EPM5128GC2 - MAX 5000 CPLD 128 Macro Cells 50MHz 5V | Altera
MPN: EPM5128GC2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $85 | $85.00 |
| 10 | $76.5 | $765.00 |
| 100 | $68 | $6,800.00 |
| 500 | $60.5 | $30,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $54 | $54,000.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPM5128GC2 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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EPM5128GC
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$19.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPM5128GC-1
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$18.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPM5128GC-2
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$8.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EPM5128GC2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | MAX 5000 |
| Device Type | EPLD (Erasable Programmable Logic Device) |
| Macro Cells | 128 |
| Usable Gates | 2.5K |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 8 (16 macro cells each) |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 50 MHz |
| Supply Voltage VCC | 5 V |
| I/O Pins | 64 |
| Dedicated Inputs | 16 |
| Package | Ceramic PGA (GC, windowed) |
| Programmable Flip-Flop Modes | D / T / JK / SR (selectable) |
| Architecture | AND/OR plane + programmable macro cell + PIA |
| Process Technology | CMOS EPROM |
| Reprogrammability | UV-erasable (windowed ceramic package) |
| Configuration Memory | On-chip EPROM (no external boot device) |
EPM5128GC2 ceramic pga (gc, windowed) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EPM5128GC2 (ceramic pga (gc, windowed) package) with [DATA_NEEDED: total PGA pin count] 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 EPM5128GC2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: [DATA_NEEDED: total PGA pin count] 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
EPM5128GC2 is suitable for 6 applications: 5V Bus Address Decoding and Glue Logic, Industrial Control Backplane Logic, Prototype and Development Adapter Logic, MIL/Aerospace and High-Reliability Systems, Legacy TTL/CMOS Logic Consolidation, 5V-to-3.3V Bus Bridge / Level Shifting Helper.
5V Bus Address Decoding and Glue Logic
The EPM5128GC2 is well suited to legacy 5V bus address decoding and discrete glue-logic replacement. Its 128 macro cells and 64 I/O pins let a designer replace dozens of 74LS/74F packages with one part, while the deterministic AND/OR + PIA architecture gives predictable pin-to-pin propagation delay independent of logic placement, which is essential for asynchronous decoder paths. The 5V VCC and 5V-tolerant I/O match legacy 5V microprocessors and peripheral buses (8086, 68K, VME) without level shifters. Place the device close to the buffers it drives to keep stubs short, and use the dedicated clock/clear/preset per macro cell for synchronous control logic.
Recommended
Industrial Control Backplane Logic
In industrial control backplanes the EPM5128GC2 implements handshaking, interrupt steering, and bus arbitration logic on 5V VME, VXI, or proprietary parallel backplanes. The on-chip EPROM configuration means the device is ready to drive outputs within nanoseconds of VCC ramp, with no external boot PROM and no FPGA bitstream loading latency - critical for hot-swap and fault-recovery scenarios. The 16 dedicated inputs simplify capture of backplane control signals (BBSY, BG, IRQ lines). The ceramic PGA package tolerates the wider industrial temperature range and provides the mechanical robustness required for backplane sockets.
Recommended
Prototype and Development Adapter Logic
The windowed ceramic PGA package of the EPM5128GC2 allows UV erasure and reprogramming, making it ideal for engineering development boards, prototype adapters, and test fixtures where the design is iterated frequently. Engineers can implement state machines and bus-protocol engines, verify them on the bench, erase with a UV eraser, and re-program within minutes - a workflow that is not possible with one-time-programmable plastic parts. 128 macro cells accommodate substantial logic density (a full 16-bit state machine plus bus-master logic) in a single chip. Use a low-profile PGA socket so the UV window stays accessible without removing the part.
Recommended
MIL/Aerospace and High-Reliability Systems
Aerospace and military programs that were qualified on the Altera MAX 5000 family continue to specify the EPM5128GC2 for line-replaceable units, radar interfaces, and avionics data buses because the ceramic PGA package meets the screening and hermeticity requirements of legacy MIL specifications. The mature CMOS EPROM process has decades of field reliability data, and the deterministic timing simplifies worst-case timing analysis required by DO-254 and MIL-HDBK-454. Maintain a documented last-time-buy strategy with qualified brokers (Jotrin, Censtry) and trace every lot to its original screening certificate to satisfy configuration management.
Recommended
Legacy TTL/CMOS Logic Consolidation
The EPM5128GC2 lets designers consolidate dozens of 74LS, 74F, 74HC, and 4000-series SSI/MSI packages into a single programmable device, saving PCB area, reducing power, and easing documentation. Each of the 128 macro cells can implement D, T, JK, or SR flip-flops with dedicated clock and asynchronous clear/preset, which covers the majority of legacy counter, shift-register, and latch functions. The 50 MHz internal frequency is sufficient for most bus-sideband logic (chip selects, wait-state generators, parity logic). Re-target the original TTL schematic into Altera MAX+PLUS II or Quartus legacy libraries to leverage existing design intent.
Recommended
5V-to-3.3V Bus Bridge / Level Shifting Helper
While the EPM5128GC2 is not a dedicated level shifter, its 5V-tolerant I/O and configurable direction control per pin make it a flexible bus bridge between 5V legacy buses and 3.3V peripherals in mixed-voltage systems. The dedicated inputs and I/O pins can be assigned direction in software at compile time, and the 50 MHz internal frequency easily handles 8-bit/16-bit bus transactions. Use the macrocell flip-flops to register both edges for clean crossing. For higher-throughput designs pair the EPM5128GC2 with a modern 3.3V CPLD or FPGA on the low-voltage side.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPM5128GC2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPM5128GC | EPM5128GC-1 | EPM5128GC-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | Ceramic PGA (GC, windowed) | Ceramic PGA (GC, windowed) - same | Ceramic PGA (GC, windowed) - same | Ceramic PGA (GC, windowed) - same |
| Family | MAX 5000 | MAX 5000 | MAX 5000 | MAX 5000 |
| Macro Cells | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 |
| Usable Gates | 2.5K | 2.5K | 2.5K | 2.5K |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 50 MHz (-2 speed grade) | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | 50 MHz (-2 speed grade) |
| Supply Voltage | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V |
| I/O Pins | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 |
| Reprogrammability | UV-erasable (windowed ceramic) | UV-erasable (windowed ceramic) | UV-erasable (windowed ceramic) | UV-erasable (windowed ceramic) |
| Speed Grade | -2 | unsuffixed (baseline) | -1 (faster) | -2 |
Key Differentiators
- UV-erasable ceramic PGA package (vs EPM5128LC (plastic J-lead OTP))
- Pin-for-pin compatibility across the MAX 5128 speed grades (vs EPM5128GC-1 and EPM5128GC (same GC package))
- On-chip EPROM configuration (no external boot) (vs SRAM-based FPGA competitors)
Design Notes
Do not assume the unsuffixed EPM5128GC can replace the EPM5128GC2 unconditionally: the GC is the commercial baseline speed grade while GC-2 is a specific speed bin per Altera's MAX 5000 datasheet convention. Estimate tPD and fMAX from the datasheet timing tables and re-run static timing analysis in MAX+PLUS II before substituting. Downgrading from -2 to plain GC may violate worst-case timing in asynchronous decoder paths.
Estimated: at 50 MHz toggle across all 128 macro cells with 5V VCC, internal power dissipation for a CMOS EPLD of this density is on the order of 0.5-1.5W. The ceramic PGA GC package offers good thermal conductivity through the pin grid; ensure the socket has a low thermal-resistance path to the PCB ground plane. For long-life programs add a conservative 20-30% derating above the datasheet junction temperature. Actual dissipation depends on toggle rate and output loading - measure on the bench, do not rely solely on this estimate.
Use a low-profile machine-pin PGA socket so the UV window stays accessible for erasure in development flows. Provide a solid ground plane on the component side and a VCC island with 0.1uF ceramic decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of each VCC pin pair. Keep output traces short and series-terminate high-fanout outputs to control ground bounce on the 5V rail. The PGA pin field leaves ample routing channels - plan the breakout so no signal trace passes under the device between socket pins.
Assign clock and asynchronous clear/preset to dedicated macrocell clock/control pins to guarantee predictable skew. For bus interfaces, place registered outputs on pins closest to the bus connector to minimize stub length. Reserve a few I/O pins as JTAG-style test points even if you do not use boundary scan - they are invaluable for oscilloscope probing in legacy systems. Mark U1 as 'UV-erasable' on the silkscreen and add a handling warning to prevent operators from inadvertently wiping the configuration.
Compliance Information
Ceramic PGA package with quartz window is generally non-RoHS (lead-bearing ceramic and solder finish). RoHS status, REACH status, lead-free status, and conflict-minerals declaration are not explicitly published in current distributor listings and should be confirmed via the manufacturer's certificate of conformance on a per-lot basis.
