EP3C40F780I7N - Cyclone III FPGA, 39.6K LE, 780-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP3C40F780I7N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $145 | $145.00 |
| 10 | $132.5 | $1,325.00 |
| 100 | $118.75 | $11,875.00 |
| 500 | $105 | $52,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $92.5 | $92,500.00 |
EP3C40F780I7N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device that uses configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and embedded memory/DSP blocks to implement arbitrary digital circuits after manufacturing. FPGAs sit hierarchically below ASICs (fixed-function custom silicon) and above general-purpose microcontrollers in compute density, and they occupy the reconfigurable-logic layer of modern digital systems. The Cyclone III family specifically targets volume applications where designers need DSP, memory, and moderate logic capacity without paying Stratix-tier prices.
Key features include 126 embedded 18x18 multipliers (DSP blocks) for high-throughput arithmetic, four phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock management, 39600 logic elements wired through a multi-level interconnect fabric, and 1,161,216 bits of embedded SRAM arranged in M9K blocks. The 780-pin FBGA (F780) package exposes 535 user I/Os and supports LVDS, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards, making it suitable for parallel memory buses and high-speed sensor interfaces.
The Cyclone III architecture separates logic, memory, and DSP into dedicated columns connected by a hierarchical routing network. Embedded multipliers can be cascaded to build wider arithmetic units, while M9K memory blocks can be configured as RAM, ROM, or FIFO. The four PLLs provide up to nine output clocks each with programmable phase shift, enabling complex multi-clock designs without external clock-generation ICs.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video processing pipelines, communications protocol bridging, and embedded DSP for test and measurement. With 39.6K logic elements and 126 DSP blocks, the device fits mid-range signal-processing tasks such as FIR filtering, FFT computation, and image preprocessing. Designers evaluating this FPGA should plan power sequencing, decoupling, and configuration-memory selection (EPCS or EPCQ) during board bring-up.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C40F780I7N — 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 EP3C40F780I7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Configuration Modes.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C40F780I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F780C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$64.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F780C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$145.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C120F780I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F780I7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone III |
| Family | Cyclone III |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 |
| Embedded Memory | 1,161,216 bits (126 M9K blocks) |
| Embedded Multipliers | 126 (18x18) |
| User I/O Pins | 535 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 20 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Package | 780-ball FBGA (F780) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Speed Grade | 7 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3C40F780I7N 780-ball fbga (f780) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3C40F780I7N (780-ball fbga (f780) 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 EP3C40F780I7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3C40F780I7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing Pipeline, Communications Protocol Bridging, Embedded DSP for Test & Measurement, Aerospace & Defense Avionics Bus, Medical Imaging Front-End.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3C40F780I7N's 39,600 logic elements and 126 embedded 18x18 multipliers make it well suited for multi-axis industrial motor control, where field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms demand real-time Park and Clarke transforms, PID loops, and SVM generation. The 535 user I/Os in the F780 package easily route multiple encoder, Hall-sensor, and PWM channels per axis, while the four PLLs generate precise switching frequencies from 10 kHz to 100 kHz with deterministic phase alignment. Industrial temperature rating (-40C to +100C) and the 780-ball FBGA package's excellent thermal conductivity via the bottom thermal pad enable fan-less operation in sealed enclosures. Compared with a microcontroller + ASIC approach, this FPGA offloads DSP-intensive current loops from software, reducing latency below 5 microseconds and enabling higher switching frequencies for reduced current ripple and torque smoothness.
Recommended
Video Processing Pipeline
With 126 dedicated 18x18 multipliers and 1,161 Kbits of embedded SRAM, the EP3C40F780I7N can implement a real-time video processing pipeline including de-interlacing, color-space conversion (YUV to RGB), and 2D FIR filtering for image sharpening. The 1,161 Kbits of block RAM comfortably buffers two full HD video lines at 1920x10 bits, while the 535 user I/Os accommodate 24-bit parallel video buses plus ITU-R BT.656 or HDMI bridging logic via soft IP. Four PLLs generate the precise pixel, memory, and processing-clock domains needed to avoid FIFO underflow/overflow across frame boundaries. The F780 780-ball FBGA package's high I/O count enables direct connection to parallel CMOS sensors without external bridge chips, reducing bill-of-materials cost in machine-vision and broadcast equipment.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Bridging
The EP3C40F780I7N's 39.6K logic elements support multiple communications protocols in a single device, including UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, and even soft implementations of Ethernet MAC, USB 2.0 device, or PCI Express endpoint via Altera IP cores. Industrial protocols such as Profibus, Modbus, and EtherCAT slave can run concurrently with custom glue logic thanks to the dedicated DSP blocks and embedded memory. The four PLLs allow clean clock isolation between asynchronous bus domains, eliminating metastability risks when bridging RS-485 and 100 Mbit Ethernet in the same design. The F780 780-ball FBGA's 535 user I/Os accommodate multiple connector pin counts without external bus switches, while industrial temperature rating suits factory-floor deployment with wide thermal swing exposure.
Recommended
Embedded DSP for Test & Measurement
The 126 embedded 18x18 multipliers in the EP3C40F780I7N provide the DSP bandwidth required for real-time FFT computation, digital filtering, and correlation-based measurement in oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and arbitrary waveform generators. A 1024-point radix-2 FFT fits within 39.6K LEs and 1,161 Kbits of block RAM at sampling rates exceeding 100 MSPS, with headroom for windowing functions and post-processing. Four PLLs synchronize the ADC sampling clock, the internal DSP pipeline, and the display-refresh clock with sub-nanosecond jitter for low-spurious measurements. The F780 780-ball FBGA's 535 user I/Os connect to high-speed ADC/DAC data buses, LCD panels, and external trigger inputs without external logic, while industrial temperature rating supports benchtop and rack-mount lab equipment operation.
Recommended
Aerospace & Defense Avionics Bus
The EP3C40F780I7N's industrial temperature rating, large I/O count (535 pins), and 39.6K LE capacity suit avionics databus implementations such as MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and ARINC 664 (AFDX) bridges and monitors. The 126 multipliers handle Manchester/bi-phase encoding/decoding and CRC calculation in hardware, freeing the host CPU from interrupt-heavy protocol servicing. Four PLLs generate redundant clock trees for dual-channel monitoring and built-in-test (BIT) functions, while 1,161 Kbits of embedded memory buffers message traffic during peak bus loads. The F780 780-ball FBGA package's large ball grid accommodates high-density routing between the FPGA and multiple transceiver ICs, while industrial temperature rating is acceptable for many avionics subsystems; for primary flight-control applications requiring -55C, the equivalent military-grade variant is recommended.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Front-End
The EP3C40F780I7N supports medical imaging front-ends such as ultrasound beamformers, endoscope video processors, and patient-monitoring DSP by combining 126 hardware multipliers with 1,161 Kbits of embedded memory for FIR and Hilbert transform filters. In ultrasound beamforming, the 535 user I/Os accept 32 to 64 parallel ADC channels at 40 MSPS, with the multipliers implementing apodization and beam-steering math in real time. Four PLLs synchronize the ADC sampling clock, beamforming delay lines, and downstream digital scan conversion with deterministic phase alignment, eliminating motion artifacts in clinical imaging. The F780 780-ball FBGA package's large pin count eliminates external multiplexer chips, while the 65 nm low-power Cyclone III process keeps thermal dissipation below 2 W typical, simplifying medical-safety thermal-clearance analysis.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C40F780I7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C40F780I7 | EP3C40F780C8N | EP3C40F780C7N | EP3C120F780I7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-ball FBGA (F780) | 780-ball FBGA (F780) - same | 780-ball FBGA (F780) - same | 780-ball FBGA (F780) - same | 780-ball FBGA (F780) - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 | 39,600 - same | 39,600 - same | 39,600 - same | 119,088 (+200%) |
| Embedded Memory | 1,161,216 bits | 1,161,216 bits - same | 1,161,216 bits - same | 1,161,216 bits - same | 3,888,096 bits (+235%) |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 126 | 126 - same | 126 - same | 126 - same | 288 (+129%) |
| User I/Os | 535 | 535 - same | 535 - same | 535 - same | 531 (-1%) |
| PLLs | 4 | 4 - same | 4 - same | 4 - same | 4 - same |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) - same | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Speed Grade | 7 | 7 - same | 8 (faster) | 7 - same | 7 |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V | 1.2 V - same | 1.2 V - same | 1.2 V - same | 1.2 V - same |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest static power in the Cyclone III family at 39.6K LE density (vs EP3C120F780I7N)
- Same F780 780-ball FBGA footprint across the Cyclone III density range (vs EP3C40F484I7N)
- Industrial temperature grade for harsh-environment deployment (vs EP3C40F780C8N)
Design Notes
The Cyclone III EP3C40F780I7N requires a 1.2 V core supply (VCCINT), a 2.5 V or 3.3 V analog PLL supply (VCCA_PLL), and a 1.2 V to 3.3 V I/O supply (VCCIO) per bank. Each PLL pair should be decoupled with a ferrite bead and 10 uF + 0.1 uF capacitors on the VCCA_PLL pin. A sequencing controller such as the Altera (Intel) EN5367QI or TI TPS7A3001 ensures VCCINT ramps before VCCIO to prevent I/O latch-up. Estimated: at 100% toggle rate with all 39.6K LEs active, the device can dissipate 1.5 to 2.5 W; actual dissipation depends heavily on toggle rate and clock frequency. Use the Intel PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet to budget the regulator before PCB layout.
The 780-ball FBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch, requiring at least 6 PCB layers with microvia-in-pad or stacked-via technology for reliable BGA breakout. A continuous ground plane directly under the package, with stitched thermal vias below the die, is critical for thermal dissipation. All decoupling capacitors should be placed as close as possible to their respective power pins on the opposite side of the PCB. Decoupling recommendations: 0.1 uF + 1 uF + 10 uF per VCCIO bank, plus a single 100 uF bulk capacitor per rail. Differential pairs for LVDS signals must be length-matched within 100 mil and routed with 100 ohm differential impedance.
Configure the EP3C40F780I7N using a serial EPCS or EPCQ flash device connected to the dedicated configuration pins (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, DATA0, DCLK). JTAG boundary-scan via the 10-pin header allows post-assembly programming and debug. Active serial (AS) mode reduces the configuration pin count to four and is preferred for production. Configure the MSEL pins with appropriate pull resistors to select AS, PS, JTAG, or Fast Passive Parallel mode at power-up. Estimated: configuration time for the EP3C40F780I7N with a 40 MHz AS clock is approximately 0.3 seconds when loading from an EPCQ16.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Intel product declaration. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; this device targets industrial and commercial embedded applications rather than automotive safety-critical subsystems.
