop-in modern replacement for late-1980s through mid-1990s designs.
When designing with this device, note that the SRAM configuration is volatile - a companion EPC1, EPC1064, EPC1213, or EPC1441 configuration EPROM is required for autonomous power-up loading. Decoupling requires at least 0.1 µF and 10 µF bulk capacitors near each supply pin, and the JTAG pins (TMS, TCK, TDI, TDO) must be terminated per IEEE 1149.1 if boundary-scan testing is used.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, same-family FLEX 8000 alternatives (EPC8820ARC208-3, EPF8820ARC208-3N), cross-brand SRAM-FPGA equivalents, and practical configuration-device guidance not aggregated on any single vendor page.
Drop-in alternatives for EPC8820ARC208-3N — 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 EPC8820ARC208-3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Device Type, Configuration Memory, Manufacturer, Pin Count.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPC8820ARC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$55.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$62 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPC8820ARC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$55.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPC81500RC304-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$23.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPC8820ARC208-3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Device Type | SRAM-based Programmable Logic Device (PLD) |
| Usable Gates | 8,000 |
| Logic Cells / Logic Elements (LEs) | 672 |
| Maximum User I/O | 152 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 125 MHz |
| Propagation Delay (tpd) | 5.0 ns |
| Process Technology | 0.42 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 5.0 V nominal (4.75 V to 5.25 V) |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V or 5 V (programmable I/O standard) |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Industrial (N suffix) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM, loaded via external EPROM or Altera serial configuration device (EPC1 / EPC1064 / EPC1213 / EPC1441) |
| Package | 208-pin RQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
| Lead-Free | unknown |
| Configuration Device Compatibility | EPC1, EPC1064, EPC1213, EPC1441 (per manufacturer datasheet) |
EPC8820ARC208-3N 208-pin rqfp (plastic quad flat pack) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPC8820ARC208-3N (208-pin rqfp (plastic quad flat pack) 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 EPC8820ARC208-3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPC8820ARC208-3N is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Industrial Glue Logic, Telecom Backplane Bus Bridge, Embedded Controller Parallel I/O Expansion, Legacy MIL-STD-1553 / ARINC 429 Interface, Replacing Legacy Gate Arrays in Long-Lifecycle Equipment, Test & Measurement Instrument Front-End.
Legacy Industrial Glue Logic
The EPC8820ARC208-3N's 5 V I/O tolerance, 152 user I/O, and 5 ns propagation delay make it a direct replacement for late-1990s discrete TTL/CMOS glue logic in long-lifecycle industrial controllers. With 672 logic cells on a 0.42 µm CMOS process, the device absorbs wide-word bus decoders, address-latch arrays, and interrupt-encoder logic that previously occupied dozens of 74-series packages. The 208-pin RQFP package provides ample I/O for 16-bit and 32-bit data buses plus address and control channels. Unlike modern Cyclone FPGAs, the EPC8820ARC208-3N is rated for 5 V VCCIO, so it interfaces directly to legacy 5 V peripherals without level-shifters - a critical advantage in installed-base designs where re-spinning the PCB would trigger a costly recertification cycle.
Recommended
Telecom Backplane Bus Bridge
The EPC8820ARC208-3N is well-suited as a bus-interface bridge between legacy 5 V peripheral buses and modern 3.3 V processor buses in telecom backplanes. Its programmable I/O standard supports both 3.3 V and 5 V on the same die, allowing the device to sit between an upstream 3.3 V ASIC and downstream 5 V framer/switch fabric without external level-translators. The 125 MHz maximum internal frequency and 5 ns tpd comfortably handle T1/E1, H.110, and lower-speed PCM bus multiplexing. The 208-pin RQFP provides 152 user I/O - enough for full H.110 bus (24 time slots x 4 signals) plus control and status. The SRAM-based configuration allows field firmware updates via the JTAG port (IEEE 1149.1) when boundary-scan access is provisioned.
Recommended
Embedded Controller Parallel I/O Expansion
Embedded microcontrollers with limited GPIO benefit from the EPC8820ARC208-3N as a 152-bit parallel I/O expander with on-chip glue logic. The device's 672 logic cells implement debouncers, edge-detectors, PWM generators, and protocol-state-machines that would otherwise consume CPU cycles - offloading real-time I/O handling. The 5 V tolerant I/O bank interfaces directly to industrial sensors, optocouplers, and 24 V signal-conditioning circuitry via external dividers. The 208-pin RQFP footprint suits SOIC-replacement boards where a high-density PLD replaces multiple 74HC4051/74HC238 mux/demux pairs. Designers use the Quartus Max+plus II toolchain (legacy) to compile Verilog or VHDL into the EPC8820ARC208-3N bitstream, then load via EPC1 at every power-up.
Recommended
Legacy MIL-STD-1553 / ARINC 429 Interface
Avionics and defense integrators use the EPC8820ARC208-3N to implement Manchester-encoded MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 transceivers where the 5 V supply and industrial temperature grade (-40 °C to +85 °C) match existing bus hardware. The 5 ns propagation delay is sufficient for 1 Mbps ARINC 429 reception and 1 MHz 1553 command/response timing. The 152 user I/O pins support dual-redundant 1553 channels (each needing ~12 signals) plus ARINC receivers, plus discrete avionics discretes - all on one 208-pin RQFP. The SRAM-based configuration allows late-stage mission-profile customization: load different bitstreams for different aircraft platforms from a multi-image configuration EPROM (EPC1441). Note: full avionics qualification requires additional component-level screening beyond standard industrial grade.
Recommended
Replacing Legacy Gate Arrays in Long-Lifecycle Equipment
The EPC8820ARC208-3N is frequently specified as a form-fit-function replacement for late-1980s through mid-1990s gate arrays (LCA, MGA-era devices) in semiconductor fab equipment, medical imaging systems, and process-control instrumentation with 15-25 year field lifecycles. Its 208-pin RQFP and 5 V supply match the original gate-array pinout and rail voltages, allowing PCB-level drop-in replacement without recertifying the host system. The 672 logic cells, 8K usable gates, and 125 MHz fMAX cover the combinational and registered logic that gate arrays of that era typically implemented. Distributors like Rochester Electronics hold licensed die-bank inventory for end-of-life support; FPGAkey and Vemeko list verified stock as of 2026-09-11. Designers should also evaluate the EPF8820ARC208-3N as a verified alternate source on the same RQFP-208 footprint.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrument Front-End
Bench-top test equipment (logic analyzers, protocol exercisers, and high-channel-count pattern generators) uses the EPC8820ARC208-3N for front-end pattern generation, capture, and timing conditioning. The 5 ns tpd and 125 MHz fMAX support channel-to-channel skew matching in parallel-data acquisition front-ends up to 100 MHz. The 152 user I/O permit direct fan-out to 32-bit or 64-bit memory buses plus per-channel control lines without external muxing. The 5 V VCCIO compatibility eliminates level-shifters when probing 5 V CMOS targets, which dominated test equipment of the FLEX 8000 era. Programmable I/O standards (3.3 V/5 V) allow the same PLD to interface both legacy 5 V test points and newer 3.3 V MCUs in mixed-signal instruments. Designers use the JTAG port for in-system bitstream updates as test patterns evolve.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPC8820ARC208-3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPC8820ARC208-3 | EPF8820ARC208-3N | EPF8820ARC208-3 | EPC81500RC304-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 208-pin RQFP | 208-pin RQFP (same) | 208-pin RQFP (same) | 208-pin RQFP (same) | 208-pin RQFP (same) |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Family / Type | FLEX 8000 (SRAM PLD) | FLEX 8000 (SRAM PLD) | FLEX 8000 (SRAM PLD) | FLEX 8000 (SRAM PLD) | FLEX 8000 (SRAM PLD) |
| Core Supply Voltage | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 5 V (assumed FLEX 8000 family) |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade within an obsolete FLEX 8000 family (vs EPF8820ARC208-3 (commercial grade))
- 152 user I/O at 5 V tolerance, drop-in RQFP-208 footprint (vs EP1C3T144C8N (Cyclone, 144-pin TQFP))
- Volatile SRAM configuration enables in-system updates via JTAG (vs EPC1441TC32N (configuration EPROM, non-volatile))
Design Notes
The EPC8820ARC208-3N requires separate VCCINT (5 V core) and VCCIO (3.3 V or 5 V I/O) rails. Place a 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 3 mm of every VCC pin and at least one 47 µF to 100 µF bulk tantalum or low-ESR electrolytic capacitor per VCC plane. Estimated: typical ICCINT at 125 MHz is ~150 mA to ~250 mA per the FLEX 8000 datasheet; ICCIO scales with I/O switching activity. Use a ground-fill pour on the inner PCB layer under the RQFP to minimize supply bounce.
The 208-pin RQFP package has 0.5 mm lead pitch and ~30 mm body length. Reserve at least a 35 mm × 35 mm land area. Route JTAG signals (TMS, TCK, TDI, TDO) as a daisy-chain with 4.7 kΩ pull-ups on TMS and TDI, and a 4.7 kΩ pull-down on TCK per IEEE 1149.1. Configuration pins (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONFIG_DONE, DCLK, DATA0) should be point-to-point to the EPC1/EPC1441 configuration EPROM with no stubs longer than 5 mm.
The EPC8820ARC208-3N is a SRAM-based PLD - configuration is volatile and is LOST on every power-down. Always pair it with an Altera configuration EPROM (EPC1, EPC1064, EPC1213, or EPC1441) so the design reloads automatically at power-up. Do not connect the nCONFIG pin to a manual push-button without debouncing; noisy nCONFIG transitions cause reconfiguration. For multi-device boards, the FLEX 8000 supports nCASC daisy-chaining but only one device can drive DCLK - verify the master/slave selection via the MSEL pin.
Estimated: at 125 MHz with all 152 I/O switching at full 5 V CMOS drive strength, the EPC8820ARC208-3N dissipates ~500 mW to ~1 W. The RQFP-208 has θJA ~30-40 °C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, yielding a junction temperature rise of 15-40 °C above ambient. For industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) operation, derate by limiting maximum ambient to ~70 °C unless additional copper thermal relief is added beneath the exposed die-attach pad (if present on the RQFP variant).
Compliance Information
Compliance status not provided in verified web data. The FLEX 8000 family predates many modern compliance mandates (RoHS 2006, REACH 2007); original Altera datasheets from the 1990s typically do not include RoHS declarations. Lead-free status is unknown - verify with your broker's certificate of conformance (CoC) before procurement for RoHS-restricted markets.
