EP3C80F780I7 - Cyclone III FPGA 81K LE 780-FBGA | Altera
MPN: EP3C80F780I7 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $168.5 | $168.50 |
| 10 | $152.2 | $1,522.00 |
| 100 | $135.8 | $13,580.00 |
| 250 | $125.4 | $31,350.00 |
| 500 | $115.9 | $57,950.00 |
EP3C80F780I7 Overview
An FPGA is a reprogrammable semiconductor device that allows designers to implement custom digital logic, memory, and DSP blocks after PCB fabrication. Cyclone III FPGAs sit in the low-power, low-cost tier of Altera's (now Intel FPGA) portfolio and target cost-sensitive applications requiring moderate logic density. They are commonly used as glue logic, video/image processing engines, motor-control co-processors, and protocol bridges. Cyclone III sits below Cyclone IV/V/10 in cost per logic element, while offering integrated multipliers, PLLs, and external memory interfaces that were once limited to higher-end families.
Key features of the EP3C80F780I7 include 81,264 logic elements organized into 5,079 logic array blocks (LABs), 281 embedded 9-Kbit M9K memory blocks (totaling ~2.8 Mbits), 244 embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP, 4 general-purpose PLLs, and 20 global clock networks. The device supports external memory interfaces including DDR, DDR2, SDR SDRAM, and QDRII SRAM, with dedicated DQS pins. The 780-FBGA package has a 1.0 mm ball pitch and 29 x 29 mm body suitable for industrial-temperature (-40C to +100C) operation.
The architecture is built around an SRAM-based LUT fabric with row and column interconnect, embedded RAM blocks, and DSP slices. Configuration is loaded via JTAG, Active Serial (AS), Active Parallel (AP), or Passive Serial (PS) modes from external flash. Cyclone III devices are supported by the Quartus II design suite (legacy) and are still maintained for industrial designs. Note that the Cyclone III family has been in production for many years and may show Last Time Buy / Not Recommended for New Designs status - check current Intel FPGA product status before starting new designs.
Typical applications include industrial machine vision, video surveillance encoders, motor-control co-processors, software-defined radio baseband, test and measurement instruments, medical imaging preprocessing, and low-cost ASIC prototyping. The 1.2 V core and 2.5/3.3 V I/O banking make board design similar to other 65 nm FPGAs.
When designing with this part, ensure adequate decoupling on all VCCINT and VCCA rails per the Pin Connection Guidelines, and follow the JTAG chain layout in the device handbook. The EP3C80F780I7 is the industrial-temperature variant; the commercial-temperature equivalent is EP3C80F780C7/C8. For newer designs, consider Cyclone IV E (EP4CE80) or Cyclone 10 LP (10CL080) as successors with active product status.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-brand drop-in alternatives from the Cyclone III family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C80F780I7 — 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 EP3C80F780I7 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Embedded 18x18 Multipliers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C80F780I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$514.03 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C80F780C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$240.2 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C80F780C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$260 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C120F780I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C120F780C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$162 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55F780I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C80F780I7 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone III |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 81,264 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LAB) | 5,079 |
| Total Memory Bits | 2,810,880 |
| Embedded Memory Blocks (M9K) | 281 |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 244 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 429 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Global Clock Networks | 20 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Package | 780-ball FBGA (F780), 1.0 mm pitch |
| Package Body Size | 29 x 29 mm, 2.60 mm height |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Lead Free / RoHS | Yes - lead-free, RoHS compliant |
EP3C80F780I7 29 x 29 mm, 2.60 mm height Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3C80F780I7 (29 x 29 mm, 2.60 mm height 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 EP3C80F780I7.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3C80F780I7 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Machine Vision, Video Surveillance Encoder, Motor Control Co-Processor, Software-Defined Radio Baseband, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Low-Cost ASIC Prototyping.
Industrial Machine Vision
The EP3C80F780I7 is well-suited to industrial machine vision preprocessing pipelines thanks to its 81,264 logic elements, 244 embedded 18x18 multipliers, and 2,810,880 bits of M9K block RAM. In a typical Camera Link frame grabber the FPGA receives pixel data at up to 85 MHz over LVDS, applies a Bayer demosaic, gamma correction, and Sobel edge detection in real time, then forwards the result over GigE Vision or USB3 Vision. The 281 M9K blocks provide line buffers and lookup tables for color correction, while the 244 multipliers accelerate convolution kernels at VGA (640x480) rates above 60 fps. Compared with a DSP or GPU, the FPGA delivers deterministic latency under 1 ms which is critical for high-speed inspection on conveyor lines.
Recommended
Video Surveillance Encoder
The EP3C80F780I7 supports dual-channel H.264 baseline encoding at D1 (720x576) resolution, leveraging its DSP blocks for motion estimation and its M9K memory for reference frame caching. With 429 user I/Os the device can simultaneously interface to two CMOS sensors over parallel DVP, an Ethernet PHY for streaming, and an SD card for local archival. The 4 PLLs generate independent clocks for the sensor pixel clock, the DDR2 external memory controller, and the Ethernet MAC, while the 20 global clock networks distribute low-skew clocks across the chip. Designers commonly drop the design into Quartus II 13.1 with the Altera Video and Image Processing Suite IP cores.
Recommended
Motor Control Co-Processor
In a servo drive or industrial inverter, the EP3C80F780I7 acts as a co-processor that runs field-oriented control (FOC) loops at 20 kHz with sub-microsecond latency. Its 244 multipliers handle Clarke/Park transforms and PID calculations, while the 4 PLLs synthesize the PWM carrier and quadrature encoder sampling clocks. The 1.2 V core and industrial temperature range (-40C to +100C) make it suitable for cabinet-mounted drives with limited cooling. The 429 I/Os accept incremental encoder inputs, Hall sensors, and gate driver enable signals, while also driving SPI to a host MCU for parameter updates. The FPGA's deterministic interrupt response outperforms software-based FOC loops on mid-range Cortex-M MCUs.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Baseband
The EP3C80F780I7 can implement a complete narrowband SDR baseband for ham radio, public-safety, or industrial telemetry, supporting channel bandwidths up to 1 MHz with the 244 18x18 multipliers handling the polyphase filterbank and FFT butterfly operations. The M9K memory stores tap coefficients and intermediate IQ samples. AD9361 or similar transceivers interface over LVDS or CMOS parallel to the FPGA's 429 I/Os, and the FPGA's PLL recovers the baseband clock. Combined with the 65 nm process's low dynamic power, the design fits into a 5W power budget suitable for portable or battery-backed radio deployments.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
In bench instruments like logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, or arbitrary waveform generators, the EP3C80F780I7 provides the high I/O count (429 pins) and DSP bandwidth (244 multipliers) needed to capture or generate multiple channels simultaneously. The FPGA can drive a 16-channel 500 MSPS ADC front-end, perform real-time pattern triggering, and stream the compressed trace over USB 3.0 or 10 GbE. The 2,810,880 bits of M9K block RAM buffer samples while the trigger logic decides whether to capture, and the 4 PLLs generate per-channel ADC clocks with programmable phase offsets. Designers appreciate the deterministic timing and the option to reprogram the same hardware for many protocols.
Recommended
Low-Cost ASIC Prototyping
Design teams often use the EP3C80F780I7 as an FPGA prototype platform for ASIC designs in the 50K-100K gate-equivalent range, benefiting from the 81K logic elements and 429 user I/Os that closely map to common ASIC pad-limited packages. The Quartus II toolchain supports incremental compilation so RTL can be incrementally mapped from the FPGA prototype to the final ASIC netlist. The 65 nm process on the FPGA matches older ASIC nodes reasonably well for timing estimation. After validation, the same Quartus project can be ported to the Cyclone IV E (EP4CE80) or Cyclone 10 LP (10CL080) for production hardware without rewriting RTL.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C80F780I7 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C80F780I7N | EP3C80F780C8N | EP3C120F780I7N | EP3C55F780I7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-FBGA (F780) 29x29mm, 1.0mm pitch | 780-FBGA (F780) - same | 780-FBGA (F780) - same | 780-FBGA (F780) - same | 780-FBGA (F780) - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel FPGA) | Altera (Intel FPGA) | Altera (Intel FPGA) | Altera (Intel FPGA) | Altera (Intel FPGA) |
| Logic Elements | 81,264 | 81,264 (same) | 81,264 (same) | 119,088 (+48%) | 55,856 (-32%) |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,810,880 | 2,810,880 (same) | 2,810,880 (same) | 3,981,312 (+42%) | 2,396,160 (-15%) |
| Embedded 18x18 Multipliers | 244 | 244 (same) | 244 (same) | 288 (+18%) | 156 (-36%) |
| Maximum User I/Os | 429 | 429 (same) | 429 (same) | 531 | 377 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| RoHS / Lead Free | Yes (per Altera datasheet) | Yes (explicit N suffix) | Yes (explicit N suffix) | Yes (explicit N suffix) | Yes (explicit N suffix) |
| Approx. Unit Price (qty 1, USD) | $168.50 | $172.00 | $155.00 | $215.00 | $115.00 |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible density migration across the Cyclone III 780-FBGA family (vs EP3C120F780I7N / EP3C55F780I7N)
- Industrial temperature grade at the same speed grade (vs EP3C80F780C8N)
- Sufficient M9K block RAM for full HD line buffers (vs EP3C55F780I7N)
Design Notes
The EP3C80F780I7 requires four separate supply rails: VCCINT (1.2 V core), VCCA (2.5 V PLL analog), VCCIO (1.2/1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V per bank) and VCCPD (3.3 V configuration). Per the Cyclone III Device Handbook, each VCCINT pin must be decoupled with 0.1 uF and 10 uF ceramic capacitors placed within 100 mils of the package ball. Bulk decoupling of 100 uF tantalum or polymer is recommended per voltage plane. Estimated: ICCINT quiescent is roughly 250 mA at 0% toggle; at 50% toggle on a 100 MHz design expect 800 mA - 1.2 A on VCCINT alone. Always read AN 514: Power Management for Cyclone III before finalizing the PDN.
The 780-FBGA at 1.0 mm pitch has a thermal resistance theta_JA around 12-15 C/W with a standard 4-layer JEDEC test board, but in real enclosures with limited airflow this can exceed 20 C/W. Estimated: at full toggle activity the EP3C80 draws up to 1.5 W from VCCINT plus I/O power, giving a junction rise of roughly 22-30 C above ambient at typical 8-layer board layouts. The industrial-temperature -40C to +100C spec means junction must stay below 100C, so derate by at least 15 C from the 85C ambient for safety. Use thermal vias under the package BGA balls marked GND to spread heat into the inner planes.
Lay out the 780-FBGA land pattern with 1.0 mm pitch using microvia or 0.4 mm laser-drilled vias in a dog-bone or via-in-pad topology. Match all differential pairs (LVDS, DDR) to within 10 mil length tolerance per the Cyclone III handbook pin connection guidelines. Keep the JTAG chain short (<6 inches) and place a 10 kohm pull-up on TCK, TMS and TDI per the configuration handbook. Route configuration flash signals (AS mode: nCSO, DCLK, DATA, ASDI) with 50 ohm impedance and length-matched within 50 mils.
Common pitfalls on Cyclone III designs include: (1) leaving nCONFIG floating - it must be tied to VCCPD through a 10 kohm resistor, never to GND; (2) mixing 2.5 V and 3.3 V on a single I/O bank without setting VCCIO for that bank correctly - this damages the I/O cells; (3) failing to instantiate the ALTPLL megafunction before generating fitter errors - PLL pins are dual-purpose and silent configuration failures waste board spins; (4) ignoring MSL3 moisture sensitivity - the F780 BGA must be baked at 125C for 24 hours before reflow if the package has been open >48 hours.
Compliance Information
Lead-free FBGA package per Altera/Intel datasheet. The EP3C80F780I7 is the industrial-temperature grade; commercial-temperature variants are EP3C80F780C6/C7/C8. NRND status as of 2026 - check the Intel FPGA product longevity page for the latest lifecycle statement.
