A42MX36-3PQG208I - 54K-Gate FPGA, 176 I/O | Microchip Technology
MPN: A42MX36-3PQG208I ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
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Drop-in alternatives for A42MX36-3PQG208I — 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:
A42MX36-2PQG208I
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1 / Unit
View Datasheet →A42MX36-1PQG208
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View Datasheet →A42MX36-PQG208I
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$55 / Unit
View Datasheet →A42MX36-FPQG208
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$39.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →A42MX36-PQ208I
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A42MX24-3PQG208I
⚡ Same Package✓ In Stock
$1 / Unit
View Datasheet →A42MX36-3PQG208I Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | 42MX (MX FPGA) |
| System Gates | 54000 gates |
| Logic Cells | 1184 |
| Total Logic Modules | 2438 |
| User I/O | 176 |
| Flip-Flop Capacity | 2560 |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| System Clock Frequency | 108 MHz / 180 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V / 5 V |
| Process Technology | 0.45 um CMOS |
| Package | 208-BFQFP (PQFP), 0.5 mm pitch |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| PCI Compliance | PCI Local Bus Specification v2.1 |
| I/O Feature | MultiPlex I/O, 5V tolerant, low-power mode |
| Configuration | Non-volatile, live at power-up |
| RoHS Status | unknown |
A42MX36-3PQG208I Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | NC/IO — User-configurable I/O or no-connect per 42MX PQ208 pin table |
| Pin [DATA_NEEDED] | VDD — Core/5V supply pins distributed around package |
| Pin [DATA_NEEDED] | GND — Ground pins distributed around package |
| Pin [DATA_NEEDED] | CLK — Dedicated clock input modules |
| Pin [DATA_NEEDED] | GRESET — Global reset input |
| Pin [DATA_NEEDED] | IO[0:175] — 176 MultiPlex user I/Os, 5V tolerant |
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
A42MX36-3PQG208I is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Automation, Aerospace and Defense Electronics, PCI Bus Interface and Legacy Bridging, Legacy PLD Integration and Board Revitalization, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Communications and Network Interface Cards.
Industrial Control and Automation
The A42MX36-3PQG208I fits industrial control as a glue-logic and state-machine replacement thanks to its 5V-tolerant MultiPlex I/O, which interfaces directly with legacy 5V PLC I/O and 3.3V microcontroller peripherals without level shifters. Its 176 user I/Os and 54K gates accommodate parallel bus decoding, motor-control sequencing, and safety interlock logic. The non-volatile antifuse configuration is live at power-up, eliminating configuration-boot delays required by SRAM FPGAs - critical in machinery that must assert correct I/O states immediately at reset.
Recommended
Aerospace and Defense Electronics
Microchip positions the MX family as a reliable single-chip ASIC alternative for defense and aerospace. The A42MX36 is available in CQ208/CQ256 ceramic packages screened to MIL-STD-883 levels, and the plastic PQ208 shares the CQ208 pinout for prototype-to-production conversion. Antifuse configuration resists configuration bitstream upset, a key reliability factor in radiation-tolerant and secure systems. The industrial -40C to +85C range (I suffix) and 54K-gate capacity suit avionics interface boards, payload sequencing, and bus adapters.
Recommended
PCI Bus Interface and Legacy Bridging
According to the Microchip 40MX/42MX datasheet, the device is fully compliant with the PCI Local Bus Specification version 2.1, with programmable PCI enabled by MultiPlex I/O at both 5.0V and 3.3V signaling. The -3 speed grade supports 108 MHz internal performance, comfortably meeting 33 MHz PCI timing budgets. Designers use the A42MX36-3PQG208I to implement PCI target/master bridges, legacy ISA-to-PCI adapters, and custom bus controllers in systems that cannot migrate to PCIe.
Recommended
Legacy PLD Integration and Board Revitalization
Microchip markets MX specifically as a platform for integrating legacy PLDs into a single low-cost device. Multiple 22V10/CPLD functions, address decoders, and glue logic consolidate into one 54K-gate A42MX36, cutting BOM count and board area while preserving the original 5V I/O environment. The 0.45 um process and mature architecture guarantee long-term availability for end-of-life board refresh programs where redesigning around modern FPGAs is cost-prohibitive.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The A42MX36-3PQG208I serves as a control FPGA in bench instruments, handling trigger logic, timing generation, and digital I/O subsystems. Its 2438 logic modules and 2560 flip-flops implement counters and pattern generators, while 5V-tolerant I/O connects directly to TTL-level test points. Deterministic antifuse timing (no reconfiguration jitter) and the -3 grade's 108 MHz/180 MHz performance support repeatable, high-precision measurement sequencing required in production test equipment.
Recommended
Communications and Network Interface Cards
In legacy networking hardware, the A42MX36-3PQG208I implements protocol framing, FIFO control, and backplane interfaces. The programmable PCI support enables direct host-bus attachment, and MultiPlex I/O handles mixed 3.3V/5V line-card signaling. The low-power mode reduces consumption in standby line cards, and non-volatile configuration ensures the card is operational immediately when slotted into a live chassis - a practical advantage over SRAM FPGAs requiring boot loading.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for A42MX36-3PQG208I — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | A42MX36-2PQG208I | A42MX36-PQG208I | A42MX36-1PQG208 | A42MX36-PQ208I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 208-BFQFP (PQFP), 0.5 mm pitch | 208-PQFP - same | 208-PQFP - same | 208-PQFP - same | 208-PQFP - same |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Microsemi) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| System Gates | 54000 | 54000 | 54000 | 54000 | 54000 |
| Logic Cells | 1184 | 1184 | 1184 | 1184 | 1184 |
| User I/O | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 |
| Speed Grade | -3 | -2 | standard | -1 | standard |
| Supply Voltage | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V | 3.3 V / 5 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (I) | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | [DATA_NEEDED] | -40C to +85C |
| Process Technology | 0.45 um CMOS | 0.45 um CMOS | 0.45 um CMOS | 0.45 um CMOS | 0.45 um CMOS |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest -3 speed grade in PQFP-208 (vs A42MX36-2PQG208I)
- Industrial temperature range with green package (vs A42MX36-1PQG208)
- Largest 42MX capacity available (vs A42MX24-3PQG208I)
- Non-volatile antifuse configuration (vs Cross-brand SRAM FPGAs)
Design Notes
The PQFP-208 uses a 0.5 mm lead pitch, which requires careful solder-paste stencil design; inspect for bridging with X-ray or AOI. Follow the Microchip/Microsemi MX Family PCB Layout Guidelines: use uniform 0.2 mm aperture stencil, non-solder-mask-defined pads of approximately 0.3 x 1.5 mm, and route all 208 fan-out with 0.2 mm trace/0.2 mm space on inner layers. Decouple every VDD pin with a 0.1 uF ceramic placed within 5 mm of the pin.
The device supports both 3.3V and 5.0V operation through MultiPlex I/O banks. Ensure the 5V rail is sequenced cleanly and verify that all 5V-driven inputs respect the datasheet input clamp current limits. Add bulk 10 uF plus per-pin 0.1 uF decoupling; antifuse devices draw no configuration surge current at power-up, simplifying power-supply sizing compared to SRAM FPGAs.
Do not assume pin-compatible means timing-compatible when substituting speed grades (e.g., -2PQG208I in place of -3PQG208I): rerun static timing analysis in Libero SoC for the substituted grade, especially on PCI-bus compliant interfaces that must meet PCI v2.1 setup/hold windows. Also confirm the G (green/lead-free) suffix requirement before ordering, since PQ and PQG suffixes differ in lead finish.
Compliance Information
The G suffix in PQG208 indicates the lead-free/green package variant per Microchip naming conventions. Full RoHS/REACH compliance status not found in retrieved data - verify on the Microchip product page.
