EPF6024AFC256-1 - FLEX 6000 FPGA, 24K Gates, 256-BGA | Intel
MPN: EPF6024AFC256-1 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $29.85 | $2,985.00 |
| 250 | $27.1 | $6,775.00 |
| 500 | $24.95 | $12,475.00 |
EPF6024AFC256-1 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a type of programmable logic device (PLD) that combines configurable logic blocks (LABs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells on a single semiconductor die. FPGAs sit within the programmable logic hierarchy: PLD -> CPLD -> FPGA -> SoC FPGA, and form part of the broader semiconductor landscape of digital ICs used for parallel logic implementation, DSP, and hardware acceleration. The FLEX 6000 series specifically targets cost-sensitive, register-intensive designs with SRAM-based configuration.
Key features of the EPF6024AFC256-1 include 196 logic array blocks (LABs), 218 user I/O pins, and 0.42 µm CMOS process technology. The SRAM-based configuration memory supports in-system programmability via a serial configuration device, allowing rapid design iteration. Per the Altera FLEX 6000 datasheet family, the device supports both 3.3V PCI compliance and 5.0V tolerance on I/O banks, with multiVolt I/O enabling interface to 2.5V, 3.3V, and 5.0V devices.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, industrial control glue logic, bus-interface bridging (PCI, ISA, VME), consumer set-top box control planes, and high-volume production replacements for legacy ASICs. The 218 I/O count makes it suitable for parallel interface aggregation, while the 256-BGA package keeps board footprint compact for high-density designs.
When designing with the EPF6024AFC256-1, observe maximum I/O toggle rate and ground-bounce limits from the datasheet. Because the part is SRAM-based, an external configuration ROM (such as an EPC1 or EPC2) is required at power-up to load the bitstream. Decoupling must follow the datasheet's recommended capacitor network (typically 0.1 µF + 10 µF per VCC/GND pair).
This page synthesizes distributor stock, lifecycle notes, and drop-in alternatives from the Altera FLEX 6000 family that are not collated on the manufacturer datasheet itself, helping sourcing engineers and procurement teams quickly evaluate replacement paths for legacy Altera FPGA designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF6024AFC256-1 — 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 EPF6024AFC256-1 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Process Technology, Logic Elements / Cells, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF6024AFC256-2
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF6024AFC256-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$15.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF6024AFC256-1N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF6024ABC256-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$19.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF6024ABC256-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$20.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF6024AFC256-1 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 6000 |
| Device Logic Elements / Cells | 1960 |
| Equivalent Gate Count | 24,000 gates |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 196 |
| Number of I/O | 219 (218 user I/O pins) |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 200 MHz |
| Internal Frequency | 172 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.42 µm CMOS, SRAM-based |
| Supply Voltage (Core) | 3.3 V |
| Package Type | 256-pin FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +85°C (commercial) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM, serial configuration device required |
EPF6024AFC256-1 256-pin fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF6024AFC256-1 (256-pin fbga (fineline bga) 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 EPF6024AFC256-1.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF6024AFC256-1 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Card Glue Logic, PCI / ISA / VME Bus Interface Bridging, Industrial Control and Factory Automation, Consumer Set-Top Box Control Plane, ASIC Replacement for High-Volume Production, Legacy Avionics Display and Control Retrofit.
Telecommunications Line Card Glue Logic
The EPF6024AFC256-1's 218 user I/O pins and 24K-gate capacity make it well suited for telecommunications line cards where parallel bus aggregation, protocol conversion, and timing-closure-sensitive glue logic are required. Its 3.3V core with 5.0V-tolerant I/O allows direct interface to legacy T1/E1 framers and backplane transceivers without level shifters. The 196 LABs deliver ample register resources for FIFO buffers and state machines common in telecom designs, while the 200 MHz internal Fmax supports 155 Mbps ATM and Fast Ethernet bridging. Engineers favor this part for low-cost OEM line cards where ASIC NRE is not justified but design flexibility is still required.
Recommended
PCI / ISA / VME Bus Interface Bridging
The EPF6024AFC256-1 is widely deployed as a PCI-to-ISA or PCI-to-VME bridge in industrial and embedded systems. Its 3.3V VCCIO with PCI-compliant 5.0V tolerance enables direct connection to 33 MHz PCI bus signals without external buffering. The 218 I/O pins handle both 32-bit PCI plus auxiliary ISA/VME signals, while the 200 MHz internal logic supports the 33 MHz PCI clock with comfortable timing margin. The SRAM-based configuration allows firmware updates in the field to fix protocol bugs or add new bridge features without hardware rework, a major advantage over fixed-function PCI bridge ASICs of the same era.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
Factory automation systems require robust glue logic for sensor multiplexing, motor control sequencing, and inter-CPU communication. The EPF6024AFC256-1 delivers 196 LABs and 218 I/O for parallel encoder inputs, PWM generation, and CAN/RS-485 bridging. Its commercial 0°C to +85°C temperature range suits indoor control cabinets, while the FBGA-256 package enables compact PCB layouts for DIN-rail-mounted controllers. Industrial designs benefit from in-system reprogrammability to support field upgrades and bug fixes across long product lifecycles typical in factory automation.
Recommended
Consumer Set-Top Box Control Plane
Set-top box designers used the EPF6024AFC256-1 as the central control-plane FPGA for I2C/SPI muxing, IR receiver decoding, front-panel key scanning, and HDMI handshaking glue logic. Its 24K-gate capacity is sufficient for full control-plane integration, eliminating several discrete logic ICs and reducing BOM cost. The 200 MHz Fmax handles HDMI DDC clock stretching and fast I2C bus arbitration. Cost-sensitive consumer applications particularly benefit from the FLEX 6000 family's price-per-gate advantage over larger FLEX 10K parts.
Recommended
ASIC Replacement for High-Volume Production
The EPF6024AFC256-1 was a popular choice for replacing low-volume gate-array ASICs in production runs of 5,000-50,000 units, where the NRE cost of an ASIC (typically $50K-$500K) could not be amortized. Its SRAM-based configuration allowed late-stage design changes without respinning silicon, drastically reducing time-to-market. Designers prototyped with FLEX 6000, validated the design, and either ramped production with the FPGA directly or migrated to a structured ASIC once volumes justified NRE.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics Display and Control Retrofit
Although the EPF6024AFC256-1 is commercial-grade, it was used in some legacy avionics retrofit programs where DO-254 design assurance had been previously completed for the FPGA part. Its 218 I/O pins support ARINC 429 channel aggregation, while the 200 MHz Fmax handles display refresh timing for cockpit LCDs. Because the FLEX 6000 family is mature and well-characterized, retrofit programs often qualify the FPGA once and reuse it across multiple airframe platforms, reducing qualification cost per program.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF6024AFC256-1 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF6024AFC256-2 | EPF6024AFC256-3 | EPF6024AFC256-1N | EPF6024ABC256-1 | EPF6024ABC256-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 256-pin FBGA | 256-pin FBGA - same | 256-pin FBGA - same | 256-pin FBGA - same | 256-pin FBGA - same | 256-pin FBGA - same |
| Logic Cells | 1960 | 1960 | 1960 | 1960 | 1960 | 1960 |
| Equivalent Gates | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| User I/O Pins | 218 | 218 | 218 | 218 | 218 | 218 |
| Speed Grade | -1 | -2 (faster) | -3 (fastest) | -1 (lead-free) | -1 (slower die revision) | -3 |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V | 3.3 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible speed grade migration path within FLEX 6000 family (vs EPF6024AFC256-2 / EPF6024AFC256-3)
- Lead-free RoHS-compliant manufacturing variant (vs EPF6024AFC256-1N)
- Identical die with different speed grading family (vs EPF6024ABC256-1)
Design Notes
The EPF6024AFC256-1 requires a clean 3.3V core supply and a separate VCCIO rail (3.3V typical, can be 2.5V for low-voltage I/O). Place 0.1 µF decoupling capacitors as close as possible to every VCC/GND pair around the FBGA perimeter, supplemented by 10 µF bulk capacitors near the supply pins. Estimated Icc (core) at 200 MHz with typical utilization is around 300-500 mA; verify with the FLEX 6000 family power calculator before finalizing thermal design.
The 256-pin FBGA package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch, requiring 4-6 layer PCB with microvia or via-in-pad construction for reliable assembly. Escape routing must use dog-bone fan-out or direct via-in-pad; do not attempt trace-through-pad on standard 4-layer FR-4 because the 0.5 mm pad diameter leaves insufficient annular ring. Maintain 50 Ω controlled impedance on clock traces (DCLK, configuration clocks) and 60 Ω on PCI bus segments for signal integrity at 33 MHz.
Because the EPF6024AFC256-1 is SRAM-based, the bitstream loads from an external EPC1/EPC2/EPC4 configuration EPROM at every power-up. A missing or corrupted configuration PROM causes the device to remain in reset with all I/O tri-stated. Always verify the nSTATUS and CONF_DONE signals with a logic analyzer during board bring-up, and add a pull-up on nCONFIG to prevent spurious reconfiguration. The FLEX 6000 does not support single-event upset (SEU) protection natively; for safety-critical designs, use a Cyclone III or later with built-in CRC checking.
The 256-pin FBGA package has a junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) of approximately 18-22 °C/W on a standard JEDEC 4-layer test board with adequate copper flood. For continuous operation at elevated ambient, ensure the FBGA substrate is fully soldered down with proper thermal vias to internal ground planes. Estimated: at 1.0W dissipation, junction temperature rises ~20°C above ambient; at 2.0W it rises ~40°C, which is acceptable for the 0-85°C commercial spec but leaves no margin for derating.
Compliance Information
The EPF6024AFC256-1 is a discontinued Intel/Altera FLEX 6000 family FPGA. RoHS and lead-free status depends on the manufacturing date code - parts produced after Altera's 2006 lead-free transition are typically RoHS compliant, while earlier date codes may contain SnPb. Confirm with distributor before procurement.
