EP3SE260H780C3N - Stratix III E FPGA, 255K LE, 780-BGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP3SE260H780C3N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 5 | $1720 | $8,600.00 |
| 10 | $1610 | $16,100.00 |
| 25 | $1480 | $37,000.00 |
| 100 | $1325 | $132,500.00 |
EP3SE260H780C3N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device built from an array of configurable logic blocks (LABs/CLBs) embedded in a programmable interconnect fabric. FPGAs occupy the tier between ASICs and microcontrollers in the computing-hierarchy: they deliver ASIC-class parallel performance and throughput, but unlike ASICs they are reprogrammable in the field. Stratix III E belongs to Altera's high-end FPGA family, optimized for high logic density, high-speed transceivers, and large embedded memory — it is part of the broader power-management-and-signal-processing semiconductor ecosystem used in networking, DSP, and ASIC prototyping.
Key features of the EP3SE260H780C3N include 10200 LABs/CLBs for fine-grained parallel logic, embedded DSP blocks for high-speed fixed- and floating-point arithmetic, up to 488 user I/Os supporting LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, and other single-ended and differential I/O standards, and on-chip transceivers suitable for 1 Gbps+ serial links. The 780-BGA FCBGA package exposes the full I/O count and is required for the largest Stratix III E device in this family.
Architecturally, Stratix III E combines a 40 nm low-power process, dedicated memory and DSP blocks, and Altera's Quartus II design toolchain. The result is high logic density with low static and dynamic power — a notable design achievement when this device was introduced. The 'N' suffix denotes a lead-free / RoHS-compliant package finish.
Typical applications include high-end ASIC prototyping, wired and wireless communications infrastructure (baseband, backhaul, framer/PCS), high-performance DSP for radar and medical imaging, broadcast video processing, and military/aerospace signal processing. The 780-BGA package also enables dense board layouts in line-card and mezzanine designs.
When designing with the EP3SE260H780C3N, plan power-rail decoupling early — Stratix III E devices require multiple voltage rails (VCCINT, VCCA, VCCPD, VCCIO) and bulk decoupling per rail, plus extensive power-plane design on the PCB. Engineers should also budget thermal-management effort given the package's exposed-die BGA construction.
This page synthesizes verified distributor pricing, drop-in same-family alternatives from the Site MPN list, and practical design notes not found in the standalone datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE260H780C3N — 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 EP3SE260H780C3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE260H780C3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C2N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$3600 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$2150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1517I4N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$10500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260F1152C3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$7500 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix® III E |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 255,000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 16,672,768 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 10,200 |
| User I/Os | 488 |
| Number of Pins / Balls | 780 |
| Package | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (H780) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (C grade, commercial) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm CMOS |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free 'N' suffix) |
| Configuration Method | SRAM-based, configured via JTAG / passive / active serial / fast passive parallel |
| Design Toolchain | Altera Quartus II (legacy); Intel Quartus Prime |
EP3SE260H780C3N Pin Configuration
| Pin B1 | I/O Bank 8A — User I/O — Bank 8A |
| Pin B20 | I/O Bank 8C — User I/O — Bank 8C |
| Pin C2 | VCCIO8A — I/O supply for Bank 8A |
| Pin AF1 | GND — Ground reference for BGA core/IO |
| Pin AF20 | GND — Ground reference for BGA core/IO |
| Pin AH1 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage |
| Pin AH20 | VCCA_PLL — Analog PLL supply |
| Pin AK2 | TCK — JTAG TCK — IEEE 1149.1 |
| Pin AK5 | TMS — JTAG TMS — IEEE 1149.1 |
| Pin AK8 | TDI — JTAG TDI — IEEE 1149.1 |
| Pin AK11 | TDO — JTAG TDO — IEEE 1149.1 |
| Pin AK14 | nCONFIG — Configuration control (active-low) |
| Pin AK17 | nSTATUS — Configuration status (active-low) |
| Pin AK20 | DCLK — Configuration clock input |
| Pin AM2 | DATA0 — Configuration data input |
| Pin AM5 | DATA1 — Configuration data input |
| Pin AM8 | DATA2 — Configuration data input |
| Pin AM11 | DATA3 — Configuration data input |
| Pin AM14 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin AM17 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
Typical Applications
EP3SE260H780C3N is suitable for 7 applications: ASIC Prototyping, Wired Communications Infrastructure, High-Performance DSP (Radar, Medical Imaging), Broadcast Video Processing, Wireless Baseband / DSP Prototyping, Industrial Test & Measurement Equipment, Military / Aerospace Signal Processing.
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SE260H780C3N's 255,000 logic elements, 16,672,768 bits of embedded memory, and 488 user I/Os make it a frequent choice for prototyping ASIC RTL before tape-out. Quartus Prime can map large ASIC blocks onto a single Stratix III E device, giving engineers a hardware-accurate speed and capacity model for verification. Compared with ASICs, the FPGA is reprogrammable, so RTL bugs can be fixed in minutes — useful in pre-silicon validation, firmware co-development, and software bring-up against near-final hardware. The 780-BGA exposes the full I/O count for full-rate ASIC-style edge connectivity.
Recommended
Wired Communications Infrastructure
Stratix III E FPGAs including the EP3SE260H780C3N have been widely deployed in line cards for OTN/framer/PCS applications where the 255K LE density, large on-chip memory, and high-I/O count (488 pins) handle multi-channel serial protocols, packet processing, and MAC/IP offload. The 40 nm low-power process keeps both static and dynamic power in check for chassis systems where dozens of FPGAs may share a backplane. According to Altera's Stratix III E datasheet, the embedded transceiver and DSP blocks support line rates in the multi-Gbps class typical of carrier-grade Ethernet and OTU framer designs.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP (Radar, Medical Imaging)
The EP3SE260H780C3N is a popular DSP platform for radar baseband, beamforming, and high-channel-count medical imaging (ultrasound, MRI pre-processing) where parallel DSP throughput matters more than single-thread clock speed. Stratix III E's dedicated DSP blocks deliver high GMACs/s while offloading these functions from general logic, leaving 255K LEs available for control, formatting, and memory interfaces. The 488 user I/Os enable direct ADC/DAC interconnection, and 16 Mbits of embedded memory keep intermediate DSP samples close to the multipliers. For these applications the -3 commercial speed grade is typically adequate.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Broadcast video routers, switchers, and format converters historically use high-density Altera/Intel FPGAs such as the EP3SE260H780C3N to perform SDI/HDMI bridging, frame-rate conversion, color-space conversion, and genlock in real time. The 255K LE density and large I/O bank count (488 pins) allow a single device to handle multiple video streams and on-screen-display overlays concurrently. The 780-BGA package's thermal performance supports the sustained ~10 W class workloads typical of multi-stream 3G-SDI processing. Quartus II IP cores for SDI, HDMI, and tri-rate SDI are validated on this device family.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband / DSP Prototyping
Wireless baseband designers use the EP3SE260H780C3N to prototype LTE, 5G NR PHY, and custom waveform DSP before committing to ASIC or SoC. The 255K LE / 488 I/O combination fits multi-antenna (4x4, 8x8) MIMO PHY blocks, while embedded memory holds HARQ buffers and channel-state matrices. Quartus II DSP Builder and the Altera FFT IP accelerate LTE/5G numerology development. The 40 nm Stratix III E architecture balances DSP throughput and power for lab-style baseband emulators and pre-silicon integration testbeds.
Recommended
Industrial Test & Measurement Equipment
ATE platforms, protocol analyzers, and high-channel data-acquisition systems benefit from the EP3SE260H780C3N's 488 user I/Os, large on-chip memory, and DSP capabilities for parallel signal conditioning. The commercial-temperature C grade covers most factory-floor and laboratory environments. Engineers use the device as a flexible pattern generator, protocol-aware exerciser, or DSP front-end where reconfigurability is critical for adapting to evolving test standards. The 780-BGA package is compatible with standard BGA sockets for easy board bring-up and re-use across test campaigns.
Recommended
Military / Aerospace Signal Processing
Although the EP3SE260H780C3N itself is the commercial-temperature C grade, the same Stratix III E family is widely deployed in ruggedized defense and aerospace signal-processing subsystems. The 255K LE density supports wideband SIGINT, EW, and radar DSP workloads, and the 488-I/O count enables multi-channel RF-to-digital aggregation. For military-grade variants, designers can migrate to industrial / military temperature SKUs in the same family and same 780-BGA footprint with minimal design rework.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE260H780C3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE260H780C3 | EP3SE260H780C2N | EP3SE260H780C2 | EP3SE260F1517I4N | EP3SE260F1152C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (H780) | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (H780) — same | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (H780) — same | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (H780) — same | 1517-BBGA, FCBGA — different | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA — different |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | -3 (C3) | -3 (C3) | -2 (C2) | -2 (C2) | -4 (I4) | -3 (C3) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) | Industrial (-40 °C to +100 °C) | Commercial (0 °C to +85 °C) |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | Yes (-N suffix) | No (SnPb) | Yes (-N suffix) | No (SnPb) | Yes (-N suffix) | Yes (-N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-density Stratix III E in commercial temperature grade (vs EP3SE260H780C2N)
- Lead-free / RoHS compliant finish on top-density SKU (vs EP3SE260H780C3 (no N suffix))
- 488 user I/Os in 780-BGA expose full I/O bandwidth (vs EP3SE260F1152C3N (1152-BGA))
- 16,672,768 bits of embedded memory on-die (vs EP3CLS200F780C8N)
Design Notes
The EP3SE260H780C3N requires multiple independent supply rails — VCCINT (core), VCCA (PLL analog), VCCPD (I/O pre-drive), and VCCIO (per-bank I/O). According to the Stratix III E datasheet, each rail demands bulk decoupling (10–22 µF low-ESR ceramic or polymer) placed within ~1 cm of the BGA supply balls, plus 0.1 µF / 1 nF high-frequency caps at every supply ball cluster. A multi-layer PCB with solid power planes is mandatory — split planes between VCCINT and VCCA in particular will cause PLL jitter and logic failures.
Estimated: at full logic utilization the EP3SE260H780C3N dissipates approximately 6–10 W depending on toggle rate and clock frequency. The 780-BGA exposes a thermal pad / center balls that must be soldered to a PCB thermal pad connected to inner copper planes; without this, junction temperature will exceed the 125 °C limit under sustained load. Provide ≥ 4 thermal vias under the die, and use copper pours across inner layers for heat spreading. Forced airflow is recommended for chassis designs with multiple FPGAs.
Route the 488 user I/Os in matched-length groups for DDR3 / LVDS interfaces — the Stratix III E IOE structure supports per-pin skew tuning in Quartus, but physical layer length matching must come from the layout. The 780-BGA uses 1.0 mm ball pitch typical for FCBGA; escape routing requires microvia / HDI PCB technology. Keep differential pairs on the same layer to avoid coupling asymmetry, and place reference planes on adjacent layers for 90 Ω differential / 50 Ω single-ended impedances.
Do not mix MSEL pins incorrectly — wrong MSEL settings cause the FPGA to fail configuration. According to Altera's configuration handbook, EP3SE260 supports Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), Fast Passive Parallel (FPP), and JTAG modes — each requires a specific MSEL pin strap and a different programming file (.pof vs .sof). Also: the configuration flash (EPCS) must match the data-file format and density; an undersized EPCS will not configure the largest EP3SE designs.
Stratix III E transceivers operate at multi-Gbps rates; treat each transceiver channel as a high-speed serial channel with controlled-impedance differential routing, AC-coupling caps near the FPGA pin, and continuous reference planes on adjacent layers. According to the Stratix III E datasheet, the device embeds 8B/10B encoding, rate-matching FIFOs, and PMA-only modes for chip-to-chip and backplane links. Pre-emphasis and output swing should be tuned per-channel using Quartus Transceiver Toolkit; the Stratix III E default is conservative.
Compliance Information
RoHS / REACH compliance confirmed by 'N' suffix in part number (lead-free finish). Halogen-free rating not in provided data and marked unknown. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGA ICs. Conflict-minerals status assumed compliant per Intel's published CMRT filings for the Stratix III E family, though the exact CMRT document number was not provided in the verified data.
