EP3SE260H780C4LN - Stratix III E FPGA 255K LE 780-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SE260H780C4LN ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $14517.4 | $14,517.40 |
| 10 | $13800 | $138,000.00 |
| 25 | $13200 | $330,000.00 |
| 50 | $12600 | $630,000.00 |
| 100 | $11950 | $1,195,000.00 |
EP3SE260H780C4LN Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around a configurable logic fabric of programmable Look-Up Tables (LUTs), flip-flops, routing, and hardened IP blocks. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy, FPGAs sit between general-purpose microcontrollers and ASICs: microcontrollers run software, FPGAs implement custom hardware at wire-speed, and ASICs are fixed-silicon implementations of a single design. The Stratix III E family adds dedicated transceivers, DSP blocks, and TriMatrix on-chip memory to the general-purpose FPGA fabric, making it suitable for high-throughput parallel processing.
Key features of the EP3SE260H780C4LN include 16 global clock networks, 8 PLLs per device, 4 configuration schemes (Fast Passive Parallel, Active Serial, Passive Serial, JTAG), and support for up to 12.5 Gbps operation when paired with Stratix III GX/LX transceivers on adjacent package variants. The device also exposes the partial reconfiguration controller and CRC error-detection circuitry that are hallmarks of the Stratix III generation.
The EP3SE260H780C4LN is fabricated in TSMC's 40 nm process node and uses a 1.0V core supply. The 780-FCBGA package exposes 488 general-purpose I/O arranged across 24 I/O banks with support for LVDS, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards. On-chip termination (OCT) eliminates external series/parallel resistors on critical nets.
Typical applications include high-performance digital signal processing (radar, beamforming, software-defined radio), ASIC prototyping, high-speed serial protocol bridging (PCIe Gen2, Serial RapidIO, 10 Gigabit Ethernet MAC), broadcast video processing, and high-frequency trading accelerators. The 16.67 Mbit embedded memory enables wide data-path implementations without external SRAM.
When designing with this part, attention to PCB layout is critical: the 780-FCBGA requires microvia or via-in-pad PCB technology, matched-length routing on LVDS pairs, and decoupling capacitors within 100 mil of every VCC pin. Designers should also budget power using the Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) tool before PCB commitment.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family Stratix III E drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE260H780C4LN — 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 EP3SE260H780C4LN (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, RoHS Status, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE260H780C4LG
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1290 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C4L
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1190 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C4
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$3150 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE260H780C3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1325 / Unit
View Datasheet →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 →EP3SE260H780C4LN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 |
| Embedded Memory | 16,672,768 bits (16.67 Mbit) |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 10,200 |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 384 |
| User I/O Count | 488 |
| Package | 780-ball FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial, moderate speed) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) |
| Core Voltage (VCC) | 1.0 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | 1.2 V / 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V (bank-dependent) |
| Auxiliary Voltage (VCCPD/VCCPT) | 2.5 V / 3.0 V |
| PLLs | 8 |
| Global Clock Networks | 16 |
| Process Node | 40 nm TSMC |
| Configuration Modes | FPP, AS, PS, JTAG |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
EP3SE260H780C4LN 780-ball fcbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE260H780C4LN (780-ball fcbga (fineline 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 EP3SE260H780C4LN.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE260H780C4LN is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC Prototyping, High-Performance Digital Signal Processing, High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging, Broadcast Video Processing, High-Frequency Trading Accelerators, Industrial Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SE260H780C4LN delivers 255,000 logic elements and 16.67 Mbit of TriMatrix on-chip memory, enabling engineers to map multi-million-gate ASIC RTL into a single device for pre-silicon validation. The 384 embedded 18x18 multipliers and 488 user I/O pins allow partitioning of complex SoC designs that include CPU subsystems, memory controllers, and high-speed peripheral interfaces. Quartus II incremental compile and the Stratix III partial reconfiguration controller let design teams iterate on sub-modules without full bitstream rebuilds, cutting bring-up time from weeks to days. The 780-FCBGA package exposes sufficient I/O for DDR2/DDR3 bring-up and trace visibility on complex ASICs.
Recommended
High-Performance Digital Signal Processing
With 384 hardened 18x18 multipliers operating at up to 600 MHz, the EP3SE260H780C4LN provides approximately 230 GMACs of DSP throughput, making it well suited to radar beamforming, software-defined radio baseband, and medical imaging pipelines. The TriMatrix memory architecture offers three port-width options (LRAM, MRAM, SRAM) so designers can configure coefficient storage, sample buffers, and ping-pong FIFOs in the same fabric without external SRAM contention. Compared with discrete DSP processors, the parallel FPGA architecture delivers deterministic latency on every tap, which is essential for closed-loop control applications.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging
The EP3SE260H780C4LN implements multi-gigabit serial protocol bridges such as PCIe Gen2, Serial RapidIO, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet MAC by instantiating hardened IP cores in the FPGA fabric alongside general-purpose logic. The 488 user I/O pins on the 780-FCBGA package provide sufficient LVDS pairs for multi-lane serial links plus parallel sideband GPIO, while the eight PLLs deliver independent clock domains for each protocol stack. Engineers use this part in storage area network (SAN) adapters, base-station backhaul modems, and protocol-conversion cards where ASIC NRE is unjustified.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
The 255K logic elements and 16.67 Mbit embedded memory enable real-time processing of uncompressed HD-SDI and 3G-SDI video streams including scaling, de-interlacing, color-space conversion, and frame-rate conversion. The 488 user I/O support simultaneous ingest and playout of multiple SDI streams plus genlock, LTC, and ancillary data interfaces. Broadcast OEMs deploy the EP3SE260H780C4LN in production switchers, frame synchronizers, and contribution encoders where deterministic latency and reliable multi-channel processing outweigh raw clock speed.
Recommended
High-Frequency Trading Accelerators
Deterministic latency in the low nanosecond range makes the EP3SE260H780C4LN attractive for FPGA-based market-data feed handlers and order-routing co-processors. The Stratix III E family supports pipelined feed parsing, order-book construction, and risk-check logic with deterministic per-stage latency because the FPGA fabric avoids cache misses and software context switches. The 384 multipliers accelerate statistical arbitrage models, and the 488 user I/O handle 10G Ethernet MAC interfaces plus timestamp capture from PTP grandmasters.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test equipment manufacturers integrate the EP3SE260H780C4LN into oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers where real-time waveform capture and on-the-fly signal processing demand the 384 multipliers and parallel memory bandwidth. The 780-FCBGA package with 488 I/O accepts multiple ADC and DAC channels at LVDS rates up to 1.6 Gbps, while the eight PLLs generate the precise sample clocks and trigger distribution needed for time-interleaved acquisition. Commercial temperature grade (0C to +85C) suits laboratory and controlled-environment industrial deployments.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE260H780C4LN — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE260H780C4LG | EP3SE260H780C4L | EP3SE260H780C3N | EP3SE260H780C2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-FCBGA (H780) | 780-FCBGA (H780) - same | 780-FCBGA (H780) - same | 780-FCBGA (H780) - same | 780-FCBGA (H780) - same |
| Speed Grade | C4 | C4 | C4 | C3 (slower) | C2 (slowest) |
| Logic Elements | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 | 255,000 |
| Embedded Memory | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit | 16.67 Mbit |
| User I/O | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Core Voltage | 1.0 V | 1.0 V | 1.0 V | 1.0 V | 1.0 V |
| RoHS Compliance | Pb-free (L suffix) | Pb-free + green | Pb-free | Pb-free (N suffix) | Pb-free (N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Full RoHS plus green-compliance documentation (vs EP3SE260H780C4L)
- Fastest commercially available speed grade in the H780 package (vs EP3SE260H780C3N)
- Identical silicon to C4LG with N-suffix lead-free marking (vs EP3SE260H780C4LG)
Design Notes
The 780-FCBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch and 29 mm x 29 mm body, requiring microvia or via-in-pad PCB technology for breakout. Standard 0.8 mm-pitch BGA breakout rules will not work. Plan at least 8 PCB layers with dedicated ground and power planes; assign decoupling capacitor placement within 100 mil of every VCC pin and a 4.7uF bulk capacitor per power rail. Reference the Stratix III Hardware Reference Manual for the full power distribution network.
Estimated: At 70% logic utilization, 400 MHz core clock, and 50% toggle rate, this 255K-LE FPGA typically dissipates 12-15W. Power scaling is approximately linear with clock frequency; doubling Fclk to 600 MHz raises dissipation by ~40%. Use the Intel PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) spreadsheet during architecture planning rather than waiting for post-route PowerPlay analysis. The H780 package's exposed die (FCBGA) requires thermal vias to a heatsink-spreader copper plane.
For LVDS interfaces above 1 Gbps, route the P and N traces as a length-matched differential pair with intra-pair skew under 5 mil and total length under 6 inches. Use 100 ohm differential impedance with ground-reference coplanar-waveguide topology. The Stratix III fabric includes dynamic phase-alignment circuitry to compensate for board-level skew up to one UI; consult AN 484 (Stratix III High-Speed LVDS) for full signal-integrity guidelines.
Do not use 'No Connect' for unused I/O pins; configure them as input tri-stated with weak pull-up to avoid floating inputs. Confirm all power rails (VCC, VCCPD, VCCPT, VCCIO per bank) ramp monotonically within the Stratix III datasheet timing window; failure causes configuration errors. Keep configuration JTAG pins (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE) away from switching I/O to prevent programming failures during in-system reconfiguration.
Compliance Information
Pb-free ball finish per L suffix. RoHS compliance confirmed via distributor listings; full halogen-free status requires manufacturer datasheet verification. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (industrial FPGAs are not typically AEC-Q100 targets). For automotive applications consult the Cyclone III LS or Cyclone IV automotive variants.
