EP3SE50F484C2G - Stratix III E FPGA 47.5K LE 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SE50F484C2G β Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1464.11 | $1,464.11 |
| 10 | $1390 | $13,900.00 |
| 100 | $1295 | $129,500.00 |
| 250 | $1240 | $310,000.00 |
| 500 | $1180 | $590,000.00 |
EP3SE50F484C2G Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose logic function is defined after manufacture by a customer-supplied bitstream. Stratix III E sits in the hierarchy of programmable logic: FPGA -> programmable logic device -> programmable logic IC -> semiconductor. Compared to CPLDs, FPGAs offer far higher logic density, embedded memory blocks, dedicated DSP blocks, and high-speed transceivers; the Stratix III E family is Intel/Altera's high-performance transceiver-equipped node targeting ASIC-prototype and high-throughput wired-communications designs.
Key features include 47,500 logic elements (~equivalent to ~95K ASIC gates per industry convention), 5,760 Kbit embedded RAM (~720 KB), 296 user I/O, support for DDR/DDR2/DDR3 memory interfaces with dedicated PHY blocks, and integrated multi-gigabit transceivers on selected package pins. The FCBGA-484 package exposes 16 transceiver channels in this variant, enabling protocols such as PCI Express Gen1/Gen2, Serial RapidIO, and Gigabit Ethernet.
Architecturally, Stratix III E uses a 40 nm low-power process and an adaptive logic module (ALM) fabric with 8-input fracturable look-up tables, providing higher effective logic density than 4-input LUT architectures. The device includes a hard memory controller, embedded DSP blocks (variable-precision multipliers), and partial reconfiguration support, allowing designers to time-multiplex logic regions for power and area savings.
Typical applications include ASIC prototyping, high-speed data acquisition cards, software-defined radio baseband, video broadcast infrastructure, and military/aerospace signal processing. The 484-FBGA package is preferred for board designs where line-card real estate is limited but high I/O count and transceiver density are required.
When designing, verify transceiver channel availability against the FCBGA-484 ballout (this variant exposes 16 transceivers), confirm core decoupling per the Intel Stratix III pin connection guidelines, and use the Quartus II (or current Quartus Prime) tool chain for synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure.
This page synthesizes current distributor pricing, drop-in alternative FPGAs from the same Stratix III family, and practical design notes that complement the official Intel Stratix III device handbook.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE50F484C2G 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 EP3SE50F484C2G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status, Family, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE50F484C2
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$895 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$205 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484I3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F484C2
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SE50F484C2G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix III E |
| Number of Logic Elements / Cells | 47,500 |
| Number of LABs / CLBs | 1,900 |
| Total RAM Bits | 5,760,000 (5,760 Kbit) |
| Number of User I/O | 296 |
| Package / Case | 484-BBGA, FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Core Voltage Supply | 0.86 V to 1.15 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (TJ) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm TSMC low-power CMOS |
| Logic Element Architecture | Adaptive Logic Module (ALM) with 8-input fracturable LUT |
| Embedded DSP Blocks | Yes (variable-precision multipliers) |
| Transceivers | Multi-gigabit transceivers (selected package pins) |
| Memory Interface Support | DDR / DDR2 / DDR3 with hard PHY |
| Partial Reconfiguration | Supported |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG, Passive Serial, Fast Passive Parallel |
| Part Status | Active (Intel catalogue); long-term supply subject to Stratix III lifecycle policy |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP3SE50F484C2G Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O / GND β Ball A1 - user I/O or power/ground per Stratix III pin connection guidelines |
| Pin B1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin C1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin D1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin E1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin F1 | VCC β Core supply rail |
| Pin G1 | VCCIO β I/O supply rail |
| Pin H1 | GND β Ground |
| Pin J1 | GND β Ground |
| Pin K1 | GXB_TX β Transmitter output of transceiver channel |
| Pin L1 | GXB_TX β Transmitter output (complementary) |
| Pin M1 | GXB_RX β Receiver input of transceiver channel |
| Pin N1 | GXB_RX β Receiver input (complementary) |
| Pin P1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin R1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin T1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin U1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin V1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin W1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin Y1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AA1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AB1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AC1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AD1 | VCC β Core supply rail |
| Pin AE1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AF1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AG1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AH1 | GND β Ground |
| Pin AJ1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AK1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
| Pin AL1 | I/O β User I/O bank per ballout |
Typical Applications
EP3SE50F484C2G is suitable for 7 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Wired Communications, Software-Defined Radio Baseband, Video Broadcast and Image Processing, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, High-Performance Computing Accelerator, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP3SE50F484C2G fits ASIC prototyping with its 47,500 logic elements and 5.76 Mbit embedded RAM, which map to roughly 1β2 million ASIC gates using typical 1:20 LE:gate ratio. Quartus II / Quartus Prime supports ASIC-pro methodology including RTL synthesis, gate-level netlist back-annotation, and incremental compile flows. The FCBGA-484 ballout exposes sufficient user I/O for partition-boundary signal break-out, and the 40 nm Stratix III E fabric delivers timing accuracy close to the target ASIC node for SoC validation.
Recommended
High-Speed Wired Communications
The EP3SE50F484C2G integrates multi-gigabit transceivers on the FCBGA-484 ballout, supporting protocols such as PCI Express Gen1/Gen2, Serial RapidIO, Gigabit Ethernet, and CPRI. Each transceiver lane operates up to 3.125 Gbps (Stratix III E limit) with embedded PCS, 8b/10b encoding, and word-align logic. This makes the device a strong fit for line-card designs in telecom base stations and wired backhaul where deterministic latency and protocol offload are required alongside user logic.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Baseband
For software-defined radio baseband, the EP3SE50F484C2G provides the variable-precision DSP blocks and 5.76 Mbit embedded RAM needed for multi-channel FFTs, channelization filters, and digital up/down conversion. The fabric supports hundreds of 18x18 multipliers, suitable for LTE and WiMAX physical-layer processing. Combined with external ADC/DAC companion chips, the device can implement a complete 2x2 MIMO baseband pipeline within a single FCBGA-484 board footprint.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Image Processing
The EP3SE50F484C2G suits broadcast video infrastructure where 296 user I/O and embedded RAM bandwidth support multi-format SDI routing, color-space conversion, and frame-buffer line stores. The 5.76 Mbit RAM is sufficient for several lines of 4:2:2 video at HD/3G-SDI rates. Combined with external DDR2/DDR3 memory controllers (hard PHY), the device can perform real-time scaling and overlay on broadcast video streams in studio equipment.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
For defense signal-processing boards, the EP3SE50F484C2G provides the logic density and DSP capability required for radar pulse compression, EW channelization, and secure-comm physical layers. Although this C-suffix variant is commercial temperature grade, the pin-compatible I-suffix (industrial) variant EP3SE50F484I3G extends operation to -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C TJ. The Stratix III E family also offers MIL-STD-1540B and radiation-tolerant screening for selected part numbers.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Accelerator
The EP3SE50F484C2G functions as a coprocessor in HPC and compute-acceleration cards, exploiting its DSP blocks for floating-point pipelines (via IEEE-754 soft cores) and PCIe Gen1 endpoint for host coupling. 47.5 K logic elements are sufficient to host several parallel compute kernels, while 296 user I/O provide ample DMA bandwidth to host memory via external DDR3 with hard PHY. This makes the device a cost-effective alternative to discrete GPU/ASIC compute cards for niche HPC workloads.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
The EP3SE50F484C2G fits modular test and measurement platforms where parallel DSP, abundant user I/O, and embedded memory enable real-time signal acquisition, triggering, and protocol decoding. PXI / LXI instruments benefit from the 296 user I/O for direct front-panel connectivity, and the Stratix III E transceivers allow high-speed serial backplane links. The Quartus II development environment simplifies integration of soft IP cores such as PCI Express, I2C, and SPI controllers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE50F484C2G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE50F484C2 | EP3SE50F484C3G | EP3SE50F484C4G | EP3SE50F484I3G | EP3SE110F484C2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 484-BBGA, FCBGA | 484-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 484-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 484-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 484-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 484-BBGA, FCBGA - same |
| Series | Stratix III E | Stratix III E | Stratix III E | Stratix III E | Stratix III E | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 110,000 (+131%) |
| Total RAM Bits | 5,760,000 | 5,760,000 | 5,760,000 | 5,760,000 | 5,760,000 | 8,847,000 (+54%) |
| User I/O | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 |
| Speed Grade | C2 | C2 | C3 (faster) | C4 (fastest) | I3 (industrial, speed grade 3) | C2 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (TJ, commercial) | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C | -40 Β°C to +100 Β°C (industrial) | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C |
| Core Voltage | 0.86 V to 1.15 V | 0.86 V to 1.15 V | 0.86 V to 1.15 V | 0.86 V to 1.15 V | 0.86 V to 1.15 V | 0.86 V to 1.15 V |
Key Differentiators
- Faster speed grade in same FCBGA-484 footprint (vs EP3SE50F484C3G)
- Industrial temperature grade for harsh environments (vs EP3SE50F484I3G)
- Higher logic density with same 484-FBGA footprint (vs EP3SE110F484C2)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 47,500 logic elements fully utilized at ~100 MHz toggle rate and 0.9 V VCC core, the EP3SE50F484C2G can dissipate 4β6 W. The FCBGA-484 has approximately theta_JA of 18β22 C/W with a 12x12 via-array thermal ball pattern on a 1 oz 6-layer PCB, requiring at least 6 cmΒ² of unbroken inner-plane copper pour under the package to keep the junction below 100 Β°C at commercial grade. Designers must follow the Stratix III pin connection guidelines for decoupling (10 nF + 100 nF + 10 Β΅F per VCC rail) and use at least 8 thermal vias per thermal ball for adequate heat extraction.
Do not assume transceiver pins on FCBGA-484 are user I/O - the EP3SE50F484C2G maps specific balls to GXB_RX/GXB_TX pairs and configuring them as GPIO in Quartus will cause pin-assignment failures. Always run the Quartus II Pin Planner and consult the Stratix III E pin connection guidelines before committing to a PCB layout. Also note that C2, C3, and C4 speed grades are not directly interchangeable for timing closure; switching to a faster grade may require re-doing TimeQuest timing analysis to avoid hold-time violations.
The EP3SE50F484C2G FCBGA-484 ball pitch is 1.0 mm with stacked microvia construction on the PCB. Use a 4-2-4 or 6-layer stack-up with the second layer dedicated to GND for return-path continuity. Length-match high-speed transceiver differential pairs to within 150 Β΅m per the Stratix III E device handbook, and add AC-coupling capacitors (100 nF) on the transmit side of every GXB_TX pair. Maintain 100 Ξ© differential impedance with 90 Ξ© edge-coupled stripline geometry.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per 'G' suffix in ordering code (Intel/Altera convention). Lead-free per RoHS. Halogen-free status not stated in the verified distributor data; AEC-Q100 not applicable for FPGA ICs in this class.
