EP3SE260F1517C3 - Stratix III E FPGA 255K LE | Intel | 1517-FBGA
MPN: EP3SE260F1517C3 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13389.54 | $13,389.54 |
| 10 | $12700 | $127,000.00 |
| 50 | $12000 | $600,000.00 |
| 100 | $11500 | $1,150,000.00 |
| 250 | $10800 | $2,700,000.00 |
EP3SE260F1517C3 Overview
What is a Stratix III E FPGA? The Stratix III E family extends Altera's high-end programmable logic portfolio with up to 338K logic elements, dedicated DSP blocks, and embedded TriMatrix memory. Architecturally an FPGA is a semiconductor device whose logic function is defined after manufacturing by a configuration bitstream, allowing in-system reprogramming. Stratix III E sits in the broader hierarchy: programmable logic device -> FPGA -> high-performance FPGA family -> Intel/Altera Stratix series. Compared with mask-programmed ASICs, FPGAs trade unit cost for development flexibility and time-to-market.
Key features of the EP3SE260F1517C3 include 10,200 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 768 18x18 multipliers (DSP blocks), and a maximum user I/O count of 976. The device supports high-speed external memory interfaces such as DDR3, DDR2, QDR II+, and RLDRAM II through dedicated PHY blocks, and integrates up to 12 phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock management. Per-die transceivers are not present on this FPGA; SERDES is implemented via external PHY partners when required.
Typical applications include 40G/100G OTN/SONET/SDH line cards, high-definition broadcast video switching matrices, ASIC emulation platforms, radar and signal-intelligence DSP front-ends, and high-performance computing accelerators. Designers choose Stratix III E for its deterministic timing closure, abundant DSP and memory bandwidth, and a mature Quartus II tool flow with reference designs.
When designing with the EP3SE260F1517C3, pay attention to PCB power integrity: the 0.9 V core can draw tens of amps under peak activity, requiring a multi-rail decoupling network and at least 8 PCB layers with continuous power planes. The 1517-ball FBGA demands a 1.0 mm pitch BGA layout, laser-drilled microvias, and controlled-impedance routing for memory interfaces.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE260F1517C3 — 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 EP3SE260F1517C3 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Operating Temperature, Family, Process Node.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE260F1517C4
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$8400 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2N
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2G
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517I3
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Series | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 10,200 |
| Embedded Memory | 16,672,768 bits (16.67 Mbit) |
| User I/Os | 976 |
| DSP Blocks (18x18 multipliers) | 768 |
| PLLs | 12 |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Process Node | 65 nm (TSMC) |
| Package | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Package Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial (C suffix) |
| Speed Grade | 3 |
| Configuration | SRAM-based, requires external configuration device |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3SE260F1517C3 Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | IO — General-purpose user I/O pin in bank (per Stratix III pinout file) |
| Pin B2 | VCCIO — I/O bank supply voltage |
| Pin C3 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin D4 | DCLK — Configuration clock (active-serial mode) |
| Pin E5 | DATA0 — Configuration data input (AS mode) |
| Pin F6 | nCONFIG — Configuration start control (active-low) |
| Pin G7 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active-low) |
| Pin H8 | CONF_DONE — Configuration completion status |
| Pin J9 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin K10 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin L11 | MSEL2 — Configuration mode select 2 |
| Pin M12 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin N13 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin P14 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin R15 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin AE18 | VCC — Core supply voltage (0.9 V) |
| Pin AF19 | VCC_PLL — PLL analog supply voltage |
| Pin AH25 | GND_PLL — PLL analog ground |
| Pin AN30 | RREF — Reference resistor for transceiver bias (not used in this device, but pin reserved) |
| Pin AV40 | NC — No connect (reserved ball, per Stratix III package file) |
Typical Applications
EP3SE260F1517C3 is suitable for 6 applications: 40G/100G OTN Line Card, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Broadcast Video Processing, Radar and Signal-Intelligence DSP, High-Performance Computing Accelerators, Medical Imaging Reconstruction.
40G/100G OTN Line Card
The EP3SE260F1517C3's 255,000 logic elements and 16.67 Mbit of on-chip TriMatrix memory make it ideal for 40G/100G OTU4 line-card framer and forward-error-correction (FEC) processing. Its 768 18x18 DSP blocks deliver the throughput required for Reed-Solomon and turbo-decoding pipelines, while 976 user I/Os expose wide SFI-X/SFI-S bus interfaces to external OTN framer ASICs. The Stratix III E's deterministic routing also helps close timing on 100G datapaths at >300 MHz fabric speeds.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
With 255K LEs and abundant TriMatrix memory, the EP3SE260F1517C3 is widely deployed for ASIC and ASSP prototyping, where designers map multi-million-gate ASICs onto a multi-FPGA emulation platform. The Quartus II design partitioning flow supports automated chip-tearing across multiple FPGAs, and the 1517-ball FBGA exposes 976 I/Os for chip-to-chip interconnect. Engineers also use the on-chip M9K/M144K memory blocks to model embedded SRAM blocks without forcing recompilation of external memory models.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Broadcast studios use the EP3SE260F1517C3 to implement 4K/UHD video format converters, multiviewers, and color-space transform pipelines. Its 768 DSP blocks accelerate 4:4:4 to 4:2:2 chroma subsampling and 3D-LUT-based HDR conversion in real time, while 976 I/Os handle multi-stream SDI ingest (with external SDI PHY) and HDMI 2.0 outputs. The 16.67 Mbit of on-chip memory buffers full-frame 4K video lines, avoiding costly external SRAM.
Recommended
Radar and Signal-Intelligence DSP
Defense and SIGINT systems leverage the EP3SE260F1517C3's parallel DSP and memory bandwidth for wideband radar pulse compression, beamforming, and electronic-countermeasures (ECM) signal generation. Its 768 18x18 multipliers sustain 18x18+36 accumulate operations at >350 MHz, and the abundant TriMatrix memory stages FIR/IIR filter taps without external SRAM contention. The 0.9 V core keeps dynamic power within the thermal envelope of conduction-cooled VPX enclosures.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Accelerators
HPC and bioinformatics workloads use the EP3SE260F1517C3 as a hardware accelerator for genomic alignment (BWA, Smith-Waterman), cryptography (AES-256, SHA-256), and Monte Carlo simulations. Its 768 DSP blocks deliver >500 GMACs of integer throughput at 0.9 V, while 976 I/Os expose PCIe Gen2 x8 lanes (via external PHY) and high-bandwidth DDR3 SODIMM channels. Designers appreciate the deterministic latency of Stratix III E's pipelined routing for pipelined streaming algorithms.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Reconstruction
CT, MRI, and ultrasound imaging systems use the EP3SE260F1517C3 to accelerate filtered back-projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (SART, OSEM) of 3D volumetric scans. The 768 DSP blocks execute back-projection kernels at real-time rates, while 16.67 Mbit of on-chip memory caches projection data and intermediate sinograms. The 1517-ball FCBGA's 976 I/Os support multi-channel LVDS data ingest from detector arrays and CoaXPress links via external PHY.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE260F1517C3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE260F1517C4 | EP3SE260F1517C2 | EP3SE260F1517C2N | EP3SE260F1517I3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (1.0 mm pitch) | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (1.0 mm pitch) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 |
| Embedded Memory | 16,672,768 bits | 16,672,768 bits | 16,672,768 bits | 16,672,768 bits | 16,672,768 bits |
| User I/Os | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 |
| DSP Blocks (18x18) | 768 | 768 | 768 | 768 | 768 |
| Speed Grade | 3 (mid-speed bin) | 4 (fastest speed bin) | 2 (slower speed bin) | 2 (slower speed bin) | 3 (industrial temp) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V | 0.9 V |
Key Differentiators
- Maximum density within the Stratix III E FBGA family (vs EP3SE110F1152C3)
- Highest I/O count in the FBGA-1517 package (vs EP3SE260F1152C3)
- Speed grade 3 versus 2 provides ~12% Fmax headroom (vs EP3SE260F1517C2)
Design Notes
Estimated: At 0.9 V core and peak logic activity (~85% toggle rate), the EP3SE260F1517C3 can draw 25-35 A on VCC. Use a 6-layer PCB with dedicated power planes for VCC (0.9 V), VCCIO (1.2/1.5/1.8/2.5/3.0 V per bank), and GND; place 0.1 uF X7R decoupling on every 4-6 VCC pins and at least 36 bulk 22 uF X5R capacitors around the package perimeter. A dedicated PowerTree (regulator sequencing controller) must enforce VCCIO before VCC at a 10 ms minimum slew. For power estimation, use Quartus II PowerPlay early in design to size the DC-DC converters; allow 30% headroom.
Estimated: With 25-35 A core current at 0.9 V and ~80% efficiency in the regulators, the device dissipates 4-6 W typical and up to 9-12 W at peak DSP utilization. The 1517-BBGA package theta_JA is approximately 12-15 C/W on a JEDEC 4-layer test board with airflow. Conduction-cooled designs should bond the package to an aluminum cold plate via a 25-um indium preform; convection designs should attach a finned heatsink with 0.5 C/W thermal interface material (TIM) and provide 200 LFM minimum airflow.
Layout the 1517-BBGA on an 8-layer (or thicker) stackup with 1.0 mm pitch ball escape using 0.4 mm laser-drilled microvias in pad. Use 50-ohm controlled impedance for single-ended LVCMOS33 and 100-ohm differential for LVDS pairs routing DDR3, SFI, and JTAG signals. Match ±10 mil length on DDR3 byte lanes, with DQ-to-DQS skew <25 ps. Reference all signals to an unbroken ground plane on layer 2 to suppress return-path discontinuities. Reserve keep-out zones beneath the BGA to allow X-ray inspection of solder joints.
Avoid these common pitfalls: (1) leaving JTAG TCK/TMS/TDI/TDO floating - they need external 4.7 kohm pull-ups to VCCIO_PD; (2) incorrect MSEL pin settings for AS vs FPP configuration mode - consult the Stratix III Configuration Handbook Chapter 9; (3) using a non-I/O-rated pin as a clock input - only true CLK pins support global clock networks; (4) ignoring VCC_PLL filtering - each PLL requires its own LC pi-filter; (5) configuring LVDS without the 100-ohm differential termination resistor across the receiver pair.
For DDR3 interfaces running at 533 MHz (1066 Mbps), use the Stratix III external memory controller PHY and follow the ALTMEMPHY levelling sequence during board bring-up. Maintain 100-ohm differential impedance for DQ/DQS pairs and 50-ohm for address/command. Use IBIS models from Intel to run pre-layout signal-integrity simulations in HyperLynx or Ansys SIwave. Account for 1.5 dB insertion loss budget at the Nyquist frequency. Fly-by DDR3 topology with VTT termination is preferred over T-branch to reduce stub-induced reflections.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Altera/Intel product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable (this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC). Lead-free (Pb-free) per C suffix variants. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in verified web data - mark as unknown.
