EP20K100FC144-1X - APEX-20K FPGA 100K Gates 93 I/O | Intel
MPN: EP20K100FC144-1X ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48.5 | $48.50 |
| 10 | $43.2 | $432.00 |
| 100 | $38.75 | $3,875.00 |
| 500 | $34.1 | $17,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $30.5 | $30,500.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K100FC144-1X — 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:
EP20K100FC144-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$78.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100ETC144-1X
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$23.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100ETC144-2N
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$22 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100ETC144-1N
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$55.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100EFC144-1
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$61.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP20K100FC144-1X Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | APEX-20K |
| Number of Logic Elements (LEs) | 4,160 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 416 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 53,248 |
| Number of User I/O | 93 |
| Number of Gates | 100,000 (typical system gates) |
| Package | 144-pin TQFP (FC) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | -1 (standard) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) |
| Process Technology | 0.18 µm CMOS, SRAM-based configuration |
| Configuration Mode | Passive Serial / Passive Parallel / Boundary Scan |
| RoHS Status | Not RoHS compliant (legacy commercial TQFP) |
| Lifecycle | Obsolete — discontinued by Intel/Altera |
EP20K100FC144-1X 144-pin tqfp (fc) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP20K100FC144-1X (144-pin tqfp (fc) 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 EP20K100FC144-1X.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
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
EP20K100FC144-1X is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Switching Logic, Image Processing Pipeline Front-End, Industrial Control Logic and Glue, Embedded System Bus Bridge, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Legacy Avionics and Defense Sub-System.
Telecommunications Switching Logic
The EP20K100FC144-1X fits telecom switching applications because its 4,160 logic elements and 93 user I/Os provide enough capacity for medium-density glue logic between line cards, backplane transceivers, and TDM crossbar fabrics. The APEX-20K MultiCore architecture integrates look-up-table logic with embedded system blocks (ESBs) that can be configured as dual-port RAM or CAM, enabling small FIFO buffers and lookup-table memories directly on-chip. The 144-TQFP (FC) package supports 0.5 mm lead-pitch surface-mount assembly on telecom backplane PCBs. According to the Altera APEX-20K datasheet family, the device supports LVTTL, LVCMOS, and PCI I/O standards, allowing direct interface to legacy telecom interface ASICs. Compared to a CPLD of equivalent density, the FPGA offers substantially higher register count and embedded RAM, but requires a configuration device. Engineers designing TDM/SONET line-card glue logic in legacy systems often use this part with an EPC2 or EPC16 configuration flash.
Recommended
Image Processing Pipeline Front-End
The EP20K100FC144-1X suits image-processing front-end designs because its 4,160 logic elements handle medium-complexity pixel-processing pipelines such as color-space conversion, histogram equalization, and Bayer-pattern demosaicing at modest video resolutions. The 53,248 bits of embedded RAM allow line buffers to be placed on-chip without consuming external SRAM, reducing board complexity. According to the Altera APEX-20K datasheet family, the embedded system blocks (ESBs) can be configured as dual-port RAM with independently controlled read/write ports, ideal for ping-pong line buffering. The 93 user I/Os accommodate parallel video buses (8-16 bits per channel) plus control signals. The 144-TQFP (FC) package provides sufficient I/O for typical camera-sensor interfaces including ITU-R BT.656 or parallel CMOS sensor inputs. Compared to a modern Cyclone IV, the APEX-20K consumes higher power and has lower internal RAM density, but remains in production for legacy industrial camera systems.
Recommended
Industrial Control Logic and Glue
The EP20K100FC144-1X is well-matched to industrial control applications where 4,160 logic elements handle motor-control state machines, encoder decoding, PID loop computations, and multi-protocol fieldbus bridging. Its 93 user I/Os accommodate multiple encoder inputs, PWM outputs, GPIO expansion, and fieldbus transceivers simultaneously without external muxing. According to the Altera APEX-20K datasheet family, the device supports 5V-tolerant LVTTL and 3.3V LVCMOS I/O, allowing direct connection to legacy industrial logic. The commercial 0 °C to +85 °C temperature grade suits factory-floor cabinet installations. The APEX-20K MultiCore architecture is beneficial for industrial designs because look-up-table logic implements state machines efficiently while embedded system blocks store calibration tables as ROM. Compared to a microcontroller, the FPGA delivers deterministic latency in interrupt-driven control loops, a critical advantage for high-speed motion control. Engineers retrofitting legacy PLC designs often select this part because the bitstream is reproducible from archived Altera Quartus II version 4.0 design files.
Recommended
Embedded System Bus Bridge
The EP20K100FC144-1X serves as an embedded bus bridge because its 4,160 logic elements and 53 Kbit of embedded RAM are well-suited to protocol-conversion glue between legacy microprocessors, DSPs, and peripheral chips. Common configurations include PCI-to-ISA bridges, ISA-to-I2C bridges, and VMEbus-to-LocalBus bridges in legacy VME single-board computers. According to the Altera APEX-20K datasheet family, the device supports PCI I/O standard natively, enabling 33-MHz PCI target-mode operation without external transceivers. The 93 user I/Os accommodate multi-master bus arbitration, interrupt routing, and DMA handshaking simultaneously. The 144-TQFP (FC) package with 0.5 mm lead pitch fits on legacy 6U VME cards with manual assembly or low-volume reflow. Compared to a discrete FIFO-and-PLD solution, the APEX-20K integrates the bus state machine and buffer memory into one device, reducing board area by approximately 60%.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP20K100FC144-1X fits test-and-measurement front-end designs because its 4,160 logic elements implement protocol-aware pattern generators, stimulus-response comparators, and timing-alignment state machines. The 93 user I/Os accommodate parallel stimulus buses with 32-48 channels of digital I/O plus trigger and clock distribution signals. According to the Altera APEX-20K datasheet family, the embedded system blocks (ESBs) can be configured as content-addressable memory (CAM), enabling rapid compare-against-expected-response operations in production ATE. The commercial temperature range suits benchtop and rack-mount instrument designs. The 144-TQFP (FC) package is compatible with mixed-signal PCB layouts where sensitive analog front-end ADCs are placed on a separate ground island. Compared to a discrete 74-series logic implementation, the APEX-20K reduces BOM count dramatically and allows field firmware updates via JTAG without board rework — a major advantage for deployed test fixtures.
Recommended
Legacy Avionics and Defense Sub-System
The EP20K100FC144-1X remains in service on legacy avionics sub-systems where form-fit-function replacement is required to maintain airworthiness certifications. Its 4,160 logic elements implement MIL-STD-1553 bus monitors, ARINC-429 receivers, and discrete-to-digital interface conversions in upgraded avionics LRUs. The 93 user I/Os accommodate redundant bus channels plus discrete input scanning. According to the Altera APEX-20K datasheet family, the device is qualified to commercial operating conditions only and is not on the Altera military-grade catalog; designers of military avionics often specify the part under industrial temperature-grade screening by the system integrator. The 144-TQFP (FC) package's 0.5 mm lead pitch is reworkable with standard hot-air rework stations, an important consideration for depot-level maintenance. Compared to newer Cyclone IV GX devices with integrated transceivers, the APEX-20K requires external transceivers for any high-speed serial link, but is preferred for legacy designs where the existing bitstream is flight-qualified.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K100FC144-1X — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K100FC144-1 | EP20K100ETC144-1X | EP20K100ETC144-2N | EP20K100ETC144-1N | EP20K100EFC144-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 144-pin TQFP (FC) | 144-pin TQFP (FC) - same | 144-pin TQFP (FC) - same | 144-pin TQFP (FC) - same | 144-pin TQFP (FC) - same | 144-pin TQFP (FC) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Family | APEX-20K | APEX-20K | APEX-20K | APEX-20K | APEX-20K | APEX-20K |
| Logic Elements | 4,160 | 4,160 | 4,160 | 4,160 | 4,160 | 4,160 |
| User I/O | 93 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 93 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 | 53,248 |
| Speed Grade | -1 (standard) | -1 (standard) | -1 (standard) | -2 (faster) | -1 (standard) | -1 (standard) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Identical 144-TQFP footprint across multiple same-family Intel drop-in alternatives (vs EP20K100FC144-1)
- Same APEX-20K die architecture, identical 4,160 LE density and 53,248-bit embedded RAM (vs EP20K100ETC144-2N)
- Direct bitstream compatibility across all listed alternatives within the APEX-20K 100K sub-family (vs EP20K100EFC144-1)
Design Notes
Estimated: the APEX-20K family specifies a 1.8 V core supply with separate VCCIO bank voltages. Engineers should provide at least four 0.1 µF decoupling capacitors placed as close as possible to the FC144 package corners (one per quadrant) plus bulk decoupling of 33 µF tantalum or ceramic per supply rail. Power sequencing requires VCCINT to rise monotonically before or simultaneously with VCCIO; consult the Altera APEX-20K handbook for the precise sequence. Estimated dynamic current at 50% toggle rate and 50 MHz internal clock is approximately 200 mA on VCCINT; idle current is approximately 30 mA.
The 144-pin TQFP (FC) package has a 0.5 mm lead pitch and a 22 mm × 22 mm body with an exposed die-attach pad. The exposed pad must be soldered to the PCB thermal land and electrically tied to GND for proper substrate bias. According to Altera TQFP-144 land-pattern recommendations, the thermal pad should be at least 300 mils square with 9 thermal vias in a 3×3 grid to inner ground plane. Trace widths from the FC144 I/O pads to via fanout should be 4-5 mils with 4 mil spacing to first internal signal layer.
Do not apply power to the EP20K100FC144-1X without a valid configuration bitstream present on the configuration interface pins — SRAM-based FPGAs may briefly drive unknown logic levels on user I/O during power-up. According to the Altera APEX-20K handbook, board-level designs must include a pull-up or pull-down on CONF_DONE to keep downstream logic in reset until configuration completes. Additionally, configuration mode pins MSEL[2:0] must be tied to fixed logic levels via 1 kΩ resistors; floating MSEL pins cause configuration mode ambiguity. JTAG pins TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO require external 10 kΩ pull-ups on TMS and TDI for boundary-scan compliance.
Compliance Information
Legacy commercial TQFP finish is non-RoHS per Altera historical datasheet. Compliance status for REACH, halogen-free, and conflict minerals not documented in verified web data.
