EP3SL70F484C4LG - Stratix III L FPGA, 67.5K LE, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL70F484C4LG ⚠ Last Time Buy| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1680 | $1,680.00 |
| 5 | $1620 | $8,100.00 |
| 10 | $1575 | $15,750.00 |
| 25 | $1520 | $38,000.00 |
| 100 | $1450 | $145,000.00 |
EP3SL70F484C4LG Overview
An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a programmable logic device that combines configurable logic blocks (LBs), programmable routing, dedicated DSP blocks, on-chip RAM, and high-speed transceiver or general-purpose I/O into a single monolithic silicon die. Within the broader taxonomy, the EP3SL70F484C4LG belongs to the hierarchy FPGA -> programmable logic -> logic IC -> digital semiconductor, and represents the high-density, low-power node of the Stratix III generation, which itself precedes Stratix IV/V in Intel's programmable-logic roadmap.
Key features include 27,000 adaptive logic modules (ALMs) - the basic building block of Stratix III architecture - 2.57 Mbit of embedded memory organized into M9K/M144K blocks, dedicated variable-precision DSP blocks for high-throughput arithmetic, and up to 296 user I/O supporting LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards. The FBGA-484 package exposes the full I/O count of this device variant and supports industrial operating temperatures with a commercial-grade 0 C to +85 C range as shipped under the speed grade 4 ordering code.
Typical applications include high-speed digital signal processing in software-defined radio, channel cards in wireless infrastructure, ASIC prototyping, high-resolution video processing, and pre-silicon verification platforms. Compared with the higher-cost Stratix III GX/GT variants, the 'L' family omits the multi-gigabit transceivers to reduce both static and dynamic power while preserving the logic, memory, and DSP fabric.
When designing with this part, engineers must supply a 1.1 V core rail and a 2.5 V/3.3 V I/O auxiliary rail, ensure JTAG access is preserved, and verify PCB escape routing for the 484-ball flip-chip BGA. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the same Stratix III family, and practical design considerations not collated in the manufacturer handbook.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL70F484C4LG — 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 EP3SL70F484C4LG (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Operating Temperature, Family, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL70F484C4L
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$985 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F484C4G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1485 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F484C4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$780 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F484C3G
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$985 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F484C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$810 / Unit
View Datasheet →XC7K70T-1FBG484C
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SL70F484C4LG Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix III L |
| Family | Stratix III (Low Static Power) |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 LE |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALMs) | 27,000 ALM |
| Embedded Memory | 2,699,264 bit (2.57 Mbit) |
| User I/O Count | 296 |
| Package | 484-pin FBGA (Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 4 |
| Process Node | 40 nm |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Multi-Gigabit Transceivers | None (L family) |
| DSP Blocks | Yes (variable-precision) |
EP3SL70F484C4LG 484-pin fbga (flip-chip bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL70F484C4LG (484-pin 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 EP3SL70F484C4LG.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL70F484C4LG is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC Prototyping & Pre-Silicon Validation, Software-Defined Radio & Wireless Baseband, High-Resolution Video Processing & Display, Industrial Test & Measurement Instrumentation, Medical Imaging & Diagnostics, Military & Aerospace Communication Systems.
ASIC Prototyping & Pre-Silicon Validation
The EP3SL70F484C4LG provides 67,500 logic elements, 27,000 ALMs, and 2.57 Mbit of embedded memory organized into M9K/M144K blocks, which is sufficient capacity to prototype mid-complexity ASICs in the 10-15M-gate class when combined with multi-FPGA partitioning. Engineers favor the Stratix III L family for ASIC prototyping because of its deep memory hierarchy and flexible ALM structure that maps efficiently to arbitrary RTL. The 484-ball FBGA exposes 296 user I/O, enabling high pin-count ASIC designs to be partitioned across multiple devices using LVDS-based inter-FPGA channels. Power consumption at the L family node is also lower than Stratix III standard, which simplifies thermal design in compute-room prototyping environments.
Recommended
Software-Defined Radio & Wireless Baseband
The Stratix III L's variable-precision DSP blocks deliver up to 600 GMACs of multiply-accumulate throughput, ideal for the digital down-conversion, channelization, and FEC decoding stages of LTE and 5G NR baseband processing. The EP3SL70F484C4LG's 2.57 Mbit embedded memory provides fast access for symbol-rate buffers and FFT twiddle-factor tables. Designers choose the L variant over the Stratix III GX to avoid multi-gigabit transceivers when the radio design uses external JESD204B ADC/DAC interfaces. The commercial 0 C to +85 C operating range and 484-BGA's compact footprint suit indoor radio unit (RU) hardware.
Recommended
High-Resolution Video Processing & Display
With 296 user I/O and embedded memory capable of holding multiple frames of HD video at 10-bit color depth, the EP3SL70F484C4LG is well-suited for video format conversion, scaling, overlay composition, and image-signal-processor (ISP) pipelines. The Stratix III L supports LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, and mini-LVDS interfaces for direct connection to Camera Link, HDMI bridge chips, and DisplayPort transmitters. The dedicated variable-precision DSP blocks accelerate 2D FIR filters and motion-compensation operations required for broadcast-quality video. The 484-BGA package provides enough I/O bandwidth to drive 1080p60 video streams without external serializer chips.
Recommended
Industrial Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Test equipment such as protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and arbitrary waveform generators leverage the EP3SL70F484C4LG's combination of 67,500 logic elements, deep memory, and abundant I/O to capture and process high-speed digital signals in real time. Engineers use the Stratix III L for its low deterministic latency and reliable operation across commercial 0 C to +85 C ambient ranges found in laboratory and factory-floor equipment. The 2.57 Mbit embedded RAM can buffer multi-million-sample waveform captures before host transfer via PCIe or Gigabit Ethernet soft cores. The FBGA-484 footprint also supports clean signal-integrity routing for multi-GHz differential probes.
Recommended
Medical Imaging & Diagnostics
In ultrasound beamformers, MRI gradient controllers, and CT image reconstruction boards, the EP3SL70F484C4LG provides the DSP throughput required for real-time signal processing while fitting within the medical device's thermal and power budget. The Stratix III L's low static power reduces heat density inside sealed imaging enclosures, where airflow is restricted. The 296 user I/O support multi-channel ADC arrays (often 32 to 128 channels) at LVDS rates up to 1 Gbps per pair. Variable-precision DSP blocks accelerate the matrix inverse and FFT kernels used in tomographic reconstruction.
Recommended
Military & Aerospace Communication Systems
Defense applications such as tactical radio modems, electronic-warfare subsystems, and secure satellite-communication terminals use the EP3SL70F484C4LG for its high logic density, robust embedded memory, and proven Altera/Intel toolchain support. Although the standard C4 part is commercial 0 C to +85 C, the F484 ball map supports migration to industrial -40 C to +100 C variants (I4 grade) for ruggedized deployments. The Stratix III L family's low static power is a strong fit for SWaP-constrained (size, weight, and power) airborne and shipboard platforms. FPGA IP cores for AES-256, packet routing, and QoS scheduling fit comfortably within the 27,000-ALM budget.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL70F484C4LG — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL70F484C4L | EP3SL70F484C4G | EP3SL70F484C3G | XC7K70T-1FBG484C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | AMD (Xilinx) |
| Package | FBGA-484 | FBGA-484 | FBGA-484 | FBGA-484 | FBGA-484 |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 65,600 Logic Cells |
| Embedded Memory | 2.57 Mbit | 2.57 Mbit | 2.57 Mbit | 2.57 Mbit | 4.86 Mbit Block RAM + 525 Kbit distributed |
| User I/O | 296 | 296 | 296 | 296 | 285 |
| Speed Grade | 4 (fastest) | 4 | 4 | 3 (~10% Fmax derating) | -1 (Xilinx speed grade) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (Commercial) | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C | 0 C to +85 C |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 40 nm | 28 nm |
| Multi-Gigabit Transceivers | None (L family) | None | None | None | 4 x 6.6 Gbps GTX |
| Lifecycle Status | Last-Time-Buy | Last-Time-Buy | Last-Time-Buy | Last-Time-Buy | Active |
Key Differentiators
- Lower static power than Stratix III standard family (vs Stratix III S family (e.g., EP3S70F484C4))
- Largest I/O count within the Stratix III L density (vs EP3SL50F484C4)
- Last-time-buy status with abundant channel inventory (vs XC7K70T-1FBG484C)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 50% logic utilization and 100 MHz operation, the EP3SL70F484C4LG VCCINT 1.1 V rail draws approximately 4-6 A. A buck regulator rated at 8 A continuous (e.g., a 10 A ISL85012 or TPS54331) is recommended to maintain +/-3% tolerance under transient loads. The 2.5 V VCCPD and 3.0-3.3 V VCCIO rails typically need 1-2 A each. Decouple every power pin with a 0.1 uF X7R ceramic plus a 10 uF bulk capacitor per power bank.
Route the 484-ball flip-chip BGA on a 1.0 mm or 1.27 mm ball pitch using microvia (laser-drilled) stackups. Inner-layer escape must use via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout; full break-out requires at least 6 routing layers. Maintain 100 ohm differential impedance for LVDS pairs and 50 ohm single-ended for LVCMOS. Decoupling capacitors should be placed on the BGA footprint side opposite to via-in-pad to minimize loop inductance.
Estimated: FBGA-484 with 1 oz copper on inner layers and 2 oz on top/bottom gives theta-JA around 12-15 C/W. At 5 W total power dissipation, junction rise is roughly 60-75 C above ambient - acceptable for the commercial 0 C to +85 C range but marginal for industrial 100 C. Add a thermal pad array under the package center and consider a heatsink or top-side airflow for sustained workloads above 70% utilization.
Do not confuse the Stratix III L ('SL') family with the Stratix III standard ('S') or Stratix III GX ('SGX') families - the L variant omits transceivers and reduces static leakage. Configuration via JTAG requires the TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO pins to be brought to a header accessible by the Quartus II programmer. Always issue a 'Convert Programming File' to merge SOF/POF and any indirect CFI flash images before mass production to avoid configuration failures on first power-up.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliance confirmed per Altera/Intel product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this is a commercial-grade FPGA, not automotive. For automotive applications consider the Cyclone V family instead.
