A54SX72A-FFG256 - 108K-Gate SX-A FPGA, 256-BGA | Microchip
MPN: A54SX72A-FFG256 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $250 | $250.00 |
| 10 | $231 | $2,310.00 |
| 100 | $214 | $21,400.00 |
| 500 | $198 | $99,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $185 | $185,000.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for A54SX72A-FFG256 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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A54SX72A-FFGG256
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$65.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →A54SX72A-1FGG256
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Contact for price
View Datasheet →A54SX72A-2FGG256
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$217.72 / Unit
View Datasheet →A54SX72A-FFG256A
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
A54SX72A-FG256
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$89 / Unit
View Datasheet →A54SX72A-FFG256 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | SX-A |
| System Gates | 108000 gates |
| Typical Gates | 72000 gates |
| Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 6036 |
| User I/O | 203 |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 172 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 2.5 V |
| Technology | 0.25um/0.22um CMOS |
| Typical Combinatorial Delay | 1.8 ns per CLB |
| Configuration Type | One-Time Programmable (nonvolatile) |
| Package | 256-Ball Fine-Pitch BGA (FBGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | Standard (-FFG256 suffix) |
| Quadrant Clock Inputs | 4 (A/B/C/D) |
| Brand / Manufacturer | Microchip Technology (Actel/Microsemi) |
| Packaging | Tray |
A54SX72A-FFG256 256-ball fine-pitch bga (fbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for A54SX72A-FFG256 (256-ball fine-pitch bga (fbga) 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 A54SX72A-FFG256.
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
A54SX72A-FFG256 is suitable for 6 applications: Aerospace and Defense Electronics, Industrial Control and Automation, Test and Measurement Instruments, Communications Backplane Logic, Legacy System Sustainment and Obsolescence Management, Security and Surveillance Systems.
Aerospace and Defense Electronics
The SX-A architecture is a proven workhorse in avionics, satellite payloads, and defense subsystems because its nonvolatile, one-time-programmable configuration eliminates the configuration-upset and boot-time concerns of SRAM FPGAs. The A54SX72A-FFG256 offers the family maximum density of 108K system gates and 203 user I/O, enough to integrate bus interfaces, glue logic, and control FSMs into one 2.5V device. Designers instantiate quadrant clocks (A/B/C/D) to distribute low-skew timing across independent processing regions. The 256-ball FBGA with 1.0 mm pitch supports reliable surface-mount assembly in conformally coated boards. Long-term Microchip support for legacy Actel/Microsemi families protects multi-decade defense programs.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
Factory automation controllers, motor-control supervisory logic, and PLC I/O cards benefit from the A54SX72A-FFG256's instant-on nonvolatile configuration: no configuration flash load time means deterministic startup, a requirement in safety interlocks and sequencing. With 6,036 CLBs and 172 MHz maximum clock, one device replaces dozens of 74-series functions, reducing BOM count and board area. The 2.5V core with tolerant I/O structures interfaces with 3.3V industrial logic. The one-time-programmable nature also prevents unauthorized or accidental bitstream changes on the factory floor, an implicit security benefit versus SRAM FPGAs that re-load configuration at every power-up.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instruments
Bench instruments, ATE channels, and data-acquisition front ends use the A54SX72A-FFG256 as timing-controller and acquisition-sequencer logic. The 172 MHz maximum clock and ~1.8 ns typical CLB delay support counters, trigger engines, and state machines at the speeds typical of mid-range instrumentation. The 203 user I/O in a 256-ball FBGA enables wide parallel buses to ADCs and memory with a compact 1.0 mm-pitch footprint. Quadrant clock inputs let engineers isolate the trigger-timing domain from the data-path domain, improving setup/hold margins. Instant-on configuration means the instrument is ready the moment power is applied, avoiding boot delays seen with SRAM FPGA platforms.
Recommended
Communications Backplane Logic
Line cards, backplane controllers, and protocol glue in telecom equipment deploy the A54SX72A-FFG256 where many parallel interfaces converge. With 108K system gates, one device absorbs bus switching, arbitration, framing, and supervisory functions previously spread across CPLDs and MSI logic. The 2.5V CMOS core keeps static power low for always-on telecom shelves, while the nonvolatile fabric guarantees the card is addressable immediately after hot-swap insertion - valuable in redundant architecture. The 203 user I/O supports wide parallel PHY interfaces, and the fine-pitch BGA suits high-layer-count telecom PCBs. Designers should verify quadrant clock assignments to keep jitter-sensitive domains clean.
Recommended
Legacy System Sustainment and Obsolescence Management
Programs maintaining Actel/Microsemi SX-era boards use the A54SX72A-FFG256 to keep production lines alive when original devices dry up. Because all SX-A A54SX72A 256-ball variants share the same die, footprint, and Libero design flow, a FFG256 can typically be swapped for FFGG256, FFG256A, FG256, or speed-grade variants with a recompile and retest - no PCB respin. This page's drop-in cross-reference (same footprint, 90-100% parametric match) accelerates obsolescence triage. Procurement teams should pair substitution with date-code verification and functional retest, since configuration programming data is device-specific to one-time-programmable silicon.
Recommended
Security and Surveillance Systems
Video matrix controllers, sensor-hub logic, and access-control systems use the A54SX72A-FFG256 to merge camera interface glue, framing, and control logic into one nonvolatile device. The 108K-gate fabric handles multiple parallel video-sideband and control paths simultaneously, while instant-on behavior means the surveillance chain is live at power application - critical for record-always installations. One-time-programmable configuration hardens the deployed unit against bitstream tampering, an advantage over SRAM FPGAs whose configuration images are stored externally. The 2.5V supply and 203 user I/O in a 256-ball FBGA fit compact multi-channel boards with standard reflow assembly.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for A54SX72A-FFG256 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | A54SX72A-FFGG256 | A54SX72A-1FGG256 | A54SX72A-FFG256A | A54SX72A-FG256 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Actel/Microsemi) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 256-Ball Fine-Pitch BGA | 256-Ball Fine-Pitch BGA - same | 256-Ball Fine-Pitch BGA - same | 256-Ball PBGA - same | 256-Ball BGA - same ball count |
| System Gates | 108000 gates | 108000 gates | 108000 gates | 108000 gates | 108000 gates |
| Logic Cells / CLBs | 6036 | 6036 | 6036 | 6036 | 6036 |
| User I/O | 203 | 203 | 203 | 203 | 203 |
| Max Clock Frequency | 172 MHz | 172 MHz | [DATA_NEEDED] | 172 MHz | 172 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| Speed Grade | Standard | Standard | -1 (faster) | Standard (A suffix) | Standard |
| Lead Finish | Standard (FFG suffix) | Lead-free / RoHS (extra G) | Lead-free / RoHS | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density in the SX-A family (vs A54SX32A-FGG256)
- Nonvolatile one-time-programmable fabric (vs SRAM FPGAs)
- Lowest-risk legacy substitution (vs A54SX72A-FFGG256)
- Trade-off: speed grade ceiling (vs A54SX72A-2FGG256)
Design Notes
The A54SX72A-FFG256 runs from a single 2.5V supply. Provide one bulk capacitor (10-22 uF) plus a grid of 0.1 uF ceramics across the 256-ball BGA's power/ground balls - place at least one decoupling capacitor per power ball within 3 mm of the package. Estimated: with 6,036 CLBs partially utilized at moderate toggle rates, core current typically remains in the tens-to-low-hundreds of mA range, but perform an actual power analysis in Libero with your design utilization before sizing the 2.5V rail; SRAM-style inrush does not apply, but programming and IO switching currents must be budgeted.
The A54SX72A provides four quadrant clock inputs (A/B/C/D: bottom-left, bottom-right, top-left, top-right per the Microchip SX-A datasheet). Assign global clock domains so each quadrant's sequential logic sits near its clock ball to minimize skew and routing congestion. Because the die is one-time-programmable, timing closure issues cannot be fixed in the field - complete full static timing analysis in Libero on the final placed design, including IO setup/hold against your PCB trace delays, before releasing programming files to production.
Do not interchange FFG (fine-pitch) and FG (standard) 256-ball land patterns without verification - ball diameter and pitch tolerance differ between suffixes, so confirm the exact mechanical drawing in the SX-A datasheet for your chosen MPN before committing the PCB land pattern. Also confirm lead-finish requirements: FFG256 is the standard-finish suffix while FFGG256 is the lead-free version; mixing them on a Pb-free assembly line can cause solderability or compliance audit issues. Finally, keep unused I/O configured per Libero defaults to avoid floating inputs.
Compliance Information
FFG256 suffix denotes standard ball finish; the FFGG256 suffix is the lead-free/RoHS version. Confirm exact RoHS/REACH certificates per date code on the Microchip product page. AEC-Q100 status not stated in provided data for this commercial suffix.
