EP3C55U484C8 - 55K LE Cyclone III FPGA, 327 I/O, 484-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP3C55U484C8 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $208.08 | $208.08 |
| 10 | $187.27 | $1,872.70 |
| 100 | $166.46 | $16,646.00 |
| 500 | $145.65 | $72,825.00 |
| 1,000 | $124.85 | $124,850.00 |
EP3C55U484C8 Overview
What is a Cyclone III FPGA? A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device whose logic fabric, routing, and I/O cells are configured by the user via a hardware description language (HDL) bitstream. The Cyclone III family occupies the low-power, low-cost tier of Altera's FPGA hierarchy, sitting below the Stratix series and above legacy Cyclone II. It belongs to the broader class of programmable logic devices (PLDs) that bridge the gap between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven processors.
Key features include 4 transceivers-less general-purpose I/O, support for LVDS, LVTTL, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards, dedicated 18x18 multipliers for DSP blocks, embedded RAM blocks of M9K type, and a Quartus II design flow with support for IP cores and the Nios II soft processor. The device operates from a 1.2 V core supply with separate VCCIO bank voltages, allowing mixed-voltage interfacing without external level shifters.
Architecturally, the EP3C55 implements LUT-based logic elements, each containing a 4-input LUT, a programmable register, and carry-chain logic for arithmetic operations. Multipliers are arranged in columns that connect to adjacent LABs (logic array blocks), providing deterministic throughput for DSP pipelines. The PLL count and global clock network support up to 20 clock domains with low skew.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video processing bridges, low-cost DSP co-processors, embedded vision, communications protocol bridging, and ASIC prototyping. The Cyclone III family's balance of logic density, low static power, and large I/O count makes it well-suited to bridge and gateway designs.
When designing with this device, ensure proper decoupling of all VCC and VCCIO rails with 0.1 uF and 10 uF capacitors placed close to the package balls. The 484-FBGA requires careful PCB layout to manage signal integrity on high-speed LVDS pairs.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the same Cyclone III family, and practical design notes not collected in a single place on the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C55U484C8 — 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 EP3C55U484C8 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Family, Logic Elements.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C55U484C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$119.85 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55U484C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$23.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55U484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$140.25 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55U484C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$102.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55U484C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$274.0589 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40U484C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$36.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40U484C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$71.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55U484C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone III |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 |
| Embedded Memory | 2,396,160 bits (approximately 2.4 Mbits) |
| User I/Os | 327 |
| Package | 484-FBGA (UBGA), 19x19 mm |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C8 |
| 18x18 Multipliers | 156 |
| Configuration Method | Serial or parallel via Altera Quartus II |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3C55U484C8 484-fbga (ubga), 19x19 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3C55U484C8 (484-fbga (ubga), 19x19 mm 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 EP3C55U484C8.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3C55U484C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing Bridge, DSP Co-Processor (FIR/FFT Acceleration), ASIC Prototyping Platform, Communications Protocol Converter, Embedded Vision Front-End.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3C55U484C8's 55,856 logic elements and 156 18x18 multipliers are well-suited to industrial motor-control loops, where multi-axis field-oriented control (FOC) and space-vector PWM (SVPWM) require deterministic DSP throughput. With 327 user I/Os and multiple VCCIO banks, the device directly interfaces with 3.3 V Hall-effect sensors, 5 V gate drivers, and 1.8 V feedback ADCs. Designers can implement 4 to 6 axes of FOC in a single chip, with the 2.4 Mbits of embedded memory holding reference frames and PID state. Cyclone III's low static power (compared to Cyclone II) supports convection-cooled enclosures typical of industrial drives.
Recommended
Video Processing Bridge
The EP3C55U484C8 is ideal as a video-format conversion or interface bridge, supporting parallel RGB/YCbCr input and HDMI/LVDS output streams at typical resolutions up to 1080p. Its 327 I/Os accommodate 24-bit color buses plus control signals, while the 156 multipliers handle scaling, de-interlacing, and color-space conversion in real time. The 2.4 Mbits of embedded memory serves as line buffers, eliminating external SRAM. Low-power 65 nm process technology enables fanless operation in consumer and prosumer video equipment where thermal envelopes are constrained.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processor (FIR/FFT Acceleration)
The EP3C55U484C8 provides 156 dedicated 18x18 hardware multipliers, each capable of 250 MHz operation in C8 speed grade, delivering aggregate DSP throughput sufficient for 256-tap FIR filters or 1024-point FFTs in real time. The 55,856 logic elements implement datapath control, address generation, and windowing logic, while the 2.4 Mbits of embedded memory holds FFT twiddle factors or FIR coefficients without external bus contention. Software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, audio processing, and machine-vision front-ends commonly leverage this density for offloading DSP from a host CPU.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Engineers prototyping ASICs in the 30K to 50K gate-equivalent class often select the EP3C55U484C8 because its 484-FBGA package and 327 I/Os match the I/O count of typical mid-complexity ASICs. The 55,856 logic elements provide approximately 1.5x to 2x the capacity needed for partitioned ASIC prototyping, allowing room for debug instrumentation and boundary scan. Quartus II supports incremental compile and ECO flows that map ASIC RTL to the FPGA with minimal timing closure work, accelerating bring-up.
Recommended
Communications Protocol Converter
Protocol-conversion gateways (e.g., UART-to-SPI, I2C-to-CAN, Modbus-to-Ethernet) often deploy the EP3C55U484C8 because its 327 mixed-voltage I/Os natively bridge 3.3 V, 5 V, and 1.8 V domains. The 156 multipliers handle data whitening, CRC computation, and protocol encryption. With embedded Nios II soft processor support, the device can run a real-time stack (lwIP, FreeRTOS) for protocol translation, while the 2.4 Mbits of embedded memory holds packet buffers without external SRAM. The 484-FBGA package provides the routing density needed for multi-protocol industrial gateways.
Recommended
Embedded Vision Front-End
The EP3C55U484C8 is well-suited to image sensor front-ends implementing Bayer demosaicing, color correction, and basic edge detection. Its 156 multipliers accelerate 3x3 convolution kernels, while the 2.4 Mbits of embedded memory holds line buffers for progressive image data from sensors up to 5 megapixels at video rates. With 327 user I/Os, the device accepts parallel image sensor data (up to 24-bit RGB) and outputs processed video plus control signaling. The low-power 65 nm process supports battery-powered or PoE industrial cameras.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C55U484C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C55U484C8N | EP3C55U484C7 | EP3C55U484C7N | EP3C55U484C6 | EP3C55U484C6N | EP3C40U484C8 | EP3C40U484C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 484-FBGA (UBGA) | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 55,856 | 39,600 | 39,600 |
| Speed Grade | C8 | C8 | C7 (faster) | C7 (faster) | C6 (slowest) | C6 (slowest) | C8 | C8 |
| Embedded Memory | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 2,396,160 bits | 1,161,216 bits | 1,161,216 bits |
| 18x18 Multipliers | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 | 126 | 126 |
| User I/Os | 327 | 327 | 327 | 327 | 327 | 327 | 331 | 331 |
| Process / Core Voltage | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V | 65 nm / 1.2 V |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | No | Yes (N suffix) | No | Yes (N suffix) | No | Yes (N suffix) | No | Yes (N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest commercial-temperature speed grade (C8) for cost-sensitive timing margin (vs EP3C55U484C7)
- Same-package upgrade from EP3C40 with 41 percent more logic (vs EP3C40U484C8)
- Original (non-lead-free) option for legacy or non-RoHS assemblies (vs EP3C55U484C8N)
Design Notes
The EP3C55U484C8 requires four power domains: VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCIO (per-bank, 1.5 V to 3.3 V), VCCA (1.2 V PLL analog), and VCCD_PLL (1.2 V PLL digital). Each VCCINT ball must be decoupled with a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic placed within 5 mm of the ball, plus a 10 uF bulk capacitor at each power-supply island. VCCA and VCCD_PLL require their own filtered supplies with ferrite beads to isolate PLL noise from core logic. Estimate: at 100 MHz toggle rate with typical utilization, expect 500 mA to 1.2 A on VCCINT.
The 484-FBGA (U484) package has 1.0 mm pitch balls in a 19x19 array. Use 4-layer PCB stack-up with continuous ground plane on layer 2 directly beneath the BGA; do not route signals beneath the BGA on layer 2. Fan-out via-in-pad (VIP) is acceptable for escape routing, but the via pad must be filled and planarized to prevent solder wicking. Matched-length routing is required for LVDS pairs (skew less than 150 ps) and DDR/SSRAM interfaces.
Do not assume the EP3C55U484C8 and EP3C40U484C8 share identical ball-out despite the same 484-FBGA package: ball assignments differ between Cyclone III density variants. Verify pin assignments in the Cyclone III Device Handbook Pin Information tables before reusing PCB designs. Also note that newer Quartus Prime releases have dropped Cyclone III support; use Quartus II 13.0 or earlier Web Edition for this device.
Estimated: at full resource utilization (90 percent logic, 50 percent memory, all 156 multipliers at 200 MHz), the EP3C55U484C8 dissipates approximately 1.5 W to 2.5 W. With the 484-FBGA theta_JA of approximately 18 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board, junction temperature rise is 27 C to 45 C above ambient. For commercial-temperature parts (0C to 85C junction), this permits operation up to approximately 60 C ambient without active cooling.
Compliance Information
EP3C55U484C8 (no N suffix) uses tin-lead ball finish and is not RoHS lead-free compliant. The N-suffix variant (EP3C55U484C8N) is lead-free and RoHS compliant. AEC-Q100 automotive qualification is not applicable for FPGAs in this family. Halogen-free per Altera product declaration.
