EPF10K50VRC240-3N - 50K-Gate FLEX 10K FPGA, 189 I/O, 240-RQFP | Intel
MPN: EPF10K50VRC240-3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $85 | $85.00 |
| 10 | $78.5 | $785.00 |
| 100 | $69.9 | $6,990.00 |
| 250 | $64.2 | $16,050.00 |
| 500 | $58.75 | $29,375.00 |
EPF10K50VRC240-3N Overview
What is a FLEX 10K FPGA? The FLEX 10K family was one of the industry's first embedded programmable logic device families, providing System-on-a-Programmable-Chip (SOPC) integration. It combines a fine-grained Logic Element (LE) fabric with coarse-grained Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) that can be configured as RAM, ROM, or multiplier blocks. As an SRAM-based PLD, the FLEX 10K sits within the broader hierarchy: programmable logic device -> PLD -> FPGA -> SRAM-based FPGA -> embedded-array FPGA -> FLEX 10K family. The 'V' suffix in the package code denotes the 240-RQFP option, and the speed grade '-3' places it in the mid-tier of FLEX 10K performance bins.
Key differentiating features of the EPF10K50VRC240-3N include its 189 available user I/Os, the high-density 360-LAB fabric that allows efficient state-machine and datapath partitioning, 0.42 µm CMOS process for low static power, and propagation delay figures consistent with a -3 speed grade at 0.6 ns internal. Each EAB provides 2,048 bits of memory that can be cascaded to form FIFOs, ROM look-up tables, or DSP multiplier blocks. The device is in-system programmable through the Altera/Quartus ByteBlaster or compatible JTAG-style configuration paths.
Architecturally, the FLEX 10K combines a sea-of-LEs routing fabric with embedded array blocks arranged in columns. Configuration is stored in SRAM cells, meaning the device must be reconfigured on every power-up - the configuration bitstream is typically loaded from a serial PROM. The 'RC240' package suffix identifies the 240-pin Power QFP with exposed thermal pad for improved heat dissipation at high toggle rates.
Typical applications include industrial glue logic replacement, communications protocol bridging, and legacy ASIC prototyping. Engineers select this part when migrating older Altera designs to a known-stable platform, or when the specific I/O count and LAB density match an existing PCB layout. The 240-RQFP package is also well-suited to designs where fine-pitch BGA rework tools are not available, since QFP leads are easier to inspect and rework with conventional soldering equipment.
When designing with this part, observe the 3.3 V I/O and core supply requirements and use the Quartus II design software (or compatible legacy tools) for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure. Confirm whether active inventory is needed or whether the legacy part can be replaced with a newer Cyclone device - the FLEX 10K family has been superseded by Intel's Cyclone and MAX families for new designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF10K50VRC240-3N — 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 EPF10K50VRC240-3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Configuration Method, Family, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF10K50RC240-3
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View Datasheet →EPF10K50VRC240-3
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View Datasheet →EPF10K50VRC240-2N
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$81.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50VRC240-1N
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$28.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF10K50VRC240-2
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View Datasheet →EPF10K50VRC240-1
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View Datasheet →EPF10K50VRC240-3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | FLEX 10K |
| Family | FLEX 10K (Altera / Intel) |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 |
| Logic Cells / Logic Elements | 2,880 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 360 |
| Embedded Array Bits | 20,480 bits (EABs) |
| Maximum User I/O | 189 |
| Core Voltage | 3.3 V |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 125 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 0.6 ns (per digchip datasheet snippet) |
| Process Technology | 0.42 µm CMOS, SRAM-based |
| Package | 240-RQFP (RQFP / Power QFP) with exposed pad |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +70 °C (Commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Method | SRAM, in-system programmable via JTAG / serial PROM |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
EPF10K50VRC240-3N 240-rqfp (rqfp / power qfp) with exposed pad Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF10K50VRC240-3N (240-rqfp (rqfp / power qfp) with exposed pad 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 EPF10K50VRC240-3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF10K50VRC240-3N is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Industrial Glue Logic Replacement, Communications Protocol Bridging, Legacy ASIC Prototyping, Test & Measurement Instrumentation Front-End, Avionics & Defense Legacy Systems, Educational & University FPGA Labs.
Legacy Industrial Glue Logic Replacement
The EPF10K50VRC240-3N is widely deployed as a drop-in replacement for aging discrete TTL/CMOS glue logic in industrial control systems. Its 2,880 logic elements and 360 LABs comfortably absorb dozens of 74-series MSI functions - decoders, multiplexers, latches, and small state machines - into a single package. The 189 user I/Os of the 240-RQFP match the typical bus width of legacy backplanes (16- or 32-bit data plus 32-64 address/control), and the 0.6 ns internal propagation delay enables cycle times compatible with industrial bus standards. Designers value the FLEX 10K for retrofits because the 240-RQFP footprint is hand-solderable with conventional hot-air tools, unlike BGAs that require X-ray inspection.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridging
The 50K-gate capacity and 189 I/Os of the EPF10K50VRC240-3N make it well suited to bridging legacy parallel-bus protocols (ISA, PCI, VME) to modern serial links in telecom and datacom equipment. The 20,480 embedded-array bits can implement small FIFOs, CRC engines, or address-mapping tables without consuming logic-cell resources. Internal frequencies of 125 MHz in the -3 speed grade support the line rates of T1/E1 bridges and low-speed SERDES glue. The 240-RQFP package remains attractive in industrial telecom where field-repairability is more important than board density, and the exposed pad handles the thermal load of continuous high-utilization routing.
Recommended
Legacy ASIC Prototyping
The EPF10K50VRC240-3N serves as a cost-effective prototyping vehicle for ASIC designs in the 30K-50K-gate complexity class. Its 2,880 logic elements and 20,480 bits of embedded RAM can model a wide variety of mid-complexity ASIC blocks - microcontrollers, peripheral controllers, DSP datapaths - at speeds close to the eventual silicon. The 240-RQFP package is also convenient for prototype boards that need to be reworked multiple times during design iterations. The -3 speed grade at 125 MHz internal is generally fast enough to validate critical paths before committing to a mask set, and Quartus II 9.0 with FLEX 10K support remains freely available from the Intel FPGA legacy archive.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation Front-End
The FLEX 10K EAB memory and high I/O count support the parallel data-acquisition front-ends found in legacy oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers. The 189 I/Os accept wide parallel buses from ADC front-ends, and the embedded array bits implement capture buffers up to 2,560 bytes per EAB cascade. The 3.3 V I/O of the EPF10K50VRC240-3N interfaces directly with TTL/CMOS ADCs and comparators of the era without level shifters. Engineers continue to specify this part for maintaining long-lifecycle test equipment in aerospace and defense where re-qualification of a newer Cyclone family would be prohibitively expensive.
Recommended
Avionics & Defense Legacy Systems
The EPF10K50VRC240-3N remains in service on legacy military and aerospace platforms where the original FLEX 10K design has been flight-qualified and re-qualification with a different FPGA family would require costly DO-254 or MIL-STD-882 certification work. The 240-RQFP package is preferred over BGAs in such applications because QFP leads can be visually inspected and reworked in depot-level maintenance. The commercial 0-70 °C operating range covers most benign avionics environments, while the -3 speed grade at 125 MHz is sufficient for MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and similar legacy avionics databuses. Cross-brand equivalents from Xilinx or Microsemi do not share the same 240-RQFP footprint.
Recommended
Educational & University FPGA Labs
The EPF10K50VRC240-3N is a popular teaching vehicle in university FPGA labs because the 240-RQFP package is easy for students to hand-solder on breakout boards and the FLEX 10K architecture is simpler than newer families. The 50K-gate density is appropriate for textbook exercises - simple CPUs, peripheral controllers, signal-processing pipelines - without overwhelming student budgets. The exposed pad aids thermal dissipation during extended lab sessions. Quartus II 9.0 Web Edition remains free for educational use, providing synthesis, place-and-route, and simulation. The -3 speed grade gives students enough headroom to experiment with timing closure concepts.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF10K50VRC240-3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF10K50RC240-3 | EPF10K50VRC240-3 | EPF10K50VRC240-2N | EPF10K50VRC240-1N | EPF10K50VRC240-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 240-RQFP | 240-RQFP | 240-RQFP | 240-RQFP | 240-RQFP | 240-RQFP |
| Speed Grade | -3 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -1 | -2 |
| RoHS / Lead-Free (N suffix) | Yes | Unknown | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Maximum User I/O | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 | 189 |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 | 20,480 |
| Internal Frequency (max) | 125 MHz | 125 MHz | 125 MHz | ~110 MHz | ~95 MHz | ~110 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.42 µm CMOS | 0.42 µm CMOS | 0.42 µm CMOS | 0.42 µm CMOS | 0.42 µm CMOS | 0.42 µm CMOS |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-tier FLEX 10K speed grade (-3) with 240-RQFP exposed-pad package (vs EPF10K50VRC240-2N)
- RoHS-compliant lead-free package finish (vs EPF10K50VRC240-3 (no 'N'))
- Largest I/O count in the EPF10K50 240-RQFP family (vs EPF10K30RC240-3)
Design Notes
The EPF10K50VRC240-3N requires a stable 3.3 V core supply with a tolerance of ±5% (3.135 V to 3.465 V) per the FLEX 10K datasheet. Decoupling: place one 0.1 µF X7R ceramic capacitor adjacent to every VCCINT/VCCIO pin pair, plus a single 47 µF tantalum bulk capacitor near the package. VCCIO can be set to 3.3 V or 2.5 V depending on the I/O standard mix; consult Quartus II pin planner before board layout. Estimated: ICC core current scales with toggle rate; at 50% utilization expect ~150-300 mA ICCINT.
Estimated: at 25 °C ambient with the 240-RQFP exposed pad soldered to a 4-layer PCB with 2 oz copper on top/bottom, theta_JA is approximately 18-22 °C/W. With the -3 speed grade at full I/O toggle (189 I/Os, 50 MHz), expect ~1.5 W dissipation. To keep junction below 85 °C commercial limit, ambient must stay under 65 °C with this thermal envelope. In enclosed industrial cabinets, attach the exposed pad to a copper pour of at least 1 square inch and consider forced-air cooling above 40 °C ambient.
Three common pitfalls when designing with the EPF10K50VRC240-3N: (1) The device is SRAM-based - it loses configuration on every power cycle. Always include a configuration PROM (EPC2, EPC8, or compatible) or a microcontroller-based load path. (2) The exposed pad on the 240-RQFP is electrically connected to GND and must be soldered for thermal performance; leaving it floating degrades heat dissipation by 30-40%. (3) Quartus Prime (modern) does NOT support FLEX 10K - use Quartus II Web Edition 9.0 or MAX+PLUS II for compilation.
The 240-RQFP has 0.5 mm lead pitch and a package body of approximately 32 × 32 mm. PCB layout recommendations: use 0.20 mm pad width with 0.35 mm solder mask openings to ensure reliable paste release; route signals on inner layers to escape from the dense perimeter; keep a continuous ground plane under the exposed pad with at least 9 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 0.6 mm pad) connecting top to bottom ground. Avoid routing high-speed signals across the package body; use the inner layers for length-matched routes to the I/O banks.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance inferred from 'N' suffix per Altera/Intel part-number convention. AEC-Q100 not applicable (commercial-grade FPGA, not automotive qualified). REACH and halogen-free status not confirmed in provided data.
