EP3SL50F780C4G - 47.5K LE Stratix III L FPGA, 780-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL50F780C4G ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $611.48 | $611.48 |
| 10 | $587.2 | $5,872.00 |
| 50 | $555.1 | $27,755.00 |
| 100 | $528.65 | $52,865.00 |
| 250 | $499.4 | $124,850.00 |
EP3SL50F780C4G Overview
An FPGA is a semiconductor device whose digital logic fabric, routing, and I/O cells are defined by user-supplied configuration bitstreams rather than hard-wired mask geometry. Modern high-density FPGAs such as the Stratix III L family occupy a tier above simple programmable logic: they integrate hardened memory blocks (M9K/M144K), DSP blocks, PLLs, and (in some family members) multi-gigabit transceivers. The device hierarchy is FPGA -> programmable logic -> ASIC-replacement silicon -> semiconductor IC, and Stratix III devices typically appear where ASIC NRE cost or time-to-market constraints make a custom mask design uneconomic.
Key features of the EP3SL50F780C4G include 47,500 logic elements, 2,184,192 embedded memory bits organized into M9K/M144K blocks, 488 user I/Os supporting LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards, four PLLs, and a 65 nm low-power copper process node. Configuration can be loaded via fast passive parallel, fast active serial, or JTAG, with bitstream encryption supported by the Stratix III security features.
The architecture uses adaptive logic modules (ALMs) that combine 8-input fracturable look-up-tables with dedicated carry chains and register chains, giving the device strong arithmetic and pipelining density. The 65 nm process delivers a meaningful dynamic-power advantage over 90 nm Stratix II designs, with Quartus II power-estimator accuracy typically within 15%.
Typical applications include telecom baseband prototyping, high-speed data-acquisition cards, ASIC-emulation and verification platforms, broadcast video processing, and high-performance DSP pipelines such as FFT, FEC, and beamforming. The 780-FBGA package offers abundant I/O bandwidth for memory-bus fan-out.
Designers should plan power integrity with a multi-rail decoupling network (1.1 V core, 2.5 V/3.3 V auxiliary) and consider thermal envelope at full toggle rate; the Stratix III L family is the lower-static-power tier of Stratix III, but careful thermal analysis at junction temperature is still required for closed-enclosure designs.
This page synthesizes distributor inventory, drop-in same-family alternatives drawn from the Site MPN list, application guidance, and design notes that are not consolidated on the manufacturer product page, providing a single, citation-ready reference for procurement and engineering teams.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F780C4G — 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 EP3SL50F780C4G (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Mounting Type, RoHS Status, Configuration Method.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F780C4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$220 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C3G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$625 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C2G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$264.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$540 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$555 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C4G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Series | EP3SL50 |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,184,192 |
| Maximum User I/Os | 488 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage (VCC) | 1.1 V |
| Speed Grade | 4 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Commercial) |
| Package | 780-ball FC-FBGA |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Method | FPP / FAS / JTAG |
| PLLs | 4 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP3SL50F780C4G 780-ball fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL50F780C4G (780-ball fc-fbga 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 EP3SL50F780C4G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F780C4G is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Baseband Prototyping, ASIC Emulation and Verification, High-Speed Data Acquisition Cards, Broadcast Video Processing, High-Performance DSP Pipelines (FFT / FEC / Beamforming), Medical Imaging Back-End.
Telecom Baseband Prototyping
The EP3SL50F780C4G fits telecom baseband prototyping because its 47,500 logic elements and 2,184,192 embedded memory bits provide the datapath and buffering needed for multi-channel DSP pipelines such as crest-factor reduction, digital predistortion, and channel filtering. The 488 user I/Os support JESD204B links to RF ADCs/DACs and high-speed CPRI interfaces back to baseband cards. With four on-chip PLLs, multiple clock domains (baseband sample rate, CPRI line rate, and FPGA fabric) can be generated cleanly. Compared with a fixed-function ASIC, this Stratix III L part lets engineers iterate modem algorithms in Quartus II within hours, materially shortening prototype cycles.
Recommended
ASIC Emulation and Verification
ASIC emulation uses FPGA prototypes to validate pre-silicon RTL at near-real-time speeds, and the EP3SL50F780C4G is a typical building block for multi-FPGA emulation boards. Its 47.5K logic elements hold about 1-1.5M ASIC gates of synthesized logic, while 2.1 Mbit of embedded block RAM models register files and FIFO buffers. The 780-FBGA's 488 I/Os enable dense board-to-board interconnect for partitioning large ASICs across multiple FPGAs in parallel. Configuration via Fast Passive Parallel supports rapid bitstream reload during regression cycles, materially accelerating ASIC verification throughput compared with software simulation alone.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition Cards
High-speed data-acquisition cards rely on the EP3SL50F780C4G to capture, buffer, and pre-process multiple channels of high-bandwidth ADC data. The 488 user I/Os comfortably absorb parallel LVDS interfaces from multiple 16-bit ADCs sampling at 200-500 MSPS, while the 2,184,192 embedded memory bits provide line-store buffers that bridge between ADC bursts and PCIe/DDR3 host transfer. The four PLLs generate per-channel sampling clocks with programmable phase shift, critical for matched-clock ADC front ends. Designers route the fabric as a packetizer feeding a PCIe Gen2 x4 endpoint, with deterministic DMA handoff to host software.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Broadcast video routers and processing engines benefit from the EP3SL50F780C4G's combination of embedded block RAM and abundant I/O for SDI/HDMI aggregation. The 2,184,192 memory bits handle line buffers and frame stores required for scaling, color-space conversion, and deinterlacing, while 488 I/Os aggregate multiple 3G-SDI or HDMI streams plus a 10G Ethernet uplink for IP-based broadcast workflows. Quartus II video IP (deinterlacer, scaler, color corrector) targets Stratix III ALMs directly, achieving 1080p60 processing on a single device. The 65 nm LP process keeps board thermal envelope manageable in 1U rack chassis.
Recommended
High-Performance DSP Pipelines (FFT / FEC / Beamforming)
DSP-heavy pipelines such as radar FFT, forward error correction, and phased-array beamforming fit the EP3SL50F780C4G's hardened DSP blocks and abundant block RAM. The 47.5K logic elements plus embedded multiplier blocks implement 1024-point complex FFTs at hundreds of MSPS throughput, while 2.1 Mbit of embedded memory holds twiddle tables and overlap-save buffers. The 488 I/Os support LVDS fan-out to multi-element antenna arrays in beamforming systems, with deterministic latency across processing chains thanks to the Stratix III fabric's pipelined routing. Compared with discrete DSP processor arrays, one Stratix III L typically replaces 4-8 DSP chips.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Back-End
Ultrasound and CT imaging back-end processing is a strong application for the EP3SL50F780C4G, where beamforming, envelope detection, and image reconstruction need massive real-time DSP. The 47.5K logic elements host parallel beamformers across 64-128 channels, while embedded block RAM holds pre-summed vectors for back-end scan conversion. The 780-FBGA's 488 I/Os aggregate LVDS links from the front-end ADAS and provide high-bandwidth paths to display memory and gigabit Ethernet for DICOM transfer. The 1.1 V core, paired with the L-tier Stratix III process, delivers the lower static power necessary for thermally constrained cart-based imaging systems.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F780C4G — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F780C4 | EP3SL50F780C3G | EP3SL50F780C2G | EP3SL50F780C3 | EP3SL50F780C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-ball FC-FBGA | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 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 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | 4 (commercial) | 4 | 3 (faster) | 2 (fastest) | 3 (faster) | 3 (faster) |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Process Node | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
Key Differentiators
- Mid-density Stratix III L with abundant block RAM (vs EP3SL50F484C3N)
- Speed grade 4 supports wider timing margins (vs EP3SL50F780C2G)
- Lead-free, RoHS-compliant ordering code (vs EP3SL50F780C3)
- Drop-in compatible with full EP3SL50F780 family (vs EP3SL110F780C4G)
Design Notes
The Stratix III L core requires a clean 1.1 V supply with a tolerance of +/-30 mV under transient load. Use a dedicated Point-of-Load regulator (such as a 20 A synchronous buck) located within 25 mm of the FC-FBGA power balls, with a 4-layer PCB and 0.1 uF X7R bypass capacitors placed within 5 mm of every VCC pin group. Power-up must sequence VCCIO/VCCAUX before VCCINT to avoid latch-up; a multi-rail power-supply supervisor or FPGA-friendly PMIC (e.g., LTM4677) handles sequencing reliably.
Estimated: at full toggle rate the EP3SL50F780C4G can dissipate 4-7 W depending on activity factor and clock rate. The 780-FBGA's exposed-die paddle must be soldered to a thermal pad with thermal vias (0.3 mm pitch, 12+ vias) to a copper pour on the opposite side. Without thermal management, junction temperature can exceed 85 C in enclosed chassis. Use the Quartus II PowerPlay analyzer to obtain device-specific dissipation estimates before final PCB layout.
The 780-ball FC-FBGA uses 1.0 mm ball pitch and demands HDI PCB stackup with microvia-in-pad for breakout. Signal-integrity simulations should be run on all DDR2/DDR3, LVDS, and high-speed serial links using the Quartus II IBIS models. Differential pairs require 100 ohm +/-10% impedance with matched length within 150 mils; reference-plane continuity must be maintained under all high-speed routes to avoid impedance discontinuities.
Common pitfalls with the EP3SL50F780C4G: (1) forgetting to enable CRC error-checking on configuration bitstreams, leading to silent corruption; (2) using the wrong MSEL pin settings - the EP3SL50 family supports FPP, FAS, and JTAG modes that must be hardware-strapped; (3) failing to initialize on-chip block RAM contents before use, which leaves undefined state in pipelines; (4) ignoring the 1.1 V VCC ramp-time specification of 0.2-100 ms, which can cause configuration failures.
Place decoupling capacitors on the BOTTOM side of the PCB directly beneath the FPGA's power-ball groups using microvia-in-pad for shortest loop inductance. Group I/O banks by voltage (1.2 V, 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V) and route reference voltages with wide 0.5 mm traces. JTAG chain access must remain accessible at board level for in-system programming; do not bury the JTAG header beneath BGA-mounted devices without a test-point tap.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Intel product page (G suffix indicates lead-free ball finish). AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a commercial-grade FPGA; industrial and military grades use I4/I5/M3/N3 suffixes. REACH and conflict-mineral compliance maintained per Intel's published CMRT and SDS documentation.