EP1C6F256I8N - Cyclone FPGA, 6K LE, 256-BGA | Intel (Altera)
MPN: EP1C6F256I8N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $14408.85 | $14,408.85 |
| 10 | $14120 | $141,200.00 |
| 100 | $13832.5 | $1,383,250.00 |
| 500 | $13279.2 | $6,639,600.00 |
| 1,000 | $12748.03 | $12,748,030.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6F256I8N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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EP1C6F256I7N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256C8N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6F256I8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 |
| Embedded RAM Blocks (M4K) | 20 |
| User I/O Pins | 185 |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-256) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Process Technology | 0.13 um SRAM |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Configuration Modes | Passive Serial, Active Serial, JTAG |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP1C6F256I8N 256-ball fineline bga (fbga-256) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6F256I8N (256-ball fineline 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 EP1C6F256I8N.
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
EP1C6F256I8N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Factory Automation, Telecommunications Line Card Interface Bridging, Video Processing Front-End, Motor Drive and Servo Control, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Legacy Design Maintenance and Bridge Logic Replacement.
Industrial Control and Factory Automation
The EP1C6F256I8N fits factory automation backplanes because its 5,980 logic elements handle multi-axis motor control state machines, encoder decoding, and fieldbus bridging in a single device. The industrial -40C to +100C temperature rating supports uncontrolled cabinet environments, while 185 user I/Os connect directly to 24 V opto-isolated signals via external level shifters. Two PLLs generate the precise clock trees needed for EtherCAT, PROFINET, or CANopen synchronization. Compared with discrete 74-series logic implementations, a single Cyclone EP1C6 replaces 10-15 glue-logic ICs, reducing board area and improving MTBF in 24/7 production line installations.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Card Interface Bridging
The EP1C6F256I8N bridges legacy TDM telecom interfaces (T1/E1, H.110) to modern Ethernet or PCI Express backplanes in central-office line cards. Its 5,980 LEs and 92,160 RAM bits accommodate HDLC framing, timeslot cross-connects, and elastic store buffers without external memory. The 256-BGA package provides sufficient I/O count for parallel TDM buses plus Ethernet MII/RGMII interfaces. Per the Cyclone family datasheet (CYC_C5V1), LVDS support at 640 Mbps enables direct connection to network processors without external transceivers. For new designs, the Cyclone IV GT family offers integrated transceivers, but the EP1C6 remains a cost-effective bridge for legacy TDM-to-IP migration in installed equipment.
Recommended
Video Processing Front-End
The EP1C6F256I8N implements video timing controllers, deinterlacers, and color-space converters for surveillance and broadcast equipment front-ends. With 185 user I/Os, it directly interfaces parallel ITU-R BT.656 / BT.1120 video buses plus HDMI/DVI receive-side signals through external TMDS receivers. The 92,160 bits of embedded RAM serve as line buffers for temporal noise reduction and frame-rate conversion, eliminating external SRAM. At standard-definition and 720p resolutions, the 5,980 LEs provide 50-80% utilization, leaving headroom for on-screen display overlay and motion-detection preprocessing. The 256-BGA's 1.0 mm pitch fits standard 4-layer video-capture PCBs without HDI technology.
Recommended
Motor Drive and Servo Control
The EP1C6F256I8N implements space-vector PWM, FOC algorithms, and resolver-to-digital conversion for industrial servo drives and variable-frequency motor controllers. Its 185 I/Os handle 3-phase PWM outputs, encoder quadrature inputs (up to 6 axes via hardware counters), and SPI/I2C communication to gate drivers and current sensors. Two PLLs multiply the low-frequency crystal up to the 100+ MHz clock rates needed for 50-microsecond current loops. The M4K RAM blocks implement lookup tables for sine/cosine and Park transforms. With the industrial -40C to +100C temperature range, the device operates reliably inside sealed drive enclosures without forced cooling.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP1C6F256I8N serves as the timing and control backbone in bench-top oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol testers where its 185 I/Os trigger and capture parallel data streams. The 5,980 logic elements implement custom serial protocol decoders (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN) alongside the main acquisition state machine. The two PLLs provide the jitter-cleaned clocks needed for ADC/DAC synchronization in mixed-signal test gear. Engineers also use the embedded RAM for deep capture buffers and statistical accumulators. Per the Cyclone handbook, JTAG-based configuration allows in-field firmware updates during instrument calibration cycles, supporting 10-15 year product lifecycles typical of T&M equipment.
Recommended
Legacy Design Maintenance and Bridge Logic Replacement
The EP1C6F256I8N is ideal for maintaining legacy industrial systems, avionics subsystems, and military equipment where original 74-series or 4xxx-series CMOS glue logic is failing or unavailable. A single Cyclone EP1C6 can replace 15-30 discrete logic ICs, reducing PCB area by 60-80% and dramatically improving MTBF. The 256-BGA package fits legacy board revisions through rework, while the device's JTAG-based in-system programming allows field updates without removing the board from service. With its NRND status, the EP1C6F256I8N is commonly stocked by industrial distributors supporting long-life deployments in transportation, energy, and defense applications where redesign cost is prohibitive.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6F256I8N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6F256I7N | EP1C6F256C8N | EP1C6F256C7N | EP1C6F256C6N | EP1C6F256I7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 256-ball FineLine BGA | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same | 256-ball FineLine BGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial -40C to +100C | Industrial -40C to +100C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Industrial -40C to +100C |
| Speed Grade | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| RAM 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 |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade at same footprint as commercial variant (vs EP1C6F256C8N)
- Faster speed grade within industrial temperature range (vs EP1C6F256I7N)
- Lead-free / RoHS compliant packaging (vs EP1C6F256I7 (non-N suffix))
Design Notes
Power sequencing is critical for the EP1C6F256I8N. Apply VCCINT (1.5 V) before or simultaneously with VCCIO; failing to do so can cause latch-up. Each of the 8 I/O banks requires its own VCCIO supply (3.3 V, 2.5 V, 1.8 V, or 1.5 V) referenced to the bank's ground. Decouple each VCCINT pin with a 0.1 uF ceramic plus 10 uF bulk per power pin pair, placed within 100 mils of the BGA ball. Estimated total quiescent current at room temperature: approximately 200 mA core plus 5-15 mA per I/O bank under static load.
The 256-ball FineLine BGA uses 1.0 mm pitch with 17x17 mm body. PCB design requires microvia technology or 0.4 mm via-in-pad for the inner balls; standard 0.3 mm vias will not fit between balls. Use a 4- or 6-layer stack-up with continuous ground planes on layers 2 and 5 to provide controlled impedance for LVDS pairs (100 ohm differential) and return paths for high-speed signals. Match trace lengths within +/- 150 mils for DDR SDRAM DQS-to-DQ skew. Avoid placing the BGA over split power planes, as return-path discontinuities cause EMI and SI issues.
Three common pitfalls when designing with the EP1C6F256I8N: (1) Confusing the EP1C6F256 with the EP1C6Q240 - the latter is a 240-pin PQFP with different footprint; (2) Using Quartus Prime instead of Quartus II - the device is not supported in Quartus Prime; (3) Forgetting to set unused I/O pins to 'input tri-stated with weak pull-up' in the device options - this causes excessive I/O leakage. Also, ensure the JTAG chain does not include other devices without configuring the chain order in the Quartus II programmer, otherwise JTAG configuration will fail intermittently.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per N suffix in MPN ordering code. Halogen-free status not specified in available data. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; for automotive, consider EP1C6Q240I7N equivalent in different package or modern Cyclone IV E automotive-grade parts.
