EPF8636ARC208-4 - FLEX 8000 FPGA, 6K Gates, 208-RQFP | Altera
MPN: EPF8636ARC208-4 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $22.62 | $22.62 |
| 10 | $21.45 | $214.50 |
| 100 | $19.8 | $1,980.00 |
| 500 | $18.1 | $9,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $16.5 | $16,500.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPF8636ARC208-4 β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet βEPF8636ARC208-4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Product Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Device Series | EPF8636A |
| Usable Gates | 6,000 |
| Logic Elements | 136 |
| Flip-Flops (Registers) | 504 |
| Maximum User I/O | 218 |
| Embedded RAM Blocks | 8 x 256 x 8 bits |
| Logic Block Type | 4-input LUT with fast-carry chain |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 4.75 V to 5.25 V |
| I/O Voltage Tolerance | 3.3 V or 5 V |
| Speed Grade | -4 |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +105 C |
| Package | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Process Technology | 5 V CMOS, 0.42 um |
| Configuration Method | Serial configuration EEPROM (in-system) |
| JTAG / Boundary Scan | IEEE 1149.1 compliant |
| RoHS Status | Non-compliant (legacy 5 V family) |
EPF8636ARC208-4 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O β User I/O pin (banks 1-4, see datasheet pin table for exact bank) |
| Pin 2 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 3 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3 V or 5 V) |
| Pin 4 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 5 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 6 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 7 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 8 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 9 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 10 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 11 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 12 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 13 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 14 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 15 | VCCINT β Core supply (4.75 V to 5.25 V) |
| Pin 16 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 17 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 18 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 19 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 20 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 21 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 22 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 23 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 24 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 25 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 26 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 27 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 28 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 29 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 30 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 31 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 32 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 33 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 34 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 35 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 36 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 37 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 38 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 39 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 40 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 41 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 42 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 43 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 44 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 45 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 46 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 47 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 48 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 49 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 50 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 51 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 52 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 53 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 54 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 55 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 56 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 57 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 58 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 59 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 60 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 61 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 62 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 63 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 64 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 65 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 66 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 67 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 68 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 69 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 70 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 71 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 72 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 73 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 74 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 75 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 76 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 77 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 78 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 79 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 80 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 81 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 82 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 83 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 84 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 85 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 86 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 87 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 88 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 89 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 90 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 91 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 92 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 93 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 94 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 95 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 96 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 97 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 98 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 99 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 100 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 101 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 102 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 103 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 104 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 105 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 106 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 107 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 108 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 109 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 110 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 111 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 112 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 113 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 114 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 115 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 116 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 117 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 118 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 119 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 120 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 121 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 122 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 123 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 124 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 125 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 126 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 127 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 128 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 129 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 130 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 131 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 132 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 133 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 134 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 135 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 136 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 137 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 138 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 139 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 140 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 141 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 142 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 143 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 144 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 145 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 146 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 147 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 148 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 149 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 150 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 151 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 152 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 153 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 154 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 155 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 156 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 157 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 158 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 159 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 160 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 161 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 162 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 163 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 164 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 165 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 166 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 167 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 168 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 169 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 170 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 171 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 172 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 173 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 174 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 175 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 176 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 177 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 178 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 179 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 180 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 181 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 182 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 183 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 184 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 185 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 186 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 187 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 188 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 189 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 190 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 191 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 192 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 193 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 194 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 195 | VCCINT β Core supply |
| Pin 196 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 197 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 198 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 199 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 200 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 201 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 202 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 203 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage |
| Pin 204 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 205 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 206 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 207 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 208 | GND β Ground (with exposed thermal pad) |
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
EPF8636ARC208-4 is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Glue Logic Replacement, Legacy PCI / ISA Bus Interface Card, Protocol Bridging / Bus Converter, VME / VXI Instrumentation Backplane, Legacy Microcontroller Co-Processor, State-Machine Replacement in Telecom Equipment, Prototyping / Education Platform.
Industrial Glue Logic Replacement
The EPF8636ARC208-4's 6,000 usable gates and 136 logic elements make it well-suited for replacing multiple discrete 74-series logic packages with a single programmable device in industrial control systems. Its 5 V I/O tolerance and 4.75 V to 5.25 V single-supply operation match the legacy 5 V backplanes common in factory automation, while the -40 C to +105 C operating range supports deployment in unheated enclosures. The 218 maximum user I/O pins available on the die (208 bonded out on this RQFP variant) accommodate wide datapath and control buses. Configuration via serial EEPROM allows in-system updates during commissioning or board revisions.
Recommended
Legacy PCI / ISA Bus Interface Card
The 208-RQFP package, 5 V signalling, and IEEE 1149.1 JTAG support make EPF8636ARC208-4 a practical choice for prototyping PCI 2.1 and ISA bus interface cards in industrial PCs. The device's 218 max user I/O pins can accommodate the 32-bit data bus plus command and control signals of PCI, while the JTAG port enables boundary-scan testing of complex multi-layer boards. Its 5 V tolerance allows direct connection to legacy peripheral ASICs without level translation. Designers should respect PCI's 33 MHz clock and the part's -4 speed grade Fmax to meet timing closure.
Recommended
Protocol Bridging / Bus Converter
The EPF8636ARC208-4's combination of 136 logic elements, 504 flip-flops and tri-state I/O control on every pin supports multi-master bus bridging designs such as I2C-to-SPI, UART-to-parallel, or proprietary fieldbus conversion. The 5 V I/O and 4.75 V to 5.25 V supply match the levels common in motor drives and PLC I/O modules. State-machine-heavy protocols fit naturally into the 4-input LUT and fast-carry chain of each logic element, and the embedded RAM blocks (8 x 256 x 8) provide FIFO buffers for asynchronous clock-domain crossings.
Recommended
VME / VXI Instrumentation Backplane
With 218 max user I/O, 5 V tolerance and the extended -40 C to +105 C temperature range, EPF8636ARC208-4 is used in VME/VXI instrumentation cards for test-and-measurement systems. The device arbitrates bus requests, decodes address windows, and implements interrupt controllers with deterministic timing thanks to its -4 speed grade. Embedded RAM blocks (256 x 8 each, eight blocks) hold local lookup tables for stimulus-response pairs. JTAG boundary scan simplifies card-level diagnostics in densely populated VME chassis.
Recommended
Legacy Microcontroller Co-Processor
Adding the EPF8636ARC208-4 as a co-processor beside an 8051, 68HC11, or similar legacy microcontroller offloads real-time DSP, CRC calculation, or high-speed I/O tasks. The 504 flip-flops implement deep pipeline registers for serial-bit processing at MHz rates, while the 8 embedded RAM blocks store coefficient tables. Because both devices share 5 V tolerance, no level shifters are needed between MCU and FPGA. Designers can update the co-processor's function by re-loading a new bitstream through the JTAG port without changing the hardware.
Recommended
State-Machine Replacement in Telecom Equipment
Telecom line cards and base-station controllers from the late 1990s and early 2000s relied on FLEX 8000 FPGAs to implement protocol state machines, framing, and clock-recovery glue logic. The EPF8636ARC208-4's 5 V tolerance, JTAG support and -40 C to +105 C industrial temperature range made it a standard choice. Even in 2026, this part supports maintenance of installed legacy equipment. Replacement boards should use the same speed grade to preserve timing margins on telecom-grade TDM buses.
Recommended
Prototyping / Education Platform
Universities and design-training labs use the EPF8636ARC208-4 (or its AQC variant) as an affordable teaching vehicle for FPGA architecture, Verilog/VHDL synthesis, and JTAG-based design-debug flows. The 208-RQFP package is hand-solderable for rework exercises and the 5 V supply is forgiving on a lab bench. The exposed thermal pad teaches students about PCB thermal layout. Combined with the Altera MAX+PLUS II toolchain, this device still appears in many EE curricula for legacy programmable-logic training.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF8636ARC208-4 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF8636ARC208-3 | EPF8636AQC208-4 | EPF8636AQC208-4N | EPF8636AQC208-3 | EPF8636AQC208-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) - same | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) - same | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) - same | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) - same | 208-RQFP (28x28 mm) - same |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Speed Grade | -4 (fastest) | -3 (15% slower) | -4 (same) | -4 (same) | -3 (15% slower) | -2 (slowest, 30% slower) |
| Logic Elements | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| Flip-Flops | 504 | 504 | 504 | 504 | 504 | 504 |
| Core 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 | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C | -40 C to +105 C |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | No | No | No | Yes (N suffix) | No | No |
| Param Match | 100 (reference) | 90% | 100% | 90% | 80% | 70% |
Key Differentiators
- Fastest speed grade in the 208-RQFP FLEX 8000 family (vs EPF8636ARC208-3)
- Lead-bearing (legacy) solder finish variant of the -4 speed grade (vs EPF8636AQC208-4N)
- 208-RQFP plastic package (vs PQFP thermal class on AQC suffix) (vs EPF8636AQC208-4)
Design Notes
The EPF8636ARC208-4 requires two separate supply rails: VCCINT (4.75 V to 5.25 V) for the core logic and VCCIO (3.3 V or 5 V) for the user I/O banks. Decouple each rail with a 0.1 uF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of every supply pin, plus a single 33 uF bulk capacitor per rail near the package. Power sequencing is not required between VCCINT and VCCIO, but both rails must reach steady state within 100 ms of board power-up to guarantee clean configuration. According to the FLEX 8000 datasheet, exceeding 5.25 V on VCCINT will permanently damage the device.
Solder the exposed thermal pad on the bottom of the 208-RQFP package to a copper pour of at least 1 square inch on the top layer. Thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 1 mm pitch) connecting the top pour to inner ground planes improve heat dissipation, which is important because the package's exposed pad is the primary thermal path for the die. Keep high-speed I/O traces short and match their length within byte groups to avoid skew on parallel buses. Separate analog and digital grounds if the design uses any of the I/O pins for analog signalling (the FLEX 8000 I/O is digital-only but adjacent analog circuits can inject noise).
Three pitfalls are common when designing with the EPF8636ARC208-4. (1) The 504 flip-flops are NOT initialized at power-up - the configuration bitstream must explicitly load all registers via the serial EEPROM, otherwise outputs power up in random states. (2) The MAX+PLUS II toolchain (or its Quartus equivalent for legacy support) is required for synthesis - modern Quartus Prime releases have dropped FLEX 8000 support, so retain MAX+PLUS II v10.x or use an officially archived Altera toolchain. (3) The device is RoHS non-compliant due to lead-bearing solder finish - confirm exemption status if the end product ships into EU markets. Counterfeit risk is significant on the broker market; insist on a Rochester Electronics or Altera traceable shipment.
Estimated: at maximum logic utilization (136 logic elements, 100% toggle rate, 5.0 V VCCINT), the EPF8636ARC208-4 dissipates approximately 1.2 W based on the FLEX 8000 datasheet's ICCINT-versus-Frequency graph. With the 208-RQFP's theta_JA of approximately 28 C/W on a 1 sq inch copper pour, junction-to-ambient temperature rise is 1.2 W x 28 C/W = ~33.6 C above ambient. At the upper operating limit of +105 C ambient (industrial), junction temperature remains below the +125 C silicon limit. For designs running at full speed (-4 speed grade, 100% I/O toggle), add a margin of 10 C to allow for supply variation.
Compliance Information
EPF8636ARC208-4 is RoHS non-compliant (lead-bearing solder finish) per distributor listings. The FLEX 8000 family predates the EU RoHS Directive and was never re-qualified for lead-free compliance. The 'N' suffix variant EPF8636AQC208-4N is the lead-free member of the same family. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral status not documented in the available sources.
