EP3SE80F780C4L - 80K LE Stratix III E FPGA 780-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SE80F780C4L ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2863.59 | $2,863.59 |
| 10 | $2680 | $26,800.00 |
| 50 | $2475 | $123,750.00 |
| 100 | $2275 | $227,500.00 |
| 500 | $1995 | $997,500.00 |
EP3SE80F780C4L Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory, DSP blocks, and programmable interconnect, all of which an engineer can reconfigure after manufacture to implement any digital circuit. FPGAs sit hierarchically between general-purpose microcontrollers (fixed architecture, software-driven) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs, fixed function), offering hardware-level parallelism and the ability to ship a generic silicon platform that is customized per end-product. The Stratix III E family targets high-performance, high-bandwidth applications such as wireline telecom, high-end DSP, and ASIC prototyping.
Key differentiating features include 3200 Logic Array Blocks (LABs), 4 phase-locked loops (PLLs), 8.34375 Gbps maximum transceiver data rate, 488 user I/Os, and hard memory controllers. The device also integrates dedicated DSP blocks, high-speed transcevers, and the Adaptive Logic Module (ALM) architecture, which delivers roughly twice the logic capacity per LUT compared with the prior Stratix II generation. This combination of logic density and high-speed serial I/O targets throughput-intensive designs.
Architecturally, the Stratix III E ALM is an 8-input adaptive structure that can be split into smaller LUTs, providing superior logic packing versus fixed 4-input LUTs. The transceiver tiles support multiple protocol Physical Coding Sublayers (PCS) including PCI Express Gen1/Gen2, Serial RapidIO, XAUI, CEI-6G, and SDI, removing the need for external PHY chips. The 65 nm process and 0.9 V core supply minimize dynamic power, while programmable power-rail gating lets unused logic cut quiescent draw, enabling the E family to hit higher performance at lower watts than Stratix II.
Typical applications include high-speed serial protocol bridging (PCIe, XAUI, SRIO), ASIC and SoC prototyping, telecommunications line cards, military radar signal processing, broadcast video processing, and high-performance DSP accelerators. The 488 I/O pins and 24 transceiver channels also suit it to multi-port packet processors. Designers building high-throughput parallel pipelines benefit from the combination of ALM logic density, embedded RAM, and hard DSP blocks.
Designers using this part must observe Stratix III E power-on sequencing (1.0 V, then VCCPD, then VCCAUX, then core VCC), ensure transceiver reference-clock jitter meets the protocol requirement, and respect FPGA-JTAG configuration timing during board bring-up. The device ships in the C4 (commercial, speed grade 4, enhanced power) variant with the C4L suffix denoting a lead-free / RoHS-compliant FC-FBGA package.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives drawn from the same Stratix III E family and pin-compatible cross-brand FPGAs, and practical design notes that go beyond what the manufacturer datasheet alone provides.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SE80F780C4L — 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 EP3SE80F780C4L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SE80F780C4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1400 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C4LN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$138.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1410 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2050 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C2N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2480 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE110F780C4L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1550 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE80F780C4L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 80,000 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 3200 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 6,843,392 |
| Maximum User I/O | 488 |
| Maximum Operating Frequency | 375 MHz |
| Transceiver Channels | 24 |
| Maximum Transceiver Data Rate | 8.34375 Gbps |
| PLLs | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Package | 780-FCBGA (Fine-pitch Chip-Scale BGA, lead-free) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial, speed grade 4) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (lead-free C4L suffix) |
EP3SE80F780C4L 780-fcbga (fine-pitch chip-scale bga, lead-free) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SE80F780C4L (780-fcbga (fine-pitch chip-scale bga, lead-free) 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 EP3SE80F780C4L.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SE80F780C4L is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC and SoC Prototyping, Wireline Telecommunications Line Cards, PCI Express Endpoint Designs, Broadcast Video Processing, Military Radar Signal Processing, High-Performance DSP and FFT Acceleration.
ASIC and SoC Prototyping
The EP3SE80F780C4L is widely used as a hardware prototyping vehicle for low- to medium-complexity ASIC and SoC designs before taping out silicon. With 80,000 logic elements and 3200 LABs it can map RTL blocks at frequencies up to 375 MHz, sufficient for early-stage validation of microcontrollers, peripheral controllers, and modest compute subsystems. The 6.84 Mbit of embedded memory supports wide register-file and FIFO prototyping, while the 488 user I/Os enable full observability of design signals through the SoftTouch probe port. Compared with a slower CPLD prototype, this FPGA delivers cycle-accurate validation, eliminating one full respin of the target ASIC. Quartus II 15.1 provides a complete synthesis, place-and-route, and timing analysis flow for this device, so prototype bring-up uses the same toolchain as the eventual target product.
Recommended
Wireline Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP3SE80F780C4L fits wireline telecom line cards that require multi-protocol bridging between backplane SERDES and parallel fabric interfaces. Its 24 integrated transceivers operating at up to 8.34375 Gbps handle XAUI (4x3.125 Gbps lanes), CEI-6G, and Serial RapidIO links natively, removing the need for external PHY chips on the line card. Combined with 488 user I/Os and embedded memory for packet buffering, the FPGA implements line-card framer, traffic manager, and protocol-conversion logic in a single device. The Stratix III E architecture delivers the deterministic timing required for telecom backplane frequencies up to 375 MHz core, and its low-power 0.9 V core helps meet the NEBS thermal envelope of central-office equipment. Designers also benefit from the Quartus II PCS hard-IP blocks, which generate and check line-code state machines without consuming soft logic.
Recommended
PCI Express Endpoint Designs
The EP3SE80F780C4L implements PCI Express Gen1 (x1/x2/x4/x8) and Gen2 (x1/x2/x4) endpoints in a single chip using the hard-PCIe IP core integrated in its transceiver tiles. The 24 transceivers provide lanes for PCIe plus auxiliary serial links such as SMA connectors or backplane SERDES. The 488 user I/Os interface to the application logic, while 6.84 Mbit of embedded memory handles transaction-layer buffering and completion TLP storage. Quartus II compiles the hard PCIe IP at 5 Gbps Gen2 and 2.5 Gbps Gen1 with full link training and hot-plug support, enabling the part to be used in PCIe adapter cards, accelerator cards, and host-bus adapters. Compared with a PCIe soft-IP-only competitor, the Stratix III E hard PCS cuts logic utilization by roughly 30-40% and shortens timing closure.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
The EP3SE80F780C4L supports broadcast video processing at SD, HD, and 3G-SDI data rates through its integrated transceiver PCS and SDI hard IP. Each SDI link operates at 270 Mb/s (SD), 1.485 Gb/s (HD), or 2.97 Gb/s (3G), and the 24 transceivers support up to 8x3G-SDI channels simultaneously, enabling multi-camera broadcast routers and production switchers in a single FPGA. The 80,000 logic elements handle pixel-pipeline operations such as color-space conversion, scaling, and frame-rate conversion in real time at 375 MHz core, while 6.84 Mbit of embedded memory provides line and frame buffering. The 488 user I/Os allow direct connection to HDMI, DisplayPort, and DDR2 memory interfaces, completing the broadcast signal chain. The Stratix III E is supported by the SMPTE-compliant SDI IP core from Intel/Altera, accelerating broadcast product development.
Recommended
Military Radar Signal Processing
The EP3SE80F780C4L is used in military radar baseband processing subsystems, including phased-array beamformers, pulse-compression filters, and moving-target-indicator (MTI) engines. Its 65 nm process and 0.9 V core minimize dynamic power consumption during long radar dwell periods, while the 488 user I/Os interface directly to high-speed ADC/DAC converters used in radar front ends. The 6.84 Mbit embedded memory supports windowing and FFT intermediate-stage buffers, and 80K logic elements implement parallel FIR/FFT processing at 375 MHz. Designers can take advantage of the Stratix III E DSP blocks to implement pulse-Doppler FFTs in dedicated silicon, freeing logic for control and interface functions. Note that for full military temperature-grade operation, the I-grade (industrial) or M-grade variant of the Stratix III E should be selected instead of the C4 commercial-grade part.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP and FFT Acceleration
The EP3SE80F780C4L accelerates compute-intensive DSP tasks such as FFTs, convolutions, and adaptive filters in test-and-measurement and scientific instrumentation. Its 80,000 logic elements plus dedicated DSP blocks at 375 MHz deliver roughly 100 GMACs of soft-DSP throughput, sufficient for real-time 1024-point complex FFTs at sample rates above 100 MSPS. The 6.84 Mbit embedded memory stores FFT twiddle factors, window coefficients, and intermediate sample buffers, while the 488 user I/Os connect to LVDS or DDR2 ADC/DAC interfaces. The Stratix III E supports parallel Multi-Port Memory controllers and external DDR2-800 memory, enabling pipelined double-data-rate sampling. Compared with a software-DSP implementation on a host CPU, this FPGA delivers 10-100x speed-up for fixed-coefficient DSP at lower power per operation.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SE80F780C4L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SE80F780C4 | EP3SE80F780C4LN | EP3SE80F780C3N | EP3SE80F780C2N | EP3SE110F780C4L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 780-FCBGA | 780-FCBGA - same | 780-FCBGA - same | 780-FCBGA - same | 780-FCBGA - same | 780-FCBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 110,000 |
| Speed Grade | C4 | C4 | C4 | C3 (slower ~5%) | C2 (slowest ~10%) | C4 |
| Maximum User I/O | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Transceiver Channels | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Maximum Transceiver Data Rate | 8.34375 Gbps | 8.34375 Gbps | 8.34375 Gbps | 8.34375 Gbps | 8.34375 Gbps | 8.34375 Gbps |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) | Obsolete (EOL) |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible upgrade path within the same 780-FCBGA footprint (vs EP3SE110F780C4L)
- Higher-density 780-FCBGA variant with identical ball pattern (vs EP3SE80F780C4 (no L suffix))
- Slower speed-grade variant available for cost optimization (vs EP3SE80F780C3N)
Design Notes
The EP3SE80F780C4L requires a strict power-on and power-off rail sequence per the Stratix III handbook: VCC first (0.9 V core), then VCCPD (1.0 V pre-driver), then VCCAUX (2.5 V auxiliary), then the remaining bank I/O voltages. The reverse order is required for power-down. Violating the sequencing can permanently damage the FPGA through latch-up. A power-management IC such as the LTC3566 or TPS650250 with sequenced outputs is recommended; linear regulators alone cannot guarantee the required ramp rates.
Estimated: at the Stratix III E commercial-grade operating envelope (0C to +85C junction) and the 780-FCBGA's typical theta_JA of approximately 12-14 C/W on a 1 oz 12-layer PCB with sufficient thermal vias, the device dissipates roughly 5-8 W when fully utilized with active transceivers. Designers should place a thermal via array directly beneath the package center and connect to a dedicated ground plane to keep the die within the commercial-grade envelope under worst-case vector utilization.
The 780-FCBGA ball pitch is 1.0 mm; PCB design must use 0.6 mm (24 mil) via pad, 0.4 mm (16 mil) via-drill, and microvia-to-BGA fanout for inner-layer escape. Maintain 50 ohm single-ended impedance on top-layer traces for high-speed transceiver pairs (TX/RX/NX) and 100 ohm differential for SERDES lanes. Reference the Intel Stratix III Handbook PCB design guidelines for stackup recommendations.
Configuration pitfalls: the EP3SE80F780C4L supports AS (active serial), AP (active parallel), PS (passive serial), JTAG, and FPP (fast passive parallel) configuration modes. Using an unsupported EPCS configuration flash size (e.g., EPCS1 with designs larger than the flash capacity) will cause configuration failure. Always select EPCQ64 / EPCQ128 / EPCQ256 based on compressed-bitstream size and verify with Quartus II 15.1 device programming tools before tape-out.
Transceiver reference-clock jitter must be below the protocol-mandated mask: 3.5 ps RMS for CEI-6G at 6 Gbps, 1.5 ps RMS for PCI Express Gen2 at 5 Gbps. Use a dedicated clock generator IC (e.g., CDCM61001 or SI570) with low-jitter differential LVPECL/LVDS output. Sharing the reference clock with other FPGA transceivers across long PCB traces can degrade jitter and cause link-training failures.
Compliance Information
Lead-free (L suffix) per Altera/Intel package material declaration. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified data. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - select I-grade or M-grade variants for industrial or military applications. REACH compliance inferred from RoHS-compliant package.
