EPF81188AQC208-3 - FLEX 8000 FPGA, 12K Gates, 148 I/O, 208-BFQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EPF81188AQC208-3 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28.5 | $28.50 |
| 10 | $24.95 | $249.50 |
| 100 | $19.8 | $1,980.00 |
| 500 | $16.5 | $8,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $14.2 | $14,200.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPF81188AQC208-3 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:
EPF81188AQC208-2
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$21.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF81188AQC208-4
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$62 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF81188AQC208-1
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPF81188AQC208-3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Usable Gates | 12,000 |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 1,008 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 126 |
| User I/Os | 148 |
| Package Type | 208-BFQFP (Plastic QFP) |
| Pins | 208 |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 5 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V or 5.0 V (MultiVolt) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| In-Circuit Reconfigurability | Yes (ICR) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Process Technology | CMOS SRAM |
EPF81188AQC208-3 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O β User I/O (bank-dependent VCCIO) |
| Pin 2 | I/O β User I/O (bank-dependent VCCIO) |
| Pin 3 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
| Pin 4 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin 5 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin 6 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 7 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin 8 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin 9 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
| Pin 10 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin 11 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin 12 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 13 | nCONFIG β Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin 14 | nSTATUS β Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin 15 | CONF_DONE β Configuration done indicator |
| Pin 16 | DCLK β Configuration clock input |
| Pin 17 | DATA0 β Configuration data input (PS mode) |
| Pin 18 | MSEL0 β Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin 19 | MSEL1 β Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin 20 | GND β 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
EPF81188AQC208-3 is suitable for 6 applications: Glue Logic and Bus Interfacing, Custom State-Machine Controllers, Peripheral Protocol Bridges (UART / SPI / I2C Multiplexers), Legacy 5V System Integration, ASIC Function Prototyping, High-I/O Parallel Processing Interfaces.
Glue Logic and Bus Interfacing
The EPF81188AQC208-3 is well suited as a glue-logic bridge between mismatched parallel buses. With 148 user I/Os and MultiVolt I/O support (3.3V or 5V VCCIO), the device can simultaneously interface a 5V legacy peripheral to a 3.3V processor without external level shifters. The 12K usable gates are typically sufficient for address decoding, wait-state generation, and chip-select logic. Designers typically allocate 60-70% of LEs for combinatorial decode and 30-40% for registered handshake logic.
Recommended
Custom State-Machine Controllers
FLEX 8000's LAB-based architecture with 4-input LUTs and dedicated per-LE registers makes the EPF81188AQC208-3 a strong platform for complex state machines. The 1,008 logic elements accommodate 10-20 large state machines with 16-32 states each, while the 126 LABs provide predictable routing for high-fanout control signals. Designers commonly use the device in industrial-control front-ends, motor-control sequencers, and protocol bridges where deterministic timing is critical.
Recommended
Peripheral Protocol Bridges (UART / SPI / I2C Multiplexers)
The 148 I/O pins and abundant logic resources of the EPF81188AQC208-3 enable multi-protocol bridging tasks such as UART-to-SPI, I2C-to-parallel, and SPI multiplexing. Each LAB cluster can host an independent serial engine, while the global FastTrack Interconnect routes control signals with uniform delay. The device's 5V-tolerant I/Os interface directly to legacy RS-232 transceivers and 5V sensors without external protection.
Recommended
Legacy 5V System Integration
When modernizing or extending systems built around 5V microprocessors and peripherals, the EPF81188AQC208-3 provides a 5V-tolerant I/O interface that does not require level shifting. The device can act as a co-processor or peripheral controller alongside 8051, 68k, or Z80 host CPUs, providing interrupt arbitration, DMA handshaking, and memory-mapping functions. The MultiVolt feature also allows one FPGA to drive both 5V and 3.3V rails on the same board.
Recommended
ASIC Function Prototyping
Engineers historically used the EPF81188AQC208-3 to prototype mid-complexity ASICs because of its 12,000 usable gates, deterministic timing, and in-circuit reconfigurability (ICR). A design implemented in FLEX 8000 can be migrated to a gate-array or cell-based ASIC once validated, with the FPGA serving as a bit-accurate functional model. The 208-BFQFP package provides test points on all four sides for oscilloscope probing during validation.
Recommended
High-I/O Parallel Processing Interfaces
With 148 user I/Os, the EPF81188AQC208-3 is suitable for parallel data acquisition, image preprocessing front-ends, and multi-channel ADC/DAC interfacing. Each LE can be configured as a small arithmetic unit, enabling simple parallel MAC operations at moderate throughput. Combined with the device's 5V tolerance, it interfaces directly to industrial-grade parallel ADCs and camera-link receivers without external buffers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF81188AQC208-3 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF81188AQC208-2 | EPF81188AQC208-4 | EPF81188AQC208-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel / Altera | Intel / Altera | Intel / Altera | Intel / Altera |
| Package | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP - same | 208-BFQFP - same | 208-BFQFP - same |
| Usable Gates | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| Logic Elements | 1,008 | 1,008 | 1,008 | 1,008 |
| LABs | 126 | 126 | 126 | 126 |
| User I/Os | 148 | 148 | 148 | 148 |
| Speed Grade | -3 | -2 (faster) | -4 (slower) | -1 (fastest) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) | 0 C to +70 C (Commercial) |
Key Differentiators
- Same-package faster speed grade available (vs EPF81188AQC208-2)
- MultiVolt I/O supports mixed-voltage buses (vs EPF81188AGC232-4N (PGA variant))
- In-circuit reconfigurability for field updates (vs MAX 7000 CPLDs (EPM7128SQC100-10))
Design Notes
The EPF81188AQC208-3 requires two supply rails: VCCINT at 5V (+/-5%) for the core logic and VCCIO at 3.3V or 5V for the I/O banks. Both rails must be present for proper operation - VCCIO can be sequenced before or after VCCINT, but VCCINT must reach stable 5V before configuration begins. Decouple each VCCINT pin with a 0.1uF ceramic placed within 5mm, and each VCCIO pin with the same. Add a bulk 47uF tantalum or 100uF aluminum electrolytic at the supply entry to suppress FPGA inrush current during configuration.
Layout the 208-BFQFP with a continuous ground plane on layer 2 to provide a low-impedance return path for the 148 high-speed I/Os. Route all configuration signals (DCLK, nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, DATA0) on the same layer with controlled impedance, and keep them away from switching I/O traces. Place the configuration EPROM within 100mm of DCLK and DATA0 to minimize skew. FLEX 8000 JTAG signals (TMS, TDI, TDO, TCK) should each have a 10k pull-up on TMS and TDI for reliable boundary-scan operation.
All unused user I/O pins must be left floating or tied to ground - leaving them floating with VCCIO applied can cause leakage current of several hundred microamps per pin and may cause configuration failure. Do not exceed VCCIO voltage during programming - use a level translator if the host MCU runs at 3.3V and the FPGA's VCCIO is set to 5V. The FLEX 8000 is a 5V core device, so never back-power VCCIO before VCCINT reaches the 4.75V threshold or the I/O buffers can latch-up.
Compliance Information
The FLEX 8000 family was introduced in the mid-1990s, before RoHS compliance was standard. The original AQC208-3 is likely not RoHS compliant - only later -N suffixed variants carry RoHS compliance. Designers should verify with the distributor's lot documentation.
