EP3SL50F780I3N - Stratix III L FPGA, 47.5K LE, FBGA-780 | Intel
MPN: EP3SL50F780I3N β Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $520 | $520.00 |
| 10 | $478 | $4,780.00 |
| 100 | $432 | $43,200.00 |
| 250 | $405 | $101,250.00 |
| 500 | $385 | $192,500.00 |
EP3SL50F780I3N Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a reconfigurable integrated circuit whose logic fabric and routing resources can be programmed after manufacture to implement arbitrary digital functions. FPGAs sit between fixed-function ASICs and software-driven processors in the digital design hierarchy, offering parallelism, deterministic timing, and the ability to update hardware behavior in the field. The Stratix III family targets high-performance DSP, communications, and signal-processing designs where high logic density, embedded memory, and high-speed transceivers are required.
Key features of the EP3SL50F780I3N include 47,500 logic elements, 1,900 LABs, 2,184,192 bits of embedded memory, 488 user I/Os, and compliance with the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG boundary-scan standard. The -3 speed grade delivers the highest performance tier within Stratix III L, with Fmax performance suitable for high-speed DSP pipelines. The FBGA-780 package uses flip-chip technology to minimize lead inductance and maximize signal integrity at multi-hundred-megahertz switching rates.
The device is built on a 65 nm low-leakage process technology, with programmable power options that allow unused blocks to enter low-power states. This combination of logic density, memory bandwidth, and I/O count makes the EP3SL50F780I3N suitable for high-throughput data-pipeline, telecom baseband, video processing, and ASIC prototyping applications.
Typical applications include high-speed DSP filter and FFT pipelines, telecom baseband processing, ASIC prototyping, video and image processing engines, and high-speed serial protocol bridging. Designers typically pair the device with external DDR2/DDR3 SDRAM and clock-generation PLLs.
When designing with this device, ensure that all 1.1 V core and auxiliary supplies are properly decoupled with low-ESR capacitors placed as close as possible to the package balls. The FBGA-780 footprint requires a multilayer PCB with microvia technology and matched-length traces for high-speed memory interfaces. Reference the Quartus II development environment and Altera JTAG programming cables for device configuration.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL50F780I3N 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 EP3SL50F780I3N (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Package, Speed Grade, Logic Elements, Series, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL50F780I3G
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$295 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F780C4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$162 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F780C4LN
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$615 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F780I4N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1295 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE50F780I3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$1550 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SE80F780I3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$2105 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL200H780I3N
β Drop-In β οΈ εζ°εΎ ιͺθ―β In Stock
$7200 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL50F780I3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Altera (Intel Programmable Solutions Group) |
| Series | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 |
| Number of LABs | 1,900 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,184,192 bits |
| Maximum User I/O | 488 |
| Operating Frequency (max) | 500 MHz |
| Process Technology | 65 nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.1 V |
| Speed Grade | -3 |
| Package | 780-ball FC-FBGA (Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| JTAG Support | IEEE Std 1149.1 Boundary-Scan |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (LEAD FREE) |
| Configuration Method | JTAG / Serial / Passive / Active |
EP3SL50F780I3N 780-ball fc-fbga (flip-chip bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL50F780I3N (780-ball fc-fbga (flip-chip 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 EP3SL50F780I3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL50F780I3N is suitable for 6 applications: High-Speed DSP Pipelines, Telecom Baseband Processing, ASIC Prototyping, Video and Image Processing, High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging, Test and Measurement Instrumentation.
High-Speed DSP Pipelines
The EP3SL50F780I3N fits high-speed DSP pipelines such as multi-channel FFT engines, finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter banks, and radar pulse-Doppler processing. Its 47,500 logic elements, 488 user I/Os, and dedicated 18x18 multipliers support hundreds of DSP blocks per pipeline stage at clock rates exceeding 300 MHz in speed grade -3. The 2,184,192 bits of embedded memory (M9K/M144K blocks) provide low-latency coefficient and sample storage right at the DSP tap, eliminating off-chip memory round-trips.
Recommended
Telecom Baseband Processing
In 3G/4G wireless baseband processing cards, the EP3SL50F780I3N implements channel cards, turbo/LDPC decoders, and digital up/down-converters. The device's 488 user I/Os interface to multiple CPRI/OBSAI links and parallel ADC/DAC devices, while the 1,900 LABs sustain the parallelism required for symbol-rate processing. The Stratix III L variant offers ~30% lower static power than the E family, important for densely populated base-station line cards where thermal budget is constrained.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SL50F780I3N is widely used for ASIC prototyping because it offers enough logic density (47,500 LEs) to map medium-complexity ASIC netlists while maintaining close timing correlation with the target silicon. The 780-ball FC-FBGA package supports high pin-count ASIC prototypes, and Quartus II's incremental compilation supports rapid design iterations. Engineers often partition the ASIC across multiple Stratix III FPGAs on a multi-FPGA prototyping board such as the HAPS series from Synopsys or in-house equivalents.
Recommended
Video and Image Processing
The EP3SL50F780I3N fits video processing boards for broadcast and surveillance equipment, where it implements H.264/MPEG-4 codec cores, deinterlacers, scalers, and color-space converters. The 2.18 Mbits of embedded memory provides line buffers and macroblock caches, while the 488 user I/Os accept parallel video buses (BT.1120, BT.656, RGB) and output to HDMI/DVI transmitters. The -3 speed grade sustains real-time processing at 1080p60 rates for single-stream workloads.
Recommended
High-Speed Serial Protocol Bridging
Industrial and storage systems use the EP3SL50F780I3N as a protocol-bridging device, mapping PCIe Gen1, Serial RapidIO, Gigabit Ethernet, SATA, or Fibre Channel channels between incompatible endpoints. The embedded transceivers on Stratix III FPGAs deliver multi-gigabit serial I/O, while the logic fabric implements transport-layer state machines. With 488 user I/Os, the part can sustain multiple bridge instances simultaneously, serving as a fan-out aggregation point in storage and networking backplanes.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test and measurement instruments such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers use the EP3SL50F780I3N to implement deep acquisition memory, trigger logic, and protocol-decode engines. The 488 user I/Os accept LVDS probe data at hundreds of megahertz, while the 2.18 Mbits of embedded memory serves as a high-bandwidth acquisition buffer. The FPGA's deterministic timing and Quartus II's TimeQuest timing analyzer ensure consistent sample-to-trigger latency critical for certification and compliance testing.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL50F780I3N β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL50F780I3G | EP3SL50F780C4N | EP3SL50F780C4LN | EP3SE50F780I4N | EP3SE50F780I3N | EP3SE80F780I3N | EP3SL200H780I3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) | Altera (Intel PSG) |
| 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 | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same | 780-ball FC-FBGA - same |
| Family | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III L | Stratix III E | Stratix III E | Stratix III E | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 79,500 (+67%) | 200,000 (+321%) |
| Speed Grade | -3 (industrial, mid-tier) | -3 | -4 (faster) | -4 (faster, L power) | -4 (faster) | -3 | -3 | -3 |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (industrial) | -40C to +100C | 0C to +85C (commercial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C | -40C to +100C |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 2,184,192 | 3,979,776 (+82%) | 9,174,016 (+320%) |
| Maximum User I/O | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Power Profile | Low-power (L) | Low-power (L) | Low-power (L) | Low-power (L) | Enhanced (E, higher power) | Enhanced (E, higher power) | Enhanced (E, higher power) | Low-power (L) |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-power Stratix III variant at this density (vs EP3SE50F780I4N)
- Industrial temperature range with mid-tier speed grade (vs EP3SL50F780C4N)
- Logic density upgrade path within the same footprint (vs EP3SE80F780I3N)
- Cost-effective density jump for future product variants (vs EP3SL200H780I3N)
Design Notes
The 780-ball FC-FBGA package uses a 1.0 mm ball pitch with flip-chip die attachment. PCB design requires 4-6 inner power/ground planes for core and I/O rails, plus laser-drilled microvias (typically 4-mil pads on 8-mil pitch) to break out the BGA to the surface layers. Reference the Stratix III Device Handbook pin connection guidelines for the exact via pattern and plane-stackup recommendation. Failure to use microvias will result in unrouteable inner balls.
Estimated: At typical core activity of 25-30% and room temperature, the EP3SL50F780I3N consumes approximately 3-5 W from the 1.1 V VCC rail. The Stratix III L family uses programmable power technology that puts unused LABs into low-power states, so actual dissipation depends heavily on design utilization. Use Altera's PowerPlay Early Power Estimator (EPE) spreadsheet pre-layout, and PowerPlay Power Analyzer post-layout, to validate thermal envelope. A solid thermal pad under the package and at least 4 thermal vias beneath the die keep junction temperature within spec.
Common pitfalls on Stratix III designs: (1) VCCPD must be powered before or simultaneously with VCCIO to prevent I/O latch-up; (2) VCCBAT must remain valid in user mode if design uses design security or volatile-key features; (3) JTAG chain order must match the Quartus II programmer file when multiple devices are in series; (4) MSL rating for FBGA-780 is 3 (168 hours), so devices require dry-pack handling and reflow within 168 hours of bag opening; (5) Configuration pins MSEL[2:0] must be set correctly for the chosen configuration mode (AS/PS/Fast Passive/ JTAG).
The 488 user I/Os support LVDS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards. For DDR2/DDR3 interfaces running at 400+ MHz, use matched-length within +/-25 ps across the byte group, and place Series-Static-On-Die-Termination (SSO) calculator results into your design rules. The Stratix III Device Handbook contains reference schematics for DDR2/DDR3 read/write leveling that should be followed precisely - failure to implement write leveling causes intermittent bit errors under voltage/temperature variation.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per manufacturer product page (LEAD FREE designation). REACH SVHC disclosure available from Intel PSG on request. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this is a commercial/industrial FPGA, not an automotive-grade device. For automotive applications use the EP3SL50F780I3N-A variant or a Cyclone IV/V automotive part.
