EPF10K100EBC356-1N - FLEX 10KE FPGA 100K Gates 356-BGA | Altera
MPN: EPF10K100EBC356-1N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $185 | $185.00 |
| 10 | $165 | $1,650.00 |
| 100 | $142 | $14,200.00 |
| 500 | $124 | $62,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $108 | $108,000.00 |
EPF10K100EBC356-1N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit that can be programmed after manufacture to implement arbitrary digital logic. FPGAs sit within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), alongside CPLDs (Complex PLDs) and PALs, and are used as flexible alternatives to fixed-function ASICs. Within the system architecture hierarchy, an FPGA falls under Integrated Circuits > Logic ICs > FPGA & CPLD. The FLEX 10KE family was Altera's first embedded PLD family to provide System-on-a-Programmable-Chip (SOPC) integration, combining an embedded array block for megafunction implementation with the Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic array for glue logic.
Key features include 0.6 ns pin-to-pin propagation delay (the -1 speed grade offering the fastest timing in this product line), embedded array blocks for implementing megafunctions (RAM, ROM, FIFO, multipliers), True-LVDS support, MultiVolt I/O, and on-chip PLL-based clock management. The FLEX 10KE architecture uses reconfigurable CMOS SRAM elements, so the device is volatile and must be configured from an external EEPROM or flash on every power-up. The 356-BGA package provides high I/O density for complex bus-intensive designs.
Typical applications include telecommunications switching fabrics, industrial control and instrumentation, DSP co-processing, network routers, and legacy embedded computing systems where high gate counts with embedded memory blocks are required. The 356-BGA package and 274 user I/Os make it well-suited to designs requiring multiple 32-bit buses, memory controllers, and protocol bridges.
When designing with the EPF10K100EBC356-1N, engineers must consider that this is a mature, NRND (Not Recommended for New Designs) part in the FLEX 10KE family. New designs should evaluate Cyclone or Cyclone II equivalents for production. For long-term availability, consider pin-compatible Cyclone EP1C100F324 (different package, requires PCB rework) versus staying on FLEX 10KE for legacy support.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing from Octopart and DigiKey, package-level replacement guidance, and practical design notes specific to the FLEX 10KE embedded array architecture that are not consolidated on the manufacturer datasheet cover page.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K100EBC356-1N — 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 EPF10K100EBC356-1N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Family, Total RAM Bits.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K100EBC356-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EBC356-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$59.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EBC356-3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$62.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EBC356-2X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$171 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100ABC356-1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K100EBC356-1N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 10KE |
| Series | FLEX-10KE |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 4,992 |
| Total RAM Bits | 49,152 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 624 |
| User I/O Pins | 274 |
| Package | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) |
| Logic Family | CMOS (SRAM-based) |
| Propagation Delay | 0.6 ns |
| Core Supply Voltage | 2.375 V to 2.625 V (2.5 V nominal) |
| I/O Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Non-RoHS (legacy 'N' suffix) |
| Lead-Free | Yes (Pb-free 'N' suffix per Altera legacy scheme) |
EPF10K100EBC356-1N 356-lbga (35x35 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K100EBC356-1N (356-lbga (35x35 mm) 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 EPF10K100EBC356-1N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K100EBC356-1N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Switching Fabric, Industrial Control and Instrumentation, DSP Co-Processor Acceleration, Legacy Network Router Line Card, Military and Aerospace Embedded Computing, Medical Imaging Data Acquisition.
Telecommunications Switching Fabric
The EPF10K100EBC356-1N's 100K typical gates and 274 user I/Os make it well-suited for legacy telecom switching fabric designs where multiple parallel data buses must be aggregated. The 356-LBGA package supports the high pin density needed for 32-bit bus multiplexing, and the embedded array blocks (EABs) can implement FIFOs and protocol buffers directly in silicon, reducing external memory cost. Designers should note that the FLEX 10KE architecture's MultiVolt I/O feature enables interfacing with 5 V, 3.3 V, and 2.5 V bus transceivers without level shifters - critical for legacy backplanes. For new designs, the Cyclone II EP2C70F896 offers higher gate count and lower power at lower cost.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Instrumentation
The EPF10K100EBC356-1N is widely deployed in industrial control systems, machine vision controllers, and test instrumentation where its 624 LABs and 4,992 logic elements provide ample capacity for custom state machines, glue logic, and protocol bridges. The device's commercial 0C to +70C temperature range covers most factory-floor environments; for harsh industrial applications, the -2X temperature-extended variant should be specified instead. Its 2.5 V core reduces power dissipation versus 5 V PLDs, which is beneficial for densely populated backplanes. The SRAM-based architecture means designs can be reconfigured in the field via JTAG to support firmware updates.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor Acceleration
The FLEX 10KE embedded array blocks (EABs) can implement fast multipliers and small FIFOs, making the EPF10K100EBC356-1N useful as a co-processor alongside a DSP or microcontroller in mixed-signal systems. Each EAB provides 2,048 bits of dual-port RAM that can be cascaded for FFT scratch-pad memories or coefficient tables. The 49,152-bit total embedded RAM (24 EABs x 2048 bits) supports small to medium DSP workloads at the system glue-logic level. Pairing with a TMS320C6x DSP via the external memory interface (EMIF) is a typical architecture. For higher DSP throughput, designers should consider Cyclone III with dedicated DSP blocks.
Recommended
Legacy Network Router Line Card
The EPF10K100EBC356-1N historically powered line cards in routers and switches, where it handled bus arbitration, protocol encapsulation, and traffic shaping between PHY, MAC, and forwarding ASIC. With 274 user I/Os and embedded FIFO capability, it bridges the typical 16-32 bit data paths on these cards. The 356-LBGA package provides the I/O count needed to fan out to multiple transceiver interfaces. Production systems must manage the NRND status; long-life-cycle designs should consider second-sourcing with the EPF10K100EBC356-2 (same package, -2 speed grade) or migrating to Cyclone IV GX with embedded transceivers.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Embedded Computing
The EPF10K100EBC356-1N appears in legacy aerospace embedded computing applications such as avionics bus bridges and mission computer peripherals, where its logic capacity supports multiple MIL-STD-1553 or ARINC 429 channels via soft IP cores. The device's deterministic timing (0.6 ns propagation delay on the -1 grade) and predictable SRAM-based architecture suit safety-critical designs that require formal verification. However, the commercial temperature range limits deployment; for full military temperature range, the EPF10K100EBC356-2X with extended temperature support is required. New aerospace designs should consult MIL-PRF-38535 qualified sources.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Data Acquisition
The EPF10K100EBC356-1N serves in medical imaging front-end boards (ultrasound, endoscopy, patient monitoring) where its 100K-gate capacity and embedded memory blocks implement high-speed data acquisition pipelines. The embedded array blocks function as line buffers and lookup tables for gamma correction or beamforming weights, eliminating the need for external SRAM in many cases. The 274 user I/Os accommodate multi-channel ADC interfaces and high-speed data buses to the host processor. Note that medical applications may require IEC 60601 compliance; verify the full system-level certification rather than relying on component-level specs. For new medical designs, the lower-power Cyclone IV is recommended.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K100EBC356-1N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K100EBC356-1 | EPF10K100EBC356-2 | EPF10K100EBC356-3 | EPF10K100EBC356-2X | EPF10K100ABC356-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) - same | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) - same | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) - same | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) - same | 356-LBGA (35x35 mm) - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same |
| Speed Grade | -1 (fastest, 0.6 ns delay) | -1 (same) | -2 (slower) | -3 (slowest) | -2 (extended temp) | -1 (FLEX 10K, no KE) |
| Family | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10K (non-KE) |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Logic Elements | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 | 4,992 |
| User I/O Pins | 274 | 274 | 274 | 274 | 274 | 274 |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Pb-free finish with same electrical performance as the non-N variant (vs EPF10K100EBC356-1)
- Fastest speed grade in the FLEX 10KE family (vs EPF10K100EBC356-2)
- FLEX 10KE enhanced feature set (PLL, MultiVolt, True-LVDS) (vs EPF10K100ABC356-1 (FLEX 10K original))
Design Notes
The EPF10K100EBC356-1N requires a 2.5 V core supply (2.375 V to 2.625 V) plus a separate 3.3 V supply for the I/O banks. Power sequencing is recommended to prevent I/O latch-up: bring VCCINT up before or simultaneously with VCCIO, and remove VCCINT last on power-down. Decoupling requires at least 8 low-ESR 0.1 uF capacitors placed within 5 mm of the BGA power balls, plus 4 bulk 10 uF tantalum capacitors on the PCB. The I/O banks support MultiVolt operation, allowing mixed-voltage interfacing without external level shifters when bank voltages are configured correctly in the Quartus project.
Estimated: At 100 MHz operation with typical 50% toggle rate and 50% I/O utilization, core current draw is approximately 150 mA (375 mW). The 356-LBGA package has theta_JA of approximately 12 C/W with proper PCB layout (4-layer board with thermal vias), so junction temperature rise above ambient is about 4.5C - well within the 0C to +70C commercial range. Ensure the BGA has a continuous ground pad and thermal vias to inner ground planes to maintain low theta_JA; do not split the ground plane under the device.
The 356-LBGA package uses a 1.27 mm ball pitch with a 35x35 mm body. PCB design requires 4-layer stack-up minimum with controlled-impedance routing for high-speed signals. Use microvias or via-in-pad if 4 mil traces between balls are needed for fanout. Decoupling capacitors must be placed on the opposite side of the BGA or on inner layers; long traces to decoupling caps defeat their purpose at the operating frequencies of this device. Reserve at least 8 ground and 8 VCC via clusters directly under the BGA thermal pad.
The FLEX 10KE is SRAM-based and volatile, so an external configuration memory (EPC2 or EPC8 series Configuration PROMs) is mandatory - the FPGA loads its bitstream from this PROM on every power-up. Do not confuse FLEX 10KE (KE suffix) with FLEX 10K (original, non-KE) - the KE family adds PLL, MultiVolt I/O, and True-LVDS support that the original FLEX 10K lacks; design files are not interchangeable without re-compilation. The N suffix on the part number indicates lead-free finish but does NOT constitute RoHS compliance; check the specific datasheet compliance appendix for your application. JTAG pins TMS, TCK, TDI, TDO must be brought to a test header for boundary-scan and in-system programming.
Compliance Information
Lead-free finish (N suffix) per legacy Altera ordering scheme but full RoHS compliance not confirmed in verified data. Reach, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status not stated in the provided datasheet excerpts; consult Intel FPGA compliance documentation for verification. AEC-Q100 not applicable - FLEX 10KE is not automotive qualified.
