EP1K10FI256-2 - 10K Gates ACEX-1K FPGA, 256-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP1K10FI256-2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.5 | $18.50 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.95 | $1,395.00 |
| 500 | $12.1 | $6,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $10.4 | $10,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K10FI256-2 — 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:
EP1K10FC256-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K10FI256-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K10FI256-2X
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1K10FI256-3
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1K10FC256-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.62 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K10FI256-2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ACEX-1K |
| Equivalent Gates | 10,000 |
| Logic Elements | 576 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 72 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 6 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 12,288 |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 136 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 200 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 2.5 V |
| I/O Standard Support | 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V LVTTL, LVCMOS |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA), 1.0 mm pitch |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) |
| Configuration Mode | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1), Passive Serial |
EP1K10FI256-2 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 1 |
| Pin A2 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 1 |
| Pin A3 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 1 |
| Pin A4 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 1 |
| Pin B1 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 2 |
| Pin B2 | VCCINT — 2.5 V core supply |
| Pin B3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin B4 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 2 |
| Pin C1 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 3 |
| Pin C2 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 3 |
| Pin C3 | VCCIO — I/O supply (1.8/2.5/3.3 V) |
| Pin C4 | TDI — JTAG test data input |
| Pin D1 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin D2 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin D3 | TDO — JTAG test data output |
| Pin D4 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin E1 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin E2 | DCLK — Configuration clock input |
| Pin E3 | DATA0 — Configuration data input |
| Pin E4 | I/O — General-purpose user I/O bank 4 |
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
EP1K10FI256-2 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Glue Logic, Telecom Line-Card Interface Bridging, Custom Peripheral Controller for PCI/ISA Systems, Low-Density DSP Co-Processor, Pre-ASIC Prototyping for Mid-Range ASICs, Reconfigurable Test & Measurement Backplane.
Industrial Control Glue Logic
The EP1K10FI256-2's 576 logic elements and 136 user I/O make it a strong fit for industrial glue-logic consolidation where discrete 74-series TTL is being collapsed onto a single programmable device. Its industrial -40C to +85C temperature grade (per the I-suffix in the part number) and 256-ball FineLine BGA footprint match standard PLC and motor-control sub-board layouts, while the 2.5 V VCCINT core with 3.3 V-tolerant I/O bridges legacy 5 V-tolerant logic with modern microcontrollers. Place the part adjacent to the controller MCU and use JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) for in-system programming so factory firmware updates can be applied without removing the board.
Recommended
Telecom Line-Card Interface Bridging
The EP1K10FI256-2 fits telecom line-card interface bridging by combining its 12,288 bits of dual-port EAB RAM (used for small FIFO buffers) with its 200 MHz internal Fmax, which is sufficient for STS-1 / 51.84 Mbps framer glue and HDLC-style protocol adaptation. The 256-BGA footprint is shared across the ACEX-1K density range, so a single PCB can accept EP1K10, EP1K30, or EP1K100 depending on the port count. Use passive-serial configuration with an EPC2 or EPC4 configuration PROM for in-field bitstream updates when line-card firmware changes.
Recommended
Custom Peripheral Controller for PCI/ISA Systems
The EP1K10FI256-2 is well suited to legacy PCI/ISA peripheral controller designs where a custom register set or interrupt-handling state machine must be implemented without committing to an ASIC. Its 136 user I/O provide ample headroom for bus multiplexing, while the LVTTL/LVCMOS I/O standards (1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V) interface directly to PCI/ISA bus transceivers. The Quartus / MAX+PLUS II flow lets engineers prototype in FPGA and migrate to a HardCopy structured ASIC once volume justifies the mask cost.
Recommended
Low-Density DSP Co-Processor
For low-density DSP co-processing, the EP1K10FI256-2's 12,288 bits of dual-port EAB RAM can implement small MAC / FIR filter banks at baseband rates, offloading multiply-accumulate work from a host DSP or ARM processor. The 200 MHz internal Fmax supports sample rates up to ~50 MHz in pipelined filter architectures, and the SRAM-based configuration cell allows live algorithm swap for adaptive filtering in software-defined radio (SDR) front-ends. Use a 4-input LUT structure per LE to keep FIR tap multiplexing efficient.
Recommended
Pre-ASIC Prototyping for Mid-Range ASICs
The EP1K10FI256-2 is a common pre-ASIC prototyping vehicle for mid-range ASICs because it shares I/O standards and configuration flow with later HardCopy structured ASICs in the same design family. Engineers can validate RTL on this FPGA at 200 MHz, then port the same Quartus project to a HardCopy structured ASIC for volume production without re-writing RTL. The 256-ball FineLine BGA package matches standard prototyping board footprints, simplifying lab bring-up.
Recommended
Reconfigurable Test & Measurement Backplane
The EP1K10FI256-2 fits reconfigurable test-and-measurement backplanes where channel routing, gain switching, and trigger logic must change per test program. Its SRAM-based configuration lets the host PC reload a new bitstream for each test profile in milliseconds, and its 72 Configurable Logic Blocks give ample room for state-machine sequencing of relays and ADCs. The industrial temperature grade is appropriate for laboratory and factory-floor environments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K10FI256-2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K10FC256-2 | EP1K10FI256-2N | EP1K10FI256-2X | EP1K10FI256-3 | EP1K10FC256-2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same |
| Equivalent Gates | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Logic Elements | 576 | 576 | 576 | 576 | 576 | 576 |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 12,288 | 12,288 | 12,288 | 12,288 | 12,288 | 12,288 |
| Maximum User I/O | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| Speed Grade | -2 (standard) | -2 (standard) | -2 (standard) | -2 (standard) | -3 (slower, lower cost) | -2 (standard) |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +70C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +70C) |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | [DATA_NEEDED: lead_free_status] | [DATA_NEEDED] | Yes (N suffix) | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | Yes (N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade with 256-BGA footprint (vs EP1K10FC256-2)
- Lead-free ball finish (RoHS) (vs EP1K10FI256-2 (standard))
- Standard speed grade (-2) (vs EP1K10FI256-3)
Design Notes
The 256-ball FineLine BGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires a 4- or 6-layer PCB with microvia-in-pad or laser-drilled stacked vias for reliable escape. Route signal traces on inner layers with via-in-pad to keep the breakout dense; keep differential pairs length-matched within 150 mil for JTAG and clock traces. Add a continuous ground plane on layer 2 directly under the BGA to control return paths and reduce simultaneous switching noise (SSN) on the 136 user I/O.
Estimated: at typical IO toggling (~50% utilization, 50 MHz) the EP1K10FI256-2 draws about 100-250 mA from VCCINT (2.5 V) plus I/O-dependent VCCIO current; place at least four 0.1 uF ceramic decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of the VCCINT and VCCIO balls, and one 10 uF bulk ceramic per supply rail. For multi-bank I/O designs where VCCIO differs between banks, isolate each bank with its own ferrite bead and decoupling network to prevent logic-level mismatch and ground bounce.
Do not leave nCONFIG, nSTATUS, DCLK, DATA0, or JTAG pins (TCK/TMS/TDI/TDO) floating; pull them to defined logic levels through 10 kohm resistors or tie nCONFIG high via 10 kohm to VCCIO. A floating nCONFIG can cause intermittent configuration failure on power-up. Always generate the configuration bitstream with the Quartus software and verify against the ACEX-1K Device Family datasheet pinout; never assume the silicon revision is compatible with older MAX+PLUS II compilation flows.
Keep the JTAG chain wiring as short as possible (<= 50 mm total) and place a 10 kohm pull-up on TCK and TMS to prevent false clock edges during board-level noise events. For multi-FPGA JTAG chains, add series-termination resistors (33-68 ohm) close to each TDO pin to dampen reflections. If using passive-serial configuration with an EPC2 or EPC4 configuration PROM, place the PROM within 25 mm of the FPGA to keep signal integrity under control.
Compliance Information
Lifecycle status is obsolete as of 2026-09-07 per Intel (Altera) PCN records. The -N suffix variant (EP1K10FI256-2N) is the lead-free RoHS option; the standard -2 variant ball finish status is not in the provided web data and is marked unknown. AEC-Q100 automotive qualification is not applicable to this part.
