EP1K50QC208-3N - 50K Gates ACEX-1K FPGA, 208-PQFP | Altera
MPN: EP1K50QC208-3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28.5 | $28.50 |
| 10 | $24.75 | $247.50 |
| 100 | $19.9 | $1,990.00 |
| 500 | $16.4 | $8,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $13.85 | $13,850.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K50QC208-3N — 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:
EP1K100QC208-3N
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View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-2N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
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View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-1N
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View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-3AA
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View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-2
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View Datasheet →EP1K50QC208-3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ACEX-1K |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 2,880 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 360 |
| Embedded RAM | 40,960 bits (10 EABs × 4,096 bits) |
| Maximum User I/Os | 147 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 166.67 MHz |
| Pin-to-Pin Logic Delay | 0.5 ns (typical, -3 speed grade) |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V (PCI-compatible I/O banks) |
| Package | 208-pin PQFP / BFQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +70 °C (Commercial) |
| Programming Interface | IEEE 1149.1 JTAG + in-system configurable |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Compliant (Pb-free terminal finish per 'N' suffix) |
EP1K50QC208-3N 208-pin pqfp / bfqfp (plastic quad flat pack) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1K50QC208-3N (208-pin pqfp / bfqfp (plastic quad flat pack) 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 EP1K50QC208-3N.
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
EP1K50QC208-3N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control & Instrumentation Logic, Legacy Telecom / Networking Glue Logic, Prototype Board for Cyclone / APEX Migration, Replacement of Discrete TTL / 4000-series CMOS Logic, Test & Measurement Equipment Front-End, Medical Device Interface / Monitoring Boards.
Industrial Control & Instrumentation Logic
The EP1K50QC208-3N is well suited to industrial control platforms that require moderate-density glue logic, state-machine control, and parallel I/O expansion between microcontrollers and field devices. Its 2,880 logic elements and 40,960 bits of dual-port EAB RAM are sufficient for encoder quadrature decoding, PWM generation, and Modbus/Profibus slave interfaces, while the 147 user I/Os in the 208-pin PQFP expose enough parallel buses to drive 16-bit PLC backplanes and HMI key-scan matrices. The 0 °C to 70 °C commercial temperature window and 2.5 V core are typical of inside-the-enclosure industrial enclosures with regulated supplies. Designers favor the EP1K50 here because the Quartus II toolchain (13.0 SP1) is still widely available in factory automation maintenance shops, and the PQFP-208 footprint is hand-solderable for low-volume repair work. Pair it with an EPC2 configuration device or JTAG-load on power-up via a microcontroller for permanent retention of the bitstream.
Recommended
Legacy Telecom / Networking Glue Logic
In legacy telecom and networking line cards, the EP1K50QC208-3N serves as a high-density bridge between network processors and physical-layer devices, implementing UTOPIA / POS-PHY interfaces, HDLC controllers, and ATM cell segmentation engines. The 10 embedded EABs (4 Kbit each, total 40,960 bits) are ideal for CAM-style lookups, small FIFOs, and protocol header templates. The 166.67 MHz maximum internal frequency on the -3 speed grade meets 155 Mbps OC-3 cell processing budgets, and the 147 user I/Os in the 208-pin PQFP easily break out 32-bit UTOPIA Level-2 buses plus JTAG and configuration pins. Its 2.5 V core simplifies integration alongside legacy 3.3 V ASICs and network processors, and the in-system JTAG programmability allows field firmware updates without depopulation — a strong match for carrier-grade equipment with long service lifetimes.
Recommended
Prototype Board for Cyclone / APEX Migration
Engineers commonly use the EP1K50QC208-3N as a hardware prototype stand-in for higher-end Altera APEX II and Cyclone FPGAs when validating system architectures before committing to a new toolchain. The 208-pin PQFP package is large enough to break out all common buses (PCI, SDRAM, Flash) so the surrounding PCB can be reused almost unchanged when the design migrates to a Cyclone device in a TQFP-144 or BGA package. The Quartus II 13.0 SP1 software handles both ACEX-1K and Cyclone (with project migration), so design IP blocks verified on the EP1K50QC208-3N transfer cleanly to the production part. This makes the EP1K50 an excellent evaluation vehicle for engineers who need a working breadboard while production PCBs are still in layout.
Recommended
Replacement of Discrete TTL / 4000-series CMOS Logic
When a discrete-logic board uses 30+ 74-series TTL or 4000-series CMOS packages for bus multiplexing, address decoding, and bus-arbiter glue, the EP1K50QC208-3N consolidates that logic into a single 208-pin PQFP with the added benefit of design re-programmability. Its 2,880 LEs absorb roughly 200-300 SSI/MSI package equivalents, and the 147 user I/Os are ample for 16- and 32-bit address/data buses plus control signals. The 2.5 V core is supplied from a small LDO (TPS7A4533 or equivalent), and the 3.3 V VCCIO banks drive legacy 5 V-tolerant peripherals through resistive pull-ups. Designers appreciate the EP1K50 here because it shrinks PCB area, eliminates hand-routing of dozens of nets, and provides a debug-friendly JTAG visibility into every internal node.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Equipment Front-End
Benchtop instruments such as logic analyzers, protocol exercisers, and pattern generators rely on the EP1K50QC208-3N for capture-memory addressing, pattern sequencing, and trigger logic. The 40,960 bits of embedded EAB RAM are deep enough for 4 K × 10 sample buffers, while the 147 user I/Os in the 208-pin PQFP expose 32-bit parallel data paths plus 16-bit trigger buses. The 166.67 MHz fMAX on the -3 speed grade enables 200 MHz equivalent state-machine operation in pipelined designs, which is more than sufficient for USB-2.0 and 100 Mbps Ethernet front ends. Combined with JTAG-driven stimulus, the EP1K50 lets instrument designers iterate on trigger algorithms without respinning the PCB, and the same hardware can be repurposed for different DUT protocols by simply reloading a new .pof.
Recommended
Medical Device Interface / Monitoring Boards
Inside regulated medical-device interface boards — patient monitors, infusion pump controllers, and bench-top diagnostic analyzers — the EP1K50QC208-3N handles sensor multiplexing, ADC/DAC sample sequencing, and isolated communication protocol bridging. The 147 user I/Os drive multi-channel analog front ends, the 40,960-bit EAB RAM implements rolling sample buffers, and the 2.5 V core supports low-power designs required for battery-backed monitoring. Note that ACEX-1K is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified and is rated only for 0 °C to 70 °C commercial temperature, so it is appropriate for inside-the-enclosure instrument electronics but NOT for implantable or patient-contact applications. Design teams pairing the EP1K50 with isolated RS-485 or CAN transceivers achieve IEC 60601-1 patient-leakage targets by keeping the FPGA on the isolated secondary side.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K50QC208-3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K100QC208-3N | EP1K50QC208-3 | EP1K50QC208-2N | EP1K50QC208-1N | EP1K50QC208-3AA | EP1K50QC208-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | PQFP-208 (BFQFP) | PQFP-208 — same footprint | PQFP-208 — same footprint | PQFP-208 — same footprint | PQFP-208 — same footprint | PQFP-208 — same footprint | PQFP-208 — same footprint |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 4,992 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 40,960 | 49,152 | 40,960 | 40,960 | 40,960 | 40,960 | 40,960 |
| User I/Os | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 | 147 |
| Speed Grade | -3 (fastest) | -3 | -3 | -2 (slower) | -1 (slowest) | -3 | -2 (slower) |
| Max fMAX (internal) | 166.67 MHz | 166.67 MHz | 166.67 MHz | lower fMAX | lowest fMAX | 166.67 MHz | lower fMAX |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (Pb-free Sn finish) | Yes (Pb-free) | No (SnPb finish) | Yes (Pb-free) | Yes (Pb-free) | Yes (Pb-free) | No (SnPb finish) |
| Operating Temperature | 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 | 0 °C to +70 °C |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density drop-in on the same PQFP-208 footprint (vs EP1K50QC208-3)
- 73% more logic resources on the same footprint (vs EP1K100QC208-3N)
- Identical electrical behavior at lower cost via slower speed grade (vs EP1K50QC208-2N)
Design Notes
The EP1K50QC208-3N requires a clean 2.5 V ±5% supply on VCCINT (2.375 V to 2.625 V) and 3.3 V on VCCIO for PCI-compatible I/O banks. Place a 100 µF bulk tantalum + 10 µF ceramic + 0.1 µF X7R decoupling network within 5 mm of each VCCINT/GND pin pair per the ACEX-1K hardware design guide. Estimated core current draw is 50-150 mA quiescent and up to 500 mA during configuration — size the LDO (e.g. TPS7A4533 or LT1963) at 1 A headroom to avoid VCCINT droop during in-system JTAG programming, which is the most common cause of failed configuration on legacy ACEX-1K boards.
PQFP-208 packages have 0.5 mm pitch leads with gull-wing terminations — design the PCB land pattern to JEDEC MS-026 (IPC-SM-782) with at least 1 oz copper pads and a soldermask-defined (SMD) pad that is 0.1-0.15 mm shorter than the pad on each side to prevent solder bridging. Keep high-speed FastTrack routing on internal stripline layers with controlled impedance (50 Ω single-ended). Add a 4-layer stack-up with continuous GND plane on layer 2 directly under the PQFP-208 to provide a low-impedance return path for the 147 user I/Os. For JTAG chain integrity, place 33 Ω series damping resistors within 10 mm of the TDO/TMS/TCK/TDI pins and keep the JTAG cable length below 150 mm.
Three recurring EP1K50QC208-3N design failures: (1) using MAX+PLUS II on Windows 10/11 — the legacy Parallel-Port ByteBlasterMV driver is unsupported; use USB-Blaster with Quartus II 13.0 SP1 instead. (2) Assuming the 'N' suffix means 'new revision' — it actually denotes Pb-free terminal finish; functionally identical to the non-N variant. (3) Attempting to migrate bitstreams directly to a Cyclone III/IV — ACEX-1K .pof files are NOT compatible with newer families; re-synthesize the project under a Cyclone-compatible Quartus version. Always keep the original Quartus II 13.0 SP1 project archive for legacy board repair.
Route JTAG (TMS, TCK, TDI, TDO, TRST) as a daisy-chain with stubs shorter than 15 mm and a 10 kΩ pull-up on TCK to VCCIO. Place configuration mode jumpers (MSEL0/MSEL1) with 4.7 kΩ pull-ups so the EP1K50QC208-3N boots in AS (Active Serial) or JTAG mode depending on the EPC2 configuration device population. Add a CONFIG_DONE LED on a dedicated I/O pin with a 4.7 kΩ series resistor — observing whether this LED illuminates at power-up is the fastest way to confirm a successful configuration load on legacy boards.
Compliance Information
Pb-free Sn terminal finish confirmed by the 'N' suffix per Altera legacy ordering code. ACEX-1K is NOT AEC-Q100 qualified and is not suitable for automotive under-hood or implantable medical use. REACH and halogen-free status not explicitly stated in distributor datasheets — request a compliance letter from the broker before export to EU RoHS/REACH-restricted end-products.
