EP2C50U484C7N - Cyclone II FPGA, 50K LE, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP2C50U484C7N ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $221.97 | $221.97 |
| 10 | $199.77 | $1,997.70 |
| 100 | $177.58 | $17,758.00 |
| 500 | $155.38 | $77,690.00 |
| 1,000 | $133.18 | $133,180.00 |
EP2C50U484C7N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device that combines programmable logic blocks, programmable interconnects, and I/O blocks on a single die. Within the broader taxonomy, the Cyclone II family belongs to the low-cost FPGA category -> FPGA -> programmable logic device (PLD) -> digital logic IC -> semiconductor. Cyclone II devices are built on a 90-nm low-k dielectric CMOS process and target high-volume, cost-sensitive applications that previously required ASIC implementation. They integrate embedded 18x18 multipliers, M4K RAM blocks, and PLL clock management, providing DSP and memory functions alongside general-purpose logic.
Key features include 50,528 logic elements (the headline metric reported in the part number "EP2C50"), 594,432 maximum system gates, 234 Kbits of embedded RAM (M4K blocks), 86 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP applications, 4 Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) for clock synthesis, and 294 user I/O pins supporting multiple I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, and SSTL.
Architecturally, the Cyclone II FPGA employs an SRAM-based configuration cell that requires a configuration device or JTAG loading at power-up. The Logic Array Blocks (LABs) contain 16 Logic Elements (LEs) each, with each LE including a 4-input LUT, a programmable register, and carry chain logic for arithmetic operations. The MultiTrack interconnect architecture minimizes routing congestion for typical designs while preserving timing predictability.
Typical applications include digital signal processing (DSP) front-ends, motor control and industrial automation controllers, video processing and image preprocessing pipelines, communications infrastructure line cards, low-cost prototyping and ASIC emulation platforms, and embedded control systems. The 484-FBGA package supports high I/O count designs while maintaining a compact PCB footprint suitable for production volumes.
Designers should plan for JTAG-based configuration or use of an Altera/Intel serial configuration device (EPCS) since Cyclone II SRAM cells are volatile. PCB layout must respect the 1.0 mm ball pitch and use microvia technology or careful fanout routing to escape the inner balls. Decoupling capacitors should be placed as close as possible to each power pin pair with separate VCCINT and VCCIO planes recommended.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, providing a decision-ready summary for procurement and engineering teams evaluating the Cyclone II family.
Drop-in alternatives for EP2C50U484C7N — 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 EP2C50U484C7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Core Voltage.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP2C50U484I7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2C50U484C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$155.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50U484C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50U484C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP2C50U484C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$115.42 / Unit
View Datasheet →XC6SLX50FGG484
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP2C50U484C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone II |
| Family Name | Cyclone II FPGA |
| Logic Elements | 50,528 |
| Number of Logic Cells | 3,158 (per digchips) |
| Maximum System Gates | 594,432 |
| Number of Registers | 50,528 |
| Total Embedded RAM | 234 Kbits (M4K blocks) |
| Embedded Multipliers | 86 (18x18) |
| PLLs | 4 |
| User I/O Pins | 294 |
| Package | 484-FBGA (UBGA-484), 1.0 mm pitch |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85C (commercial, C-grade) |
| Supply Voltage Core (VCCINT) | 1.15 V to 1.25 V |
| Process Technology | 90 nm CMOS |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Lead Free |
| MSL Level | 3 |
| Speed Grade | C7 (7 ns pin-to-pin delay) |
EP2C50U484C7N Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank dependent) |
| Pin A2 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 voltage supply |
| Pin B1 | I/O — User I/O pin |
| Pin B2 | GND — Ground |
| Pin C1 | I/O — User I/O pin |
| Pin C2 | VCCINT — Core voltage supply (1.15-1.25V) |
Typical Applications
EP2C50U484C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Motor Control and Industrial Drive, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Front-End, Video Processing and Image Preprocessing, ASIC Emulation and Prototyping Platform, Communications Infrastructure Line Card, Embedded Industrial Control System.
Motor Control and Industrial Drive
The EP2C50U484C7N is well-suited for motor control and industrial drive applications due to its 86 embedded 18x18 multipliers enabling fast Field-Oriented Control (FOC) math, 4 PLLs providing precise PWM generation at switching frequencies up to 100 kHz, and 294 user I/O pins supporting quadrature encoder feedback, gate driver interfaces (typically 6 PWM channels), and industrial communication peripherals like RS-485 or CAN. Per typical Cyclone II designs, motor control firmware uses only 20-30% of available logic elements, leaving substantial headroom for safety logic, diagnostics, and STO (Safe Torque Off) implementations. The 484-FBGA package supports the high I/O count needed for multi-axis drive systems on a compact PCB.
Recommended
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Front-End
The EP2C50U484C7N provides 86 embedded 18x18 multipliers and 234 Kbits of M4K block RAM, making it suitable for DSP front-end applications such as software-defined radio baseband, audio effects processing, and image preprocessing pipelines. Each 18x18 multiplier supports operations up to 260 MHz in the C7 speed grade, enabling aggregate DSP throughput exceeding 22 GMACs. The 4 PLLs allow multiple clock domains for ADC sampling, data processing, and output formatting. Per manufacturer reference designs, typical DSP front-end designs consume 40-60% of logic and 70-90% of multiplier resources, fitting comfortably within the EP2C50 capacity envelope.
Recommended
Video Processing and Image Preprocessing
The EP2C50U484C7N supports video processing and image preprocessing pipelines in applications like machine vision cameras, surveillance DVRs, and medical imaging front-ends. The 234 Kbits of embedded RAM buffers scan-line data while the 86 multipliers perform real-time operations like 2D convolution, color space conversion, and edge detection. The 294 user I/O pins can simultaneously interface a parallel image sensor (DVP/parallel RGB), external DDR memory for frame buffering, and multiple video output formats. Per typical Cyclone II video designs, a 720p pipeline consumes approximately 60-70% of LE and 80% of multipliers, leaving headroom for color correction overlays or compression pre-processing.
Recommended
ASIC Emulation and Prototyping Platform
The EP2C50U484C7N serves as a cost-effective ASIC emulation and prototyping platform for pre-silicon validation of digital designs. With 50,528 logic elements, the device can host medium-complexity ASIC RTL blocks including CPUs, peripherals, and custom accelerators before tape-out. The JTAG-based configuration supports rapid design iteration cycles, and Quartus II synthesis software provides timing-driven place-and-route. Per typical emulation use cases, designers partition large ASIC designs across multiple FPGAs using the 294 I/O pins for inter-FPGA communication. The C7 speed grade allows operation above 100 MHz for at-speed validation of bus interfaces and memory controllers.
Recommended
Communications Infrastructure Line Card
The EP2C50U484C7N is commonly deployed in line card designs for communications infrastructure equipment, including TDM cross-connect, protocol bridging, and serial interface aggregation. The 4 PLLs support multiple clock domains for different line rates (E1/T1, Ethernet, PCIe), while the 86 multipliers handle FEC (Forward Error Correction) and encryption operations. The 294 user I/O pins accommodate multiple SERDES-equivalent interfaces, though SERDES is not native to Cyclone II - parallel LVDS is used instead. Per manufacturer reference designs, typical line card implementations use 50-70% of logic elements and benefit from the device's commercial temperature range for indoor central office deployment.
Recommended
Embedded Industrial Control System
The EP2C50U484C7N functions as an embedded controller in industrial systems, combining soft processor cores (Nios II) with custom control logic on a single chip. The 4 PLLs generate system clocks plus dedicated timing for motor control or sensor sampling, while the 294 user I/Os support multiple fieldbuses (EtherCAT, Profibus, CAN) and discrete I/O channels. Per typical industrial control reference designs, a Nios II/f processor plus control loop logic uses approximately 30-40% of available logic elements, leaving headroom for safety functions (SIL-2/3) and HMI interfaces. The 0-85C commercial temperature range suits cabinet-mounted industrial environments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP2C50U484C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP2C50U484I7N | EP2C50U484C6N | EP2C50U484C8N | XC6SLX50FGG484 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA (UBGA-484) | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA (FGG484) - same ball count |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Xilinx |
| Logic Elements | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 50,528 | 43,051 (-15%) |
| Speed Grade | C7 (7 ns) | I7 (7 ns industrial) | C6 (6 ns, faster) | C8 (8 ns, slower) | -2 (Spartan-6 speed grade) |
| Temperature Range | 0C to 85C (commercial) | -40C to 100C (industrial) | 0C to 85C (commercial) | 0C to 85C (commercial) | 0C to 85C (commercial) |
| User I/O Pins | 294 | 294 | 294 | 294 | 316 (+7%) |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 58 (-33%) |
| Embedded RAM | 234 Kbits | 234 Kbits | 234 Kbits | 234 Kbits | 2,178 Kbits (+830%, block RAM) |
| Lifecycle Status | Last time buy | Last time buy | Last time buy | Last time buy | Active (Spartan-6 still in production) |
Key Differentiators
- Same package pinout across all speed grades and temperature variants (vs EP2C50U484C6N (C6 speed grade))
- Direct industrial-temperature drop-in alternative available (vs EP2C50U484I7N (industrial grade))
- Higher DSP block density than cross-brand alternative (vs XC6SLX50FGG484 (Xilinx Spartan-6))
Design Notes
The 484-FBGA package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch which requires careful PCB design to escape all balls. Per manufacturer package guidelines, a 4-layer PCB with continuous GND plane and dedicated VCCINT/VCCIO power planes is strongly recommended. Inner balls (under the package) typically require microvia technology (0.1 mm laser-drilled vias) or via-in-pad for full breakout; standard through-hole vias cannot escape the inner ball array. Allocate sufficient via fanout area beyond the package outline - minimum 5 mm clearance on each side is typical for clean routing of all 294 user I/O signals.
Per manufacturer Cyclone II handbook recommendations, separate VCCINT (core, 1.15-1.25V) and VCCIO (I/O banks, 1.5V/1.8V/2.5V/3.3V depending on standards) supplies must be decoupled with bulk capacitors (47-100 uF) at the package plus 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF ceramic capacitors within 5 mm of each power pin. Per the manufacturer power estimation spreadsheet, a fully utilized EP2C50U484C7N at 100% toggle rate and 50% logic utilization can consume 1.5-2.0 W core power. Use a switching regulator with at least 2A peak capacity for VCCINT and separate LDOs for each VCCIO bank to prevent digital switching noise coupling into sensitive analog interfaces.
Cyclone II devices use volatile SRAM configuration and lose their configuration when power is removed - JTAG programming or an external serial configuration device (EPCS4/EPCS16/EPCS64) is mandatory for production. Per manufacturer configuration handbook, the nCONFIG pin must be pulled high through 10 kohm to VCCIO, and the nSTATUS pin must be pulled high through 10 kohm. A common pitfall is omitting the CONFIG_DONE LED or pull-up, which prevents the device from properly signaling configuration completion. The MSEL pins must be set correctly for the desired configuration mode (AS, PS, JTAG, or Fast AS) - incorrect MSEL settings cause configuration failure with no clear error indication.
Per the manufacturer thermal management guidelines, the EP2C50U484C7N junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (theta_JA) for the 484-FBGA package is approximately 15°C/W with a standard JEDEC test board. Estimated: at typical industrial design operating conditions of 1.8W core dissipation, the junction rises approximately 27°C above ambient - well within the 0-85C commercial range. For high-utilization designs exceeding 2.5W, consider adding thermal vias under the package center thermal pad and using a 2 oz copper PCB stack-up to reduce theta_JA to approximately 10°C/W.
Compliance Information
Lead-free per digchips package description. RoHS compliant per Intel product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGA in this package/temperature grade - industrial -40C grade is available as EP2C50U484I7N variant.
