EP3C40F484C7N - Cyclone III FPGA, 39.6K LE, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3C40F484C7N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $364.19 | $364.19 |
| 10 | $339.5 | $3,395.00 |
| 100 | $312 | $31,200.00 |
| 500 | $285 | $142,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $264 | $264,000.00 |
EP3C40F484C7N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device containing an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated hard IP such as block RAM, multipliers, and I/O serdes. FPGAs sit at the top of the programmable-logic hierarchy, above CPLDs and below ASICs in terms of integration density, and they belong to the broader integrated-circuit / semiconductor category. Unlike microcontrollers, FPGAs implement logic in hardware gates, which provides deterministic timing and parallel execution suitable for high-throughput DSP, video bridging, and custom interface glue.
Key features of the EP3C40F484C7N include 4 embedded PLL clock managers, 126 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP, and support for multiple I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and PCI. The 484-FBGA package offers a 1.0 mm ball pitch and an exposed-die thermal management approach, supporting up to 331 user I/Os that allow dense parallel bus implementations. Cyclone III devices also embed configuration memory and a dedicated JTAG configuration interface, eliminating the need for external configuration PROMs in most designs.
The Cyclone III architecture combines an SRAM-based logic fabric with hard DSP blocks and dedicated memory, allowing engineers to implement custom pipelines, bus bridges, motor-control loops, and video processing functions. Compared with earlier Cyclone II devices, Cyclone III reduces dynamic power by approximately 50 percent and adds true LVDS support on more pins, enabling low-cost industrial, consumer, and automotive infotainment designs.
Typical applications for the EP3C40F484C7N include motor control and drive, industrial machine vision, video-format conversion (HDMI/DVI/VGA bridging), software-defined radio front ends, low-cost ASIC prototyping, and LED video-wall controllers. The combination of moderate logic density, abundant block RAM, and a high pin count makes it well suited for parallel video pipelines and embedded control boards.
When designing with this device, pay attention to power sequencing for the core (VCCINT) and I/O (VCCIO) rails, and use the dedicated JTAG or Active Serial configuration scheme. Because the configuration memory is SRAM-based, designs that must retain logic across power cycles should use a Cyclone III-compatible configuration device (EPCS) or a soft-processor bootloader.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the Cyclone III and Cyclone IV families, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C40F484C7N — 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 EP3C40F484C7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C40F484C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$312.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F484I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$118.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55F484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C25F484C7N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3C16F484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$30.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F484C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Family | Cyclone III |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 |
| Total Memory Bits | 1,161,216 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 126 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 20 |
| User I/Os | 331 |
| Package | 484-FBGA (F484), 1.0 mm pitch |
| Process Technology | 65 nm low-power |
| Configuration Memory | SRAM-based |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial, C7 speed grade) |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, PCI |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free FBGA) |
EP3C40F484C7N Pin Configuration
| Pin BGA-1 | I/O Bank 1 — User I/O - refer to Cyclone III pin connection guidelines for ball map |
| Pin BGA-2 | I/O Bank 1 — User I/O |
| Pin BGA-3 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage |
| Pin BGA-4 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin BGA-5 | I/O Bank 2 — User I/O |
| Pin BGA-6 | I/O Bank 2 — User I/O |
| Pin BGA-7 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.2 V nominal) |
| Pin BGA-8 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin BGA-9 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin BGA-10 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin BGA-11 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin BGA-12 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin BGA-13 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active low) |
| Pin BGA-14 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active low) |
| Pin BGA-15 | CONF_DONE — Configuration done indicator |
| Pin BGA-16 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select bit 0 |
| Pin BGA-17 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select bit 1 |
| Pin BGA-18 | MSEL2 — Configuration mode select bit 2 |
| Pin BGA-19 | DCLK — Configuration clock input |
| Pin BGA-20 | DATA0 — Configuration data input bit 0 |
| Pin BGA-21 | nCE — Chip enable (active low) |
| Pin BGA-22 | nCEO — Chip enable out for daisy chain |
| Pin BGA-23 | VCCA_PLL1 — PLL 1 analog supply |
| Pin BGA-24 | VCCD_PLL1 — PLL 1 digital supply |
| Pin BGA-25 | GNDA_PLL1 — PLL 1 analog ground |
Typical Applications
EP3C40F484C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control and Drive, Industrial Machine Vision and Video Bridging, LED Video-Wall and Display Controllers, Custom ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Software-Defined Radio Front End, Embedded Control and Industrial Networking.
Industrial Motor Control and Drive
The EP3C40F484C7N fits industrial motor control because its 126 embedded 18x18 multipliers and 4 PLLs can sample current and position feedback at high PWM rates while running vector-control or field-oriented control loops in hardware. The 331 user I/Os handle three-phase gate-driver signals, encoder inputs, and CAN/RS-485 comms without external bus expanders, and the 65 nm low-power process keeps the FPGA cooler than older Cyclone II designs in sealed IPM enclosures.
Recommended
Industrial Machine Vision and Video Bridging
The EP3C40F484C7N is well suited to machine-vision pipelines because its 1,161 Kbits of block RAM buffer full-HD lines, and 126 multipliers perform real-time Bayer demosaic, color-space conversion, and edge detection. The 331 user I/Os accept parallel Camera Link or HDMI/DVI/VGA inputs, and the LVDS I/O capability drives long-distance flat-panel cables. Designers can use the same FPGA as a frame-buffer bridge between image sensors and ARM SoCs.
Recommended
LED Video-Wall and Display Controllers
The EP3C40F484C7N drives LED video walls because its 331 LVDS-capable I/Os can source large parallel data buses to scan-multiplexed panels, while 126 multipliers handle gamma correction and brightness uniformity in real time. The 4 PLLs synthesize many pixel-clock derivatives from a single reference, eliminating external clock generators. Designers use block RAM for frame buffering, reducing external SDRAM requirements on compact controllers.
Recommended
Custom ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP3C40F484C7N enables ASIC prototyping because 39,600 logic elements, 126 multipliers, and 1,161 Kbits of block RAM let engineers map meaningful sub-blocks of a target ASIC for real-world verification at near-final clock speeds. Four PLLs generate multiple clock domains, allowing source-synchronous interfaces to be emulated. Quartus Prime delivers HDL synthesis and TimeQuest timing analysis to validate paths before tape-out.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Front End
The EP3C40F484C7N supports SDR front ends because 126 18x18 multipliers implement high-rate digital down-conversion and channelization, and 1,161 Kbits of block RAM hold sample buffers between DSP stages. Four PLLs derive sampling clocks from a low-frequency reference, and LVDS I/Os interface to high-speed ADCs and DACs. The 65 nm low-power process allows deployment in portable or vehicle-mounted radio platforms.
Recommended
Embedded Control and Industrial Networking
The EP3C40F484C7N is a strong fit for embedded industrial control because 331 user I/Os implement EtherCAT, PROFINET, or Modbus field-bus interfaces alongside legacy parallel buses, and 39,600 logic elements run soft-CPU cores such as Nios II alongside deterministic hardware state machines. Industrial protocols benefit from low-latency hardware accelerators in FPGA fabric, and SRAM-based configuration allows field firmware updates over JTAG.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C40F484C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C40F484C6N | EP3C40F484I7N | EP3C55F484C7N | EP3C25F484C7N | EP3C16F484C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | FBGA-484 (F484) | FBGA-484 (F484) - same | FBGA-484 (F484) - same | FBGA-484 (F484) - same | FBGA-484 (F484) - same | FBGA-484 (F484) - same |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 55,856 (+41%) | 24,624 (-38%) | 15,408 (-61%) |
| Total Memory Bits | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 1,161,216 | 2,340,000 (+101%) | 608,256 (-48%) | 516,096 (-56%) |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 126 | 126 | 126 | 156 | 66 | 56 |
| User I/Os | 331 | 331 | 331 | 327 | 195 | 346 |
| Speed Grade | C7 | C6 | I7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
Key Differentiators
- Higher logic density than Cyclone II in the same footprint (vs EP2C40F484C7N (Cyclone II predecessor))
- Pin-to-pin logic upgrade in same F484 footprint (vs EP3C25F484C7N)
- Faster speed grade than C6 variant in identical silicon (vs EP3C40F484C6N)
Design Notes
Cyclone III devices require separate VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCIO (per bank, 1.2 V-3.3 V depending on I/O standard), and PLL analog supplies. Power-on reset requires VCCINT to ramp before VCCIO to avoid I/O-driving-before-core-ready latch-up; follow the Cyclone III power-sequencing diagram in the handbook. Use the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet to budget rails before laying out the PCB.
The 484-FBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch; PCB layout requires laser-drilled micro-vias or via-in-pad for signal escape routing. Decoupling caps must be placed within 100 mils of each VCCINT and VCCIO ball, and the exposed-die pad (thermal pad) must be soldered to a continuous ground pour to keep theta-JA within rated limits.
Because configuration memory is SRAM-based, EP3C40F484C7N loses logic on power-down. Designs that must retain logic across power cycles should add an Altera EPCS configuration flash and route MSEL[2:0] for Active Serial mode. For JTAG-only programming, set MSEL[2:0]=000 for JTAG-only and ensure nCONFIG is pulled high through a 10 kohm resistor.
LVDS signaling on Cyclone III I/O requires a 100-ohm differential termination resistor between the P and N pins at the receiver. Source-synchronous interfaces such as DDR memory benefit from phase-shifted PLL outputs to center the data-eye; consult AN 507 for DDR/SDRAM interface timing.
Compliance Information
Lead-free FBGA-484 package is RoHS compliant per Intel product marking. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (commercial 0C to +85C only); for AEC-Q100 use a different Intel FPGA family. Halogen-free status not explicitly listed in the verified distributor data.
