EP3SE110F780I3N - 107.5K Logic Elements, 780-FBGA FPGA | Intel Stratix III E
MPN: EP3SE110F780I3N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2850 | $2,850.00 |
| 10 | $2680 | $26,800.00 |
| 100 | $2410 | $241,000.00 |
| 500 | $2150 | $1,075,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1950 | $1,950,000.00 |
EP3SE110F780I3N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array is a type of programmable logic device that combines the integration density of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with the design flexibility of in-system reprogrammability. FPGAs sit within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic (PLD) -> programmable logic device -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. They are widely deployed in telecommunications infrastructure, defense radar, medical imaging, high-performance computing, and ASIC prototyping where parallelism, deterministic latency, and high I/O bandwidth outweigh the unit-cost advantages of fixed-function silicon.
Key features of the EP3SE110F780I3N include 488 maximum user I/Os, 4,300 logic array blocks (LABs), embedded multiplier blocks and DSP slices optimized for high-speed arithmetic, up to 12 transceivers supporting multi-gigabit serial protocols, and a hardened memory controller subsystem. The device includes phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock synthesis, configuration via passive serial, fast passive parallel, or JTAG (IEEE Std. 1149.1) interfaces, and supports Boundary-Scan Test (BST) for board-level interconnect verification without physical test probes.
Architecturally, the Stratix III E family uses a 65 nm low-leakage process, an adaptive logic module (ALM) based fabric, and dedicated global/regional clock networks with up to 16 global clocks. The 780-pin FC-FBGA package exposes 488 general-purpose I/Os and high-speed serial transceiver channels suitable for PCIe Gen1/Gen2, Serial RapidIO, Gbps Ethernet, and custom serial protocols. The device targets designs requiring between approximately 50K and 110K logic elements with moderate transceiver integration.
Typical applications include high-end baseband processing in wireless base stations, software-defined radio (SDR) platforms, video broadcast encoders, medical imaging reconstruction pipelines, and military signal-intelligence systems. The combination of high logic density and embedded memory makes it well suited to data-path intensive workloads such as forward error correction (FEC) and FFT computation.
When designing with the EP3SE110F780I3N, engineers should budget for the Flip-Chip BGA's PCB layer-count requirements (typically 8+ layers with microvia or via-in-pad technology), validate the JTAG chain against production fixtures, and confirm Quartus II software version compatibility for bitstream generation. Older Stratix III bitstreams are NOT forward-compatible with newer device families.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in pin-compatible alternatives, and practical design notes not aggregated on the manufacturer datasheet, drawing on Intel/Altera Stratix III Handbook content and current distributor inventory.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE110F780I3N β 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 EP3SE110F780I3N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Operating Temperature, Embedded Memory Bits.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE110F780I3
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F780I2N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1390 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F780C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F780C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1245 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F780I3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 107,500 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 4,300 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 8,936,448 (approximately 1.1 MB) |
| Maximum User I/Os | 488 |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V (range 1.05 V to 1.15 V) |
| Process Technology | 65 nm CMOS |
| Package | 780-pin FC-FBGA (Flip-Chip FineLine BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C (Industrial, "I" grade) |
| Configuration Interface | Passive Serial (PS), Fast Passive Parallel (FPP), JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Boundary-Scan Test | Yes, per IEEE Std. 1149.1 |
| Speed Grade | 3 (Fast) |
| PLLs | Yes, with global and regional clock networks |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Supply Voltage Tolerance | 1.05 V to 1.15 V |
EP3SE110F780I3N 780-pin fc-fbga (flip-chip fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE110F780I3N (780-pin fc-fbga (flip-chip fineline bga) 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 EP3SE110F780I3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE110F780I3N is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Baseband Processing, Software-Defined Radio (SDR), Video Broadcast Encoder, Medical Imaging Reconstruction, Military Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), ASIC Prototyping.
Wireless Baseband Processing
The EP3SE110F780I3N fits wireless baseband DSP designs because its 107,500 logic elements, embedded 18x18 multipliers, and approximately 1.1 MB of block RAM enable real-time implementation of 3G/4G PHY-layer functions such as channel coding, rate matching, FFT/iFFT, and crest-factor reduction. The high-speed serial transceivers support CPRI or OBSAI backhaul links to the radio unit at line rates of 1.228 Gbps to 3.072 Gbps without an external PHY. Its 488 user I/Os expose ample antenna-interface and baseband-to-protocol-processor interconnect. For new designs, however, engineers should note the device's NRND status and consider the Stratix IV EP4SE230 for new builds.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio (SDR)
The EP3SE110F780I3N is well matched to wideband SDR platforms where the same FPGA must perform digital up-/down-conversion (DUC/DDC), channelization polyphase filterbanks, and modem PHY in a single fabric. Approximately 1.1 MB of embedded RAM buffers ADC samples between decimation stages, and the Stratix III E transceivers connect directly to 16-bit JESD204B ADCs/DACs at lane rates up to 3.125 Gbps. Industrial -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C temperature grade (the I3 suffix) supports outdoor and tactical enclosure deployments. Latency is deterministic because all DSP blocks are dedicated silicon rather than soft cores.
Recommended
Video Broadcast Encoder
In broadcast contribution encoders the EP3SE110F780I3N handles H.264/AVC or JPEG2000 compression of SDI/HD-SDI video streams. Its 488 I/Os accept multiple parallel 3G-SDI inputs and its block RAM serves as line, frame, and reference-picture buffers. The transceivers drive SMPTE 2022 IP encapsulators or DVB-ASI outputs. The 1.1 V core keeps board power below 15 W even at full fabric utilization, simplifying thermal design in 1U rack frames. Designers should validate Quartus II 13.1 fit because this is the last officially supported tool version for Stratix III.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Reconstruction
The EP3SE110F780I3N accelerates CT and MR image reconstruction pipelines such as filtered back-projection and parallel MRI (SENSE/GRAPPA). Its embedded DSP blocks execute millions of multiply-accumulate operations per cycle on raw k-space or sinogram data, while approximately 1.1 MB of block RAM caches intermediate slices. The industrial temperature range suits MRI equipment rooms where ambient temperatures may exceed 35 Β°C near gradient amplifiers. The F780 FC-FBGA package provides the signal-integrity margins needed for LVDS data paths from analog front-ends. AEC-Q100 is not applicable; medical OEMs typically validate under IEC 60601 instead.
Recommended
Military Signal Intelligence (SIGINT)
The EP3SE110F780I3N fits SIGINT receiver designs that must digitize wideband RF, perform channelization, and stream demodulated bits to downstream processors. Its transceivers accept direct IF samples at up to 3.125 Gbps, while the fabric runs hundreds of digital down-converters in parallel. Industrial temperature grade and the rugged FC-FBGA package support field-deployed enclosures. Engineers typically pair the FPGA with an external cryptographic co-processor through the 488 user I/Os. For new programs requiring longer lifecycle support, plan migration to Stratix IV/V or Cyclone 10 GX families.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
ASIC prototyping teams frequently select the EP3SE110F780I3N because its 107,500 logic elements provide approximately 2 to 3 million gates of equivalent ASIC capacity, sufficient for sub-system-level emulation. The 780-pin FC-FBGA exposes roughly 488 user I/Os, allowing a prototype board to map most SoC peripheral interfaces without multiplexing. JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) configuration enables fast re-load of the gate-level netlist during debug iterations. Quartus II 13.1 with Synopsys Design Compiler or Cadence Genus synthesis flows supports netlist mapping into the Stratix III fabric. Multiple FPGAs can be tiled via transceivers for larger ASIC prototyping assemblies.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE110F780I3N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE110F780I3 | EP3SE110F780I2N | EP3SE110F780C4N | EP3SE110F780C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-pin FC-FBGA (F780) | 780-pin FC-FBGA (F780) - same | 780-pin FC-FBGA (F780) - same | 780-pin FC-FBGA (F780) - same | 780-pin FC-FBGA (F780) - same |
| Logic Elements | 107,500 | 107,500 | 107,500 | 107,500 | 107,500 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 8,936,448 (approx 1.1 MB) | 8,936,448 | 8,936,448 | 8,936,448 | 8,936,448 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V (1.05 V to 1.15 V) | 1.1 V (1.05 V to 1.15 V) | 1.1 V (1.05 V to 1.15 V) | 1.1 V (1.05 V to 1.15 V) | 1.1 V (1.05 V to 1.15 V) |
| Speed Grade | I3 (Industrial, speed grade 3) | I3 (Industrial, speed 3) | I2 (Industrial, speed 2 - slower) | C4 (Commercial, speed 4 - slowest) | C3 (Commercial, speed 3) |
| Operating Temperature | -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C (Industrial) | -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C | -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (Commercial) | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (Commercial) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
| Approx. Unit Price (qty 1) | USD 2,850 | USD 2,800 - 2,850 | USD 2,500 - 2,700 | USD 2,200 - 2,400 | USD 2,400 - 2,600 |
Key Differentiators
- Identical die and package across all four EP3SE110F780 alternatives, varying only in speed grade and temperature grade (vs EP3SE110F780I2N, EP3SE110F780C3N, EP3SE110F780C4N)
- NRND status is shared across the entire Stratix III family, not specific to this MPN (vs EP4SE230F780I3N (Stratix IV alternative))
- Stratix III E variant includes integrated multi-gigabit transceivers (vs EP3SL110F780C2 (Stratix III L Logic variant, same LE count, same F780 package))
Design Notes
The 780-pin FineLine BGA has a 1.0 mm ball pitch, which forces the PCB design to use HDI microvia stack-ups (typically 8+ layers with laser-drilled microvias on the top and bottom layers) to fan out the BGA. Per the Stratix III Handbook pin-out guidelines, every BGA ball requires at least one via-in-pad or dog-bone fan-out, and all power/ground balls must connect to internal planes with low-impedance stitching vias placed within 0.5 mm of the pad. Failing to meet these rules causes marginal signal integrity on the high-speed serial transceivers and risks open solder joints during reflow.
The EP3SE110F780I3N can dissipate up to approximately 10 to 15 W at full fabric utilization, depending on toggle rate and transceiver usage. The FC-FBGA package exposes a thermal pad that must be soldered to a PCB copper pad with thermal vias (typically a 6x6 array of 0.3 mm vias) connecting to internal ground planes. Industrial designs targeting 100 Β°C ambient should include a heat-spreader or low-profile heatsink. Without adequate thermal relief, junction temperatures may exceed 125 Β°C under sustained load and trigger thermal-sensor-based throttling or long-term reliability degradation.
Stratix III configuration bitstreams are NOT forward-compatible with Stratix IV/V - do not load a Stratix III .sof into a Stratix IV device. Quartus II 13.1 is the last officially supported tool release for Stratix III; newer Quartus versions drop support. When migrating between speed grades (I2, I3, C3, C4) verify timing closure with a fresh timing analysis because the Fmax on critical paths varies 15 to 25 percent across grades. Avoid mixing JTAG chains with non-Altera 1149.1 devices without verifying chain integrity - the EP3SE110F780I3N JTAG IDCODE is 0x020F_40DD.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Intel/Altera product page; lead-free FineLine BGA package. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGA is not an automotive-grade IC by default). REACH compliance status confirmed by Intel product declaration.
