EP1S25F1020C6 - 25K LE Stratix FPGA, 706 I/O, FBGA-1020 | Intel
MPN: EP1S25F1020C6 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $610.5 | $610.50 |
| 10 | $580 | $5,800.00 |
| 100 | $520 | $52,000.00 |
| 500 | $470 | $235,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $425 | $425,000.00 |
EP1S25F1020C6 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable digital logic IC that implements arbitrary logic functions through programmable look-up tables (LUTs), routing, and embedded resources such as block RAM, DSP blocks, PLLs, and high-speed transceivers. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable logic hierarchy alongside CPLDs and ASICs, offering higher logic density, higher performance, and richer on-chip peripherals than CPLDs while remaining reprogrammable. Stratix FPGAs from Intel (formerly Altera) are part of the high-end programmable-logic class of semiconductor devices used in networking infrastructure, military radios, and ASIC prototyping.
Key features of the EP1S25F1020C6 include 1,944,576 bits of embedded SRAM distributed across TriMatrix memory blocks (512-bit M512, 4-Kbit M4K, and 512-Kbit M-RAM), dedicated hardware multipliers and DSP blocks for fixed- and floating-point arithmetic, up to 12 fast LVDS channels per side with on-chip termination, and six PLLs supporting a wide range of clock management tasks. Designers can configure the device in active serial, passive serial, or JTAG mode using the dedicated configuration pins.
Architecturally, the EP1S25F1020C6 leverages the Stratix Logic Element (LE) with a 4-input fracturable LUT plus dedicated carry chain, register chain, and arithmetic primitives. The MultiTrack interconnect routes signals between LABs, memory, DSP blocks, and I/O via row and column routing with speed-preserving pipelining. The 1.5 V core is supported by 3.3 V, 2.5 V, and 1.8 V I/O standards, including LVDS, LVPECL, SSTL, and HSTL, enabling direct connection to external memory and high-speed converters.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications switching, military and aerospace signal processing, ASIC prototyping, video broadcast equipment, and medical imaging front-ends. The 706 user I/Os suit designs requiring wide parallel buses such as DDR SDRAM controllers, while the high logic density accommodates multi-channel DSP pipelines.
When designing with this device, plan for the 1 mm ball pitch FC-FBGA, which requires multi-layer PCB fabrication with microvia or via-in-pad technology and at least 6-8 routing layers. Thermal management should account for the larger die size; a thermal resistance estimate based on the FC-FBGA package and ambient airflow must be included in board-level simulations.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, package-level alternatives, and practical FPGA design notes that are not consolidated in the Stratix Family Data Sheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1S25F1020C6 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP1S25F1020C6 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, DSP Blocks, Mounting Type, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1S25F1020C5
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$650 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S25F1020C5N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$640 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S25F1020I6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$1028.03 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1S25F1020I7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1S25F1020C7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1S25F1020C8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1S25F1020C6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix |
| Logic Elements | 25,660 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,566 |
| Total Embedded Memory (bits) | 1,944,576 |
| User I/Os | 706 |
| Embedded Memory Type | TriMatrix (M512 + M4K + M-RAM) |
| DSP Blocks | Yes (hardware multipliers) |
| PLLs (Clock Management) | 6 |
| Process Technology | 130 nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm, 1 mm pitch) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial extended) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Compliance / Lead-Free | Lead-free (per Altera family datasheet) |
EP1S25F1020C6 1020-ball fc-fbga (33 x 33 mm, 1 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP1S25F1020C6 (1020-ball fc-fbga (33 x 33 mm, 1 mm pitch) 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 EP1S25F1020C6.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP1S25F1020C6 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Switching Infrastructure, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Video Broadcast and Image Processing, Medical Imaging Front-End, Industrial Automation and Motor Control.
Telecommunications Switching Infrastructure
The EP1S25F1020C6 is well matched to high-speed telecom switching backplanes where the 706 user I/Os can drive wide parallel data buses and the 1,944,576 bits of TriMatrix embedded memory provide line-rate buffering. Its 1.5 V core and 130 nm CMOS architecture reach 450 MHz internal performance with low dynamic power, and the six PLLs handle multi-rate clocking across OC-48, OC-192, and Ethernet aggregate interfaces. Pairing the device with an external DDR SDRAM controller in the same FPGA reduces board area compared with discrete ASIC solutions while preserving reprogrammability for evolving protocols.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
Stratix EP1S25F1020C6 devices have been widely designed into military radios, electronic warfare systems, and radar front-ends because of their high DSP block count, deep memory, and ruggedized package. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA with flip-chip interconnect provides excellent thermal performance and vibration tolerance, while the 706 user I/Os interface to high-speed ADCs, DACs, and FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) connectors. The commercial extended 0 C to +85 C temperature grade suffices for many ground-mobile applications; the EP1S25F1020I6N and I7N variants are drop-in alternatives for the industrial temperature range used in avionics platforms.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
With 25,660 logic elements and 1.9 Mbits of TriMatrix memory, the EP1S25F1020C6 has historically been used as a building block in multi-FPGA ASIC prototyping systems where a single Stratix device emulates a partition of the target ASIC. The 706 user I/Os enable high-density board-to-board interconnect through pin-multiplexing daughter cards, while the 130 nm process delivers predictable timing closure in Quartus II. Multiple EP1S25F1020C6 devices can be tiled on a single prototyping board to emulate ASICs of several million gates. Designers should budget for the 1020-ball FC-FBGA footprint on each prototyping site.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Image Processing
The EP1S25F1020C6 supports real-time HD and SD video pipelines including de-interlacing, scaling, color-space conversion, and frame-rate conversion. Its 25,660 logic elements accommodate parallel DSP pipelines that process multiple video streams concurrently, and the embedded TriMatrix memory absorbs full-line video buffers without external SRAM. The six PLLs generate pixel clocks, memory clocks, and SDI serialization clocks from a single reference, while the 706 I/Os accommodate BT.656, BT.1120, HDMI, and SDI interfaces. The 1020-ball FC-FBGA also has enough balls for multi-channel DDR2 SDRAM controllers that act as frame store.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Front-End
The EP1S25F1020C6 is suited to medical imaging modalities such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI front-end pre-processing where the device performs beamforming, channel summation, and digital down-conversion in real time. The DSP blocks accelerate fixed-point arithmetic, and the 1,944,576 bits of embedded memory store beamforming coefficients and intermediate channel data. The commercial extended temperature grade accommodates the controlled environment of medical carts and rack-mount systems. The 706 user I/Os interface to multi-channel high-speed ADCs that digitize the analog receiver chain at 40 to 80 MSPS per channel.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and Motor Control
In high-end industrial servo drives and motion controllers, the EP1S25F1020C6 implements multi-axis PID loops, EtherCAT or PROFINET MACs, and safety logic in a single device. The 706 user I/Os interface to resolver-to-digital converters, encoder inputs, and high-voltage gate drivers through optocouplers, while the DSP blocks accelerate field-oriented control math. The six PLLs derive PWM carrier frequencies, ADC sample clocks, and communications clocks from a single crystal. The commercial extended 0 C to +85 C temperature range covers most factory-floor enclosures, with the EP1S25F1020I6N available as a drop-in variant for harsher installations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1S25F1020C6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1S25F1020C5 | EP1S25F1020C5N | EP1S25F1020I6N | EP1S25F1020I7N | EP1S25F1020C7N | EP1S25F1020C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm, 1 mm pitch) | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm) - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm) - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm) - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm) - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm) - same | 1020-ball FC-FBGA (33 x 33 mm) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Family / Process | Stratix / 130 nm CMOS | Stratix / 130 nm - same | Stratix / 130 nm - same | Stratix / 130 nm - same | Stratix / 130 nm - same | Stratix / 130 nm - same | Stratix / 130 nm - same |
| Speed Grade | 6 | 5 (faster) | 5 (faster) | 6 | 7 (slower) | 7 (slower) | 8 (slowest) |
| Logic Elements | 25,660 | 25,660 - same | 25,660 - same | 25,660 - same | 25,660 - same | 25,660 - same | 25,660 - same |
| User I/Os | 706 | 706 - same | 706 - same | 706 - same | 706 - same | 706 - same | 706 - same |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 1,944,576 | 1,944,576 - same | 1,944,576 - same | 1,944,576 - same | 1,944,576 - same | 1,944,576 - same | 1,944,576 - same |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial extended) | 0 C to +85 C - same | 0 C to +85 C - same | -40 C to +100 C (industrial) | -40 C to +100 C (industrial) | 0 C to +85 C - same | 0 C to +85 C - same |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-range density of 25,660 LEs in 1020-ball FC-FBGA (vs EP1S25B672C6)
- Speed grade 6 balanced for cost and timing (vs EP1S25F1020C5)
- Commercial extended temperature grade (vs EP1S25F1020I6N)
Design Notes
The 1020-ball FC-FBGA at 1 mm ball pitch requires microvia or via-in-pad PCB technology and at least 6 routing layers to escape the inner balls cleanly. Use sequential lamination with 1-2-1 or 1-2 build-up dielectrics so microvias can stitch from the top layer down to internal planes. Allocate a continuous GND plane directly under the BGA footprint and stitch vias around the perimeter every 2-3 balls to provide low-impedance return paths and to meet the Stratix Device Handbook EMI recommendations.
Estimated: at full 706-I/O switching utilization with internal clock running at 450 MHz and 1.5 V core, total die power can reach 5-7 W in this 33 mm x 33 mm FC-FBGA. With theta_JA of approximately 12-15 C/W (FC-FBGA with 1 m/s airflow per JEDEC JESD51), junction temperature rise above ambient is roughly 60-100 C. Ensure the chassis design provides at least 1 m/s airflow and that the thermal interface to the heatsink uses a 25-50 um thermal pad.
Place the EP1S25F1020C6 decoupling network as close to the package as possible: at least twenty 0.1 uF X7R ceramics distributed around the perimeter of the BGA, four 10 uF X5R bulk ceramics, and a single 100 uF tantalum or polymer cap. Decoupling caps must connect to a GND plane directly under the FPGA die, not to a side-plane, to minimize loop inductance. For LVDS or LVPECL inputs, keep trace lengths matched within 5 mil to avoid skew on the high-speed parallel bus.
The Stratix I configuration scheme requires a specific MSEL pin strapping for active serial (AS), passive serial (PS), or JTAG mode. Strapping MSEL incorrectly leaves the device unable to configure even with valid bitstream present. The EPC4 or EPC8 configuration PROM must be programmed with the correct .pof file, not the .sof, or configuration will fail at POR. Always verify configuration timing with the Quartus II Timing Analyzer before committing to board layout.
Compliance Information
Lead-free per Altera Stratix Family Data Sheet. RoHS and REACH status marked unknown because the official Altera/Intel product page no longer publishes compliance certificates for obsolete parts; downstream brokers should provide a compliance document upon request.