EP2C35U484I8N - Cyclone II FPGA, 33K LE, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2C35U484I8N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $135.62 | $135.62 |
| 10 | $122.06 | $1,220.60 |
| 100 | $108.5 | $10,850.00 |
| 500 | $95 | $47,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $88.5 | $88,500.00 |
EP2C35U484I8N Overview
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) interconnected via a programmable routing matrix. Cyclone II sits in the low-power, low-cost tier of the FPGA hierarchy between CPLDs (smaller, non-volatile) and high-end FPGAs such as Stratix. It is implemented in 90 nm CMOS technology and supports on-chip memory, embedded multipliers, and PLL-based clock management, making it a true system-on-chip programmable platform rather than a simple glue-logic device.
Key features of the EP2C35U484I8N include 35 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP-style arithmetic, four PLLs for clock synthesis and skew management, and support for external memory interfaces including DDR/DDR2 SDRAM and QDRII SRAM. Configuration is typically loaded through JTAG or via an external serial/parallel flash, and the part is offered in the -I8N speed/temperature grade (industrial -40C to +100C junction, 8 ns timing).
From an architectural perspective, the device is built around LABs (logic array blocks) of 16 LEs each, with a MultiTrack interconnect that minimises routing congestion. The 90 nm process gives a typical core voltage of 1.2 V with separate VCCIO banks for I/O standard flexibility (LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL, LVDS, PCI). This makes the EP2C35 well suited to bridge legacy 5 V peripherals to modern 1.8 V/2.5 V cores in mixed-voltage systems.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video processing pipelines, telecommunications line cards, prototyping of ASIC designs, and embedded vision. Designers choose the EP2C35U484I8N specifically because it balances logic density, memory bandwidth, and price in a footprint that supports both parallel and serial high-speed interfaces.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to the decoupling strategy (a 100 uF bulk plus 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramics per VCC pin group is typical) and to I/O bank voltage planning, because mixing 3.3 V LVCMOS with 1.8 V SSTL on the same bank is not allowed.
This page synthesises distributor pricing, drop-in same-package Cyclone II alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, giving engineers a single source for sourcing and substitution decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C35U484I8N — 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 EP2C35U484I8N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Operating Temperature, Package, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Total RAM Bits.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C35U484I8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$55 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35U484C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$64.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35U484C8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$92.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35U484C7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$67.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35U484C7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$108.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35U484C6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$115.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C35U484I8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone II |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 33,216 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 483,840 |
| Maximum User I/O | 322 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 2,076 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 35 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.2 V (nominal) |
| Nominal Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Package | 484-FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial, I-grade) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP2C35U484I8N 484-fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2C35U484I8N (484-fbga (fineline bga) 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 EP2C35U484I8N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2C35U484I8N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing and Display Pipelines, Telecommunications Line Cards, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Embedded Vision and Machine Inspection, Industrial Networking Gateways.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP2C35U484I8N is well suited to industrial motor control, where the 322 available user I/O and 35 embedded 18x18 multipliers let the device simultaneously drive PWM channels, decode quadrature encoder feedback, and execute field-oriented control (FOC) loops in a single fabric. The 1.2 V core keeps power dissipation low in always-on 24 V industrial bus systems, and the four PLLs provide the jitter-clean clocks required for closed-loop current sampling at 20-50 kHz PWM frequencies. The 484-ball FineLine BGA exposes enough I/O for multi-axis drives, while the industrial -40C to +100C junction range handles the thermal load inside a sealed cabinet. Designers typically pair the EP2C35 with TI DRV8313 or Infineon IRSM common-sense gate drivers, using the FPGA's high-speed LVDS I/O to synchronise multi-axis current sampling. Trade-off: the 90 nm process consumes more power than a modern Cyclone V or Zynq-7000 at equivalent utilisation, but the EP2C35 remains cost-effective for production runs of 100-10,000 units where toolchain stability and proven IP matter more than raw power efficiency.
Recommended
Video Processing and Display Pipelines
The EP2C35U484I8N's 483,840 bits of embedded RAM and 35 hardware multipliers make it a practical platform for real-time video processing, including color-space conversion, scaling, de-interlacing, and on-screen-display (OSD) overlay. A typical design can buffer one or two D1 video frames in the on-chip M4K/M512 blocks while running Sobel edge-detection or alpha-blend operations at 27 MHz video pixel rates. The four PLLs generate the precise 27/54/74.25/148.5 MHz clocks required for NTSC, PAL, and HD-SDI video interfaces, and the abundant LVDS-capable I/O banks accept direct HDMI/DVI input from external PHY chips. The 322 user I/O is enough to drive parallel RGB or LVDS LCD panels up to XGA resolution without external bridge ICs. Designers pair the EP2C35 with external DDR SDRAM for frame-store and use the 1.2 V core to keep board power below 5 W even at 80% utilisation. Trade-off: at higher resolutions (1080p60 and beyond) the internal memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, pushing the designer to a Cyclone IV E or Cyclone V FPGA.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP2C35U484I8N is widely deployed in legacy telecom line cards for protocol bridging, TDM-to-Ethernet conversion, and low-density DSP functions such as echo cancellation or voice compression. Its 33,216 logic elements can absorb a 32-channel VoIP codec engine plus a small Nios II soft processor for control-plane management, while the 35 embedded multipliers accelerate the G.168 echo canceller and G.711/G.729 codecs. The 322 user I/O is sufficient to mate with standard T1/E1 framers and 100 Mbit Ethernet PHYs without external glue logic, and the four PLLs let designers cleanly synthesise 8 kHz, 1.544 MHz, 2.048 MHz, and 25 MHz clocks from a single board reference. The industrial temperature range is a hard requirement for central-office deployments. Trade-off: the 90 nm 1.2 V core runs warm under sustained DSP load, so adequate airflow or a small heatsink over the BGA is recommended; for new designs, the Cyclone V SoC provides ARM cores at similar cost with much lower power.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
Engineers use the EP2C35U484I8N as a low-cost ASIC prototype platform, where the 33,216 logic elements can hold a typical 200-300k-gate ASIC design for RTL validation before tape-out. The abundant 322 user I/O and 484-ball package give enough pin count to map a real-world ASIC's pad ring, while the 35 embedded multipliers let the prototype exercise DSP blocks at full speed. Configuration is fast via JTAG, allowing quick RTL iteration cycles during bring-up. The 483,840 bits of RAM are sufficient to emulate on-chip SRAM blocks for cache or scratchpad validation. Designers typically instantiate multiple EP2C35U484I8N devices on a multi-FPGA prototyping board, stitching the design across the chips using LVDS or SSTL inter-board links. Trade-off: for designs larger than ~1.5M ASIC gates, the EP2C35 is too small and the user must step up to a Cyclone IV GX or Stratix family; for designs under 200k gates the EP2C20 is more cost-effective.
Recommended
Embedded Vision and Machine Inspection
The EP2C35U484I8N is a strong fit for embedded vision systems such as factory-floor machine inspection, barcode readers, and license-plate recognition, where the 35 hardware 18x18 multipliers and 483,840 bits of embedded memory accelerate image preprocessing, thresholding, and morphological operations in real time. A typical 640x480 @ 60 fps pipeline can run a 5x5 Sobel or Laplacian filter at 18.75 MHz pixel rate, freeing an external ARM/DSP host for higher-level classification. The 322 user I/O interfaces directly to parallel CMOS image sensors (e.g. Micron/Aptina MT9V032) and to the LCD or Ethernet output channel. The industrial temperature range suits factory ambient, and the 484-ball BGA keeps the device footprint under 19x19 mm for compact camera modules. Trade-off: the EP2C35 lacks hard CPU cores, so designers add an external Nios II soft processor or pair the FPGA with a low-cost ARM MCU, increasing BOM; for higher-throughput vision, the Cyclone V SoC with integrated ARM hard core is a more integrated path.
Recommended
Industrial Networking Gateways
Industrial Ethernet gateways, protocol converters (e.g. Modbus TCP to Profibus), and remote I/O concentrators use the EP2C35U484I8N as a flexible I/O processor and protocol engine. The 322 user I/O handles multiple isolated RS-485, RS-232, and CAN ports via external transceivers, while the embedded Nios II soft processor executes the real-time protocol stack. The four PLLs generate the 50 MHz RMII, 25 MHz MII, and 1.544/2.048 MHz TDM clocks needed to bridge legacy fieldbus to industrial Ethernet. The 483,840 bits of RAM buffer TCP segments and Modbus transactions, and the 35 multipliers accelerate AES-128 encryption for secure remote-access links. The industrial temperature grade and RoHS compliance are mandatory for factory-automation deployments. Trade-off: the 90 nm core draws more quiescent current than a modern Cyclone V GX with integrated transceivers, so battery-backed remote nodes should use a lower-density Cyclone II or migrate to a Cyclone V; the EP2C35 remains the most cost-effective option when the design is in active production and toolchain stability matters more than a few mW of standby power.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C35U484I8N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C35U484I8 | EP2C35U484C8N | EP2C35U484C8 | EP2C35U484C7N | EP2C35U484C7 | EP2C35U484C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine, U-suffix) | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine) - same | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine) - same | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine) - same | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine) - same | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine) - same | 484-FBGA (Ultra FineLine) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 | 33,216 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 | 483,840 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Speed Grade | 8 (fastest) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C junction) | Industrial | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Lead-free (N suffix), RoHS compliant | Lead-free, RoHS | Lead-free, RoHS | Pb-bearing (no N) | Lead-free, RoHS | Pb-bearing (no N) | Lead-free, RoHS |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade in the 484-FBGA Ultra FineLine footprint (vs EP2C35U484C8N)
- Fastest speed grade (8) available with industrial qualification (vs EP2C35U484C7N / EP2C35U484C6N)
- Lead-free (Pb-free) terminal finish for RoHS compliance (vs EP2C35U484C8 / EP2C35U484C7)
Design Notes
The EP2C35U484I8N requires three independent supply rails: VCCINT = 1.2 V for the core logic, VCCIO at 1.5/1.8/2.5/3.0/3.3 V per I/O bank, and VCCA = 2.5 V for the PLL analog blocks. Decoupling per the Cyclone II Device Handbook: place one 100 uF tantalum or polymer bulk capacitor at the regulator output, then 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF X7R ceramics on every VCCINT/VCCIO/VCCA pin group, located within 100 mils (2.5 mm) of the BGA ball. Use separate LDO regulators for VCCA to keep PLL jitter under 200 ps peak-to-peak. Estimated: ICCINT for a 75%-utilised 33K-LE design at typical toggle rates is 600-900 mA, so the 1.2 V rail must source at least 1.2 A continuous.
Although the EP2C35U484I8N at 90 nm has reasonable static power, dynamic power at 200 MHz on 80% utilisation can exceed 1.5 W. The 484-ball Ultra FineLine BGA has a theta_JA of approximately 18 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, which yields a junction-to-ambient temperature rise of about 27 C at 1.5 W. For industrial ambient of +85 C, keep junction rise below 15 C by mounting the BGA on a 2 oz copper inner-plane stack-up with thermal vias under the central ball grid. Estimated: at 2 W dissipation on a 1 oz board, junction temperature climbs to 121 C - above the +100 C industrial limit - so thermal vias are required, not optional.
BGA fan-out must use 0.5 mm or finer via-in-pad (VIP) with plugged-and-plated over-pad to meet the 1.0 mm ball pitch of the EP2C35U484I8N. Route all signal traces on internal microstrip layers (stripline preferred for LVDS) with 50 ohm single-ended and 100 ohm differential impedance control. The eight I/O banks each have their own VCCIO supply, so the board must provide eight separate 0.1 uF + 0.01 uF ceramic pairs and a ferrite bead if mixing voltage standards across banks. Configuration pins MSEL[2:0], nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and CONF_DONE need 4.7 kohm pull-ups to VCCIO of the configuration bank. Allow 0.5 inch clearance around the BGA for rework.
Common pitfalls with the EP2C35U484I8N: (1) Mixing LVTTL 3.3 V and LVDS 2.5 V on the same I/O bank - banks cannot share VCCIO, so split them; (2) leaving JTAG TCK unterminated - place a 1 kohm pull-down to ground; (3) using the wrong speed grade during synthesis - Quartus II will warn but still produce a bitstream, so always verify in the fitter report; (4) forgetting to de-assert the POR (power-on reset) hold time of 100 us before JTAG configuration begins; (5) selecting EPCS4 (4 Mbit) when the compressed bitstream is 6 Mbit - the EP2C35U484I8N typically needs an EPCS16 or larger for full configuration.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance inferred from the 'N' suffix in the part number per Altera/Intel ordering information. Halogen-free status not explicitly listed in the Cyclone II datasheet and therefore marked unknown. AEC-Q100 not applicable to FPGAs - this part is not automotive-qualified; for automotive applications use the EP4C or Cyclone V Auto families.
