EPM3256ATC144-7N - MAX 3000A CPLD 256 Macro 7.5ns | Altera
MPN: EPM3256ATC144-7N β Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28.3 | $28.30 |
| 10 | $25.45 | $254.50 |
| 100 | $22.1 | $2,210.00 |
| 500 | $19.85 | $9,925.00 |
| 1,000 | $17.2 | $17,200.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPM3256ATC144-7N 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:
EPM3256ATC144-7
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$17.06 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPM3256ATC144-10N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$14.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPM3256ATC144-10AA
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$11.6 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPM3128ATC144-7N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$9.25 / Unit
View Datasheet βEPM3256ATC100-10N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EPM3256ATC144-7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | MAX 3000A |
| Device Type | CPLD - Complex Programmable Logic Device |
| Macro Cells | 256 |
| Logic Gates (usable) | 5,000 |
| Number of Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 16 |
| User I/Os | 116 |
| Propagation Delay (tPD) | 7.5 ns |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 126.6 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Programmable Logic Technology | CMOS EEPROM-based |
| In-System Programmable (ISP) | Yes (3.3 V) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C (Commercial) |
| Package | 144-pin TQFP |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| JTAG Support | IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EPM3256ATC144-7N Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 2 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 3 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 4 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 5 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 6 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 7 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 8 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 9 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3V) |
| Pin 10 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 11 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 12 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 13 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 14 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 15 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 16 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 17 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 18 | I/O β User I/O (bank 1) |
| Pin 19 | TDI β JTAG Test Data In |
| Pin 20 | TMS β JTAG Test Mode Select |
| Pin 21 | TCK β JTAG Test Clock |
| Pin 22 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 23 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 24 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 25 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 26 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 27 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 28 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 29 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 30 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 31 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3V) |
| Pin 32 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 33 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 34 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 35 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 36 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 37 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 38 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 39 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 40 | I/O β User I/O (bank 2) |
| Pin 41 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 42 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 43 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 44 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 45 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 46 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 47 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 48 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 49 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 50 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 51 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3V) |
| Pin 52 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 53 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 54 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 55 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 56 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 57 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 58 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 59 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 60 | I/O β User I/O (bank 3) |
| Pin 61 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 62 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 63 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 64 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 65 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 66 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 67 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 68 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 69 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 70 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 71 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 72 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3V) |
| Pin 73 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 74 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 75 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 76 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 77 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 78 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 79 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 80 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 81 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 82 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 83 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 84 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 85 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 86 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 87 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 88 | I/O β User I/O (bank 4) |
| Pin 89 | VCCINT β Internal core supply (3.3V) |
| Pin 90 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 91 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 92 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 93 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 94 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 95 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 96 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 97 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 98 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 99 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 100 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 101 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3V) |
| Pin 102 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 103 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 104 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 105 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 106 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 107 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 108 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 109 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 110 | I/O β User I/O (bank 5) |
| Pin 111 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 112 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 113 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 114 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 115 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 116 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 117 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 118 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 119 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 120 | TDO β JTAG Test Data Out |
| Pin 121 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 122 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 123 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 124 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 125 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 126 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 127 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 128 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 129 | VCCIO β I/O supply voltage (3.3V) |
| Pin 130 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 131 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 132 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 133 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 134 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 135 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 136 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 137 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 138 | GND β Ground |
| Pin 139 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 140 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 141 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 142 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 143 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
| Pin 144 | I/O β User I/O (bank 6) |
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
EPM3256ATC144-7N is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy 5V-to-3.3V Level Translation Glue Logic, PCI Bus Interface Bridging, Industrial Machine-Control I/O Expansion, Peripheral State-Machine Controllers (UART/SPI/I2C Bridges), Address Decoding and Chip-Select Generation, Educational and Retro-Computing Platforms.
Legacy 5V-to-3.3V Level Translation Glue Logic
The EPM3256ATC144-7N's 5V-tolerant inputs and 3.3V CMOS outputs make it an ideal bus-translator for systems mixing legacy 5V peripherals (parallel port ASICs, older microcontrollers) with modern 3.3V ASICs and processors. The 116 user I/Os in 144-pin TQFP are sufficient to bridge full 32-bit data buses plus control signals. With 7.5 ns tPD, the device adds minimal latency to address-decoding paths, preserving timing margin on critical read/write cycles. The EEPROM-based instant-on behavior ensures the translation logic is active at power-up, eliminating bus contention during boot.
Recommended
PCI Bus Interface Bridging
The EPM3256ATC144-7N's 7.5 ns tPD and 126.6 MHz internal frequency support 33 MHz PCI bus cycles with comfortable timing margin for address decoding, command qualification, and parity generation. The 116 I/Os in 144-pin TQFP accommodate full PCI bus signals (AD[31:0], C/BE[3:0], FRAME, IRDY, TRDY, DEVSEL, PAR, etc.) plus auxiliary logic for chipset glue. JTAG boundary-scan on every I/O simplifies in-system test and board-level diagnostics - critical for PCI compliance verification.
Recommended
Industrial Machine-Control I/O Expansion
With 116 user I/Os and industrial-grade timing characteristics, the EPM3256ATC144-7N is widely deployed as a deterministic I/O expander for PLC backplanes and CNC machine controllers. Its instant-on EEPROM configuration eliminates FPGA-style boot flash and configuration failures on noisy factory power rails. The 7.5 ns tPD ensures deterministic response times for encoder quadrature decoding, PWM generation, and safety interlock logic. While commercial 0-70C temperature grade is shown, the JTAG and boundary-scan features simplify factory-floor board testing.
Recommended
Peripheral State-Machine Controllers (UART/SPI/I2C Bridges)
The 256 macro cells of the EPM3256ATC144-7N are sufficient to implement multi-channel UART, SPI master/slave, and I2C controller bridges between microcontrollers and peripherals without burdening the host CPU. The 7.5 ns tPD supports standard SPI clock rates up to ~50 MHz in protocol mode. The deterministic timing of EEPROM-based CPLD logic eliminates software latency jitter and provides protocol-correct signaling even when the host CPU is overloaded, making it ideal for real-time motor-control and sensor-fusion applications.
Recommended
Address Decoding and Chip-Select Generation
The EPM3256ATC144-7N is a classic choice for generating up to 16-32 chip-select or enable signals in memory-mapped systems. The 256 macro cells easily decode 24-32 address lines with wait-state insertion logic. With 7.5 ns tPD, the decoded chip-select arrives well within typical memory access cycles, supporting 50-66 MHz system buses. The instant-on EEPROM ensures the address map is valid at power-up, eliminating boot-time bus conflicts that can latch-up legacy peripherals.
Recommended
Educational and Retro-Computing Platforms
The EPM3256ATC144-7N remains popular in university FPGA/CPLD labs and retro-computing projects (e.g., recreating classic 8-bit and 16-bit bus architectures) because of its Quartus II software support, well-documented timing, and predictable 7.5 ns behavior. Students can implement complete processor glue logic, address mapping, and interrupt controllers in a single device without dealing with FPGA boot/config issues. The 144-pin TQFP is breadboard-friendly with TQFP-to-DIP adapter boards widely available.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPM3256ATC144-7N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPM3256ATC144-7 | EPM3256ATC144-10N | EPM3256ATC144-10AA | EPM3128ATC144-7N | EPM3256ATC100-10N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 144-pin TQFP | 144-pin TQFP | 144-pin TQFP | 144-pin TQFP | 144-pin TQFP | 100-pin TQFP |
| Macro Cells | 256 | 256 | 256 | 256 | 128 | 256 |
| Propagation Delay (tPD) | 7.5 ns | 7.5 ns | 10 ns | 10 ns | 7.5 ns | 10 ns |
| User I/Os | 116 | 116 | 116 | 116 | 96 | 80 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 126.6 MHz | 126.6 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz | 126.6 MHz | 100 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.0 V to 3.6 V | 3.0 V to 3.6 V | 3.0 V to 3.6 V | 3.0 V to 3.6 V | 3.0 V to 3.6 V | 3.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C | 0C to +70C | 0C to +70C | 0C to +70C | 0C to +70C | 0C to +70C |
| Lifecycle Status | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy |
Key Differentiators
- 7.5 ns tPD is the fastest speed grade in the MAX 3000A family at 144 pins (vs EPM3256ATC144-10N)
- 256 macro cells double the logic capacity of smaller MAX 3000A family members (vs EPM3128ATC144-7N)
- EEPROM-based instant-on configuration eliminates boot flash (vs EPM240T100C5N (MAX II))
Design Notes
The EPM3256ATC144-7N operates from a single 3.3V supply; multiple VCCIO and VCCINT pins are distributed across the 144-TQFP package to manage switching current. Decouple each VCCIO pin with a 0.1uF ceramic capacitor placed within 100 mils of the pin, plus a single 10uF tantalum bulk capacitor near the device. The EEPROM configuration memory draws additional inrush during programming; provision at least 100uF of bulk capacitance on the 3.3V rail to support ISP via JTAG without triggering brown-out.
Use a 4-layer PCB with a continuous ground plane directly under the 144-TQFP footprint. Route all JTAG signals (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO) with 50-ohm controlled impedance and keep total length under 6 inches to avoid signal-integrity issues during in-system programming. The Altera MAX 3000A datasheet recommends dedicated JTAG header access for prototype bring-up - do not share JTAG pins with user I/O without a multiplexer.
Do not assume 5V tolerance on every I/O - the EPM3256ATC144-7N accepts 5V TTL inputs but only when VCCIO is at 3.3V (not at higher voltages). Programming voltage is supplied internally via the on-chip charge pump; do not apply external programming voltage to any pin. Unused user I/Os must be set to 'output driving ground' in the Quartus II assignment, or left floating can cause additional ICC current draw exceeding 50 mA.
Estimated: At 126.6 MHz internal frequency with all 116 I/Os toggling at 25 MHz, dynamic power dissipation is approximately 250-400 mW. The 144-pin TQFP package has a theta_JA of approximately 35 C/W, so junction temperature rise above ambient is roughly 9-14C - well within the 0C to +70C commercial range. No heatsink is required. However, ensure adequate airflow if the device is mounted adjacent to high-power components.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per distributor listings. Commercial temperature grade 0C to +70C - AEC-Q100 qualification not available for this part. New programs should evaluate MAX II/MAX V for active lifecycle status.
