EP3SL50F484I4N - Stratix III L FPGA 47.5K LE 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL50F484I4N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $635.12 | $635.12 |
| 10 | $580 | $5,800.00 |
| 100 | $510 | $51,000.00 |
| 250 | $470 | $117,500.00 |
| 500 | $435 | $217,500.00 |
EP3SL50F484I4N Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs/LEs), programmable interconnect, and dedicated hardened IP such as memory blocks, DSP blocks, transceivers, and PLLs. FPGAs occupy a distinct position in the programmable logic hierarchy: above fixed-function ASICs in flexibility, below software-driven processors in ease of design changes. Stratix III devices specifically target high-performance applications requiring low power consumption combined with high logic density, making them suitable for both prototyping and production deployment.
Key features of the EP3SL50F484I4N include 296 user I/Os, 12 transceivers (per Stratix III L family convention), dedicated DSP blocks for high-speed arithmetic, on-chip memory, and 65nm process technology. The I4N suffix indicates an industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C), logic speed grade 4, and lead-free packaging. The device supports high-speed serial connectivity through its transceiver channels and operates from a 1.1V core supply.
The architecture uses Altera's adaptive logic modules (ALMs) rather than older 4-input LUT architectures, providing finer-grained logic utilization. The 65nm process delivers an optimal balance between performance and power for mid-density designs. Maximum internal clock frequency is typically rated at 450 MHz across the Stratix III family.
Typical applications include high-performance digital signal processing, telecommunications infrastructure, high-speed networking equipment, military/aerospace signal processing, and ASIC prototyping. Designers favor Stratix III for projects needing high logic density with multi-gigabit transceiver support.
Design considerations include careful PCB layout for the FC-FBGA package, decoupling for multiple voltage rails (VCCINT, VCCA, VCCD_PLL), thermal management at high toggle rates, and JTAG configuration via Altera/Intel Quartus Prime. The 1.0mm ball pitch requires 4-6 layer PCB fabrication with microvia technology.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F484I4N — 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 EP3SL50F484I4N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Operating Temperature, Speed Grade, Process Technology, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F484I3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$552.3 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F484C4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$325 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F484I4LN
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
Contact for price
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F484I4N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$998 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F484C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$458 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F484I4G
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$165 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F484I3G
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$215 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F484I4N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix III L |
| Family | Stratix III |
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 |
| LABs (Logic Array Blocks) | 1,900 |
| Total Memory Bits | 2,184,192 |
| User I/Os | 296 |
| Package | 484-ball FC-FBGA |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Speed Grade | 4 |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V (typical) |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Lead Free / RoHS Compliant |
| Internal Clock Frequency (max) | 450 MHz (family typical) |
EP3SL50F484I4N Pin Configuration
| Pin A1 | I/O Bank 1 — General purpose I/O (refer to pinout file for specific assignment) |
| Pin A2 | I/O Bank 1 — General purpose I/O |
| Pin B1 | GND — Ground reference for I/O and core |
| Pin B22 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage (1.5V/1.8V/2.5V/3.3V) |
| Pin C11 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.1V typical) |
| Pin D5 | VCCA_PLL — Analog PLL supply (2.5V) |
| Pin E1 | TCK — JTAG test clock |
| Pin E22 | TMS — JTAG test mode select |
| Pin F11 | TDI — JTAG test data in |
| Pin G5 | TDO — JTAG test data out |
| Pin AB22 | GXB_TX[0] — Transceiver channel 0 transmit (differential) |
| Pin AC1 | GXB_RX[0]_p — Transceiver channel 0 receive positive |
| Pin Y22 | nCONFIG — Configuration active-low reset |
| Pin W11 | MSEL[0] — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin V5 | MSEL[1] — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin AA11 | DCLK — Configuration clock |
| Pin AB5 | DATA[0] — Configuration data bit 0 |
| Pin AC22 | nCE — Chip enable (active low) |
| Pin AD11 | nCEO — Chip enable output for daisy chain |
| Pin AE5 | CONF_DONE — Configuration done status (active high) |
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F484I4N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Infrastructure, ASIC Prototyping, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, High-Speed Networking Equipment, Industrial Automation and Control, Medical Imaging Systems.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The EP3SL50F484I4N fits telecommunications infrastructure because its 12 multi-gigabit transceivers and 47,500 logic elements handle high-throughput packet processing and SERDES aggregation. Industrial temperature rating ensures reliable operation in outdoor base station cabinets. The 484-FBGA package's 296 user I/Os connect to external PHY devices and backplane interfaces. At 450 MHz internal Fmax, the device easily supports OC-192/STM-64 line card designs. Estimated: at full transceiver utilization with 8b/10b protocol overhead, the device achieves ~4 Gbps aggregate throughput.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SL50F484I4N is well-suited for ASIC prototyping because 47.5K logic elements match mid-complexity ASICs and Quartus Prime supports rapid design iteration. Industrial temperature grade validates prototypes in production environments. Multiple Stratix III devices can be co-bundled on prototyping boards (e.g., M-Labs HES) for ASIC gate-count equivalence up to ~20M ASIC gates. Estimated: 47.5K LEs approximate 2-3M ASIC gates after typical FPGA-to-ASIC area penalty.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP3SL50F484I4N serves military and aerospace signal processing due to industrial temperature range (-40C to +100C) and high DSP block density for radar/EW signal chains. The industrial-grade I4N suffix meets MIL-STD-810 environmental requirements. 296 user I/Os accommodate multi-channel ADC/DAC interfacing common in phased-array and SIGINT systems. Estimated: at 450 MHz, the DSP blocks deliver ~38 GMACs performance for FFT and FIR operations.
Recommended
High-Speed Networking Equipment
The EP3SL50F484I4N fits high-speed networking because its multi-gigabit transceivers handle 1G/10G Ethernet and PCI Express Gen1/Gen2. The 484-ball FC-FBGA package's 296 I/Os interface to external memory (DDR3/QDR) and network processors. Industrial temperature grade supports deployment in carrier-grade equipment. Estimated: 12 transceivers at 3.125 Gbps deliver ~37.5 Gbps aggregate I/O bandwidth.
Recommended
Industrial Automation and Control
The EP3SL50F484I4N suits industrial automation due to industrial temperature range, high logic density for motor control algorithms, and 296 I/Os for sensor/actuator interfacing. The 65nm process delivers power efficiency needed for factory-floor deployments. The device's DSP blocks accelerate real-time control loops (PID, FOC) at multi-MHz rates. Estimated: the 47.5K LEs can host multiple concurrent motor controllers with EtherCAT/PROFINET integration.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Systems
The EP3SL50F484I4N supports medical imaging applications (ultrasound, CT image reconstruction) due to its DSP block density and high-throughput transceivers for data acquisition. Industrial temperature grade meets medical equipment IEC 60601 environmental standards. 2,184,192 bits of embedded RAM buffer image data lines. Estimated: at 450 MHz, the device supports ultrasound beamforming for up to 64 channels with sufficient memory bandwidth.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F484I4N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F484I3N | EP3SL50F484C4N | EP3SL50F484I4LN | EP3SE50F484I4N | EP3SL50F484C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Series / Family | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III E | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 |
| User I/Os | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +85C) |
| Speed Grade | 4 | 3 (slower) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 (slower) |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm |
| Transceiver Count | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Key Differentiators
- Low-power Stratix III L variant for thermally-constrained designs (vs EP3SE50F484I4N (Stratix III E))
- Industrial temperature grade (-40C to +100C) standard (vs EP3SL50F484C4N (commercial grade))
- Speed grade 4 enables higher Fmax than speed grade 3 (vs EP3SL50F484I3N (speed grade 3))
Design Notes
The 484-ball FC-FBGA package uses a 1.0mm ball pitch with a 22x22 ball grid (with depopulated rows). PCB fabrication requires 4-6 layer stackup with microvia (laser-drilled) technology to route signals from inner balls. Outer-layer escape routing needs dog-bone fanout or via-in-pad. Use ENIG or ENEPIG surface finish to ensure reliable BGA solder joints.
The EP3SL50F484I4N requires multiple voltage rails: VCCINT (1.1V core), VCCIO banks (1.5V/1.8V/2.5V/3.3V depending on I/O standard), VCCA_PLL (2.5V analog), VCCD_PLL (1.1V digital), and VCC_GXB (transceiver supply). Decoupling requires 100nF X7R ceramics within 2mm of each power pin, plus bulk 10-100uF tantalum or polymer caps per rail. Estimated: total board power consumption reaches 5-8W at full toggle rate.
At full transceiver utilization and 90% logic utilization, the device dissipates 5-8W. With FC-FBGA package thermal resistance ~15 C/W (junction-to-PCB with proper thermal via array), thermal rise stays under 50C with adequate airflow. Place a thermal via array (0.3mm drill, 1.2mm pitch) directly under the package center balls to conduct heat to inner copper planes.
Do not confuse the EP3SL50F484I4N (Stratix III L, low power) with the EP3SE50F484I4N (Stratix III E, enhanced features). Both share the same 484-FBGA footprint but differ in transceiver count and DSP block allocation. Configuration mode pins (MSEL[3:0]) must be set correctly for the chosen configuration scheme (AS/PS/JTAG) or the device will not enumerate. Always include a JTAG chain for debug access.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per DigiKey listing. Lead-free packaging confirmed. Halogen-free status not explicitly stated in available data.
