EP1C6Q24017N - Cyclone FPGA, 6K LEs, 240-Pin PQFP | Altera
MPN: EP1C6Q24017N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $32.5 | $32.50 |
| 10 | $28.75 | $287.50 |
| 100 | $24.9 | $2,490.00 |
| 250 | $22.4 | $5,600.00 |
| 500 | $20.15 | $10,075.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6Q24017N — 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:
EP1C6Q240C7N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C8N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C6N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240I7N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240I8
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1C12Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$24.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q24017N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 |
| User I/O Pins (max) | 185 |
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) |
| Speed Grade | 7 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM |
| Configuration Mode | Serial / JTAG |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Lead-free (per part suffix N) |
| Embedded Multipliers | Yes (DSP blocks) |
| Device Variant | EP1C6Q24017N (Q240, speed 7, lead-free) |
EP1C6Q24017N 240-pin pqfp (q240) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6Q24017N (240-pin pqfp (q240) 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 EP1C6Q24017N.
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
EP1C6Q24017N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Telecom Line Card Glue Logic, Video Processing Front-End, Low-Cost Prototyping Platform, Digital Signal Processing Front-End, Legacy Board Spare-Part Replacement.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP1C6Q24017N fits industrial motor control designs via its 5,980 logic elements and 185 user I/O pins - sufficient to implement PWM generators, encoder quadrature decoders, and PI/PID control loops in a single chip. The two on-chip PLLs handle high-resolution PWM switching frequencies (up to ~100 MHz internal clock) and synchronize to encoder feedback. Compared with newer Cyclone IV parts, the original Cyclone consumes higher core current (1.5 V at higher quiescent draw) but remains field-proven in legacy installations. Typical placement: between gate-driver ICs and resolver/encoder inputs, with 16-bit parallel bus to MCU host.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The EP1C6Q24017N's 240-pin PQFP package supplies 185 user I/Os - enough for parallel TDM bus aggregation, framer/HDB3 encoding, and clock-recovery glue logic in legacy telecom line cards. With 92 Kbits of embedded RAM, designers can absorb small lookup tables (V.24bis tables, country code lists) without external SRAM. The two PLLs derive multiple clock domains from a single backplane reference. Unlike newer Cyclone IV E, the original Cyclone tolerates older 3.3 V backplane signaling natively, simplifying interface to legacy transceivers and bus drivers.
Recommended
Video Processing Front-End
In video-processing front-ends (frame grabbers, scan converters, video overlay), the EP1C6Q24017N provides 5,980 logic elements to implement line buffers, color-space converters, and sync separators. The 92 Kbit block RAM acts as line-buffer memory for SDTV (720x576) at modest frame rates. The 240-pin PQFP allows pin-efficient parallel RGB/YUV interfaces plus I2C control. Power dissipation is roughly 0.5-1 W typical - manageable without a heatsink in 1.5 V core operation. For higher-resolution HD pipelines, migrate to Cyclone IV EP4CE6 with more block RAM.
Recommended
Low-Cost Prototyping Platform
The EP1C6Q24017N serves as a low-cost FPGA prototyping platform for universities, R&D labs, and small-batch product development. Its 240-pin PQFP is hand-solderable with care, unlike BGA packages, enabling rapid board revisions on budget prototypes. 5,980 logic elements are enough for soft-core processors (Nios II economy) plus custom peripherals. Quartus II Web Edition 13.0sp1 supports the device free of charge. Compared to Cyclone IV, the original Cyclone is more affordable on the secondary market but consumes more power and lacks advanced I/O features.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing Front-End
For DSP front-end tasks (FIR filtering, FFT pre-processing, digital down-conversion), the EP1C6Q24017N provides dedicated multiplier blocks alongside 5,980 logic elements. The 92 Kbit block RAM supports coefficient storage and small sample buffers. The two PLLs synthesize sample-rate clocks cleanly. Though the original Cyclone lacks the DSP block density of Cyclone IV/V, it handles single-channel audio processing (48 kHz, 24-bit) and modest-bandwidth communications DSP cost-effectively. Recommended for cost-sensitive production.
Recommended
Legacy Board Spare-Part Replacement
For maintaining legacy production equipment that originally shipped with EP1C6Q24017N, the part is still sourced from independent distributors (Jotrin, Ariat-Tech, FPGAkey, VEKEMO) per Octopart listings as of 2026-09-06. The drop-in same-package alternatives (EP1C6Q240C7N, EP1C6Q240C8N, EP1C6Q240I7N) provide qualified replacements without PCB rework. Compared with newer Cyclone IV, the original Cyclone preserves the original bill-of-materials and avoids costly board redesign. Plan spare-part inventory carefully given 8-12 week lead times.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6Q24017N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6Q240C7N | EP1C6Q240C8N | EP1C6Q240C6N | EP1C6Q240I7N | EP1C6Q240I8 | EP1C12Q240C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 12,060 |
| Speed Grade | 7 | 7 | 8 (slower) | 6 (faster) | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial | Commercial |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 239,616 |
| User I/O (max) | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
Key Differentiators
- Same-package drop-in across speed/temperature grades (vs EP1C6Q240C8N)
- Industrial-temperature drop-in option (vs EP1C6Q240I7N)
- Logic-density scaling within same footprint (vs EP1C12Q240C8N)
Design Notes
The EP1C6Q24017N requires separate VCCINT (1.5 V core) and VCCIO (per-bank I/O voltage, typically 3.3 V/2.5 V/1.8 V/1.5 V) rails. Altera reference schematics specify 100 nF ceramic decoupling on every VCC pin and bulk 100 µF tantalum or polymer caps per supply rail. Power-on sequencing is not strictly required, but simultaneous ramp is preferred to avoid I/O driving into unpowered core. Estimated typical power consumption is 0.5-1 W at moderate utilization; design with 2 W headroom for hot-spot conditions.
The 240-pin PQFP package has 0.5 mm pitch leads - place 4-layer PCB stack-up with continuous ground plane beneath the device for return-path integrity. Traces fan out to inner layers via vias; keep high-speed I/O away from JTAG pins to avoid coupling. For hand-prototype builds, use solder paste and hot-air rework rather than iron. PQFP is more rework-friendly than BGA but still demands proper reflow profile per JEDEC J-STD-020.
Do not confuse the EP1C6Q24017N with the EP1C6F256C8N - the latter uses a 256-pin BGA, not PQFP, and is NOT pin-compatible. The trailing 'N' indicates lead-free finish; older non-N parts may not meet current RoHS requirements. The '17' in the part number is not the speed grade - that is encoded elsewhere. Always cross-reference against Altera's ordering code guide to avoid mis-decoding. Configuration mode pins MSEL[2:0] must be set correctly for AS, PS, or JTAG modes.
Compliance Information
N suffix designates lead-free finish per Altera ordering code convention. Original Cyclone family is obsolete - current RoHS/REACH attestation documents no longer maintained by Intel FPGA. AEC-Q100 not applicable - FPGAs are not automotive-qualified in this family.
