EPF10K50VQC240-2 - 50K Gate FLEX-10K FPGA, 240-BFQFP | Altera
MPN: EPF10K50VQC240-2 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48.5 | $48.50 |
| 10 | $42 | $420.00 |
| 100 | $36.5 | $3,650.00 |
| 250 | $32 | $8,000.00 |
| 500 | $28.75 | $14,375.00 |
EPF10K50VQC240-2 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs / LABs), programmable interconnect, and I/O cells that can be re-programmed by the customer after manufacture to implement arbitrary digital logic. FPGAs sit between fixed-function ASICs and software-programmable processors: they offer hardware-level parallelism and deterministic timing without the NRE cost of an ASIC, while providing far higher logic density than discrete glue logic. The FLEX 10K family pioneered the concept of an Embedded Array Block (EAB), allowing on-chip implementation of RAM, ROM, FIFO, and multiplier functions alongside general-purpose logic.
Key features of the EPF10K50VQC240-2 include MultiVolt I/O (supporting 5.0 V, 3.3 V, and 2.5 V interface voltages on the same die), 360 LABs arranged in rows and columns, a FastTrack continuous interconnect structure that delivers predictable interconnect delays, built-in low-skew clock distribution trees, JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) boundary-scan test support, and in-system configurability via the Altera serial configuration scheme. The device operates over the commercial 0 C to +70 C temperature range and supports 100 percent functional testing of all devices prior to shipment.
Architecturally, the FLEX 10K fabric combines 100 percent interconnect-driven logic synthesis with embedded array blocks that can be configured as memory or wide-gate logic. The LUT-based logic elements deliver fast, deterministic timing suitable for state machines, datapath control, bus interfacing, and DSP pre/post-processing. The MultiVolt I/O ring supports mixed-voltage system designs (e.g., 5 V legacy peripherals alongside a 3.3 V processor) without external level shifters, simplifying board layout.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, industrial control and factory automation controllers, glue-logic consolidation in networking equipment, ASIC prototyping, DSP co-processing front-ends, military and avionics subsystems, and legacy system sustainment where original ASICs are no longer available. The 240-BFQFP package also enables hand-rework and socketed prototyping for low-volume designs.
When designing with this device, observe the FLEX 10K configuration scheme requirements: an external configuration EPROM (typically EPC2 or EPC1) or controller is required for SRAM-based configuration at power-up. Plan for a 3.3 V core / 5.0 V I/O power tree, in-rush limiting on VCCINT, and proper decoupling (0.1 uF per power pin plus bulk) to keep simultaneous-switching noise within the device's I/O specifications.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-brand and cross-brand alternatives sourced from the Site MPN catalog, and practical design notes drawn from the Altera FLEX 10K datasheet family - information not found on any single distributor product page.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K50VQC240-2 β 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 EPF10K50VQC240-2 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Configuration Method, Mounting Type, Family, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K50VQC240-1
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$55.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF10K50VQC240-2N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$10.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF10K50EQC240-2
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$65 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF10K50EQC240-1
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$26.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF10K50EQC240-2N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$87.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF10K50EQC240-3
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$21 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF10K50VQC240-2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 10K |
| Series | FLEX-10K |
| Typical Gate Count | 50,000 gates |
| Logic Elements (LABs) | 360 |
| Logic Cells | 2,880 |
| Embedded Array Memory | 20,480 bits |
| User I/O Pins | 189 |
| Package | 240-BFQFP (240-PQFP / FQFP / QFP-240) |
| Number of Terminals | 240 |
| Terminal Form | Gull Wing |
| Package Code | FQFP |
| Package Shape | Square |
| Process Technology | 0.42 micrometer CMOS, 4-layer metal |
| Core Supply Voltage | 3.3 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (MultiVolt) | 5.0 V / 3.3 V / 2.5 V |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 125 MHz |
| Propagation Delay (typical) | 0.6 ns |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial |
| Configuration Scheme | SRAM-based, serial / parallel via EPC1/EPC2 |
| JTAG / Boundary Scan | IEEE 1149.1 compliant |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EPF10K50VQC240-2 square Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K50VQC240-2 (square 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 EPF10K50VQC240-2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K50VQC240-2 is suitable for 7 applications: Legacy Telecom Line Card Glue Logic, Industrial Control and Factory Automation Controllers, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Military and Avionics Legacy Subsystems, Networking Equipment Bus Bridging, DSP Co-Processing Front-End, Test and Measurement Instrumentation Backplane.
Legacy Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The EPF10K50VQC240-2 is widely deployed in legacy telecom line cards and access-multiplexer equipment where the FLEX 10K fabric consolidates bus-bridge, framer, and timing-recovery glue logic that would otherwise require multiple discrete PAL/GAL devices. Its 189 user I/Os comfortably drive address/data buses across the backplane, while 20,480 bits of embedded array memory implement small FIFOs and lookup tables for protocol conversion. The MultiVolt I/O ring is particularly valuable in these designs because legacy telecom boards mix 5 V framing ASICs with 3.3 V processors, and the FLEX 10K can interface to both without external level shifters. Continued availability through distributors like DigiKey (4161688) makes it feasible to sustain these installed systems without a board respin.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation Controllers
In factory-automation PLCs and motor-drive controllers, the EPF10K50VQC240-2 handles encoder decoding, PWM generation, fieldbus interface state machines, and safety logic consolidation. The 360 LABs and 2,880 logic cells are sufficient to implement multi-axis motion control plus HMI bus bridging in a single device, while 0.6 ns propagation delay supports deterministic interrupt response in hard-real-time control loops. The commercial 0 C to +70 C temperature range fits most indoor control-cabinet environments, and the 240-BFQFP gull-wing package is well-suited to wave-soldered or hand-reworked industrial boards. Engineers sustain these designs because the installed base runs for 15-20 years and the FLEX 10K footprint is already validated against IEC 61131-3 and IEC 61508 SIL-2 firmware baselines.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EPF10K50VQC240-2 is a workhorse for ASIC prototyping because its FLEX 10K fabric is large enough (50K gates / 360 LABs) to map meaningful blocks of a target ASIC while still being affordable and reprogrammable. Multi-FLEX-10K boards are chained via JTAG to emulate multi-million-gate ASICs at full speed, and the FLEX 10K's predictable FastTrack interconnect timing makes gate-level mapping back to the ASIC clean. The 240-BFQFP package sits comfortably in a socketed prototyping carrier, allowing engineers to swap parts during debug. SRAM-based configurability means design iterations take minutes rather than the weeks an ASIC tape-out requires, which is why FLEX 10K remained in many verification labs long after its production end-of-life.
Recommended
Military and Avionics Legacy Subsystems
Military and avionics programs with long field-life (20-30 years) routinely sustain FLEX 10K-based subsystems where the original ASICs are no longer available and a board redesign would require re-qualification under DO-254 or MIL-STD-810. The EPF10K50VQC240-2's commercial temperature grade (0 C to +70 C) suits equipment bays, while 189 user I/Os and 0.6 ns timing support MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and discrete-signal interfaces. Because these programs are certified against a specific part number, the same-family drop-in alternatives (EPF10K50VQC240-1, EPF10K50VQC240-2N) are critical for ongoing production. Authorized defense distributors maintain traceable, conformal-coated supply chains for these FLEX 10K parts.
Recommended
Networking Equipment Bus Bridging
Routers, switches, and base-station controllers built in the early 2000s use the EPF10K50VQC240-2 to bridge between PCI, Utopia, POS-PHY, and proprietary network-processor buses, off-loading protocol translation that would otherwise consume ASIC gates. The 20,480 bits of embedded array memory implement small cell buffers and address-lookup FIFOs directly on-chip, reducing external SRAM. The FLEX 10K's 125 MHz internal frequency keeps up with OC-3 / OC-12 line-rate processing, and the 240-BFQFP's high pin count supports the wide parallel buses typical in legacy network processor designs. Migrating these designs to a modern FPGA requires a full firmware and PCB revision, so sustaining with stock FLEX 10K parts is often the lower-risk path.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Front-End
The EPF10K50VQC240-2 pairs with a DSP (e.g., TI TMS320C6x or Analog Devices SHARC) as a pre/post-processing front-end, offloading FIR filtering, FFT pre-processing, data-format conversion, and custom peripheral glue logic from the DSP core. The FLEX 10K's deterministic 0.6 ns interconnect delay allows precise cycle-by-cycle scheduling of streaming-data handshakes with the DSP HPI or external memory interface, while the 189 user I/Os accommodate wide data buses plus DMA and interrupt signals. In sonar, radar, software-defined-radio, and instrumentation pipelines, this architecture lets the DSP focus on algorithmic compute while the FPGA handles high-bandwidth I/O - a pattern still found in long-lived defense and test-equipment designs.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation Backplane
Bench-top and ATE-class test instruments often embed the EPF10K50VQC240-2 as a backplane controller, sequencing stimulus and response paths between instrument modules, formatting display data, and arbitrating GPIB / LXI / VXI communication. The 189 user I/Os and 0.6 ns propagation delay support real-time trigger distribution across multi-slot instrument mainframes, while the FLEX 10K's reprogrammability lets manufacturers introduce new measurement routines via firmware-only updates. Because T&M equipment has very long field lifetimes and the calibration baseline is tied to specific hardware, sustaining the FLEX 10K supply chain is operationally critical - which is why EPF10K50VQC240-2 stock continues to move through legacy distributors as of 2026.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K50VQC240-2 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K50VQC240-1 | EPF10K50VQC240-2N | EPF10K50EQC240-2 | EPF10K50EQC240-1 | EPF10K50EQC240-2N | EPF10K50EQC240-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 240-BFQFP | 240-BFQFP - same | 240-BFQFP - same | 240-BFQFP - same | 240-BFQFP - same | 240-BFQFP - same | 240-BFQFP - same |
| Speed Grade | -2 | -1 (slower) | -2 (same) | -2 (same, enhanced process) | -1 (slower, enhanced) | -2 (same, enhanced, Pb-free) | -3 (faster, enhanced) |
| Logic Cells | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 |
| LABs | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 |
| User I/O | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 |
| Terminal Finish | SnPb (lead-bearing) | SnPb | Pb-free (matte tin) | SnPb | SnPb | Pb-free | SnPb |
| Process Generation | Original V-series (0.42 um) | Original V-series | Original V-series | Enhanced E-series (lower power) | Enhanced E-series | Enhanced E-series | Enhanced E-series |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (legacy stock) | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Lead-free RoHS-compatible variant available in same package (vs EPF10K50VQC240-1)
- Mid-speed grade balances timing closure and yield (vs EPF10K50VQC240-1)
- Original V-series matches existing design databases (vs EPF10K50EQC240-2)
Design Notes
The FLEX 10K EPF10K50VQC240-2 requires a 3.3 V VCCINT rail and a separate VCCIO rail (2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V per MultiVolt I/O configuration). Decouple every VCCINT/VCCIO pin with a 0.1 uF ceramic plus a 10 uF tantalum bulk cap within 5 mm of the package. In-rush current during SRAM configuration can spike above 1 A; sequence VCCINT before VCCIO and add a soft-start circuit (e.g., 1 ohm + 100 uF) on VCCINT if the upstream regulator cannot handle the surge. Estimated: a fully configured EPF10K50V with all 189 I/Os switching simultaneously draws roughly 500-700 mA from VCCINT.
The 240-BFQFP has a 0.5 mm pin pitch and 32 mm body size - escape routing requires inner micro-via layers (HDI stack-up recommended). Route all 189 user I/O signals on the top two layers with matched-length pairing for clock-distributed buses; keep JTAG (TDI/TDO/TMS/TCK) traces under 50 mm and isolated from switching outputs to avoid boundary-scan false triggers. Place the EPC2 (or EPC1) configuration EPROM within 50 mm of nSTATUS/CONF_DONE/DCLK/DATA to meet FLEX 10K configuration timing.
Three common pitfalls when sustaining the obsolete EPF10K50VQC240-2: (1) sourcing unmarked or relabeled parts from brokers - always demand a Certificate of Conformance and visual inspection; (2) mismatching the VCCINT voltage - the 'V' prefix means 3.3 V core, not 5.0 V, so do NOT confuse with EPF10K50SQC240 parts; (3) running modern Quartus versions - FLEX 10K is supported only by MAX+PLUS II and Quartus II v9.1sp2 or earlier - plan to freeze tool versions for sustaining firmware builds.
Compliance Information
Base EPF10K50VQC240-2 uses SnPb terminal finish (non-RoHS); the EPF10K50VQC240-2N variant is the lead-free RoHS-compliant alternative in the same package. Verified Web Data did not include an explicit RoHS/REACH declaration; status inferred from Altera's legacy FLEX 10K ordering codes.
