EP1C6F256C8N - Cyclone FPGA 6K LE 256-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP1C6F256C8N ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $28.9 | $2,890.00 |
| 500 | $24.75 | $12,375.00 |
| 1,000 | $21.4 | $21,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6F256C8N — 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
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256I7N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C8
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C7NAB
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C6N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone |
| Family | Cyclone I |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 5,980 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 92,160 |
| User I/O Pins | 185 |
| Number of PLLs | 2 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Package | 256-BGA (FBGA-256), 17 × 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Process Node | 0.13 µm SRAM |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial (PS), Active Serial (AS), JTAG |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, LVDS |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 3 |
EP1C6F256C8N 256-bga (fbga-256), 17 × 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6F256C8N (256-bga (fbga-256), 17 × 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch 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 EP1C6F256C8N.
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
EP1C6F256C8N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control & Factory Automation Backplanes, Video & Image Processing Pre-Processing Pipelines, Communications Protocol Bridging & Glue Logic, Custom Peripheral Controllers for Embedded Processors, Consumer Display & Touch-Screen Controllers, Rapid ASIC Prototyping & Design Validation.
Industrial Control & Factory Automation Backplanes
The EP1C6F256C8N fits industrial control backplanes because its 5,980 LEs deliver enough capacity to implement multiple protocol bridges (RS-485, RS-232, SPI, I2C, CAN) on a single device, while 185 user I/Os provide fan-out for backplane connectors and field wiring. The 256-FBGA's 1.0 mm ball pitch is reflow-compatible with standard 4-layer FR4 PCBs used in DIN-rail controllers. Cyclone PLLs generate deterministic clock domains for synchronized motor-control loops, and the 92 Kb embedded RAM serves as line buffers for high-speed serial streams in factory-floor networks.
Recommended
Video & Image Processing Pre-Processing Pipelines
The EP1C6F256C8N is used for camera-link pre-processing because its 5,980 LEs and 92 Kb embedded RAM can implement line buffers, color-space converters, and simple spatial filters at video rates. The LVDS-capable I/Os of the Cyclone I support direct connection to LVDS camera-link pairs without external transceivers. Designers typically run the FPGA at 65-100 MHz to process 8- or 16-bit-wide pixel buses, with one PLL multiplying a 27 MHz reference to derive the pixel clock and memory clock. The 256-FBGA package exposes enough I/Os to drive both a video ADC input and an LCD output simultaneously.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridging & Glue Logic
The EP1C6F256C8N serves as a protocol bridge between mismatched busses (PCI to local bus, UART to SPI, Ethernet MAC to parallel FIFO) because the Cyclone architecture provides 4-LUT-based logic elements with dedicated carry chains for fast glue-logic state machines. With 185 user I/Os and per-bank VCCIO flexibility, the device interfaces directly to 3.3 V LVTTL, 2.5 V SSTL, and 1.8 V LVCMOS peripherals on the same board. Two PLLs can deskew source-synchronous clocks and generate independent baud-rate clocks for multiple serial channels.
Recommended
Custom Peripheral Controllers for Embedded Processors
The EP1C6F256C8N is used as a low-cost peripheral controller attached to a host MCU or microprocessor because its 5,980 LEs can host multiple custom peripherals (PWM generators, quadrature encoders, custom bus masters) while the 256-FBGA exposes 185 I/Os for off-board signaling. Designers route processor address/data buses through the FPGA's LVTTL I/O banks, using one PLL to align the local bus clock with the host's clock domain. Embedded RAM serves as FIFO buffers between the host and high-speed external peripherals such as ADCs.
Recommended
Consumer Display & Touch-Screen Controllers
The EP1C6F256C8N drives custom LCD or OLED panels because the Cyclone I provides enough logic for timing-controller state machines, color-depth conversion (e.g., 18-bit to 24-bit RGB), and touch-screen digitizer interfaces. Its 185 user I/Os and per-bank VCCIO rails connect directly to 3.3 V TTL LCDs and 1.8 V OLED drivers without external level shifters. Designers use one PLL to multiply a low-frequency crystal to the panel's pixel clock, while the embedded RAM holds frame-buffer lines for double-buffered display updates.
Recommended
Rapid ASIC Prototyping & Design Validation
The EP1C6F256C8N is used as a prototype vehicle for ASIC blocks before committing to mask costs because its 5,980 LEs can map representative slices of an ASIC RTL for in-system validation. The 256-FBGA exposes JTAG, AS, and PS configuration ports for rapid bitstream iteration during bring-up. Engineers running ASIC prototypes on Cyclone I typically partition the ASIC into multiple FPGAs, using the embedded 92 Kb RAM to share data between logic regions. The commercial temperature range suits lab validation, while the industrial drop-in (EP1C6F256I7N) supports field trials.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6F256C8N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6F256C7N | EP1C6F256I7N | EP1C6F256C8 | EP1C6F256C7NAB | EP1C6F256C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) - same | 256-BGA (FBGA-256) - same |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 |
| User I/Os | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 |
| PLLs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | -40 °C to +100 °C (Industrial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Approx. Unit Price @ qty 1000 (USD) | 21.40 | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest unit cost in Cyclone I speed-grade line for the 6 K LE class (vs EP1C6F256C7N)
- Commercial temperature grade optimized for cost-sensitive indoor equipment (vs EP1C6F256I7N)
- Lead-free (Pb-free) assembly with RoHS and REACH compliance (vs EP1C6F256C8)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 100 MHz with 60% logic utilization and 3.3 V LVTTL I/O at moderate toggle rate, the EP1C6F256C8N consumes roughly 0.4 W to 0.9 W. Designers should budget at least 1.5 W worst-case dissipation and provide a small copper flood under the FBGA thermal pad. Decouple every VCCINT pin with 0.1 µF X7R ceramic capacitors placed as close to the balls as possible, and add a bulk 47 µF tantalum or polymer capacitor near the FPGA to suppress core-rail droop during simultaneous-switching events.
The 256-FBGA has a 1.0 mm ball pitch, which requires 0.5 mm-pitch via-in-pad or dog-bone fan-outs on a 4-layer FR4 stack-up. Use microvia or laser-drilled stacked-via technology if signal escape routing is tight. Match length (±150 mil) on JTAG TCK/TMS/TDO/TDI signals and add 4.7 kΩ pull-ups on TCK and TMS to ensure reliable configuration. Route differential LVDS pairs with 100 Ω differential impedance and length matching within 50 mil to maintain data-eye margins.
Do not mix 3.3 V LVTTL and 1.5 V SSTL inputs in the same I/O bank: each I/O bank has a single VCCIO rail, and mixed-voltage inputs violate absolute-maximum ratings. Always tie unused user I/Os to a defined logic level (drive to ground or to VCCIO of the bank) rather than leaving them floating, because floating inputs can draw shoot-through current in the I/O cell and cause spurious current spikes. When using Active Serial (AS) configuration, verify that the serial flash (EPCS4/EPCS16) VCC matches the FPGA VCCIO[3] bank voltage before powering up.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance confirmed by 'N' suffix in ordering code. REACH compliance declared by manufacturer. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for a commercial-grade FPGA; the industrial 'I7N' variant is not AEC-Q100 qualified either. Last-time-buy (LTB) status: confirm with Intel PCN before committing to long-life-cycle designs.
