EP3SL50F484I3G - 47.5K LE Stratix III L FPGA, 484-FCBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL50F484I3G β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $325 | $325.00 |
| 10 | $295 | $2,950.00 |
| 100 | $260 | $26,000.00 |
| 500 | $235 | $117,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $215 | $215,000.00 |
EP3SL50F484I3G Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit composed of an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable routing, dedicated DSP blocks, embedded memory, and high-speed transceivers, all interconnected by a programmable fabric. FPGAs occupy a distinct tier between microcontrollers (fixed-function, sequential) and ASICs (application-specific, non-reprogrammable): they deliver ASIC-class parallelism and throughput while retaining full hardware re-programmability, allowing hardware bugs to be patched in the field and accelerating time-to-market. The Stratix III family specifically targets high-performance digital signal processing, communications infrastructure, and ASIC prototyping.
Key features of the EP3SL50F484I3G include up to 500 MHz core fabric performance, integrated Adaptive Logic Modules that combine fracturable look-up tables and dedicated registers, on-chip memory organized in M9K/M144K blocks for distributed buffering, and dedicated 18x18 hardware multipliers supporting DSP workloads. The Stratix III L sub-family emphasizes lower static and dynamic power versus the base Stratix III, achieved through programmable power technology that lets unused blocks enter low-leakage states.
The device's architecture is built on a tile-based fabric with columnar DSP and memory resources, supporting partial reconfiguration so that one logic block can be re-programmed while others continue operating. The 484-ball FCBGA provides high-density board interconnect and is the standard package for high-I/O-count Stratix III designs, enabling dense PCB layouts for production systems.
Typical applications include telecommunications baseband and bridging, military/aerospace signal processing, ASIC prototyping, high-speed data acquisition, and industrial control and imaging. It is also used in medical imaging pipelines and test-and-measurement equipment where deterministic, parallel DSP throughput is required.
When designing with the EP3SL50F484I3G, designers must implement multi-rail power sequencing for the 1.1 V core, PLL, and I/O supplies, observe strict signal-integrity guidelines for the FCBGA breakout, and account for the device's thermal envelope under sustained logic utilization. Quartus II is the supported design suite; legacy projects targeting this device should remain on a Quartus II version compatible with the Stratix III device family.
This page consolidates verified distributor pricing, drop-in alternative MPNs from the same Intel/Altera Stratix III family, and practical design guidance, providing information not found in a single distributor listing or in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F484I3G 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 EP3SL50F484I3G (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Embedded Memory, Series, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F484I3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$552.3 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484I4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F484I3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1180 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C3G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$122.1 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484C4LN
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$225 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F484I3G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Series | Stratix III Low-Power |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 47,500 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALM) | 19,000 |
| Embedded Memory | 2,184,192 bits (2.08 Mbit) |
| User I/Os | 296 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (Vccint) | 1.1 V |
| Maximum Fabric Frequency | 500 MHz |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Package | 484-ball FCBGA (FBGA-484) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Design Software | Quartus II (Stratix III device support) |
EP3SL50F484I3G 484-ball fcbga (fbga-484) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL50F484I3G (484-ball fcbga (fbga-484) 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 EP3SL50F484I3G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F484I3G is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Baseband & Bridging, ASIC Prototyping & Emulation, Military & Aerospace Signal Processing, High-Speed Data Acquisition, Industrial Control & Machine Vision, Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
Telecommunications Baseband & Bridging
The EP3SL50F484I3G fits telecom baseband and protocol-bridging designs because its 47,500 logic elements, 2.08 Mbit of embedded memory, and 296 user I/Os deliver the parallelism required for multi-channel packet processing, framer/CRC/PCS functions, and line-card glue logic. Industrial temperature qualification (-40C to +100C) and 1.1 V low-power operation make it a good fit for outdoor base-station cards and central-office line cards where reliability and thermal budget matter. Placed on the line card between the SERDES framer and the network processor, the FPGA absorbs rate adaptation, scrambling, and clock-domain crossing, with deterministic latency below 100 ns achievable at 296 MHz fabric speed.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping & Emulation
The EP3SL50F484I3G is widely used as a building block in ASIC emulation platforms because Stratix III silicon is bitstream-compatible with Quartus II and supports multi-FPGA partitioning tools such as Certify and Synopsys Certify. Its 47,500 LEs and 19,000 ALMs map cleanly onto small-to-mid RTL blocks, while 296 user I/Os provide enough chip-to-chip interconnect for an emulation backplane running at 100-200 MHz. Designers typically build 4-8 FPGA prototype boards linked through high-speed LVDS or MGT channels; industrial temperature and lead-free FCBGA packaging are well-aligned with commercial emulator chassis requirements.
Recommended
Military & Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP3SL50F484I3G suits defense signal-processing subsystems such as radar front-end digitizers, EW receivers, and secure-comm modules because its industrial temperature range (-40C to +100C) and 1.1 V core supply meet the thermal envelope of ruggedized enclosures. The Stratix III L sub-family's Programmable Power Technology reduces dynamic power in intermittent-processing waveforms (typical radar pulse-Doppler workloads), while the 19,000 ALMs provide the parallelism for FFT, FIR, and pulse-compression filters. Designers pair the FPGA with external ADC/DAC front-ends over LVDS; security features such as JTAG-disabled bitstream loading support anti-tamper requirements.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition
The EP3SL50F484I3G fits multi-channel high-speed data-acquisition cards that interface to 10-16 bit ADCs/DACs running at 100-500 MSPS, because the 500 MHz fabric and abundant ALMs implement custom FIR/decimation filters, peak detectors, and trigger logic in a single chip. The 296 user I/Os provide enough LVDS pairs to ingest 8-16 parallel ADC channels plus SPI/I2C control paths, while 2.08 Mbit of embedded memory buffers up to 1024 sample-deep per-channel history. Industrial temperature and 1.1 V core power are a clean fit for PXIe and PCI-Express DAQ modules used in lab and factory-floor test gear.
Recommended
Industrial Control & Machine Vision
The EP3SL50F484I3G is well-suited to industrial PLCs, motion controllers, and machine-vision pipelines because its 47,500 LEs handle real-time EtherCAT/PROFINET bridging, deterministic PID loops, and image-processing kernels in parallel. The 484-ball FCBGA delivers 296 I/Os, enough to drive multi-axis stepper/servo PWM, GPIO, encoder interfaces, and 2-4 camera-link channels without external logic. Industrial temperature, 1.1 V low-power operation, and lead-free packaging ease integration into DIN-rail enclosures where thermal and reliability targets are stringent.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
The EP3SL50F484I3G fits portable and bench-top test instruments such as protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and arbitrary waveform generators because the Stratix III L fabric delivers deterministic timing for trigger sequencing, pattern generation, and protocol decoding at rates up to 500 MHz. The 296 user I/Os provide enough connectivity for high-speed probe pods, while 2.08 Mbit of embedded memory captures long pre-trigger traces. Industrial temperature and 1.1 V low-power operation help meet the thermal envelope of fan-cooled bench instruments and battery-powered field testers.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F484I3G β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F484I3N | EP3SL50F484I4G | EP3SE50F484I3G | EP3SL50F484C3G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 484-ball FCBGA (F484) | 484-ball FCBGA (F484) - same | 484-ball FCBGA (F484) - same | 484-ball FCBGA (F484) - same | 484-ball FCBGA (F484) - same |
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 LE | 47,500 LE | 47,500 LE | 47,500 LE | 47,500 LE |
| Embedded Memory | 2,184,192 bits | 2,184,192 bits | 2,184,192 bits | 2,184,192 bits | 2,184,192 bits |
| User I/Os | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | -40C to +100C (Industrial) | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 3 (fast) | 3 | 4 (slower) | 3 | 3 |
| Sub-family | Stratix III L (Low-Power) | Stratix III L (Low-Power) | Stratix III L (Low-Power) | Stratix III E (Enhanced DSP) | Stratix III L (Low-Power) |
| Lead-Free | Yes (G suffix) | No (N suffix) | Yes (G suffix) | Yes (G suffix) | Yes (G suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade with lead-free packaging (vs EP3SL50F484C3G)
- Faster speed grade (3) versus speed grade 4 (vs EP3SL50F484I4G)
- Low-power Stratix III L sub-family (vs EP3SE50F484I3G)
Design Notes
The EP3SL50F484I3G requires multiple power rails: Vccint (1.1 V core), Vccpd (3.3 V or 2.5 V I/O pre-driver), Vccram (1.1 V memory), Vccpll (1.1 V PLL analog), and per-bank Vccio supplies. Per the Stratix III handbook, power-on sequencing must bring Vccint up before Vccpd to avoid latch-up, and all rails must be monotonic with rise times < 100 ms. A four-rail sequencer such as the LM3880 or UCD90120A is recommended for safe hot-swap recovery. Estimated: typical static current is 250-450 mA per rail at full fabric utilization; add a 30% margin when sizing the bulk decoupling.
The 484-ball FCBGA requires a 1.0 mm pitch BGA breakout using microvias (stacked or staggered) on a high-layer-count PCB (>= 12 layers recommended). Escape routing should be on the top layer with via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout, and the inner layers must carry uninterrupted reference planes for Vccint and GND. Decoupling requires 0402 or 0201 capacitors placed within 100 mils of each supply ball, with 100 nF X7R per ball and bulk 10-22 uF X5R per supply island. Estimated: a fully-decoupled 484-ball FCBGA consumes roughly 80-120 decoupling capacitors and 4-6 bulk electrolytics.
The most common pitfalls on EP3SL50F484I3G designs are (1) leaving CONFIG_DONE floating - it must be pulled high through a 1-10 kohm resistor to Vccpd or configuration never completes, (2) using an incorrect AS configuration flash density (the EP3SL50 requires >= 16 Mbit such as EPCS64 or EPCQ16), and (3) failing to assign clock pin PLL clock inputs to clock-capable I/O banks (top/bottom banks only). Designers should always validate against the Quartus II Pin-Out File (.pin) before PCB tape-out.
The EP3SL50F484I3G is rated for junction temperatures up to 100C; thermal management is critical because 65 nm Stratix III devices can draw 2-5 W under full fabric utilization. Reference the Stratix III AN 504 application note for the thermal model: a JEDEC JESD51-9 4-layer board with 4 thermal vias under the die provides theta-JA around 18-22 C/W. For sealed industrial enclosures, plan a copper heat-spreader or attach a 1-2 W heatsink; estimated junction-to-ambient temperature rise at 3 W is roughly 60-66 C, which fits inside the 100C ceiling.
Compliance Information
Lead-free per the 'G' suffix in the MPN. RoHS compliance confirmed per verified distributor listings. AEC-Q100 not applicable (this is an FPGA, not an automotive-grade IC). Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in the verified distributor data.
