EPF8820ARC208-5 - FLEX 8000 FPGA, 672 Logic Elements, 152 I/O | Altera
MPN: EPF8820ARC208-5 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.5 | $18.50 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.85 | $1,385.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.95 | $9,950.00 |
EPF8820ARC208-5 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a class of programmable logic device that combines an array of configurable logic blocks, programmable interconnect, and I/O cells on a single piece of CMOS silicon. FPGAs occupy a hierarchy between discrete programmable logic devices (PALs, GALs, CPLDs) and ASICs - they offer higher logic density than CPLDs while remaining reprogrammable after PCB assembly, unlike mask-programmed ASICs. The FLEX 8000 family specifically uses CMOS SRAM configuration cells, meaning the design is loaded at every power-up from an external source (serial configuration device, microcontroller, or EPROM) and is volatile on power-down.
Key features of the EPF8820ARC208-5 include MultiVolt I/O support (configurable 3.3V or 5.0V I/O banks - except for 84-pin variants), a 5.0V core supply, and an exposed thermal pad for improved heat extraction. With 152 I/O pins in a 208-pin BFQFP, the device can integrate multiple 32-bit buses onto a single chip, making it suitable for bus-bridging and protocol-translation glue logic in legacy industrial and telecom systems.
Typical applications include bus-bridging between 3.3V and 5.0V logic domains, industrial control glue logic, telecom backplane interfacing, and ASIC prototyping where the design may eventually migrate to a HardCopy ASIC. The wide 208-pin footprint with exposed pad allows the part to dissipate thermal load efficiently when many I/O buffers toggle simultaneously.
When designing with this device, ensure the configuration source (EPC2, EPC4, or microcontroller) is sized correctly for the bitstream. The exposed thermal pad must be soldered to a properly sized copper pour for thermal reliability. Engineering samples of the -5 grade should be benchmarked against -3 and -4 grades if timing closure is in question.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in FLEX 8000 family alternatives sharing the same 208-BFQFP footprint, and practical design notes that are not found in the original manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EPF8820ARC208-5 — 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 EPF8820ARC208-5 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Process Technology, Package, Usable Gates, Configuration Method, In-Circuit Reconfigurability.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EPF8820ARC208-4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$25.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$62 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$32 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$20.55 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636ARC208-4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$16.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC208-5 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Logic Elements | 672 |
| Number of I/O Pins | 152 |
| Speed Grade | -5 (slowest) |
| Supply Voltage (Core) | 4.75V to 5.25V (5.0V nominal) |
| I/O Voltage | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) |
| Configuration Method | CMOS SRAM (volatile, loaded at power-up) |
| Package | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad (28x28 mm) |
| Pin Count | 208 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
| Lead-Free | unknown |
| Process Technology | CMOS SRAM |
EPF8820ARC208-5 208-bfqfp exposed pad (28x28 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EPF8820ARC208-5 (208-bfqfp exposed pad (28x28 mm) 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 EPF8820ARC208-5.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EPF8820ARC208-5 is suitable for 6 applications: Bus Bridging and Protocol Translation, Industrial Control Glue Logic, Telecom Backplane Interfacing, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Legacy Peripheral Replacement, Educational and Development Platforms.
Bus Bridging and Protocol Translation
The EPF8820ARC208-5 is well suited for bus-bridging applications where legacy 5V peripherals must interface with modern 3.3V processors. With 152 I/O pins supporting MultiVolt I/O (3.3V or 5.0V banks), the device can serve as a voltage-translation bridge between ISA, PCI, VME, and modern embedded buses on a single chip. The 672 Logic Elements provide sufficient capacity for FIFO buffering, address decoding, and wait-state insertion logic typical in protocol-translator designs. Engineers typically pair the EPF8820ARC208-5 with level-translation buffers and use the -5 speed grade to minimize cost in systems where bus throughput is sub-50 MHz.
Recommended
Industrial Control Glue Logic
Industrial control systems rely on flexible glue logic for I/O expansion, signal conditioning, and state-machine control - exactly the use case for the EPF8820ARC208-5. The 208-BFQFP package with exposed thermal pad handles continuous I/O toggling in PLC backplanes and motor-control systems without thermal throttling. The 672 LE fabric fits small to medium state machines for pulse counting, PWM generation, and quadrature decoding. The -5 speed grade is acceptable for control loops running at kHz rather than MHz rates. Configuration can be sourced from an EPC2 serial configuration device for unattended industrial startup.
Recommended
Telecom Backplane Interfacing
Telecom backplanes with mixed 3.3V/5.0V logic domains benefit from the EPF8820ARC208-5's MultiVolt I/O feature and 152-pin count. The device can route H.110 bus timing, TDM streams, and board-to-board control signals through a single FPGA, replacing multiple discrete TTL buffers. With 672 Logic Elements, designers can implement simple serial-to-parallel converters and clock-data recovery helper logic. The BFQFP exposed pad dissipates heat when many I/O buffers switch at telecom line rates. Designers should validate timing closure against the -5 speed grade datasheet specifications.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EPF8820ARC208-5 has long been used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because it supports iterative design cycles via SRAM configuration. Engineers can emulate mid-complexity ASICs (controllers, interface chips) on the FLEX 8000 fabric, validate functional behavior, and then migrate to a HardCopy ASIC for volume production. The 672 LE capacity fits designs such as USB device controllers, custom DRAM interfaces, and embedded microcontrollers. The -5 speed grade is acceptable for functional prototyping where clock rates rarely exceed 33 MHz. MultiVolt I/O simplifies emulating ASICs that mixed 3.3V and 5.0V domains on-chip.
Recommended
Legacy Peripheral Replacement
Many 1990s-era PCs, industrial controllers, and telecom line cards still rely on FLEX 8000 FPGAs as the on-board glue logic. The EPF8820ARC208-5 serves as a long-term maintenance replacement for these systems where the surrounding ASIC ecosystem is obsolete. With 152 I/O pins it can replace legacy peripheral controllers, and the 208-BFQFP footprint matches PCB pads designed 25+ years ago. Broker channels (FPGAkey, Jotrin, VEKEMO) stock NOS EPF8820ARC208-5 inventory for end-customer repairs. The -5 speed grade is equivalent to the original -5 bins shipped with the legacy equipment.
Recommended
Educational and Development Platforms
University digital-logic labs and FPGA training courses still use the EPF8820ARC208-5 as an entry-level teaching vehicle because the FLEX 8000 architecture is well documented and the device is available on the secondary market at low cost. With 672 LEs and 152 I/O pins, students can implement counter chains, UARTs, VGA controllers, and small CPU cores. Quartus II Web Edition supports the EPF8820A family, providing a free IDE for students. The 208-BFQFP package also fits older Altera development boards that are abundant on the surplus market. The -5 speed grade keeps board cost low for educational institutions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF8820ARC208-5 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF8820ARC208-4 | EPF8820ARC208-3 | EPF8820ARC208-2 | EPF8820ARC208-4N | EPF8820ARC208-2N | EPF8636ARC208-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad - same |
| Logic Elements | 672 | 672 | 672 | 672 | 672 | 672 | 432 |
| User I/O | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 |
| Speed Grade | -5 (slowest) | -4 | -3 | -2 (fastest) | -4N (industrial, lead-free) | -2N (industrial, lead-free, fastest) | -4 |
| Supply Voltage | 4.75V to 5.25V | 4.75V to 5.25V | 4.75V to 5.25V | 4.75V to 5.25V | 4.75V to 5.25V | 4.75V to 5.25V | 4.75V to 5.25V |
| I/O Voltage Support | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) | 3.3V or 5.0V (MultiVolt) |
| Configuration Memory | CMOS SRAM (volatile) | CMOS SRAM (volatile) | CMOS SRAM (volatile) | CMOS SRAM (volatile) | CMOS SRAM (volatile) | CMOS SRAM (volatile) | CMOS SRAM (volatile) |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-priced FLEX 8000 commercial timing bin (vs EPF8820ARC208-4)
- Maximum logic density in FLEX 8000 family (vs EPF8636ARC208-4)
- MultiVolt I/O bridges 3.3V and 5.0V domains (vs EPF8820ARC208-2 (same family))
Design Notes
The EPF8820ARC208-5 requires a 5.0V core supply (4.75V to 5.25V) plus a separate VCCIO rail that can be 3.3V or 5.0V via MultiVolt I/O. Decoupling must include 0.1uF ceramic capacitors at every VCC/VCCIO pin pair plus bulk 10uF to 47uF tantalum or polymer caps on each supply rail. The 208-BFQFP exposed thermal pad MUST be soldered to a copper pour (at least 1 square inch) connected to GND to provide thermal dissipation for the I/O buffers when many outputs toggle simultaneously.
Configuration is volatile: the FLEX 8000 family loads its bitstream from an external source at every power-up. According to the FLEX 8000 datasheet, an EPC2, EPC4, EPC8, or EPC16 serial configuration device, a microcontroller, or an industry-standard EPROM can supply the bitstream. A common design mistake is to forget the configuration source entirely, leaving the FPGA non-functional at first power-up. Verify the configuration schematic and confirm the bitstream file size matches the configuration device capacity.
The 208-BFQFP package has a 0.500mm terminal pitch per the FLEX 8000 datasheet, which requires careful PCB layout. Use 4-layer stack-up with continuous ground plane under the FPGA and route signal traces on inner layers to escape the dense 0.500mm pin pitch. The exposed thermal pad on the underside of the package must be soldered to a properly sized copper pour to avoid thermal failure - vias under the pad improve heat transfer to inner ground planes.
The -5 speed grade is the slowest commercial timing bin in the FLEX 8000 family. According to the FLEX 8000 datasheet, propagation delay through Logic Elements is the longest in -5; if timing analysis fails in Quartus II, migrate to the -4, -3, or -2 speed grade (drop-in replacement in the same 208-BFQFP package). When interfacing with high-speed peripherals (>50 MHz), validate timing closure with the actual speed grade datasheet, not estimated values.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not found in Verified Web Data for the EPF8820ARC208-5. The -N suffix variants (e.g., EPF8820ARC208-2N, EPF8820ARC208-4N) are typically lead-free per Altera naming convention; the standard -5 variant without N suffix may be lead-bearing. Verify with the broker before RoHS-critical designs.
