An Altera^® device family based on MultiCore^™ embedded architecture. The device architecture consists of MegaLAB^™ structures, each of which contains 16 LABs (for APEX^™ 20K, APEX 20KC, and APEX 20KE devices up to APEX 20KC600C and APEX 20K600E) or 24 LABs (for APEX 20K1000C, APEX 20K1000E, and APEX 20K1500E devices) and an Embedded System Block (ESB). This SRAM-based family of devices offers complete system integration for a wide range of applications, and supports multiple low-voltage I/O standards. The APEX 20K family includes the EP20K100, EP20K200, and EP20K400 devices.

APEX 20KC and APEX 20KE devices are enhanced versions of APEX 20K devices. In contrast to APEX 20K devices, APEX 20KC and APEX 20KE devices include additional features such as advanced I/O support, true-LVDS, content-addressable memory (CAM), clock management phase-locked loops (PLLs), Intellectual Property (IP), and MultiCore architecture.

APEX 20KC devices also address the high-bandwidth needs of system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) applications. Combining a 0.15-µm, all-layer copper interconnect technology with the features found in APEX 20KE devices, the APEX 20KC devices provide performance improvements between 25%-35% over 0.18µm-based devices to meet the high performance needs of the communications marketplace.

The APEX 20KC family includes the following devices: EP20K200C, EP20K400C, EP20K600C, and EP20K1000C.

The APEX 20KE family includes the following devices: EP20K30E, EP20K60E, EP20K100E, EP20K160E, EP20K200E, EP20K300E, EP20K400E, EP20K600E, EP20K1000E, and EP20K1500E.

All of the APEX 20K and APEX 20KE devices in the -1X and -2X speed grades, and all of the APEX 20KC devices in the 7 and 8 speed grades, include an enhanced ClockLock^® phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitry.

You can use device migration to transfer a design between APEX 20K devices with equivalent pin-outs, while maintaining the same board layout and pin assignments.

In Quartus^® II Help, any reference to only the APEX 20K family can be interpreted as a reference to the APEX 20K, APEX 20KC, and APEX 20KE families. However, when "APEX 20K" and a specific variation, such as "APEX 20KC" or "APEX 20KE" devices are mentioned, the information in the Help topic serves to distinguish characteristics between these different families.