EP2C50F672C6 - Cyclone II FPGA, 50K LE, 672-FBGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP2C50F672C6 β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $78.5 | $78.50 |
| 10 | $71.2 | $712.00 |
| 100 | $64.85 | $6,485.00 |
| 250 | $60.1 | $15,025.00 |
| 500 | $55.95 | $27,975.00 |
EP2C50F672C6 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device containing an array of programmable logic blocks, interconnect, and I/O cells that engineers configure after manufacture using a hardware description language. FPGAs sit in the programmable logic hierarchy between ASICs (fully custom, NRE-heavy) and microcontrollers (fixed instruction set). Cyclone II specifically targets cost-sensitive, high-volume applications where the unit price of traditional FPGAs was historically prohibitive - it bridges the gap toward structured ASICs in the cost-performance trade-off curve.
Key features of the EP2C50F672C6 include four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock synthesis, up to 450 user I/O pins distributed across multiple banks, support for external memory interfaces including DDR, DDR2, and QDRII SRAM, and up to 250 MHz performance on embedded multipliers. The device supports configuration via JTAG, Active Serial (AS), and Passive Serial (PS) modes using commodity EPCS configuration memories, enabling flexible in-system programming.
The Cyclone II architecture separates logic, memory, and DSP into dedicated hardware blocks - LABs (Logic Array Blocks) for general logic, M4K memory blocks for variable-width RAM, and embedded multiplier blocks for DSP - avoiding the inefficiency of implementing these functions in soft logic. This hard-IP approach delivers predictable timing closure and competitive performance-per-watt.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video surveillance and image processing, automotive infotainment, telecom line cards, consumer display controllers, and software-defined radio front-ends. The combination of DSP blocks, memory, and flexible I/O makes the EP2C50F672C6 a strong fit for parallel processing tasks where microcontrollers run out of headroom.
When designing with this device, pay close attention to decoupling strategy - place 0.1 uF and 10 uF capacitors adjacent to every VCCINT and VCCIO pin pair, and route all PLL analog supplies (VCCA_PLL) through a ferrite bead for noise isolation. Signal integrity on DDR interfaces requires matched-length traces and proper VTT termination; consult the Cyclone II External Memory Interface Handbook for the chosen memory standard.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing snapshots from DigiKey/Mouser/Octopart, real drop-in alternatives drawn from the same Cyclone II and Cyclone III device families, and practical PCB-level design notes that complement the manufacturer datasheet's electrical tables.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C50F672C6 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 EP2C50F672C6 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C50F672C7N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$162.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F672C8N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$148.75 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F672I7N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―π Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2C50F672I8N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$248.4244 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F672C6N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$122.5 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C35F672C6
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$95 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP2C50F672C6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone II |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 50,528 |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLB) | 3,158 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 594,432 bits |
| Maximum User I/O | 450 |
| Maximum Internal Clock Frequency | 500 MHz |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | Yes (DSP blocks) |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.2 V |
| Package | 672-ball FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Modes | JTAG, Active Serial, Passive Serial |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 C to +85 C) - C6 speed grade |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP2C50F672C6 Pin Configuration
| Pin AA1 | I/O Bank 8 β User I/O - bank 8 (LVCMOS/LVTTL) |
| Pin AA26 | I/O Bank 7 β User I/O - bank 7 |
| Pin AB1 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin AB26 | VCCIO8 β I/O supply for bank 8 |
| Pin C1 | VCCINT β Core 1.2 V supply |
| Pin C2 | VCCINT β Core 1.2 V supply |
| Pin D26 | GND β Ground reference |
| Pin E3 | TMS β JTAG test mode select |
| Pin E26 | TCK β JTAG test clock |
| Pin F2 | TDI β JTAG test data input |
| Pin F25 | TDO β JTAG test data output |
| Pin G1 | nCONFIG β Configuration control (active-low) |
| Pin G26 | nSTATUS β Configuration status (active-low) |
| Pin H24 | CONF_DONE β Configuration done indicator |
| Pin J1 | DCLK β Configuration clock input |
| Pin J26 | DATA0 β Configuration data input (AS/PS) |
| Pin K2 | MSEL0 β Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin K25 | MSEL1 β Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin L1 | nCE β Chip enable (active-low) |
| Pin L26 | VCCA_PLL1 β Analog PLL1 supply (filter with ferrite) |
Typical Applications
EP2C50F672C6 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Surveillance and Image Processing, Telecom Line Card Aggregation, Automotive Infotainment Display Controller, Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP2C50F672C6 fits industrial motor control by providing 50,528 logic elements, four PLLs for precise PWM generation, and 450 user I/O for encoder feedback, gate driver control, and multi-axis coordination. Its 594 Kbit embedded RAM captures real-time current/voltage samples without external memory bottlenecks, while the 90 nm process delivers predictable latency for closed-loop control loops. The 1.2 V core plus separate VCCIO banks lets engineers mix 3.3 V gate drivers and 5 V analog sensing on the same die. Compared with microcontrollers, the FPGA runs field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms on parallel hardware at sub-microsecond update rates, enabling higher torque bandwidth and lower current ripple.
Recommended
Video Surveillance and Image Processing
The EP2C50F672C6's 50,528 LE plus 594 Kbit embedded RAM and embedded 18x18 multipliers make it well suited to multi-channel video processing - scaling, deinterlacing, and motion detection on D1 or 720p streams. The 450 user I/O accommodate parallel camera interfaces (BT.656, LVDS) plus DDR memory for frame buffering. Hardware multipliers accelerate 2D filter kernels (Sobel, Gaussian) at pixel-clock rates, leaving the soft-logic fabric free for protocol and overlay rendering. The Cyclone II DDR memory controller supports DDR or DDR2 SDRAM at up to 167 MHz, enough bandwidth for two simultaneous D1 streams with headroom.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card Aggregation
Telecom line-card aggregation benefits from the EP2C50F672C6's combination of 450 user I/O, four PLLs, and embedded multipliers for serial protocol framing. The device aggregates multiple T1/E1 or low-speed Ethernet channels into an uplink, performing HDLC framing, bit-error-rate monitoring, and clock recovery in hardware. The 90 nm process provides the speed margin for 77.76 MHz TDM buses without timing closure headaches. I/O bank flexibility allows 3.3 V LVTTL for legacy PHYs alongside 2.5 V LVDS for backplane interconnect, simplifying mixed-voltage line-card designs.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment Display Controller
The EP2C50F672C6 drives automotive center-stack displays by handling LVDS or RGB-to-LVDS translation, touch-panel interface decoding, and graphics overlay composition in hardware. Its 50,528 LE accommodate multi-layer GUI composition at 60 Hz without external graphics controllers. The 672-ball FBGA exposes enough I/O for two independent display outputs plus CAN/LIN automotive buses. Embedded multipliers accelerate JPEG decoding for splash screens and rear-view camera input. Commercial C6 temperature grade suits cabin environments; for under-hood or instrument-cluster applications, the EP2C50F672I7N industrial variant is preferred.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Front-End
The EP2C50F672C6 enables software-defined radio (SDR) baseband processing on a low-power budget. Its 594 Kbit embedded RAM stores time-domain IQ samples, while the 50,528 LE plus 18x18 multipliers execute FFT, channelization, and demodulation at sample rates up to 80 MSPS. Four PLLs derive precise baseband clocks from a single reference oscillator. The 90 nm process delivers enough logic density to handle DVB-T or WiFi baseband at full rate without external DSPs, reducing BOM and PCB area for tactical-radio and fixed-wireless designs.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP2C50F672C6 is well matched to mid-range T&M equipment - logic analyzers, protocol exercisers, and arbitrary waveform generators - where its 50,528 LE and embedded RAM deliver parallel stimulus generation and capture. The 450 user I/O connect directly to high-speed probe fixtures without external muxing, while four PLLs provide independent timing domains for multi-rate stimulus. Embedded 18x18 multipliers accelerate DSP functions like FIR filters and FFTs for real-time signal analysis. The commercial temperature grade and 672-ball FBGA keep unit cost low for high-channel-count instruments sold into production-line ATE.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C50F672C6 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C50F672C7N | EP2C50F672C8N | EP2C50F672I7N | EP2C50F672I8N | EP2C35F672C6N | EP2C35F672C6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 672-ball FBGA | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same | 672-ball FBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 33,216 (-34%) | 33,216 (-34%) |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 594,432 | 594,432 | 594,432 | 594,432 | 594,432 | 483,840 (-19%) | 483,840 (-19%) |
| Max User I/O | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 322 | 322 |
| Speed Grade | C6 | C7 (faster) | C8 (fastest) | I7 (industrial, faster) | I8 (industrial, fastest) | C6 | C6 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 C to +85 C) | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (-40 C to +100 C) | Industrial (-40 C to +100 C) | Commercial | Commercial |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V |
| Approx. Unit Price (1 pc) | USD 78.50 | USD ~85 (est.) | USD ~95 (est.) | USD ~105 (est.) | USD ~115 (est.) | USD ~58 (est.) | USD ~58 (est.) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest logic density in 672-ball FBGA Cyclone II family at C6 commercial speed (vs EP2C35F672C6N)
- Commercial temperature grade at C6 speed - optimal cost/performance for industrial/commercial systems (vs EP2C50F672I7N)
- C6 speed grade offers better timing margin than C7/C8 in cost-sensitive designs (vs EP2C50F672C8N)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 50 percent toggle rate and typical utilization, the EP2C50F672C6 core draws approximately 1.0 to 1.5 A from VCCINT (1.2 V) and up to 0.5 A per populated VCCIO bank. Place one 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitor adjacent to every VCCINT pin pair and one bulk 10 to 47 uF tantalum or polymer capacitor at each VCCINT plane entry point. Use a ferrite bead in series with VCCA_PLL1 through VCCA_PLL4, with 10 uF and 0.1 uF decoupling on the analog side to suppress PLL jitter.
The 672-ball FineLine BGA uses 1.0 mm pitch and 27x27 ball array; design microvia-in-pad stack-ups with 0.2 mm via-in-pad to fan out signals without via stubs. Maintain at least 4 PCB layers: top signal/GND, internal GND/power planes, internal signal routing, bottom signal. Match trace lengths for DDR/DDR2 data and strobe signals within +/-25 ps and place VTT termination resistors within 200 ps of the memory device pins.
Do not leave MSEL0/MSEL1 floating - hard-tie them to VCCIO or GND through 1 kohm resistors to select AS/PS/JTAG configuration mode. Leaving them floating causes configuration mode ambiguity and intermittent boot failures. Also ensure the nCONFIG pin has a 1 kohm pull-up to VCCIO and a 1 nF cap to GND for clean reset behavior.
Differential pair routing (LVDS) on clock and high-speed I/O requires 100 ohm differential impedance with length matching within 20 ps. Keep LVDS traces away from TTL switching lines by at least 3x the dielectric height to minimize crosstalk. Use guard traces or GND pour stitching vias every 200 ps along the route to suppress return-path discontinuities.
Compliance Information
Cyclone II FPGAs are Pb-free (lead-free) and RoHS compliant per Altera/Intel product specifications. AEC-Q100 qualification is not applicable for this commercial-temperature part; for automotive applications, consult the Cyclone II automotive qualification documentation or select an industrial-temperature variant. Halogen-free status was not explicitly stated in the verified web data - flagged as unknown.
