EPF10K20RC240-3N - 20K-Gate FLEX 10K FPGA, 240-RQFP | Altera
MPN: EPF10K20RC240-3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48.5 | $48.50 |
| 10 | $41.2 | $412.00 |
| 100 | $34.95 | $3,495.00 |
| 500 | $28.4 | $14,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $23.1 | $23,100.00 |
EPF10K20RC240-3N Overview
FLEX 10K is the first family to combine embedded array blocks (EABs), which are dual-port RAM blocks usable as FIFOs, ROM, or RAM, with a fine-grained Look-Up Table (LUT) logic fabric. An EAB can implement up to 2,048 bits of memory plus optional registered outputs, while surrounding Logic Array Blocks (LABs) deliver combinatorial and sequential logic. The architecture is positioned between classic PLDs and modern SRAM FPGAs, providing a system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration path that simplified glue-logic and bus-interface designs in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Key features include 144 LABs, 12,888 typical logic capacity, 189 programmable user I/O pins, multi-volt I/O support (5.0 V PCI-compliant, 5.0 V tolerant), JTAG-based in-system programmability via ByteBlaster/MasterBlaster/ByteBlasterMV cables, and built-in Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) boundary-scan. The -3 speed grade reflects AC performance at commercial temperature (0 °C to 70 °C). The device is targeted at glue logic, PCI bus interfaces, peripheral bridging, and embedded memory (FIFO/dual-port RAM) consolidation on a single chip.
Typical applications include PCI controller/peripheral interfaces, asynchronous-transfer-mode (ATM) and telecom glue logic, peripheral bridging in embedded CPU boards, DSP co-processors, and pre-existing 5 V industrial platforms. Its 5 V tolerance simplifies integration with legacy 5 V logic without external level shifters. The 240-RQFP package offers a JEDEC-standard gull-wing footprint compatible with the FLEX 10K family, easing board layout for upgrades and form-factor-compatible variants.
Designers should note that EAB blocks must be configured to match the chosen memory mode and width; unused EABs can be left disabled. Combined EAB + LAB usage reduces total logic available for general LUT-based design, so early floorplanning and Quartus (or MAX+PLUS II) resource estimation is recommended before commit.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K20RC240-3N — 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 EPF10K20RC240-3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, RoHS Status, Series, Family, Logic Array Blocks (LABs).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K20RC240-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$21.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K20RC240-4N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K20RC240-4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$67.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K20RC240-3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | FLEX 10K |
| Family | Embedded Programmable Logic Device (EPLD) |
| Logic Cells / Elements | 1152 |
| Total Gates | 20,000 (typical usable) |
| Logic Capacity (typical) | 12,888 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 144 |
| User I/O Pins | 189 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 6 (per family architecture) |
| Number of Pins | 240 |
| Package Type | 240-RQFP (HFQFP, exposed pad) |
| Package Code | HFQFP / RQFP |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (gull wing) |
| Supply Voltage | 5 V |
| Technology / Process | 0.42 µm CMOS |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 125 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 0.4 ns (typical) |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +70 °C (commercial) |
| Programming Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1), ByteBlaster / MasterBlaster / ByteBlasterMV |
| Configuration Memory | SRAM (volatile, re-programmable) |
EPF10K20RC240-3N hfqfp / rqfp Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K20RC240-3N (hfqfp / rqfp 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 EPF10K20RC240-3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K20RC240-3N is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Bus Controller / Peripheral Interface, Telecom / ATM Glue Logic, Industrial 5 V Embedded Control Platform, Peripheral Bridging in Embedded CPU Boards, DSP Co-Processor Acceleration, Legacy Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
PCI Bus Controller / Peripheral Interface
The EPF10K20RC240-3N is well-suited to PCI bus controller and peripheral-interface designs, where its 189 user I/Os and 5 V PCI-compliant I/O eliminate the need for external level shifters between legacy 5 V peripherals and the 3.3 V/5 V PCI bus. Its 1,152 logic cells and 144 LABs provide ample combinatorial and sequential logic to implement target/initiator state machines, address/data buffering, and bus-arbitration logic in a single chip. The embedded array blocks (EABs) can be configured as small FIFOs to buffer PCI burst transactions, and the JTAG interface allows in-system reconfiguration for firmware updates. Designers using EPF10K20RC240-3N in PCI designs benefit from sub-0.4 ns propagation delays that meet PCI 33 MHz/66 MHz AC timing, while the 240-RQFP package exposes enough I/O for 32-bit multiplexed address/data plus control and arbitration signals. This compact integration replaced what previously required multiple discrete TTL packages, reducing PCB area and BOM cost in industrial PCs and embedded single-board computers.
Recommended
Telecom / ATM Glue Logic
In telecom and asynchronous-transfer-mode (ATM) equipment, the EPF10K20RC240-3N served as a multi-purpose glue-logic consolidator, replacing dozens of 74-series TTL packages with a single programmable device. Its combination of 144 LABs for general state-machine logic and 6 EABs for small FIFOs and dual-port RAM buffers made it ideal for cell delineation, HEC/FCS checking, UTOPIA-interface bridging, and serial-to-parallel conversion in DSLAM and SDH/SONET line cards. The 189 user I/Os handle parallel backplane buses and serial control channels simultaneously, while the 5 V tolerance mates directly with ECL-to-TTL converters in optical transport designs. The -3 speed grade at 125 MHz internal performance easily meets the timing budgets of 155 Mbps UTOPIA-2 and 622 Mbps UTOPIA-3 interfaces when properly floorplanned. For telecom customers maintaining legacy equipment, the EPF10K20RC240-3N remains a service-friendly replacement candidate thanks to its form-factor-compatible 240-RQFP footprint.
Recommended
Industrial 5 V Embedded Control Platform
The EPF10K20RC240-3N is a natural fit for legacy 5 V industrial embedded platforms where migrating to a 3.3 V FPGA would require extensive level-shifting and re-validation. With a 5 V supply, 5 V-tolerant I/O, and commercial temperature rating of 0 °C to 70 °C, it can directly interface with 5 V MCUs, sensors, and motor-driver ICs commonly found in PLCs, machine controllers, and process-control equipment. Its 1,152 logic cells provide enough headroom for custom peripheral bridges (SPI-to-parallel, UART-to-LCD, encoder-decoder logic), while the EABs can implement parameter tables and lookup RAM for calibration data. The JTAG interface allows field reconfiguration of control logic without removing the board from service, a key advantage in long-life industrial installations. Designers targeting modern 3.3 V platforms should migrate to a Cyclone IV or MAX 10 device with active support.
Recommended
Peripheral Bridging in Embedded CPU Boards
Single-board computers and VME/cPCI CPU boards from the late 1990s frequently used the EPF10K20RC240-3N to bridge between a PowerPC/MIPS host CPU bus and various peripherals (PCI, ISA, IDE, SCSI, custom I/O). The device's 189 user I/Os accommodate a 32-bit host data bus plus full PCI arbitration and control signals, while the EABs implement small FIFOs for DMA handshakes and posted-write buffers. Its 240-RQFP package and 1.27 mm pitch fit comfortably on 6U Eurocard and cPCI board footprints, and the JTAG port enables in-system firmware updates during integration testing. The -3 speed grade at 125 MHz internal performance supports 33 MHz PCI with comfortable timing margin. For modern board designs, designers have migrated to Cyclone III/IV with integrated transceivers and Nios II soft-core support.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor Acceleration
The EPF10K20RC240-3N was widely used as a DSP co-processor in audio/video processing and baseband modem designs, offloading compute-intensive tasks from the main DSP. Its 1,152 logic cells and EABs can implement multipliers, FIR filters, correlators, and Viterbi/turbo decoder datapaths in a single device, achieving real-time performance for 2G/3G baseband, MPEG-2 decode, and software-radio preprocessing. The 189 user I/Os allow parallel interfaces to multiple ADCs/DACs and a high-speed host port, while the 125 MHz internal clock supports datapath rates suitable for 50–80 MHz sample streams. Modern designs have migrated to FPGAs with embedded DSP blocks (Cyclone V, Lattice ECP5) that offer higher compute density per Watt.
Recommended
Legacy Test & Measurement Instrumentation
The EPF10K20RC240-3N served in oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol testers, and ATE equipment as a flexible pattern-generator and timing-orchestration engine. Its EABs provide deterministic memory for stimulus waveforms and reference patterns, while the 144 LABs implement programmable counters, sequencers, and protocol state-machines for I2C/SPI/UART/CAN emulation. The 189 user I/Os drive front-panel displays, multi-channel DACs, and trigger comparators without external bus expanders, and the JTAG interface lets ATE vendors reconfigure the instrument for new protocols without hardware changes. The 5 V I/O simplifies interfacing with bipolar analog front-ends common in legacy test gear. Service replacement of failed FLEX 10K devices in deployed test equipment still drives periodic orders for the EPF10K20RC240-3N.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K20RC240-3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K20RC240-3 | EPF10K20RC240-4N | EPF10K20RC240-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 240-RQFP (HFQFP) | 240-RQFP - same | 240-RQFP - same | 240-RQFP - same |
| Speed Grade | -3 (125 MHz) | -3 (125 MHz) | -4 (~100 MHz) | -4 (~100 MHz) |
| Logic Cells | 1,152 | 1,152 | 1,152 | 1,152 |
| LABs | 144 | 144 | 144 | 144 |
| Total Gates | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| User I/Os | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 °C to 70 °C), -N suffix | Commercial, no -N suffix | Commercial, -N suffix | Commercial, no -N suffix |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial-grade mature silicon with abundant second-source supply (vs EPF10K20RC240-4N)
- Standardized 240-RQFP footprint shared across the FLEX 10K family (vs EPF10K20RC208-4N)
- Higher 125 MHz internal performance (vs EPF10K20RC240-4N)
Design Notes
The 240-RQFP package of the EPF10K20RC240-3N has a JEDEC-standard θJA of approximately 25 °C/W with the exposed pad soldered to a 2 oz copper pour, and up to 45 °C/W in still air on a 4-layer JEDEC test board. At 5 V supply and 125 MHz operation, the device typically dissipates around 0.6–1.5 W depending on toggle rate and EAB utilization. Estimated: assuming 1.0 W dissipation at 25 °C/W θJA, junction temperature rises only 25 °C above ambient, well within the commercial 70 °C limit. Designers should still provide a continuous copper pad under the exposed pad and stitch vias to inner ground planes for thermal spreading, especially in enclosed industrial enclosures.
For the 240-RQFP (HFQFP) footprint, place a continuous ground plane on the layer directly beneath the package and stitch the exposed thermal pad with an array of 0.3 mm thermal vias on a 1.0 mm pitch. Use 0.2 mm wide traces with 0.2 mm spacing for fine-pitch signal fan-out, and route all clock signals (CLK0/CLK1) on an inner stripline layer with controlled impedance of 50 Ω ±10% to minimize reflections. Decouple every VCC pin with a 0.1 µF X7R ceramic placed within 3 mm of the pin, and add four 10 µF bulk tantalum or polymer capacitors distributed around the package periphery.
The FLEX 10K device uses SRAM-volatile configuration; without a configuration PROM (EPC1, EPC2) or active JTAG controller, the EPF10K20RC240-3N will not boot after power-up and all I/Os remain tri-stated. Designers must either program the device via JTAG on every reset or populate an external Altera EPC-series configuration PROM on the board. Also note that the JTAG TCK frequency must not exceed 10 MHz on FLEX 10K devices, and the nCONFIG pin must be held low for at least 40 µs after power-stable before beginning configuration. Failing to observe these timings can produce partial configuration and silent logic errors in the field.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status were not present in the verified web data; the FLEX 10K family pre-dates widespread RoHS adoption and is generally supplied as SnPb-finish or upgraded lead-free variants depending on date-code. Compliance markings on the device package should be checked at receiving inspection.
