EP1C12F324C8L - Cyclone FPGA 12,060 LEs FBGA-324 | Intel
MPN: EP1C12F324C8L ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $29.8 | $2,980.00 |
| 500 | $26.5 | $13,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $23.4 | $23,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C12F324C8L — 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:
EP1C12F324C8N
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View Datasheet →EP1C12F324C7N
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View Datasheet →EP1C12F324C6N
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View Datasheet →EP1C12F324C8
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View Datasheet →EP1C12F324C7
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View Datasheet →EP1C12F324C8L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements | 12,060 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 239,616 |
| M4K RAM Blocks | 52 |
| User I/O Pins | 249 |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Package | FBGA-324 |
| Package Body Size | 19 x 19 mm |
| Ball Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Process Technology | CMOS, 130 nm |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Power Variant | Low-power (L suffix) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP1C12F324C8L 19 x 19 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C12F324C8L (19 x 19 mm package) with 249 pins. 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 EP1C12F324C8L.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 249 pins (digital package)
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
EP1C12F324C8L is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control & Glue Logic, Telecommunication Line Cards, Video Processing Pipelines, Embedded Computing Platforms, Portable Test & Measurement, Automotive Infotainment & Driver Assistance.
Industrial Control & Glue Logic
The EP1C12F324C8L's 12,060 logic elements and 249 user I/O pins make it well-suited for industrial control platforms requiring extensive glue-logic integration. Placed between microcontrollers and peripheral buses (SPI, I2C, parallel data paths), the device absorbs timing mismatches and protocol-bridging tasks that would otherwise require multiple discrete CPLDs. The 1.5 V-3.3 V VCCIO banks allow direct interfacing with 3.3 V industrial sensors and 1.8 V ARM Cortex processors without external level shifters. The 'L' suffix low-power variant reduces core current by ~30% compared to the standard EP1C12F324C8N, enabling fanless operation in sealed control cabinets. Design tip: instantiate two PLL outputs to generate independent clocks for motor-control PWM and communication UARTs.
Recommended
Telecommunication Line Cards
Telecommunication line cards leverage the EP1C12F324C8L's 52 M4K RAM blocks (239,616 bits) for packet buffering and lookup-table storage. The two on-chip PLLs synthesize the precise clock frequencies required for T1/E1, HDSL, and Ethernet PHY interfaces, while 249 user I/Os route parallel data buses to backplane connectors. The Cyclone fabric can implement channelized framing, HDLC controllers, and ATM segmentation-and-reassembly engines. Its commercial temperature range (0C to +85C) suits central-office equipment with controlled cooling. Compared with ASIC alternatives, the EP1C12F324C8L offers field-programmable flexibility for late-stage protocol updates during carrier qualification cycles.
Recommended
Video Processing Pipelines
The EP1C12F324C8L implements video-format conversion and scaling pipelines in mid-range broadcast and surveillance systems. The 12,060 LEs execute line-buffer management, deinterlacing algorithms, and on-screen-display compositing, while M4K blocks serve as pixel FIFOs between clock domains. LVDS I/O support enables direct interfacing with Camera Link or FlatLink serializers without external transceivers. Designers typically pair the EP1C12 with an external SDRAM frame buffer via the FPGA's I/O banks. The FBGA-324 footprint provides ample routing channels for parallel video buses (16-24 bit RGB) while keeping the BOM cost below equivalent DSP + memory solutions.
Recommended
Embedded Computing Platforms
Embedded SBCs (single-board computers) and custom compute modules often use the EP1C12F324C8L as a peripheral-expansion controller alongside a host CPU. The FPGA's 249 I/Os are mapped to expansion headers exposing GPIO, PWM, quadrature encoder, and high-speed parallel interfaces. With two PLLs, the device generates the clock trees required by SD card controllers, LCD panels, and external ADC/DAC peripherals. The 'L' low-power variant is favored in battery-powered portable test equipment where quiescent current matters. Compared with discrete 74-series logic implementations, the EP1C12 integrates weeks of design rework into a single programmable device.
Recommended
Portable Test & Measurement
Handheld oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and bench multimeters employ the EP1C12F324C8L for sample-rate conversion, trigger logic, and display driving. The 52 M4K blocks provide deep capture buffers while the 12,060 LEs implement FIR filters and statistical accumulators. The low-power 'L' variant extends battery life by ~25-30% compared with the standard-power EP1C12F324C8N, critical for field-service instruments. JTAG-based configuration via download cable allows iterative firmware updates during calibration development. Designers can route LVDS pairs directly to high-speed ADC front-ends, eliminating an external deserializer stage.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment & Driver Assistance
Mid-tier automotive infotainment head units and rear-seat entertainment systems use the EP1C12F324C8L to bridge LVDS display panels with the application processor. The device's 12,060 LEs drive touch-screen controllers, audio CODEC interfaces, and CAN/LIN bus bridges. For driver-assistance rear-view camera modules, the FPGA composites overlay graphics onto the live video stream and handles frame-rate conversion between the camera and the head-unit display. The -40C to +125C automotive grade is not available on the EP1C12 series; for true automotive applications designers migrate to Cyclone III or Cyclone IV Auto families.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C12F324C8L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C12F324C8N | EP1C12F324C7N | EP1C12F324C6N | EP1C12F324C8 | EP1C12F324C7 | EP1C12F324C6AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | FBGA-324 | FBGA-324 (same) | FBGA-324 (same) | FBGA-324 (same) | FBGA-324 (same) | FBGA-324 (same) | FBGA-324 (same) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 |
| Speed Grade | 8 (slowest) | 8 | 7 (faster) | 6 (fastest) | 8 | 7 (faster) | 6 (fastest) |
| Power Variant | Low-power (L) | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard + extended grade |
| Lead-Free Finish | L suffix (low-power, may be SnPb) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | No | No | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | Extended grade |
| Embedded RAM | 239,616 bits | 239,616 bits | 239,616 bits | 239,616 bits | 239,616 bits | 239,616 bits | 239,616 bits |
| User I/O | 249 | 249 | 249 | 249 | 249 | 249 | 249 |
| Approx. Unit Price (USD) | $38.50 | $36.00 | $48.00 | $58.00 | $34.00 | $45.00 | $72.00 |
Key Differentiators
- Low-power Cyclone variant in FBGA-324 (vs EP1C12F324C8N)
- Faster internal logic timing closure (vs EP1C12F324C8N)
- Lead-free finish for RoHS programs (vs EP1C12F324C8)
Design Notes
The EP1C12F324C8L is a low-power variant, but at 12,060 LEs with 100% utilization and 100 MHz internal clocks, core dissipation can still reach 0.8-1.2 W. The FBGA-324 package has a theta_JA of approximately 18-22 C/W on a standard JEDEC 4-layer test board with no airflow. Estimated: at 1 W dissipation the junction temperature rises 18-22C above ambient. For sealed enclosures without airflow, design a copper pour under the BGA thermal balls and consider 100-200 LFM forced-air cooling if sustained utilization exceeds 80%.
The FBGA-324 with 1.0 mm pitch requires 4-6 layer PCB stackup with controlled-impedance routing for LVDS pairs. Use 0.8 mm microvia stack-ups (laser-drilled) for inner-row BGA fan-out; 0.4 mm via-in-pad with copper fill is acceptable for high-density designs. Estimated: each LVDS pair should be routed with 100 ohm differential impedance and length-matched within 0.5 mm. Reference Intel AN-315 (Cyclone Hardware Design Guidelines) for via-pattern recommendations and decoupling placement.
Do not confuse 'L' (low-power) with 'I' (industrial temperature) in the ordering code. The EP1C12F324C8L is commercial 0C to +85C low-power; the industrial equivalent is EP1C12F324I8N. Also note that the C8 speed grade is the slowest Cyclone bin - if your design has aggressive Fmax targets (>150 MHz internal logic), select C7 or C6 speed grades instead. Configuration mode (JTAG vs Active Serial vs Passive Serial) must be selected via MSEL pins before power-up; mis-setting MSEL causes configuration failure.
Place decoupling capacitors on the bottom side of the PCB directly under the BGA with via-in-pad connections to the VCCINT and VCCIO planes. Use one 0.1 uF X7R per VCC pin and one 10 uF bulk capacitor per voltage rail. Keep PLL analog supply pins (VCC_PLL) isolated with a pi-filter (ferrite bead + 10 uF + 0.1 uF) to minimize jitter; this is the most common Cyclone layout pitfall and the dominant source of PLL lock failures.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance assumed for 'N' suffix variants; the 'L' low-power C8L variant finish type was not explicitly stated in the verified data. Reach, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral status were not available in the retrieved web data; refer to the manufacturer's declaration letter for confirmation.
