EP3SL340H1152C3N - Stratix III L FPGA, 337.5K LE, 1152-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL340H1152C3N β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2850 | $2,850.00 |
| 10 | $2620 | $26,200.00 |
| 100 | $2350 | $235,000.00 |
| 500 | $2100 | $1,050,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $1895 | $1,895,000.00 |
EP3SL340H1152C3N Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device containing an array of programmable logic blocks, interconnect, and I/O cells. FPGAs sit within the broader taxonomy of programmable logic devices (PLD) -> logic ICs -> integrated circuits. Stratix III devices in particular occupy the high-performance tier of the FPGA hierarchy, sitting above Cyclone and below Arria/Stratix IV/V families, and are typically deployed in digital signal processing, high-speed serial connectivity, and embedded processing applications.
Key differentiating features include the 1152-ball FCBGA package enabling 744 user I/Os (sufficient for parallel memory buses, multiple transceivers, and external processor interfaces), 65 nm process technology with 1.1 V core VCC, and dedicated DSP blocks for fixed- and floating-point arithmetic. The device also integrates embedded memory blocks (M20K/M9K), high-speed transceivers, and PCIe hard IP, distinguishing it from lower-density Cyclone families. The 'L' suffix denotes the low-power variant of Stratix III, optimized for static and dynamic power reduction via programmable power technology.
Architecturally, the EP3SL340 uses logic array blocks (LABs) of 16 adaptive logic modules (ALMs) each, a hierarchical routing fabric, and column/row-based I/O structures supporting multiple single-ended and differential I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, and SSTL. The FPGA is configured via SRAM-based volatile configuration memory, requiring a configuration ROM (EPCS) on the board.
Typical applications include telecommunications line cards, video processing infrastructure, high-performance ASIC prototyping, military/aerospace signal processing, test and measurement equipment, and broadcast video encoding. When designing with this FPGA, plan for multi-rail power sequencing (VCC, VCCAUX, VCCPD), thermal management on the FCBGA (which requires a heatsink for full performance), and the configuration controller (typically a MAX II CPLD or an EPCS device). This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in Stratix III/IV alternatives, and practical PCB thermal guidance not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL340H1152C3N 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 EP3SL340H1152C3N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Speed Grade, Package, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Embedded Memory Bits.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL340H1152C2N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$3400 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL340H1152C2
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$15800 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL340H1152C3
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$2550 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE260F1152C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$7500 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE110F1152C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1560 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP4SE230F29C3N
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SL340H1152C3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 337,500 |
| User I/O Count | 744 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 13,500 |
| Total RAM Bits | 18,822,144 |
| Supply Voltage (Core) | 1.1 V |
| Process Node | 65 nm |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Package | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | 3 |
| Configuration Memory | SRAM (volatile) |
| Number of Pins | 1152 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP3SL340H1152C3N 1152-bbga, fcbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL340H1152C3N (1152-bbga, 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 EP3SL340H1152C3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL340H1152C3N is suitable for 7 applications: Telecommunications Line Cards, Video Processing and Broadcast Infrastructure, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Test and Measurement Equipment, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, Industrial Motor Control and Servo Drives, Medical Imaging Systems.
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP3SL340H1152C3N's 337,500 logic elements and 744 user I/Os are well-suited for high-density telecom line-card DSP pipelines and packet-processing engines. With 65 nm Stratix III L architecture and 1.1 V core, the device handles multi-channel forward-error-correction (FEC) at line rates up to several Gbps, while the dedicated DSP blocks accelerate Viterbi, Reed-Solomon, and FFT operations directly in fabric. Placed on a line card with SERDES, DDR3 packet buffers, and external PHY, the EP3SL340 typically interfaces via standard HSTL/SSTL I/Os to the backplane. Designers should note that 744 I/Os are sufficient for parallel connection to multi-port PHY devices without external bus switches, but JTAG and SERDES JTAG chains need dedicated test access.
Recommended
Video Processing and Broadcast Infrastructure
In broadcast video infrastructure, the EP3SL340H1152C3N drives real-time 4K video processing, multi-stream transcoding, and frame-rate conversion. The 337.5K LE provide sufficient fabric to instantiate multiple parallel processing pipelines with low-latency memory access; 18.8 Mbit of embedded block RAM serve as line buffers and chroma caches without consuming external SDRAM bandwidth. Typical placement is between an HDMI/SDI receive front-end and DDR3 storage, with LVDS links carrying pixel data into the FPGA at hundreds of MHz. Compared to ASICs, this FPGA allows firmware-level format updates for evolving broadcast standards (HEVC, AV1), but consumes more power - typical board power is 8-15 W at full load.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP3SL340H1152C3N is widely used for ASIC prototyping and pre-silicon validation of large SoCs, particularly those targeting 65 nm or 40 nm ASIC processes. With 337,500 logic elements, designers can partition large RTL designs across multiple Stratix III devices using TDM or pin-multiplexed bridging. The 1152-FCBGA package exposes 744 user I/Os which serve as prototype-chip-to-FPGA interconnects for early software bring-up. Quartus Prime software supports popular partitioning tools (e.g., Synopsys Certify, Mentor Vista) to map ASIC netlists into the FPGA. This application avoids ASIC re-spins costing millions by finding bugs at the RTL level before tape-out, though FPGA prototypes run 5-10x slower than the final ASIC.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Equipment
In high-end oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and logic analyzers, the EP3SL340H1152C3N serves as the central DSP and trigger engine, performing real-time signal processing on multi-GSPS ADC data streams. The 744 user I/Os interface directly to high-speed ADC outputs (e.g., 14-bit 500 MSPS converters), and the embedded DSP blocks implement FIR filters, FFTs, and trigger pattern-matching in hardware. A typical oscilloscope channel may use two EP3SL340s in parallel to manage 4 GSPS acquisition rates with sub-sample interpolation. Compared to application-specific DSP chips, this FPGA approach gives T&M manufacturers post-shipment feature upgrades via firmware updates, but requires careful PCB layout to keep ADC-clock-to-FPGA traces impedance-matched and length-matched.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
For defense applications including radar, electronic warfare (EW), and secure communications, the EP3SL340H1152C3N (commercial grade) is often specified as a baseline with the industrial-grade variant used for harsher environments. The device's high logic density enables beamforming, pulse-Doppler processing, and adaptive filtering on FPGAs within SWaP-constrained platforms. The 1152-FCBGA package and 744 user I/Os support multiple RF-to-baseband ADC interfaces and DDR3 buffers for captured I/Q data. Designers must confirm that the commercial temperature range (0C to +85C) is adequate for the platform; if not, source an industrial variant. Note: Intel does not produce a true military/aerospace radiation-hardened variant of Stratix III - this requires design-level mitigation.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control and Servo Drives
The EP3SL340H1152C3N's high DSP block count and fast parallel I/O make it suitable for multi-axis servo drives and high-end industrial motor controllers. The device runs field-oriented control (FOC) loops for up to 4-6 axes simultaneously at sub-microsecond update rates, with current feedback sampled by sigma-delta ADCs and PWM outputs driving IGBT power stages via galvanically isolated gate drivers. The 744 user I/Os accommodate multiple encoder interfaces (incremental, SSI, EnDat, resolver), analog feedback channels, and fieldbus connections (EtherCAT, Profinet). Placement on a servo-drive control board is typically near the IGBT gate drivers; PCB layout must keep high-current switching loops separated from low-voltage analog feedback to minimize common-mode noise coupling into the FPGA I/O cells.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Systems
In MRI, CT, and ultrasound imaging equipment, the EP3SL340H1152C3N performs real-time beamforming, image reconstruction, and front-end DSP for sensor arrays. The 337,500 LE permit direct implementation of beamforming pipelines with sub-millisecond latency, critical for echo-timed ultrasound. The 744 user I/Os accommodate 64-128 channel ADC interfaces plus DDR3 image-buffer memory, with dedicated DSP blocks accelerating finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and Fourier transforms. Compared to GPU-based approaches, this FPGA implementation gives lower latency and deterministic timing, but design cycles are longer and tools (Quartus) require specialized hardware-design expertise. Typically placed on a PCIe card with the FPGA as the bus master for data streaming to the host CPU.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL340H1152C3N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL340H1152C2N | EP3SL340H1152C2 | EP3SL340H1152C3 | EP3SE260F1152C3N | EP3SE110F1152C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same | 1152-BBGA, FCBGA - same |
| Family | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III E | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 337,500 | 337,500 | 337,500 | 337,500 | 260,000 (-23%) | 107,100 (-68%) |
| Speed Grade | 3 | 2 (faster) | 2 (faster) | 3 (same) | 3 (same) | 3 (same) |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C | 0C to +85C |
| Process Node | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Higher logic capacity than the C2N variant (vs EP3SL340H1152C2N)
- Highest logic density in the Stratix III L family (vs EP3SL200H780C3N)
- Larger 1152-BGA package exposes more I/O than lower-density options (vs EP3SL200F780C3N)
Design Notes
Estimated: Stratix III FPGAs in 1152-FCBGA packages typically dissipate 8-15 W at full utilization (65 nm core, ~1.1 V VCC, ~337K LE running typical telecom-style designs). The FCBGA package has theta_JA in the 10-15 C/W range with airflow, so junction temperature can rise 100-200 C above ambient if no heatsink is used. A passive heatsink or active airflow is required for commercial-temperature operation at high utilization. According to Stratix III thermal management guidelines, designers must evaluate thermal performance with the actual design utilization rather than worst-case figures.
The EP3SL340H1152C3N requires multiple supply rails: VCC (1.1 V core), VCCAUX (2.5 V), VCCPD (2.5 V or 3.0 V pre-driver), and per-bank VCCIO (1.2 V-3.3 V depending on I/O standard). Power sequencing must follow the Stratix III Power-on Reset order - VCC first, then VCCAUX/VCCPD, then VCCIO - to avoid latch-up. Designers should use an Intel-recommended power sequencer IC or a discrete RC-network controller. Decoupling capacitance of at least 100 uF bulk plus 0.1 uF/0.01 uF per-pin high-frequency caps is mandatory for stable operation.
The 1152-ball FCBGA package has a 1.0 mm ball pitch and requires microvia HDI PCB technology for fan-out. Designers must use a 1-2-1 microvia stack-up with buried capacitance for power integrity. Trace impedance must be controlled to 50 ohm single-ended / 100 ohm differential for high-speed I/Os like LVDS. The exposed die on the BGA top side should be connected to a heatsink thermal interface material (TIM). PCB thermal vias under the package (10-15 mil diameter, 6-8 per square cm) significantly improve heat transfer to internal ground planes.
Common pitfalls include: (1) Confusing the L (low-power) variant with the E (enhanced performance) variant - both exist in Stratix III but pinouts may differ for SKUs of the same density. (2) Using a non-N suffix part where N (lead-free) is required by the OEM. (3) Failing to verify Stratix III NRND lifecycle status before committing to new designs - Intel recommends migrating to Stratix IV or later for new projects. (4) Forgetting that the FPGA requires an external configuration ROM (EPCS family) - it does not have internal non-volatile memory. (5) Not providing JTAG access during board bring-up - programming via JTAG is essential for debugging.
High-speed serial interfaces (transceivers) require careful PCB routing: differential impedance of 100 ohm +/-10%, trace length matching within 5 mil for lanes, AC-coupling capacitors at the transmitter output. Clock traces to PLL inputs must be length-matched and guarded by ground vias. For DDR2/DDR3 memory interfaces, fly-by topology with proper write leveling and read calibration is required - refer to the Stratix III External Memory Interface Handbook. Avoid routing signals across power-plane splits which create EMI and signal-integrity issues.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant and lead-free per Intel/Altera product page. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA is not an automotive-qualified part per se). For automotive applications, use a dedicated automotive FPGA family.