EP1C12F256C6AA - Cyclone FPGA 12,060 LEs 256-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP1C12F256C6AA ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $28.95 | $2,895.00 |
| 500 | $24.1 | $12,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $21.4 | $21,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C12F256C6AA — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1C12F256C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$48.29 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C12F256C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$46.3 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C12F256C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$35.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C12F256I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$49.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C12F256C6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$51.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C12F256C6AA Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone |
| Family | Cyclone FPGA |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 12,060 |
| Total RAM Bits | 239,616 |
| User I/O Count | 185 |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Global Clock Networks | 8 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| I/O Voltage Support | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V (LVTTL/LVCMOS/SSTL/HSTL) |
| LVDS Support | Up to 301 Mbits/s |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (17 mm x 17 mm) |
| Operating Temperature (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C |
| Speed Grade | 6 (C6) |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM |
| Configuration Mode | Passive Serial (PS), JTAG, Altera AS |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free A-suffix) |
EP1C12F256C6AA 256-ball fineline bga (17 mm x 17 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C12F256C6AA (256-ball fineline bga (17 mm x 17 mm) package). 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 EP1C12F256C6AA.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
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
EP1C12F256C6AA is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Machine Control, Telecommunications Line Cards, Consumer Video Processing, Automotive Infotainment Pre-processor, Test and Measurement Equipment, Education and Prototyping Boards.
Industrial Machine Control
The EP1C12F256C6AA fits industrial PLC and machine-vision pre-processing boards where 12,060 LEs provide glue-logic capacity for encoder inputs, PWM generators, and high-speed parallel sensor aggregation. Its 185 user I/Os in 256-BGA accept LVTTL/LVCMOS 3.3 V and 5 V-tolerant inputs from proximity sensors, stepper drivers, and HMI keypads without external level shifters. The two PLLs generate deterministic clocks for motor-control loops, and embedded M4K RAM blocks buffer scan-line image data before forwarding to a host DSP. Commercial temperature grade (0-85 °C) is sufficient for IP54 control cabinets, and Altera Nios II soft-core enables single-chip CPU + FPGA designs that reduce BOM cost in volume automation equipment.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP1C12F256C6AA serves low-density telecom line cards handling channelized DS1/E1 framing, HDLC encapsulation, and TDM cross-connects at edge-of-network aggregation points. Its 185 I/Os support multiple E1/T1 framers and LIU interfaces in parallel, while 239 Kbits of block RAM implements per-channel elastic stores and jitter buffers. The two on-chip PLLs derive 1.544 MHz and 2.048 MHz backplane clocks from a single 19.44 MHz system reference, eliminating external clock-generation ICs. LVDS I/O at 301 Mbits/s is sufficient for low-speed backplane interconnect between line card and switch fabric, and the Cyclone architecture runs cool at typical 5-7 W total power with the commercial temperature range being acceptable for thermally-managed central-office shelves.
Recommended
Consumer Video Processing
The EP1C12F256C6AA targets cost-sensitive consumer video products such as digital photo frames, video switchers, and entry-level LCD controllers that require custom timing generation, color-space conversion, and on-screen display (OSD) overlay. Its 185 user I/Os in 256-BGA accommodate ITU-R BT.656 video buses, HDMI/DVI auxiliary channels, and LCD LVDS pairs - all without external mux chips. The 12,060 LEs handle real-time scaling, de-interlacing, and frame-rate conversion at 480i/576i resolutions; embedded multipliers accelerate optional MPEG-2 decode preprocessing. Commercial 0-85 °C temperature matches indoor CE equipment requirements, and the Pb-free AA ball finish supports lead-free reflow compliance for EU/CE market entry.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment Pre-processor
The EP1C12F256C6AA (or its industrial-temp sibling EP1C12F256I7) bridges automotive infotainment domain controllers to legacy analog/digital head-unit subsystems, aggregating CAN/LIN bus traffic, parsing rear-seat entertainment streams, and driving analog dashboard displays. Its 185 user I/Os accept multiple MOST or CAN-FD interfaces, while 239 Kbits of block RAM implement frame buffers for rear-view camera overlays. The two PLLs synchronize audio and video clocks across the head-unit, eliminating clock skew between DSP and display drivers. Cyclone's 0.13 µm process and commercial temperature range work in cabin environments; for under-hood or outdoor-mounted ECU use, the I7 industrial variant provides the wider -40 °C to +100 °C margin required by automotive AEC-Q100-style profiles.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Equipment
The EP1C12F256C6AA fits mid-range test instruments such as logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and bench-top data-acquisition front-ends where flexibility is paramount. Its 185 user I/Os provide channelized digital stimulus/response up to 200 MHz LVTTL with per-pin direction control, and the 12,060 LEs implement custom protocol decoders (I2C, SPI, UART, JTAG, proprietary) on the fly. Two on-chip PLLs generate multiple synchronized sampling clocks, while 239 Kbits of embedded RAM form deep capture buffers that reduce data-transfer overhead to the host PC. Engineers can re-purpose one Cyclone board across many product variants by reloading the bitstream via JTAG, dramatically accelerating firmware development cycles compared to fixed-function ASIC alternatives.
Recommended
Education and Prototyping Boards
The EP1C12F256C6AA was a popular centerpiece of university digital-design curricula and FPGA development kits during the 2000s, and remains in use on legacy training boards. The 256-BGA package exposes ample I/O for student projects (LED arrays, 7-segment displays, VGA connectors, PS/2 ports, GPIO headers), and the 12,060 LEs are sufficient for textbook exercises on FSMs, CPU design, signal processing, and embedded Nios II soft-core labs. Quartus II Web Edition (free) supports the entire Cyclone family, making the EP1C12 an accessible learning platform. Even though the part is on Last Time Buy, donated engineering boards keep it in active educational use - allowing a generation of students to learn HDL coding without requiring the latest Cyclone 10 hardware.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C12F256C6AA — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C12F256C6 | EP1C12F256C7 | EP1C12F256I7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (17x17 mm) | 256-ball FineLine BGA (same) | 256-ball FineLine BGA (same) | 256-ball FineLine BGA (same) |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Logic Elements | 12,060 | 12,060 (same die) | 12,060 (same die) | 12,060 (same die) |
| Total RAM Bits | 239,616 | 239,616 (same) | 239,616 (same) | 239,616 (same) |
| User I/O | 185 | 185 (same) | 185 (same) | 185 (same) |
| Speed Grade | C6 | C6 (same) | C7 (slower) | I7 (industrial, Fmax-15%) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | -40 °C to +100 °C (industrial) |
| Ball Finish | Pb-free (A-suffix, AA) | Pb-bearing (SnPb) | Pb-free | Pb-free |
| Lifecycle Status | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy |
Key Differentiators
- Pb-free ball finish (AA suffix) for modern RoHS reflow (vs EP1C12F256C6)
- C6 speed grade balances Fmax and cost (vs EP1C12F256C7)
- Commercial temperature grade fits indoor industrial use (vs EP1C12F256I7)
Design Notes
The EP1C12F256C6AA requires four independent supply rails: VCCINT (1.5 V core), VCCIO[1..4] (per-bank I/O voltage), VCCA_PLL (1.5 V analog PLL), and VCCD_PLL (1.5 V digital PLL). Bulk-decouple each rail with a 100 µF tantalum + 10 µF ceramic at the voltage regulator output, then place four 0.1 µF ceramic capacitors within 5 mm of the BGA balls, distributed around the package perimeter. Power sequencing is not strictly required for the EP1C12 (no power-on-reset dependency), but Altera recommends VCCINT ramp before or simultaneous with VCCIO to avoid I/O bus contention during configuration. Estimated: with all 185 I/Os at 50% toggle rate, VCCINT current is approximately 0.8 A and VCCIO current up to 1.5 A per bank.
The 256-ball FineLine BGA has a 1.0 mm ball pitch requiring 4-layer or 6-layer PCB with microvia or sub-0.1 mm laser-drilled vias. Use 0.5 oz copper inner layers with 1 oz outer layers; escape route the inner balls through 4 mil laser vias on a 0.8 mm grid. Match length on all DDR SDRAM pairs to within 50 mil (1.27 mm) to avoid setup/hold violations, and keep LVDS pairs length-matched to within 25 mil (0.64 mm) with 100 Ω differential impedance. Place the EPCS4 configuration flash on the same PCB layer as the EP1C12 to minimize the nCONFIG/nSTATUS trace length below 50 mm.
Three pitfalls are common when bringing up a first-generation Cyclone board: (1) failing to tie MSEL[2..0] correctly for the chosen configuration mode (AS=010, PS=000, JTAG=101) - leaving these floating causes intermittent configuration failure; (2) omitting the 2.5 kΩ pull-up on nCONFIG or nSTATUS lines - required per Cyclone datasheet and easily forgotten on rev-A boards; (3) routing JTAG TCK too long - the Cyclone TCK input lacks strong hysteresis and must be buffered with a 22 Ω series resistor if the JTAG header is more than 50 mm from the BGA. Estimated: Approximately 30% of Cyclone first-prototype debug cycles involve one of these three issues.
Compliance Information
A-suffix (AA) confirms Pb-free ball finish per Altera product labeling. RoHS compliance declared by Altera. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral statements not present in the verified web data - marked 'unknown'.
