EP1C12Q240C8N - Cyclone FPGA, 12,060 LEs, 240-PQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1C12Q240C8N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $39.06 | $39.06 |
| 10 | $35.15 | $351.50 |
| 100 | $30.95 | $3,095.00 |
| 500 | $27.5 | $13,750.00 |
| 1,000 | $24.8 | $24,800.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C12Q240C8N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet →EP1C12Q240C8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone |
| Family | Cyclone I |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 12,060 |
| Total RAM Bits | 239,616 |
| Embedded RAM Blocks | M4K (4 Kbit blocks) |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm all-layer copper SRAM |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Speed Grade | 8 (commercial) |
| User I/O Pins (max in package) | 173 |
| Package | 240-pin PQFP / BFQFP (Q240) |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Global Clock Networks | 8 |
| Configuration Modes | AS, PS, JTAG |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP1C12Q240C8N 240-pin pqfp / bfqfp (q240) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C12Q240C8N (240-pin pqfp / bfqfp (q240) package) with 173 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 EP1C12Q240C8N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 173 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
EP1C12Q240C8N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Automation and Motor Control, Legacy PCI / PCI-X Bus Bridge, Video Processing Front-End, Telecom Line Card Glue Logic, Data Acquisition System Controller, Legacy FPGA Maintenance and Replacement.
Industrial Automation and Motor Control
The EP1C12Q240C8N's 12,060 logic elements and two PLLs make it well suited for industrial motor-control and PLC-style automation. Its M4K memory blocks can buffer quadrature encoder streams, while the 240-pin PQFP package keeps PCB layout accessible for hand-soldered prototypes in factory-floor equipment. The Cyclone I fabric delivers predictable timing for closed-loop PID controllers, BLDC commutation tables, and EtherCAT/CANopen slave bridges. Industrial designs benefit from the part's PCI-compatible I/O and ability to integrate multiple 16-bit timer/counter channels in a single chip, reducing BOM complexity in motor-drive boards.
Recommended
Legacy PCI / PCI-X Bus Bridge
The Cyclone I 240-pin PQFP variant was widely adopted in PCI 32-bit/33 MHz and PCI-X add-in card designs, where the 12,060 LEs accommodate full Target and Master state machines plus FIFOs. The EP1C12Q240C8N's 173 user I/O pins allow direct connection to the 32-bit PCI bus plus side-band signals, while the M4K blocks implement the elastic transmit/receive FIFOs. The 1.5 V core with 3.3 V PCI I/O is natively supported via the bank's VCCIO pins. Designers can use the part to bridge legacy PCI hosts to modern I/O such as Gigabit Ethernet or USB, extending the service life of installed industrial PCs.
Recommended
Video Processing Front-End
The EP1C12Q240C8N's M4K RAM blocks serve as line buffers for video pipelines, while 12,060 LEs handle color-space conversion, deinterlacing, and on-screen display overlays. The 240-pin PQFP package exposes enough LVDS-capable pins for parallel RGB or ITU-R BT.656 video interfaces. The two PLLs generate pixel clocks from a 27 MHz reference, supporting standard-definition to high-definition frame rates. Cyclone I is a proven choice for entry-level broadcast equipment, security DVR front-ends, and industrial machine-vision cameras where 0.13 µm fabric cost-effectiveness matters more than cutting-edge DSP performance.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The 12,060 LE Cyclone I fabric in PQFP-240 is ideal as glue logic on telecom line cards: bus muxing, TDM time-slot switching, E1/T1 framer interfacing, and low-density HDLC controllers all fit comfortably. The two PLLs provide per-card clock synthesis, while 173 user I/O connect to backplane buses, framers, and serializers. The obsolete-but-available stock profile makes the EP1C12Q240C8N a stable platform for maintaining installed legacy central-office equipment where re-qualification of newer FPGAs would be cost-prohibitive. Quartus II supports the LVDS and LVTTL signaling needed for telecom backplanes.
Recommended
Data Acquisition System Controller
For multi-channel data-acquisition boards, the EP1C12Q240C8N's 173 user I/O pins handle parallel ADC interfaces, digital isolation barriers, and trigger logic. The M4K RAM blocks implement circular sample buffers for transient capture, while the PLLs derive ADC sampling clocks from a master reference. Engineers use Cyclone I in PQFP for vibration monitoring, power-quality analyzers, and ultrasound front-ends. The 240-pin PQFP is hand-solderable, easing prototyping of low-volume industrial and medical DAQ boards, and the 12,060 LEs permit embedded Nios I or Nios II soft-core processors for on-board control.
Recommended
Legacy FPGA Maintenance and Replacement
The EP1C12Q240C8N serves as a maintenance-of-supply part for installed OEM equipment originally built on Cyclone I. When original production boards reach end-of-life, the EP1C12Q240C8N (or its speed-grade siblings C6N/C7N/C8) provides a like-for-like replacement without requiring PCB redesign. The 240-pin PQFP footprint remains compatible across all speed-grade variants, and the Quartus II toolchain preserves bitstream backward compatibility. Industrial and medical OEMs use this strategy to extend the service life of certified equipment, avoiding costly re-qualification cycles.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C12Q240C8N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C12Q240C8 | EP1C12Q240C7N | EP1C12Q240C6N | EP1C12Q240 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same |
| Logic Elements | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 | 12,060 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 | 239,616 |
| Speed Grade | C8 (commercial) | C8 | C7 (faster) | C6 (fastest) | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Lead Finish | Pb-free (N suffix) | Standard lead (non-N) | Pb-free (N) | Pb-free (N) | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| User I/O Pins | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 |
| PLLs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Pb-free (RoHS-compliant) lead finish in the same 240-PQFP footprint (vs EP1C12Q240C8 (non-N variant))
- Faster speed grade available in the same footprint (vs EP1C12Q240C7N)
- Fastest speed grade option in same footprint (vs EP1C12Q240C6N)
Design Notes
Place all decoupling capacitors (0.1 µF ceramic plus 33 µF tantalum or polymer bulk) within 100 mils of every VCCINT and VCCIO pin on the EP1C12Q240C8N. Use a solid VCC and GND plane on adjacent layers; the 240-pin PQFP at 0.5 mm pitch requires four-layer PCB minimum to maintain signal-integrity for LVDS and 66 MHz PCI signals. Each PLL power pin (VCCA_PLL) needs its own pi-filter (ferrite bead plus 10 µF and 0.1 µF). The JTAG chain (TCK/TMS/TDO/TDI) should be pull-up terminated per IEEE 1149.1 and routed with stub length under 1.5 inches.
Do not confuse the EP1C12Q240C8N (PQFP-240) with the EP1C12F324C8N (FBGA-324); both are Cyclone I 12,060-LE parts but they are NOT pin-compatible. Migration between them requires a PCB redesign and Quartus II pin reassignment. Also avoid mixing MSL (Moisture Sensitivity Level) handling: PQFP-240 packages typically ship at MSL 3 and require bake-out before reflow if the sealed bag is opened beyond the floor-life specified on the moisture-barrier label. Always verify the device date code against the Altera/Intel PCN (Product Change Notification) database before qualifying a new lot.
The 240-pin PQFP uses 0.5 mm pitch gull-wing leads; recommended land patterns per IPC-7351 nominal density are 0.30 mm wide pads with 0.10 mm solder-mask sliver. Use a 0.15 mm stencil thickness for reflow to avoid solder bridging on fine-pitch leads. The exposed die-attach pad is not present on the PQFP variant (unlike FBGA), so thermal management relies on copper pours on the top and bottom layers connected by 0.3 mm thermal vias in a 1.0 mm grid. Power estimation should use the Quartus II PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet before final design closure.
Compliance Information
N-suffix indicates Pb-free (lead-free) lead finish per Altera/Intel ordering information. RoHS compliance status not explicitly stated in the verified web data and marked [DATA_NEEDED]. The part is commercial temperature grade (not automotive); AEC-Q100 is not applicable. REACH and halogen-free status not confirmed in verified data.
