EP3C40F324C7N - Cyclone III FPGA, 39.6K LE, 324-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3C40F324C7N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $58.4 | $58.40 |
| 10 | $53.1 | $531.00 |
| 100 | $47.85 | $4,785.00 |
| 500 | $42.2 | $21,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $38.65 | $38,650.00 |
EP3C40F324C7N Overview
A Cyclone III FPGA is a programmable logic device that combines lookup-table (LUT)-based fabric, distributed and block RAM (M9K/M144K), DSP blocks, and PLL clock management in a single chip. In the broader taxonomy it sits under programmable logic -> FPGA -> SRAM-based FPGA -> low-power FPGA -> semiconductor. The Cyclone III family introduced hard 3.125 Gbps transceivers-free design with significantly lower static and dynamic power than Cyclone II, making it a common choice for cost-sensitive, high-volume designs.
Key differentiating features of the EP3C40F324C7N include 4 phase-locked loops for flexible clock synthesis, embedded multiplier blocks for moderate DSP workloads, support for external memory interfaces such as DDR/DDR2 SDRAM, QDRII SRAM, and single data-rate SRAM through dedicated DQS pins, and a MultiTrack interconnect optimized for high-utilization designs. The device supports serial configuration via EPCS or EPCQ devices as well as JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) and parallel passive/active configuration.
Architecturally, the EP3C40F324C7N employs logic-array-block (LAB) tiles of 16 LEs each, with carry chains and register chains spanning LABs for efficient arithmetic. Logic is paired with M9K (9 Kbit) block RAM blocks and dedicated 18x18 hardware multipliers, giving designers a balanced fabric for control logic, FIFOs, and signal processing. Configuration data is stored in SRAM; an external configuration device (EPCS4/EPCS16/EPCQ16, etc.) or JTAG programmer loads the bitstream at power-up.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video surveillance and image processing pipelines, low-cost software-defined radio (SDR) front-end glue logic, telecom baseband glue logic and protocol bridging, prototyping of ASIC designs, and consumer display controllers. The 324-FBGA package's compact footprint suits space-constrained boards while retaining enough I/O for parallel external memory buses and high-speed LVDS pairs.
When designing, treat the 1.2 V core and 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O rails as separate supply domains and decouple each with 0.1 µF and 10 µF capacitors near the balls. Configure PLL loop-bandwidth settings per the datasheet for jitter-sensitive applications, and verify FPGA timing with TimeQuest (Quartus Prime) against the chosen speed grade.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives within the Cyclone III family, and practical PCB/power design notes not consolidated in any single manufacturer document.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C40F324C7N — 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 EP3C40F324C7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Mounting Type, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C40F324C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$56.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F324I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F324C6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3C25F324C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP3C40F324C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone III |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 39,600 |
| Total Memory Bits | 1,161,216 bits (1,161 Kbit) |
| Embedded Memory (per FPGAkey) | 141.25 Kbytes |
| User I/O Pins | 195 |
| Number of PLLs | 4 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 437.5 MHz |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Package | 324-pin FBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Speed Grade | C7 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial, C7) |
| Configuration | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1), Passive/Active serial via EPCS/EPCQ |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3C40F324C7N 324-pin fbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3C40F324C7N (324-pin 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 EP3C40F324C7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3C40F324C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Surveillance & Image Processing, Telecom Protocol Bridging, ASIC Prototyping & Verification, Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Consumer Display Controllers.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3C40F324C7N fits industrial motor-control designs because its 39,600 LEs, 4 PLLs, and 195 user I/O pins can implement PWM generation, encoder feedback decoding, and field-oriented control (FOC) loops in a single chip. With 1,161,216 bits of embedded memory, the device can buffer multi-axis trajectory tables without external SRAM. The 437.5 MHz internal clock and 65 nm process deliver sufficient throughput to drive 50-100 kHz current loops on three-phase BLDC or PMSM motors. A typical board powers the FPGA from a 24 V industrial bus stepped down to 1.2 V core, with optoisolated JTAG for safe in-field programming.
Recommended
Video Surveillance & Image Processing
The EP3C40F324C7N is well-suited to multi-channel video surveillance and image processing, where its 195 user I/O pins can ingest parallel CMOS sensor data and the 4 PLLs derive pixel clocks for multiple resolutions. The 1,161,216 bits of embedded memory can line-buffer several video frames for motion detection or JPEG/MJPEG encoding pipelines. Designers typically instantiate soft cores for deinterlacing, color-space conversion, and 2D filtering within the 39,600 LE budget. The 324-FBGA footprint is compact enough for PoE-powered camera housings, and the 1.2 V core minimizes thermal load for fanless outdoor enclosures.
Recommended
Telecom Protocol Bridging
Telecom baseband cards and access equipment frequently need protocol-bridging glue logic between E1/T1 framers, Ethernet MACs, and backplane SERDES, and the EP3C40F324C7N's 39,600 LE fabric provides ample LUT headroom for custom PCS or HDLC mapping. The 4 PLLs generate jitter-controlled clocks for both TDM and packet timing domains. The 195 user I/O pins accommodate LVTTL/LVCMOS/LVDS standards needed to interface legacy telecom ICs without extra transceivers. Configuration via EPCS16 flash allows remote firmware upgrade over JTAG in carrier-class equipment.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping & Verification
The EP3C40F324C7N's 39,600 LE fabric and 195 user I/O pins make it a capable target for prototyping ASIC RTL partitions in the 10K-30K gate range before tape-out. Its Quartus Prime flow supports fast incremental compile and TimeQuest-driven SDC timing closure, allowing engineers to iterate on RTL without re-running a full place-and-route. The embedded M9K memory blocks faithfully model single-port and true-dual-port RAM, simplifying pre-silicon validation of FIFOs and DMA engines. Bridging real-world test vectors to the FPGA under test is straightforward via the 324-FBGA's LVDS-capable I/O pins.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Front-End
For low-cost software-defined radio (SDR) baseband glue logic, the EP3C40F324C7N offers 39,600 LEs and 1,161,216 bits of memory to implement digital downconversion (DDC), FIR/CIC filters, and packet framing between an ADC and a host processor. Its 4 PLLs can derive the ADC sampling clock and a low-jitter reference for the DAC chain. The 65 nm low-power Cyclone III process helps keep total board power under 2-3 W, suitable for portable SDR designs. Designers typically pair the FPGA with a USB 3.0 or Gigabit Ethernet controller for host-side I/O.
Recommended
Consumer Display Controllers
The EP3C40F324C7N can drive consumer display controllers for digital signage, kiosks, and HDMI/DVI bridging with its 195 user I/O pins and 4 PLLs generating the pixel clock and color-domain conversions. The 39,600 LE fabric fits 4K-capable timing controllers, scalers, and on-screen display engines. With 1,161,216 bits of embedded memory, the device can line-buffer several rows of pixel data without an external frame buffer. The 324-FBGA package's compact area suits slim chassis designs, while the 1.2 V core keeps total display board power within consumer thermal budgets.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C40F324C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C40F324C8N | EP3C40F324I7N | EP3C40F324C6N | EP3C25F324C7N | EP3C55F484C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Package | 324-FBGA | 324-FBGA - same | 324-FBGA - same | 324-FBGA - same | 324-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - different (NOT pin-compatible) |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 24,624 (-38%) | 55,560 (+40%) |
| Memory Bits | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 594,432 (-49%) | 2,396,160 (+106%) |
| User I/O Pins | 195 | 195 | 195 | 195 | 215 | 327 |
| Number of PLLs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Speed Grade | C7 | C8 (faster) | I7 (industrial) | C6 (slower) | C7 | C8 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | -40 °C to +100 °C (Industrial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V | 1.2 V |
Key Differentiators
- Higher logic density than EP3C25 within the same package (vs EP3C25F324C7N)
- Lower total cost than EP3C55F484C8N for mid-density designs (vs EP3C55F484C8N)
- Faster C7 speed grade vs C6 variant (vs EP3C40F324C6N)
Design Notes
The EP3C40F324C7N requires separate analog 1.2 V (VCCINT), 2.5 V (VCCA), and I/O bank supplies (VCCIO 1.2 V-3.3 V). Per the Cyclone III pin connection guidelines, decouple each supply pin with a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed within 100 mil of the ball, plus bulk 10-100 µF tantalum/polymer caps per bank. Use a linear LDO (e.g., TI TPS7A4533) for VCCA to minimize PLL jitter, and a switching regulator (e.g., TI TPS54331) for VCCINT for efficiency. Power sequencing: VCCINT should rise before or coincident with VCCIO; refer to the device handbook for POR timing.
Estimated: at typical 30-40% logic utilization running 200 MHz, the EP3C40F324C7N draws 400-600 mA on VCCINT (0.48-0.72 W) plus I/O power. With the 324-FBGA package having θJA ≈ 18-22 °C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, junction temperature rise is ≈ 9-15 °C above ambient. For enclosed housings or elevated ambient (>60 °C), ensure airflow or use thermal vias under the central BGA thermal pad to spread heat to inner PCB copper planes.
BGA escape routing on a 324-FBGA at 1.0 mm pitch requires microvia (laser-drilled) stack-ups on HDI substrates; design 0.1 mm trace/space for fanout under the BGA. Match LVDS pair lengths to within 50 mil and keep PCLK trace impedance at 50 Ω ± 10% differential. Place configuration flash (EPCS16/EPCQ16) within 200 mil of the FPGA DCLK/DATA/nCS pins, and keep JTAG TCK/TMS/TDI/TDO trace lengths short to avoid signal-integrity issues during In-System Programming.
Choose Active Serial (AS) mode with EPCS16/EPCQ16 for production boards - it supports remote in-field bitstream updates over JTAG. For prototyping, JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) via a 10-pin header on a USB-Blaster cable is fastest. Per the Cyclone III handbook, the nSTATUS and CONF_DONE pins require a 10 kΩ pull-up to VCCIO of the configuration bank. Never leave MSEL pins floating - strap them to VCCIO or GND per the desired configuration mode.
For DDR/DDR2 SDRAM interfaces, place the FPGA and memory on the same side of the PCB with matched impedance traces (50 Ω single-ended, 100 Ω differential for DQS). Use IBIS simulation in Quartus Prime to validate signal integrity before tape-out. Enable on-chip dynamic termination (OCT) for the memory bank to reduce external resistor count. Keep PLL analog supply (VCCA) isolated from digital VCCINT with a ferrite bead and separate decoupling.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Altera/Intel product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (commercial grade; for automotive use the equivalent 'I' speed grade may be considered). Lead-free reflow-compatible. Halogen-free status not specified in available web data.
