EP2C50F484C7N - Cyclone II FPGA, 50K LEs, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2C50F484C7N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $229.07 | $229.07 |
| 10 | $215 | $2,150.00 |
| 100 | $195 | $19,500.00 |
| 500 | $175 | $87,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $155 | $155,000.00 |
EP2C50F484C7N Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array is a reconfigurable semiconductor whose logic blocks and interconnect are defined after manufacture by loading a user-supplied bitstream. FPGAs sit between fixed-function Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and software-driven microcontrollers: they offer hardware-timed parallelism and nanosecond latency like ASICs, while remaining reprogrammable in the field like microcontrollers. Within the broader taxonomy, FPGAs are programmable logic devices (PLDs) alongside CPLDs, and they are commonly used as glue logic, data-path accelerators, or as the main host processor for signal-processing pipelines. The Cyclone II family was Intel/Altera's 2004-vintage low-cost FPGA series and remains widely deployed in industrial, communications, and educational systems today.
Key features of the EP2C50F484C7N include 50,528 logic elements (LEs), 594,432 bits of embedded RAM (M4K blocks of 4 Kbit each), 4 PLLs, 16 global clock networks, 250 MHz internal performance, and 294 user I/O pins compatible with multiple I/O standards (LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, LVDS). The 1.0 V core supply is generated by an on-chip regulator from an external 1.5 V or 3.3 V rail, simplifying power-tree design. JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) boundary-scan support and a passive-serial or active-serial configuration interface allow bitstream loading from EPCS serial flash devices.
Typical applications for the EP2C50F484C7N include motor-control and drive front-ends in industrial automation, glue-logic and protocol-bridging in telecom line cards, video-processing and image-pipeline pre-processing, low-cost software-defined radio (SDR) baseband implementations, and educational FPGA development boards. Its combination of moderate logic capacity (~50 KLE), generous block RAM, and 294 user I/Os makes it well suited to bridging parallel bus systems and performing DSP-style FIR/FFT filtering at modest sample rates.
When designing with the EP2C50F484C7N, allocate at least eight PCB layers with continuous GND planes beneath the BGA array to maintain signal-integrity for LVDS and DDR-style interfaces. The configuration scheme must be defined in the Quartus II pin-assignment file; leaving MSEL pins floating is a common pitfall that prevents the device from recognizing any configuration source. Finally, observe the I/O bank VCCIO supply constraints - mixing 3.3 V and 1.8 V logic in the same bank will damage the I/O drivers.
This page synthesizes current distributor pricing, RoHS-compliant 484-FBGA drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes that go beyond the Cyclone II datasheet to accelerate FPGA selection and sourcing.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C50F484C7N 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 EP2C50F484C7N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Configuration Modes, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C50F484C8N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$68.2 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F484C6N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$180.47 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F484I7N
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2C50F484I8N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$148.9 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F484C7
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50U484C7N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$133.18 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F484C6
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$110 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F484C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone II |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 50,528 |
| Total RAM Bits | 594,432 bit |
| Embedded RAM Blocks | M4K (4 Kbit each) |
| User I/O Count | 294 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 16 |
| DSP / Hardware Multipliers | Yes (embedded multiplier blocks) |
| Process Technology | 90 nm low-power CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.0 V (internal, regulated) |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (commercial) |
| Package | 484-ball FineLine BGA (1.0 mm pitch) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Configuration Interface | Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), JTAG |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free, Pb-free) |
| Status | Not Recommended for New Designs (NRND); mature, long-life-cycle part |
EP2C50F484C7N 484-ball fineline bga (1.0 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP2C50F484C7N (484-ball fineline bga (1.0 mm pitch) 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 EP2C50F484C7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP2C50F484C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Telecom Protocol Bridging and Glue Logic, Software-Defined Radio Baseband, Video Processing and Image Pipeline Pre-Processing, Educational FPGA Development Boards, Legacy Industrial Control and PLC Backplanes.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP2C50F484C7N's 50,528 logic elements and 4 PLLs provide ample headroom for field-oriented control (FOC) loops that drive three-phase AC induction and PMSM motors at 10β20 kHz PWM frequencies. Its 294 user I/Os accept simultaneous quadrature encoder feedback, Hall sensor inputs, and 6-channel PWM outputs while the embedded multiplier blocks execute the Clarke/Park transforms and PID loops in single-cycle latency. Hardware parallelism eliminates the jitter of software interrupt-driven DSP controllers, giving smoother torque ripple. The commercial 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C temperature range suits cabinet-mounted drives in factory automation; for outdoor or under-hood applications, choose the industrial 'I' speed grade variant.
Recommended
Telecom Protocol Bridging and Glue Logic
As a high-density glue-logic device, the EP2C50F484C7N bridges legacy TDM/E1 streams to modern Ethernet backhaul with deterministic nanosecond-level latency. The 16 global clock networks and 4 PLLs allow clean distribution of multiple telecom clock domains (8 kHz, 1.544 MHz, 2.048 MHz) while the 594,432-bit embedded RAM buffers protocol frames without external FIFOs. Hardware-accelerated HDLC framing, CRC generation, and TDM time-slot switching all run in parallel with the host CPU offloading it from interrupt service routines. The 484-ball BGA integrates easily onto line-card PCBs alongside PHY and SERDES devices, and the JTAG interface simplifies board-level boundary-scan validation during manufacturing.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Baseband
Low-cost software-defined radio implementations use the EP2C50F484C7N as the FPGA baseband processor for narrowband waveforms up to 25 MHz of bandwidth. Its embedded 18Γ18 multipliers implement polyphase FIR filters and complex FFT butterflies at full sample rate without external DSP chips. The 594,432-bit block RAM holds tap coefficients and FFT working memory; the 294 I/Os interface to dual ADCs and DACs at LVDS rates. Although newer Cyclone IV/V families offer lower power, the Cyclone II remains a cost-effective choice for educational SDR kits (USRP1 heritage) and for amateur-radio transceivers targeting 50 MHzβ1.7 GHz operation with 12-bit converters.
Recommended
Video Processing and Image Pipeline Pre-Processing
The EP2C50F484C7N accelerates front-end video processing tasks such as Bayer demosaicing, gamma correction, and edge detection at HD (720p/1080p) resolutions in real time. The 294 user I/Os accept ITU-R BT.656 parallel video, BT.1120 HD-SDI, or Camera Link inputs and drive HDMI or LVDS display panels without external bridge chips. Embedded multiplier blocks implement 3Γ3 convolution kernels and Sobel operators at pixel-clock rates, offloading these tasks from any host processor. The 50K logic-element budget also fits simple H.264 baseline encoder pre-processing such as motion estimation. Designers should pair the device with external DDR SDRAM for frame buffer storage.
Recommended
Educational FPGA Development Boards
Universities and training centers widely adopt the EP2C50F484C7N for teaching digital logic design, computer architecture, and embedded systems. Its 50K logic-element capacity supports complete RISC-V soft-core implementations (e.g., RV32I), memory controllers, and peripheral subsystems on a single chip. The Quartus II toolchain is free for students, and reference designs from Altera/Intel University Program accelerate lab ramp-up. The 484-ball BGA's 1.0 mm pitch is suitable for low-cost 4-layer PCBs used in teaching boards. The mature ecosystem means abundant example projects, lab manuals, and forum support remain available decades after introduction, lowering instructor workload.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial Control and PLC Backplanes
The EP2C50F484C7N's long-life-cycle guarantee makes it a mainstay for factory-floor PLC backplanes, CNC machine controllers, and process automation where field-replacement intervals exceed 15 years. The 4 PLLs and 16 global clock networks provide deterministic timing for distributed I/O scanning across multiple backplane slots; the 294 user I/Os handle digital inputs, relay outputs, and isolated analog front-ends via external ADCs. Hardware-implemented PID loops and state machines execute deterministically regardless of host CPU load, eliminating the variable response time that plagues software-only PLCs. Intel's longevity program guarantees production through at least 2029, supporting multi-decade factory deployments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C50F484C7N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C50F484C8N | EP2C50F484I7N | EP2C50F484C6N | EP2C50U484C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (same family) | Intel (same family) | Intel (same family) | Intel (UBGA package) |
| Package | 484-ball FineLine BGA (F484, 1.0 mm pitch) | 484-ball FineLine BGA (F484) - same | 484-ball FineLine BGA (F484) - same | 484-ball FineLine BGA (F484) - same | 484-ball UltraFineLine BGA (U484) - drop-in |
| Logic Elements | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 |
| Embedded RAM (bits) | 594,432 | 594,432 | 594,432 | 594,432 | 594,432 |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial, mid-bin) | C8 (faster) | I7 (industrial, same bin) | C6 (slower) | C7 (same) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (commercial) | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (commercial) | -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C (industrial) | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (commercial) | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (commercial) |
| User I/Os | 294 | 294 | 294 | 294 | 294 |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| RoHS Compliance | Yes (Pb-free, 'N' suffix) | Yes (Pb-free, 'N' suffix) | Yes (Pb-free, 'N' suffix) | Yes (Pb-free, 'N' suffix) | Yes (Pb-free, 'N' suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-tier speed grade balances performance and yield (vs EP2C50F484C8N)
- Commercial temperature variant for cost-sensitive designs (vs EP2C50F484I7N)
- Mature, long-life-cycle product (vs Cyclone III / Cyclone IV EP3C50 / EP4CE50)
Design Notes
The 484-ball FineLine BGA with 1.0 mm pitch requires an 8-layer PCB with via-in-pad construction for reliable assembly. Use 0.5 oz outer copper weight with 1.0 oz inner planes, and allocate continuous GND planes directly beneath the BGA array to provide low-impedance return paths for LVDS and DDR-style signals. Keep all BGA balls on a 1.0 mm grid; failure to escape-route all 484 signals will leave the design unrouteable. Estimate: signal escape requires microvia or staggered via patterns on at least 4 routing layers.
The Cyclone II core runs at 1.0 V internally, generated by an on-chip regulator from an external VCCINT supply of 1.5 V or 3.3 V depending on configuration. Provide separate VCCINT (1.5 V), VCCA (2.5 V analog PLL supply), and VCCIO banks (1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V per bank). Decouple each VCCIO bank with at least four 0.1 Β΅F X7R ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of the supply balls, plus one bulk 10 Β΅F tantalum per bank. Decoupling VCCA (PLL analog) requires a ferrite bead and 10 Β΅F + 0.1 Β΅F filter network.
Three common pitfalls when designing with the EP2C50F484C7N: (1) Leaving MSEL[3:0] pins floating - the device will not recognize any configuration source if MSEL is not strapped to a valid AS/PS/JTAG mode. (2) Mixing 3.3 V and 1.8 V logic in the same I/O bank - the I/O drivers will be damaged by the mismatch; each bank must run at a single VCCIO level. (3) Skipping the CRC/checksum verification on the loaded bitstream - corrupted configuration data can cause subtle logic failures; enable ALTCRC_CHECK in Quartus II to catch these.
LVDS signaling on the EP2C50F484C7N requires 100 Ξ© differential trace impedance with matched length pairs (Β±150 mil or tighter) and AC-coupling capacitors for chip-to-chip LVDS links. For DDR-style interfaces to external memory, use 50 Ξ© single-ended trace impedance with matched length (Β±50 mil on the byte lanes) and source-termination resistors on the clock and DQS signals. Quartus II's TimeQuest Timing Analyzer will report hold/setup violations if these constraints are not met during layout. Estimated: 1 mm trace length mismatch β 7 ps skew for FR4 with Ξ΅_r = 4.3.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per 'N' suffix in MPN; Pb-free / lead-free BGA balls. Cyclone II family is not AEC-Q100 qualified (industrial variants are available but not automotive). Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in manufacturer datasheet - set to unknown. Conflict-minerals reporting is compliant per Intel supply chain disclosures.
