A3PE3000-FG896I - ProASIC3E FPGA, 3M Gates, 896-BGA | Microchip
MPN: A3PE3000-FG896I ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $262 | $2,620.00 |
| 100 | $238 | $23,800.00 |
| 500 | $215 | $107,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $195 | $195,000.00 |
A3PE3000-FG896I Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device containing a fabric of programmable logic blocks and interconnects that designers configure in the field, sitting in the system hierarchy between fixed-function ASICs and general-purpose processors. The ProASIC3E family belongs to the flash-based FPGA category: unlike SRAM FPGAs, it stores its configuration in nonvolatile flash, so the device is single-chip, Instant On, and inherently more secure because no external configuration bitstream is exposed at power-up.
Key features include nonvolatile flash programming that eliminates the boot PROM and configuration controller, a 1.5V core supply, 130 nm flash process technology, reprogrammability for design iteration, and abundant advanced features such as clock conditioning circuits and embedded block support. The 620 available user I/Os make the FG896 package well suited to wide-bus, high-pin-count designs such as backplane interfaces and memory controllers.
Technically, the ProASIC3E fabric uses a sea-of-gates architecture of VersaTiles built on Actel/Microchip's third-generation flash FPGA technology, delivering ASIC-replacement logic density at near-ASIC unit cost. The high-performance fabric supports system speeds up to 231 MHz, adequate for communications, avionics, and computing glue-logic consolidation.
Typical applications include networking and communications equipment, industrial automation, avionics subsystems, and secure single-chip ASIC replacement in consumer and computing platforms.
Design consideration: budget the 1.5V core rail with adequate decoupling and plan ball-out fanout early, since the 896-ball array requires careful PCB escape routing.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for A3PE3000-FG896I — 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 A3PE3000-FG896I (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Family, Configuration Memory, Package, Operating Temperature, System Gates.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
A3PE3000L-FG896I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →A3PE3000-FGG896I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$135.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE3000L-FGG896I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$139.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE3000L-1FG896I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →A3PE3000L-1FGG896I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →M1A3PE3000L-FG896I
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A3PE3000-FG896I Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ProASIC3E Flash Family FPGAs |
| System Gates | 3M gates |
| Logic Elements | 35KLEs |
| User I/Os | 620 |
| Maximum System Frequency | 231 MHz |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Process Technology | 130 nm flash |
| Configuration Memory | Nonvolatile Flash (single-chip, Instant On) |
| Package | 896-Pin FBGA (896-BGA) |
| Package Dimensions | 31 x 31 x 2.44 mm |
| Terminal Form | Ball |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature Range | Industrial (-40C to +85C) |
| Temperature Grade | I (Industrial) |
| Packaging | Tray |
| RoHS Status | RoHS Compliant: Yes |
| Programming Support | Reprogrammable, Cortex-M1 soft processor support |
A3PE3000-FG896I 31 x 31 x 2.44 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for A3PE3000-FG896I (31 x 31 x 2.44 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 A3PE3000-FG896I.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
A3PE3000-FG896I is suitable for 6 applications: Networking and Communications Equipment, Industrial Automation and Motion Control, Avionics and Secure Single-Chip Systems, ASIC Replacement and Prototyping, Computing and Server Backplane Logic, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Networking and Communications Equipment
The A3PE3000-FG896I fits networking line cards and switch fabric glue logic because its 620 user I/Os support wide parallel buses, multiple PHY interfaces, and backplane connectivity that smaller packages cannot accommodate. The 231 MHz fabric ceiling covers POS-PHY, UTOPIA, and general switching state machines, while the 3M-gate density consolidates control-plane logic that would otherwise require several ASSPs. Because configuration is nonvolatile flash, the FPGA is active immediately at power-up - valuable in systems where management traffic must flow before a host processor loads software. Deployed between a 1.5V core rail and banked I/O supplies with solid decoupling, it adds no configuration-boot latency but dissipates more static power than SRAM alternatives idle-cycled for low duty.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and Motion Control
In PLCs, drive controllers, and machine-vision interface boards, the A3PE3000-FG896I provides deterministic logic with the industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C) that factory floors demand. Its 620 I/Os terminate encoders, stepping/direction signals, fieldbus transceivers, and safety interlocks on one chip, and the flash fabric holds its configuration through brownouts and power cycles - a practical advantage in equipment restarted daily without supervised boot. At 231 MHz, it can close current loops and timestamp high-speed events while softer supervisory logic runs in parallel tiles. The trade-off versus a microcontroller+ASIC approach is higher static current at 1.5V core, so budget thermal margin inside sealed cabinets accordingly.
Recommended
Avionics and Secure Single-Chip Systems
Microchip positions the ProASIC3E family for avionics markets, and the A3PE3000-FG896I suits them because nonvolatile flash removes the external configuration bitstream that SRAM FPGAs expose - a recognized security and single-event-latch-up concern in aerospace platforms. The single-chip, Instant On property simplifies DO-254-style power-up behavior analysis since logic is valid immediately, and the 3M-gate fabric absorbs sensor-interface, ARINC-style bus bridging, and built-in-test logic. Industrial (I) temperature screening supports civil avionics environments. Designers should verify the exact reliability flow required for their program, since this commercial-industrial part is not a space-grade or full mil-883 device.
Recommended
ASIC Replacement and Prototyping
Microchip markets ProASIC3E explicitly as a cost-effective ASIC replacement for consumer, networking, computing, and avionics markets, and the A3PE3000-FG896I is the family's top-density member. At 3M system gates on a 130 nm flash process, it absorbs gate arrays of comparable scale for bridge silicon, glue logic, and moderate datapath designs, eliminating NRE charges and mask lead time entirely. The reprogrammable fabric lets a team iterate RTL during bring-up and then freeze the design into production units without hardware changes. Compared with an SRAM FPGA, the single-chip flash solution removes the boot PROM BOM line; compared with an ASIC, unit cost is higher but time-to-market is measured in weeks, not quarters.
Recommended
Computing and Server Backplane Logic
Server and storage backplanes concentrate wide address/data buses, hot-swap control, and fru-logging logic exactly where the A3PE3000-FG896I's 620 user I/Os earn their keep. The 31x31 mm 896-ball array fans out to multiple DIMM-style connectors and management headers from one device, replacing several medium-density CPLDs and reducing BOM position count. Instant On flash configuration means backplane presence and power-good logic operate before host BIOS initialization, which slots cleanly into platform power-sequencing requirements. Place bulk capacitance at each I/O bank and follow the datasheet bank-voltage rules when mixing 3.3V, 2.5V, and 1.8V signalling standards across the ball field.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Bench instruments and automated test equipment need large pin counts for fixture interfaces, precise timing generators, and reconfigurable acquisition logic - all strengths of the A3PE3000-FG896I. The 231 MHz fabric supports time-to-digital Vernier style counters and trigger state machines, while the 3M-gate density hosts channel-parallel capture FIFOs. Field reprogrammability lets instrument firmware gain features after shipment, and the nonvolatile flash means the instrument is functional at first power-up on the production line without a programming station. I/O bank flexibility accommodates mixed-level fixture signalling; the main design trade-off is managing switching noise across the 896-ball field with careful ground-ball assignment.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for A3PE3000-FG896I — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | A3PE3000L-FG896I | A3PE3000-FGG896I | A3PE3000L-FGG896I | M1A3PE3000L-FG896I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 896-BGA (FG896) | 896-BGA (FG896) - same | 896-BGA (FGG896) - same footprint | 896-BGA (FGG896) - same footprint | 896-BGA (FG896) - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Actel) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology (Actel) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| System Gates | 3M gates | 3M gates | 3M gates | 3M gates | 3M gates |
| Max System Frequency | 231 MHz | 231 MHz | 231 MHz | 231 MHz | 231 MHz |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V (fixed) | 1.2 V to 1.5 V | 1.5 V (fixed) | 1.2 V to 1.5 V | 1.2 V to 1.5 V |
| User I/Os | 620 | 620 | 620 | 620 | 620 |
| Embedded Soft CPU | No (standard fabric) | No | No | No | Yes (ARM Cortex-M1 support) |
| Package Dimensions | 31 x 31 x 2.44 mm | 31 x 31 mm (FG896) | 31 x 31 mm (FGG896) | 31 x 31 mm (FGG896) | 31 x 31 mm (FG896) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest I/O count in the A3PE3000 family (vs A3PE3000-FG324I)
- Nonvolatile single-chip flash configuration (vs M1A3PE3000L-FG896I)
- Lower-power drop-in path available (vs A3PE3000L-FG896I)
Design Notes
The A3PE3000-FG896I runs a 1.5V core with separate I/O bank supplies. Estimated: a fully-utilized 3M-gate flash fabric can draw several hundred milliamps of core current with switching transients on top, so provision at least 20-30% regulator headroom above your worst-case static+dynamic estimate. Place one bulk capacitor (22-47uF) per supply group and 0.1uF ceramics at every VCC/VCCI ball pair. For the A3PE3000L drop-in variants, confirm whether your board will run the optional 1.2V core before reusing the same regulator.
Escape routing from an 896-ball, 1.0 mm-class array requires careful planning. Follow Microchip's ProASIC3E PCB layout guidance: define ball-mapping zones in Libero (I/O constraint flow) to keep each I/O bank on one outer ring of the array, which allows via escape on inner layers without buried fanout. Use the exposed ball grid geometry (31x31 mm) to plan BGA dogbone or via-in-pad escapes early - changing constraints after routing is costly. The Newark listing confirms 31x31x2.44 mm dimensions for footprint generation.
With 620 user I/Os, simultaneous switching output (SSO) noise is the dominant signal-integrity risk. Assign ground balls adjacent to high-toggle-rate I/O groups, keep stub lengths short on fly-by buses, and reference each I/O bank to its own VCCI plane. Microchip's ProASIC3E datasheet defines the supported I/O standards per bank - mixed 3.3V/2.5V/1.8V signalling is allowed but only within bank-voltage limits, so partition constraints by bank before place-and-route rather than after.
Do not confuse FG896 and FGG896 package suffixes when ordering reels for a mixed-BOM build - they share the footprint but differ in lead-free/package finish designation. Also, the A3PE3000 (standard) and A3PE3000L (low-power) parts differ in core voltage range: powering an L part at 1.5V is allowed, but timing must be re-verified in Libero for the chosen device. Migrate bitstreams via a full Libero re-compile, not direct bitstream reuse, when swapping between family members.
Compliance Information
Newark listing states 'RoHS Compliant: Yes'. Other compliance attributes not stated in provided data.
