EP3SE260F1517C4LN - Stratix III E FPGA 255K LE, 1517-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SE260F1517C4LN ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1720 | $17,200.00 |
| 50 | $1620 | $81,000.00 |
| 100 | $1545 | $154,500.00 |
| 500 | $1450 | $725,000.00 |
EP3SE260F1517C4LN Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device that combines programmable logic blocks, configurable interconnect, and dedicated memory/DSP blocks into a single die. FPGAs belong to the broader class of programmable logic devices (PLDs) and sit within the semiconductor hierarchy of integrated circuits (ICs) > logic ICs > programmable logic. The Stratix III E family is the enhanced logic-and-memory variant of Stratix III, optimized for high logic density and large embedded memory bandwidth in networking, broadcast, and compute-acceleration applications.
Key features of the EP3SE260F1517C4LN include 10,200 LABs (Logic Array Blocks), embedded memory of approximately 16.67 Mbit, support for high-speed transceivers (per Stratix III E family capability), and a fabric architecture engineered for high DSP throughput. The 1517-ball FC-FBGA package uses a flip-chip land-grid construction suitable for high-pin-count, high-bandwidth designs; PCB layout requires multi-layer routing with microvia technology. The 'C4' speed grade and 'LN' suffix combination places this part in the commercial-temperature, lead-free, industrial-grade supply chain.
Typical use cases for this density of Stratix III E FPGA include high-end wireline telecom line cards, broadcast video processing, ASIC prototyping, military/aerospace signal processing, and high-performance DSP pipelines where 255K logic elements and embedded memory bandwidth are required.
When designing with this device, allocate adequate PCB layers (typically 8+) for the FC-FBGA breakout, follow the Altera/Intel power-supply sequencing guidelines for Stratix III, and verify thermal management against the package theta-JA. Cyclone-series parts are pin-compatible only within the same ball-out; Xilinx Virtex-series drop-in alternatives do not exist for this package.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE260F1517C4LN — 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 EP3SE260F1517C4LN (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:
EP3SE260F1517C4L
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C4
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C3N
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
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View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$4750 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2G
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$2050 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$15800 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517C4LN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix III E |
| Family | Stratix III E (Enhanced) |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 10,200 |
| Total Memory Bits | 16,672,768 (16.67 Mbit) |
| Number of I/O | 976 |
| Voltage - Supply | 0.9 V to 1.1 V core |
| Operating Frequency | 375 MHz to 450 MHz (per family) |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Package / Case | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA (FC-FBGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (flip-chip) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial grade per 'C' suffix) |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) | 3 (168 Hours) |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Speed Grade | C4 |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Yes (LN suffix) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3SE260F1517C4LN 1517-bbga, fcbga (fc-fbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE260F1517C4LN (1517-bbga, fcbga (fc-fbga) 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 EP3SE260F1517C4LN.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE260F1517C4LN is suitable for 6 applications: Wireline Telecom Line Card Processing, Broadcast Video Processing and Format Conversion, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, High-Performance DSP and Compute Acceleration, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
Wireline Telecom Line Card Processing
The EP3SE260F1517C4LN's 255K logic elements and 16.67 Mbit embedded memory make it well suited to high-density wireline telecom line cards that require packet classification, queuing, and forwarding at multi-gigabit rates. With 976 user I/Os, designers can interface directly to multiple SFP/SFP+ optical modules, external TCAMs, and DDR3/QDR memory subsystems. The Stratix III E fabric supports high-throughput on-chip bus architectures (e.g., Avalon, SerialLite II) that telecom designs rely on, and the 1517-ball FC-FBGA package accommodates the dense pin count required for multi-port line cards. Compared to ASIC implementation, this FPGA allows late-stage protocol changes (e.g., OTN, Ethernet, MPLS) without re-spining silicon.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing and Format Conversion
Broadcast video routers and format converters benefit from the EP3SE260F1517C4LN's 255K logic elements for implementing real-time de-interlacers, scalers, and color-space converters at 3G-SDI / HD-SDI rates. The 16.67 Mbit of embedded memory provides frame-buffer and line-buffer storage for video pipelines without requiring external SRAM, reducing BOM cost and PCB complexity. The 976 I/Os accept multiple parallel video data paths plus control/status channels. Designers use the variable-precision DSP blocks in the Stratix III E fabric to accelerate video scaling and chroma-keying operations, achieving broadcast-grade throughput in a single FPGA.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
ASIC prototyping platforms often map multi-million-gate ASIC designs onto one or more EP3SE260F1517C4LN FPGAs because the 255K logic elements, 16.67 Mbit embedded memory, and 976 I/Os provide a high-capacity fabric that scales to large ASIC RTL. The 1517-ball FC-FBGA package exposes enough user I/Os to map debug probe points, clock-domain crossings, and external memory interfaces required for real-world ASIC verification. With the Quartus II design flow and TimeQuest timing analysis, designers partition and synthesize ASIC RTL at speeds close to silicon-emulation performance, allowing pre-tapeout software validation at MHz-scale real-time speeds.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
Defense signal-processing systems leverage the EP3SE260F1517C4LN's 255K logic elements for radar, electronic-warfare (EW), and SIGINT pipelines where high DSP throughput is critical. The variable-precision DSP blocks in the Stratix III E family operate at up to 550 MHz and implement FIR filters, FFTs, and beam-forming algorithms. The 976 I/Os interface to multi-channel ADC/DAC arrays (e.g., EV8AQ160, AD9680) used in radar digitizers. The industrial temperature grade variant (LN suffix) supports the extended thermal envelope typical of MIL-STD-810 applications, though full MIL-spec qualification requires additional screening.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP and Compute Acceleration
Compute-acceleration cards and high-performance DSP systems use the EP3SE260F1517C4LN as a co-processor that offloads compute kernels (e.g., FFT, convolution, encryption) from CPUs. The Stratix III E fabric's variable-precision DSP blocks support fixed and floating-point arithmetic at 550 MHz, with hundreds of DSP blocks in this density class. The 16.67 Mbit embedded memory acts as a high-bandwidth on-chip scratchpad reducing external memory accesses. With 976 I/Os, designers connect to host interfaces (PCIe, Serial RapidIO) and to multiple DDR3/QDR memory channels for streaming data.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
High-end test and measurement instruments (e.g., logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, bit-error-rate testers) leverage the EP3SE260F1517C4LN's 255K logic elements and 976 I/Os to implement deep capture memory and parallel stimulus channels. The 16.67 Mbit embedded memory acts as capture-buffer storage; the LVDS-capable I/Os support multi-Gbps probe interfaces. Designers use the Stratix III E fabric to implement protocol-aware decode logic (e.g., PCIe Gen2, USB 3.0, SATA) directly in the FPGA, eliminating the need for external protocol-analyzer ASICs and enabling late-protocol additions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE260F1517C4LN — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE260F1517C4L | EP3SE260F1517C4 | EP3SE260F1517C3N | EP3SE260F1517C3 | EP3SE260F1517C2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 1517-BBGA FC-FBGA | 1517-BBGA FC-FBGA (same) | 1517-BBGA FC-FBGA (same) | 1517-BBGA FC-FBGA (same) | 1517-BBGA FC-FBGA (same) | 1517-BBGA FC-FBGA (same) |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 | 255,000 (same die) | 255,000 (same die) | 255,000 (same die) | 255,000 (same die) | 255,000 (same die) |
| Embedded Memory | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit |
| User I/Os | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 |
| Speed Grade | C4 | C4 (same) | C4 (same) | C3 (-1 bin, slower) | C3 (-1 bin, slower) | C2 (-2 bins, slowest) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (C-suffix, no N) | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial (N suffix) | Commercial | Industrial (N suffix) |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (LN suffix) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifecycle Status | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy | Last Time Buy |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Stratix III E variant with 1517-ball FC-FBGA (vs EP3SE260F1152C4LN)
- C4 speed grade gives highest performance in this density class (vs EP3SE260F1517C3N)
- Lead-free LN suffix enables RoHS/REACH compliance (vs EP3SE260F1517C4 (non-LN))
- Single-FPGA solution for 255K-LE designs (vs Multi-FPGA partitioning with smaller Cyclone/Stratix parts)
Design Notes
The 1517-ball FC-FBGA package has a theta-JA in the 12-15 C/W range depending on PCB stack-up and airflow. At full fabric utilization (estimated 8-12 W typical power consumption for the 255K-logic-element die), the junction temperature rise above ambient is approximately 100-180 C - well within the commercial 0C to +85C operating range if the PCB has adequate thermal vias and copper pours. Estimated: assumed 10 W typical power, theta-JA = 12 C/W. Place a thermal via array under the exposed pad/die flag per the Stratix III E package guidelines.
The 1517-ball FC-FBGA package requires an 8+ layer PCB stack-up with microvia technology (laser-drilled stacked vias) to break out the 1.0 mm pitch BGA. Recommended: 1 oz copper outer layers, 0.5 oz inner layers, 4 mil dielectric between layers. Follow the Intel/Altera Stratix III E board-design guidelines for high-speed transceiver routing (controlled impedance 100 dΩ differential, length matching within 5 mil for TX/RX pairs). Use the Altera Pin Planner to assign pins before laying out the PCB.
The Stratix III E core operates from 0.9 V to 1.1 V and requires a sequenced power-supply ramp per the manufacturer datasheet. Use an Intel/Altera-recommended power-supply sequencer (e.g., LTC3265, ISL6117) to enforce the VCCIO-before-VCCINT-before-VCCAUX ordering during power-up and the reverse ordering during power-down. Estimated: typical supply currents are 5-15 A on VCCINT for full fabric utilization; the PLL/auxiliary rails draw 200-500 mA each.
Do not confuse the 'C4' speed grade with the temperature grade - 'C4' is speed grade only; the trailing 'N' in the part number is the industrial-temperature designator. The LN suffix is required for lead-free/RoHS compliance; non-LN variants are Pb-bearing for legacy aerospace programs. Configuration: this density requires an EPCS64 or larger configuration device; do not use EPCS16 with the 255K-LE die. JTAG chain: confirm the JTAG IDCODE matches Quartus II's expected ID before issuing PROGRAM instruction.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliance per LN (lead-free) suffix. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC. Stratix III E family does not carry AEC-Q100 qualification; for automotive applications use Cyclone IV/V or newer automotive-grade parts. Conflict-minerals status not explicitly published in the available web data - set to unknown.
