EP1K50QC208-3AA - ACEX-1K FPGA 50K 2.5V | Altera
MPN: EP1K50QC208-3AA ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 10 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 100 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 500 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 1,000 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 3,000 | $0 | $0.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K50QC208-3AA — 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:
EP1K50QC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$12.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$27.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$20.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$11.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-3AA Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | ACEX-1K |
| Device Type | Field Programmable Gate Array |
| Typical Gate Count | 50,000 gates |
| Number of Logic Elements | 2,880 |
| Number of Logic Array Blocks | 360 |
| Number of Dedicated Inputs | 6 |
| Total RAM Bits | 40,960 bits |
| Number of User I/O | 147 |
| Core Supply Voltage Minimum | 2.375 V |
| Core Supply Voltage Typical | 2.5 V |
| Core Supply Voltage Maximum | 2.625 V |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 166.67 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.22 um |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0°C to 70°C |
| Package / Case | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) |
| Number of Pins | 208 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP1K50QC208-3AA 208-bfqfp (pqfp) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1K50QC208-3AA (208-bfqfp (pqfp) package) with 208 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 EP1K50QC208-3AA.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 208 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
EP1K50QC208-3AA is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Equipment Repair and Lifecycle Extension, Communication System Parallel Bus Bridging, Industrial Automation I/O Expansion, Video and Image Timing Generation, FPGA Architecture Training and Breadboarding, Telecom Control Plane and Shelf Management Glue Logic.
Legacy Equipment Repair and Lifecycle Extension
Legacy industrial controllers and test equipment often contain ACEX-1K FPGAs. The EP1K50QC208-3AA is one of the pin-compatible 2,880-LE EP1K50 variants, so maintenance teams can repair an existing 208-pin PQFP board while preserving the original logic density and 147-I/O partitioning. In a repair service, the FPGA typically sits between a host processor bus and custom backplane signals; output drive and register timing should be re-verified because the -3 grade is slower than -1 or -2. The 40,960 RAM bits provide small FIFOs and register files, which avoids external SRAM in many legacy designs. When procuring replacements, confirm the -3AA suffix and include drop-in variants such as EP1K50QC208-3 and EP1K50QC208-2N in the approved BOM so production can continue if one code is exhausted.
Recommended
Communication System Parallel Bus Bridging
Communication systems such as PBX line cards, telemetry aggregators, and Ethernet switch control planes use a modest FPGA to bridge parallel buses. The EP1K50QC208-3AA provides 147 user I/O pins, enough for a 32-bit bus plus control and status lines, while the 40,960 RAM bits implement packet counters or elastic buffers. Its logic fabric can run at 166.67 MHz in the -3 grade, appropriate for TDM, UART, and lower-speed parallel protocols but not for multi-gigabit serial links. A designer typically places the FPGA between a host processor local bus and a backplane, using the flexible I/O to perform address decoding, parity generation, and simple protocol conversion. The 2.5 V core requires clean local regulation and careful signal-integrity analysis at the selected I/O standard. Faster drop-in alternatives such as EP1K50QC208-2N and EP1K50QC208-1 provide additional timing margin if re-timing is acceptable.
Recommended
Industrial Automation I/O Expansion
Industrial automation panels frequently need flexible digital I/O expansion, custom interlocks, and protocol conversion without a large ASIC budget. The EP1K50QC208-3AA fits here because it provides 147 user I/O pins for opto-coupler inputs, relay driver outputs, and multi-drop control signals. The 50,000-gate logic capacity allows a designer to implement several UARTs, timer blocks, and state machines in one device, while the 40,960 RAM bits can store small look-up tables for calibration or alarm thresholds. Because most industrial fieldbus functions operate well below the 166.67 MHz -3 limit, the speed grade rarely becomes the bottleneck; board-level noise immunity and isolation are more important. Powering the FPGA from a regulated 2.5 V core and decoupling each supply pin is critical in noisy factory environments. The same 208-pin drop-in alternatives can be substituted if a higher speed grade is needed later.
Recommended
Video and Image Timing Generation
Video capture and display systems often need custom timing generators, line counters, sync generators, and small line buffers. The EP1K50QC208-3AA can implement these functions using its 2,880 logic elements and 40,960 RAM bits. For example, pixel counters and horizontal/vertical timing state machines require only a small fraction of the logic fabric, leaving room for image post-processing glue logic. The 147 I/O pins are useful for connecting to CMOS imagers, ADCs, DACs, and memory buses. Since pixel clocks for standard-definition and many VGA-class applications are below 166.67 MHz, the -3 speed grade is adequate. Designers should verify the I/O voltage compatibility of the image sensor and memory devices with the ACEX-1K I/O bank guidelines. Pin-compatible alternatives include EP1K50QC208-2N and EP1K50QC208-1 for higher pixel clock designs.
Recommended
FPGA Architecture Training and Breadboarding
University laboratories and prototyping groups use ACEX-1K devices to teach FPGA architecture, Verilog synthesis, and timing analysis. The EP1K50QC208-3AA is suitable because its 50K-gate capacity is large enough to synthesize simple processors, UARTs, and finite-state machines while remaining small enough for students to understand the full design flow. The 208-pin PQFP can be mounted on a carrier board or used through a test socket, and the 147 I/O pins allow connection of switches, LEDs, and seven-segment displays. The 166.67 MHz -3 speed grade is enough for most educational designs. Students should be taught that Altera's ACEX-1K family is no longer a new-design recommendation, but its drop-in variants are useful for studying legacy timing closure and migration planning. The same-family EP1K50QC208-3 is the simplest substitution for replacing damaged boards.
Recommended
Telecom Control Plane and Shelf Management Glue Logic
Telecom shelf controllers and line cards use low-cost FPGA glue logic for address decoding, interrupt routing, reset sequencing, and simple management-bus bridges. The EP1K50QC208-3AA provides 147 I/O pins to connect to multiple backplane connectors, status LEDs, and processor local buses. Its 50K-gate capacity permits a single chip to integrate several board-management state machines that might otherwise require multiple CPLDs. The -3 speed grade is generally sufficient for slow management interfaces, while the 40,960 RAM bits can hold small table-based control data. A board designer must ensure the ACEX-1K core 2.5 V supply is sequenced within the FPGA family guidelines if the design has multiple power domains. Drop-in equivalent variants such as EP1K50QC208-3 and EP1K50QC208-2N make it easier to maintain a single PCB across performance classes.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K50QC208-3AA — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K50QC208-3 | EP1K50QC208-2N | EP1K50QC208-2 | EP1K50QC208-1N | EP1K50QC208-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) | 208-BFQFP (PQFP) |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 |
| RAM Bits | 40,960 bits | 40,960 bits | 40,960 bits | 40,960 bits | 40,960 bits | 40,960 bits |
| User I/O Count | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 2.375V to 2.625V | 2.375V to 2.625V | 2.375V to 2.625V | 2.375V to 2.625V | 2.375V to 2.625V | 2.375V to 2.625V |
| Speed Grade | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -1 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 166.67 MHz | 166.67 MHz | [DATA_NEEDED: -2 grade fMAX from datasheet] | [DATA_NEEDED: -2 grade fMAX from datasheet] | [DATA_NEEDED: -1 grade fMAX from datasheet] | [DATA_NEEDED: -1 grade fMAX from datasheet] |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C |
Key Differentiators
- Exact -3 timing compatibility with legacy designs (vs EP1K50QC208-1N)
- Same 208-pin BFQFP footprint as all EP1K50 208-pin variants (vs EP1K50QC208-2)
- Documented distributor availability on a mature family (vs EP1K50QC208-3)
Design Notes
The EP1K50QC208-3AA core is specified at 2.5 V nominal, with an operating range of 2.375 V to 2.625 V. Because the exact ICC value was not stated in the fetched data, treat the current requirement as design-dependent and select a regulator with adequate margin for the complete FPGA configuration and I/O load. Place a 0.1 uF ceramic capacitor close to each VCC pin and add bulk capacitance on the 2.5 V plane. Verify power-up monotonicity if the ACEX-1K configuration device expects a specific sequencing behavior.
The 208-pin PQFP is a surface-mount package without an exposed thermal pad. For a legacy board, use the datasheet thermal resistance value to estimate junction temperature from total FPGA power. The fetched data does not include theta-JA, so a conservative copper pour under the package and forced-air cooling is recommended if the design uses a large portion of the 2,880 logic elements at high toggle rates. The commercial temperature limit of 70°C applies to the device junction and ambient relationship.
Do not substitute an EP1K50QC208-1N or EP1K50QC208-2N from memory without checking the speed grade and finish; although they are pin-compatible on the 208-pin footprint, timing constraints can differ and place-and-route results may no longer close. Unused I/O pins should be assigned to a safe logic state or left disconnected only if the datasheet permits. Because this is a mature part, verify the exact device marking and maintain a record of the configuration file revision to avoid silent firmware mismatch in the field.
Compliance Information
The fetched data did not include RoHS, REACH, or lead-free statements for the EP1K50QC208-3AA. This is a mature ACEX-1K device, and compliance status should be confirmed with the actual date-code certificate or supplier before shipment.
