EPF10K100ARC240-1 - FLEX 10KA FPGA 4992 LE | Altera
MPN: EPF10K100ARC240-1 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $298 | $298.00 |
| 10 | $271 | $2,710.00 |
| 100 | $246.5 | $24,650.00 |
| 500 | $224 | $112,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $205 | $205,000.00 |
EPF10K100ARC240-1 Overview
What is an FPGA? A field programmable gate array is a digital integrated circuit built from a matrix of configurable logic blocks, programmable interconnect and embedded memory that the user configures after manufacture, in contrast to an ASIC whose function is frozen at the mask stage. In the component taxonomy the EPF10K100ARC240-1 sits at FPGA -> programmable logic device (PLD) -> digital integrated circuit. The FLEX 10K family was promoted as the industry's first embedded PLD family, providing System-on-a-Programmable-Chip (SOPC) integration through an embedded array alongside the logic array, which made it a mainstream choice for bus interfaces, glue logic and datapaths before modern low-cost FPGAs appeared.
Key features: 4,992 logic elements, 624 logic array blocks (LABs), 24,576 embedded RAM bits, 189 user I/O pins, a 3.3 V CMOS supply, and a commercial operating range of 0 C to +70 C. The -1 speed grade is the fastest FLEX 10KA bin, and distributor listings also record a 0.6 ns propagation delay in a square 240-terminal HFQFP outline with gull-wing terminals.
Architecturally the device is SRAM-based and therefore volatile: configuration data must be reloaded at every power-up. Logic is organised into LABs, and the embedded array supplies the 24,576 RAM bits used for shallow FIFOs and single-cycle buffers. Because the fabric is reprogrammable, one printed circuit board can host several product variants simply by changing the configuration image.
Typical applications include industrial control and motion interfaces, telecom and networking line cards, video and image acquisition, data-acquisition front ends, and embedded bus bridging. The 189 user I/O pins let one device replace dozens of discrete logic packages on a legacy board.
Design consideration: budget an external configuration device such as EPC1PC8 or EPC2LC20N and treat configuration time as a boot-time constraint, because the FPGA performs no function until loading completes.
This page consolidates distributor availability data, drop-in alternatives and design notes that are not assembled in the original manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K100ARC240-1 — 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 EPF10K100ARC240-1 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Package, Speed Grade, Propagation Delay, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K100ARC240-1N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K100ARI240-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$86.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100ARC240-2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$118 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100ARC240-3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K100ARC240-1 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | FLEX 10KA (Altera / Intel) |
| Device Type | SRAM-based field programmable gate array (FPGA), CMOS |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 4,992 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LAB) | 624 |
| Embedded RAM | 24,576 bits |
| User I/O Pins | 189 |
| Speed Grade | -1 (fastest FLEX 10KA bin) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V (CMOS) |
| Propagation Delay | 0.6 ns (distributor specification listing) |
| Package / Case | 240-BFQFP Exposed Pad (RQFP / HFQFP) |
| Number of Terminals | 240 |
| Terminal Form | Gull wing |
| Package Shape | Square |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0 C to +70 C (commercial) |
| Temperature Grading | Commercial |
| Configuration Device Required | Yes (external, e.g. EPC1PC8 / EPC2LC20N) |
EPF10K100ARC240-1 square Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K100ARC240-1 (square 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 EPF10K100ARC240-1.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K100ARC240-1 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Motion Interfaces, Telecom and Networking Line Cards, Video and Image Acquisition, Data Acquisition and Instrumentation, Legacy System Sustainment and EOL Replacement, Embedded Bus Bridging and Protocol Conversion.
Industrial Control and Motion Interfaces
The EPF10K100ARC240-1 suits industrial control because 4,992 logic elements and 624 logic array blocks absorb encoder decoding, PWM generation and bus glue in one reprogrammable device, replacing dozens of discrete logic packages. Its 189 user I/O pins are enough for multi-axis step/direction outputs, quadrature encoder inputs and a parallel host interface on a single 240-pin BFQFP. The device is typically placed behind a host CPU as a deterministic I/O sequencer, where the 3.3 V CMOS fabric keeps interface levels compatible with modern industrial controllers. The main trade-off is volatility: configuration is loaded at every power-up from an EPC1PC8 or EPC2LC20N serial configuration device, adding boot time and one extra component. For hot or unheated cabinets, substitute the industrial grade EPF10K100ARI240-3N, accepting its slower -3 speed bin.
Recommended
Telecom and Networking Line Cards
The EPF10K100ARC240-1 was a mainstream choice for telecom line cards because its embedded array and 189 I/O pins implement FIFO buffering, HDLC or proprietary framing, and clock-domain handoff between a line-side PHY and a backplane bus. The 24,576 embedded RAM bits provide just enough storage for small packet or cell buffers without external SRAM, while the -1 speed grade helps meet tight setup and hold windows on a 3.3 V parallel bus. In service the FPGA is configured from an EPC16QC100 or EPC2LC20N device, and the volatile SRAM fabric means every card must complete configuration before driving the backplane interface. Engineers sustaining legacy line cards should note that no pin-compatible modern equivalent exists, so replacement is limited to other FLEX 10K 240-pin BFQFP grades such as the lead-free EPF10K100ARC240-1N.
Recommended
Video and Image Acquisition
The EPF10K100ARC240-1 is used in video capture front ends where 4,992 logic elements implement pixel clock recovery, line and frame counters, colour-space conversion pipelines and FIFO handoff to a host processor. With 189 user I/O pins, one device can interface a parallel video bus, a frame-buffer control port and a host bus simultaneously, while the 24,576 embedded RAM bits hold line buffers for latency compensation. The fastest -1 speed bin matters because pixel clocks in legacy SD and early HD systems run fast enough that routing and logic delays consume a large share of the pixel period. Designers should treat configuration as part of the boot sequence, loading the fabric from an EPC1PC8 or EPC2LC20N before enabling the video front end, because an unconfigured device leaves its I/O pins in a high-impedance state.
Recommended
Data Acquisition and Instrumentation
In data-acquisition and instrumentation designs the EPF10K100ARC240-1 acts as a deterministic sampling sequencer, generating converter start pulses, multiplexer addresses and read strobes while accumulating results in its 24,576 embedded RAM bits. Its 189 user I/O pins allow a single 240-pin BFQFP device to serve a multi-channel ADC array plus a host interface, which removes glue logic and shortens critical trigger paths. A listed 0.6 ns propagation delay and the -1 speed grade give the tightest channel-to-channel skew in the FLEX 10KA family, which matters when several channels are sampled simultaneously. Because the device is volatile, configuration must complete before the first conversion, so the EPC1PC8 or EPC2LC20N configuration device becomes part of the instrument specification. Keep the configuration image and the FPGA date code on the same build record for calibration traceability.
Recommended
Legacy System Sustainment and EOL Replacement
Most current demand for the EPF10K100ARC240-1 comes from sustaining existing equipment rather than new design. Because FLEX 10K devices are discontinued and no competitor makes a pin-compatible 240-pin BFQFP programmable logic device, replacement is restricted to the same family: EPF10K100ARC240-1N for lead-free builds, EPF10K100ARC240-2 or EPF10K100ARC240-3 for slower, cheaper speed bins, and EPF10K100ARI240-3N for industrial temperature. All keep the same 4,992 logic elements, 24,576 RAM bits and 189 user I/O pins, so an existing bitstream normally loads without change when only the material set or speed grade differs. Buyers should insist on traceable date codes and incoming inspection, since discontinued FPGAs are heavily counterfeited. Keeping a qualified spare of the exact -1 grade remains the safest sustaining strategy.
Recommended
Embedded Bus Bridging and Protocol Conversion
The EPF10K100ARC240-1 was designed as glue logic, and bus bridging remains its most natural role. A single device can translate between two dissimilar buses, for example a 3.3 V synchronous parallel port and a serial peripheral, using 4,992 logic elements for state machines and the 24,576 embedded RAM bits for shallow FIFOs that absorb rate mismatches. The 189 user I/O pins mean both interfaces plus control and interrupt lines fit on one 240-pin BFQFP footprint, removing level-shifter and latch packages from the board. Reprogrammability allows one PCB to serve several product variants, each with a different configuration file. The trade-off is boot behaviour: bridging hardware is unavailable until configuration from an EPC1PC8 or EPC2LC20N completes, so host software must tolerate that delay before it starts bus transactions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K100ARC240-1 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K100ARC240-1N | EPF10K100ARI240-3N | EPF10K100ARC240-2 | EPF10K100ARC240-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 240-BFQFP Exposed Pad (RQFP) | 240-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 240-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 240-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 240-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same |
| Logic Elements | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 |
| User I/O Pins | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 |
| Speed Grade | -1 (fastest FLEX 10KA bin) | -1 (identical) | -3 (slower) | -2 (one bin slower) | -3 (two bins slower) |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V CMOS | 3.3 V CMOS | 3.3 V CMOS | 3.3 V CMOS | 3.3 V CMOS |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest FLEX 10KA speed grade among 240-pin BFQFP options (vs EPF10K100ARC240-2)
- Commercial temperature grade keeps cost and sourcing simpler (vs EPF10K100ARI240-3N)
- Available in both leaded (-1) and lead-free (-1N) material sets (vs EPF10K100ARC240-1N)
Design Notes
Decouple the 240-pin BFQFP with at least one 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitor per supply pin group plus a 10 uF bulk capacitor per rail, placed within 5 mm of the device. Estimated: with 189 user I/O available, simultaneous switching of 40 outputs at 4 mA per pin moves roughly 160 mA of transient current in a few nanoseconds, so loop inductance must be minimised using short, wide traces and a ground via next to every capacitor. Altera's FLEX 10K family data sheet recommends a dedicated ground plane beneath the package; sharing a plane with high-current switching regulators is a common cause of configuration failures. The exposed thermal pad should be connected to ground through a via array.
The 240-pin BFQFP is a fine-pitch gull-wing package with an exposed pad, so footprint accuracy and paste volume control dominate assembly yield. Use a stencil of about 0.12 mm thickness and reduce apertures to roughly 80 percent of the land area to prevent bridging between adjacent leads. Split the thermal-pad aperture into a grid of smaller openings and use plugged via-in-pad to stop solder wicking away from the leads. Estimated: keep exposed-pad copper at approximately 1 square inch for thermal relief, but do not connect that copper to a noisy supply rail. Verify finished assemblies with automated optical inspection plus X-ray on the thermal pad, because a partially soldered pad is invisible from the top side.
FLEX 10K fabric is SRAM-based and therefore volatile: an EPF10K100ARC240-1 powers up with all user I/O in a high-impedance state and performs no function until configuration completes. Every design must include a configuration device such as EPC1PC8, EPC2LC20N or EPC16QC100, or a host processor implementing the Altera passive serial scheme, and the system must tolerate the configuration interval before driving any bus. A second pitfall is counterfeit stock: because the family is discontinued, brokers may resupply reprogrammed, re-marked or moisture-damaged parts. Buy only from traceable sources, request date codes and certificates of conformance, and bake parts per the specified MSL rating before reflow.
Estimated: no theta_JA value for the 240-pin BFQFP appeared in the retrieved data, so junction temperature cannot be calculated from this page alone. As a planning rule, solder the exposed pad to a ground copper area of roughly 1 square inch (about 645 square mm) with a via array, and assume the package can handle on the order of 1 W without forced air; confirm the actual thermal resistance in the Altera FLEX 10K family data sheet before freezing an enclosure design. In sealed cabinets, add airflow or reduce the number of simultaneously switching high-drive outputs, because I/O drive current usually dominates dissipation in glue-logic FPGA designs.
Compliance Information
No compliance declarations were present in the retrieved distributor data for the base EPF10K100ARC240-1 (non-'N') ordering code, so all compliance fields are marked unknown rather than assumed. The separate '-1N' ordering code denotes the lead-free material set; AEC-Q100 does not apply because this part is offered only in the commercial 0 C to +70 C grade.
