EP3SE50F484C4 - Stratix III E FPGA 47.5K LE | Intel
MPN: EP3SE50F484C4 ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $320 | $320.00 |
| 10 | $295 | $2,950.00 |
| 100 | $268 | $26,800.00 |
| 500 | $240 | $120,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $215 | $215,000.00 |
EP3SE50F484C4 Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable semiconductor device containing configurable logic blocks (XIbs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated hard IP such as block RAM, DSP slices, PLLs, and high-speed transceivers. FPGAs sit in the broader hierarchy: programmable logic -> logic IC -> integrated circuit -> semiconductor. Unlike fixed-function ASICs, FPGAs can be reconfigured after manufacturing, enabling rapid prototyping, in-field upgrades, and low-volume production runs.
Key features of the EP3SE50F484C4 include 47,500 logic elements, 5,760 Kbits embedded memory (M9K/M144K TriMatrix blocks), 384 18x18 multipliers, eight 8.5 Gbps transceivers, and 296 user I/Os. The device supports DDR3 memory interfaces up to 800 MHz memory clock and integrates eight fractional PLLs for precise clock synthesis. Operating from 0.85V core supply with 0.9V VCC, the Stratix III E process minimizes dynamic power.
Architecturally, Stratix III E FPGAs use a logic-element structure with 8-input adaptive logic modules (ALMs), allowing up to 1.7x the logic capacity of prior generations. Each ALM contains two adaptive LUTs, two dedicated adders, and shared arithmetic chains, ideal for DSP pipelines. The MultiTrack interconnect fabric provides deterministic timing with low skew across long routing distances.
Typical applications include 40G/100G Ethernet line cards, wireless baseband processing, high-speed digital signal processing (software-defined radio, radar, medical imaging), ASIC prototyping, and high-performance computing accelerators. The combination of high logic density and 8.5 Gbps transceivers makes the EP3SE50F484C4 especially suited to wireline communication infrastructure and high-bandwidth signal acquisition.
When designing with this FPGA, ensure proper power-rail sequencing (3.3V then 1.0V/0.85V core), use Intel's Quartus II design suite (Stratix III device support), and respect thermal design power (TDP) budgets. The FBGA-484 package requires careful PCB layout with controlled-impedance traces for transceiver channels and adequate decoupling to manage simultaneous switching noise (SSN) on the 296 user I/Os.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE50F484C4 — 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 EP3SE50F484C4 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE50F484C3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$832.1 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484C3G
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$205 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484C3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$820 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484C2N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$5934.83 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484C2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$895 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484C2G
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484C4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 |
| Embedded Memory | 5,760 Kbits |
| User I/Os | 296 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 1900 |
| Package | FBGA-484 (FCBGA) |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to 85 C (commercial) |
| Supply Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP3SE50F484C4 fbga-484 (fcbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE50F484C4 (fbga-484 (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 EP3SE50F484C4.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE50F484C4 is suitable for 6 applications: 40G/100G Ethernet Line Card, Software-Defined Radio Baseband, ASIC Prototyping, Radar and Medical Imaging, High-Performance Computing Accelerator, Industrial Motor Control.
40G/100G Ethernet Line Card
The EP3SE50F484C4 fits 40G and 100G Ethernet line cards because of its 8.5 Gbps transceiver capability and 47.5K logic elements. The Stratix III E architecture supports multiple 10G/25G lanes aggregated into a 100G pipe via CAUI-10 or CAUI-4 interfaces. The 5,760 Kbits of TriMatrix memory provides packet buffers and statistics counters without external SRAM. Placed on the fabric side of a switch ASIC, the FPGA handles link training, MACsec encryption, and SERDES-level signal conditioning. Compared with ASICs, this FPGA enables protocol updates (e.g., from 40G to 100G) without mask respin, reducing time-to-market.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Baseband
The EP3SE50F484C4 suits software-defined radio (SDR) baseband processing because of its 384 18x18 DSP multipliers and high TriMatrix bandwidth. LTE, WiMAX, and military radio waveforms require thousands of multiply-accumulate operations per OFDM symbol; the 47.5K LEs map efficiently to FFT engines, channel estimators, and MIMO decoders. The 8.5 Gbps transceivers interface directly with ADC/DAC front-ends (e.g., TI ADS42LBx family) over JESD204B. Compared with DSP processors, FPGA fabric delivers 10-100x higher throughput per watt for parallel DSP kernels like FFT and matrix inversion.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SE50F484C4 is widely used for ASIC prototyping because of its high logic density (47.5K LEs) and abundant TriMatrix memory that map efficiently to gate-level netlists. Design teams partition multi-million-gate ASICs across multiple Stratix III E FPGAs using TDM (time-division multiplexing) or pin-multiplexing schemes; the FBGA-484 footprint simplifies PCB design for 2-4 FPGA partitions. The Quartus II design suite provides synthesis and partitioning for ASIC emulation. Compared with dedicated emulators, this FPGA provides 5-10x lower per-unit cost at the expense of clock frequency, which is acceptable for functional verification rather than performance validation.
Recommended
Radar and Medical Imaging
The EP3SE50F484C4 fits radar signal processing and medical imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound) beamforming because of its DSP block count and parallel processing capability. Phased-array radar requires thousands of FIR filter taps operating on I/Q samples at 100+ MHz sample rates; the FPGA's 384 18x18 multipliers deliver this throughput. In ultrasound beamformer applications, each channel runs a delay-and-sum pipeline across 64-256 transducer elements. Compared with GPU-based processing, the FPGA delivers lower latency (deterministic, <1 us pipeline), which is critical for real-time imaging feedback.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Accelerator
The EP3SE50F484C4 serves as a PCIe-attached compute accelerator for HPC and financial workloads because of its high logic density and embedded memory. Custom compute kernels (Monte Carlo simulation, option pricing, genome alignment) run 5-20x faster on Stratix III E FPGAs than on general-purpose CPUs due to deep pipelining and parallel datapaths. The 296 user I/Os accommodate x8 Gen2 PCIe lanes and DDR3 SODIMM interfaces. Compared with discrete GPU accelerators, the FPGA provides lower power per gigaflop for integer and fixed-point workloads, with the trade-off of higher design complexity (HDL vs CUDA/OpenCL).
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3SE50F484C4 supports industrial multi-axis motor control because of its high logic density, abundant DSP blocks, and integrated PLLs. Field-oriented control (FOC) of permanent-magnet motors requires Park/Clarke transforms, SVPWM generation, and encoder interfaces running at 20-50 kHz loop rates; the FPGA handles 4-8 axes simultaneously, eliminating separate DSPs per axis. The 296 user I/Os connect to quadrature encoders, resolver-to-digital converters, and gate-driver ICs. The commercial 0C to 85 C rating suits factory-floor enclosures; choose the I-suffix variant for outdoor or uncontrolled-temperature installations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE50F484C4 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE50F484C3N | EP3SE50F484C3 | EP3SE50F484C2N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | FBGA-484 (FCBGA) | FBGA-484 - same | FBGA-484 - same | FBGA-484 - same |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 |
| Speed Grade | -4 (fastest) | -3 | -3 | -2 |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to 85 C) | Industrial (-40C to 100 C) | Commercial (0C to 85 C) | Industrial (-40C to 100 C) |
| Embedded Memory | 5,760 Kbits | 5,760 Kbits | 5,760 Kbits | 5,760 Kbits |
| User I/Os | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 |
| Lifecycle Status | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy | Last-time-buy |
Key Differentiators
- Highest -4 speed grade in the Stratix III E family (vs EP3SE50F484C3N)
- Commercial temperature rating fits factory-floor enclosures (vs EP3SE50F484C3N (industrial))
- Stratix III E integrates 8.5 Gbps transceivers without external PHY (vs Cyclone III LS family (e.g., EP3CLS200F780C8))
Design Notes
The EP3SE50F484C4 requires multi-rail power sequencing: 3.3V VCCIO must ramp before 1.0V/0.85V VCC core to prevent I/O latch-up. Use a sequencer IC (e.g., TI TPS3823) or FPGA-controlled MOSFET load switches. Decoupling requires at least 24 low-ESL 0402 ceramic capacitors on each power rail, plus bulk 220 uF polymer capacitors near the FBGA supply balls. Estimated core current at 47.5K LEs running 70% utilization is approximately 1.5-2.5 A; total board power budget should be sized to 15-20 W for worst-case design margin.
The FBGA-484 package has a theta_JA of approximately 12 C/W with a 4-layer PCB and thermal vias under the exposed pad. At 47.5K LEs with 70% utilization, estimated core power is 5-8 W, resulting in a 60-95 C junction temperature rise above ambient at commercial temperature grade. For sustained 100% utilization designs, place a heatsink (15x15 mm minimum) or use 1 oz copper inner planes connected to the exposed pad. Use the Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) tool to verify thermal headroom before committing to PCB layout.
The FBGA-484 uses 1.0 mm ball pitch with hidden solder joints; design PCB pads as NSMD (non-solder mask defined) with 0.5 mm diameter and solder mask openings of 0.6 mm. Maintain 50-ohm controlled impedance on transceiver channels (8.5 Gbps signals require <5 mil trace width tuning). Use 4-6 PCB layers (top, GND, signal, signal, PWR, bottom) with continuous ground planes under the FPGA for return-path integrity. Verify solder joint quality with X-ray inspection post-assembly; BGA voids >25% of pad area cause reliability and thermal issues.
Do not assume all 296 user I/Os are simultaneously usable; the Stratix III E device has 8 I/O banks with mixed voltage support (1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V LVTTL/LVCMOS). I/O bank sharing rules limit reference voltage groups, so verify bank allocation in Pin Planner before PCB layout. Configuration mode (AS, PS, JTAG, Fast Passive Parallel) requires correct MSEL pin strapping. Finally, do not skip the configuration CRC check in your design; CRC errors on Stratix III E have been traced to I/O voltage rail glitches during power-up.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per DigiKey product listing. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - Stratix III E is not automotive-grade; for automotive applications consider Cyclone III LS or Cyclone V automotive parts.
