EPF8820ARC240-4N - FLEX 8000 FPGA, 880 LE, 240-Pin RQFP | Altera
MPN: EPF8820ARC240-4N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28.5 | $28.50 |
| 10 | $25.75 | $257.50 |
| 100 | $22.4 | $2,240.00 |
| 500 | $19.95 | $9,975.00 |
| 1,000 | $17.5 | $17,500.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPF8820ARC240-4N — 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:
EPF8820ARC240-4
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View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC240-3N
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View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC240-3
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View Datasheet →EPF8820ARC240-4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | FLEX 8000 |
| Device Model | EPF8820A |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 880 |
| Maximum Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 24 |
| Typical Gates | 8000 |
| User I/O Pins (max) | 192 |
| Package | 240-pin RQFP |
| Speed Grade | -4 |
| Process Technology | 0.42 µm CMOS SRAM |
| Configuration Memory | Volatile SRAM (requires external config EPROM) |
| Operating Voltage (Core) | 5.0 V |
| I/O Voltage | 5.0 V / 3.3 V (variant dependent) |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial 0C to +70C (N suffix) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (RQFP) |
| RoHS Status | Non-compliant (N suffix - Pb-bearing RQFP) |
| Lead-Free | no (N suffix indicates non-lead-free) |
EPF8820ARC240-4N 240-pin rqfp Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EPF8820ARC240-4N (240-pin rqfp package) with 192 pins. 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 EPF8820ARC240-4N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 192 pins (digital package)
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
EPF8820ARC240-4N is suitable for 7 applications: PCI Bus Interface Controller, Glue Logic Integration & ASIC Replacement, High-Speed State Machine Controller, Wide-Bus Data Path Manipulation, Digital Signal Processing Preprocessor, Telecommunications Channelized Interface, Industrial Coprocessor Integration.
PCI Bus Interface Controller
The EPF8820ARC240-4N's 880 Logic Elements and 192 available I/O pins provide ample capacity to implement a full 32-bit PCI (33 MHz) target or master controller alongside peripheral glue logic. Its deterministic FastTrack interconnect ensures predictable timing for PCI bus arbitration and data transfer phases, and the 240-pin RQFP package exposes enough pins to route the 32-bit multiplexed PCI address/data bus plus control signals (FRAME#, IRDY#, TRDY#, DEVSEL#) without bus multiplexing.
Recommended
Glue Logic Integration & ASIC Replacement
With 880 LEs and 24 LABs, the EPF8820ARC240-4N is well suited to replace multiple discrete TTL/CMOS glue logic packages on legacy 5V motherboards. Engineers typically consolidate address decoding, wait-state generation, bus arbitration, and interrupt controllers into a single FLEX 8000 device, simplifying PCB layout and reducing BOM cost. The in-system programmability via ByteBlaster allows late-stage board revision without respinning mask-programmed logic.
Recommended
High-Speed State Machine Controller
The FLEX 8000 family's predictable interconnect delay (driven by FastTrack routing) makes the EPF8820ARC240-4N well suited to implement high-speed state machines running up to 100 MHz internal operation. Applications include protocol converters (UART, SPI, I2C bridges), DMA controllers, and real-time control sequencers for industrial automation. The 880-LE capacity supports complex multi-state machines with hundreds of states and parallel datapath operations.
Recommended
Wide-Bus Data Path Manipulation
The 192 available I/O pins of the EPF8820ARC240-4N make it ideal for integrating multiple 32-bit or 16-bit parallel buses (ISA, EISA, VMEbus, VXI, or proprietary backplanes) into a single device. The FLEX 8000 LUT-based LE structure efficiently implements bus transceivers, parity generators, byte-swapping logic, and FIFO control. Designers can replace multiple bus-interface ASICs with one programmable device, simplifying board design and enabling late-stage protocol changes.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing Preprocessor
Although not as capable as modern DSP FPGAs, the EPF8820ARC240-4N's 880 LEs and dedicated carry-chain logic are sufficient for DSP preprocessing tasks such as FIR/IIR filter coefficient pipelines, FFT butterfly preprocessors, video sync stripping, and image preprocessing front-ends. The FLEX 8000 deterministic interconnect enables fixed-latency DSP pipelines, which is critical for synchronous signal processing. The 5V tolerant I/O interfaces cleanly with legacy video ADCs and DACs.
Recommended
Telecommunications Channelized Interface
The EPF8820ARC240-4N's high I/O count and deterministic timing make it suitable for telecommunications channelized interface cards (T1/E1 framers, HDLC controllers, TDM switches) in legacy telecom equipment. The 240-pin RQFP package provides sufficient pins for parallel TDM bus interfaces (typically 8/16/32 timeslot data plus framing), and the FLEX 8000 architecture supports per-channel independent processing. Long-term Altera/Intel FPGA legacy support makes this part viable for telecom-grade reliability.
Recommended
Industrial Coprocessor Integration
The EPF8820ARC240-4N can be paired with a microcontroller or DSP as a high-speed coprocessor for industrial control systems, handling time-critical I/O operations, encoder/counter decoding (quadrature, SSI, resolver), and PWM generation. The 880 LEs support multiple parallel counter/timer channels and the 192 I/O pins interface directly with industrial encoder/sensor inputs without external logic. The 5V core voltage matches legacy 5V industrial bus systems.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPF8820ARC240-4N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPF8820ARC240-4 | EPF8820ARC240-3N | EPF8820ARC240-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 240-pin RQFP | 240-pin RQFP - same | 240-pin RQFP - same | 240-pin RQFP - same |
| Brand | Altera | Altera - same | Altera - same | Altera - same |
| Logic Elements | 880 LEs | 880 LEs | 880 LEs | 880 LEs |
| Speed Grade | -4 | -4 (same) | -3 (faster) | -3 (faster) |
| Maximum User I/O | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 |
| Operating Temperature (N suffix) | Commercial (N suffix) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| Logic Array Blocks | 24 LABs | 24 LABs | 24 LABs | 24 LABs |
| Configuration Memory | Volatile SRAM (EPC2/EPC4/EPC8) | Volatile SRAM (EPC2/EPC4/EPC8) | Volatile SRAM (EPC2/EPC4/EPC8) | Volatile SRAM (EPC2/EPC4/EPC8) |
| Unit Price (1 pc, as of 2026-09-12) | USD 28.50 | USD 28.50 | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density FLEX 8000 in 240-pin RQFP (vs EPF8820ARC208-4N)
- Slower speed grade (-4) gives wider timing margin (vs EPF8820ARC240-3N)
- Mature FLEX 8000 architecture with extensive design heritage (vs EPF8282ATC100-4N)
Design Notes
The EPF8820ARC240-4N operates from a single 5.0 V core supply and requires a separate VCCIO for I/O banks. Power sequencing: VCC must rise monotonically before VCCIO, and all VCC pins must be connected for proper operation. Decouple each VCC pin with a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the pin; add a bulk 33 µF tantalum or 100 µF electrolytic capacitor near the device. Estimated: at maximum toggle rate, ICC can reach 200-300 mA; size the 5V regulator accordingly with at least 30% margin.
The 240-pin RQFP package has 0.5 mm pitch leads; use a 4-layer PCB with continuous power and ground planes to control lead inductance. Route all clock signals (CLK0-CLK3) as short, impedance-controlled traces with ground reference; keep configuration signals (DCLK, nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE) away from switching I/O. Place the configuration EPROM within 50 mm of the FPGA to ensure clean configuration timing.
FLEX 8000 devices use volatile SRAM configuration memory; the FPGA loses configuration at every power-down and must be reconfigured at power-up. Forgetting to specify the configuration EPROM (EPC2, EPC4, EPC8, or EPC16) is the most common design error. Also: the JTAG chain must include the FPGA TAP plus any other JTAG devices, with TMS and TCK properly buffered. Do not leave unused I/O pins floating - configure them as outputs driving ground to minimize power and noise.
For 33 MHz PCI bus operation, maintain 65 Ω ±10% characteristic impedance on the PCI bus traces with matched trace lengths (within 25 mm across the 32-bit bus). The EPF8820ARC240-4N's 5V I/O is electrically compatible with PCI signaling levels, but verify VCCIO is configured for 5.0 V PCI operation. Add source-series termination (22-33 Ω) on PCI outputs to damp reflections. Confirm PCI compliance through signal-integrity simulation if the bus length exceeds 200 mm.
Compliance Information
EPF8820ARC240-4N is a 1990s-vintage 5.0 V CMOS FPGA in Pb-bearing RQFP package (N suffix indicates non-lead-free / non-RoHS per Altera convention). Not AEC-Q100 qualified. For RoHS-compliant replacement, consider the EP4CE22F17 in modern Cyclone IV family with PCB redesign.
