EP20K100CQ208C7 - APEX20K FPGA 100K Gates 159 I/O 208QFP | Intel
MPN: EP20K100CQ208C7 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $42.5 | $42.50 |
| 10 | $38.25 | $382.50 |
| 100 | $32.1 | $3,210.00 |
| 500 | $26.8 | $13,400.00 |
| 1,000 | $22.4 | $22,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K100CQ208C7 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:
EP20K100EQ208C7
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K100CQ208C8
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$13.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP20K100CQ208C9
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$25.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP20K200CQ208C7
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K100CQ208C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX20K |
| Logic Elements | 4,160 |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 |
| Maximum System Gates | 263,000 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 53,248 |
| User I/O Pins | 159 |
| Package | 208-pin PQFP (QFP) |
| Speed Grade | C7 (7 ns pin-to-pin delay) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V |
| I/O Voltage | 3.3 V (LVTTL/LVCMOS/PCI compatible) |
| Process Technology | SRAM-based CMOS |
| Configuration Method | SRAM - volatile, requires boot PROM |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (PQFP with gull-wing leads) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete - last-time-buy phase ended |
EP20K100CQ208C7 208-pin pqfp (qfp) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP20K100CQ208C7 (208-pin pqfp (qfp) package) with 159 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 EP20K100CQ208C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 159 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
EP20K100CQ208C7 is suitable for 7 applications: Legacy Telecommunications Backplane Glue Logic, Industrial Control Systems, PCI Bus Interface Bridge, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Digital Signal Processing Front-End, Legacy Avionics Display Driver, Medical Imaging Data Acquisition.
Legacy Telecommunications Backplane Glue Logic
The EP20K100CQ208C7 fits legacy telecom backplane designs because its 159 user I/O pins and LVTTL/PCI-compatible I/O standards can directly interface with 32-bit processor buses, TDM framers, and ASIC glue logic on older line cards. Its 4,160 logic elements are sufficient to implement custom bus arbiters, DMA controllers, and interrupt steering logic between legacy PowerPC/ARM host processors and peripheral ASICs. Engineers choose this FPGA because the 208-pin PQFP package's perimeter I/O layout simplifies routing on 4-layer backplane PCBs designed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Recommended
Industrial Control Systems
The EP20K100CQ208C7 serves industrial control applications because its commercial 0C to +85C operating range and SRAM-based reprogrammability allow field firmware updates for motor controllers, PLC I/O expansion modules, and SCADA front-ends. The device's 53,248 embedded RAM bits can buffer serial protocol packets (Modbus, Profibus, CAN) while the 4,160 logic elements implement custom timing-critical encoder/decoder logic. Designers favor this part for legacy control cabinets where the 208-pin PQFP package survives vibration better than fine-pitch BGA alternatives.
Recommended
PCI Bus Interface Bridge
The EP20K100CQ208C7 is well-suited as a PCI bus bridge because its I/O standards explicitly include 3.3V PCI signaling at 33 MHz, and its 4,160 logic elements plus 53,248 RAM bits can implement the full PCI target/master state machines plus DMA engines. The 159 user I/O pins comfortably accommodate a 32-bit PCI bus (47 pins) plus local bus and interrupt signals. Compared to discrete TTL bridge ASICs, the EP20K100CQ208C7 offers firmware-upgradeable silicon and the ability to repurpose unused logic for value-added features like scatter-gather DMA.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Designers use the EP20K100CQ208C7 for ASIC prototyping because its 100K typical gates and 53,248 embedded RAM bits can emulate mid-complexity ASICs before tape-out, validating RTL designs against real-world timing. The FastTrack Interconnect routing fabric preserves critical-path delays within 10-15% of the final ASIC implementation, giving designers confidence in their synthesis results. The 159 user I/O pins allow connection to test bench equipment and external memory models. Quartus II synthesis outputs can be back-annotated to verify gate-level simulations.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing Front-End
The EP20K100CQ208C7 supports DSP front-end functions because its 53,248 bits of True Dual-Port RAM can implement parallel FIR filter coefficient storage and sample buffering at audio bandwidths. The 4,160 logic elements can implement multiplier-accumulator (MAC) arrays for 16-bit DSP at sample rates up to 20 MSPS. Engineers choose this FPGA for pre-processing radar, sonar, or audio codec data before passing to a dedicated DSP processor. The 1.8V core reduces power dissipation compared to 5V FLEX10K alternatives in thermally constrained enclosures.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics Display Driver
The EP20K100CQ208C7 drives legacy avionics LCD/CRT displays because its 159 user I/O pins can drive 18-bit color panels, timing controllers, and ARINC 429 bus interfaces simultaneously. The 4,160 logic elements implement character generators, font ROMs, and overlay mixers for primary flight displays, while the 53,248 RAM bits provide double-buffered frame memory for smooth screen updates. Designers favor this part for DO-178B certifiable systems because the Quartus II toolchain produces verifiable gate-level netlists. Migration to Cyclone IV GX is recommended for new programs requiring DO-254 compliance.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Data Acquisition
The EP20K100CQ208C7 is appropriate for medical imaging front-end data acquisition because its True Dual-Port RAM supports simultaneous ADC sampling and DSP read access without contention. The 159 user I/O pins accommodate 12-bit parallel ADC data buses for ultrasound transducers up to 40 MSPS, with sufficient margin for trigger and clock distribution. Designers choose this FPGA for ultrasound beamformers and ECG data loggers where its commercial temperature range and PQFP package simplify validation testing. The 1.8V core minimizes patient-applied circuit heating in proximity-sensitive diagnostic equipment.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K100CQ208C7 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K100EQ208C7 | EP20K100CQ208C8 | EP20K100CQ208C9 | EP20K200CQ208C7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 208-pin PQFP | 208-pin PQFP (same) | 208-pin PQFP (same) | 208-pin PQFP (same) | 208-pin PQFP (same) |
| Typical Gates | 100,000 | 100,000 (same) | 100,000 (same) | 100,000 (same) | 200,000 (+100%) |
| Logic Elements | 4,160 | 4,160 (same) | 4,160 (same) | 4,160 (same) | 8,320 (+100%) |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 53,248 | 53,248 (same) | 53,248 (same) | 53,248 (same) | 106,496 (+100%) |
| User I/O Pins | 159 | 159 (same) | 159 (same) | 159 (same) | 159 (same) |
| Speed Grade | C7 (7 ns) | C7 (same) | C8 (8 ns, slower) | C9 (slower) | C7 (same) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (same) | Commercial (same) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (same) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest pin count available for 100K-gate APEX20K in PQFP (vs EP20K100CF144C7 (144-pin TQFP))
- Same-package upgrade path to 200K-gate device (vs EP20K200CQ208C7 (higher density same package))
- C7 speed grade for timing-critical applications (vs EP20K100CQ208C8 (slower speed grade))
Design Notes
The EP20K100CQ208C7 requires separate 1.8V core and 3.3V I/O power rails. Use a low-dropout regulator (such as LT1117-1.8 for the core) with input bulk capacitance of at least 47uF and output decoupling of 0.1uF plus 10uF ceramic on each VCCINT pin. Estimated core current at 180 MHz operation with typical utilization is approximately 200-300 mA; I/O current varies with switching frequency but a 33 MHz PCI bus can pull 500-800 mA from VCCIO. Place the VCCINT and VCCIO plane regions on separate PCB layers to prevent digital switching noise from coupling into the core supply.
The 208-pin PQFP has 0.5 mm lead pitch and gull-wing leads, which are more tolerant of PCB manufacturing tolerances than fine-pitch BGA. Maintain a minimum of 8 mil trace width and 8 mil trace clearance on breakout traces from the PQFP pads. Use microstrip routing for clock signals (CLK0-CLK3) and keep them at least 3W (three trace widths) away from parallel I/O buses to prevent crosstalk. Place dedicated configuration pins (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE) on short traces directly to the configuration PROM to ensure reliable SRAM configuration during power-up.
Do not assume the EP20K100CQ208C7 is hot-swappable: its SRAM configuration is volatile and requires a valid configuration download at every power-up. A common design pitfall is omitting the EPC2 or EPC4 configuration PROM, leaving the FPGA unconfigured at boot. The 1.8V core must reach monotonic ramp-up within 100 ms or the POR (Power-On Reset) circuit may enter an undefined state. Connect all GND pins (there are 24 in the 208-pin PQFP) to a low-impedance ground plane to prevent logic glitches and ensure JTAG programming reliability.
Compliance Information
Compliance information not present in verified web data. The EP20K100CQ208C7 is a legacy 1.8V core FPGA from the APEX20K family; some variants may have lead-containing PQFP packages depending on date code. Engineers should verify RoHS/REACH status directly with Intel/Altera for production use.
