Altera Corporation (NASDAQ:ALTR) introduced new packaging options for its low-cost Cyclone™ II FPGA family, providing designers of high-volume applications with even lower-cost programmable solutions and smaller form factors. The new packages meet the needs of customers who are designing Cyclone II into low-cost applications never before addressed by FPGAs. The Cyclone II EP2C20 device is now available in the low-cost 240-pin quad flat pack (QFP) package, and the EP2C35 and EP2C50 devices are available in the 19 x 19 mm, small form factor 484-pin Ultra FineLine BGA® (UFBGA) package.
“Altera maintains close working relationships with its customers from the product definition stage through when a new device family begins shipping. This enables us to learn the most about how our devices are being used and which features customers need most,” said Louie Leung, Altera Asia Pacific Marketing Director. “As more Cyclone II devices are being adopted into high-volume applications, the availability of the QFP and UFBGA packages will allow designers to realize lower total costs and to fit more functionality into a smaller board area.”
The QFP package is designed for easier PCB assembly, resulting in significant cost savings for Cyclone II users. The EP2C20 device in the 240-pin QFP package has 142 user I/O pins and is the optimal low-cost package for PCBs with few board layers. The UFBGA’s 0.8 mm ball pitch allows for a significantly smaller device footprint – 30 percent smaller than the equivalent 1.0 mm ball pitch BGA package – while still providing over 50,000 logic elements for designers.
For more information about the Cyclone II FPGA family, please visit www.altera.com/cyclone2.
 
Availability
The EP2C20Q240 device will be available in Q3 2005. The EP2C35U484 device and EP2C50U484 device will be available in Q4 2005. The remaining members of the Cyclone II product family are available today.