EP3C40Q240C8 - Cyclone III, 39.6K LE FPGA, 240-PQFP | Intel
MPN: EP3C40Q240C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $100.21 | $100.21 |
| 10 | $95.2 | $952.00 |
| 100 | $89.75 | $8,975.00 |
| 500 | $84.1 | $42,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $78.5 | $78,500.00 |
EP3C40Q240C8 Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O cells can be programmed in-system to implement arbitrary digital circuits. FPGAs sit in the programmable-logic hierarchy between fixed-function ASICs and microcontrollers, offering hardware parallelism, high I/O counts, and deterministic timing. The Cyclone III family specifically targets low static and dynamic power consumption, enabling FPGA adoption in cost- and power-sensitive applications such as video processing, motor control, and portable instrumentation that were previously dominated by microcontrollers or DSPs.
The EP3C40Q240C8 leverages TSMC's 65 nm low-power process, achieving up to 70% lower power than the prior Cyclone II generation. The 240-PQFP package offers 128 usable I/O across eight I/O banks with support for multiple I/O standards including LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, SSTL, and LVDS. The four PLLs provide robust clock management, while 4,608 Kbits of embedded RAM enable on-chip buffering and FIFO structures. Compared with other Cyclone III variants, the EP3C40Q240C8 strikes a balance between logic density, I/O count, and package cost.
Typical applications include industrial control and factory automation, video surveillance and image processing, motor and servo control, software-defined radio front-ends, and high-volume consumer electronics. The Cyclone III architecture supports Nios II embedded processor cores, making the EP3C40Q240C8 suitable as a system-on-chip host for embedded designs that need deterministic hardware acceleration alongside firmware control.
When designing with the EP3C40Q240C8, ensure that the Quartus II design tool supports the 'C8' speed grade and the Q240 package. The PQFP package is a through-hole-friendly surface-mount format; thermal performance is dominated by the 1.2V core supply and a separate PLL analog supply, both of which require multi-layer PCB decoupling.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternative FPGAs in the same QFP footprint, and practical design notes not duplicated from the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C40Q240C8 — 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 EP3C40Q240C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Logic Elements, Configuration, Maximum User I/O.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C40Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$64.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40Q240I8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3C25Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$160.4667 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C25Q240C8
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$79.42 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C16Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$30.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40Q240C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone III |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 |
| Embedded Memory (M9K) | 126 blocks / 1,161,216 bits |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 126 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Maximum User I/O | 128 |
| Package | 240-BFQFP / PQFP-240 |
| Speed Grade | C8 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Process Node | 65 nm low-power CMOS |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Configuration | Serial / Parallel (Quartus-supported schemes) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP3C40Q240C8 240-bfqfp / pqfp-240 Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3C40Q240C8 (240-bfqfp / pqfp-240 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 EP3C40Q240C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3C40Q240C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Surveillance and Image Processing, Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Factory Automation Controllers, Portable Medical Instrumentation, Embedded Display and LED Wall Control.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3C40Q240C8's 39,600 logic elements and 126 18x18 multipliers make it well-suited for field-oriented control (FOC) of three-phase AC motors and servo drives. The 128 user I/O pins accommodate encoder inputs (QEI), Hall sensor interfaces, multiple PWM channels to gate drivers, and protection signals. Four PLLs generate precise switching frequencies up to hundreds of kHz, while 1.16 Mbits of embedded M9K memory buffer current and velocity loop data. Compared with a microcontroller, the FPGA offloads PWM generation and dead-time insertion in hardware, freeing the host CPU for higher-level control loops.
Recommended
Video Surveillance and Image Processing
In video surveillance pipelines, the EP3C40Q240C8 serves as a parallel pixel-processing engine for tasks such as motion detection, edge enhancement, and image scaling. The 126 embedded 18x18 multipliers accelerate convolution operations in real time, while the M9K memory blocks implement line buffers and frame stores efficiently. The 128 I/O count supports multiple CMOS sensor interfaces (parallel DVP), SDRAM controllers, and video output DACs. Low static and dynamic power consumption enables deployment in PoE-powered camera enclosures without thermal concerns.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Front-End
The EP3C40Q240C8 implements digital up-/down-conversion, channelization, and baseband preprocessing for software-defined radio (SDR) receivers. The 126 18x18 multipliers support complex multiplication for quadrature mixing and digital filter banks, while the four PLLs generate the precise sampling clocks required for ADC/DAC interfaces. Embedded M9K blocks act as FIFO buffers between the FPGA fabric and external memory. The 240-PQFP package enables hand-prototyping and laboratory SDR designs where socketed or through-hole-friendly packages simplify development iterations.
Recommended
Factory Automation Controllers
The EP3C40Q240C8 functions as a deterministic logic controller for factory automation, replacing multiple discrete PLCs and custom logic boards. Its 39,600 LEs implement state machines for assembly-line sequencing, I/O expansion logic, and protocol bridging (e.g., Modbus to EtherCAT) in a single chip. The four PLLs drive isolated digital interfaces and high-speed serial links. Industrial users prefer this device over higher-density FPGAs because it fits the cost targets of price-sensitive automation equipment while delivering hardware parallelism that microcontrollers cannot match.
Recommended
Portable Medical Instrumentation
Battery-powered medical instruments such as handheld ultrasound probes, patient monitors, and point-of-care diagnostic devices benefit from the EP3C40Q240C8's low active power and high integration. The FPGA implements DSP functions (filtering, FFT, decimation) at hardware speeds, replacing expensive DSP chips while consuming less board area. The 240-PQFP package is well-suited to medium-volume medical device production lines, and the 128 I/O support multiple sensor channels and display interfaces. Nios II soft-core integration allows a single-chip host-plus-DSP architecture.
Recommended
Embedded Display and LED Wall Control
The EP3C40Q240C8 drives large-format LED video walls, multi-panel LCD controllers, and tiled display systems with deterministic pixel timing. The 126 hardware multipliers perform gamma correction and color-space conversion at full video rates, while the M9K memory blocks implement line buffers between the FPGA and the display interface chips. The 128 I/O support multiple LVDS links to panel drivers and HDMI receivers. Compared with an ASIC, the FPGA enables rapid panel-format adaptation as new display standards emerge, which is critical in commercial signage and broadcast markets.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C40Q240C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C40Q240C8N | EP3C40Q240I8N | EP3C25Q240C8N | EP3C25Q240C8 | EP3C16Q240C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 240-PQFP (Q240) | 240-PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-PQFP (Q240) - same |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 | 39,600 | 39,600 | 24,624 (-38%) | 24,624 (-38%) | 15,408 (-61%) |
| Embedded Memory | 1,161,216 bits | 1,161,216 bits | 1,161,216 bits | 594,432 bits (-49%) | 594,432 bits (-49%) | 516,096 bits (-56%) |
| 18x18 Multipliers | 126 | 126 | 126 | 66 (-48%) | 66 (-48%) | 56 (-56%) |
| Maximum User I/O | 128 | 128 | 128 | 76 (-41%) | 76 (-41%) | 76 (-41%) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C8 | I8 | C8 | C8 | C8 |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-to-pin migration path across Cyclone III density tiers (vs EP3C25Q240C8N)
- Industrial temperature variant available in same package (vs EP3C40Q240I8N)
- Lower static and dynamic power than Cyclone II at the same density (vs Cyclone II EP2C40 (older generation))
Design Notes
The EP3C40Q240C8 requires a clean 1.2V core supply and an independent analog PLL supply (typically 2.5V). According to the Cyclone III handbook, VCCINT must be regulated within ±5% and decoupled with 0.1uF and 10uF ceramic capacitors placed as close as possible to every VCCINT/GND pair. A ferrite bead is recommended between the analog and digital 2.5V rails to minimize PLL jitter from switching noise. VCCIO must match the I/O standard of each bank and is supplied separately from VCCINT.
The 240-PQFP package has 0.5 mm pitch leads that require careful PCB layout - use solder mask defined (SMD) pads rather than non-solder mask defined (NSMD) to reduce tombstoning risk. Place a continuous ground plane on layer 2 directly under the device to provide a low-impedance return path. Keep high-speed signal traces on the top layer short and matched within 100 mils for differential pairs. JTAG header should be routed to TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, and a ground pin for stable boundary-scan programming.
Do not leave MSEL[3:0] floating - they configure the FPGA's programming scheme (AS, PS, JTAG) and incorrect settings will prevent configuration. The nCONFIG pin must be held high in user mode; pulling it low forces reconfiguration and may disrupt operation. CONF_DONE must be monitored externally to detect configuration completion. For multi-FPGA chains, ensure the chain data flow respects the DCLK signal integrity at the receiving device.
Compliance Information
Compliance flags not present in the verified distributor data. The 'N' suffix variants (EP3C40Q240C8N) typically denote Pb-free lead finishes; non-'N' variants may be SnPb. Verify with the manufacturer lot-specific documentation for production builds.
