EP1C6F256C6N - Cyclone 6K LEs FPGA, 185 I/O, FBGA-256 | Intel
MPN: EP1C6F256C6N ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $28.9 | $2,890.00 |
| 500 | $24.5 | $12,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $21.8 | $21,800.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6F256C6N — 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:
EP1C6F256C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$18.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$21.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6F256I6N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1C6F256C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$38.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$13.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →LFE6-6BG256
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1C6F256C6N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 5,980 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 92,160 |
| User I/O Pins | 185 |
| Package | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 6 |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 598 |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM |
| Configuration Method | JTAG / Active Serial |
| I/O Standards | LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, LVDS |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP1C6F256C6N 256-bga (fbga-256) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6F256C6N (256-bga (fbga-256) package) with 185 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 EP1C6F256C6N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 185 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
EP1C6F256C6N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control and Drives, Video Image Processing Pipeline, ASIC Prototyping and Validation, Communications Protocol Bridge, Digital Signal Processing Front-End, Embedded Glue Logic and Bus Bridge.
Industrial Motor Control and Drives
The EP1C6F256C6N fits industrial motor control with 5,980 LEs sufficient for a multi-axis PID loop, SVPWM generation, and encoder decoding. The 185 user I/Os support parallel interface to gate drivers and three-phase current-sensing ADCs. The two PLLs enable precise PWM timing at 50 kHz carrier frequency without external DDS chips, while the 92 Kbits of block RAM buffer waveform tables and field-orientation lookup data.
Recommended
Video Image Processing Pipeline
The EP1C6F256C6N fits mid-resolution video processing with logic capacity for ITU-R BT.656 or VGA pipelines, color-space conversion, and on-the-fly gamma correction. The 92 Kbits of M4K embedded RAM line-buffer a 720×576 image at 8 bits/pixel, while 185 user I/Os interface directly to DDR/DDR2 memory controllers for frame buffering. Designers typically pair this FPGA with a TI TVP5154 video decoder and an ADV7123 video DAC.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Validation
The EP1C6F256C6N fits ASIC prototyping where its 5,980 LEs map 1:1 to roughly 50K gates of equivalent ASIC logic, while 185 user I/Os replicate the pad ring for ASIC bring-up validation. The SRAM-based fabric supports unlimited in-system JTAG re-programming for iterative debug, and the two PLLs emulate ASIC clock-tree insertion. This makes the part a popular target for pre-silicon functional verification before committing to a 130 nm cell library tape-out.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridge
The EP1C6F256C6N fits protocol bridging between industrial buses (SPI, I2C, UART) and Ethernet or USB stacks. The 5,980 LEs implement a complete soft-MAC 10/100 Ethernet controller plus a TCP/IP offload core, while 185 user I/Os simultaneously drive multiple SPI peripherals and UART channels. The 92 Kbits of RAM buffer TCP/IP packets, and the JTAG port allows field firmware updates without removing the assembly.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing Front-End
The EP1C6F256C6N fits DSP pre-processing for radar, sonar, or instrumentation front-ends with logic capacity for FIR filters, FFT engines, and decimators. Its 92 Kbits of block RAM stores coefficient tables and window functions, while 185 user I/Os stream data from 16-bit parallel ADCs at sample rates up to 65 MSPS. The two PLLs generate the ADC sampling clock and derive an integer-ratio DSP clock from a single 50 MHz reference.
Recommended
Embedded Glue Logic and Bus Bridge
The EP1C6F256C6N fits glue-logic consolidation where designers replace scattered 74-series TTL with a single reconfigurable device. Its 5,980 LEs implement custom state machines, FIFOs, and bus arbiters, while 185 user I/Os bridge legacy 8/16/32-bit parallel buses. The 1.5 V core plus selectable 3.3 V/2.5 V/1.8 V I/O banks allow direct interface to legacy 5 V-tolerant logic through external resistor dividers, simplifying system integration.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6F256C6N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6F256C7N | EP1C6F256I6N | LFE6-6BG256 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 256-FBGA | 256-FBGA (same) | 256-FBGA (same) | 256-fpBGA (same) |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Lattice Semiconductor |
| Logic Elements / LUTs | 5,980 LEs | 5,980 LEs | 5,980 LEs | 6,000 LUTs |
| Embedded RAM | 92,160 bits | 92,160 bits | 92,160 bits | 92,160 bits |
| User I/O | 185 | 185 | 185 | 190 |
| Speed Grade | 6 (standard) | 7 (15% faster) | 6 (industrial) | 7 / 8 |
| Process Technology | 130 nm | 130 nm | 130 nm | 90 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.2 V |
| Lifecycle Status | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Active |
Key Differentiators
- Speed-grade flexibility on identical footprint (vs EP1C6F256C7N)
- Commercial vs. industrial temperature options (vs EP1C6F256I6N)
- Cross-brand pin-compatibility with Lattice ECP6 (vs LFE6-6BG256)
Design Notes
Estimated: the EP1C6F256C6N draws approximately 25 mA quiescent current on VCCINT (1.5 V core) and up to 800 mA on VCCIO banks at full I/O toggle. Place one 0.1 µF MLCC per power pin pair, one 4.7 µF bulk on each supply rail, and one 33 µF tantalum at the regulator output. With internal switching at 100 MHz and 50 % toggle, total board power is roughly 0.6 W. The 17 mm × 17 mm FBGA thermal pad must be soldered to a 1 oz copper pour with at least 8 thermal vias to a heatsink pour for adequate cooling.
Route all 4 configuration layers as impedance-controlled 50 Ω microstrip, with continuous ground reference plane beneath. BGA escape requires via-in-pad (VIP) for the inner rows; use 0.20 mm laser-drilled vias with 0.40 mm pad, capped and plated over. JTAG chain length must not exceed 6 inches to meet TCK rise-time budgets; add 10 kΩ pull-up on TCK and 33 Ω series damping on TMS/TDI/TDO.
Common pitfalls when designing with the EP1C6F256C6N: (1) VCCIO bank voltage mismatch - the device has 4 I/O banks, each with independent VCCIO pins; mixing 3.3 V and 2.5 V signals on the same bank will damage the I/O cells. (2) Configuration mode pins MSEL[2:0] must be tied to VCCA or GND via 1 kΩ resistors to select Active Serial mode; floating values cause un-recoverable configuration failure. (3) Never assert nCONFIG low during user-mode operation or the device will re-load and erase the design - add a hardware debounce on the configuration button.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per Intel/Altera product declaration. The 'N' suffix denotes Pb-free NiPdAu ball finish. Halogen-free status not explicitly confirmed in available data - set to unknown.
