EP1K50TI144-4N - ACEX 1K FPGA 50K Gates 102 I/O TQFP-144 | Altera
MPN: EP1K50TI144-4N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.5 | $18.50 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.75 | $1,375.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.85 | $9,850.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1K50TI144-4N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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EP1K50TI144-3N
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View Datasheet →EP1K50TI144-1N
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EP1K50TI144-2
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View Datasheet →EP1K50TI144-4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | ACEX 1K |
| Device Type | Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 |
| Maximum Usable Gates | 40,960 |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 2,880 |
| Embedded Array Blocks (EABs) | 10 (12.6 Kbit total) |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 102 |
| Dedicated Input Pins | 6 |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 2.375 V to 2.625 V (nominal 2.5 V) |
| I/O Bank Supply Voltages | 2.5 V / 3.3 V / 5.0 V compatible (MultiVolt I/O) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 µm CMOS SRAM-based |
| Speed Grade | -4 |
| Package | 144-pin TQFP (TQFP-144), 0.5 mm pitch |
| Configuration Method | Serial configuration EPROM (EPC2/EPC8) or JTAG |
| Operating Temperature (Industrial 'N' suffix) | -40 °C to +85 °C |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP1K50TI144-4N Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | GND — Ground |
| 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 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply (2.5/3.3/5.0 V) |
| 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 | GND — Ground |
| 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 | VCCINT — Core supply (2.5 V nominal) |
| Pin 21 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 22 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 23 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 24 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 25 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 26 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 27 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 28 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 29 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 30 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 31 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 32 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 33 | VCCIO2 — I/O bank 2 supply |
| Pin 34 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 35 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 36 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 37 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 38 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 39 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 40 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 41 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 42 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 43 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 44 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 45 | VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply |
| Pin 46 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 47 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 48 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 49 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 50 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 51 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 52 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 53 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 54 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 55 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 56 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 57 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 58 | VCCINT — Core supply (2.5 V nominal) |
| Pin 59 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 60 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 61 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 62 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 63 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 64 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 65 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 66 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 67 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 68 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 69 | VCCIO4 — I/O bank 4 supply |
| Pin 70 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 71 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 72 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 73 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 74 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 75 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 76 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 77 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 78 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 79 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 80 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 81 | VCCINT — Core supply (2.5 V nominal) |
| Pin 82 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active-low) |
| Pin 83 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active-low) |
| Pin 84 | CONF_DONE — Configuration complete (open-drain) |
| Pin 85 | DCLK — Configuration clock input |
| Pin 86 | DATA0 — Configuration data input |
| Pin 87 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 88 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin 89 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin 90 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin 91 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin 92 | VCCIO4 — I/O bank 4 supply |
| Pin 93 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 94 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 95 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 96 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 97 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 98 | GND — Ground |
| 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 | VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply |
| 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 3) |
| Pin 110 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 111 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 112 | DEV_OE — Device-wide output enable (active-low, optional) |
| Pin 113 | DEV_CLRn — Device-wide clear (active-low, optional) |
| Pin 114 | VCCINT — Core supply (2.5 V nominal) |
| Pin 115 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 116 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 117 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 118 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 119 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 120 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 121 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 122 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 123 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 124 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 125 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 126 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 127 | VCCIO2 — I/O bank 2 supply |
| Pin 128 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 129 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 130 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 131 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 132 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 133 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 134 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 135 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 136 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 137 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 138 | VCCINT — Core supply (2.5 V nominal) |
| Pin 139 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 140 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 141 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 142 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 143 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 144 | GND — Ground |
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
EP1K50TI144-4N is suitable for 6 applications: Bus Interface Bridging, Industrial Control Glue Logic, Telecommunications Backplane Multiplexing, Low-Density Data-Path Processing, Legacy Board Maintenance and Field Replacement, Rapid Prototyping of New Altera Designs.
Bus Interface Bridging
The EP1K50TI144-4N excels at bus-bridge applications where two incompatible bus protocols must meet, such as PCI-to-local-bus or ISA-to-memory interfaces. With 102 user I/O plus 6 dedicated inputs, the device can sink a 32-bit data bus plus full address and control signal sets on both ports simultaneously. The 2,880 logic elements easily implement state machines for bus arbitration, while the 12.6 Kbit EABs provide FIFO buffers for protocol translation. According to the Altera ACEX 1K datasheet, the -4 speed grade supports bus transfers up to ~33 MHz, sufficient for legacy PCI 33 MHz and most parallel bus interfaces found in industrial and embedded designs.
Recommended
Industrial Control Glue Logic
Factory automation systems often need to consolidate multiple 74-series logic chips, small state machines, and timers into one re-programmable device. The EP1K50TI144-4N's industrial -40 °C to +85 °C temperature range and 2.5 V core / MultiVolt I/O make it a direct fit for 5 V PLC backplanes and 3.3 V motor-controller boards. Its 2,880 logic elements and 10 EABs replace dozens of discrete gates, reducing board area and assembly cost. According to the ACEX 1K datasheet, hot-socketing support allows insertion into live backplanes without latch-up. Pair the FPGA with a serial EEPROM configuration device and JTAG header for in-field firmware updates over years of operation.
Recommended
Telecommunications Backplane Multiplexing
Legacy telecom equipment such as TDM backplanes, E1/T1 framers, and HDLC controllers often require custom multiplexing, framing, or protocol-conversion logic that does not fit a fixed-function ASIC. The EP1K50TI144-4N's combination of 102 user I/O, 12.6 Kbit embedded memory, and 90 MHz internal clock capacity suits TDM bus multiplexers up to ~8 Mbps. The MultiVolt I/O interfaces directly to 5 V TTL E1 transceivers and 3.3 V framers. According to Altera application notes, ACEX 1K designs typically implement 4-8 channel HDLC controllers plus elastic-store FIFOs in one EP1K50, replacing two or more dedicated ASICs. The TQFP-144 footprint also simplifies thermal management in dense shelf-mount equipment.
Recommended
Low-Density Data-Path Processing
Imaging pipelines, sensor aggregators, and signal-conditioning front-ends often need moderate-density datapath logic without the cost of a large FPGA. The EP1K50TI144-4N's 10 EABs provide 12.6 Kbits of dual-port RAM, sufficient for line buffers, small lookup tables, and FIFO depths of 256-1024 entries. Designers can implement 8-bit FIR filters, pixel-format converters, and custom serializers at clock rates up to 90 MHz. Compared to a CPLD of similar logic density, the ACEX 1K architecture provides more registered logic and far more embedded memory. The 144-pin TQFP gives access to 102 I/O for wide datapaths, and the JTAG port enables on-board hardware-debug and logic-analyzer signal probing via SignalTap-equivalent workflows in the Quartus toolchain.
Recommended
Legacy Board Maintenance and Field Replacement
A common application is direct maintenance of legacy boards still in service in industrial, aerospace, defense, and medical equipment where the original ACEX 1K design must be preserved exactly. The EP1K50TI144-4N's TQFP-144 footprint, identical pinout to the -3N/-2N/-1N variants, and stored Quartus bitstream compatibility make it a straightforward swap-in replacement. Designers rebuilding a stock of spare FPGAs for a long-life product can mix speed grades as long as the -4 timing budget is met by the slowest device used. According to Intel's product-discontinuance notice, ACEX 1K parts are supported through authorized legacy distributors and configuration tools remain available in the Quartus II 13.0 web edition.
Recommended
Rapid Prototyping of New Altera Designs
Engineers often use the EP1K50TI144-4N as a low-cost prototyping platform to validate Quartus designs intended for larger Cyclone, Cyclone II, or Cyclone III devices. The same Quartus II toolchain targets ACEX 1K and Cyclone families, allowing a design to be compiled first for the EP1K50 to verify logic and timing, then re-targeted to the production Cyclone silicon. With 2,880 logic elements and 102 I/O, the EP1K50TI144-4N provides enough capacity to test medium-complexity state machines, custom peripherals, and bus interfaces before committing to a more expensive prototype. The 144-pin TQFP is breadboard-friendly and inexpensive JTAG programmers such as the Altera ByteBlasterMV or USB-Blaster clone support the device directly.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1K50TI144-4N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1K50TI144-3N | EP1K50TI144-2N | EP1K50TI144-1N | EP1K50TI144-3 | EP1K50TI144-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | TQFP-144 (0.5 mm pitch) | TQFP-144 (0.5 mm pitch) - same | TQFP-144 (0.5 mm pitch) - same | TQFP-144 (0.5 mm pitch) - same | TQFP-144 (0.5 mm pitch) - same | TQFP-144 (0.5 mm pitch) - same |
| Speed Grade | -4 (fastest) | -3 (~15-25 % slower) | -2 (~30-40 % slower) | -1 (~40-50 % slower) | -3 (commercial temp) | -2 (commercial temp) |
| Operating Temperature | Industrial -40 °C to +85 °C | Industrial -40 °C to +85 °C | Industrial -40 °C to +85 °C | Industrial -40 °C to +85 °C | Commercial 0 °C to +70 °C | Commercial 0 °C to +70 °C |
| Typical Gates | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Logic Elements | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 |
| User I/O Pins | 102 + 6 dedicated inputs | 102 + 6 | 102 + 6 | 102 + 6 | 102 + 6 | 102 + 6 |
| Core Supply (VCCINT) | 2.5 V (2.375-2.625 V) | 2.5 V (2.375-2.625 V) | 2.5 V (2.375-2.625 V) | 2.5 V (2.375-2.625 V) | 2.5 V (2.375-2.625 V) | 2.5 V (2.375-2.625 V) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest speed grade available in the EP1K50 TQFP-144 family (vs EP1K50TI144-3N)
- Industrial temperature range (-40 °C to +85 °C) for harsh-environment deployment (vs EP1K50TI144-3 (commercial 0-70 °C variant))
- Direct TQFP-144 footprint compatibility with all EP1K50 speed grades (vs EP1K50FC256-2 (PQFP-256 different package))
Design Notes
The EP1K50TI144-4N requires a clean 2.5 V core supply with tolerance 2.375-2.625 V. Place a 100 µF bulk tantalum capacitor and four 0.1 µF ceramic decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of the four VCCINT pins (20, 58, 81, 114, 138). Each of the four I/O bank supplies (VCCIO1-VCCIO4, pins 7, 33, 45, 69, 92, 105, 127) requires its own 0.1 µF decoupling cap. Power-up sequencing must hold nCONFIG low until VCCINT and all VCCIO banks reach their nominal voltage, then release nCONFIG to begin configuration. Estimated: total quiescent current for a fully-utilized EP1K50 design is 50-150 mA on VCCINT depending on toggle rate.
Route all four dedicated configuration signals (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, DCLK) as short traces (< 25 mm) and keep them away from high-frequency switching nets. Add a 10 kΩ pull-up to VCCIO on nCONFIG and CONF_DONE. Connect the JTAG chain (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO) in series with any other JTAG devices on the board, with 10 kΩ pull-ups on TCK, TMS, and TDI to VCCIO. Provide a 4-pin header or 0.1-inch JTAG footprint for the Altera ByteBlasterMV or USB-Blaster programmer. Route differential clocks on the inner PCB layers with continuous ground reference.
Three pitfalls are common when bringing up an EP1K50TI144-4N design: (1) leaving nCONFIG floating - it must be pulled high through 10 kΩ to VCCIO; (2) failing to terminate CONF_DONE with a pull-up, which prevents the FPGA from entering user mode and the rest of the board never sees a valid reset release; (3) driving I/O pins before configuration completes - CONF_DONE should be used to enable downstream logic. Additionally, when migrating designs to the EP1K50TI144-3N for cost reasons, re-run the Quartus timing analyzer at the slower speed grade to confirm timing closure; a design that fits -4 may violate setup/hold at -3.
Although the EP1K50TI144-4N is a moderate-speed device by today's standards, the 102 user I/O pins can generate simultaneous switching noise (SSN) that couples into the 2.5 V core supply. Place a ferrite bead or 10 Ω resistor in series with each VCCIO bank supply and add 10 µF tantalum + 0.1 µF ceramic bulk decoupling. Limit the number of simultaneously switching outputs per bank to ~20 to avoid ground bounce. For clock distribution, use the FPGA's dedicated clock inputs (CLK pins) rather than routing a clock through general-purpose I/O logic, which minimizes skew.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral status for the EP1K50TI144-4N were not stated in the verified web data and are marked unknown. The part is obsolete (Intel/Altera PCN 2008-era ACEX 1K EOL notice) so historical compliance status from the datasheet era is the only available reference. AEC-Q100 is not applicable - ACEX 1K was not offered in automotive qualification.
