A3PE600-1FG256 - ProASIC3E Flash FPGA 600K Gates | Microchip
MPN: A3PE600-1FG256 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $45.6 | $45.60 |
| 10 | $41.8 | $418.00 |
| 100 | $38.2 | $3,820.00 |
| 500 | $35.4 | $17,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $32.9 | $32,900.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for A3PE600-1FG256 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
A3PE600-1FG256I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$38.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE600-1FGG256
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$38.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE600-1FGG256I
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$33.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE600-2FG256
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$32.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE600-FG256
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$33.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE600-2FGG256
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$33.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →A3PE600-1FG256 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ProASIC3E |
| System Gates | 600000 |
| Configuration Cells | 110592 |
| User I/Os (this package) | 165 |
| Maximum User I/Os (family) | 616 |
| Embedded SRAM | up to 504 kbits True Dual-Port |
| Maximum System Frequency | 272 MHz |
| Process Technology | 130-nm, 7-layer metal (6 copper), flash-based CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Configuration Memory | On-chip Flash, Live-At-Power-Up Level 0 |
| Package | 256-LBGA / FBGA-256, 1 mm pitch |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 70 C |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Soft Processor Support | Optional Soft ARM (Cortex-M1 class) |
| Single-Chip Solution | Yes (no external configuration device) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | -1 |
A3PE600-1FG256 256-lbga / fbga-256, 1 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for A3PE600-1FG256 (256-lbga / fbga-256, 1 mm pitch package) with 256 pins. 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 A3PE600-1FG256.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 256 pins (digital package)
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
A3PE600-1FG256 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Automation, Communications and Networking Line Cards, Aerospace and Defense Secure Boot Systems, Portable and Battery-Powered Instrumentation, Medical Diagnostic Equipment, Video and Display Interface Systems.
Industrial Control and Automation
The A3PE600-1FG256 fits industrial PLC I/O modules, motor control interface logic, and factory automation glue logic because its 600K system gates and 165 user I/Os absorb the mixed combinatorial and sequential logic typical of fieldbus and sensor-aggregation boards. Its flash configuration provides live-at-power-up Level 0 operation, so I/O channels are active the instant 1.5V-core rails stabilize - a benefit in machinery where SRAM FPGA boot delay is unacceptable. Up to 504 kbits of true dual-port SRAM buffer data between clock domains, for example between an EtherCAN or industrial Ethernet MAC and a local microcontroller. Use the commercial 0 to 70 C version in cabinet-mounted equipment or the A3PE600-1FG256I industrial variant for -40 to +100 C factory-floor environments; both occupy the identical FG256 footprint, enabling one PCB design across temperature tiers.
Recommended
Communications and Networking Line Cards
Networking line cards need high I/O density, dual-clock-domain buffering, and deterministic power-up - all strengths of the A3PE600-1FG256. The 165 user I/Os in the compact 1 mm-pitch 256-ball FBGA connect PHY devices, backplane connectors, and status LEDs, while the 504 kbit true dual-port SRAM implements FIFOs between the line-side PHY clock domain and the system-side switch fabric domain. The 272 MHz maximum system frequency on the -1 speed grade supports OC-3-class and Gigabit-control pipelines for modest-throughput cards. Because configuration is stored in on-chip flash, the card meets carrier live-at-power-up requirements without a serial boot device, improving availability figures used in carrier SLA calculations. Designs requiring higher throughput should move to the ProASIC3E A3PE1500 or A3PE3000 tiers, which reuse the same Libero SoC toolchain and design methodology.
Recommended
Aerospace and Defense Secure Boot Systems
Flash-based ProASIC3E FPGAs are widely deployed in avionics, satellite bus logic, and defense subsystem controllers specifically because the configuration bitstream resides in on-chip flash - there is no external configuration read at power-up that an attacker could intercept. The A3PE600-1FG256 provides 600K system gates for interface bridging, Telemetry encoding, and voting logic, with live-at-power-up Level 0 operation meeting time-critical startup requirements in flight hardware. Designers targeting defense environments should select the A3PE600-1FG256I industrial variant (-40 to +100 C) since the commercial part is rated only 0 to 70 C, and should consult Microchip for qualified screening options where mission profiles demand it. For radiation environments, migrate to the RT-series; the design methodology and Libero SoC toolchain carry over directly.
Recommended
Portable and Battery-Powered Instrumentation
Handheld test instruments, portable data loggers, and battery-powered field equipment benefit from the A3PE600-1FG256's single-chip architecture: flash configuration eliminates the external boot PROM, cutting board area and BOM count - important in compact enclosures. The 1.5V core supply aligns with modern low-voltage rails, and the 256-ball 1 mm-pitch FBGA occupies roughly 17 x 17 mm, fitting dense portable PCBs. The 165 user I/Os drive LCD segments, sensor interfaces, and button matrices, while 504 kbits of true dual-port SRAM buffer ADC samples between acquisition and processing clock domains. Because the FPGA is active immediately at power-up, instruments can display status before a host controller completes its own boot. Designers should budget power in standby, since flash FPGAs avoid the repeated reconfiguration energy of SRAM parts in duty-cycled instruments.
Recommended
Medical Diagnostic Equipment
Benchtop medical analyzers, imaging acquisition boards, and patient-monitoring front ends use the A3PE600-1FG256 as sensor-interface and timing-controller fabric. The 600K system gates implement ADC framing, filter engines, and interface bridges to a host processor, while 504 kbits of true dual-port SRAM stage sample streams before host DMA transfer. Live-at-power-up flash configuration ensures acquisition hardware initializes deterministically during instrument power-on self-test sequences required by medical device procedures. The 165 user I/Os interface multiple sensor channels plus control peripherals in the compact 256-ball FBGA. Medical OEMs typically select the A3PE600-1FG256I industrial-temperature variant for extended chamber testing headroom, and because Microchip maintains long product lifecycles on the ProASIC3E family, multi-year regulatory-supported production runs remain practical on a stable bill of materials.
Recommended
Video and Display Interface Systems
The A3PE600-1FG256 serves as scan-conversion, timing-generation, and bridge logic in industrial displays, legacy video format converters, and signage controllers. The 272 MHz system frequency on the -1 speed grade covers pixel clock requirements for SVGA/XGA-class raster timing, while 165 user I/Os drive RGB parallel video buses, LVDS-serializer control interfaces, and panel backlight controls. The 504 kbit true dual-port SRAM implements line buffers (FIFOs) that absorb pixel-rate differences between the source and display clock domains - a classic use of ProASIC3E embedded memory blocks. Flash-based live-at-power-up operation means displays show content immediately on power application without a boot delay, which matters in digital signage and instrument panels. For HD-resolution designs requiring higher pixel clocks, migrate to A3PE1500-class devices within the same Libero SoC flow.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for A3PE600-1FG256 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | A3PE600-1FG256I | A3PE600-1FGG256 | A3PE600-2FG256 | A3PE600-FG256 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 256-FBGA (FG256, 1 mm pitch) | 256-FBGA - same | 256-FBGA (green) - same | 256-FBGA - same | 256-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Microsemi) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| System Gates | 600000 | 600000 | 600000 | 600000 | 600000 |
| Speed Grade | -1 (272 MHz) | -1 (272 MHz) | -1 (272 MHz) | -2 (faster) | standard |
| User I/Os | 165 | 165 | 165 | 165 | 165 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 70 C | -40 to +100 C | [DATA_NEEDED] | 0 to 70 C | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Configuration Memory | On-chip Flash (Live-At-Power-Up Level 0) | On-chip Flash - same | On-chip Flash - same | On-chip Flash - same | On-chip Flash - same |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- Flash-based single-chip configuration (Live-At-Power-Up Level 0) (vs SRAM-based FPGAs of similar capacity (e.g., Xilinx Spartan-class))
- Compact 165-I/O package for 600K gates (vs A3PE600-1FG484)
- Secure on-chip bitstream storage (vs A3PE600-1FG256I (same die) and SRAM FPGA competitors)
- Trade-off: -1 speed grade limits system frequency (vs A3PE600-2FG256)
Design Notes
The A3PE600-1FG256 uses a 1.5V core supply on a 130-nm flash-based CMOS process; verify that your power tree sequences core, I/O banks, and auxiliary rails according to the ProASIC3E power-up requirements in the Microsemi datasheet. Because the device is live at power-up (Level 0), rail sequencing faults can leave the fabric in an undefined state - add a supervisor on the 1.5V rail (e.g., a voltage monitor with reset output). Estimate core current by running static and dynamic power analysis in Microchip Libero SoC with your actual design; 600K-gate designs at 272 MHz can draw hundreds of milliamps at the core.
The FG256 package is a 1 mm-pitch, 256-ball BGA. Escape routing on a standard through-via stack requires 0.2 mm vias under pads or dog-bone escapes on an 8-mil trace grid; for 4-6 layer boards, via-in-pad with filled vias is strongly recommended for inner balls. Provide at least two dedicated power/ground ball connections per I/O bank per datasheet package file, and flood adjacent layers for return paths. Download the official package outline and ball map from Microchip - never derive the footprint from third-party aggregator sites.
Do not assume the commercial A3PE600-1FG256 (0 to 70 C) works in industrial enclosures - order the A3PE600-1FG256I (-40 to +100 C) variant, which is pin-identical, before release to production. Another common pitfall is timing sign-off at the 272 MHz headline figure: the -1 grade maximum is a fabric capability, not a guarantee for dense designs. Run static timing analysis on your routed netlist in Libero SoC and add 10-15% margin. Finally, since configuration is on-chip flash, no external PROM is needed - removing a legacy boot device from the BOM is safe but must be reflected in programming fixtures.
Compliance Information
Compliance data was not present in the provided web data. The A3PE600-1FGG256 variants are understood to be green/lead-free options per Microchip naming convention - verify on the official Microchip product page. This device is a commercial FPGA, not AEC-Q100 automotive qualified.
