EP1M120F484C7 - 49K LE Mercury FPGA, 303 I/O, 484-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP1M120F484C7 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $245 | $245.00 |
| 10 | $220.5 | $2,205.00 |
| 100 | $195 | $19,500.00 |
| 500 | $172.5 | $86,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $155 | $155,000.00 |
EP1M120F484C7 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor IC containing configurable logic blocks (CLBs/LABs), programmable interconnects, and I/O cells that engineers can re-program in-system to implement arbitrary digital functions. FPGAs sit above general-purpose microcontrollers in the compute hierarchy and below custom ASICs in NRE cost: they offer higher logic density and parallel throughput than MCUs, yet remain field-reprogrammable unlike fixed-function ASICs. The Mercury family specifically targets high-speed serial I/O and DSP-centric designs.
Key features of the EP1M120F484C7 include 49,152 logic elements organized into 480 LABs, 303 user I/Os, integrated CDR-capable transceivers to 1.25 Gbps, embedded multiplier blocks for DSP operations, and CMOS look-up table (LUT) architecture. The 484-ball FineLine BGA package provides high pin density for complex interconnect routing while maintaining SMT manufacturability.
Architecturally, the device employs a CMOS SRAM-based LUT fabric with distributed and block memory, surrounded by programmable I/O elements supporting multiple I/O standards (LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, LVDS, etc.). The Mercury family was Altera's first to integrate multi-gigabit transceivers directly on-die, eliminating external serializer/deserializer parts and reducing BOM count for backplane and chip-to-chip links.
Typical applications include high-speed serial interface bridging (1 Gbps Ethernet, Fibre Channel, custom backplanes), DSP co-processing in wireless base stations, telecom line-card glue logic, and legacy ASIC prototyping. The 303 user I/Os also suit memory-interface aggregation and parallel bus expansion.
A critical design consideration is the 1.8 V core supply requirement and proper decoupling across the 484-ball BGA - mixed-voltage I/O banks require careful VCCIO planning to avoid contention. JTAG and active serial configuration must be selected up-front, since the EP1M120F484C7 does not auto-detect configuration mode.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, package-aware drop-in equivalents, and practical design notes not found in the bare manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP1M120F484C7 β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP1M120F484C7 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Family, Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Configuration Method.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1M120F484C7N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$108 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1M120F484C6
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1M120F484C6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$56.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1M120F484C5
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1M120F484C6M
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$99.75 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1M120F484C6ES
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$92.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP1M120F484C7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Mercury (EP1M) |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Logic Elements | 49,152 |
| Number of LABs | 480 |
| User I/Os | 303 |
| Number of Pins | 484 |
| Package Type | FineLine BGA (FBGA-484) |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C (Commercial) |
| High-Speed Transceivers | Integrated, CDR up to 1.25 Gbps |
| Configuration | JTAG / Active Serial (per datasheet) |
| Device Type | Loadable PLD (FPGA) |
EP1M120F484C7 fineline bga (fbga-484) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP1M120F484C7 (fineline bga (fbga-484) 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 EP1M120F484C7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP1M120F484C7 is suitable for 6 applications: 1 Gbps Ethernet Bridge, Wireless Base Station DSP Co-Processing, Telecom Line-Card Glue / Aggregation Logic, Legacy ASIC Prototyping, Industrial Control Backplane Bridging, Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
1 Gbps Ethernet Bridge
The EP1M120F484C7's integrated CDR transceivers to 1.25 Gbps directly support 1G Ethernet SGMII-to-tenant conversion without external SERDES parts. Its 49,152 logic elements and 480 LABs provide ample fabric for 10/100/1000 PHY bridging, VLAN tagging, MAC encapsulation, and time-stamping logic at wire speed. The 303 user I/Os across 484-ball BGA enable multiple SGMII lanes plus management interfaces (I2C/MDIO) on a single device, reducing board BOM compared to discrete PHY plus CPLD designs.
Recommended
Wireless Base Station DSP Co-Processing
The 49,152 logic elements and embedded multiplier blocks of the EP1M120F484C7 make it well-suited for DSP co-processing in wireless base-station cards: FIR filtering, FFT pipelines, and crest-factor reduction (CFR) on the RF data path. The Mercury family's high-speed transceivers backhaul digitized IF samples to baseband DSP ASICs at rates up to 1.25 Gbps, while 303 user I/Os handle parallel data buses, control channels, and LVDS timing links. Commercial 0-85C temperature operation suits indoor base-station chassis without extended screening.
Recommended
Telecom Line-Card Glue / Aggregation Logic
In telecom line cards the EP1M120F484C7 acts as programmable glue logic between network processors, framer/mapper ASICs, and switch fabrics. Its 303 I/Os accommodate multiple parallel UTOPIA/SPI-3 bus interfaces plus SPI-4.2-style 16-bit LVDS connections, while the integrated 1.25 Gbps transceivers carry serial links to backplane connectors. The 480 LAB fabric supports on-the-fly protocol conversion, hit-less protection switching, and OTN/SONET overhead insertion without external components.
Recommended
Legacy ASIC Prototyping
The Mercury family is widely deployed as an ASIC prototyping vehicle because of its 49K logic element capacity and pin-rich 484-BGA package. Engineers map ASIC RTL directly into the EP1M120F484C7, using 303 user I/Os to expose peripheral buses for hardware-software co-validation, real-time stimulus generation, and post-silicon bring-up. The CMOS LUT-based fabric offers fast compile times compared to ASIC implementation, and the C7 speed grade supports ASIC-grade timing closure for moderate clock rates.
Recommended
Industrial Control Backplane Bridging
Factory-automation backplanes benefit from the EP1M120F484C7's high-speed serial channels plus abundant parallel I/O. The 1.25 Gbps transceivers backhaul sensor and motor-control telemetry between controller cards over compact serial links, while the 303 user I/Os aggregate low-speed digital I/O (encoders, end-of-travel switches, valve drivers). Commercial 0-85C operation fits IP20/IP54 control cabinets; conformal coating or industrial screening should be added at the system level if harsher environments are expected.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Bench-top and ATE-class test instruments leverage the EP1M120F484C7 for pattern generation, protocol decode, and high-speed data capture. The 1.25 Gbps transceivers acquire serial data streams directly, while 49K logic elements implement real-time protocol state machines and trigger logic. The 303 user I/Os drive front-panel displays, hand-off to PC-over-PCI/USB bridges, and connect to DUT fixtures. The BGA package supports high-density signal routing needed for multi-channel ATE systems.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1M120F484C7 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1M120F484C7N | EP1M120F484C6 | EP1M120F484C6N | EP1M120F484C5 | EP1M120F484C6M | EP1M120F484C6ES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) - same | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) - same | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) - same | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) - same | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) - same | 484-BGA (FBGA-484) - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Logic Elements | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 |
| Number of LABs | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 |
| User I/Os | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 |
| Speed Grade | C7 | C7 | C6 (slower) | C6 (slower) | C5 (slowest) | C6 (slower, mil-temp) | C6 (slower, ES) |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 1.25 Gbps (CDR) | Up to 1.25 Gbps | Up to 1.25 Gbps | Up to 1.25 Gbps | Up to 1.25 Gbps | Up to 1.25 Gbps | Up to 1.25 Gbps |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Highest commercial speed grade (C7) of the Mercury family (vs EP1M120F484C6)
- Integrated multi-gigabit transceivers with CDR (vs Altera Cyclone FPGAs (e.g., EP1C20F484))
- Pin-compatible lead-free variant available (vs EP1M120F484C7N)
Design Notes
The EP1M120F484C7 requires a clean 1.8 V core supply with multiple bulk and ceramic decoupling capacitors per the Altera Mercury datasheet reference design. Estimated: at typical 49K LE utilization plus four active transceivers at 1.25 Gbps, core current draw is on the order of 1.5-2 A; VCCIO banks add another 0.5-1 A depending on switching activity. Use at least four 100 uF bulk capacitors plus 0.1 uF / 0.01 uF ceramics distributed around the BGA perimeter, placed as close as possible to each supply ball.
The 484-ball FineLine BGA package demands a multi-layer PCB (typically 8-12 layers) with microvia-in-pad or standard via-in-pad construction. Fan-out routing must respect the 1.0 mm ball pitch; escape routing should use dog-bone or via-in-pad patterns. Matched-length impedance control (50 ohm single-ended, 100 ohm differential) is required for LVDS and 1.25 Gbps transceiver lanes per Mercury reference design guidelines.
Do not assume auto-configuration: the EP1M120F484C7 must have its MSEL pins strapped at power-up to select JTAG or Active Serial configuration mode. Incorrect MSEL strapping is a top cause of 'blank' Mercury boards. Also confirm that the configuration flash (EPCS4/EPCS16 or compatible) is properly sized for the programming file; undersized flashes cause bitstream CRC errors. Always assert nCONFIG low and observe nSTATUS during power-up sequencing.
At full 49K LE utilization with four 1.25 Gbps transceivers active, junction temperature can approach the commercial 85 C limit without airflow. Estimated: the FCBGA-484 has theta_JA around 15-20 C/W with a properly designed thermal pad array on the PCB. Place thermal vias under the central die-expose region and consider a small heatsink for enclosed chassis without forced airflow.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance not directly stated in the verified web data; the EP1M120F484C7N (lead-free) variant is the recommended choice for new RoHS-compliant designs. Mercury family is not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGAs are typically not automotive-qualified). Conflict-minerals status not specified in source data.
