EPF10K50EFC484-2 - 50K Gates FLEX-10KE FPGA, 484-BGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EPF10K50EFC484-2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $78.5 | $78.50 |
| 10 | $72 | $720.00 |
| 100 | $64.5 | $6,450.00 |
| 250 | $58.2 | $14,550.00 |
| 500 | $52.75 | $26,375.00 |
EPF10K50EFC484-2 Overview
What is a FLEX-10KE FPGA? The FLEX-10KE family is Altera's third-generation SRAM-based programmable logic device family that pioneered the embedded array block (EAB) concept, integrating dedicated dual-port RAM blocks alongside a general-purpose logic array. In the device hierarchy, a FLEX-10KE sits above conventional CPLDs and below high-end FPGAs, targeting glue-logic, bus-interface, and moderate-density datapath applications.
Key features of the EPF10K50EFC484-2 include 2,880 logic cells (LEs), 12 embedded array blocks (EABs) providing 40,960 bits of memory, 200 MHz internal performance, and built-in Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) boundary-scan test (BST) circuitry compliant with IEEE Std. 1149.1-1990. The device operates from a 2.5 V core supply with multi-voltage I/O support, and is fabricated on a 0.22 micrometer CMOS process. Speed grade -2 places this part in the mid-speed bin of the FLEX-10KE family.
Architecturally, each logic element combines a 4-input look-up table, a programmable flip-flop, and dedicated carry and cascade chains, while each EAB provides 2,048 bits of dual-port RAM configurable as 256x8, 512x4, 1024x2, or 2048x1. This hybrid logic-plus-memory architecture allows single-chip implementation of wide datapath functions such as FIFOs, DSP building blocks, and bus controllers without external memory devices.
Typical applications for the EPF10K50EFC484-2 span industrial control systems, telecommunications line cards, PCI bus interfaces compliant with PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.2 at 33 MHz and 66 MHz, test and measurement equipment, and legacy upgrade replacements. With 220 user I/Os, the device is well suited to bus-intensive designs such as memory controllers, bridge chips, and protocol converters.
When designing with this part, note that Altera/Intel has marked the FLEX-10KE family as obsolete in long-term product roadmaps, so this component is recommended for legacy maintenance and existing design support rather than new designs. New designs should consider Cyclone IV, Cyclone V, or MAX 10 devices as modern successors.
This page synthesizes distributor inventory, lifecycle status, and practical cross-reference notes for engineers maintaining legacy FLEX-10KE designs or sourcing replacements for end-of-life inventory.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K50EFC484-2 — 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 EPF10K50EFC484-2 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Logic Elements, Package, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K50EFC484-1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K50EFC484-3
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K30EFC484-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K100EFC484-3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$65 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K130EFC484-2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$105 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EFC484-2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX-10KE |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 2,880 |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 |
| Embedded Memory (Bits) | 40,960 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 12 (each 2,048 bits) |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 220 |
| Package | 484-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA) |
| Process Technology | 0.22 micrometer CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V |
| Internal Frequency | 200 MHz |
| Speed Grade | -2 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) |
| JTAG Boundary-Scan | IEEE Std. 1149.1-1990 compliant |
| PCI Compliance | PCI Local Bus Specification Rev. 2.2 at 33/66 MHz (3.3 V); 5.0 V at speed grade -1 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EPF10K50EFC484-2 484-ball fineline bga (fbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K50EFC484-2 (484-ball fineline bga (fbga) 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 EPF10K50EFC484-2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K50EFC484-2 is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Bus Interface Bridge, Industrial Control and Automation, Telecommunications Line-Card Glue Logic, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Legacy Replacement and Field Maintenance, Memory Controller and Bridge Chip.
PCI Bus Interface Bridge
The EPF10K50EFC484-2 is well suited for implementing PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.2 compliant bridges at both 33 MHz and 66 MHz operation. Its 220 user I/O pins provide ample headroom for the 32-bit or 64-bit PCI bus plus a secondary local bus, while the 12 embedded array blocks deliver the dual-port FIFOs required for write/posted-write buffers. The built-in JTAG boundary-scan circuitry simplifies in-system PCI compliance testing, and the 0.22 micrometer CMOS process ensures deterministic 66 MHz timing closure. Engineers designing custom PCI cards, add-in bus adapters, or embedded motherboards can integrate bus arbitration, target/initiator state machines, and configuration-space registers in a single device. The 200 MHz internal performance comfortably supports 66 MHz PCI with margin for protocol overhead.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
With 220 user I/Os and 2,880 logic elements, the EPF10K50EFC484-2 fits industrial-control applications such as PLC backplane controllers, motor-drive interface logic, and multi-axis motion controllers. The 0 C to +70 C commercial temperature rating covers most factory-floor enclosures; for harsh environments a FLEX-10KE industrial variant should be specified instead. The embedded array blocks implement encoder-capture FIFOs and PWM timers without external memory, reducing BOM count. The JTAG boundary-scan chain supports in-field firmware updates and board-level diagnostics, which are critical for factory acceptance testing and predictive maintenance programs.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line-Card Glue Logic
Telecommunications line cards historically used the EPF10K50EFC484-2 for bus-format conversion between framer ICs, network processors, and backplane serializers. The 40,960 bits of embedded memory accommodate small packet buffers and look-up tables for VPI/VCI translation or HDLC framing. The 484-ball FineLine BGA package offers controlled-impedance connections to high-speed serializer/deserializer (SerDes) devices adjacent on the PCB. Designers targeting legacy T1/E1, T3/E3, or early Ethernet-over-Sonet systems will find the FLEX-10KE family well documented in telecom reference designs and application notes.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EPF10K50EFC484-2 is found in legacy logic-analyzer, oscilloscope, and protocol-analyzer products where 220 user I/Os allow direct interfacing with high-pin-count probe pods. The 2,880 logic elements implement pattern generators, state sequencers, and trigger logic, while the 12 embedded array blocks store pre-loaded test vectors and capture buffers. JTAG boundary-scan support accelerates board bring-up and fixture testing in manufacturing. The 200 MHz internal performance supports real-time protocol triggering at common serial bus rates.
Recommended
Legacy Replacement and Field Maintenance
Because the FLEX-10KE family is obsolete, the EPF10K50EFC484-2 is most commonly procured today as a form-fit-function replacement for legacy fielded systems. Aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial customers with multi-decade support obligations keep the part in inventory. Engineers verifying replacements must confirm the 484-ball FineLine BGA footprint, 220 user I/O mapping, and configuration bitstream compatibility with the original design. Where the original Quartus II bitstream is preserved, the new part can be programmed identically, simplifying field swap-out without firmware re-validation.
Recommended
Memory Controller and Bridge Chip
The EPF10K50EFC484-2's combination of 220 user I/Os and 40,960 bits of embedded SRAM makes it well suited for custom memory controllers bridging processors to SDRAM, SRAM, or flash banks. The EABs implement configurable FIFO depths for write/read buffering, while the 4-input LUTs handle arbitration and refresh state machines. The 484-ball FineLine BGA package supports controlled-impedance PCB routing to multiple memory banks simultaneously. Designers prototyping high-bandwidth memory subsystems in telecom or video-processing applications historically selected this device for its flexible I/O count and dual-port memory capability.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K50EFC484-2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K50EFC484-1 | EPF10K50EFC484-3 | EPF10K30EFC484-2 | EPF10K100EFC484-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 484-ball FineLine BGA | 484-ball FineLine BGA (same) | 484-ball FineLine BGA (same) | 484-ball FineLine BGA (same) | 484-ball FineLine BGA (same) |
| Family | FLEX-10KE | FLEX-10KE (same) | FLEX-10KE (same) | FLEX-10KE (same) | FLEX-10KE (same) |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 1,728 (-40%) | 4,992 (+73%) |
| Embedded Memory (Bits) | 40,960 | 40,960 | 40,960 | 24,576 (-40%) | 49,152 (+20%) |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 6 (-50%) | 12 (same) |
| Speed Grade | -2 (200 MHz) | -1 (faster) | -3 (slower) | -2 (same) | -3 (slower) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +70 C | 0 C to +70 C | 0 C to +70 C | 0 C to +70 C | 0 C to +70 C |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-density sweet spot in the FLEX-10KE family (vs EPF10K30EFC484-2)
- Available in legacy production inventory (vs EPF10K50EFC484-1)
- PCI-compliant at both 33 MHz and 66 MHz (vs EPF10K30EFC484-2)
Design Notes
When replacing an EPF10K50EFC484-2 with a higher-density sibling such as the EPF10K100EFC484-3 in the same 484-ball FineLine BGA, verify that the pinout is bitstream-compatible. The unused I/O pins on the larger device are NOT guaranteed to map to the same balls; Quartus II will re-assign pins during recompilation. Always re-run place-and-route and re-validate signal integrity before deploying a density migration in production.
Estimated: at typical FLEX-10KE designs running at 100 MHz with 50% I/O toggle rate, junction-to-ambient thermal resistance of the 484-ball FineLine BGA is approximately 12 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board. Designers must include a thermal relief pad array beneath the BGA and ensure sufficient PCB copper pour for heat dissipation, especially in sealed enclosures without forced-air cooling.
The 484-ball FineLine BGA uses a 1.00 mm ball pitch. PCB layout requires laser-drilled microvias or 0.4 mm via-in-pad technology with adequate solder mask defined (SMD) pads. Escape routing from inner rows demands 4 signal layers minimum with microvia stackups. Follow Altera's FineLine BGA routing guidelines for impedance-controlled differential pairs if the design uses LVDS or SSTL I/O standards.
Multi-voltage I/O banks on the EPF10K50EFC484-2 support 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5.0 V (speed grade -1 only) interfacing. Engineers mixing voltage domains must observe VCCIO bank grouping rules defined in the family datasheet and provide proper power-supply decoupling (0.1 uF ceramic plus 10 uF bulk per bank). JTAG chain integrity should be verified before programming; broken TDI-TDO connections cause configuration failures that can be misdiagnosed as bitstream corruption.
Compliance Information
Compliance status for the EPF10K50EFC484-2 is not consistently documented across distributor listings. The FLEX-10KE family predates widespread RoHS adoption; engineers requiring RoHS-compliant assemblies should request a certificate of compliance from the distributor at the time of purchase. The part is not AEC-Q100 qualified and is not intended for automotive applications.
