EP20K100CB356C7 - APEX20K FPGA 100K Gates 252 I/O 356-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP20K100CB356C7 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $95 | $95.00 |
| 10 | $89.5 | $895.00 |
| 100 | $82 | $8,200.00 |
| 500 | $76.5 | $38,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $71 | $71,000.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K100CB356C7 — 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:
EP20K100CB356-1
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K100CB356C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$82 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100BC356-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$92.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100CF324C8ES
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K1000CF672C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$158 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100CB356C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Series | APEX20K |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 |
| Maximum Logic Elements | 53,248 |
| User I/O Pins | 252 |
| Package | 356-LBGA |
| Embedded Memory (Bits) | 53,248 |
| Number of PLLs | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 2.5 V |
| I/O Standards Supported | 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V, 5V (MultiVolt) |
| Programming Interface | IEEE 1149.1 JTAG |
| Process Technology | 0.18 μm CMOS |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial grade |
| Speed Grade | C7 |
EP20K100CB356C7 356-lbga Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP20K100CB356C7 (356-lbga package) with 252 pins. 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 EP20K100CB356C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 252 pins (digital package)
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
EP20K100CB356C7 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line Card Interface, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Industrial Automation Controller, Networking Switch / Router Control Plane, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Legacy Embedded Computing Board.
Telecom Line Card Interface
The EP20K100CB356C7's 100K gates and 252 user I/Os make it well suited to telecom line card glue logic, where it bridges TDM/E1 framers, crosspoint switches, and backplane SERDES. Its MultiVolt I/O supports 5V legacy framer ICs alongside 3.3V/2.5V processors in the same design, eliminating level shifters. The 53,248 bits of embedded array block memory buffer small packets and lookup tables without external SRAM. Four PLLs derive multiple clock domains for framer, network processor, and backplane sections, while 356-LBGA routability supports the high pin-out typical of telecom backplane designs.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
The EP20K100CB356C7 is widely used as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because its 53,248 logic elements can emulate millions of ASIC gates when mapped 3:1 to 4:1. Designers partition ASIC RTL across multiple APEX20K FPGAs using JTAG-chained configuration and pin-multiplexed I/O. The 356-LBGA package exposes enough pins to break out wide internal buses for multi-FPGA emulation boards. Quartus II synthesis flows let teams validate ASIC RTL weeks before tape-out, catching architectural bugs at near-ASIC speed using the C7 speed grade.
Recommended
Industrial Automation Controller
In factory-automation controllers the EP20K100CB356C7 provides deterministic logic for PLC scan engines, motion-control sequencers, and fieldbus protocol handling. Its 252 I/Os interface directly to 24V optically-isolated digital inputs and PWM motor driver outputs, while MultiVolt I/O simplifies mixed-voltage designs. Embedded array blocks store look-up tables for PID control loops and recipe data, reducing external memory accesses. The four PLLs generate synchronized PWM carriers for multi-axis drives, with the C7 speed grade comfortably meeting typical 50 µs scan times for 32-axis controllers.
Recommended
Networking Switch / Router Control Plane
The EP20K100CB356C7 is well matched to networking switch and router control-plane designs where it implements forwarding table management, queue scheduling, and management interface glue logic. With 53,248 logic elements the device handles IPv4/v6 lookup tables and ACL matching in parallel pipelines. The 356-LBGA footprint exposes sufficient pins for management Ethernet MACs, PHY interfaces, and switch fabric status buses. JTAG in-system programmability enables field firmware updates without board removal, an essential feature for deployed networking gear.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test equipment manufacturers use the EP20K100CB356C7 to implement stimulus generation, response capture, and timing sequencer logic in one device. The 100K gates accommodate deep sequencer ROM and DSP-style multiply-accumulate paths, while 53,248 bits of embedded memory buffer captured samples before DMA to host. MultiVolt I/O lets the FPGA directly drive 5V legacy measurement ADCs and 1.8V precision ADCs in the same instrument. Four PLLs synthesize precise sample clocks, and the 356-LBGA package provides enough I/O for parallel data acquisition across multiple channels.
Recommended
Legacy Embedded Computing Board
The EP20K100CB356C7 anchors legacy VME and CompactPCI embedded computing boards, providing local bus arbitration, DMA engine control, and interrupt steering for PowerPC or MIPS host processors. Its 252 I/Os are enough to drive 32-bit local buses plus expansion headers, and 53,248 bits of embedded memory accelerate scatter-gather descriptor processing. MultiVolt I/O directly interfaces 5V VMEbus backplane signaling without external transceivers. JTAG support allows board-level boundary-scan testing during production and field diagnostics, a strong requirement for aerospace and defense embedded systems.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K100CB356C7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K100CB356-1 | EP20K100CB356C8 | EP20K100BC356-1 | EP20K100CF324C8ES | EP20K1000CF672C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 356-LBGA | 356-LBGA - same | 356-LBGA - same | 356-LBGA - same | 324-FBGA - different | 672-FBGA - different |
| Typical Gates | 100K | 100K | 100K | 100K | 100K | 1M (10x) |
| User I/O | 252 | 252 | 252 | 252 | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Speed Grade | C7 | -1 (slower) | C8 (faster) | -1 (slower) | C8 (faster) | C7 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 | 532,480 |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Lifecycle Status | Last time buy | Last time buy | Last time buy | Last time buy | Last time buy | Last time buy |
| Architecture | APEX20K (LUT + EAB) | APEX20K | APEX20K | APEX20K | APEX20K | APEX20K |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade in the 356-LBGA APEX20K 100K-gate family (vs EP20K100CB356-1)
- Best pin-count density in the 100K APEX20K family (vs EP20K100CF324C8ES)
- Industrial-proven APEX20K architecture with MultiVolt I/O (vs EP20K1000CF672C7)
Design Notes
The EP20K100CB356C7 is in last-time-buy lifecycle. Plan a Cyclone III/IV or Stratix migration path before committing new production volumes; new designs should target active parts. If the design must remain on APEX20K, freeze the Quartus II 13.0sp1 toolchain version and archive the bitstreams because Quartus Prime no longer supports APEX20K.
The 356-LBGA package requires careful PCB stack-up design with controlled-impedance traces and a solid ground/power plane directly under the BGA. Use microvia or via-in-pad technology to fan out the 1.0 mm pitch BGA balls; standard 0.2 mm via-pads will not fit between BGA pads. Decouple every VCCINT and VCCIO pin with 0.1 µF and 10 µF capacitors placed within 5 mm of the package.
Estimated: at 2.5V core, typical APEX20K 100K-gate designs draw 0.5-1.5A depending on utilization and clock rate. With four PLL analog supplies at 2.5V each drawing 50 mA, total worst-case current is approximately 2A from a low-noise LDO. The VCCIO banks can draw separately at 1.8V/2.5V/3.3V/5V; size each bank regulator to handle peak I/O toggle current of 50 mA per pin pair.
MultiVolt I/O banks must each be powered by a separate regulator if mixing 1.8V/3.3V/5V signaling on the same FPGA. Tie unused I/O pins to logic-high or logic-low through Quartus II pin settings rather than leaving them floating - floating I/Os can draw shoot-through current and inject noise into adjacent banks. Use series 33Ω damping resistors on clock nets longer than 50 mm.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not present in Verified Web Data. APEX20K devices were originally specified pre-RoHS-era; check legacy Altera/Intel PSG PCN documents for specific finish and lead-content information.
