EP1C6F256I7N - Cyclone FPGA, 5980 LE, 256-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP1C6F256I7N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $41.87 | $41.87 |
| 10 | $39.42 | $394.20 |
| 100 | $35.18 | $3,518.00 |
| 500 | $31.65 | $15,825.00 |
| 1,000 | $27.94 | $27,940.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6F256I7N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 5,980 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LAB) | 598 |
| Embedded RAM Bits | 92,160 (90 Kbit M4K blocks) |
| User I/Os | 185 |
| Process Technology | 130 nm CMOS |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V (1.425 V to 1.575 V) |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 250 MHz |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Global Clock Networks | Up to 20 |
| Differential I/O Pairs (LVDS) | 2 True-LVDS |
| Hardware Multipliers (18x18) | 20 |
| Package | 256-BGA (FBGA, 17 x 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +100 C (industrial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-free) |
| Configuration Interface | Passive Serial (EPCS flash) |
EP1C6F256I7N 256-bga (fbga, 17 x 17 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6F256I7N (256-bga (fbga, 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 EP1C6F256I7N.
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
EP1C6F256I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Bridge / LCD Controller, Legacy Bus-to-Ethernet Bridge, Medical Instrumentation Front-End, Automotive Interior Electronics, Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP1C6F256I7N is well suited to industrial motor-control applications where deterministic hardware parallelism outperforms microcontroller-based solutions. With 5,980 logic elements, 20 dedicated 18 x 18 multipliers, and 2 PLLs, the fabric can simultaneously execute field-oriented control (FOC) loops, SVPWM generation, and encoder decoding at switching frequencies above 50 kHz. The 185 user I/Os accommodate multi-axis encoder inputs, gate-driver outputs, and isolated communication interfaces. The -40 C to +100 C industrial temperature grade ensures operation in cabinet-enclosed or outdoor drive environments. The device's passive-serial configuration from low-cost EPCS flash also enables fast factory programming without external boot logic.
Recommended
Video Bridge / LCD Controller
The EP1C6F256I7N serves as a low-cost video format converter or LCD timing controller in industrial display products. The 185 available I/Os support 24-bit parallel RGB interfaces plus control signals for TFT panels up to SVGA resolution. The 92,160 embedded M4K RAM bits provide line buffers sufficient for color-space conversion and partial frame storage without external memory. Hardware multipliers accelerate image scaling, gamma correction, and chroma resampling. Designers appreciate the integrated True-LVDS outputs for direct LVDS panel drive, eliminating external serializer ICs and reducing BOM cost in panel-integrated designs.
Recommended
Legacy Bus-to-Ethernet Bridge
Industrial retrofitting projects commonly require bridging parallel buses (ISA, PC/104, VME, or proprietary backplanes) to modern Ethernet or serial links. The EP1C6F256I7N delivers enough I/O density for 16-bit or 32-bit parallel bus capture plus MAC-side connectivity, while its 130 nm process and 250 MHz fabric support 100 Mbit Ethernet MAC implementations in soft logic. The two PLLs enable independent clocking of the legacy bus and Ethernet PHY domains, simplifying multi-rate bridging. The industrial temperature grade and rugged FBGA-256 package meet factory-floor reliability requirements.
Recommended
Medical Instrumentation Front-End
Patient-monitoring and laboratory-instrument designs leverage the EP1C6F256I7N to preprocess analog-front-end data before handing off to DSPs or microcontrollers. The 20 hardware 18 x 18 multipliers and high I/O count enable parallel multi-channel digital filtering (FIR/IIR), QRS detection in ECG, or pulse-oximetry envelope extraction at low latency. The 92,160 embedded RAM bits hold filter coefficients and circular sample buffers. The industrial temperature range accommodates clinical-cart and bedside-monitor environments, while the FBGA-256 footprint's small 17 x 17 mm outline supports compact PCB layouts.
Recommended
Automotive Interior Electronics
Inside automotive cabins, the EP1C6F256I7N serves as a flexible gateway between infotainment clusters, head-up displays, and body-control modules. Its industrial temperature grade handles the elevated thermal environment of dashboard-mounted enclosures, while the 185 I/Os accommodate multi-protocol bridging (CAN, LIN, SPI, I2C, UART) and LVDS display links. The embedded multipliers accelerate audio DSP for active-noise-cancellation or hands-free echo suppression. Note that EP1C6F256I7N is not AEC-Q100 qualified; for safety-critical under-hood or ADAS applications use AEC-Q100 parts such as the Cyclone IV EP4CE6F17I7N or specific AEC-Q100 automotive-grade FPGA families.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Bench-top and modular test equipment benefits from the EP1C6F256I7N's parallel I/O bandwidth and reconfigurable logic. The fabric can implement custom protocol decoders, parallel-pattern generators, mixed-signal capture timing engines, and high-speed glue logic between ADCs/DACs and a host processor. The two PLLs provide independent clock domains for sample-rate generation and USB/Ethernet communication interfaces. The industrial temperature grade and FBGA-256 package meet laboratory and field-test deployment requirements, while Quartus II compatibility allows design reuse across the Cyclone I, II, and IV generations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6F256I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6F256I7 | EP1C6F256C7N | EP1C6F25617N | EP1C6F256C8N | EP1C12F256I7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | FBGA-256 (17x17 mm) | FBGA-256 (17x17 mm) - same | FBGA-256 (17x17 mm) - same | FBGA-256 (17x17 mm) - same | FBGA-256 (17x17 mm) - same | FBGA-256 (17x17 mm) - same |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 12,060 (+102%) |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 239,616 (+160%) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 C to +100 C (industrial) | -40 C to +100 C | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | -40 C to +100 C | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) | -40 C to +100 C |
| Speed Grade | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 (faster, +15% Fmax) | 7 |
| User I/Os | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 |
| Hardware Multipliers (18x18) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 52 (+160%) |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND (Not Recommended for New Designs) | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial-temperature lead-free variant (vs EP1C6F256I7)
- Industrial temperature range -40 C to +100 C (vs EP1C6F256C7N)
- Doubled logic capacity with same footprint (vs EP1C12F256I7N)
Design Notes
Estimated: at typical industrial utilization (60% LE, 50% toggle, 100 MHz), the EP1C6F256I7N core consumes approximately 0.5 to 0.8 W from VCCINT (1.5 V). Add 100 uF bulk decoupling plus 0.1 uF and 1 nF X7R ceramics on every VCCINT/VCCIO pin pair, placed within 5 mm of the package. VCCA_PLL must be held at 2.5 V +/-5% regardless of VCCIO setting; an LDO or ferrite filter is recommended to isolate PLL analog supply from digital switching noise.
The FBGA-256 package's exposed die paddle must be soldered to a PCB thermal pad with an array of at least 25 thermal vias (0.3 mm drill, 1.0 mm pitch). Without this thermal pad the junction temperature can exceed the +100 C industrial limit at sustained high toggle rates above 100 MHz on more than 50% of I/Os. Estimated: theta_JA on a 4-layer JEDEC test board is approximately 18 C/W with full thermal-pad solder, derating to >30 C/W with no thermal pad.
Route all eight VCCIO bank supplies through wide power planes; do not daisy-chain bank supplies. Use length-matched differential routing for the True-LVDS pairs (within 0.13 mm tolerance) with 100 ohm differential impedance. Keep configuration signals (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, MSEL[0..3], DCLK, DATA0) away from high-speed clock edges; these pins are 3.3 V tolerant even when VCCIO is 1.5 V or 1.8 V.
Do not confuse the EP1C6F256I7N (industrial temp, 130 nm, 5,980 LE) with the EP1C6Q240I7N (PQFP-240 package, different PCB layout). The Q240 part has fewer balls and a different ball map despite sharing the same die. Also note: EP1C6F256I7N is NCNR/NRND - for new designs, target a Cyclone IV EP4CE6F17I7N or Cyclone 10 LP 10CL025YU256I7G which are actively supported. Use the Altera/Intel Pin-Out File Generator in Quartus II to verify your specific FBGA-256 pinout before PCB layout.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per Intel/Altera product page (N-suffix denotes Pb-free finish). Not AEC-Q100 qualified - for automotive, evaluate Cyclone IV EP4CE6F17I7N or AEC-Q100 automotive FPGAs. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in provided data.
