EPF10K100EQC208-1 - 100K Gate FLEX-10KE FPGA, 147 I/O | Altera
MPN: EPF10K100EQC208-1 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $293.32 | $293.32 |
| 10 | $280 | $2,800.00 |
| 100 | $260 | $26,000.00 |
| 500 | $240 | $120,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $220 | $220,000.00 |
EPF10K100EQC208-1 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device whose logic blocks, interconnect, and I/O cells are configured by the designer after manufacture via a configuration bitstream. The FLEX 10KE family belongs to the broader taxonomy of programmable logic -> CPLD/FPGA -> SRAM-based FPGA -> embedded-array FPGA -> power management/communications glue logic. The "-1" speed grade indicates the slowest commercial speed bin, trading timing margin for lower cost, while "QC208" denotes the quad flat-pack 208-pin pinout (208-BFQFP) and "E" denotes the FLEX 10KE sub-series.
Key features include 49,152 RAM bits distributed across embedded array blocks (EABs), 147 user I/O pins, a 2.5 V core supply (per the Altera-micro attribute block) with 3.3 V multi-voltage I/O support, and in-system programmability through the serial configuration interface. The 208-BFQFP footprint is one of the largest Altera offered in the FLEX 10KE generation and is frequently preferred over BGA alternatives when board-level rework is required. The part is built on a 5 V-tolerant CMOS process and supports JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) boundary-scan testing.
The FLEX 10KE architecture combines a logic array for fine-grained glue logic with an embedded array for wide datapath functions, enabling a single chip to replace dozens of TTL/CMOS glue parts alongside small microcontrollers. Designers can implement UART, FIFO, PCI soft cores, and Altera MegaCore functions such as Nios processors. The 0.35 µm SRAM process provides a propagation delay around 0.6 ns and an internal global clock network for synchronous designs up to roughly 80-100 MHz system clock.
Typical applications include telecom line cards, industrial control backplanes, PCI bridge designs, and legacy digital signal processing pre-processing. The wide I/O count (147 pins) accommodates 32-bit datapaths plus address/control, making the part a common choice for protocol-bridge ASIC prototypes and aerospace ground-test equipment.
When designing, observe the 2.5 V core / 3.3 V I/O supply split - a single 3.3 V rail does NOT power the core. Series-termination resistors are recommended on clock and high-speed I/O when driving backplane traces beyond 50 mm.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K100EQC208-1 — 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 EPF10K100EQC208-1 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, RoHS Status, Process Technology, Speed Grade.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K100EQC208-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$155.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EQC208-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$54.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EQC208-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$96.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EQC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$19.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100BQC208-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$21.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EQC208-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$54.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EQC208-1 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | FLEX 10KE |
| Logic Elements | 4,992 |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 49,152 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 624 |
| Number of I/O | 147 |
| Package | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) |
| Package Pin Count | 208 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 2.375 V to 2.625 V (2.5 V nominal) |
| I/O Supply Voltage | 3.3 V (multi-voltage I/O) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 70 C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Logic Family | CMOS (SRAM-based) |
| Propagation Delay | 0.6 ns |
| Configuration | SRAM (volatile, in-system programmable) |
| JTAG Support | Yes (IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan) |
EPF10K100EQC208-1 208 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K100EQC208-1 (208 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 EPF10K100EQC208-1.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K100EQC208-1 is suitable for 7 applications: Telecom Line Card Glue Logic, Industrial Control Backplane, PCI Bridge and Protocol Converter, Legacy DSP Pre-Processing, Aerospace Ground-Test Equipment, ASIC Prototype Validation, Medical Imaging Pre-Processing.
Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The EPF10K100EQC208-1 is well-suited to telecom line-card glue logic where it bridges parallel backplane buses, performs channel-encoding pre-processing, and consolidates dozens of 74-series TTL parts onto one device. Its 147 user I/O pins accommodate 32-bit datapaths plus address, control, and JTAG signals; the 49,152-bit embedded RAM array (EAB) hosts FIFOs and lookup tables for protocol conversion. The 208-PQFP package simplifies rework on legacy FR-4 backplanes compared to BGA alternatives. Designers typically instantiate UART, HDLC, and Altera MegaCore functions, achieving board area reductions of 60-70% versus discrete logic implementations.
Recommended
Industrial Control Backplane
In industrial control backplanes the EPF10K100EQC208-1 acts as the central programmable interface between PLC scan engines, sensor I/O racks, and HMI panels. Its 624 LABs and 4,992 logic elements support deterministic state machines for conveyor sequencing and motor-control interlocks, while the 49,152 embedded RAM bits hold calibration tables and lookup-based PWM waveforms. The 0 to 70 C commercial temperature range suits enclosure-mounted control cabinets; for harsher environments, designers should specify the EPF10K100EQI208-1 industrial variant. The JTAG boundary-scan simplifies in-system verification across dense backplane connectors.
Recommended
PCI Bridge and Protocol Converter
The EPF10K100EQC208-1 was a workhorse for PCI-bus bridge designs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, hosting Altera's PCI MegaCore functions to bridge PCI to local-bus, VME, or proprietary backplane fabrics. The 147 I/O pins accommodate the 32-bit PCI bus (AD[31:0], C/BE[3:0], FRAME, IRDY, TRDY, etc.) plus parity and arbitration signals. Designers also implement scatter-gather DMA engines and FIFO buffers in the embedded array blocks. While the part predates PCIe, legacy PCI-X and cPCI systems continue to use it in aerospace, defense, and industrial upgrades where redesign is impractical.
Recommended
Legacy DSP Pre-Processing
For legacy digital signal processing pre-processing, the EPF10K100EQC208-1 implements FIR filters, correlators, and FFT pre-processing stages in its embedded array blocks, offloading these tasks from a downstream DSP or ASIC. Each EAB can be configured as a 256x16, 512x8, 1024x4, or 2048x2 memory block - ideal for coefficient storage in FIR/IIR filter designs. The 49,152-bit total accommodates up to 192 FIR taps at 16-bit resolution. While modern FPGAs offer dedicated DSP blocks, FLEX 10KE remains a cost-effective solution for legacy audio-processing, sonar beam-forming, and instrumentation front-ends.
Recommended
Aerospace Ground-Test Equipment
In aerospace ground-test equipment the EPF10K100EQC208-1 implements MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and proprietary avionics bus monitors, exercising flight hardware on the bench. Its 147 user I/O pins interface to multiple bus transceivers, while the embedded array blocks store known-good bit patterns for protocol regression tests. The 208-PQFP package is rework-friendly in low-volume test systems - a key consideration when refurbishing decade-old test rigs. The JTAG chain supports in-system test pattern injection and fault isolation without breaking the bench setup.
Recommended
ASIC Prototype Validation
Designers use the EPF10K100EQC208-1 as an ASIC prototype platform to validate control logic, glue interfaces, and IP blocks before committing to a multi-million-gate ASIC tape-out. The 100K-gate capacity accommodates an entire SoC control plane including CPU soft cores (Nios, ARM Cortex-M1 equivalents), memory controllers, and peripheral bridges. Fast iteration cycles via Quartus II bitstream downloads let teams debug hardware/software co-design issues weeks before silicon returns. The FLEX 10KE embedded array supports megafunctions such as PCI, DDR, and FFT cores directly via Altera MegaCore IP library.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pre-Processing
In medical imaging systems (ultrasound front-ends, legacy MRI signal conditioning), the EPF10K100EQC208-1 performs pre-beamforming, gain control, and ADC data buffering before the data stream is passed to a DSP or host processor. The embedded array blocks serve as dual-port RAM line buffers between the ADC and the scan converter, while the logic array implements decimation filters and time-gain compensation curves. The 0.6 ns propagation delay supports ADC clock rates up to roughly 80-100 MHz, sufficient for legacy 12-bit ultrasound digitizers. FDA-compliant designs favor the part's deterministic behavior and well-documented design chain.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K100EQC208-1 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K100EQC208-2 | EPF10K100EQC208-1N | EPF10K100EQC208-1X | EPF10K100EQC208-3 | EPF10K100BQC208-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) - same | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) - same | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) - same | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) - same | 208-BFQFP (PQFP 28x28 mm) - same |
| Speed Grade | -1 (slowest) | -2 (mid) | -1 (same, Pb-free) | -1 (same, screened) | -3 (fastest) | -1 (FLEX 10K base series) |
| Logic Family | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10KE | FLEX 10K (base) |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Number of I/O | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (as of 2026-09-11) | Obsolete | Obsolete (last-time-buy stock) | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- FLEX 10KE enhanced embedded array block (EAB) with 49,152 RAM bits (vs EPF10K100BQC208-1 (FLEX 10K base))
- Pb-free / RoHS-compliant terminal finish available as -1N variant (vs EPF10K100EQC208-1 (standard))
- Speed-grade upgrade path via -2 and -3 bin substitutions (vs EPF10K100EQC208-2 / -3)
Design Notes
The EPF10K100EQC208-1 requires separate 2.5 V core and 3.3 V I/O supplies; failure to provide both rails simultaneously will prevent configuration and may damage the part. Per the Altera FLEX 10KE datasheet, the VCCINT (core) pin must reach 2.5 V within 100 ms of the VCCIO supply, otherwise the I/O cells enter an undefined state. Decouple each VCCINT/VCCIO pin pair with a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the package, plus a bulk 33 uF tantalum capacitor on each rail. Estimated: at 100% utilization with 50% toggle rate, the part draws approximately 300-500 mA from VCCINT.
The 208-BFQFP package has a 0.5 mm pitch and a 28x28 mm body with the exposed die pad replaced by a plastic thermal spreader - solder paste stencil apertures of 0.45 mm width with 0.10 mm thickness achieve reliable joints. Ground the thermal spreader to the board ground plane via at least 8 vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.6 mm pad) to dissipate the typical 1-3 W operating power. Maintain at least 5 mm clearance between the PQFP leads and any high-speed trace to avoid solder-bridging during reflow.
The FLEX 10KE SRAM configuration is volatile - on every power-up, the bitstream must be reloaded from an external EPC configuration PROM (EPC1, EPC2, EPC4, EPC8) or a microcontroller. Forgetting the configuration PROM leaves the part with all I/O in tri-state and logic cells in default configuration. Ensure the nCONFIG and nSTATUS pins are properly pulled up to VCCIO via 10 kohm resistors; floating these pins during power-up causes intermittent configuration failures that mimic silicon defects.
The 208-PQFP package introduces approximately 25-40 nH of lead inductance per pin, which can cause ringing on clocks and high-speed I/O exceeding 33 MHz. Place 33 ohm series-termination resistors within 10 mm of the FPGAs driving pins when trace lengths exceed 50 mm or when driving backplane connectors. For multi-clock designs, route each clock trace over a continuous ground plane and avoid layer changes within 25 mm of the FPGA clock pins to maintain impedance continuity.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free status is not stated in the verified web data for the standard -1 suffix; the -1N variant is explicitly Pb-free per Altera naming convention. No AEC-Q100 automotive qualification - FLEX 10KE is commercial/industrial only. Verify RoHS label on received parts before placing into RoHS-assembled boards.
