EP3SE260H780C4L - Stratix III E 255K LE FPGA, 780-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SE260H780C4L ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1450 | $1,450.00 |
| 10 | $1395 | $13,950.00 |
| 100 | $1320 | $132,000.00 |
| 500 | $1265 | $632,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $1190 | $1,190,000.00 |
EP3SE260H780C4L Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device containing configurable logic blocks (CLBs/LABs), programmable interconnect, dedicated memory blocks, DSP blocks, and high-speed transceivers that can be reconfigured by the user after manufacture. FPGAs sit between general-purpose CPUs/GPUs and fixed-function ASICs in the programmable-logic hierarchy, offering hardware-level parallelism for DSP, packet processing, and prototyping workloads that demand deterministic latency. The Stratix III E family in particular introduced the Programmable Power Technology that allows each logic block to operate in high-performance or low-power mode at compile time.
Key features include up to 384 DSP blocks (18x18 multipliers), 24 transceivers supporting up to 6.375 Gbps (C4 speed grade dependent), 16 global clock networks, and a hard memory controller supporting DDR3/DDR2/QDRII+/RLDRAM II external memory. The 780-ball FCBGA uses flip-chip packaging for superior thermal and electrical performance versus wire-bond equivalents.
The architecture combines ALMs (Adaptive Logic Modules) of 8-input fracturable look-up tables with carry chains and register chains, providing high logic density. Hard IP blocks such as PCIe Gen1/Gen2 controllers, memory controllers, and serial transceivers free up logic resources for application code. Configuration is supported via passive serial (PS), fast passive parallel (FPP), and JTAG modes using industry-standard EPCS or EPCQ configuration devices.
Typical applications include high-performance digital signal processing in defense radar, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, medical imaging acceleration, high-frequency trading ASIC prototyping, video broadcast processing, and 40G/100G wireline aggregation. The C4 speed grade with 488 I/Os is favored when interfaces demand many parallel LVDS pairs rather than maximum clock frequency.
When designing with this part, allocate sufficient PCB layers for the FCBGA breakout (typically 4 to 6 routing layers with microvia stack-ups), and follow Intel/Altera's Pin Connection Guidelines for unused transceiver and clock pins. Quartus II software is required for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes drawn from the Stratix III device handbook not always presented on individual distributor listings.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE260H780C4L — 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 EP3SE260H780C4L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Family, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE260H780C4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1395 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1325 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$3600 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C4L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 |
| LABs/CLBs | 10,200 |
| Total RAM Bits | 16,672,768 (16.7 Mbit) |
| User I/O Count | 488 |
| Package | 780-ball FCBGA (HBGA 33x33 mm) |
| Speed Grade | C4 (middle/slow tier) |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V (nominal) |
| Operating Junction Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (flip-chip BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free per datasheet) |
| Transceivers | Up to 24 multi-gigabit transceivers |
| Memory Interface | DDR3, DDR2, QDRII+, RLDRAM II controllers |
| Configuration Mode | PS, FPP, JTAG with EPCS/EPCQ |
EP3SE260H780C4L 780-ball fcbga (hbga 33x33 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE260H780C4L (780-ball fcbga (hbga 33x33 mm) 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 EP3SE260H780C4L.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE260H780C4L is suitable for 6 applications: Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband, Defense Radar Signal Processing, High-Frequency Trading ASIC Prototyping, Medical Imaging Acceleration, 40G/100G Wireline Aggregation, Video Broadcast Processing.
Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband
The EP3SE260H780C4L's 255,000 logic elements and 384 18x18 DSP blocks deliver the parallel multiply-accumulate throughput required for wideband SDR baseband processing. Its 488 user I/Os allow direct attachment of dual-channel ADC and DAC at LVDS rates up to 1.6 Gbps, while hard memory controllers sustain DDR3 buffers for waveform captures. Designers typically pair this FPGA with RF front-end ICs and rely on Quartus II DSP Builder to map FFT and channelization kernels onto the DSP fabric, achieving deterministic latency below 1 microsecond in 100 MHz LTE-class waveforms.
Recommended
Defense Radar Signal Processing
With 24 multi-gigabit transceivers at up to 6.375 Gbps and 16.7 Mbit embedded RAM, the EP3SE260H780C4L fits phased-array radar back-end processing where 488 user I/Os aggregate ADCs across multiple antenna sub-arrays. The flip-chip BGA package offers superior thermal performance for sustained -40C to +85C operation in MIL-rugged enclosures. Designers chain multiple FPGAs via transceivers for adaptive beamforming, then offload detection results to ASICs or GPGPUs through PCIe hard IP blocks inside the device.
Recommended
High-Frequency Trading ASIC Prototyping
Trading firms use the EP3SE260H780C4L to validate ASIC logic before tape-out because its 260K logic elements and 488 I/Os replicate full market-data fan-out and order-book state machines in hardware. The C4 speed grade offers timing margin useful when emulating production ASIC corners. 16.7 Mbit embedded RAM holds order-book snapshots without external memory access penalties, and PCIe hard IP connects the FPGA to host servers via Gen2 x8 lanes for sub-microsecond market-data distribution.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Acceleration
CT and MRI scanners use the EP3SE260H780C4L to reconstruct images in real time from raw sensor data, exploiting its DSP blocks for back-projection and its embedded RAM for sinogram buffering. The 488 user I/Os accept parallel LVDS data from detector arrays at hundreds of MHz, while hard DDR3 controllers feed external SDRAM holding full projection datasets. Quartus II OpenCL support allows medical OEMs to write reconstruction kernels in C without RTL, reducing development time from months to weeks.
Recommended
40G/100G Wireline Aggregation
Telecom OEMs deploy the EP3SE260H780C4L in line-card aggregation switches where 24 transceivers at 6.375 Gbps bond into 40G/100G uplinks via soft PMA/PCS. The 488 user I/Os fan out to multiple 10G SFP+ cages and backplane SERDES links. Hard PCIe Gen2 blocks connect to switch ASICs for control-plane traffic. With 16.7 Mbit on-chip RAM, MAC tables and packet descriptors stay inside the FPGA without external TCAM lookup penalties.
Recommended
Video Broadcast Processing
Broadcast studios and contribution encoders use the EP3SE260H780C4L for uncompressed HD/3G-SDI and emerging UHD routing. Its 488 LVDS-capable user I/Os accept dozens of SDI streams simultaneously, and 16.7 Mbit embedded RAM buffers multi-frame processing for standards conversion and HDR tone-mapping. Hard DDR3 controllers back large reference-frame buffers used in motion-compensated frame-rate conversion, while transceiver channels drive SMPTE 2022 optical transport or 12G-SDI copper outputs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE260H780C4L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE260H780C4 | EP3SE260H780C4N | EP3SE260H780C3 | EP3SE260H780C2 | EP3SE260H780C2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 780-ball FCBGA (33x33 mm) | 780-ball FCBGA (33x33 mm) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (33x33 mm) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (33x33 mm) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (33x33 mm) - same | 780-ball FCBGA (33x33 mm) - same |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 |
| Speed Grade | C4 | C4 - identical | C4 - identical | C3 - faster fMAX | C2 - fastest fMAX | C2 - fastest fMAX |
| Total RAM Bits | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 | 16,672,768 |
| User I/O Count | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Lead-Free Suffix | Yes (L suffix) | No (non-L) | Yes (N suffix) | No (non-L) | No (non-L) | Yes (N suffix) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Lead-free L-suffix terminal finish for RoHS compliance (vs EP3SE260H780C4)
- Speed grade C4 provides wider timing margin than C2/C3 (vs EP3SE260H780C2)
- Same 260K LE silicon as the larger F1152/F1517 packages (vs EP3SE260F1152C4L)
Design Notes
The 780-ball FCBGA requires a high-density PCB stack-up with microvia (laser-drilled) vias for breakout. Use at least 4 routing layers directly beneath the package plus 2 additional reference planes; the Stratix III device handbook recommends an 8-layer 1-2-1-2-1 stack-up with 4-mil laser vias on a 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm pitch. Estimated: total BGA breakout routing escape length is approximately 12-18 mm depending on fan-out pattern. Use buried capacitance or thin-core dielectrics to maintain signal integrity for LVDS pairs at 1 Gbps+.
Estimated: at full logic utilization (~80%) with 0.9 V core and typical toggle rates, the EP3SE260H780C4L dissipates 6-10 W. With flip-chip BGA, the die is inverted and soldered directly to the substrate, so attach a heat spreader or low-profile heatsink with thermal interface material. Junction-to-ambient thermal resistance is approximately 15-20 C/W with adequate airflow; aim for airflow of at least 200 LFM across the package for sustained full-load operation at +85C ambient.
Do not leave transceiver channels floating when unused - per the Stratix III device handbook, each unused transceiver pin requires specific bias resistor and AC-coupling capacitor terminations. Likewise, global clock inputs must be tied to a defined logic level (GND or VCC) when unused, or they may oscillate and inject noise into the PLL block. Configuration pins MSEL[0..3] must be set correctly for the chosen configuration mode (AS, PS, or FPP) or the device will fail to configure at power-up.
For DDR3 interfaces up to 800 MHz, follow the Stratix III external memory interface guidelines: match trace lengths to within +/-25 mils across byte groups and use 100-ohm differential impedance for DQS pairs. Place the VTT termination voltage regulator (typically a 1.5 A low-noise LDO such as TPS7A4901) within 25 mm of the DDR3 fly-by termination network to maintain signal margins above 200 mV.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per the L-suffix in the order code. Reach SVHC declarations available on Intel's product compliance page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this is a commercial-grade part; industrial users should select the I-suffix variant EP3SE260H780I4N for -40C to +100C operation.
