EP3SL50F780C4LG - Stratix III L FPGA, 47.5K LE, 780-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL50F780C4LG ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $877.14 | $877.14 |
| 10 | $850.62 | $8,506.20 |
| 100 | $824.31 | $82,431.00 |
| 500 | $789.45 | $394,725.00 |
| 1,000 | $750.18 | $750,180.00 |
EP3SL50F780C4LG Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable semiconductor device built from an array of programmable logic blocks (LUTs, flip-flops, memory blocks, and DSP blocks) interconnected by a programmable routing fabric. The Stratix III L sits in the FPGA hierarchy as follows: FPGA -> programmable logic device (PLD) -> logic IC -> semiconductor. FPGAs differ from ASICs in that their logic is defined post-fabrication via configuration bitstream, enabling rapid prototyping, design iteration, and field upgrades. The Stratix III L sub-family targets lower static power than the standard Stratix III E variants while preserving most of the high-performance transceiver and DSP resources for cost-sensitive applications.
Key features of the EP3SL50F780C4LG include 47,500 logic elements, 2,184,192 bits of embedded memory (~2.1 Mbit), integrated DSP blocks for high-speed multiply-accumulate operations, programmable phase-locked loops (PLLs) for clock synthesis, and 488 user I/O pins supporting multiple I/O standards. The C4 speed grade denotes a specific timing bin within the family, and the LG suffix indicates the 780-ball FC-FBGA package with lead-free and halogen-free (Pb-free / HF) compliance.
Architecture is built on a 65 nm TSMC low-power process, leveraging Intel (formerly Altera)'s adaptive logic module (ALM) structure that combines 8-input fracturable look-up tables with dedicated register chains. The device integrates hard memory controllers, PCIe Gen1 hard IP blocks, and serializer/deserializer (SERDES) capability at specific speed grades, enabling high-bandwidth I/O without consuming programmable fabric.
Typical applications include high-speed digital signal processing for wireless baseband, video broadcast infrastructure, image processing pipelines, radar signal processing, high-end industrial automation controllers, and ASIC prototyping. The 488 user I/O and large memory complement make it suitable for parallel data-path applications requiring both broad connectivity and substantial on-chip buffering.
When designing with this device, engineers must provide multiple decoupling capacitors (typically 100 nF and 10 µF) per power rail, route each PLL power pin with its own filtered supply, and follow Intel's pinout guidelines for the 780-FBGA package to avoid signal-integrity degradation. Configuration can be loaded via JTAG, passive serial, or a dedicated flash device.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in Stratix III L family alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, helping engineers evaluate the EP3SL50F780C4LG for production designs.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F780C4LG — 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 EP3SL50F780C4LG (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Family, Mounting Type, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F780C4L
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$571.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C4
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$220 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C4G
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$499.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C3N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$555 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F780C4LG
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$289.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SE50F780C4L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1320 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL50F780C4LG Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,184,192 bits (~2.1 Mbit) |
| User I/O Count | 488 |
| Package | 780-ball FC-FBGA |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage | 0.9 V |
| Speed Grade | C4 |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Yes (LG suffix) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Configuration Method | JTAG / Passive Serial / Flash |
EP3SL50F780C4LG 780-ball fc-fbga Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL50F780C4LG (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 EP3SL50F780C4LG.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F780C4LG is suitable for 6 applications: Wireless Baseband Signal Processing, ASIC Prototyping and Emulation, Video Broadcast Infrastructure, Industrial Motor Control and Automation, Medical Imaging and Diagnostics, Radar and Electronic Warfare Signal Processing.
Wireless Baseband Signal Processing
The EP3SL50F780C4LG fits wireless baseband designs because its 47,500 logic elements and integrated DSP blocks provide the parallel multiply-accumulate throughput required for PHY-layer channelization, equalization, and FEC decoding. With 488 user I/Os, designers can interface to multiple ADC/DAC channels, CPRI/OBSAI framer links, and DSP co-processors without external bus switching. The Stratix III L low-power architecture reduces system thermal load versus the standard E sub-family, easing cooling in outdoor base-station units. Compared with a DSP+ASIC split, a single EP3SL50 consolidates FEC, scrambling, and beamforming into one reconfigurable fabric that can be upgraded in the field via a configuration bitstream refresh.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Emulation
Engineers prototyping 10-30M-gate ASICs use the EP3SL50F780C4LG because its 47.5K LEs (each composed of 8-input ALMs) translate to roughly 1.5-2M equivalent ASIC gates when mapped with vendor-supplied libraries. The 780-FBGA exposes 488 user I/Os, sufficient to break out ASIC pads into multi-channel logic-analyzer-compatible headers. Internal 2.1 Mbit block memory models ASIC SRAM macros with high fidelity, simplifying testbench correlation. Compared with cycle-accurate emulators costing >$100K, a bank of four EP3SL50 FPGAs in 780-FBGA delivers a flexible, lower-cost prototyping platform with JTAG-based debug through SignalTap II embedded logic analyzer.
Recommended
Video Broadcast Infrastructure
The EP3SL50F780C4LG suits professional video-broadcast equipment such as SDI routers, frame synchronizers, and broadcast multiviewers. Its 47.5K LEs and embedded DSP blocks handle real-time 3G-SDI/HD-SDI de-interlacing, scaling, and overlay mixing at 1080p60 with headroom. The 488 user I/Os aggregate multiple BNC/coaxial SDI streams plus HDMI/DVI display outputs without external bus muxes. Stratix III L low-power characteristics reduce rack-level heat load versus Stratix III E, important for densely packed broadcast routers in 24/7 facilities. Unlike ASSP video processors, the FPGA fabric permits field upgrades when new broadcast standards (e.g., UHD-SDI extensions) are introduced.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control and Automation
The EP3SL50F780C4LG is well-suited for industrial multi-axis servo drives and motion controllers. Its DSP blocks execute field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms for 4-6 axes simultaneously at 32 kHz PWM rates, while the 488 user I/Os accept encoder feedback (incremental, SSI, EnDat), analog Hall sensors, and GPIO for safety interlocks. The 65 nm low-power Stratix III L variant maintains operation in factory-floor ambient temperatures when properly heatsunk. Compared with a microcontroller+ASIC stack, a single FPGA reduces BOM and enables late-stage customization for proprietary motor-control IP. Industrial Ethernet protocols (EtherCAT, PROFINET) can be implemented in fabric with hardened MAC IP blocks.
Recommended
Medical Imaging and Diagnostics
The EP3SL50F780C4LG powers mid-tier medical imaging modalities such as ultrasound beamformers, endoscopy video processors, and patient-monitoring aggregation units. Its embedded memory and DSP blocks perform real-time beam summation and apodization across 64-128 channels at ultrasound frame rates. The 488 user I/Os aggregate LVDS data streams from high-speed ADC front-ends without external deserializer ASSPs. Stratix III L's deterministic timing supports the latency budgets required for closed-loop imaging feedback. Compared with a CPU-GPU architecture, an FPGA delivers lower per-frame latency and deterministic latency variation - critical for Doppler-mode ultrasound and synchronized multimodal imaging.
Recommended
Radar and Electronic Warfare Signal Processing
The EP3SL50F780C4LG handles mid-range radar signal processing chains including pulse compression, MTI filtering, and CFAR detection. Its DSP blocks compute FFTs and correlations at radar PRF rates across multiple receive channels simultaneously. The 780-FBGA's 488 I/Os accept multiple LVDS data streams from RF ADC converters (e.g., 12-14 bit, 250+ MSPS) and route them into parallel processing paths. Stratix III L's low static power is advantageous for airborne and vehicle-mounted EW systems with constrained thermal envelopes. Compared with general-purpose CPUs, the FPGA delivers deterministic latency required for time-sensitive threat-detection algorithms.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F780C4LG — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F780C4L | EP3SL50F780C4 | EP3SL50F780C4G | EP3SL50F780C3N | EP3SE50F780C4LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-FBGA (FC-FBGA, LG suffix) | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 (same die) | 47,500 (same die) | 47,500 (same die) | 47,500 (same die) | 47,500 (E sub-family) |
| Family Sub-Family | Stratix III L (low power) | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III E (enhanced) |
| Speed Grade | C4 | C4 (same) | C4 (same) | C4 (same) | C3 (slower bin) | C4 (same) |
| Embedded Memory | 2,184,192 bits | 2,184,192 bits (same die) | 2,184,192 bits (same die) | 2,184,192 bits (same die) | 2,184,192 bits (same die) | 2,184,192 bits |
| User I/O Count | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Lead-Free / Halogen-Free | Yes (LG = Pb-free + HF) | Yes (L = Pb-free only) | No (standard balls) | Yes (G = Pb-free) | Yes (N = Pb-free) | Yes (LG = Pb-free + HF) |
| Configuration Bitstream Compatible | Reference | Yes (same die/speed) | Yes (same die/speed) | Yes (same die/speed) | No (different speed grade timing) | No (different sub-family architecture) |
Key Differentiators
- Same-die drop-in variants enable bitstream-compatible lifecycle flexibility (vs EP3SL50F780C4L)
- Stratix III L (low-power) vs E (enhanced) sub-family (vs EP3SE50F780C4LG)
- Speed grade trade-off (vs EP3SL50F780C3N)
Design Notes
The Stratix III L EP3SL50F780C4LG requires multiple supply rails: 0.9 V core, 1.1 V/1.2 V PLL analog supplies, 1.5 V/1.8 V/2.5 V/3.3 V I/O banks, and a 2.5-3.0 V configuration supply. According to the Stratix III L datasheet, decouple each supply pin with a 100 nF X7R ceramic within 100 mils, plus a 10 µF bulk capacitor per supply region. Use separate filter networks (ferrite bead + 10 µF + 100 nF) on PLL analog supplies to minimize jitter; sharing the digital core supply with PLL power will degrade PLL performance.
Estimated: at typical Stratix III L utilization (~70% LEs, ~50% toggle rate), the EP3SL50F780C4LG consumes approximately 4-6 W static plus dynamic. The 780-FBGA package has a theta_JA of approximately 12-15 °C/W on a 1 oz 4-layer PCB with thermal vias. At 5 W, junction-to-ambient rise is ~70 °C above ambient. For industrial temperature grade (0C to +85C) operation, ensure ambient stays below ~75 °C, or attach a heat spreader. Critical: thermal vias under the die are essential; missing vias can cause 20-30 °C additional rise.
The 780-FBGA uses a staggered ball pattern with ~1.0 mm pitch. Per Intel's PCB layout guidelines, use laser-drilled microvias (0.1 mm) for inner-to-outer layer escape and matched-length impedance control for high-speed LVDS/SSTL pairs. Route each differential pair within +/-10 mils of length matching, and keep reference planes continuous under the BGA escape region to avoid impedance discontinuities. Use a 4-6 layer stack-up with dedicated ground and power planes.
JTAG configuration pins (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, TRST) require external 4.7 kΩ pull-ups on TCK, TMS, TDI and 4.7 kΩ pull-down on TRST per the Stratix III handbook. For Passive Serial mode, ensure the EPCS or EPCQ flash is rated for the FPGA's configuration clock rate (typically 40 MHz). For multi-device JTAG chains, route TCK/DTMS as daisy-chained signals with series damping resistors of 33 Ω at each tap.
Compliance Information
LG suffix denotes lead-free and halogen-free construction per Intel/legacy Altera ordering information. RoHS compliance per Intel product environmental documentation. AEC-Q100 not applicable (FPGA is not an automotive-grade qualified IC).