EP3SL200H780I4L - 200K Logic Elements Stratix III L FPGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL200H780I4L ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1725 | $17,250.00 |
| 100 | $1610 | $161,000.00 |
| 500 | $1480 | $740,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1395 | $1,395,000.00 |
EP3SL200H780I4L Overview
What is an FPGA? A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reprogrammable semiconductor device built from an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnect, embedded memory, and hardened IP such as transceivers, DSP blocks, and processors. FPGAs occupy a hierarchy between general-purpose microcontrollers (which execute software sequentially) and ASICs (which are fixed at fabrication); they enable hardware-level parallelism and post-silicon design changes, making them essential for prototyping, low-volume production, and applications requiring hardware acceleration.
Key features of the EP3SL200H780I4L include 8,000 logic array blocks (LABs), 488 maximum user I/O pins, programmable power technology that dynamically scales voltage and frequency per logic region, and support for external memory interfaces including DDR3, DDR2, DDR, QDR II+, and RLDRAM II. The device also integrates up to 24 transceivers at data rates up to 6.375 Gbps, dedicated 9x9 / 18x18 / 36x36 multiplier blocks for DSP, and a high-speed JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) interface for boundary-scan testing.
From an architectural standpoint, the Stratix III L variant uses a lower-leakage process option versus the standard Stratix III, reducing static power by approximately 50% at the cost of slightly lower maximum performance. Designers trade off dynamic power for thermal headroom in densely populated boards, which is critical when the FPGA is paired with high-bandwidth memory and multiple transceivers.
Typical applications include high-end ASIC prototyping, wireless baseband DSP, military radar signal processing, medical imaging pipelines, and high-performance computing acceleration. The wide transceiver bandwidth also makes the device suitable for proprietary backplane protocols and high-speed serial I/O expansion.
When designing with this FPGA, careful attention must be paid to PCB layer stack-up, decoupling strategy, and thermal dissipation. The BGA-780 package demands high-density interconnect (typically 12+ layers) and a multi-via pattern under the die for thermal relief. Pin assignments must follow Intel's Stratix III pin-out guidelines to achieve the highest memory interface frequencies.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in package-compatible variants, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL200H780I4L — 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 EP3SL200H780I4L (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Family, Operating Temperature, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL200H780I4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$6255.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL200H780I4LN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1280 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL200H780I3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$7200 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL200H780I3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$7980 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL200H780C4L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$6459.35 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL200H780C4LN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1145 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL200H780I4L Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 200,000 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 8,000 |
| Embedded Memory (Bits) | 10,901,504 |
| Maximum User I/O | 488 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 0.86 V to 1.15 V |
| Process Technology | 65 nm CMOS |
| Internal Performance | 375 MHz |
| Package | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (Flip-Chip) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Transceivers | Up to 24 channels |
| Transceiver Data Rate | Up to 6.375 Gbps |
| DSP Blocks | 9x9 / 18x18 / 36x36 multipliers |
| Memory Interface Support | DDR3, DDR2, DDR, QDR II+, RLDRAM II |
| JTAG Support | IEEE Std 1149.1 Boundary-Scan |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Speed Grade | I4 (Industrial) |
| HardCopy Support | Compatible (Lattice-style migration path via HardCopy III) |
EP3SL200H780I4L Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O Bank 1A — User I/O in bank 1A (location varies per package quadrant) |
| Pin A2 | I/O Bank 1A — User I/O in bank 1A |
| Pin B1 | I/O Bank 1A — User I/O in bank 1A |
| Pin B2 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin C1 | I/O Bank 2A — User I/O in bank 2A |
| Pin C2 | VCCIO_B2A — I/O supply for bank 2A |
| Pin D1 | I/O Bank 2A — User I/O in bank 2A |
| Pin D2 | I/O Bank 2A — User I/O in bank 2A |
| Pin E1 | I/O Bank 3A — User I/O in bank 3A |
| Pin E2 | I/O Bank 3A — User I/O in bank 3A |
| Pin F1 | VCC_CORE — Core supply (0.86 V to 1.15 V) |
| Pin F2 | GND — Ground reference |
| Pin G1 | I/O Bank 4A — User I/O in bank 4A |
| Pin G2 | I/O Bank 4A — User I/O in bank 4A |
| Pin H1 | I/O Bank 5A — User I/O in bank 5A |
| Pin H2 | I/O Bank 5A — User I/O in bank 5A |
| Pin J1 | I/O Bank 6A — User I/O in bank 6A |
| Pin J2 | GXB_TX_p — Transceiver differential TX lane + |
| Pin K1 | GXB_TX_n — Transceiver differential TX lane - |
| Pin K2 | GXB_RX_p — Transceiver differential RX lane + |
| Pin L1 | GXB_RX_n — Transceiver differential RX lane - |
| Pin L2 | REFCLK_p — Transceiver reference clock input + |
| Pin M1 | REFCLK_n — Transceiver reference clock input - |
| Pin M2 | TCK — JTAG test clock (IEEE 1149.1) |
| Pin N1 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin N2 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin P1 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin P2 | nCONFIG — FPGA configuration reset (active low) |
| Pin Q1 | nSTATUS — FPGA configuration status (active low) |
| Pin Q2 | DCLK — FPGA configuration clock |
| Pin R1 | DATA0 — FPGA configuration data bit 0 |
| Pin R2 | CCLK — FPGA configuration clock (passive serial) |
| Pin T1 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select bit 0 |
| Pin T2 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select bit 1 |
| Pin U1 | MSEL2 — Configuration mode select bit 2 |
| Pin U2 | CONF_DONE — FPGA configuration completion flag |
Typical Applications
EP3SL200H780I4L is suitable for 6 applications: High-End ASIC Prototyping, Wireless Baseband DSP, Military Radar Signal Processing, Medical Imaging Pipelines, High-Performance Computing Acceleration, Industrial Test and Measurement.
High-End ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SL200H780I4L's 200K logic elements and 10.9 Mbit embedded memory make it a strong match for prototyping large ASIC RTL designs in the 5-10 million gate range. Engineers can partition an ASIC into multiple FPGAs and use the device's abundant LABs (8,000) and high-speed transceiver channels (up to 6.375 Gbps) to model inter-chip ASIC buses with real timing. The low-power L process variant reduces thermal load during multi-FPGA emulator bring-up when stacked on prototyping boards. Place the FPGA on a 12-layer PCB with controlled-impedance transceiver routing and adequate thermal vias under the FC-HFBGA die to sustain continuous burn-in.
Recommended
Wireless Baseband DSP
The dedicated 9x9 / 18x18 / 36x36 multiplier blocks and high internal fabric performance (375 MHz on the I4 speed grade) make the EP3SL200H780I4L suitable for wireless baseband DSP such as LTE PHY, WiMAX, and proprietary OFDM modems. The 24 transceiver channels at 6.375 Gbps connect to RF front-end ADCs/DACs and to baseband ASICs over CPRI or OBSAI links. DDR3/QDR II+ memory interfaces sustain the high sample rates typical of multi-antenna MIMO processing. The 780-pin FC-HFBGA package supports the large I/O count needed for parallel antenna data plus backhaul Ethernet.
Recommended
Military Radar Signal Processing
The industrial temperature range (-40C to +100C) and rugged 780-pin FC-HFBGA package qualify the EP3SL200H780I4L for military phased-array radar processing, where the device performs beamforming, pulse compression, and Doppler filtering. The high-density logic enables hundreds of parallel FIR filter taps on a single chip, while the embedded memory (10.9 Mbits) stores range-Doppler maps without off-chip SRAM. The low-leakage L process reduces quiescent power during standby modes - critical for radar systems that idle between pulse bursts. Design the PCB to MIL-STD-810 shock/vibration requirements with underfilled or corner-bonded BGA for shock resilience.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Pipelines
The EP3SL200H780I4L's combination of 200K LE, abundant DSP blocks, and high I/O count makes it a strong fit for medical imaging processing chains (CT, MRI, ultrasound beamforming) that demand real-time pixel-throughput. The device handles front-end preprocessing, image reconstruction (filtered back-projection, iterative reconstruction), and DICOM tagging in a single chip, reducing board area in cart-based or portable systems. DDR3 memory interfaces sustain the multi-Mpixel/s data rates from modern CMOS X-ray detectors. The low-power L variant extends battery life in portable point-of-care ultrasound designs.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Acceleration
For HPC acceleration cards (FPGA-based compute offload), the EP3SL200H780I4L's 24 transceiver channels at 6.375 Gbps enable multiple Gen2 PCIe lanes, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, or proprietary low-latency mesh fabrics. The 200K logic elements and 10.9 Mbits of block RAM implement custom floating-point pipelines or sparse-matrix kernels that outperform CPUs in latency-sensitive workloads. The 780-pin FC-HFBGA package supports the multiple transceiver channels required for redundant fabric paths. Program the device via JTAG during lab bring-up, then use the factory configuration scheme for production.
Recommended
Industrial Test and Measurement
The EP3SL200H780I4L serves as the timing controller and signal-processing engine in high-channel-count automated test equipment (ATE), protocol analyzers, and bit-error-rate testers. The 488 user I/O and 24 transceivers aggregate multiple instrument channels into one FPGA, while the 200K LE implement per-channel DSP for jitter measurement and protocol decode. Industrial temperature operation allows deployment in factory-floor test cells without additional thermal management. The low-leakage L process keeps standby power low between test cycles, reducing operating cost in large test farms.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL200H780I4L — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL200H780I4 | EP3SL200H780I4LN | EP3SL200H780I3N | EP3SL200H780I3 | EP3SL200H780C4L | EP3SL200H780C4LN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-pin FC-HFBGA | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (same) | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (same) | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (same) | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (same) | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (same) | 780-pin FC-HFBGA (same) |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 200,000 | 200,000 (same) | 200,000 (same) | 200,000 (same) | 200,000 (same) | 200,000 (same) | 200,000 (same) |
| Speed Grade | I4 (Industrial) | I4 (Industrial) - same | I4 (Industrial) - same | I3 (Industrial, slower) | I3 (Industrial, slower) | C4 (Commercial, faster) | C4 (Commercial, faster) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C (same) | -40C to +100C (same) | -40C to +100C (same) | -40C to +100C (same) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) |
| Lead-Free Finish | Yes (L suffix) | No (leaded, non-RoHS) | Yes (L suffix) | Yes (N suffix) | No (leaded) | Yes (L suffix) | Yes (L suffix) |
| Embedded Memory | 10,901,504 bits | 10,901,504 bits (same) | 10,901,504 bits (same) | 10,901,504 bits (same) | 10,901,504 bits (same) | 10,901,504 bits (same) | 10,901,504 bits (same) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Low-power Stratix III L process variant (vs EP3SE260H780I4L (Stratix III E, non-L))
- Highest density in Stratix III L family at this package (vs EP3SL110F780I4L)
- RoHS-compliant lead-free finish with full speed grade (vs EP3SL200H780I4 (legacy leaded non-RoHS))
Design Notes
The 780-pin FC-HFBGA package requires a high-density PCB with at least 12 layers, microvia or via-in-pad technology under the BGA balls, and matched-impedance routing for the high-speed transceiver channels. Use 4-6 GND planes distributed evenly across the stack to control the 100-ohm differential impedance of the GXB_RX/TX pairs. Place 0.1 uF and 10 uF decoupling capacitors as close as possible to every VCC_CORE ball, with via stitching every 2-3 balls to minimize current return-path inductance.
Estimated: at full fabric utilization (200K LE switching) and 1.0 V core, the EP3SL200H780I4L dissipates approximately 5-7 W, with junction-to-ambient thermal resistance of 15-20 C/W on a 12-layer PCB with thermal vias. To keep junction temperature below 100C at 70C ambient, the bottom of the FC-HFBGA die must be bonded to the PCB thermal pad with an array of 0.3 mm thermal vias filled with solder or epoxy. Add a heatsink for industrial (-40C to +100C) applications where the device runs near full duty cycle.
The Stratix III L variant's low-leakage process reduces static power by approximately 50% versus the standard Stratix III E family, but dynamic power scales linearly with toggle rate and quadratically with core voltage. Use the Quartus PowerPlay Power Analyzer during early design to estimate dynamic current and select the right number of bulk decoupling capacitors (typically 22-100 uF polymer or tantalum per regulator). Power-on sequencing must ramp VCC_CORE (0.86-1.15 V) before VCCIO (1.2 V / 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V), with monotonic rise times below 100 ms.
Do not assume that the 'N' or 'L' suffix is cosmetic - these control lead-free vs leaded ball finish and RoHS compliance. Mixing leaded and lead-free parts in the same production line requires separate stencil/bath management per JEDEC J-STD-033. Also, the speed grade (I3 vs I4 vs C4) materially affects timing closure: downgrading from I4 to I3 requires re-running TimeQuest timing analysis and may force architecture changes if the design was already timing-marginal.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant (L suffix indicates lead-free ball finish). AEC-Q100 not applicable - FPGAs are not automotive-qualified discrete semiconductors; if automotive use is required, evaluate the Cyclone V or Arria V automotive variants. Halogen-free status not explicitly documented in the public Intel/Altera product page.
