A3P400-FG256I - 400K Gate ProASIC3 FPGA, 178 I/O | Microchip
MPN: A3P400-FG256I β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $68.5 | $68.50 |
| 10 | $62.4 | $624.00 |
| 100 | $56.1 | $5,610.00 |
| 500 | $50.8 | $25,400.00 |
| 1,000 | $46.2 | $46,200.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for A3P400-FG256I β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
A3P400-FG256
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A3P400-1FG256I
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A3P400-2FG256I
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A3P400-FGG256I
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A3P600-FG256I
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A3P400-FG256I Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ProASIC3 |
| Number of System Gates | 400000 |
| Number of I/O | 178 |
| DigiKey Listed Resource Value | 55296 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Maximum System Frequency | 231 MHz |
| Number of I/O Banks | 4 |
| Programming Technology | Flash (non-volatile, single-chip) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (TJ) |
| Package | 256-LBGA (FG256) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Base Product Number | A3P400 |
| Category | Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) IC |
| RoHS Status | RoHS Non-Compliant (per digchip listing) |
| Lead Free Status | Contains Lead (per digchip listing) |
| Temperature Grade | I (Industrial) |
A3P400-FG256I 256-lbga (fg256) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for A3P400-FG256I (256-lbga (fg256) 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 A3P400-FG256I.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Safe Operating Area (SOA) & Thermal Characteristics
No official SOA curve available for this digital IC. Always operate within absolute maximum ratings specified in the datasheet. Ensure adequate cooling and derate as needed.
Typical Applications
A3P400-FG256I is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Automation Control, Aerospace and Defense Subsystems, Communications Bridging and Line Cards, Secure Single-Chip Logic Replacement, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Medical Device Control Electronics.
Industrial Automation Control
The A3P400-FG256I fits industrial automation control because its industrial -40C to +100C (TJ) rating survives factory-floor thermal extremes, and its 178 user I/Os across four voltage banks interface directly with PLC backplanes, motor-control logic, and legacy bus signals. The 400K-gate capacity implements state machines, encoders/decoders, and timing controllers while its flash non-volatility gives instant-on logic at power-up without a configuration PROM. In a typical deployment the FPGA sits between an MCU and field I/O, and its 231 MHz system performance comfortably handles bus bridging tasks. The single-chip flash architecture also reduces BOM cost versus SRAM FPGAs in high-volume industrial control.
Recommended
Aerospace and Defense Subsystems
The A3P400-FG256I suits aerospace and defense subsystems because ProASIC3 flash FPGAs originated in the Actel/Microsemi heritage trusted by military programs, offering configuration readback protection via flash design locking and no external bitstream exposure during boot. The 256-LBGA package provides mechanical robustness for vibration-prone platforms, while the -40C to +100C industrial grade covers extended environments. Distributors such as FPGAX explicitly support long-term supply and traceability of this MPN for aerospace, automotive, industrial, and defense sectors, an important lifecycle attribute for programs with multi-decade deployment horizons. Typical roles include interface bridging, telemetry encoding, and secure glue logic.
Recommended
Communications Bridging and Line Cards
The A3P400-FG256I is well matched to communications bridging tasks: its 231 MHz system performance handles protocol translation, FIFO interfaces, and bus width conversion between backplane standards, while 178 user I/Os give enough pin count for parallel data paths. The four I/O banks, each with an independent VCCIBx supply, let one device interface mixed-voltage line-card logic without level shifters, a documented ProASIC3 bank architecture per Microchip's migration application note. Because configuration is flash-based, a line card powers up with logic instantly, shortening system bring-up versus SRAM FPGAs that need configuration load time. Board designers should reserve bank capacity per voltage domain early in pin planning.
Recommended
Secure Single-Chip Logic Replacement
For ASIC prototyping, obsolete-logic emulation, or secure logic replacement, the A3P400-FG256I provides a single-chip, non-volatile fabric whose flash cells store the design on-chip, removing the configuration PROM that SRAM FPGAs require and closing the bitstream-theft window at boot. ProASIC3's flash locking feature protects IP in fielded systems, and the 400K-gate capacity maps moderate ASIC blocks. Its four voltage banks ease integration with legacy interface levels when replacing retired ASSPs. Since the part remains active in Microchip's catalog and is stocked by multiple distributors (DigiKey, Mouser, Arrow), long-term supply for replacement programs is practical, and FGG-package variants address RoHS-constrained refresh builds.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The A3P400-FG256I serves test and measurement instruments as a timing, triggering, and acquisition control fabric: 231 MHz system performance supports fine-grained trigger generation, while 178 user I/Os connect ADC front ends, relays, and status interfaces. Flash-based instant-on logic means the instrument is functional the moment power is applied, improving measurement uptime versus SRAM FPGA designs with configuration delay. The industrial temperature grade suits bench and field instruments alike, and the 256-LBGA footprint simplifies four-layer and six-layer board routing for bank-separated analog and digital I/O domains. Designers typically pair the FPGA with precision analog front-end ICs and low-noise LDO supplies.
Recommended
Medical Device Control Electronics
The A3P400-FG256I fits medical device control electronics where deterministic, instant-on logic is needed for safety interlocks, sensor timing, and display-driving interfaces. The flash fabric eliminates configuration-state ambiguity at power-up, an advantage for devices with defined safety states, and flash locking protects proprietary control algorithms from extraction. Its -40C to +100C industrial rating covers sterilization-adjacent and transport extremes, while 178 I/Os across four voltage banks interface with mixed-level sensors, lamps, and communication ports in a single device. The 256-LBGA surface-mount package supports compact, board-space-constrained medical enclosures when routed on standard six-layer stackups.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for A3P400-FG256I β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | A3P400-FG256 | A3P400-1FG256I | A3P400-2FG256I | A3P400-FGG256I | A3P600-FG256I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 256-LBGA (FG256) | 256-LBGA (FG256) - same | 256-LBGA (FG256) - same | 256-LBGA (FG256) - same | 256-BGA (FGG256, Pb-free) - same footprint | 256-LBGA (FG256) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| System Gates | 400000 | 400000 | 400000 | 400000 | 400000 | ~600000 (higher density) |
| User I/O | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (TJ), Industrial | Commercial grade | -40C to +100C (TJ), Industrial | -40C to +100C (TJ), Industrial | -40C to +100C (TJ), Industrial | -40C to +100C (TJ), Industrial |
| Speed Grade | Standard (231 MHz system) | Standard | -1 (faster) | -2 (fastest) | Standard | Standard |
| RoHS / Lead Status | Contains lead, RoHS non-compliant (per digchip) | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | Pb-free package variant | [DATA_NEEDED] |
Key Differentiators
- Non-volatile flash, single-chip boot (vs A3P600-FG256I)
- Industrial temperature without speed-grade premium (vs A3P400-1FG256I)
- RoHS-flexible footprints (vs A3P400-FGG256I)
- I/O count advantage over smaller family members (vs A3P030-QNG48I)
Design Notes
The A3P400-FG256I requires a 1.5V core supply (VCC) plus separate VCCIBx supplies for each of its four I/O banks. Per Microchip's ProASIC3 migration application note, bank VCCIBx pins are routed through the corresponding banks, so each bank supply should get its own decoupling network close to the balls - typically 10uF bulk plus 0.1uF ceramic per bank. Sequence VCC and VCCIBx per the datasheet power-up specification to avoid I/O latch-up during startup.
The 256-LBGA ball grid requires careful escape routing; a typical fanout uses dog-bone vias on 1.0 mm pitch or via-in-pad on dense boards. Plan a minimum six-layer stackup with dedicated ground planes adjacent to signal layers for impedance control on the I/O banks. Verify the exact ball map against the ProASIC3 family datasheet before routing - pin assignments differ per bank and per voltage standard, and the design software (Libero SoC) will flag bank capacity conflicts during pin assignment.
The device is rated -40C to +100C junction temperature. Estimated: at moderate switching activity a ProASIC3 400K-gate device typically dissipates well under 1W in the 256-LBGA, but I/O-heavy designs driving many banks at 3.3V can add several hundred milliwatts; verify with Microchip's power calculator in Libero. The LBGA relies on board-level thermal relief, so use grounded via arrays under or near the package to spread heat into inner planes.
Do not assign I/O standards across bank boundaries: only electrically compatible voltage standards may share a bank, as stated in Microchip's migration application note. Also note that digchip lists this standard FG package as containing lead and RoHS non-compliant - for RoHS-constrained builds select the FGG lead-free variant early, since package suffix affects compliance documentation but not the ball footprint.
Compliance Information
Per digchip specification listing: 'Lead Free Status: Contains Lead; RoHS Status: RoHS Non-Compliant' for the standard FG package. The FGG package variant provides a Pb-free option in the same footprint. Confirm official material declarations on the Microchip product page.
