EP2C35U484C6N - Cyclone II FPGA, 33K LE, 484-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP2C35U484C6N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $171.13 | $171.13 |
| 10 | $158.4 | $1,584.00 |
| 100 | $142.5 | $14,250.00 |
| 500 | $128.75 | $64,375.00 |
| 1,000 | $115.2 | $115,200.00 |
EP2C35U484C6N Overview
What is an FPGA? An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O can be configured by the customer after manufacture, enabling hardware-level parallelism for DSP, glue logic, prototyping, and ASIC-replacement designs. The Cyclone II family sits in the low-cost density tier between CPLDs and high-end FPGAs, targeting cost-sensitive applications such as industrial controllers, video processing, and protocol bridging. Within the taxonomy, Cyclone II belongs to Altera's low-power, low-cost FPGA family and is positioned beneath the Stratix performance tier.
Key features of the EP2C35U484C6N include 33,216 logic elements arranged across 2,076 logic array blocks (LABs), 105 M9K embedded memory blocks totaling 483,840 RAM bits, 35 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP operations, four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock synthesis and skew management, and 322 maximum user I/Os supporting LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and PCI I/O standards. The U484 package (484-ball FBGA, 1.0 mm pitch) supports commercial operating temperature (0 Β°C to +85 Β°C) and is RoHS-compliant (lead-free).
Architecturally, the Cyclone II fabric uses a four-input lookup table (LUT) based logic element with dedicated carry chains for fast arithmetic, distributed M9K RAM blocks scattered throughout the LAB array, and multiplier blocks hardwired between LAB columns. Configuration is loaded via Altera's serial or parallel configuration schemes through dedicated JTAG or AS (active serial) configuration pins, supported by the Quartus II design toolchain.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video surveillance and image processing front-ends, telecommunications protocol bridging, PCI/PCI-X interface bridging at 33-66 MHz, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband processing, and FPGA-based prototyping of ASIC designs. The wide VCCIO bank flexibility also makes it suitable for mixed-voltage system design where older 5 V-tolerant or 3.3 V peripherals must coexist with 1.8 V processors.
When designing with the EP2C35U484C6N, plan power sequencing carefully: the 1.2 V core VCCINT must ramp before or simultaneously with VCCIO to avoid I/O latch-up. Use Altera's PowerPlay Power Analyzer inside Quartus II for accurate thermal estimation, and provide at least 4-layer PCB routing with continuous ground and power planes for the 322 high-speed I/Os.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C35U484C6N 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 EP2C35U484C6N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C35U484C6
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$106.22 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484C6N
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$118.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484C7N
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$85.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484C8N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$65 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484I8N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$56.01 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484I7N
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$26.4 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484I6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$52.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F484C8
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$28.9 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35U484C6N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone II |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 33,216 |
| Total RAM Bits | 483,840 |
| Number of LABs | 2,076 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 35 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Maximum User I/O | 322 |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.2 V |
| I/O Supply Voltage (VCCIO) | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (UFBGA, U484) |
| Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (Commercial) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG / Active Serial (AS) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free) |
| Design Tool | Quartus II |
EP2C35U484C6N Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O Bank 8 β User I/O, VCCIO8 (3.3 V default) |
| Pin A2 | VCCINT β Core supply 1.2 V |
| Pin B1 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin C1 | GND β Ground |
| Pin D1 | I/O Bank 1 β User I/O, VCCIO1 (3.3 V default) |
| Pin E1 | VCCIO1 β I/O bank 1 supply |
| Pin F1 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin G1 | nSTATUS β Configuration status (open-drain) |
| Pin H1 | nCONFIG β Configuration control (active-low) |
| Pin J1 | CONF_DONE β Configuration complete (open-drain) |
| Pin K1 | TCK β JTAG clock |
| Pin L1 | TMS β JTAG mode select |
| Pin M1 | TDI β JTAG data in |
| Pin N1 | TDO β JTAG data out |
| Pin P1 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin R1 | VCCIO2 β I/O bank 2 supply |
| Pin T1 | I/O β User I/O |
| Pin U1 | DCLK β Configuration clock input |
| Pin V1 | nCE β Chip enable (active-low) |
| Pin W1 | MSEL0 β Configuration mode select 0 |
Typical Applications
EP2C35U484C6N is suitable for 7 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Surveillance & Image Processing, Telecom Protocol Bridging, PCI / PCI-X Bus Interface Bridging, Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband, ASIC Prototyping & Emulation, Display & LED Video Wall Controllers.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP2C35U484C6N is well suited to industrial motor control systems where its 33,216 logic elements and 35 embedded 18x18 multipliers enable Field-Oriented Control (FOC) algorithm implementation, PWM generation, and encoder feedback decoding in a single device. The 322 user I/Os provide ample headroom for multiple gate driver interfaces, current-sense ADCs, and Hall-effect sensor inputs typical of three-phase inverter designs. The four PLLs allow independent clock synthesis for the control loop, PWM switching frequency, and communication peripherals such as RS-485 or CAN. Engineers should select the EP2C35F484I8N alternative for industrial temperature deployments that require operation down to -40 Β°C.
Recommended
Video Surveillance & Image Processing
The EP2C35U484C6N's 35 dedicated 18x18 multipliers and 483,840 bits of M9K block RAM enable real-time video processing pipelines such as 2D FIR filtering, motion detection, and image scaling in mid-resolution surveillance cameras and DVR systems. The 322 user I/Os allow parallel connection to CMOS image sensors (e.g., 10-12 bit BT.656 / BT.1120) while providing sufficient LVDS pairs for high-speed sensor interfaces. The four PLLs can be configured for pixel clock generation, SDRAM controller timing, and Ethernet MAC reference clocks. The U484 package's 1.0 mm pitch allows routing high-density sensor and DDR memory signals on a 4-layer PCB.
Recommended
Telecom Protocol Bridging
The EP2C35U484C6N serves as a flexible protocol bridge between legacy telecom interfaces (T1/E1, RS-232, RS-485) and modern Ethernet or PCI-Express backplanes. Its 33,216 logic elements and 4 PLLs accommodate the FIFO depth, clock-domain crossing, and physical-layer glue logic required to bridge asynchronous serial data to packet-based networks. The 322 user I/Os in the U484 package support up to eight T1/E1 framers, a PCI-X 64-bit bus interface at 66 MHz, or multiple 10/100 Ethernet MII/RGMII ports. The device is widely deployed in customer-premises equipment (CPE) and PBX-to-VoIP gateway designs.
Recommended
PCI / PCI-X Bus Interface Bridging
The EP2C35U484C6N is PCI-X 1.0 specification compatible at 133 MHz and supports the PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 3.0 at 33 or 66 MHz for both 32-bit and 64-bit interfaces, making it a drop-in bus bridge for legacy I/O cards. Its 322 user I/Os in the U484 package can be partitioned into multiple PCI-X segments, and the four PLLs provide independent clock domains for the primary bus, secondary bus, and local logic interface. Typical use cases include industrial frame grabber cards, data acquisition boards, and CPU-to-legacy-peripheral bridges. The 35 embedded 18x18 multipliers can also offload signal-conditioning DSP from the host CPU.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband
The EP2C35U484C6N is widely used in cost-sensitive SDR baseband designs where its 35 embedded 18x18 multipliers can implement up to 35 parallel FIR filter taps or FFT butterfly operations per clock cycle, and the 483,840 RAM bits support digital up-conversion (DUC) and digital down-conversion (DDC) sample buffers. The 322 user I/Os in the U484 package connect to high-speed ADC/DAC converters via LVDS pairs and provide digital interfaces to host processors or RF front-end controllers. The four PLLs generate independent sample clocks for ADC, DAC, and FPGA fabric processing. Hobbyist and academic SDR platforms (e.g., open-source radio designs) frequently select this device for its favorable cost-per-multiplier ratio.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping & Emulation
The EP2C35U484C6N is a cost-effective choice for ASIC prototyping and pre-silicon validation of mid-complexity ASIC designs, particularly in the 100K-500K gate range. Its 33,216 logic elements can host entire microcontrollers, peripheral bus fabrics, and custom logic blocks, while the 322 user I/Os map to ASIC pad-ring signals for prototype bring-up. The Quartus II design toolchain supports industry-standard HDL entry (VHDL/Verilog) and incremental compilation, accelerating design iteration. Engineers commonly chain multiple EP2C35 devices on a daughter card to emulate larger ASICs, leveraging the same U484 footprint across speed grades for prototype-to-production transitions.
Recommended
Display & LED Video Wall Controllers
The EP2C35U484C6N's 322 user I/Os and four PLLs make it a strong candidate for driving large LED video walls and LCD/PDP display controllers in digital signage and stage-display applications. The device can drive multiple DVI/HDMI transmitters via LVDS pairs, perform color-space conversion (RGB/YUV) in real time using its 35 multipliers, and buffer frame data in 483,840 RAM bits. The U484 package's high I/O density allows connection to several parallel-output LED driver chains simultaneously. The same EP2C35 family is commonly used in low-cost video wall controllers for retail and rental-display markets.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C35U484C6N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C35U484C6 | EP2C35F484C6N | EP2C35F484I8N | EP2C35F484C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel |
| Package | 484-ball UFBGA (U484) | 484-ball UFBGA (U484) - same | 484-ball UFBGA (U484) - same | 484-ball UFBGA (U484) - same | 484-ball UFBGA (U484) - same |
| Logic Elements | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 |
| Speed Grade | -C6 (commercial) | -C6 | -C6 | -I8 (slower) | -C8 (slower) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to +85 C (commercial) | 0 to +85 C (commercial) | 0 to +85 C (commercial) | -40 to +100 C (industrial) | 0 to +85 C (commercial) |
| User I/O (max) | 322 | 322 | 322 | 322 | 322 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Total RAM Bits | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest speed grade (-6) in U484 UFBGA package (vs EP2C35F484C8N)
- Commercial temperature with maximum speed (vs EP2C35F484I8N)
- Identical 33,216 LE fabric as other EP2C35 variants (vs EP2C20F484C6N)
Design Notes
The EP2C35U484C6N requires a 1.2 V core supply (VCCINT) plus separate VCCIO supplies per I/O bank. Estimated: at 100 percent logic utilization and 100 MHz operation, total device power is approximately 1.5-2.0 W. Use Altera's PowerPlay Power Analyzer inside Quartus II for project-specific thermal estimates. Always sequence VCCINT before or simultaneously with VCCIO to prevent I/O latch-up; a power supervisor with adjustable rise-time is recommended.
The 484-ball UFBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch, requiring laser-drilled or micro-via PCB technology for fan-out. Use at least a 4-layer PCB with continuous ground and power planes to support the 322 high-speed I/Os. Decoupling: place 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitors within 5 mm of every VCCINT/VCCIO ball pair, plus bulk 47-100 uF tantalum or polymer capacitors on each supply rail near the device. Follow Altera's Cyclone II Hardware Design Guidelines for trace length matching on LVDS pairs.
Estimated: at 2 W total power dissipation and the U484 package's theta_JA of approximately 15 C/W (with 4-layer PCB and 1 oz copper planes), the junction temperature rises roughly 30 C above ambient. Provide adequate airflow or thermal vias to the internal ground plane. For enclosed industrial enclosures, derate to 50 percent I/O utilization or select the industrial-temperature EP2C35F484I8N variant which has the same thermal envelope but wider operating range.
Do not leave MSEL0/MSEL1/MSEL2 configuration mode pins floating - tie them to VCCINT or GND via 10 kohm resistors to select the correct configuration mode (AS, PS, JTAG, or Fast Passive Parallel). Do not connect 5 V signals directly to any user I/O: the Cyclone II VCCIO banks only support up to 3.3 V. Use a level shifter or bus switch (e.g., SN74CB3Q3245) when interfacing with 5 V legacy peripherals. Always connect nCE to GND for single-device configurations.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Altera/Intel Cyclone II product family declaration. Lead-free UFBGA package (SnAgCu solder balls). Not AEC-Q100 qualified - automotive designs should use dedicated automotive-grade FPGAs. Halogen-free status not specified in provided data.
