EP3SL50F484I3 - Stratix III L FPGA 47.5K LE 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL50F484I3 β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $876.53 | $876.53 |
| 10 | $832.71 | $8,327.10 |
| 100 | $788.88 | $78,888.00 |
| 500 | $745.05 | $372,525.00 |
| 1,000 | $701.23 | $701,230.00 |
EP3SL50F484I3 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable interconnects, and dedicated hard IP such as transceivers, memory blocks, and DSP slices. FPGAs sit at the hierarchy of programmable logic devices (PLDs), below complex PLDs (CPLDs) and above discrete logic. The Stratix III family specifically targets high-throughput DSP, high-speed serial I/O, and embedded processor applications where ASIC-like performance and NRE flexibility are required. The 'L' suffix denotes the low-power variant optimized for static power reduction at comparable performance.
Key features include up to 500 MHz internal operation, dedicated DSP blocks for high-speed multiply-accumulate operations, TriMatrix embedded memory supporting true dual-port and FIFO configurations, and high-speed transceivers for chip-to-chip and backplane serial connectivity. The 484-ball FC-FBGA package provides a compact footprint with controlled-impedance signal routing suited to multi-Gbps serial channels.
Architecturally, the EP3SL50F484I3 combines adaptive logic modules (ALMs) arranged in Logic Array Blocks (LABs) β approximately 1,900 LABs per the Mouser listing β with a MultiTrack interconnect fabric and embedded memory blocks distributed across the device for high-bandwidth local storage. The 65 nm process node keeps dynamic power manageable while the L-series design reduces static leakage through process and architectural tuning.
Typical applications include high-end digital signal processing cards, radar and sonar baseband processing, software-defined radio front-ends, high-resolution video processing pipelines, and wire-speed network packet inspection. The combination of low static power and high DSP throughput also makes the EP3SL50F484I3 suitable for medical imaging systems such as ultrasound beamformers. When designing, plan for dedicated configuration circuitry and ensure the board supplies clean 1.1 V core, 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O, and PLL analog rails per the manufacturer datasheet. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, same-family alternatives, and FPGA design considerations not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F484I3 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 EP3SL50F484I3 (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Family, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F484C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$325 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$458 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C2N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$175 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484I3
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$188 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484I4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$998 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$468.11 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484I3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L (Low Power) |
| Device Logic Elements | 47,500 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,184,192 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 1,900 |
| Maximum User I/O | 296 |
| Package | 484-ball FC-FBGA (Flip-Chip FineLine BGA) |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V |
| Internal Operating Frequency | 500 MHz |
| Operating Temperature | 0 Β°C to +85 Β°C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Scheme | SRAM-based (volatile, requires external config device) |
| Transceivers | Stratix III L β supports high-speed serial transceivers per family datasheet |
EP3SL50F484I3 484-ball fc-fbga (flip-chip fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL50F484I3 (484-ball fc-fbga (flip-chip fineline 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 EP3SL50F484I3.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F484I3 is suitable for 6 applications: Software-Defined Radio Front-End, Radar and Sonar Baseband Processing, Medical Imaging (Ultrasound Beamforming), High-Resolution Video Processing Pipeline, Wire-Speed Network Packet Inspection, ASIC Emulation and Prototyping.
Software-Defined Radio Front-End
The EP3SL50F484I3's 47,500 logic elements and 2,184,192 bits of TriMatrix memory enable wideband digital down-conversion and channelization in software-defined radio front-ends. Per the Stratix III datasheet, the L-series fabric delivers up to 500 MHz internal operation while keeping static power low β critical for thermally constrained outdoor SDR enclosures. The 296 user I/O pins accept parallel ADC data streams, while the 484-FBGA package supports controlled-impedance routing for high-speed serial transceivers linking to the host processor. The combination of DSP blocks and embedded memory makes this part well suited to multi-carrier demodulation, adaptive filtering, and FFT-based spectral analysis at baseband.
Recommended
Radar and Sonar Baseband Processing
The EP3SL50F484I3 supports radar and sonar baseband processing where the 47.5K LE fabric implements pulse compression, MTI filtering, and CFAR detection in a single device. According to the Stratix III datasheet, the L-series low static power reduces thermal load in dense phased-array signal processing cards. The 1,900 LABs and dedicated DSP blocks perform multiply-accumulate operations at sustained throughput, while the 2.18 Mbit embedded memory buffers raw I/Q samples between beamforming stages. The 484-ball FC-FBGA footprint simplifies board layout by integrating all high-speed I/O on one package layer.
Recommended
Medical Imaging (Ultrasound Beamforming)
The EP3SL50F484I3 is well matched to ultrasound beamformer front-ends where its 47,500 logic elements and embedded DSP blocks deliver real-time channel summation across 64 to 128 transducer elements. Per the Stratix III family datasheet, the low-power L-series variant reduces patient-probe thermal load while sustaining 500 MHz internal operation. The 296 I/O pins accept parallel ADC outputs from each channel, and the 2.18 Mbit TriMatrix memory holds delay-line coefficients and intermediate beamformed samples. The 484-FBGA package also provides controlled-impedance routing for serialized probe-head data links.
Recommended
High-Resolution Video Processing Pipeline
The EP3SL50F484I3 implements full HD/4K video processing pipelines including deinterlacing, scaling, color space conversion, and frame-rate conversion. Per the Stratix III datasheet, the 47,500 logic elements and dedicated DSP blocks perform pixel-level operations at sustained throughput. The 2.18 Mbit embedded memory holds multiple frame buffers for temporal noise reduction and motion estimation, while the 296 user I/O pins interface to HDMI receivers, DisplayPort serializers, and camera sensor LVDS links. The 484-FBGA package supports high-speed serial interfaces for uncompressed video transport.
Recommended
Wire-Speed Network Packet Inspection
The EP3SL50F484I3 enables wire-speed packet inspection at 10 Gbps and beyond by combining the 47.5K LE fabric with 2.18 Mbit of embedded memory for hash-table lookups and bloom-filter storage. Per the Stratix III datasheet, the high-speed serial transceivers handle 10GbE SFI/RXAUI interfaces directly, while the L-series low static power suits fanless network appliance designs. The 296 I/O pins provide parallel paths to QDR-II SRAM for TCAM-like rule matching. The 484-FBGA package enables clean board routing of multi-Gbps SERDES channels.
Recommended
ASIC Emulation and Prototyping
The EP3SL50F484I3 is commonly used as a building block in multi-FPGA ASIC prototyping systems. Per the Stratix III datasheet, its 47,500 logic elements emulate up to ~1.5M ASIC gates and the 484-FBGA package exposes all high-speed transceivers on controlled-impedance pins for clean pin-multiplexing between FPGAs. The L-series low static power simplifies thermal design in dense emulator chassis holding 20+ devices. The 1.1 V core and 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O rails are widely supported by power-sequencer reference designs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F484I3 β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F484C4N | EP3SL50F484C3N | EP3SL50F484C2N | EP3SE50F484I3 | EP3SE50F484I4N | EP3SE50F484C4N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 484-ball FC-FBGA | 484-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 484-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 484-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 484-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 484-ball FC-FBGA (same) | 484-ball FC-FBGA (same) |
| Family / Variant | Stratix III L (low-power) | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III E (higher static power) | Stratix III E | Stratix III E |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 |
| LABs | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 |
| Speed Grade | I3 (industrial, speed grade 3) | C4 (commercial, speed grade 4) | C3 (commercial, speed grade 3) | C2 (commercial, speed grade 2) | I3 (industrial, speed grade 3) | I4 (industrial, speed grade 4) | C4 (commercial, speed grade 4) |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Maximum User I/O | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 |
Key Differentiators
- Same-family drop-in compatibility across speed grades (vs EP3SL50F484C3N)
- Low-power L-series variant for thermally constrained designs (vs EP3SE50F484I3)
- 47,500 LE in a 484-ball FC-FBGA β mid-density sweet spot (vs EP3SL200F1517I3N)
Design Notes
The EP3SL50F484I3 requires a clean 1.1 V core supply plus 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O and PLL analog rails per the Stratix III datasheet. Per Intel's power-sequencer reference designs, VCC must ramp monotonically with VCCAUX following within 100 ms to avoid long-term reliability degradation. Use a dedicated power management IC such as the LTC3548 or ISL6326 family for multi-rail sequencing. Estimate: at 80% utilization and 50% toggle rate, the L-series fabric draws approximately 4-6 W under typical workloads β confirm with PowerPlay early-estimations in Quartus II.
Although the L-series fabric has lower static power than the E-series, sustained DSP workloads still push junction temperature up. Per the Stratix III datasheet, the FC-FBGA package requires a thermal pad connection to a copper pour on the top layer and at least 4 inner-layer thermal vias to the bottom heatsink plane. Estimate: with a 6 W load on a JEDEC JESD51-7 4-layer test board, theta_JA is approximately 12-15 C/W, yielding a 70-90 Β°C junction rise above ambient. For industrial enclosures, design for at least 0.5 m/s airflow across the BGA.
The 484-ball FC-FBGA footprint requires a high-density PCB stack-up with microvias and 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm ball pitch escape routing. Per the Stratix III datasheet, the BGA is organized in a perimeter/inner mixed pattern, so use a 1-2-1 or 2-4-2 stack-up with buried capacitance for clean power delivery. SERDES channels demand controlled-impedance routing with 100 Ξ© differential traces; keep length matching within 5 mils for lanes within a group, 25 mils between groups. Add 0402-size 0.1 Β΅F decoupling on every VCC pin with at least one bulk 22 Β΅F per supply region.
Common pitfalls include: (1) forgetting the external configuration device (EPCS or legacy EPC) β the SRAM-based EP3SL50F484I3 loads its bitstream from flash each power-up; (2) omitting the JTAG header for in-system programming; (3) using the wrong speed grade in Quartus II β confirm I3 vs C3 in project settings to avoid timing closure failures; (4) failing to constrain SERDES pins to their high-speed I/O banks β see Pin Planner in Quartus II. Per Intel's errata documentation, always check the latest Stratix III errata sheet before board bring-up.
Per the Stratix III datasheet, dedicate at least one complete PCB layer to ground pour beneath the BGA to provide a low-impedance return path for high-speed signals. Keep differential pairs matched within 0.127 mm (5 mils) and avoid 90-degree bends β use 45-degree or curved traces. Place external clock references within 50 mm of the CLK input pins and guard the CLK traces with ground on both sides. Estimated: 50 Ξ© single-ended trace impedance and 100 Ξ© differential impedance are typical targets for Stratix III banks; verify with 3D EM solver (HFSS, Simbeor) before tape-out.
Compliance Information
RoHS, REACH, lead-free, and halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified web data β see [DATA_NEEDED] markers in specs. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA, not an automotive-grade MCU). Conflict-mineral compliance follows Intel's standard supplier disclosures.
