EP3SE50F484C2 - 47.5K LE Stratix III E FPGA | Intel | 484-FCBGA
MPN: EP3SE50F484C2 β Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1250 | $1,250.00 |
| 10 | $1180 | $11,800.00 |
| 100 | $1095 | $109,500.00 |
| 500 | $990 | $495,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $895 | $895,000.00 |
EP3SE50F484C2 Overview
What is a Stratix III Enhanced FPGA? The Stratix III E family is the high-performance variant of Altera's third-generation 65 nm FPGA line, tuned for DSP-rich designs that require abundant embedded multipliers, MLAB/M9K memory blocks, and rich transceivers or external memory interfaces. Within the broader taxonomy, FPGAs belong to programmable logic devices (PLDs), which sit alongside ASICs and ASSPs as reconfigurable digital silicon; they are widely used when design iteration, parallelism, or hardware-level DSP throughput is required.
Key features include 1,900 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 296 user I/O pins, embedded memory of 5,760,000 bits distributed in M9K blocks, dedicated 18x18 multipliers for DSP, and support for external memory interfaces including DDR3/DDR2/QDRII+/RLDRAM2. The device is offered in a commercial (C2) speed grade with the C2 indicating the specific performance tier, and the industrial-grade versions are also available within the family.
Architecturally, Stratix III E uses Altera's adaptive logic module (ALM) structure that doubles register density per 6-input LUT compared to the previous generation. The 65 nm process and 1.1 V core voltage balance performance with dynamic power, while optional -2/-3/-4 speed grades allow designers to trade timing margin for power. The FC-FBGA-484 package provides a high-density, low-parasitic interconnect suitable for designs with high I/O utilization.
Typical applications include high-speed serial backplane interfaces, software-defined radio, video processing pipelines, military/aerospace signal intelligence, ASIC prototyping, and high-performance DSP co-processing. The combination of 18x18 multipliers, MLAB/M9K memory, and abundant user I/O suits parallel compute, image processing, and protocol-bridging designs.
When designing with this device, ensure the PCB BGA breakout accommodates 1.0 mm pitch routing, supply decoupling follows Altera's PowerPlay guidance, and configuration is via JTAG or AS configuration schemes. Stratix III E is now in last-time-buy status in many channels; verify lifecycle before committing to new designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE50F484C2 β 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 EP3SE50F484C2 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Family, Process Technology, Embedded Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE50F484C2N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$5934.83 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C3
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$820 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C4
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484I3
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$188 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F484C2
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SE50F484C2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III Enhanced (Stratix III E) |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 47,500 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 1,900 |
| Embedded Memory (M9K + MLAB) | 5,760,000 bits |
| User I/O Pins | 296 |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 600 MHz |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.1 V |
| Package | 484-ball FC-FBGA (FCBGA) |
| Speed Grade | C2 (commercial, fast) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG / Active Serial (AS) |
| DSP Blocks | 18x18 dedicated multipliers |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3SE50F484C2 484-ball fc-fbga (fcbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE50F484C2 (484-ball fc-fbga (fcbga) 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 EP3SE50F484C2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE50F484C2 is suitable for 6 applications: Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband, High-Performance DSP Co-Processing, Video and Image Processing Pipelines, Telecom Protocol Bridging and Aggregation, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Industrial Test and Measurement.
Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband
The EP3SE50F484C2 is well suited for SDR baseband processing where 47,500 logic elements combined with 18x18 dedicated multipliers provide sufficient throughput for symbol-rate demodulation and channel decoding. The 5.76 Mbit embedded memory holds multiple frames of soft-decision samples without external buffer fetches. The 296 user I/Os support parallel ADC/DAC lanes and high-bandwidth CPRI/OBSAI links to the RF front end. Its 600 MHz clock budget enables fast Fourier transforms and turbo-decoder pipelines; in modern designs engineers migrate to Cyclone V/Stratix V for hardened transceivers, but the EP3SE50F484C2 remains a proven workhorse in legacy radio platforms.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP Co-Processing
The EP3SE50F484C2 accelerates DSP kernels such as FIR filtering, FFT/iFFT, and matrix multiplies using its dedicated multiplier blocks, easing the host CPU. With 1,900 LABs and MLAB/M9K memory blocks it can sustain 600 MHz DSP clock rates, and the 1.1 V core voltage reduces dynamic power versus older Stratix II platforms. The 296 I/Os host multiple standard parallel LVDS pairs for high-speed bus interfaces, and the 484-ball FC-FBGA package supports clean power-delivery network design. This part targets DSP-rich data-acquisition pipelines and is now deployed in industrial instrumentation and defense signal-intelligence systems.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing Pipelines
The EP3SE50F484C2 handles real-time video processing such as de-interlacing, scaling, color-space conversion, and edge detection. The M9K memory blocks hold multiple scan-line buffers for 2D filters, and the 18x18 multipliers handle pixel-rate DSP kernels like Sobel or convolution. The 296 I/Os accept parallel RGB/YUV buses from HD-SDI decoders and feed HDMI/DVI transmitters. The 484-ball FC-FBGA package offers the high pin-count needed for parallel digital video plus an external DDR2/DDR3 memory interface. Use cases include broadcast equipment, medical imaging pipelines, and industrial machine-vision platforms.
Recommended
Telecom Protocol Bridging and Aggregation
The EP3SE50F484C2 bridges between telecom interfaces - for example, mapping 10G CPRI packets into Ethernet, or aggregating E1/T1 streams into packet networks. The 47,500 logic elements plus embedded memory accommodate deep packet buffers, while the 600 MHz clock and 296 I/Os handle multi-lane LVDS bus interfaces. The 484-ball FC-FBGA footprint supports DDR3 external memory needed for packet store-and-forward operation. This FPGA remains deployed in legacy telecom backhaul equipment, where migration to newer ASICs is uneconomic. Industrial-grade EP3SE50F484I3/I4 variants extend operation to outdoor cabinets.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP3SE50F484C2 is used to prototype and validate ASIC designs before tape-out, leveraging Quartus II synthesis, fast iteration cycles, and abundant logic for bring-up and debug. Its 47,500 logic elements emulate mid-range SoC glue logic, DSP accelerators, and peripheral controllers. The 484-ball FC-FBGA exposes many I/Os for connecting to the prototype target board, and 5.76 Mbit embedded memory serves as scratch registers between FPGA and host. For very large ASICs, multiple EP3SE50F484C2 parts are stacked via an FPGA-to-FPGA interconnect or partitioned across a debug logic analyzer.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement
The EP3SE50F484C2 drives real-time test equipment such as protocol analyzers, radar simulator back-ends, and precision measurement instruments. Its 600 MHz clock and 18x18 multipliers handle high-speed correlation and FFT routines, while the 5.76 Mbit embedded memory holds deep sample captures. The 296 I/Os accept multiple LVDS sensor inputs in parallel, and the 1.1 V core plus robust clock-management PLL simplify frequency synthesis. Industrial temp grades (EP3SE50F484I3/I4) enable use in outdoor and ruggedized equipment. Quartus II IDE delivers deterministic timing closure with TimeQuest, supporting repeatable instrumentation.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE50F484C2 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE50F484C2N | EP3SE50F484C3 | EP3SE50F484C4 | EP3SE50F484I3 | EP3SE110F484C2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-ball FC-FBGA | 484-ball FC-FBGA - same | 484-ball FC-FBGA - same | 484-ball FC-FBGA - same | 484-ball FC-FBGA - same | 484-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 110,000 |
| Speed Grade | C2 | C2 | C3 | C4 | I3 | C2 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Industrial | Commercial |
| User I/O | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Lifecycle | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy |
Key Differentiators
- Same silicon as EP3SE110F484C2 with smaller LE count, freeing logic resources for lower-cost designs (vs EP3SE110F484C2)
- Faster speed bin (C2) versus C3/C4 alternatives (vs EP3SE50F484C3 / EP3SE50F484C4)
- Commercial temp range versus industrial-grade alternatives (vs EP3SE50F484I3 / EP3SE50F484I4)
Design Notes
The 484-ball FC-FBGA package requires PCB stackup planning for controlled-impedance signal traces, microvia-in-pad technology, and proper BGA pad geometry. Verify escape routing density against the BGA pitch (consult the package spec sheet). Use 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm pitch escape per Intel layout guidelines. Place decoupling capacitors within the BGA footprint on the opposite PCB layer for low PDN impedance, and use the largest possible number of GND balls in the center field.
The Stratix III E family requires multiple power rails: 1.1 V core, 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O banks, and a 1.2 V PLL supply. Estimate the core current using the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) before finalizing the regulator selection. Use a multi-phase buck regulator for the 1.1 V rail to meet transient response under dynamic load. Decouple each power ball with 0.1 uF + 10 uF bulk ceramic, and add a ferrite bead on analog supply lines.
For high-speed DDR3/DDR2/QDRII+ external memory interfaces, route signal traces with matched length and controlled 50 ohm impedance; use fly-by topology with proper termination VTT at the memory bus. Differential pairs (LVDS) require 100 ohm differential impedance and 0.5 mm-1 mm intra-pair skew control. Validate via TimeQuest timing analyzer in Quartus II before sign-off, and follow Intel Stratix III device handbook pinout guidelines for optimal bank placement.
Do not exceed the maximum I/O voltage (3.3 V LVTTL/LVCMOS) on user I/O banks; 1.5 V/1.8 V HSTL/SSTL memory interfaces require proper bank VCCIO selection. When migrating between speed grades (C2/C4/I3/I4), verify timing closure on critical paths - a slower grade may not meet frequency targets. Confirm configuration mode (AS / JTAG) and pull-up on MSEL pins before PCB build. Check that the JTAG chain order matches the Quartus II programming file.
Compliance Information
RoHS/REACH compliant per Intel/Altera product declaration. AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGAs. Halogen-free status not specified in provided data.
