EP3SE80F780C2 - 80K LE Stratix III E FPGA, 488 I/O, 780-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SE80F780C2 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3544.37 | $3,544.37 |
| 10 | $3189.93 | $31,899.30 |
| 100 | $2865.5 | $286,550.00 |
| 250 | $2640 | $660,000.00 |
| 500 | $2480 | $1,240,000.00 |
EP3SE80F780C2 Overview
A Stratix III E FPGA is a programmable logic device that combines a high-performance adaptive logic module (ALM) fabric, embedded memory (M9K and M144K blocks), embedded DSP blocks, transceivers, and rich clocking on a single die, allowing designers to implement complete system-on-chip solutions. Stratix III E sits below Stratix IV/V and above Cyclone families in the Altera/Intel FPGA hierarchy, targeting mid-range high-performance designs in communications, video processing, and digital signal processing where logic density and DSP throughput matter more than cost-per-unit. The 'E' suffix denotes the enhanced-logic / DSP-optimized variant without embedded transceivers.
Key features include 80,000 logic elements (LEs), 6,843,392 embedded RAM bits, 488 user I/Os, and 320 DSP blocks. The device operates at a maximum core clock of 600 MHz and uses the Cyclone/Stratix-style configuration scheme with on-chip encryption support. The 780-ball FC-FBGA package exposes a wide pin budget for parallel external interfaces such as DDR2/DDR3 memory controllers, parallel LVDS buses, and high-speed control planes.
The 65 nm low-power process, combined with programmable power technology that allows unused logic, memory, and DSP regions to be powered down, enables the device to fit into thermal envelopes that older 90 nm and 130 nm FPGAs of comparable density could not. On-chip termination, multi-standard I/O support (LVDS, LVPECL, HSTL, SSTL), and up to 12 phase-locked loops (PLLs) provide flexible clock and interface synthesis directly on the die.
Typical applications include high-speed digital signal processing (radar, sonar, beamforming), wired/wireless communication line cards, video broadcast and image processing pipelines, ASIC prototyping/emulation, and industrial motion control. The 488 user I/Os are particularly suited to parallel memory buses and high-channel-count data acquisition front ends.
When designing with this device, ensure the Quartus II design tool supports the EP3SE80 device variant and that the PCB land pattern follows Intel's 780-ball FC-FBGA 1.0 mm-pitch footprint. Designers should also plan thermal management carefully because BGA packages dissipate heat primarily through the PCB and any attached heatsink.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-package same-family alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers evaluate pin-compatible drop-in parts and make informed sourcing decisions.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE80F780C2 — 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 EP3SE80F780C2 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status, Embedded Memory.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE80F780C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C3
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$2050 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C4
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1400 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780I2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SE50F780C2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$1195 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE110F780C2
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$4350 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C2 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 80,000 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 6,843,392 bits |
| User I/Os | 488 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3,200 |
| DSP Blocks | 320 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V |
| Maximum Core Clock | 600 MHz |
| Package | 780-Ball FC-FBGA (Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Mode | Active serial (AS), Passive serial (PS), JTAG, Fast passive parallel (FPP) |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
| Number of PLLs | 12 |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVDS, LVPECL, HSTL, SSTL, LVTTL, LVCMOS, PCI, PCI-X |
EP3SE80F780C2 780-ball fc-fbga (flip-chip bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE80F780C2 (780-ball fc-fbga (flip-chip 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 EP3SE80F780C2.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE80F780C2 is suitable for 7 applications: High-Speed DSP / Beamforming, Wired / Wireless Communication Line Cards, Video Broadcast / Image Processing, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Industrial Motion Control, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Aerospace / Defense Signal Intelligence.
High-Speed DSP / Beamforming
The EP3SE80F780C2 is well-suited to high-throughput DSP pipelines such as radar/sonar beamforming and channelised digital receivers. With 320 dedicated DSP blocks running at 600 MHz core clock, the device delivers hundreds of GMACs of fixed-point throughput, enough to implement 64-to-256-channel beamformers, FFT accelerators, and channeliser filters on a single die. The 6.84 Mbit embedded RAM provides ample buffering for window coefficients and sample histories, eliminating external memory latency in inner-loop DSP kernels. Compared with a DSP processor or GPU, the FPGA achieves deterministic latency, lower per-channel power, and far better port scaling. Designers typically map the radio baseband or FFT engine into the DSP blocks, with control and housekeeping logic consuming a fraction of the 80K LE fabric.
Recommended
Wired / Wireless Communication Line Cards
In telecom line-card designs, the EP3SE80F780C2 functions as the framer, mapper, and traffic-manager for 10G-class Ethernet, OTN, or proprietary backhaul links. The 488 user I/Os accommodate parallel SFI / XAUI side interfaces alongside multiple SGMII / SerDes control channels, while 12 PLLs synthesise independent clock domains for each direction. Embedded 6.84 Mbit RAM is sufficient to absorb packet bursts without external TCAM, and the 320 DSP blocks accelerate FEC (Reed-Solomon, Viterbi) decoding at line rate. The Stratix III E family was specifically designed with programmable power technology to lower dynamic power on packet-processing datapaths, an advantage over Stratix II designs at the same clock rate. Power estimation in Quartus II's PowerPlay is highly accurate for this device.
Recommended
Video Broadcast / Image Processing
The EP3SE80F780C2 is widely deployed in broadcast video routers, multi-viewers, and image-processing pipelines where multiple HD/3G-SDI streams must be deserialised, processed, and re-serialised simultaneously. The 488 I/Os accept dozens of LVDS or HSTL I/O pairs, ideal for SMPTE SDI input/output and parallel video buses. With 320 DSP blocks at 600 MHz, designers can implement real-time 2-D filters, scaling engines, colour-space conversion, and overlay blending. The large embedded memory buffers intermediate frames for cross-channel effects without external DDR accesses, reducing overall latency. Compared with ASSP video processors, the FPGA provides multi-format flexibility (SDI / HDMI / DisplayPort) on a single device.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP3SE80F780C2 is commonly used as a building block in multi-FPGA ASIC prototyping and emulation platforms, where the 80K LE fabric plus 320 DSP blocks model large portions of a target ASIC while preserving visibility into internal state. Quartus II supports compile-time partition flows that allow multiple EP3SE80 devices to be bridged for ASIC designs exceeding 80K gates. The 488 I/Os serve as inter-FPGA channels, and the 780-ball FC-FBGA footprint gives a good balance between I/O count and PCB routability. Compared with custom ASIC emulators, this approach is more affordable and re-usable across projects. Industrial-grade EP3SE80F780I2 variants are used where emulators must operate in extended-temperature labs.
Recommended
Industrial Motion Control
In high-end industrial motion controllers and CNC machines, the EP3SE80F780C2 functions as the central loop controller, executing multi-axis servo loops at deterministic sub-microsecond latency. With 320 DSP blocks running at 600 MHz, the device can implement 16-to-32 PID/FOC control loops concurrently, while the 488 user I/Os accept encoder feedback (typically A/B/Z differential channels) and drive high-resolution PWM outputs to each axis. Embedded 6.84 Mbit RAM stores trajectory profiles and reference tables on-die, removing dependence on external memory. The commercial temperature grade 0C to +85C is sufficient for enclosed control cabinets; industrial -40C to +100C applications should instead select EP3SE80F780I2 for full-temperature tolerance.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
In high-end test and measurement equipment (logic analyzers, protocol testers, bit-error-rate testers), the EP3SE80F780C2 provides real-time pattern generation, capture, and signal conditioning on a single die. The 488 I/Os interface with hundreds of test channels while 320 DSP blocks perform real-time signal analysis such as eye-diagram construction, jitter decomposition, and protocol decoding. The 6.84 Mbit embedded RAM buffers deep acquisition captures without off-chip memory, simplifying PCB layout. Compared with discrete DSP plus FPGA architectures, integrating on a single Stratix III E reduces latency between acquisition and analysis, improves channel-to-channel skew, and lowers system BOM cost. Speed grade C2 is well-suited for 600 MHz sample-rate instruments.
Recommended
Aerospace / Defense Signal Intelligence
Although the EP3SE80F780C2 is commercial-grade, the same Stratix III E family is widely deployed in defense signal-intelligence and electronic-warfare subsystems where deterministic latency and DSP throughput are essential. The 320 DSP blocks implement channelised digital receivers, dehoppers, and digital-RF converters that previously required racks of ASICs. The 488 I/Os accept parallel ADC data from RF front-ends, while 12 PLLs synthesise the multiple sample-rate clocks needed for digital down-conversion. Designers should note that aerospace deployment typically requires EP3SE80F780I2 (industrial temp) or space-qualified equivalents; this commercial -C2 variant is used only in lab, ground-test, or development platforms.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE80F780C2 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE80F780C2N | EP3SE80F780C3 | EP3SE80F780C4 | EP3SE80F780I2 | EP3SE50F780C2 | EP3SE110F780C2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-Ball FC-FBGA | 780-Ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-Ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-Ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-Ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-Ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-Ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 50,000 | 110,000 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 6,843,392 | 6,843,392 | 6,843,392 | 6,843,392 | 6,843,392 | 4,294,912 | 9,437,184 |
| DSP Blocks | 320 | 320 | 320 | 320 | 320 | 256 | 448 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | C2 (fastest) | C2 | C3 | C4 (slowest) | I2 (industrial) | C2 | C2 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
| Lead-Free Process | Yes (C2 suffix) | No (legacy) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Lead-free process compatibility (vs EP3SE80F780C2N)
- Fastest available speed grade in the family (vs EP3SE80F780C3 / EP3SE80F780C4)
- Industrial temperature option with identical footprint (vs EP3SE80F780I2)
- Higher-density upgrade path with identical package (vs EP3SE110F780C2)
Design Notes
Estimated: At typical Stratix III E utilization (50% LE, 60% DSP, 70% RAM toggling at 250 MHz) and 1.1 V core, the EP3SE80 consumes approximately 5-8 W dynamic plus static leakage. With the 780-FCBGA having theta_JA in the range of 8-12 C/W (with 1 oz copper pours and forced airflow), junction temperature rise is roughly 40-100C above ambient. Designers should follow Intel's Stratix III thermal guidelines: maximize top-side copper, add thermal vias beneath the BGA, and consider a heatsink or heat-spreader lid for any design exceeding 5 W. Always run Quartus II PowerPlay early to validate thermal assumptions before PCB layout.
The 780-ball FC-FBGA uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch, which mandates 4-6 mil trace-and-space PCB technology and laser-drilled microvias for inner-row escape. Follow Intel's 780-BGA land-pattern reference design exactly; ball-pad diameter 0.6 mm, solder mask defined (SMD) pads are preferred to non-solder-mask defined (NSMD) for shock reliability. Use a high-Tg (Tg >= 170C) PCB material such as FR-4 Isola 408HR or better, and always run signal-integrity simulation on multi-GHz DDR2/DDR3 interfaces because the BGA escapes are dense and crosstalk is significant.
Common pitfalls when designing with the EP3SE80F780C2: (1) Confusing Stratix III E (this part, no transceivers) with Stratix III GX (transceiver-equipped EP3SGX series) - they have completely different configuration and pin assignments; (2) Failing to include the configuration device (EPCS series) - the device does not boot from flash internally; (3) Mistaking C-grade (0C to +85C) for I-grade (-40C to +100C) - always check the suffix; (4) Designing to the C2 speed grade when a slower grade is acceptable - C3/C4 are more available and lower cost; (5) Using 65 nm process power estimation methodology from older Stratix II - Stratix III has programmable power technology that, when enabled, can reduce dynamic power by 30-50%.
Signal-integrity best practices for the EP3SE80F780C2: (1) Use on-chip termination (OCT) for DDR2/DDR3 interfaces to reduce external resistor count; (2) For LVDS outputs above 1 Gbps, enable pre-emphasis and use matched-length routing with impedance control at 100 ohm differential; (3) Place decoupling capacitors as close to the package as possible - 0402 size with X5R dielectric, mix 0.1 uF, 1 uF, and 10 uF values to cover 1 kHz to 100 MHz noise; (4) Separate analog/digital grounds where the design includes ADCs/DACs, joining at a single star point; (5) Run Quartus II's TimeQuest timing analyzer with multi-corner (slow/fast) timing models to catch setup/hold violations across voltage and temperature.
Compliance Information
C2 suffix indicates lead-free process. RoHS compliant per Altera/Intel product declarations. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in available data. AEC-Q100 not applicable as this is a commercial-grade FPGA.
