EPF6024AQC280-3 - FLEX 6000 FPGA 24K Gates QFP-280 | Intel / Altera
MPN: EPF6024AQC280-3 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $32.75 | $327.50 |
| 100 | $27.4 | $2,740.00 |
| 500 | $23.1 | $11,550.00 |
| 1,000 | $19.85 | $19,850.00 |
EPF6024AQC280-3 Overview
What is a FLEX 6000 device? The FLEX 6000 family is Altera's second-generation fine-grained SRAM-based programmable logic family, sitting in the taxonomy: programmable logic -> CPLD/FPGA -> SRAM-based FPGA -> FLEX architecture -> FLEX 6000 sub-family. It combines Look-Up Table (LUT)-based logic elements with a continuous FastTrack interconnect, providing true FPGA density while retaining predictable routing delays. FLEX 6000 parts were positioned as low-cost, high-volume alternatives to gate-array ASICs in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Key features of the EPF6024AQC280-3 include 2,560 logic elements (LEs), 24,000 typical gates, 196 I/O pins available in the 280-pin PQFP, 196 user-I/O pads, and 4 embedded array blocks (EABs) each containing 2 Kbits of dual-port RAM for a total of 8 Kbits of on-chip memory. The device supports 5V-tolerant I/O on the 0.35 um process variant and is available in commercial (0C to 70C) and industrial (-40C to +85C) temperature grades. Configuration is via passive serial (PS), passive parallel synchronous (PPS), passive parallel asynchronous (PPA), or JTAG modes using a serial configuration EEPROM such as the EPC2 or EPC8.
Architecturally, each Logic Element combines a 4-input LUT, a programmable flip-flop, dedicated carry and cascade chains for arithmetic and wide fan-in functions, and a FastTrack interconnect that delivers constant-delay routing regardless of placement. The four EABs can be configured as 256x8, 512x4, 1024x2, or 2048x1 RAM blocks, or as 4x256 ROM blocks, making the EPF6024AQC280-3 usable for small FIFOs, register files, and lookup-table-based state machines.
Typical applications include peripheral bus interfacing (ISA, PCI bridge glue logic), industrial control boards, telecommunications line cards, and legacy system upgrades where the 280-pin PQFP footprint was the de-facto standard. The wide I/O count is particularly useful for memory-controller state machines and parallel data-path bridging. Designers migrating from older FLEX 8000 designs benefit from pin-compatibility planning that allows drop-in upgrade to higher-density FLEX 10K or APEX families. When designing with this part, note that the PQFP-280 package has relatively high thermal resistance and limited I/O drive strength compared to later FineLine BGA packages; account for this in multi-layer board layouts. This page consolidates distributor pricing, lifecycle status, drop-in compatible Altera alternatives from the same FLEX 6000 family, and practical design notes that go beyond the original datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF6024AQC280-3 — 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 EPF6024AQC280-3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, Speed Grade.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF6024AQC280-2
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF6024AQC280-1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF6024AQC280-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$34 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF6024AQC240-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$19.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF6024AQC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$18.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF6024AQC280-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 6000 |
| Device | EPF6024 |
| Typical Gates | 24,000 |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 2,560 |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 196 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 4 |
| Total RAM Bits | 8,192 bits (8 Kbits) |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Package | PQFP-280 (Q280) |
| Process Technology | 0.35 um CMOS SRAM |
| Configuration Method | Passive Serial / Passive Parallel / JTAG |
| Operating Voltage (Core) | 5.0 V |
| I/O Standard | 5V TTL / CMOS compatible |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0C to +70C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (PQFP) |
EPF6024AQC280-3 pqfp-280 (q280) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF6024AQC280-3 (pqfp-280 (q280) 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 EPF6024AQC280-3.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF6024AQC280-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Peripheral Bus Bridge / Glue Logic, Industrial Control Board Logic, Telecommunications Line Card Interface, Legacy System Repair and Sustainment, Memory Controller State Machines, Parallel Data-Path Bridging.
Peripheral Bus Bridge / Glue Logic
The EPF6024AQC280-3 is well suited to peripheral bus bridging where a microcontroller or processor must interface to legacy ISA, PC/104, or custom parallel buses. Its 196 available user I/O pins can simultaneously accommodate 16-bit data, 24-bit address, and full control signal fan-out. Compared with discrete 74-series glue logic, the FLEX 6000 architecture delivers constant-delay routing regardless of placement, simplifying timing closure. Designers can integrate address decoding, wait-state generation, and interrupt steering in a single device.
Recommended
Industrial Control Board Logic
In industrial PLC backplanes and motor-control boards, the EPF6024AQC280-3 replaces multiple PAL/GAL devices with a single reprogrammable part, simplifying BOM and field updates. Its 0C to 70C commercial temperature range covers most indoor cabinet environments. The four EABs provide 8 Kbits of dual-port RAM, useful for small FIFO buffers between an industrial sensor front-end and a host controller. Designers must derate timing margins by 10-15% for industrial thermal stress.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Card Interface
Telecommunications line cards in legacy TDM and PDH equipment relied on FLEX 6000 devices for HDLC framing, timeslot assignment, and alarm scanning. The EPF6024AQC280-3 handles four to eight E1/T1 framers' worth of glue logic plus the host-side CPU interface. Its 5V-tolerant I/O is directly compatible with the older bus-voltage standards common in central-office equipment. Modern replacements are Cyclone IV devices with appropriate level shifters.
Recommended
Legacy System Repair and Sustainment
The EPF6024AQC280-3 is most commonly sourced today for repairing or maintaining legacy boards in deployed industrial, military, and aerospace systems where PCB redesign is prohibitively expensive. Long-term support programs require the original FLEX 6000 part to match the original 280-pin PQFP land pattern and Altera MAX+PLUS II bitstream format. Obsolete-component distributors maintain traceable lots for this exact use case.
Recommended
Memory Controller State Machines
The EPF6024AQC280-3 implements SDRAM controllers, SRAM/Flash interfaces, and bank-switching logic for embedded systems with multiple memory devices. Its four embedded array blocks (EABs) provide 8 Kbits of dual-port RAM, usable as small lookup tables for refresh-state machines or as a fast FIFO between the CPU and a slow peripheral. Routing delays in the FLEX 6000 FastTrack interconnect are predictable across temperature, simplifying worst-case timing analysis.
Recommended
Parallel Data-Path Bridging
The 196 user I/O pins make the EPF6024AQC280-3 a natural choice for parallel data-path bridges such as LVDS-to-TTL conversion, FIFO width adaptation, or video backplane multiplexing. Each LUT-based logic element runs at fMAX around 125 MHz in the -3 speed grade, sufficient for 8-bit @ 100 MHz video or 16-bit @ 50 MHz parallel data streams. The architecture allows pipelining with the dedicated carry chain, enabling high-throughput streaming designs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF6024AQC280-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF6024AQC280-2 | EPF6024AQC280-1 | EPF6024AQC280-3N | EPF6024AQC240-3 | EPF6024AQC208-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | PQFP-280 | PQFP-280 - same | PQFP-280 - same | PQFP-280 - same | PQFP-240 - different | PQFP-208 - different |
| Logic Elements | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 | 2,560 |
| Typical Gates | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| Speed Grade | -3 (mid) | -2 (slower than -3) | -1 (slowest) | -3 (same) | -3 (same speed) | -3 (same speed) |
| Maximum User I/O | 196 | 196 | 196 | 196 | 197 (in 240-pin PQFP) | 171 (in 208-pin PQFP) |
| Embedded RAM | 8 Kbits (4 EABs) | 8 Kbits | 8 Kbits | 8 Kbits | 8 Kbits | 8 Kbits |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
| Process / Voltage | 0.35 um / 5V | 0.35 um / 5V | 0.35 um / 5V | 0.35 um / 5V (industrial temp) | 0.35 um / 5V | 0.35 um / 5V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest user-I/O count in FLEX 6000 family (vs EPF6024AQC208-3)
- Mid-tier speed grade offers best cost/performance ratio (vs EPF6024AQC280-2)
- Industrial temperature option available in same footprint (vs EPF6024AQC280-3N)
Design Notes
Estimated: The PQFP-280 package has a 0.5 mm lead pitch and 3.2 mm package body height, requiring 0.15 mm/0.20 mm trace-and-space design rules. Fan-out from inner-row leads often demands via-in-pad or microvia construction on standard 4-layer FR-4. Decoupling: place one 0.1 uF ceramic capacitor per VCCINT/VCCIO pair adjacent to each package corner, plus one 10 uF tantalum bulk capacitor within 25 mm of the device. Match JTAG chain lengths to within 25 mm to avoid signal-integrity issues at TCK frequencies above 10 MHz.
Configuration mode must be selected by MSEL[2..0] pins before power-up; passive-serial, passive-parallel-asynchronous, passive-parallel-synchronous, and JTAG modes each require different pull-up/pull-down values. The CONF_DONE pin must transition high within the datasheet-specified time after configuration; if not, the device enters an undefined state and must be reconfigured by toggling nCONFIG. Always tie nCONFIG to a host GPIO or RC delay network, never to a static high, to allow in-system reconfiguration during prototyping.
Estimated: The PQFP-280 package has a typical theta_JA of approximately 28 C/W in still air on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, but 35-45 C/W in typical 4-layer customer designs with limited copper area. The EPF6024AQC280-3 at 100% toggle activity on all 196 I/O draws approximately 150 mA from 5V, dissipating 0.75 W and producing a 21 C junction rise on a well-designed board but up to 34 C on a poorly-cooled board. Industrial environments above 60 C ambient should derate activity factor or specify the -3N industrial variant.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliance status is not documented in legacy Altera FLEX 6000 datasheets. The -3N suffix indicates a lead-free / industrial variant produced later in the product life, but RoHS compliance was not part of the original qualification. For modern RoHS-compliant builds, migrate to a Cyclone-family device with verified compliance documentation.
