EP1K50TI144-2N - ACEX-1K 50K Gates FPGA, 102 I/O, 144-TQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1K50TI144-2N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.5 | $18.50 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.85 | $1,385.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.95 | $9,950.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K50TI144-2N β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1K50TI144-2
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View Datasheet βEP1K50TI144-1X
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View Datasheet βEP1K50TC144-2N
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View Datasheet βEP1K50TC144-3N
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View Datasheet βEP1K30TI144-2N
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$25 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1K50TI144-2N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ACEX-1K |
| Logic Elements | 40,960 |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 |
| Logic Cells | 2,880 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 360 |
| User I/O Count | 102 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 166.67 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.22 Β΅m |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 40,960 (12 ESBs) |
| Package | 144-LQFP (TQFP, 0.5 mm pitch) |
| Operating Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.5 V |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial, "N" suffix) |
| Speed Grade | -2 (faster) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM / JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Check supplier (ACEX-1K predates RoHS mandate) |
EP1K50TI144-2N Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O β User I/O pin 0 (dual-purpose) |
| Pin 2 | I/O β User I/O pin 1 |
| Pin 3 | I/O β User I/O pin 2 |
| Pin 4 | I/O β User I/O pin 3 |
| Pin 5 | I/O β User I/O pin 4 |
| Pin 6 | I/O β User I/O pin 5 |
| Pin 7 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 8 | I/O β User I/O pin 6 |
| Pin 9 | I/O β User I/O pin 7 |
| Pin 10 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 11 | I/O β User I/O pin 8 |
| Pin 12 | I/O β User I/O pin 9 |
| Pin 13 | I/O β User I/O pin 10 |
| Pin 14 | I/O β User I/O pin 11 |
| Pin 15 | VCCINT β Core supply voltage 2.5 V |
| Pin 16 | I/O β User I/O pin 12 |
| Pin 17 | I/O β User I/O pin 13 |
| Pin 18 | I/O β User I/O pin 14 |
| Pin 19 | I/O β User I/O pin 15 |
| Pin 20 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 21 | I/O β User I/O pin 16 |
| Pin 22 | I/O β User I/O pin 17 |
| Pin 23 | I/O β User I/O pin 18 |
| Pin 24 | I/O β User I/O pin 19 |
| Pin 25 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 26 | I/O β User I/O pin 20 |
| Pin 27 | I/O β User I/O pin 21 |
| Pin 28 | I/O β User I/O pin 22 |
| Pin 29 | I/O β User I/O pin 23 |
| Pin 30 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 31 | I/O β User I/O pin 24 |
| Pin 32 | I/O β User I/O pin 25 |
| Pin 33 | I/O β User I/O pin 26 |
| Pin 34 | I/O β User I/O pin 27 |
| Pin 35 | VCCINT β Core supply voltage 2.5 V |
| Pin 36 | I/O β User I/O pin 28 |
| Pin 37 | nCONFIG β Configuration control (active-low) |
| Pin 38 | nSTATUS β Configuration status (active-low) |
| Pin 39 | CONF_DONE β Configuration done indicator |
| Pin 40 | DCLK β Configuration clock input |
| Pin 41 | DATA0 β Configuration data input |
| Pin 42 | MSEL0 β Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin 43 | MSEL1 β Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin 44 | nCE β Chip enable (active-low) |
| Pin 45 | I/O β User I/O pin 29 |
| Pin 46 | I/O β User I/O pin 30 |
| Pin 47 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 48 | I/O β User I/O pin 31 |
| Pin 49 | I/O β User I/O pin 32 |
| Pin 50 | I/O β User I/O pin 33 |
| Pin 51 | I/O β User I/O pin 34 |
| Pin 52 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 53 | I/O β User I/O pin 35 |
| Pin 54 | I/O β User I/O pin 36 |
| Pin 55 | I/O β User I/O pin 37 |
| Pin 56 | I/O β User I/O pin 38 |
| Pin 57 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 58 | I/O β User I/O pin 39 |
| Pin 59 | I/O β User I/O pin 40 |
| Pin 60 | I/O β User I/O pin 41 |
| Pin 61 | I/O β User I/O pin 42 |
| Pin 63 | I/O β User I/O pin 43 |
| Pin 64 | I/O β User I/O pin 44 |
| Pin 65 | VCCINT β Core supply voltage 2.5 V |
| Pin 66 | I/O β User I/O pin 45 |
| Pin 67 | I/O β User I/O pin 46 |
| Pin 68 | I/O β User I/O pin 47 |
| Pin 69 | I/O β User I/O pin 48 |
| Pin 70 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 71 | I/O β User I/O pin 49 |
| Pin 72 | I/O β User I/O pin 50 |
| Pin 73 | I/O β User I/O pin 51 |
| Pin 74 | I/O β User I/O pin 52 |
| Pin 75 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 76 | I/O β User I/O pin 53 |
| Pin 77 | I/O β User I/O pin 54 |
| Pin 78 | I/O β User I/O pin 55 |
| Pin 79 | I/O β User I/O pin 56 |
| Pin 80 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 81 | I/O β User I/O pin 57 |
| Pin 82 | I/O β User I/O pin 58 |
| Pin 83 | I/O β User I/O pin 59 |
| Pin 84 | I/O β User I/O pin 60 |
| Pin 85 | VCCINT β Core supply voltage 2.5 V |
| Pin 86 | I/O β User I/O pin 61 |
| Pin 87 | I/O β User I/O pin 62 |
| Pin 88 | I/O β User I/O pin 63 |
| Pin 89 | I/O β User I/O pin 64 |
| Pin 90 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 91 | I/O β User I/O pin 65 |
| Pin 92 | I/O β User I/O pin 66 |
| Pin 93 | I/O β User I/O pin 67 |
| Pin 94 | I/O β User I/O pin 68 |
| Pin 95 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 96 | I/O β User I/O pin 69 |
| Pin 97 | I/O β User I/O pin 70 |
| Pin 98 | I/O β User I/O pin 71 |
| Pin 99 | I/O β User I/O pin 72 |
| Pin 100 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 101 | I/O β User I/O pin 73 |
| Pin 102 | I/O β User I/O pin 74 |
| Pin 103 | I/O β User I/O pin 75 |
| Pin 104 | I/O β User I/O pin 76 |
| Pin 105 | TCK β JTAG test clock |
| Pin 106 | TMS β JTAG test mode select |
| Pin 107 | TDI β JTAG test data in |
| Pin 108 | TDO β JTAG test data out |
| Pin 109 | TRST β JTAG test reset (active-low) |
| Pin 110 | I/O β User I/O pin 77 |
| Pin 111 | I/O β User I/O pin 78 |
| Pin 112 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 113 | I/O β User I/O pin 79 |
| Pin 114 | I/O β User I/O pin 80 |
| Pin 115 | I/O β User I/O pin 81 |
| Pin 116 | I/O β User I/O pin 82 |
| Pin 117 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 118 | I/O β User I/O pin 83 |
| Pin 119 | I/O β User I/O pin 84 |
| Pin 120 | I/O β User I/O pin 85 |
| Pin 121 | I/O β User I/O pin 86 |
| Pin 122 | VCCINT β Core supply voltage 2.5 V |
| Pin 123 | I/O β User I/O pin 87 |
| Pin 124 | I/O β User I/O pin 88 |
| Pin 125 | I/O β User I/O pin 89 |
| Pin 126 | I/O β User I/O pin 90 |
| Pin 127 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 128 | I/O β User I/O pin 91 |
| Pin 129 | I/O β User I/O pin 92 |
| Pin 130 | I/O β User I/O pin 93 |
| Pin 131 | I/O β User I/O pin 94 |
| Pin 132 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 133 | I/O β User I/O pin 95 |
| Pin 134 | I/O β User I/O pin 96 |
| Pin 135 | I/O β User I/O pin 97 |
| Pin 136 | I/O β User I/O pin 98 |
| Pin 137 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 138 | I/O β User I/O pin 99 |
| Pin 139 | I/O β User I/O pin 100 |
| Pin 140 | I/O β User I/O pin 101 |
| Pin 141 | I/O β User I/O (additional, may be NC on some variants) |
| Pin 142 | I/O β User I/O (additional, may be NC on some variants) |
| Pin 143 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 144 | I/O β User I/O (additional, may be NC on some variants) |
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
EP1K50TI144-2N is suitable for 6 applications: Glue Logic Replacement and Bus Interface Bridging, Custom State Machine and Protocol Controller, Prototype Platform for ASIC/ASSP Development, Legacy Industrial Control and Test Equipment Sustainment, Low-Density DSP and Data Path Processing, Education and University Logic-Design Labs.
Glue Logic Replacement and Bus Interface Bridging
The EP1K50TI144-2N is well-suited as a drop-in replacement for multiple discrete 74-series logic ICs on legacy boards. With 50K gates and 102 user I/O in a 144-TQFP, a single EP1K50TI144-2N can replace dozens of buffers, latches, transceivers, and custom state machines. The 2.5 V core with multi-standard I/O (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI) lets it bridge 3.3 V, 5 V, and mixed-voltage buses without external level shifters. For example, on a 16-bit ISA-to-PCI bridge card, the FPGA implements latches, address decoding, and timing in one chip, reducing BOM cost and board area while adding design flexibility via SRAM reconfiguration.
Recommended
Custom State Machine and Protocol Controller
Implement custom serial protocols, motor-control state machines, or timing-critical sequencers in the EP1K50TI144-2N. The 360 LABs and -2 speed grade support up to 166.67 MHz internal operation, sufficient for UART, SPI, I2C, or proprietary bit-banged interfaces at standard baud rates. The 12 embedded system blocks (ESBs) provide 40 Kbits of dual-port RAM for FIFO buffering between the FPGA fabric and an external host. Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C) ensures the state machine runs reliably in factory and outdoor enclosures.
Recommended
Prototype Platform for ASIC/ASSP Development
Use the EP1K50TI144-2N as an FPGA prototype before committing to an ASIC tape-out. With 50K gates of logic and 102 I/O, engineers can validate algorithms, bus structures, and timing in real hardware, then migrate the verified design to a lower-cost ASIC or MAX 10 CPLD for production. The 144-TQFP package is hand-solderable for rapid prototypes and supports standard 0.5 mm-pitch PCB fab houses. Quartus II software (legacy version) supports ACEX-1K, allowing existing designs to be retargeted.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control and Test Equipment Sustainment
Many factories still operate machinery whose control boards were built around ACEX-1K FPGAs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The EP1K50TI144-2N serves as a sustaining spare part for these long-lifecycle systems. Its industrial temperature range and 144-TQFP package match the original assembly, allowing field-replacement boards to be built without PCB rework. Combined with the existing ACEX-1K firmware .POF programming file and a compatible EPC configuration EPROM, the EP1K50TI144-2N provides a verified drop-in for service technicians.
Recommended
Low-Density DSP and Data Path Processing
For moderate-throughput DSP blocks (FIR filters, FFTs of small windows, custom codecs), the EP1K50TI144-2N provides enough logic and embedded RAM to replace a small DSP chip. The 12 ESBs (40 Kbits total dual-port RAM) can store coefficient tables and sample buffers at full speed. Its 166.67 MHz fabric enables simple FIR filters to run at 100+ MHz sample rates, sufficient for audio, vibration, or low-speed industrial-sensor processing. The flexible I/O accepts 3.3 V ADC/DAC outputs directly.
Recommended
Education and University Logic-Design Labs
The EP1K50TI144-2N is widely used in university digital-logic and computer-architecture courses as a teaching FPGA. With 50K gates it is large enough for student projects (CPU cores, custom ALUs, graphics pipelines) yet affordable on academic budgets. The 144-TQFP package on a 0.5 mm-pitch breakout board allows hand-soldering for lab kits. Free legacy Quartus II Web Edition supports ACEX-1K and ships with Verilog/VHDL tutorials, making the EP1K50TI144-2N a low-friction teaching platform.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K50TI144-2N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K50TI144-2 | EP1K50TC144-2N | EP1K30TI144-2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 144-LQFP (TQFP) | 144-LQFP (TQFP) - same | 144-LQFP (TQFP) - same | 144-LQFP (TQFP) - same |
| Brand | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel - same | Altera / Intel - same | Altera / Intel - same |
| Logic Elements | 40,960 (50K gates) | 40,960 (50K gates) - same | 40,960 (50K gates) - same | ~24,576 (30K gates) - lower |
| Speed Grade | -2 (faster) | -2 - same | -3 (slower) | -2 - same |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial) | 0C to +70C (commercial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) - same | -40C to +85C (industrial) - same |
| User I/O | 102 | 102 - same | 102 - same | 102 - same |
| Embedded RAM | 40 Kbits (12 ESBs) | 40 Kbits - same | 40 Kbits - same | 24 Kbits - lower |
| Max Operating Frequency | 166.67 MHz | 166.67 MHz - same | ~125 MHz (-3 speed grade) | 166.67 MHz - same |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V | 2.5 V - same | 2.5 V - same | 2.5 V - same |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +85C) (vs EP1K50TI144-2)
- Faster -2 speed grade (vs EP1K50TC144-3N)
- Higher gate density than EP1K30 variants (vs EP1K30TI144-2N)
Design Notes
The EP1K50TI144-2N requires three supplies: VCCINT (2.5 V core) and VCCIO (3.3 V or 2.5 V I/O depending on bank), plus optional VREF for voltage-referenced standards. Decouple each supply pin with a 0.1 Β΅F ceramic cap as close to the pin as possible, plus bulk 10-100 Β΅F tantalum on each rail. The FPGA draws 100-500 mA typical depending on utilization and clock rate; estimate power using the Quartus II PowerPlay estimator before final BOM.
Route all configuration pins (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, DCLK, DATA0) away from switching I/O to avoid coupling. The JTAG chain (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, TRST) should be routed as a daisy chain to other devices with proper buffering. Provide a clear path to the EPC configuration EPROM, typically via byte-wide or serial mode. Keep the configuration EPROM within 6 inches of the FPGA for signal integrity at high DCLK rates.
Do not mix 5 V and 3.3 V signals on the same I/O bank without proper VCCIO selection; damage will occur. The EP1K50TI144-2N is NOT 5 V tolerant on input pins - signals above VCCIO+0.5 V will forward-bias the I/O protection diodes. Use external level-shifters (e.g., SN74LVTH245) when interfacing to 5 V buses. Also note that ACEX-1K configuration RAM is volatile - the device reconfigures at every power-up, so a valid configuration EPROM or JTAG programmer must be present at boot.
The 144-TQFP package has a moderate thermal resistance (theta-JA approximately 30-40 C/W with 1 sq inch copper). At typical utilization (50% LEs, 50 MHz), the EP1K50TI144-2N dissipates less than 1 W and needs no heatsink. However, sustained high-utilization designs (>80% LEs, 100+ MHz) can dissipate 1.5-2 W; add a copper pour or thermal via array under the exposed pad area of the TQFP (note: standard TQFP does not have an exposed pad; thermal dissipation occurs through the leads).
Compliance Information
ACEX-1K family predates RoHS mandate. Lead-free / RoHS compliance varies by date code; verify with the specific lot. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA used in industrial, not automotive). Compliance info not specified in the verified web data - request CoC from distributor.