EP3SE260F1517C4 - Stratix III E FPGA 255K LE | Altera / Intel
MPN: EP3SE260F1517C4 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10287.26 | $10,287.26 |
EP3SE260F1517C4 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks, programmable interconnect, and dedicated hard-IP blocks such as transceivers, memory controllers, and DSP slices. FPGAs sit in the broader semiconductor hierarchy as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) of the reconfigurable kind, bridging the gap between general-purpose processors and fixed-function ASICs for high-throughput, parallel workloads such as signal processing, packet routing, and high-speed data acquisition.
Key features of the EP3SE260F1517C4 include 976 user I/O pins, support for multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI Express), and integrated PCI Express hard IP blocks. The Stratix III E family also includes up to 12 transceiver channels running at up to 6.375 Gbps, and dedicated DSP blocks that deliver up to 384 GMACs of DSP throughput. The device is offered in a -4 speed grade with commercial temperature rating.
Architecture-wise, the EP3SE260F1517C4 uses a sea-of-LEs fabric with column-based embedded memory, MLAB blocks, and DSP blocks. Programmable Power Technology allows unused logic to power down, reducing static power. The fabric is paired with a dedicated configuration controller that supports passive serial, fast passive parallel, and JTAG configuration modes.
Typical applications include high-end communications infrastructure (10G/40G Ethernet line cards, OTN framer/mapper, base-station PHYs), military and aerospace signal processing, high-performance test and measurement (oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers), medical imaging reconstruction ASIC prototyping, ASIC emulation, and high-frequency trading acceleration. The combination of 16.7 Mbits of embedded RAM and 768 multipliers enables complex multi-channel DSP pipelines.
When designing with this device, plan the PCB with a minimum of 6 PCB layers and continuous GND/power planes beneath the 1517-ball FCBGA. Provide a fully-decoupled power distribution network (PDN) with high-frequency ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of each power pin, and ensure the JTAG chain is isolated from noisy switching nodes to maintain configuration integrity.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing from Heisener and DigiKey, same-brand drop-in Stratix III E variants from the Site MPN list, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet - giving procurement and engineering teams a single authoritative reference for the EP3SE260F1517C4.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE260F1517C4 — 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 EP3SE260F1517C4 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Family, Process Node.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE260F1517C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$10800 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9850 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$15800 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4750 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2050 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C4N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$7800 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C4LG
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SE260F1517I4
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$10750 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix III E |
| Family | Stratix® III E FPGA |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 255,000 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALM) | 10,200 LABs / 10200 ALMs (per Mouser listing) |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 16,672,768 |
| User I/O Count | 976 |
| DSP Blocks | 768 (18x18 multipliers per Mouser listing) |
| Package | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA |
| Ball Count | 1517 |
| Package Style | Flip-Chip BGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | -4 |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C) - inferred from C4 suffix |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (per Altera product page) |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP3SE260F1517C4 flip-chip bga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE260F1517C4 (flip-chip 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 EP3SE260F1517C4.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE260F1517C4 is suitable for 8 applications: 10G/40G Ethernet Line Card, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Military/Aerospace Signal Processing, High-Performance Oscilloscope and Protocol Analyzer, Medical Imaging Reconstruction, High-Frequency Trading Acceleration, Wireless Base Station PHY, Industrial Vision Inspection.
10G/40G Ethernet Line Card
The EP3SE260F1517C4's 255K logic elements and 16.7 Mbits of embedded RAM make it ideal for 10G/40G Ethernet line card MAC, OTN framer, and packet-processing pipelines. With up to 12 integrated transceiver channels at 6.375 Gbps, the device handles multi-port SFP+ aggregation without external PHY chips. The 976 user I/O pins accommodate 4-8 SFP+ cages, GMII/XGMII interfaces, and parallel bus connections to switch fabrics. Compared to ASIC implementations, this FPGA enables rapid protocol customization for emerging 40G/100G standards while maintaining sufficient throughput for line-rate processing.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
With 255K logic elements and 768 embedded 18x18 multipliers, the EP3SE260F1517C4 is well-suited for ASIC prototyping of large SoC designs. The 16.7 Mbits of distributed and block RAM emulate SRAM subsystems, while the 976 I/O pins map to high-pin-count ASIC pads. Multi-FPGA partitioning tools from Synopsys and Cadence commonly use Stratix III E devices for their generous logic capacity and timing predictability. Compared to ASIC tape-out, this FPGA prototyping path delivers 100-1000x faster design iteration while preserving signal behavior within 5-8% timing margin.
Recommended
Military/Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP3SE260F1517C4 suits defense signal processing applications including radar beamforming, electronic warfare (EW), and secure communications. The 768 DSP multipliers deliver up to 384 GMACs of FIR/FFT throughput, enabling real-time processing of wideband radar signals. Industrial-temperature variants of the same die (I4 suffix) operate from -40C to +100C for aerospace environments. Compared to DSP processor implementations, this FPGA achieves 10-50x higher throughput per Watt for parallel DSP kernels such as FFT and polyphase filterbanks.
Recommended
High-Performance Oscilloscope and Protocol Analyzer
The EP3SE260F1517C4 powers the digital acquisition and triggering logic in high-end oscilloscopes and protocol analyzers, where 976 user I/O pins and 16.7 Mbits of embedded RAM enable deep sample memory and parallel channel processing. The 768 DSP blocks accelerate real-time eye-diagram analysis and serial decoder functions. The 40 nm process node balances speed and power for portable test instruments. Compared to ASIC-based scopes, this FPGA architecture allows manufacturers to add new protocol decoders via firmware updates, extending product lifecycles.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Reconstruction
The EP3SE260F1517C4 accelerates CT and MRI image reconstruction algorithms such as filtered back-projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction. The 768 DSP multipliers process parallel processing of 2D/3D back-projection kernels at clinical frame rates. The 976 user I/O pins interface to high-speed ADC arrays and image-display pipelines. Compared to GPU-based reconstruction, the FPGA implementation achieves 5-10x lower latency and deterministic timing - critical for real-time interventional imaging where motion artifacts must be minimized.
Recommended
High-Frequency Trading Acceleration
The EP3SE260F1517C4's 255K logic elements and sub-100ns deterministic latency make it ideal for high-frequency trading (HFT) order-book and feed-handling acceleration. With sub-microsecond tick-to-trade latency, the FPGA processes market data feeds and executes trading strategies faster than software-based systems. The 16.7 Mbits of embedded RAM buffer order books and the 976 I/O connect to multiple 10G market data feeds. Compared to CPU-based trading systems, the FPGA reduces latency by 10-100x, providing measurable alpha advantage in latency-sensitive strategies.
Recommended
Wireless Base Station PHY
The EP3SE260F1517C4 implements LTE/WiMAX baseband PHY functions including FFT/iFFT, channel coding, and MIMO processing for wireless base stations. The 768 DSP multipliers enable multi-antenna MIMO processing at 20 MHz LTE bandwidth. The 976 user I/O pins interface to radio cards via CPRI or OBSAI, and to baseband controllers via PCIe. Compared to DSP+ASIC implementations, this single-FPGA architecture reduces BOM and power while supporting multiple wireless standards through firmware reprogramming.
Recommended
Industrial Vision Inspection
The EP3SE260F1517C4 enables real-time machine vision in factory automation - inspecting PCBs, semiconductors, and packaged goods at line speeds up to 100k parts/hour. The 768 DSP multipliers accelerate Sobel, Laplacian, and FFT-based defect detection algorithms. The 976 user I/O pins aggregate multiple GigE Vision or Camera Link cameras, while 16.7 Mbits of RAM hold frame buffers for pipelined inspection. Compared to PC-based vision systems, this FPGA integration achieves 5-10x higher throughput per Watt and deterministic real-time response.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE260F1517C4 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE260F1517C3 | EP3SE260F1517C3N | EP3SE260F1517C2 | EP3SE260F1517C2N | EP3SE260F1517C2G | EP3SE260F1517C4LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 | 255,000 - same | 255,000 - same | 255,000 - same | |||
| Embedded Memory | 16,672,768 bits | 16,672,768 bits - same | 16,672,768 bits - same | 16,672,768 bits - same | |||
| User I/O | 976 | 976 - same | 976 - same | 976 - same | |||
| DSP Multipliers | 768 | 768 - same | 768 - same | 768 - same | |||
| Speed Grade | -4 | -3 (faster) | -2 (fastest commercial) | -4 (same) | |||
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (per suffix indicator) | Yes (lead-free) | Yes (lead-free) | Yes (lead-free/RoHS) | Yes (lead-free/RoHS) | ||
| Lifecycle | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Highest logic element count in Stratix III E family (vs EP3SE110F780C4 (Stratix III E mid-density))
- Highest I/O count via 1517-ball FCBGA (vs EP3SE260F1152C4 (1152-ball package))
- Fully-integrated hard IP blocks (vs Soft-core implementations on smaller FPGAs)
Design Notes
The 1517-ball FCBGA requires a minimum 6-layer PCB stackup with continuous GND and PWR planes beneath the package. Use 0.4mm-pitch microvia or stacked-via technology for breakout routing. Place high-frequency decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of each power pin to maintain PDN impedance below the target impedance for 40nm transients. Estimated via count: 1500+ signal vias plus 100+ power/GND vias for the full breakout. Reference Altera AN 532 (AN532) for Stratix III FCBGA layout.
Estimated: At full fabric utilization (255K LEs at 200 MHz toggle rate, 1.0V VCC), the EP3SE260F1517C4 may dissipate up to 20-25W. The 1517 FCBGA package has theta_JA of approximately 8-10 C/W with a properly designed thermal via array. Implement at least 4 thermal via arrays (16-25 vias each) under the package thermal pad. Use heat-spreader or heatsink attachment for designs exceeding 15W dissipation to keep junction below 100C.
Common Stratix III E configuration pitfalls: (1) MSEL pins must be set correctly for the chosen configuration mode (AS=fast, PS=passive serial, JTAG, FPP); (2) nCONFIG must remain high during configuration - any glitch causes reconfiguration; (3) JTAG chain isolation: place a buffer between TCK and noisy nets; (5) nSTATUS signal monitoring is required for multi-device configuration chains. Reference Altera's Stratix III Configuration Handbook for complete initialization sequences.
The EP3SE260F1517C4 requires multiple supply rails: VCCINT (0.9V/1.0V/1.1V core), VCCIO (1.2V-3.3V I/O banks), VCCA_PLL (2.5V for PLL), VCCPD (3.3V for configuration), VCCBAT (battery for key memory). Power sequencing requires VCCINT before VCCIO with monotonic ramp; violation can cause device latch-up. Reference Altera's Stratix III Power Management AN for sequencing circuits.
Stratix III E transceivers support up to 6.375 Gbps. For 6G+ signals, use 100-ohm differential routing with intra-pair skew under 5 ps and length matching within 0.127 mm. AC-coupling capacitors must be placed close to transmitter pins. Reference AN 530 (Stratix III Transceiver User Guide) for detailed SI/PI guidelines including channel loss budgets and pre-emphasis settings.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per Altera/Intel product page. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict minerals status not stated in available web data. AEC-Q100 not applicable - FPGAs are not typically AEC-Q100 qualified.
