EP3CLS100F484C7N - Cyclone III LS FPGA 100K LE | Intel | 484-FBGA
MPN: EP3CLS100F484C7N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $624.92 | $624.92 |
| 10 | $598.5 | $5,985.00 |
| 100 | $565.2 | $56,520.00 |
| 500 | $528.4 | $264,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $495.8 | $495,800.00 |
EP3CLS100F484C7N Overview
What is an FPGA? An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a reprogrammable digital IC containing a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable routing, dedicated hardware multipliers, block RAM, and I/O cells. FPGAs sit in the broader hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLD) within the semiconductor category, parallel to and often competing with ASICs for low-to-medium volume designs. Cyclone III LS adds additional security features such as configuration bitstream encryption and JTAG-based tamper protection, distinguishing it from the standard Cyclone III family.
Key features of the EP3CLS100F484C7N include a logic element count of 100,448 (giving roughly 100K LE), 4,451,328 bits (~4.4 Mbit) of embedded SRAM organized into M9K blocks, embedded 18x18 multipliers for DSP operations, and four general-purpose PLLs per device for clock management. The 'F484' suffix denotes the 484-pin FineLine BGA package, 'C7' denotes the commercial speed grade 7, and 'N' indicates lead-free / RoHS compliance. Compared with the older Cyclone II family, Cyclone III LS cuts core voltage to 1.2 V and adds security features while retaining the low-cost positioning that the family is known for.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video processing pipelines, software-defined radio front ends, automotive infotainment (where the LS security features matter), test and measurement equipment, and low-cost protocol bridging. Designers choose this part when they need >100K LE of logic plus DSP blocks in a BGA that can be assembled with standard 1.0 mm-pitch PCB processes. The device is supported by Quartus II (and later Intel Quartus Prime) design software, which provides synthesis, place-and-route, timing analysis, and bitstream generation.
When designing with this part, plan for the 484-ball FBGA land pattern carefully - the package uses 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires microvia or via-in-pad PCB technology for reliable assembly. Decoupling follows the Cyclone III LS Hardware Reference manual recommendations with multiple bulk and high-frequency caps across the 1.2 V core and each bank VCCIO rail. Finally, designers must provision a configuration source (EPCS serial flash, JTAG, or parallel flash) because the SRAM-based configuration memory is volatile.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package-compatible alternatives from the Cyclone III LS family, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3CLS100F484C7N — 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 EP3CLS100F484C7N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Logic Elements (LE).
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3CLS100F484C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$115.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3CLS100F484I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$67.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3CLS100F484C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$62.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3CLS100F484I7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$113.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C80F484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$306.54 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C55F484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3CLS100F484C7N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone III LS |
| Logic Elements | 100,448 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 4,451,328 |
| User I/O Pins | 278 |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm low-power (TSMC) |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature (junction) | 0°C to +85°C (commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C7 |
| Package | 484-ball FineLine BGA (FBGA-484) |
| Ball Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Configuration Method | SRAM-based (volatile), via EPCS/JTAG/parallel flash |
| Security Features | Bitstream encryption, JTAG tamper protection |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free, N suffix) |
| Design Software | Quartus II / Intel Quartus Prime |
EP3CLS100F484C7N 484-ball fineline bga (fbga-484) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3CLS100F484C7N (484-ball fineline bga (fbga-484) 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 EP3CLS100F484C7N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3CLS100F484C7N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing Pipeline, Software Defined Radio Front End, Automotive Infotainment, Test and Measurement Equipment, Low-Cost Protocol Bridging.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3CLS100F484C7N fits industrial motor control because its 100,448 logic elements and 278 user I/O pins comfortably host multi-axis field-oriented control (FOC) state machines, encoder interfaces, and PWM generation logic. The 18x18 embedded hardware multipliers accelerate Clarke/Park transforms and PI controllers, while the four PLLs generate precise switching frequencies from a single crystal. The commercial 0-85C junction range suits cabinet-mounted drives; for outdoor or factory-floor applications the EP3CLS100F484I7N industrial variant should be substituted.
Recommended
Video Processing Pipeline
Video bridging and processing designs use the EP3CLS100F484C7N because its 4,451,328 bits of M9K block RAM act as line buffers for HD video frames, while 100K logic elements handle color-space conversion, scaling, and overlay composition. The 278 user I/O pins accept parallel RGB, BT.656, or LVDS video buses with ample headroom for control signals. Designers choose this part over smaller Cyclone III LS devices because line buffers for 1080p frames require multiple megabits of fast SRAM that only the 100K LE tier provides.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio Front End
In software-defined radio (SDR) front-end designs, the EP3CLS100F484C7N provides 100K LE for digital down-conversion (DDC), finite impulse response (FIR) filtering, and channelization, with its 18x18 multipliers enabling efficient multiply-accumulate operations at baseband sample rates. The 484-ball BGA exposes enough I/O to receive 14-16 bit parallel ADC samples at 100+ MSPS without multiplexing. Compared to discrete DSPs, the FPGA offers parallel channel processing and reconfigurability for evolving waveforms.
Recommended
Automotive Infotainment
The 'LS' suffix in EP3CLS100F484C7N is significant for automotive infotainment because the family adds bitstream encryption and JTAG tamper protection, preventing unauthorized bitstream copying and code reverse engineering from OBD or JTAG ports. The device hosts CAN/LIN bus controllers, LVDS display interfaces, and audio mixing logic within the 100K LE budget. For under-hood or dash-mounted units the EP3CLS100F484I7N industrial variant is recommended instead, since the C7 commercial part is limited to 0-85C junction.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Equipment
The EP3CLS100F484C7N serves in test and measurement equipment because 100K LE accommodate pattern generators, arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) cores, and protocol-aware triggering simultaneously without timing closure issues. The 4.4 Mbit of block RAM stores captured waveform buffers for USB or Ethernet upload to host PCs, and the four PLLs generate sub-ns jitter clocks for high-speed ADC/DAC interfacing. Commercial temperature is acceptable for bench instruments; the device's reprogrammability lets one board serve multiple test standards.
Recommended
Low-Cost Protocol Bridging
The EP3CLS100F484C7N handles low-cost protocol bridging between PCIe, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, I2C, SPI, UART, and proprietary industrial buses because the fabric can host multiple soft IP cores concurrently while the M9K memory blocks buffer packets between mismatched clock domains. The 278 user I/O pins are sufficient to expose multiple parallel interfaces on one board. Designers choose Cyclone III LS for bridging applications that also need bitstream encryption to protect proprietary protocol firmware.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3CLS100F484C7N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3CLS100F484C8N | EP3CLS100F484I7N | EP3CLS100F484C7 | EP3C80F484C7N | EP3C55F484C7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-ball FBGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 484-ball FBGA (same) | 484-ball FBGA (same) | 484-ball FBGA (same) | 484-ball FBGA (same) | 484-ball FBGA (same) |
| Logic Elements | 100,448 | 100,448 | 100,448 | 100,448 | 81,264 | 55,856 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 4,451,328 | 4,451,328 | 4,451,328 | 4,451,328 | 2,810,880 | 2,396,160 |
| User I/O Pins | 278 | 278 | 278 | 278 | 278 | 315 |
| Speed Grade | C7 | C8 (faster) | C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
| LS Security Features | Yes (encryption, JTAG tamper) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (standard Cyclone III) | No (standard Cyclone III) |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | Yes (N suffix) | Yes | Yes | No (no N suffix) | Yes | Yes |
Key Differentiators
- Highest density 100K LE Cyclone III LS option in 484-BGA (vs EP3C80F484C7N)
- LS family security features vs standard Cyclone III (vs EP3C80F484C7N)
- Commercial C7 speed grade with N suffix lead-free compliance (vs EP3CLS100F484C7 (no N suffix))
Design Notes
The 484-ball FBGA uses 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires microvia or via-in-pad PCB technology for reliable assembly. According to the Cyclone III LS hardware reference, escape routing for the inner balls needs at least 4 PCB layers with 0.4 mm laser-drilled vias. Use 0.5 oz copper on outer layers and 1 oz on inner power/ground planes to balance current capacity and via aspect ratio. Stencil aperture should be 0.4 mm with a 0.1 mm-thick stencil for paste release consistency.
Decoupling follows the Cyclone III LS handbook recommendations: place 0.1 uF X7R ceramic capacitors within 100 mil of every VCCINT ball, plus 10 uF bulk tantalum or ceramic caps per power rail section. Each PLL supply pin needs its own 0.1 uF and 10 uF decoupling pair plus a ferrite bead to isolate PLL analog supply from digital noise. Estimate: a fully utilized EP3CLS100 can draw 1.5-2.0 A from VCCINT at 1.2 V, plus per-bank VCCIO currents proportional to switching I/O count.
The EP3CLS100F484C7N uses volatile SRAM-based configuration, so an external configuration device (EPCS16, EPCS64, or parallel flash) is mandatory for standalone boot. JTAG chain ordering matters when multiple Intel/Altera devices share the bus - place the EP3CLS100 closer to the JTAG connector than smaller companion devices to minimize TCK stub length. For LS security, program the bitstream encryption key via Quartus before sealing the design, and disable the JTAG tamper detection pin in the security settings if unused.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free status inferred from the N suffix in the part number per Intel/Altera naming convention. REACH compliance is assumed based on EU market availability; halogen-free status and conflict minerals declaration were not explicitly found in the verified web data.
