A42MX36-2PQG208I - 54K Gate 5V FPGA PQFP-208 | Microchip

The A42MX36-2PQG208I is a Microsemi (now Microchip Technology) MX family FPGA delivering 54,000 system gates with 1,184 logic cells and up to 176 user I/Os in a 208-pin plastic quad flat package (PQFP/BFQFP). The -2 speed grade supports toggle rates of 98 MHz/164 MHz, and the device operates over the industrial temperature range (-40C to +85C) with a dual 3.3V/5V supply architecture.

An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic blocks and interconnects that designers configure after manufacturing, sitting within the broader hierarchy of programmable logic: PLD -> CPLD -> FPGA -> system-on-chip. The MX family is an antifuse-based, one-time-programmable FPGA platform, which means configuration is non-volatile, instant-on at power-up, and inherently immune to configuration-stream corruption - a key reliability trait versus SRAM FPGAs.

Key features include the 5.0V-tolerant MultiPlex I/O architecture supporting mixed-voltage systems at both 5.0V and 3.3V, programmable PCI support fully compliant with the PCI Local Bus Specification version 2.1, a low-power mode, and a 0.45um antifuse process technology. As the largest member of the 42MX family, the A42MX36 is positioned as a single-chip ASIC alternative for high-volume, cost-sensitive designs and legacy PLD integration.

Typical applications include industrial control and automation, legacy 5V system upgrades, mil/aerospace boards requiring ceramic-package upgrade paths, telecommunications line cards, and glue-logic consolidation. The dual-voltage I/O makes it especially valuable when interfacing modern 3.3V logic with legacy 5V buses.

Design considerations: the antifuse fabric is one-time-programmable, so verify timing closure in Libero SoC before programming production devices; the plastic PQFP-208 footprint is pin-compatible with the CQ208 ceramic package for prototyping-to-production conversion.