EPF8636AQC208-2 - FLEX 8000 FPGA 6K Gates 208-PQFP | Intel
MPN: EPF8636AQC208-2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $32.75 | $327.50 |
| 100 | $26.4 | $2,640.00 |
| 500 | $21.8 | $10,900.00 |
| 1,000 | $18.95 | $18,950.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPF8636AQC208-2 — 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:
EPF8636AQC208-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$28 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC208-4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$35.33 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC208-4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$10.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC160-4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.3 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC160-3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC160-3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$29.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC160-4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC160-5
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$14.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPF8636AQC208-2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | FLEX 8000 |
| Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Number of Logic Elements/Cells | 504 |
| Number of Gates | 6000 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 63 |
| Number of I/O | 136 |
| Operating Supply Voltage | 4.75 V to 5.25 V |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Process Technology | 0.42 µm CMOS SRAM |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 70 °C (Commercial) |
| Package | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Method | SRAM - serial or parallel EPROM, EPC1/EPC1064/EPC1213/EPC1441, or system controller |
| In-Circuit Reconfigurability | Yes (ICR via SRAM configuration) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (EOL) |
EPF8636AQC208-2 208-bqfp / 208-pqfp (plastic quad flat pack) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EPF8636AQC208-2 (208-bqfp / 208-pqfp (plastic quad flat pack) 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 EPF8636AQC208-2.
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
EPF8636AQC208-2 is suitable for 6 applications: TTL Integration / Glue Logic Replacement, Multi-Bus Interface / Bus Bridge, Coprocessor and High-Speed Controller, Wide Data-Path Manipulation / DSP Front-End, Industrial Control and Legacy Replacement, Data Transformation / Format Conversion.
TTL Integration / Glue Logic Replacement
The EPF8636AQC208-2 is well-suited for TTL-integration designs that need to consolidate dozens of 74-series logic chips onto a single programmable device. With 504 logic elements and 136 user I/Os, the device can absorb entire boards of discrete glue logic into one 208-PQFP package, reducing PCB area and BoM cost. Unlike simple CPLDs, FLEX 8000 SRAM FPGAs provide rich register resources, so designers can also implement small state machines, counters, and FIFOs alongside the combinatorial glue. Power sequencing must be respected because the SRAM configuration is volatile; an EPC1/EPC1064/EPC1213/EPC1441 or parallel EPROM must supply the bitstream at every power-up.
Recommended
Multi-Bus Interface / Bus Bridge
The high 136-I/O count of the EPF8636AQC208-2 makes it an ideal bus-bridge device, capable of integrating multiple 32-bit buses into a single chip per Altera's FLEX 8000 datasheet. Engineers frequently use this part to bridge between legacy ISA/PCI local buses, custom backplanes, and processor data/address buses, with the 504 logic elements providing ample room for protocol state machines and FIFO buffers. In-circuit reconfigurability (ICR) allows the same hardware to be repurposed across product variants by swapping the configuration bitstream, shortening development cycles.
Recommended
Coprocessor and High-Speed Controller
The 504 logic elements, 63 LABs, and 0.42 µm CMOS SRAM architecture give the EPF8636AQC208-2 enough headroom to implement dedicated coprocessor functions alongside a host CPU. Typical deployments include DMA engines, custom arithmetic units, CRC/hash accelerators, and protocol offload engines. Because FLEX 8000 is SRAM-based, the bitstream can be updated in-system for firmware revision upgrades. Designers should budget for a 5 V supply rail with adequate decoupling (0.1 µF + bulk) on every VCC pin to keep switching noise off the logic-array power rails.
Recommended
Wide Data-Path Manipulation / DSP Front-End
The FLEX 8000 family is explicitly recommended for wide-data-path manipulation and digital signal processing (DSP) front-ends, and the EPF8636AQC208-2's 136 I/Os support wide parallel datapaths up to ~34 bits wide. The 504 logic elements can implement pipeline registers, barrel shifters, and bit-reversal logic commonly used between an ADC/DAC and a DSP or microprocessor. Designers should target the MAX+PLUS II toolchain, which provides VHDL/Verilog synthesis, simulation, and timing analysis; for tighter timing closure, choose the -3 or -4 speed grade rather than the -2.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Legacy Replacement
Many long-lifecycle industrial control systems still rely on the EPF8636AQC208-2 because the FLEX 8000 family was widely designed in during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The part's 0 °C to 70 °C commercial temperature range covers most factory-floor enclosures, and the 5 V supply aligns with legacy backplanes. Because the part is now Obsolete (EOL), industrial users typically stock it for spares or migrate entire boards to the FLEX 10K or Cyclone families; the 208-PQFP footprint of the EPF8636 makes this migration a board-rework rather than a software-only change.
Recommended
Data Transformation / Format Conversion
The 504 logic elements and rich register fabric of the EPF8636AQC208-2 are well-matched to data-transformation tasks such as serial-to-parallel conversion, byte-order swapping, Manchester or NRZ encoding/decoding, and protocol framing. The 136 user I/Os allow simultaneous handling of multiple parallel interfaces without external bus multiplexers. Because configuration is SRAM-based, the same device can be re-loaded with different transformation firmware for production variants, reducing SKUs. Designers should verify timing closure with the MAX+PLUS II timing analyzer, especially at -2 speed grade.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF8636AQC208-2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF8636AQC208-3 | EPF8636AQC208-4 | EPF8636AQC208-4N | EPF8636AQC160-4N | EPF8636AQC160-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP (same) | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP (same) | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP (same) | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP (same) | 208-BQFP / 208-PQFP (same) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Family / Die | FLEX 8000 / 504 cells | FLEX 8000 / 504 cells (same die) | FLEX 8000 / 504 cells (same die) | FLEX 8000 / 504 cells (same die) | FLEX 8000 / 504 cells (same die) | FLEX 8000 / 504 cells (same die) |
| Speed Grade | -2 (slowest commercial) | -3 (faster) | -4 (faster) | -4 (faster) + Pb-free | -4 (faster) + Pb-free | -5 (fastest) |
| Lead-Free Terminal Finish (N suffix) | No | No | No | Yes (Pb-free) | Yes (Pb-free) | No |
| Logic Elements / Cells | 504 | 504 | 504 | 504 | 504 | 504 |
| Number of LABs | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| User I/Os | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| Operating Voltage | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V | 4.75 V to 5.25 V |
| 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) | 0 °C to 70 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to 70 °C (Commercial) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) |
Key Differentiators
- Slowest commercial speed grade in the EPF8636 family (vs EPF8636AQC208-4N)
- Same FLEX 8000 die as faster siblings, but SnPb terminal finish (vs EPF8636AQC208-4N)
- 208-pin PQFP supports the highest I/O count in the EPF8636 family (vs EPF8636ALC84-4)
Design Notes
The EPF8636AQC208-2 requires a tightly regulated 5 V (4.75-5.25 V) supply because FLEX 8000 SRAM configuration cells lose their bitstream if VCC dips below the minimum threshold during configuration. Place a 0.1 µF decoupling capacitor as close as possible to every VCC/ground pair on the 208-PQFP, plus a 10-47 µF bulk tantalum or ceramic capacitor on the main 5 V rail. Power-up ramp should be monotonic; a slow or oscillating ramp can cause configuration failures or partial bitstream loading.
A common mistake is selecting the wrong serial configuration device. The EPC1, EPC1064, EPC1213, and EPC1441 each hold different bitstream sizes, and using one that is too small will truncate the bitstream and leave the FPGA partially configured. For the EPF8636AQC208-2's full bitstream, refer to the FLEX 8000 configuration handbook and verify that the chosen EPC device has at least the required bit length with margin. Always include a JTAG header so the device can be re-programmed in-system if the EPC fails.
The 208-PQFP lead pitch (~0.5 mm) is friendly for 4-layer FR-4 PCBs at 5 V, but designers targeting the -3/-4/-5 speed grades should still apply standard FPGA signal-integrity practice: 50 Ω controlled-impedance traces for clock and global buffer nets, series damping on long top-side routes, and ground-pour stitching vias adjacent to high-edge-rate signals. Keep the global clock trace under 25 mm and avoid splitting the VCC plane across the die area to prevent ground bounce during simultaneous I/O switching.
The 208-PQFP package has gull-wing leads on all four sides, so PCB layout should provide a continuous perimeter ground ring connected to the internal ground plane with multiple vias. Run VCC and GND traces on inner layers directly under the package to provide a low-inductance return path. Do not route signal traces under the package body; reserve the area beneath the PQFP for power/ground shapes and thermal vias.
Compliance Information
Standard (non-N) EPF8636AQC208-2 uses SnPb terminals and is therefore NOT lead-free; choose an N-suffix variant (e.g., EPF8636AQC208-4N) for Pb-free/RoHS-compliant assemblies. RoHS, REACH, and conflict-mineral status were not stated in the verified datasheet excerpt and are marked [DATA_NEEDED] in the specs array; AEC-Q100 is not applicable because FLEX 8000 is not an automotive-qualified family.
