EPF10K50SQC240-3N - FLEX 10KE 50K Gates FPGA, 240-PQFP | Altera / Intel
MPN: EPF10K50SQC240-3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $95 | $95.00 |
| 10 | $88.5 | $885.00 |
| 100 | $78 | $7,800.00 |
| 500 | $68.5 | $34,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $60 | $60,000.00 |
EPF10K50SQC240-3N Overview
Background: An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that combines the integration density of a gate array with the design flexibility of user-defined interconnect. FPGAs sit in the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which include SPLDs, CPLDs, and FPGAs. The FLEX 10KE family pioneered embedded array blocks (EABs) for System-on-a-Programmable-Chip (SOPC) integration, blending dedicated SRAM blocks with general-purpose logic for memory-intensive glue logic, datapath, and bus-interface applications. The EPF10K50SQC240-3N occupies the mid-density position of that family.
Key features include 40,960 system gates, 2,880 logic cells, 12 embedded array blocks (EABs) providing up to 24 Kbits of on-chip SRAM, 360 LABs of structured logic, 189 user I/Os, and a 0.6000 ns pin-to-pin propagation delay. IEEE Std. 1149.1 JTAG boundary-scan is supported, with built-in test circuitry adding up to 31,250 gates of dedicated test logic. MultiVolt I/O compatibility lets the device interface with 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5.0 V logic rails from a single 2.5 V VCCINT supply.
The FLEX 10KE architecture uses a four-input look-up table (LUT) with a fast carry chain, providing predictable 0.6 ns combinational delay and dedicated high-speed interconnect for arithmetic and bus functions. The 12 EABs each implement 2 Kbits of dual-port RAM, ROM, or product-term logic, enabling efficient FIFO, CAM, and datapath designs without external memory.
Typical applications include glue-logic integration between microprocessors and peripherals, PCI bus interface controllers, high-speed datapath and FIFO buffers, telecom backplane glue logic, industrial control state machines, and legacy 5 V-tolerant bridges between modern 3.3 V controllers and 5 V peripherals. Designers migrating from discrete TTL/CMOS glue can consolidate dozens of packages into one FLEX 10KE device.
When designing with the EPF10K50SQC240-3N, ensure proper decoupling on VCCINT and VCCIO pins, observe JTAG chain integrity for in-system programming, and verify timing closure with the Quartus II design tool that targets the FLEX 10KE family. The -3 speed grade is preferred when the design is timing-critical; the -1 or -2 grades can be used when Fmax is not the limiting factor.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, SameFrame pin-compatible migration paths, and FLEX 10KE design notes not consolidated in the original Altera datasheet, enabling faster part selection, sourcing, and PCB layout decisions for legacy FPGA retrofits.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K50SQC240-3N — 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 EPF10K50SQC240-3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Package, Family, Configuration Method.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K50SQC240-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$36.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50SQC240-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$67.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50SQC240-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$142.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$59.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$21 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$87.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50EQC240-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$132.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50SQC240-3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 10KE |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 |
| System Gates | 40,960 |
| Logic Cells / Elements | 2,880 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 360 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 12 |
| On-chip EAB Memory | 24 Kbits |
| User I/Os | 189 (per DigiKey listing); 274 user I/Os (per Digchip listing) |
| Number of I/Os (per distributor) | 189 (DigiKey / Mouser) |
| Propagation Delay (tpd) | 0.6 ns |
| Internal Frequency (Fmax) | 166.67 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | MultiVolt: 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V tolerant |
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (Power Quad Flat Pack), 34.60 x 34.6 mm, 0.5 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 70 °C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | -3 (faster Fmax) |
| Lead-Free Finish (N suffix) | Yes |
| JTAG Boundary Scan | IEEE Std. 1149.1 compliant |
| Programming Technology | SRAM-based, in-system reconfigurable via JTAG |
| Design Tool | Altera Quartus II (FLEX 10KE support) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free N suffix) |
EPF10K50SQC240-3N 240-pin pqfp (power quad flat pack), 34.60 x 34.6 mm, 0.5 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K50SQC240-3N (240-pin pqfp (power quad flat pack), 34.60 x 34.6 mm, 0.5 mm pitch 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 EPF10K50SQC240-3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K50SQC240-3N is suitable for 7 applications: Legacy PCI Bus Bridge and Interface Controller, Industrial Control State Machine and Glue Logic, Telecom Backplane Glue Logic and Datapath Buffer, 5 V to 3.3 V Logic Level Bridge / Mixed-Voltage Bus Adapter, High-Speed FIFO and Datapath Buffer Subsystem, Prototyping Platform for Microprocessor Peripheral Glue, Legacy Avionics / Defense Retrofit Replacement FPGA.
Legacy PCI Bus Bridge and Interface Controller
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N fits legacy 32-bit/33 MHz PCI bus bridge designs because its 50K gates and 360 LABs provide enough logic for target/initiator state machines plus parity and interrupt handling, while its MultiVolt I/O banks let it interface directly to 5 V PCI slots from a 2.5 V core. The 12 EABs (24 Kbits of on-chip RAM) implement FIFOs and configuration-header registers without external memory, and the -3 speed grade comfortably meets the 33 MHz PCI clock with margin. Designers migrating from discrete TTL/CMOS glue typically consolidate 8-12 packages into one FLEX 10KE. Use the Quartus II PCI MegaCore function to accelerate development and validate bus compliance with the PCI SIG checklist.
Recommended
Industrial Control State Machine and Glue Logic
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N is a strong fit for industrial PLC and motion-control glue logic because its 2,880 logic elements handle multi-axis state machines, encoder interfaces, and HMI data routing while the 189 user I/Os in the 240-PQFP package expose enough pins for parallel encoder, limit-switch, and relay-driver interfaces. The commercial 0-70 °C operating range covers most factory-floor enclosures, and the 5 V-tolerant I/O simplifies integration with legacy 5 V sensor and actuator boards. Industrial designers value the JTAG boundary-scan for in-system test (ICT) on densely populated control backplanes. Quartus II's industrial-reference design examples accelerate EtherCAT, Modbus, and CAN-bridge state-machine implementations.
Recommended
Telecom Backplane Glue Logic and Datapath Buffer
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N integrates telecom-backplane glue logic such as TDM bus multiplexing, line-card framing, and clock-domain crossing by combining 360 LABs for control logic with 12 EABs of dual-port RAM for elastic store buffers and lookup tables. The -3 grade's 166.67 MHz Fmax comfortably supports E1/T1 and 155 MHz STS-3 datapaths, and the 5 V-tolerant MultiVolt I/O is ideal for legacy backplanes that still use 5 V TTL signaling. Designers use the on-chip EABs as small FIFO / shift-register banks instead of external SRAM, reducing board area. FLEX 10KE BSDL files support board-level boundary-scan test during manufacturing.
Recommended
5 V to 3.3 V Logic Level Bridge / Mixed-Voltage Bus Adapter
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N is well suited as a mixed-voltage bus adapter because its MultiVolt I/O banks support 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5.0 V on a single die from a 2.5 V VCCINT supply, eliminating external level-shifters between a legacy 5 V peripheral bus and a modern 3.3 V microcontroller. The 189 user I/Os and 360 LABs can implement multi-master arbitration, address-latching, and wait-state generation in a single chip, replacing 4-6 discrete 74-series glue packages. The N-suffix Pb-free finish satisfies RoHS re-design requirements. Designers can use the same Quartus II project to drive both 5 V and 3.3 V banks with mixed-voltage assignments per pin.
Recommended
High-Speed FIFO and Datapath Buffer Subsystem
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N serves as a high-speed FIFO and datapath buffer subsystem because its 12 EABs provide 24 Kbits of dual-port SRAM that can be cascaded into variable-width / variable-depth FIFOs for streaming video, ADC/DAC buffering, and packet reassembly. The 0.6 ns propagation delay supports clock-domain crossing at SDR/DDR rates, and the 166.67 MHz Fmax of the -3 grade covers 100 MHz Ethernet-side buffering plus margin. The 189 user I/Os in the 240-PQFP expose enough pins to implement parallel LVTTL / HSTL datapaths. Quartus II's FIFO MegaCore function targets FLEX 10KE EABs and generates timing-closed FIFO IP in minutes.
Recommended
Prototyping Platform for Microprocessor Peripheral Glue
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N is widely used as a rapid-prototyping platform for microprocessor peripheral glue because its 50K gates and SRAM-based reconfigurability let designers iterate on bus-interface, memory-controller, and interrupt-logic revisions in minutes via JTAG. The 240-PQFP package is breadboard-friendly for prototype builds, and the Quartus II toolchain supports soft-core processors (Nios, Nios II) targeting FLEX 10KE, enabling custom SoC prototyping. The on-chip EABs emulate external SRAM or ROM during bring-up, and BSDL files support board-level test on prototype runs. The same hardware can be reprogrammed to test multiple peripheral options without re-spinning the board.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics / Defense Retrofit Replacement FPGA
The EPF10K50SQC240-3N fits legacy avionics and defense retrofit applications because its commercial operating temperature (0-70 °C), wide I/O voltage tolerance (2.5/3.3/5 V), and JTAG boundary-scan simplify drop-in replacement of obsolete 74-series and PAL-based glue logic on long-lived platforms. Its Pb-free N-suffix finish and SameFrame pin-compatible 240-PQFP package allow direct insertion into existing PCBs, and the FLEX 10KE BSDL files streamline board-level test on retrofit assemblies. Designers use it to consolidate aging discrete logic, add new sensor interfaces, and extend platform life cycles without re-qualifying the entire board. The Altera/Intel PSG documentation archive preserves design references for long-term support.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K50SQC240-3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K50SQC240-2N | EPF10K50SQC240-1N | EPF10K50EQC240-3N | EPF10K50EQC240-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 240-PQFP (34.6 x 34.6 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same | 240-PQFP - same |
| Brand | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel |
| Family / Revision | FLEX 10KE, 'S' standard | FLEX 10KE, 'S' standard | FLEX 10KE, 'S' standard | FLEX 10KE, 'E' enhanced | FLEX 10KE, 'E' enhanced |
| Speed Grade | -3 (166.67 MHz) | -2 (lower Fmax) | -1 (lowest Fmax) | -3 (166.67 MHz, 'E' revision) | -3 (166.67 MHz, 'E' revision) |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 2,880 (same die) | 2,880 (same die) | 2,880 (same die, 'E' revision) | 2,880 (same die, 'E' revision) |
| User I/Os | 189 | 189 (same die) | 189 (same die) | 189 (same die) | 189 (same die) |
| EAB / On-chip RAM | 12 EABs / 24 Kbits | 12 EABs / 24 Kbits | 12 EABs / 24 Kbits | 12 EABs / 24 Kbits | 12 EABs / 24 Kbits |
| Pb-free Finish (N suffix) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Key Differentiators
- Highest Fmax in the 240-PQFP FLEX 10KE family (vs EPF10K50SQC240-2N)
- Drop-in compatibility with the 'E' enhanced revision (vs EPF10K50EQC240-3N)
- Pb-free lead finish on the highest speed grade (vs EPF10K50EQC240-3)
Design Notes
Estimated: VCCINT 2.5 V core current scales roughly with clock frequency and logic utilization; for a typical 50% utilization at 100 MHz the EPF10K50 draws on the order of 200-400 mA from VCCINT, plus VCCIO current proportional to switching I/O count. Place one 0.1 µF and one 10 µF decoupling capacitor pair per VCCINT/VCCIO pin group, and use a wide power plane under the 240-PQFP to keep inductance below 1 nH for the bulk capacitors. Add a ferrite bead between the 2.5 V regulator and the FPGA VCCINT pins to suppress switching-noise injection from adjacent digital loads.
The 240-PQFP 0.5 mm pitch footprint requires strict solder-paste-stencil aperture control (typically 4-5 mil thickness, 1:1 aperture-to-pad ratio) and a 240-pin land pattern following IPC-7351 PQFP guidelines. Add a thermal copper pour under the package body to spread heat from the ~2 W typical dissipation; the 240-PQFP does not have an exposed thermal pad, so heat exits primarily through the peripheral leads. JTAG TDI/TDO/TMS/TCK pins must be brought out to a 2x5 0.1" header or USB-Blaster footprint, and the nCONFIG/nSTATUS pull-ups must be 4.7 kΩ to VCCIO to guarantee configuration-mode entry.
Do not mix 5 V and 3.3 V signals on the same VCCIO bank - the FLEX 10KE allows MultiVolt I/O per bank but the reference voltage must be set correctly with VREF pins, otherwise LVTTL inputs can be damaged by 5 V transients. Ensure configuration mode pins MSEL0/MSEL1 are strapped to match the desired JTAG/PS configuration mode on every POR, since floating MSEL pins may place the device into an unsupported mode. The 240-PQFP lead-free (N-suffix) finish requires SAC305 lead-free reflow profiles with a peak of 245 °C; using SnPb profiles on Pb-free parts will void RoHS compliance but is sometimes done for prototyping.
For DDR or source-synchronous interfaces above 100 MHz, constrain the top 8-12 FPGA clock pins with matched-length traces within 50 mil tolerance and use series damping resistors near the driver to control overshoot on the 240-PQFP lead frame. The 0.5 mm-pitch leads introduce ~1 nH of lead inductance per pin, so high-speed outputs may need 22-33 Ω series termination to dampen ringing. Quartus II's TimeQuest timing analyzer should be used to validate setup/hold margins on all I/O constraints before board fab; do not rely on the older Max+Plus II timing reports for FLEX 10KE designs.
Compliance Information
Pb-free (N suffix) per verified distributor data; RoHS compliant. Halogen-free and conflict-minerals status not in verified data. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a commercial-grade FPGA.
