EP3SL50F484C3G - Stratix III L FPGA, 47.5K LE | Intel | Altera
MPN: EP3SL50F484C3G β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $235.97 | $235.97 |
| 10 | $215.5 | $2,155.00 |
| 100 | $195 | $19,500.00 |
| 500 | $178 | $89,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $165 | $165,000.00 |
EP3SL50F484C3G Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, embedded memory (BRAM/M9K/M144K), DSP slices, and high-speed transceivers. FPGAs occupy a tier above general-purpose microcontrollers and below custom ASICs: they offer hardware-level parallelism, deterministic latency, and the ability to be re-programmed in the field. The Stratix III family specifically targets high-end DSP, ASIC prototyping, and high-speed serial I/O designs where density and signal integrity matter more than absolute power minimization.
Key features of the EP3SL50F484C3G include 47,500 logic elements, 2,184,192 embedded RAM bits (distributed across multiple M9K blocks), 384 (18x18) multiplier blocks for DSP, and embedded transceivers supporting multi-gigabit serial protocols. The device also integrates PLLs for clock management, PCI Express hard IP blocks, and supports external memory interfaces (DDR/DDR2/QDRII+) through dedicated PHY. The 484-FBGA package provides a compact footprint suitable for high-performance PCB designs with controlled-impedance routing.
The architecture combines a logic fabric based on ALMs (Adaptive Logic Modules), a hierarchical interconnect, dedicated multiplier/adder DSP blocks, and embedded transceivers capable of operation up to several Gbps. Compared to Stratix IV successors, Stratix III L retains the 40 nm process node but is widely used in mature designs where the IP and tool flow are already validated.
Typical applications include ASIC prototyping, high-speed wireline backplane bridging, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband processing, video broadcast infrastructure, and military/aerospace signal processing. The 484-FBGA package suits designs where board real estate allows a moderate BGA footprint with full signal-integrity stack-up.
When designing with this part, ensure the PCB stack-up supports the transceiver channel loss budget and that decoupling follows Intel/Altera's recommended PDN pattern. Quartus II is the legacy tool flow for Stratix III L (current Intel Quartus Prime no longer fully supports Stratix III - verify tool availability before new design starts).
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in same-family Altera alternatives from the Site MPN catalog, and practical design considerations drawn from the Stratix III L datasheet family - information not bundled on a single manufacturer page.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F484C3G 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 EP3SL50F484C3G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Family, Speed Grade, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F484C3
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View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C2G
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$335 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C2N
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$175 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C2
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$478.8 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C3G
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$205 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C3
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$820 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C3G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 47,500 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,184,192 |
| User I/O Pins | 296 |
| Package | 484-FBGA (FCBGA), 23x23 mm |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| DSP Blocks (18x18 multipliers) | 384 |
| Operating Temperature Grade | Commercial (C3 speed grade, 0C to 85C) |
| Speed Grade | C3 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP3SL50F484C3G 484-fbga (fcbga), 23x23 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL50F484C3G (484-fbga (fcbga), 23x23 mm 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 EP3SL50F484C3G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F484C3G is suitable for 7 applications: ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, High-Speed Wireline Bridging, Software-Defined Radio Baseband, Video Broadcast Infrastructure, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Industrial High-Speed Imaging.
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
The EP3SL50F484C3G's 47,500 logic elements, 2,184,192 embedded memory bits, and 384 DSP multiplier blocks make it well suited as an ASIC prototyping vehicle for mid-complexity SoC designs. The 40 nm Stratix III L fabric offers deterministic timing closure and abundant block RAM that mirrors typical ASIC register and SRAM blocks. With Quartus II support and well-characterized IP cores, design teams partition ASIC RTL across multiple FPGAs using standard HDL-to-FPGA flows. The 484-FBGA package keeps board complexity manageable versus higher-density Stratix devices while still providing 296 user I/Os for multi-chip interconnect bridging.
Recommended
High-Speed Wireline Bridging
The EP3SL50F484C3G is well matched to wireline backplane bridging applications where embedded transceivers, PLLs, and ample user I/O are required. The L-family transceivers support multi-gigabit protocols (Interlaken, Serial RapidIO, custom SERDES) commonly used in telecom framer/mapper designs. With 296 user I/Os and BGA escape routing, the device can fan out to multiple SFP+ or QSFP cages for optical aggregation. The Quartus II transceiver toolkit provides eye-diagram and pre-emphasis calibration scripts critical for 6+ Gbps backplane links. Designers should plan PCB stack-up per Altera AN558 reference design for transceiver loss budget.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio Baseband
With 384 18x18 DSP multipliers and abundant block RAM, the EP3SL50F484C3G serves as a baseband processing engine for software-defined radio platforms handling LTE, WiMAX, or proprietary waveforms. The DSP blocks deliver fixed-latency MAC/multiplier throughput, while embedded memory holds time-domain sample buffers. PLLs provide the multiple clock domains needed for ADC/DAC interface and digital up/down conversion. The 484-FBGA package supports fine-pitch BGA escape to FMC connectors for modular ADC/DAC daughtercards. Reference designs exist for channelizer/upconverter IP using Altera DSP Builder blocks.
Recommended
Video Broadcast Infrastructure
Broadcast video routers, format converters, and multiviewers benefit from the EP3SL50F484C3G's combination of high I/O count, embedded memory, and SERDES bandwidth. The 296 user I/Os support multiple SDI/HDMI input/output streams, and embedded transceivers carry SDI (SMPTE 424M) or compressed video over fibre. BRAM tiles hold frame buffers and audio/video sync FIFOs needed for re-clocking and format conversion. The C3 commercial speed grade is adequate for 1080p/4K streams at typical broadcast frame rates. The 484-FBGA footprint integrates into standard broadcast PCIe-card or chassis form factors.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP3SL50F484C3G is widely deployed in defense applications including radar pre-processing, electronic-warfare channelization, and secure communications. The Stratix III L family has a long heritage in military programs with documented reliability data and MIL-STD-810 environmental testing paths via Altera/Intel aerospace partners. With 47.5K logic elements, 384 DSP blocks, and embedded transceivers, the device handles pulse compression, FFT channelization, and digital beamforming. Designers should verify MIL-PRF-38535 qualified assembly houses and radiation-hardness-by-design at the system level. The part is NRND; lifetime buys are common for defense programs.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
High-end oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers leverage the EP3SL50F484C3G's combination of DSP throughput, fast transceivers, and abundant user I/Os for triggering, acquisition memory, and pattern generation. The 2.1 Mbit BRAM acts as a deep acquisition FIFO, while 18x18 multipliers enable real-time FFT, eye-diagram calculation, and protocol decoding at line rate. PLLs synchronize to multiple external reference clocks required for jitter analysis. The 484-FBGA package integrates onto FPGA mezzanine cards (FMC) for modular instrument front-ends.
Recommended
Industrial High-Speed Imaging
Machine-vision and high-speed industrial imaging systems use the EP3SL50F484C3G for line-scan camera aggregation, image pre-processing, and real-time defect detection. With 296 user I/Os and embedded transceivers, multiple Camera Link or CoaXPress channels can be aggregated into a single FPGA fabric for buffering, Bayer demosaicing, and histogram/feature extraction. The 384 DSP blocks accelerate convolution kernels for edge detection and pattern matching. The C3 commercial speed grade handles multi-MP line-scan data rates. The 484-FBGA package integrates onto standard vision processing PCIe cards.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F484C3G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F484C3 | EP3SL50F484C2G | EP3SL50F484C2N | EP3SL50F484C2 | EP3SE50F484C3G | EP3SE50F484C3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-FBGA (FCBGA), 23x23 mm | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same | 484-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same | Intel - same |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 110,000 | ||
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 5,121,024 | |||
| User I/O Pins | 296 | 296 | 296 | 488 | |||
| Speed Grade | C3 | C2 (slower) | C2 (slower) | C3 | |||
| Family | Stratix III L (low-power) | Stratix III L - same | Stratix III E (higher perf, higher power) | Stratix III L - same family, higher density | |||
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Low-power L-family tuning (vs EP3SE50F484C3G)
- Mid-density sweet spot at 47.5K LE (vs EP3SL110F780C3)
- Same-footprint variants for speed flexibility (vs EP3SL50F484C2G)
Design Notes
Estimated: At full Stratix III L utilization (47.5K LE, 384 DSP blocks active), junction power can reach 8-12 W. The 484-FBGA package requires a thermally enhanced PCB stack-up with at least 4 thermal vias under the central BGA thermal balls and a copper spreader on the inner layers. For chassis designs without airflow, derate utilization by 20-30% to keep junction below 100C. Always run Quartus II PowerPlay early in the design cycle.
The 484-FBGA uses 1.0 mm pitch BGA balls; PCB fabrication requires 4-6 mil via-in-pad with copper-filled cap for transceiver escape. Use Intel/Altera's Stratix III L board design guidelines (resource center) to define stack-up: 8-12 layer board with continuous GND plane adjacent to signal layers carrying transceivers. Maintain 100-ohm differential impedance for SERDES pairs and 50-ohm single-ended for clocks. Decoupling: place 0.1uF and 0.01uF X7R capacitors within 100 mil of every power pin.
Transceiver channels up to several Gbps require loss budgeting per Intel/Altera application note AN558. Insert pre-emphasis and equalization settings via ALTGX megafunction in Quartus II. For multi-board systems, use AC-coupled SERDES with external coupling capacitors (typically 100 nF) on each TX/RX pair. Verify eye-mask compliance at the receiver with IBIS-AMI simulations before PCB fabrication.
Quartus II is the only fully-supported design tool for Stratix III L; current Intel Quartus Prime versions no longer include Stratix III device support in their default installers. Verify Quartus II 13.1 (or the latest Stratix III service pack) is installed and that license is current before committing to a new design. NRND status means no new silicon revisions - lifetime buy quantities should be planned for production.
DDR2/DDR3 external memory interfaces use dedicated DQS pins that must be routed with matched trace lengths (<25 mil skew on byte lanes). Reference Altera External Memory Interface Handbook chapter 4 for the Stratix III L variant. Place PLL feedback traces symmetrically and isolate from noisy digital routes. Keep high-speed clocks on inner stripline layers between continuous GND planes.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per the 'G' suffix in the MPN (Intel/Altera green/lead-free designation). AEC-Q100 is not applicable to FPGAs; for automotive-grade logic equivalents, consider Cyclone V / Arria V Auto variants.
