EP1K50TC144-3 - ACEX-1K 50K FPGA 144-TQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1K50TC144-3 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28.5 | $28.50 |
| 10 | $24.75 | $247.50 |
| 100 | $19.95 | $1,995.00 |
| 500 | $16.4 | $8,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $13.85 | $13,850.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K50TC144-3 — 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:
EP1K50TC144-2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$22.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50TC144-2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$28.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50TC144-1N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50TC144-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K30TC144-3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$16.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1K50TC144-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | ACEX-1K |
| Family | ACEX-1K Field Programmable Gate Array |
| Number of Logic Elements/Cells | 2880 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 360 |
| Total RAM Bits | 49152 |
| Number of I/O | 102 |
| Number of Gates | 50,000 (typical) |
| Voltage - Supply | 2.5 V core |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Package / Case | 144-TQFP (LQFP-144, 20x20 mm) |
| Supplier Device Package | 144-TQFP |
| Max Frequency | 166.67 MHz |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Process Technology | 0.18 μm CMOS |
| Programmability | Yes (SRAM-based, JTAG 1149.1) |
| MultiVolt I/O | 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V |
EP1K50TC144-3 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 9 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 10 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 11 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 12 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 13 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 14 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 15 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 16 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 17 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 18 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 19 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 20 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 21 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 22 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 23 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 24 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 25 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 26 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 27 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 28 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 29 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 30 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 31 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 32 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 33 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 34 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 35 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 36 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 37 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage (MultiVolt) |
| Pin 38 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 39 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 40 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 41 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 42 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 43 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 44 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 45 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 46 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 47 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 48 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 49 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 50 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 51 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 52 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 53 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 54 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 55 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 56 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 57 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 58 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 59 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 60 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 61 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 62 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 63 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 64 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 65 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 66 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 67 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 68 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 69 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 70 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 71 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 72 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 73 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (2.5 V) |
| Pin 74 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 75 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 76 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 77 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 78 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 79 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 80 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 81 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 82 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 83 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 84 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 85 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 86 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 87 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 88 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 89 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 90 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 91 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 92 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 93 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 94 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 95 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 96 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 97 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 98 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 99 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 100 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 101 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 102 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 103 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 104 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 105 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 106 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 107 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 108 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 109 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 110 | VCCIO — I/O supply voltage (MultiVolt) |
| Pin 111 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 112 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 113 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 114 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 115 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 116 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 117 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 118 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 119 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 120 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 121 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 122 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 123 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 124 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 125 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 126 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 127 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 128 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 129 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 130 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 131 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 132 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 133 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 134 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 135 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 136 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 137 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 138 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 139 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 140 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 141 | TDI — JTAG Test Data In |
| Pin 142 | TMS — JTAG Test Mode Select |
| Pin 143 | TCK — JTAG Test Clock |
| Pin 144 | TDO — JTAG Test Data Out |
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
EP1K50TC144-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Glue Logic and Bus Interfacing, Legacy ASIC Replacement and Bridge Chip, Communications Protocol Bridging, Education Platform and FPGA Prototyping, Low-Volume Production and ASIC Emulation, DSP Front-End and Custom Filter Implementation.
Industrial Control Glue Logic and Bus Interfacing
The EP1K50TC144-3 is well-suited for industrial control glue logic and bus-bridging applications where its 2,880 logic elements, 360 LABs, and 102 user I/Os provide ample capacity for parallel protocol converters and signal-conditioning state machines. The MultiVolt I/O supports direct interfacing between legacy 5 V microcontrollers and modern 3.3 V peripherals without external level shifters. Designers typically place the EP1K50TC144-3 between a 5 V MCU bus and a 3.3 V sensor array, leveraging the on-chip 49,152 bits of dual-port RAM for command/response buffering. Compared with discrete 74-series logic, this FPGA replaces 30-50 SSI/MSI packages on the same PCB. The 144-TQFP package is well-supported on conventional SMT lines and allows straightforward hand rework.
Recommended
Legacy ASIC Replacement and Bridge Chip
The EP1K50TC144-3 is frequently deployed as a drop-in replacement for obsolete masked ASICs and discontinued gate-array designs, particularly in industrial and instrumentation equipment with 5-10 year field lifetimes. With 50,000 system gates and deterministic LUT-based timing, it can replicate most SSI/MSI-based custom logic while adding in-system programmability via JTAG 1149.1 boundary-scan. The 144-TQFP footprint preserves the original PCB land pattern, eliminating costly board respins during end-of-life migration. Engineers port Verilog/VHDL netlists into MAX+PLUS II or Quartus II, validate with static timing analysis at the -3 grade, and program the device in-circuit via ByteBlaster. A typical replacement compresses 2-3 discontinued ASICs into a single FPGA.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridging
For communications protocol bridging, the EP1K50TC144-3 delivers enough logic capacity to implement UART, SPI, I2C, and parallel-interface bridges concurrently, plus 49,152 bits of dual-port RAM for FIFO buffering of asynchronous data streams. A common deployment bridges an RS-485 multi-drop bus to a 16-bit parallel ADC front-end, where the FPGA handles framing, CRC-16 generation, and bus arbitration in hardware. The 102 user I/Os map cleanly to 16-bit data buses plus control signals across both interfaces. MultiVolt I/O eliminates level-shifters when bridging 5 V and 3.3 V domains, while the -3 speed grade supports sustained 20+ MHz UART bursts without buffering overruns.
Recommended
Education Platform and FPGA Prototyping
The EP1K50TC144-3 is commonly found on university FPGA laboratory boards and embedded-systems training kits because its 50K-gate capacity is sufficient to demonstrate full processor cores, custom peripherals, and DSP pipelines, while its 144-TQFP package is easy to handle in lab environments. Students build RISC-V/8051 soft cores, custom ALUs, and VGA controllers using MAX+PLUS II or Quartus II toolchains, then verify timing closure at the -3 grade. The SRAM-based programmability allows rapid design iteration via JTAG, with reprogram times of under 5 seconds per cycle. The 102 user I/Os map directly to typical lab-board pin headers, LEDs, and 7-segment displays.
Recommended
Low-Volume Production and ASIC Emulation
The EP1K50TC144-3 is ideal for low-volume production runs and ASIC emulation because it eliminates the high NRE cost of masked ASICs while delivering deterministic LUT-based timing. With 50,000 system gates, the device can emulate most SSI/MSI-based prototypes and small custom logic designs at volumes under 10,000 units. The 2.5 V core reduces power consumption versus 5 V ASIC equivalents, while MultiVolt I/O retains compatibility with existing system-level interfaces. Engineers use the EP1K50TC144-3 to validate designs before committing to ASIC mask charges, or to bridge production gaps while ASIC wafers are in fabrication.
Recommended
DSP Front-End and Custom Filter Implementation
The EP1K50TC144-3 supports low-cost DSP front-end designs such as FIR filters, FFT pre-processors, and digital down-converters by leveraging its 360 LABs, 2,880 LEs, and 49,152 bits of embedded dual-port RAM. A common deployment samples a sensor signal at 1-10 MSPS, runs an FIR decimation filter inside the FPGA, and outputs the filtered stream to a downstream DSP or microcontroller. The -3 speed grade allows 16-tap FIR filters to operate at sample rates up to 50 MHz in pipelined configurations. Embedded EABs serve as coefficient ROMs and delay-line memory, eliminating the need for external SRAM or ROM chips.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K50TC144-3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K50TC144-2N | EP1K50TC144-2 | EP1K50TC144-1N | EP1K50TC144-1 | EP1K30TC144-3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 144-TQFP (LQFP-144) | 144-TQFP - same | 144-TQFP - same | 144-TQFP - same | 144-TQFP - same | 144-TQFP - same |
| Speed Grade | -3 (fastest) | -2 | -2 | -1 | -1 | -3 |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 1,720 (40% fewer) |
| Embedded RAM | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 49,152 bits | 24,576 bits (50% less) |
| Number of I/O | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 |
| Max Frequency | 166.67 MHz | Lower (~125 MHz) | Lower (~125 MHz) | Lowest (~100 MHz) | Lowest (~100 MHz) | 166.67 MHz (same) |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V | 2.5 V |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (typical -3 grade) | Industrial (N suffix) | Commercial | Industrial (N suffix) | Commercial | Industrial (N suffix) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest -3 speed grade among 144-TQFP ACEX-1K family members (vs EP1K50TC144-2N)
- Full 50K-gate density in the 144-TQFP package (vs EP1K30TC144-3N)
- MultiVolt I/O supports direct 5 V to 3.3 V bridging without level shifters (vs EP1K50QC208-3)
Design Notes
The EP1K50TC144-3 requires a clean 2.5 V core supply (VCCINT) plus a MultiVolt VCCIO supply (typically 2.5 V, 3.3 V, or 5.0 V) for the I/O banks. Decouple each VCCINT pin with a 0.1 μF ceramic plus a 10 μF tantalum bulk capacitor placed within 5 mm of the package. Each VCCIO bank has separate supply pins that must be tied to the desired I/O voltage; do NOT leave VCCIO floating - the device will not configure properly without I/O bank power.
Estimated: at 166.67 MHz toggling frequency with 50% logic utilization, the EP1K50TC144-3 dissipates approximately 0.5-1.0 W internally. The 144-TQFP package (theta_JA ~35 C/W on a standard 4-layer JEDEC board) gives a junction temperature rise of 18-35 C above ambient. For commercial-grade parts in lab environments this is acceptable, but at industrial temperatures (-40C to +85C) confirm with worst-case static power models in the Quartus II power analyzer.
The EP1K50TC144-3 is SRAM-based and loses its configuration on power-down; you must either use an external configuration EPROM (Altera EPC2 or compatible) or instantiate the device with a hard-wired controller on every board revision. The JTAG chain order matters when multiple devices share TDI/TDO - verify the BSDL file against your schematic. Note that Quartus II dropped ACEX-1K device support after v9.1, so archive the legacy toolchain or use MAX+PLUS II.
Route all four I/O bank supplies (VCCIO_1 through VCCIO_4) as separate power islands if you intend to mix 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5 V I/O standards - sharing one VCCIO rail across banks limits MultiVolt flexibility. Place the EP1K50TC144-3 in the centre of the PCB with short trace lengths to the configuration EPROM and JTAG header. Maintain 50 ohm controlled impedance on clock and high-speed I/O traces, and keep global clock input pins (GCLK) routed on inner layers with continuous ground reference planes beneath.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free status not stated in the verified web data; consult the Intel/Altera product PCN or distributor documentation for compliance certificates. AEC-Q100 not applicable for this FPGA grade.
