EPM570GF256C3N - 570 LEs MAX II G CPLD | Intel / Altera
MPN: EPM570GF256C3N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $14.5 | $14.50 |
| 10 | $13.1 | $131.00 |
| 100 | $11.85 | $1,185.00 |
| 500 | $10.6 | $5,300.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.4 | $9,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EPM570GF256C3N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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EPM570GF256C3
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View Datasheet →EPM570GF256-5N
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View Datasheet →EPM570F256C5N
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View Datasheet →EPM570F256C5NRR
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View Datasheet →EPM570GF256C3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | MAX II G |
| Device Type | CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 570 |
| User I/Os | 76 |
| User Flash Memory | 8 Kbit |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Supply Voltage VCCINT | 3.3 V (core) |
| I/O Bank Voltage | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (GF256), 17 x 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (industrial) |
| Programming Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) / in-system programmable |
| Configuration Memory | On-chip Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) |
| RoHS Status | Lead Free / RoHS Compliant |
| Lead Free | Yes |
EPM570GF256C3N Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin A2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin A3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank-dependent voltage) |
| Pin A4 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage |
| Pin A5 | GND — Ground |
| Pin A6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin A7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin A8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin B1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin B2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin B3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin B4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin B5 | VCCIO2 — I/O bank 2 supply voltage |
| Pin B6 | GND — Ground |
| Pin B7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin B8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin C1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin C2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin C3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin C4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin C5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin C6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin C7 | GND — Ground |
| Pin C8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin D1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin D2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin D3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin D4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (3.3 V) |
| Pin D5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin D6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin D7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin D8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin E1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin E2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin E3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin E4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin E5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin E6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin E7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin E8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin F1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin F2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin F3 | VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply voltage |
| Pin F4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin F5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin F6 | VCCIO4 — I/O bank 4 supply voltage |
| Pin F7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin F8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin G1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin G2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin G3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin G4 | TDI — JTAG Test Data In |
| Pin G5 | TMS — JTAG Test Mode Select |
| Pin G6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin G7 | GND — Ground |
| Pin G8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin H1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin H2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin H3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin H4 | TCK — JTAG Test Clock |
| Pin H5 | TDO — JTAG Test Data Out |
| Pin H6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin H7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin H8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin J1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin J2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin J3 | GND — Ground |
| Pin J4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (3.3 V) |
| Pin J5 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (open-drain, pull-up required) |
| Pin J6 | GND — Ground |
| Pin J7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin J8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin K1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin K2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin K3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin K4 | nCONFIG — Configuration control input (active-low reset) |
| Pin K5 | CONF_DONE — Configuration complete output (open-drain) |
| Pin K6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin K7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin K8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin L1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin L2 | VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply voltage |
| Pin L3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin L4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin L5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin L6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin L7 | VCCIO4 — I/O bank 4 supply voltage |
| Pin L8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin M1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin M2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin M3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin M4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin M5 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (3.3 V) |
| Pin M6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin M7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin M8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin N1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin N2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin N3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin N4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin N5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin N6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin N7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin N8 | GND — Ground |
| Pin P1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin P2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin P3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin P4 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (3.3 V) |
| Pin P5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin P6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin P7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin P8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin R1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin R2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin R3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin R4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin R5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin R6 | GND — Ground |
| Pin R7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin R8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin T1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin T2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin T3 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage |
| Pin T4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin T5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin T6 | VCCIO2 — I/O bank 2 supply voltage |
| Pin T7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin T8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin U1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin U2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin U3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin U4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin U5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin U6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin U7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin U8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin V1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin V2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin V3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin V4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin V5 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (3.3 V) |
| Pin V6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin V7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin V8 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin W1 | GND — Ground |
| Pin W2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin W3 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin W4 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin W5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin W6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin W7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin W8 | GND — Ground |
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
EPM570GF256C3N is suitable for 6 applications: I/O Expansion and Level Shifting, Bus Interface Bridging, Power Supply Sequencing and Supervisor Logic, LED Drive and Multiplexing in Signage, Industrial Control and Glue Logic Replacement, Communication Protocol Bridging.
I/O Expansion and Level Shifting
The EPM570GF256C3N is purpose-built for I/O expansion when a microcontroller's GPIO count is exhausted or when level translation between mixed-voltage domains is required. With 76 user I/Os distributed across four independently-configurable I/O banks supporting 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, and 3.3 V, the device can absorb 30+ discrete 74LVC/74LVT level-shifters and bus-buffer ICs into a single 17 mm x 17 mm BGA. The on-chip flash memory eliminates the external configuration PROM required by SRAM-based FPGAs, while the JTAG port enables in-system reprogramming for design evolution. Instant-on non-volatile configuration means the I/O mapping is valid within microseconds of power-up, ideal for deterministic boot sequencing in industrial PLC backplanes.
Recommended
Bus Interface Bridging
The EPM570GF256C3N bridges legacy peripheral buses (ISA, parallel SRAM, custom ASIC interfaces) to modern high-speed serial or parallel buses used by application processors. Its 76 I/Os and 570 LUT-based logic elements can implement a full 32-bit datapath with timing margins under 10 ns in the C3 speed grade, sufficient for asynchronous SRAM, NOR flash, and 8/16/32-bit microcontroller bus interfaces. Multi-voltage I/O banks allow the device to sit directly between a 1.8 V application processor and a 3.3 V legacy ASIC, eliminating dedicated bridge ICs. The non-volatile instant-on configuration also makes it well-suited for boot-ROM replacement in systems that need deterministic pre-OS initialization logic.
Recommended
Power Supply Sequencing and Supervisor Logic
Power supply sequencing for multi-rail systems is a textbook MAX II G application, and the EPM570GF256C3N delivers the I/O count and timing precision required for complex sequencing trees. With 76 I/Os and 570 logic elements, a single device can monitor four to eight voltage rails via PGOOD comparators, drive discrete enable/MOSFET gates, and implement programmable delay-and-assert sequencing with sub-microsecond resolution. The instant-on configuration ensures power sequencing is active before downstream regulators complete their soft-start, critical for ASICs and processors that demand strict rail-order requirements. JTAG programmability allows last-minute sequencing changes without PCB rework, and the industrial -40C to +125C operating range covers telecom and outdoor industrial environments.
Recommended
LED Drive and Multiplexing in Signage
The EPM570GF256C3N is widely deployed in large-format LED signage and display drivers where 70+ I/Os and deterministic scan timing are required. The 76 user I/Os can drive 24-32 channel multiplexed LED scan rows with PWM brightness control implemented in the LUT fabric at scan rates well above 1 kHz, eliminating flicker artifacts. Multi-voltage I/O bank support allows direct connection to both legacy 5 V LED driver columns and modern 3.3 V shift-register scan chains without level translation. The on-chip 8 Kbit flash memory can store calibration tables and scan patterns, while the JTAG port supports field firmware updates for content playback scheduling. The 256-ball FineLine BGA package keeps the device footprint under 17 mm x 17 mm.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Glue Logic Replacement
The EPM570GF256C3N is the canonical choice for replacing dozens of discrete 74HC/74LVC/74LVT SSI/MSI glue logic packages on industrial control boards. With 570 logic elements - each implementing a 4-input LUT and flip-flop - the device absorbs 20-50 discrete logic packages into a single 17 mm x 17 mm BGA, freeing substantial PCB area for higher-value signal conditioning or isolation circuitry. The industrial -40C to +125C operating temperature range covers factory floor, outdoor cabinet, and process-control deployment environments. JTAG-supported in-system programmability enables late-stage customization during cabinet integration, and the non-volatile instant-on configuration guarantees deterministic power-up behavior required by IEC 61131 industrial control standards.
Recommended
Communication Protocol Bridging
The EPM570GF256C3N bridges communication peripherals - SPI, I2C, UART, parallel camera interfaces, custom FPGA-to-ASIC links - in telecom and embedded networking equipment. The 570 logic elements and 76 I/Os support multiple parallel protocol bridges in one device, while the multi-voltage I/O bank support allows direct connection to both 1.8 V SoC PHYs and 3.3 V legacy peripherals. The instant-on configuration is critical for protocol controllers that must respond to the SoC boot ROM before the OS is loaded. The 256-ball FineLine BGA footprint enables vertical migration to EPM1270 (1270 LEs) or EPM2210 (2210 LEs) on the same PCB, future-proofing the design for protocol feature growth.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EPM570GF256C3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EPM570GF256C3 | EPM570GF256-5N | EPM570F256C3N | EPM570F256C5N | EPM570F256C5NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel / Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (GF256) | 256-ball FineLine BGA (GF256) - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA (GF256) - same | 256-ball BGA (F256) - same ball map | 256-ball BGA (F256) - same ball map | 256-ball BGA (F256) - same ball map |
| Family | MAX II G | MAX II G | MAX II G | MAX II (non-G) | MAX II (non-G) | MAX II (non-G) |
| Logic Elements | 570 | 570 | 570 | 570 | 570 | 570 |
| User I/Os | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 |
| Speed Grade | C3 | C3 | -5 (slower) | C3 | C5 (faster) | C5 (faster) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +125C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +125C (industrial) | -40C to +125C (industrial) | -40C to +125C (industrial) | -40C to +125C (industrial) |
| Configuration Memory | Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) | Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) | Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) | Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) | Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) | Flash (non-volatile, instant-on) |
Key Differentiators
- Non-volatile instant-on flash configuration (vs SRAM-based FPGAs in same density range)
- Multi-voltage I/O bank architecture (vs Discrete 74LVC/74LVT level shifters)
- Vertical density migration on same PCB (vs EPM570F256C5N (MAX II non-G variant))
Design Notes
The 256-ball FineLine BGA package at 1.0 mm ball pitch requires PCB fabrication with microvia (laser-drilled) technology and stacked-via construction for reliable assembly. Per the MAX II Device Handbook, the manufacturer recommends Type 4 PCB stack-up with at least 4 layers and a 0.5 oz copper finish for production yields above 98%. For prototype builds, use ENIG (gold over nickel) surface finish rather than OSP to maximize solder joint reliability.
Estimated: the EPM570GF256C3N requires separate VCCINT (3.3 V core) and VCCIO1 through VCCIO4 (1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V I/O bank) supplies. Decoupling must place 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitors within 100 mils of each VCCINT and VCCIO ball, plus a 10 uF bulk tantalum or ceramic capacitor on each supply rail. The VCCINT core current draw peaks at 50-70 mA during configuration and drops to 10-20 mA in steady state at typical toggle rates.
Do not confuse the GF256 (MAX II G, FineLine BGA, 17 x 17 mm) package with the F256 (MAX II, 17 x 17 mm FineLine BGA) - they share the same ball pitch but have different part-number designations. The MAX II G offers lower static power, but the older MAX II remains pin-compatible. Per the MAX II datasheet chapter on migration, vertical migration between EPM570, EPM1270, and EPM2210 is supported on the GF256 footprint - design your decoupling and power planes for the largest expected device.
For JTAG chain integrity on production boards, add a 10 kohm pull-up resistor on TCK, TMS, and TDI, and route JTAG signals with controlled 50 ohm impedance and matched length to within 100 mils. Place the JTAG connector at the board edge for programming probe access. The CONF_DONE and nSTATUS signals are open-drain outputs that require external pull-up resistors per the MAX II handbook.
Compliance Information
Lead-free and RoHS compliant per Altera product marking. AEC-Q100 automotive qualification is not offered on the MAX II G family - use MAX V or Cyclone devices for automotive designs.