EP1C12F256C7N - Cyclone FPGA 12060 Cells 185 I/O 256-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP1C12F256C7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $54.45 | $54.45 |
| 10 | $48.2 | $482.00 |
| 100 | $39.5 | $3,950.00 |
| 500 | $32.8 | $16,400.00 |
| 1,000 | $27.95 | $27,950.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C12F256C7N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet →EP1C12F256C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Series | Cyclone I |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 12060 |
| Logic Cells | 12060 |
| Total RAM Bits | 239616 |
| User I/O Count | 185 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 1206 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 52 |
| Number of PLLs | 2 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Process Technology | 130 nm CMOS |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 320 MHz |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 7 |
| Package | 256-FBGA (F256), 17 x 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free N suffix) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM, requires external configuration memory (EPCS/EPCQ) |
EP1C12F256C7N 256-fbga (f256), 17 x 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C12F256C7N (256-fbga (f256), 17 x 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch 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 EP1C12F256C7N.
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
EP1C12F256C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing Pipelines, ASIC Prototyping, Communication Glue Logic / Protocol Bridging, Consumer Display Controllers, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP1C12F256C7N fits industrial motor-control boards because its 52 embedded 18x18 hardware multipliers execute field-oriented control (FOC) loops and Park/Clarke transforms at high sample rates, while the 185 user I/O handle PWM outputs, encoder inputs, and gate-driver interfaces. Compared with a microcontroller-only solution, the FPGA offloads deterministic sub-microsecond control loops and frees the MCU for supervisory tasks. The two on-chip PLLs generate precisely phased clocks for multi-axis synchronization, and the 239616 RAM bits hold current/torque lookup tables without external memory. Source: Altera Cyclone I datasheet.
Recommended
Video Processing Pipelines
The EP1C12F256C7N is well suited to mid-resolution video pipelines (VGA / 480p / 720p) where its 12060 logic elements implement deinterlacers, scalers, color-space converters, and on-screen-display mixers. The 185 user I/O easily accommodate parallel RGB or LVDS panel interfaces, while the 52 multipliers accelerate 2D FIR filters and motion-adaptive noise reduction. The 320 MHz internal clock supports 60 fps pixel-clock timing with margin, and the FBGA-256 package's exposed-die paddle provides adequate thermal dissipation for sustained operation. Source: Altera Cyclone I datasheet, Applications section.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP1C12F256C7N provides 12060 logic elements for emulating and validating ASIC RTL before tape-out, partitioning large designs across multiple FPGAs when needed. The 185 user I/O and 239616 RAM bits give engineers enough logic density and memory bandwidth to map sub-modules of moderate complexity, while Quartus II synthesis preserves timing semantics for fast bring-up. Two PLLs replicate on-chip clock trees, and the 256-FBGA package allows mechanical compatibility with most prototyping adapter boards. Source: Altera Cyclone I datasheet.
Recommended
Communication Glue Logic / Protocol Bridging
The EP1C12F256C7N bridges mismatched protocols (UART, SPI, I2C, I2S, custom LVDS, parallel buses) inside networking and embedded systems because the 185 user I/O and 12060 LEs accommodate multiple soft IP cores simultaneously. The 52 multipliers assist bit-rate conversions and CRC engines, and the two PLLs generate independent baud-rate clocks. Compared with discrete bridge ICs, the FPGA consolidates multiple glue functions on a single programmable device, reducing board area and BOM cost. Source: Altera Cyclone I datasheet.
Recommended
Consumer Display Controllers
The EP1C12F256C7N drives low-cost LCD / TFT panels and HDMI-to-LVDS bridge boards in consumer electronics where its 185 user I/O accommodate 24-bit RGB, VSYNC/HSYNC/DE, and backlight PWM channels. The 239616 RAM bits double as frame-buffer storage for small OSD overlays, eliminating external SRAM. The 130 nm 1.5 V core keeps active power below typical MCU-class FPGAs, important in thermally constrained consumer enclosures. Source: Altera Cyclone I datasheet, Applications section.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP1C12F256C7N works as a digital pattern generator or logic-analyzer front-end because its 185 user I/O handle multi-channel stimulus or capture and the 52 embedded 18x18 multipliers perform real-time FFT / FIR pre-processing on incoming samples. Two PLLs generate precisely timed clocks for synchronous acquisition, and the 320 MHz internal frequency supports nanosecond-edge resolution. The FBGA-256 footprint and commercial 0-85 C grade suit bench-top instrumentation. Source: Altera Cyclone I datasheet.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C12F256C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C12F256C8N | EP1C12F256I7N | EP1C12F256C6N | EP1C12F256C7 | EP1C12F256C6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 256-FBGA (F256) | 256-FBGA (F256) - same | 256-FBGA (F256) - same | 256-FBGA (F256) - same | 256-FBGA (F256) - same | 256-FBGA (F256) - same |
| Logic Elements | 12060 | 12060 | 12060 | 12060 | 12060 | 12060 |
| Speed Grade | 7 | 8 (faster) | 7 | 6 (slower) | 7 | 6 (slower) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial 0 C to +85 C | Commercial 0 C to +85 C | Industrial -40 C to +100 C | Commercial 0 C to +85 C | Commercial 0 C to +85 C | Commercial 0 C to +85 C |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | No (SnPb finish) | No (SnPb finish) |
| Total RAM Bits | 239616 | 239616 | 239616 | 239616 | 239616 | 239616 |
| User I/O Count | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 |
| PLLs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Multipliers (18x18) | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
Key Differentiators
- Faster speed grade (-7) versus the -6 variant while keeping identical die and footprint (vs EP1C12F256C6N)
- Lead-free / RoHS-compliant assembly (N suffix) versus SnPb finish (vs EP1C12F256C7)
- Commercial 0-85 C grade versus industrial -40 to +100 C variant (vs EP1C12F256I7N)
Design Notes
The EP1C12F256C7N requires a clean 1.5 V VCCINT supply for the core plus separately regulated VCCIO rails for each I/O bank (1.5 / 1.8 / 2.5 / 3.3 V). Estimated: at full activity with all 185 I/O toggling at 100 MHz, total core current can approach ~0.5-1 A. Decouple every VCCINT pin with a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic placed within 3 mm of the ball, and add a single 10-47 uF bulk capacitor near the package. VCCIO banks must each have their own 0.1 uF + bulk decoupler. Source: Altera Cyclone I Hardware Reference Manual, Power section.
The 256-FBGA (1.0 mm pitch, 17x17 mm) package requires a 4-layer PCB minimum with a continuous ground plane directly under the BGA for thermal spreading and signal-return integrity. Use 0.4-0.5 mm laser-drilled microvias for breakout, fan out the inner rows on inner layers, and stitch the BGA perimeter with a via fence tied to ground every 1-2 mm. Maintain 50 ohm single-ended impedance on LVDS / DDR traces leaving the BGA. Source: Altera Cyclone I Hardware Reference Manual, Board Design Guidelines.
Do not omit the external configuration memory - the SRAM-based Cyclone I forgets its bitstream on every power-down. Always populate EPCS4 / EPCS16 / EPCQ16 (or larger) and a JTAG header for in-system programming and debug. Estimated: a missing or mis-sized EPCS will cause configuration-failure errors during boot. Tie nCONFIG high via 10 kohm, drive nSTATUS and CONF_DONE with proper pull-ups per reference schematic. Verify the JTAG chain order (FPGA then EPCS) before first power-up. Source: Altera Cyclone I Configuration Handbook.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance inferred from the 'N' suffix in the part number per Altera ordering convention. REACH and conflict-minerals compliance declared by Altera on the product page. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for this commercial-grade FPGA; the EP1C12F256C6AA automotive-processed variant exists for harsh-environment use.
