EPF10K50SQC240-2N - 50K Gate FLEX 10KE FPGA, 240-PQFP | Intel
MPN: EPF10K50SQC240-2N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $58.4 | $58.40 |
| 10 | $52.1 | $521.00 |
| 100 | $46.5 | $4,650.00 |
| 500 | $41.2 | $20,600.00 |
| 1,000 | $36.8 | $36,800.00 |
EPF10K50SQC240-2N Overview
What is a FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array is a semiconductor device built around a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs / LABs) connected by programmable interconnect. FPGAs occupy a tier above simple PLDs and CPLDs in the programmable logic hierarchy because they integrate RAM blocks, multipliers (in newer families) and dedicated I/O, allowing entire digital subsystems to be implemented in a single chip. The FLEX 10KE family from Altera (now Intel PSG) is positioned as a cost-optimized mid-density family for glue logic, bus bridging, and DSP co-processing.
Key features include 40,960 typical gate count, 2,880 logic elements, dedicated dual-port RAM via EABs, multi-voltage I/O supporting 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V mixed-signal interfacing, in-system programmability via the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface, and SameFrame pin-out migration allowing density migration within the same footprint. The 240-pin PQFP package measures 32.0 mm × 32.0 mm × 3.4 mm with 0.5 mm pitch and gull-wing leads.
The FLEX 10KE architecture combines a fine-grained Logic Element (LE) fabric with coarse-grained EABs, each EAB providing up to 2,048 bits of RAM that Altera software can automatically combine to match designer memory requirements. MultiVolt I/O pins allow interfacing with 5.0 V, 3.3 V, and 2.5 V devices without external level shifters.
Typical applications include PCI bus interface bridges, custom DSP co-processors, industrial control glue logic, telecommunications line-card controllers, and legacy system prototyping. The wide operating temperature range and SameFrame footprint migration also make the family suitable for long-lifecycle industrial designs.
When designing with this part, ensure the Quartus II or MAX+PLUS II toolchain (depending on design age) supports the FLEX 10KE device family - legacy parts may require older Altera software versions. Decoupling: place 0.1 µF ceramic capacitors within 5 mm of every VCCINT / VCCIO pin pair. JTAG chain: configure via ByteBlaster or USB-Blaster and observe TCK pull-down requirements.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in FLEX 10KE same-package alternatives, and practical JTAG/Quartus design notes not found in the original Altera FLEX 10KE Embedded Programmable Logic Devices Data Sheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K50SQC240-2N — 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 EPF10K50SQC240-2N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Family, Configuration Method, Embedded Array Blocks (EABs).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K50SQC240-2X
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K50SQC240-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$67.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$87.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$132.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K130EQC240-2N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K200SRC240-2N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF10K50SQC240-2N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 10KE |
| Series | FLEX-10KS |
| System Gates | 50,000 |
| Typical Gates | 40,960 |
| Logic Cells | 2,880 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 360 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 40 |
| Maximum User I/O | 189 |
| Package | 240-BFQFP (PQFP-240) |
| Pin Count | 240 |
| Pitch | 0.5 mm |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V (MultiVolt) |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 200 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 0.6 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 70 °C (commercial) |
| Programming Interface | IEEE 1149.1 JTAG / ByteBlaster / USB-Blaster |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free -N suffix) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EPF10K50SQC240-2N 240-bfqfp (pqfp-240) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K50SQC240-2N (240-bfqfp (pqfp-240) 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 EPF10K50SQC240-2N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K50SQC240-2N is suitable for 6 applications: PCI Bus Interface Bridge, Custom DSP Co-Processor, Industrial Control Glue Logic, Telecommunications Line-Card Controller, Legacy System Prototyping & IP Validation, Aerospace & Defense Avionics Retrofit.
PCI Bus Interface Bridge
The EPF10K50SQC240-2N is well-suited for PCI 33 MHz / 66 MHz bus-bridge glue logic because its 50,000 system gates and 360 LABs comfortably absorb the state machines, FIFOs, and address-decoding required between a PCI bus master and a legacy peripheral. The MultiVolt I/O banks allow direct 5 V PCI signalling without external transceivers, while the embedded EABs provide up to 40 Kbits of dual-port RAM for transaction buffering. Designers typically implement target or master state machines plus a 32-bit datapath in roughly 60-70% of the available logic, leaving headroom for protocol extensions. Compared with a CPLD, this FPGA delivers the FIFOs and counters in silicon, eliminating external SRAM and reducing BOM cost and PCB area.
Recommended
Custom DSP Co-Processor
For mid-density DSP co-processing tasks such as FIR filters, FFT pre-processors, or custom cryptographic accelerators, the EPF10K50SQC240-2N provides 2,880 logic elements plus 40 EABs of distributed RAM that map efficiently to multiplier-emulator or barrel-shifter datapaths. Internal speeds up to 200 MHz (in the -2 speed grade) allow sustained 100 MHz complex-baseband processing in commercial-temperature designs. MultiVolt I/O lets the FPGA sit beside a 3.3 V DSP like the TMS320C6713 without level shifters. EABs can be cascaded by the Altera software into larger single- or dual-port SRAM blocks for coefficient storage. Designers porting legacy Altera DSP kits typically retain the same Quartus II IP without re-validation.
Recommended
Industrial Control Glue Logic
The EPF10K50SQC240-2N is widely deployed in industrial PLCs, motor controllers, and SCADA interface cards where it consolidates dozens of 74-series logic functions, encoders, and timing blocks into a single reprogrammable device. With 189 user I/Os, the part can absorb 80-100 discrete-logic equivalents in a typical design, freeing board space and reducing long-term obsolescence risk. The commercial 0-70 °C rating suits factory-floor enclosures; for harsher environments, the -2N industrial-grade EPF10K50EQI240-2N is the recommended upgrade. The 240-pin PQFP package is hand-solderable for rework and accepts standard JEDEC J-STD-020 reflow profiles.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line-Card Controller
In telecom line cards and base-station controllers, the EPF10K50SQC240-2N implements TDM bus aggregation, HDLC framing, and serializer/deserializer glue between framers and network processors. The 2.5 V core reduces power versus older 5 V FPGAs, while the 189 MultiVolt I/Os support direct 3.3 V LVTTL connections to T1/E1 transceivers and 5 V backplane interfaces. Embedded EABs implement small FIFOs between the TDM bus and packet interfaces, replacing external IDT7200-series asynchronous FIFOs. Long-lifecycle telecom programs (15+ years) rely on the EPF10K50 family because of its mature tooling and Intel PSG's longevity commitments.
Recommended
Legacy System Prototyping & IP Validation
The EPF10K50SQC240-2N remains a workhorse in academic and industrial prototyping labs for validating legacy Altera IP cores, re-hosting designs migrated from Classic and MAX families, and teaching FPGA design fundamentals. Quartus II Web Edition (free) supports the FLEX 10KE family, allowing students and engineers to compile, simulate, and program the device without licence fees. The 240-PQFP development board ecosystem is mature, with Altera Nios development kits (legacy) and third-party SameFrame prototyping boards providing 5 V / 3.3 V / 2.5 V mixed-voltage I/O. Newer designs should migrate to Cyclone IV or MAX 10, but the EPF10K50 family retains pedagogical value due to its clean architecture documentation.
Recommended
Aerospace & Defense Avionics Retrofit
Aerospace and defense retrofit programs with formal long-lifecycle commitments continue to specify the EPF10K50SQC240-2N because Intel PSG honors multi-decade supply agreements for avionics, MIL-STD-1553 bus interfaces, and flight-control subsystems. The -2N lead-free commercial variant is qualified to JEDEC J-STD-020 reflow, while extended-temperature FLEX 10KE variants support military operating ranges when paired with hermetic packaging. The 189 I/Os map efficiently to ARINC 429 / MIL-STD-1553 transceiver interfaces and discrete discretes in legacy avionics LRUs. The 240-PQFP package is also rad-tolerant-friendly when paired with appropriate lot-screening programs, making it a known-quantity part in established defense supply chains.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K50SQC240-2N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K50SQC240-2X | EPF10K50SQC240-1N | EPF10K50EQC240-2N | EPF10K130EQC240-2N | EPF10K200SRC240-2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 240-PQFP | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same |
| System Gates | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 130,000 | 200,000 |
| Logic Cells | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 8,160 | 9,920 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 1,020 | 1,240 |
| Maximum User I/O | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 186 | 182 |
| Speed Grade | -2 (~200 MHz) | -2 (~200 MHz) | -1 (~150 MHz) | -2 (~200 MHz) | -2 (~200 MHz) | -2 (~200 MHz) |
| EABs (Embedded RAM) | 40 × 2 Kbit | 40 × 2 Kbit | 40 × 2 Kbit | Enhanced EABs | Enhanced EABs | ESBs (Sync) |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | Yes (-N suffix) | No (leaded) | Yes (-N suffix) | Yes (-N suffix) | Yes (-N suffix) | Yes (-N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Lead-free RoHS compliance for new European designs (vs EPF10K50SQC240-2X)
- Same-package density upgrade path to 130K gates (vs EPF10K130EQC240-2N)
- -2 speed grade vs -1 grade for 33% higher internal frequency (vs EPF10K50SQC240-1N)
Design Notes
The EPF10K50SQC240-2N requires two supply rails: VCCINT = 2.5 V for the core logic and VCCIO = 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V for I/O banks. Per the FLEX 10KE datasheet, place a 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitor within 5 mm of every VCCINT / VCCIO pair and bulk 100 µF tantalum caps near each regulator output. Power sequencing is not required because VCCIO can be applied before or after VCCINT, but core current draw during configuration may spike to ~500 mA on the 50K-gate die. Estimated: typical post-configuration ICCINT ≈ 50 mA at 25 °C, VCCIO ≈ 10 mA per bank.
The 240-pin PQFP package has a 0.5 mm pitch and 32 mm × 32 mm body, requiring 4-layer PCB routing with 8 mil traces and 8 mil spaces for break-out under the leads. Per Altera SameFrame design guidelines, fan-out can use either dog-bone or via-in-pad (filled and capped). Exposed thermal pad is not present on this PQFP, so heatsinking is unnecessary; however, designers should still provide a copper pour on the top layer for thermal spreading. JTAG chain pinout (TCK / TMS / TDI / TDO) must be brought to a 0.1-inch header for ByteBlaster or USB-Blaster programming access.
Critical pitfalls when designing with the EPF10K50SQC240-2N: (1) Quartus II support ended at version 13.0sp1 / Quartus Prime 15.1 - do not attempt compilation in newer Quartus releases. (2) Configuration device selection must match: use EPC2LC20 for 5.0 V VCCIO or EPC2LC20N for 3.3 V VCCIO; an EPC1 is undersized. (3) The MSEL pins select configuration mode (Passive Serial / JTAG / Passive Parallel) and must be hard-wired or jumpered per the FLEX 10KE handbook. (4) nCONFIG must be held high via a 10 kΩ pull-up after power-up; leaving it floating can prevent configuration. (5) The CONF_DONE pin requires a 10 kΩ pull-up to VCCIO to indicate successful configuration.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant confirmed by -N suffix per Altera ordering information and JEDEC J-STD-020. Lead-free assembly confirmed. REACH SVHC, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status not provided in the source web data; request Intel PSG substance declaration for aerospace / automotive customers.
