EPF8820ARC-4 - FLEX 8000 FPGA 672 Logic Elements | Altera
MPN: EPF8820ARC-4 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $28.75 | $2,875.00 |
| 500 | $23.4 | $11,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $19.95 | $19,950.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPF8820ARC-4 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:
EPF8820AQC208-4
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View Datasheet βEPF8820AQC208-3
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View Datasheet βEPF8820AQC208-2
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$22.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF8820ABC225-4
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$14.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF8636ARC208-4
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$16.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF8636ARC208-3
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$19.95 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPF8820ARC-4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 672 |
| User I/O Pins | 152 |
| Speed Grade | -4 |
| Package | 208-BFQFP Exposed Pad (R-C suffix) |
| Process Technology | 0.5 um CMOS SRAM |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 5 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V / 5 V tolerant |
| Configuration Mode | Passive Serial / Passive Parallel Asynchronous |
| Programmability | SRAM-based, in-system programmable |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EPF8820ARC-4 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O β User I/O pin (bank-dependent) |
| Pin 2 | I/O β User I/O pin |
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| Pin 11 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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| Pin 21 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
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| Pin 32 | GND β Ground |
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| Pin 43 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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| Pin 53 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
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| Pin 64 | GND β Ground |
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| Pin 75 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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| Pin 85 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
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| Pin 96 | GND β Ground |
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| Pin 107 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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| Pin 117 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
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| Pin 128 | GND β Ground |
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| Pin 139 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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| Pin 149 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
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| Pin 160 | GND β Ground |
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| Pin 171 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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| Pin 180 | I/O β User I/O pin |
| Pin 181 | VCCIO β I/O supply (3.3V or 5V) |
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| Pin 192 | GND β Ground |
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| Pin 203 | VCCINT β 5V core supply |
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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
EPF8820ARC-4 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Card Glue Logic, Industrial Control and PLC Logic Integration, ASIC Prototyping and Pre-Silicon Validation, Legacy Bus-Interface Bridge and Protocol Converter, Medical Imaging Front-End Pre-Processing, Test and Measurement Instrumentation Backplane.
Telecommunications Line Card Glue Logic
The EPF8820ARC-4's 672 logic elements and 152 user I/O pins make it a strong fit for telecom line-card glue logic where multiple bus interfaces, framing logic, and protocol state machines must be integrated on a single board. The 5V VCCINT core and 3.3V/5V tolerant I/O let the FPGA bridge legacy TTL bus controllers and 3.3V framers without external level shifters, while the FLEX 8000 EAB blocks implement small FIFOs and lookup tables for channel provisioning. Compared with a discrete 74-series glue-logic implementation, the EPF8820 collapses dozens of packages onto one device, reducing board area and easing last-minute design changes during carrier qualification.
Recommended
Industrial Control and PLC Logic Integration
In PLC and industrial-control platforms, the EPF8820ARC-4 integrates encoder counters, PWM generation, Modbus / Profibus framing, and safety logic in one programmable device. Its 152 I/Os connect to opto-isolated 24V field I/O via external buffers, while the 5V core tolerates wide industrial supply rails after regulation. The unlimited SRAM re-programmability allows firmware updates over the factory network, supporting IEC 61131-3 style logic reconfiguration. Designers value the FLEX 8000 family for its deterministic timing and its decades-long installed base in factory-automation lines.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Pre-Silicon Validation
The EPF8820ARC-4 has been widely used to prototype ASICs before tape-out, particularly for medium-density designs in the 5K-10K gate range. Designers partition the ASIC RTL across multiple FLEX 8000 devices using the same Quartus / MAX+PLUS II flow that will later map to the silicon foundry, allowing early validation of bus protocols, interrupt handling, and peripheral glue logic. The 152 I/Os provide ample off-chip connectivity for bring-up benches, and the 5V core matches typical ASIC development board voltages. Where higher density is required, multiple EPF8820 devices can be chained via their I/O pins.
Recommended
Legacy Bus-Interface Bridge and Protocol Converter
The EPF8820ARC-4 excels at legacy bus bridging, such as ISA-to-PCI bridges, VME bus controllers, and proprietary backplane converters used in long-lifecycle military and aerospace platforms. The 5V tolerant I/O banks interface directly to 5V TTL backplane signals, while the SRAM-based reconfigurability supports field upgrades without board rework. EAB blocks implement small dual-port RAMs for transaction buffering, and the 672 logic elements are sufficient to implement full bus-master state machines with scatter-gather DMA. This makes the EPF8820 a drop-in modernization path for systems whose original ASICs are long obsolete.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Front-End Pre-Processing
In ultrasound and patient-monitoring front-end boards, the EPF8820ARC-4 performs real-time pre-processing such as beamforming channel selection, beam summation gating, and ADC-to-DRAM data routing. The 152 I/Os accommodate parallel ADC buses and DRAM control signals, and the FLEX 8000 deterministic LUT-based architecture guarantees cycle-accurate latency for imaging pipelines. Designers favor the FLEX 8000 family for medical devices because of its long life-cycle support and proven reliability in IEC 60601-1 qualified platforms, even though newer Cyclone-series FPGAs offer higher density.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation Backplane
The EPF8820ARC-4 is used in bench-top instruments such as logic analyzers, protocol testers, and modular data-acquisition chassis where its 152 I/Os serve as reconfigurable backplane controllers. Engineers benefit from SRAM-based re-programmability when field-upgrading instrument firmware to support new protocols. The FLEX 8000 EAB blocks implement trigger-matching FIFOs, and the 5V core simplifies power tree design in mixed-signal instruments. Although obsolete for new designs, the EPF8820 remains in installed test equipment and is sourced for legacy repair channels.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF8820ARC-4 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF8820AQC208-4 | EPF8820AQC208-3 | EPF8820ABC225-4 | EPF8636ARC208-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | BFQFP-208 | PQFP-208 | PQFP-208 | BGA-225 | BFQFP-208 - same |
| Logic Elements | 672 | 672 | 672 | 672 | 504 |
| User I/O Pins | 152 | 152 | 152 | [DATA_NEEDED] | 152 |
| Speed Grade | -4 | -4 | -3 (slower) | -4 | -4 |
| Core Voltage | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
| Approx. Unit Price (USD, qty 1) | 38.50 | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] |
Key Differentiators
- Highest logic density in the FLEX 8000 family (vs EPF8636ARC208-4)
- 152 user I/O pins for high fan-out glue logic (vs EPF8282ALC84-3)
- BFQFP-208 package supports long-lifecycle programs (vs EPF8820ABC225-4)
Design Notes
The EPF8820ARC-4 requires a stable 5V VCCINT with multiple bulk capacitors (10 uF tantalum + 0.1 uF ceramic per pin pair) on every VCCINT and VCCIO pin. During configuration, inrush current can spike to several hundred milliamps as the SRAM cells are written; ensure the regulator has sufficient transient headroom. Power sequencing: VCCINT must rise monotonically before VCCIO to prevent latch-up of the I/O buffers; consult Altera FLEX 8000 configuration guidelines for the recommended sequence.
The BFQFP-208 package requires a 6-layer PCB minimum with a dedicated ground plane and a 5V power plane. Decouple each VCCINT pin individually with a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic placed within 5 mm of the pin, and add a shared 10 uF tantalum per side of the package. The exposed pad (if present on the variant) must be soldered to a thermal copper pour tied to GND. With 152 user I/Os switching simultaneously, controlled-impedance routing and proper layer stacking are essential to limit ground bounce.
Estimated: typical VCCINT current for the EPF8820 is approximately 30-60 mA in static operation and can exceed 200 mA during high-toggle activity; do not undersize the 5V regulator. Designers must also verify that the configuration EPROM (EPC1 / EPC2) and the FPGA nCONFIG / nSTATUS handshake are wired correctly - a missing pull-up on nCONFIG is the most common reason for configuration failure. Finally, ensure JTAG chain integrity if the device shares a boundary-scan bus with other parts.
Compliance Information
Compliance status not present in verified web data; FLEX 8000 family predates widespread RoHS adoption. Mark as [DATA_NEEDED] for production qualification.
