EP3SL70F780C4 - Stratix III L FPGA 67.5K LE 780-FBGA | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP3SL70F780C4 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $931.65 | $931.65 |
| 10 | $885.07 | $8,850.70 |
| 100 | $838.49 | $83,849.00 |
| 500 | $791.9 | $395,950.00 |
| 1,000 | $745.32 | $745,320.00 |
EP3SL70F780C4 Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a programmable semiconductor device that allows hardware engineers to implement arbitrary digital logic through a configuration bitstream. FPGAs sit in the digital-IC hierarchy as reconfigurable logic ICs, more flexible than ASICs for prototyping and low-volume production but more power-efficient per MHz than general-purpose microcontrollers for parallel DSP, high-speed I/O, and glue-logic workloads. The Stratix III family specifically targets high-performance applications such as DSP-intensive baseband processing, high-speed serial connectivity, and high-density bus interfaces.
Key features include integrated transceiver support blocks, dedicated DSP blocks for high-throughput arithmetic, embedded M9K memory blocks, and a low-power architecture optimized for energy-efficient operation versus the original Stratix II generation. The device supports multiple I/O standards including LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, and HSTL/SSTL memory interfaces, enabling direct connection to DDR/DDR2/DDR3 memories and high-speed parallel buses.
Architecture-wise, the EP3SL70F780C4 uses a Logic Element (LE) fabric with adaptive logic modules (ALMs) carrying 8-input fracturable look-up tables, a hierarchical routing network, and embedded multiplier/adder DSP blocks capable of 18x18 multiplication per cycle. The 65 nm process combined with the L-series power optimizations yields dynamic and static power reductions of roughly 50% versus Stratix II, making it suitable for thermally constrained systems.
Typical applications include telecom baseband processing, military radar signal processing, high-end test and measurement equipment, medical imaging accelerators, broadcast video processing, and wire-speed network packet inspection. The combination of 67.5K LEs and 488 I/Os makes it ideal for high-bandwidth parallel processing and custom interface bridging.
When designing with this FPGA, pay close attention to the Quartus II / Quartus Prime toolchain requirements: pin assignments must respect the FBGA-780 ball map, multi-voltage rails (1.1 V core, 2.5 V/3.3 V aux) require clean power sequencing, and high-speed serial links need reference-clock jitter below 1 ps RMS. Thermal management on FBGA-780 requires at least a 4-layer PCB with a thermal via array under the exposed die pad.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives from the Stratix III family, and practical Quartus II design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL70F780C4 — 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 EP3SL70F780C4 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Speed Grade, Package, Mounting Type, Process Technology, RoHS Status.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL70F780C3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$780 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F780C2
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1245.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F780I4
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1850 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F780I3
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1096.81 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F780C3N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3SL70F780C4 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Stratix III L |
| Family | Stratix III |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 |
| Embedded Memory Bits | 2,699,264 bits |
| User I/O Count | 488 |
| LABs/CLBs | 2700 |
| Package | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (FBGA-780) |
| Pin Count | 780 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V |
| Speed Grade | C4 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to 85 C (Commercial TJ) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Number of Logic Elements / Cells | 67500 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (per distributor listing) |
EP3SL70F780C4 780-bbga, fcbga (fbga-780) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL70F780C4 (780-bbga, fcbga (fbga-780) 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 EP3SL70F780C4.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL70F780C4 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Baseband Processing, Military Radar Signal Processing, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, Medical Imaging Accelerators, Broadcast Video Processing, Wire-Speed Network Packet Inspection.
Telecom Baseband Processing
The EP3SL70F780C4 is well suited for telecom baseband processing thanks to its 67,500 logic elements and embedded DSP blocks that sustain 500 MHz operation. Its 488 user I/Os allow direct parallel bus interfacing to analog front ends and backplane SERDES glue logic, while 2,699,264 bits of embedded memory support symbol-rate FIFO buffering and channel estimation tables. The 1.1 V core reduces dynamic power per MHz compared with earlier Stratix generations, which is critical in chassis-mounted line cards where hundreds of FPGAs share a single backplane. Drop the part onto the FBGA-780 footprint and pair it with external DDR3 memory for symbol buffers. Designers should respect multi-voltage rail sequencing (1.1 V core before 2.5/3.3 V aux) to avoid latch-up.
Recommended
Military Radar Signal Processing
The EP3SL70F780C4's combination of 67.5K LEs, 2,700 LABs, and integrated DSP blocks makes it a workhorse for military radar pulse compression, MTI filtering, and CFAR detection pipelines. The C4 commercial speed grade delivers timing margin for 200-300 MHz radar baseband sampling, while the 488 I/Os handle parallel ADC/DAC interfaces commonly used in legacy radar receivers. Embedded M9K memory provides deterministic-latency ping-pong buffers for IQ sample streams. For harsher thermal envelopes, the I4 industrial grade shares the same FBGA-780 footprint. Place at least one decoupling capacitor per power pin and route a continuous ground plane beneath the BGA to control simultaneous switching noise from the high-I/O-count package.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol testers leverage the EP3SL70F780C4 for waveform capture, pattern generation, and protocol-aware triggering. The 488 user I/Os allow direct fan-out to multiple front-panel probe channels, while the FPGA fabric implements custom trigger sequencers in real time at 500 MHz. Embedded M9K memory provides deep sample storage between trigger events without external SRAM round-trips. Quartus II / Quartus Prime development flows support seamless integration of soft IP cores like PCIe Gen1 endpoints and Ethernet MACs for instrument-to-host links. Designers should budget at least four PCB layers under the BGA to manage signal-integrity for high-speed LVDS channels.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Accelerators
The EP3SL70F780C4 accelerates image-reconstruction pipelines in CT, MRI, and ultrasound systems where deterministic DSP throughput is required. The 65 nm process node and 1.1 V core voltage produce a thermal envelope compatible with medical-grade chassis cooling, while 67.5K LEs and abundant DSP blocks execute parallel FFT, convolution, and back-projection kernels in real time. The 488 I/Os support high-bandwidth ADC and LVDS interfaces from front-end detector arrays. Embedded M9K memory accelerates line buffers for image interpolation. Verify IEC 60601-1 patient-leakage and EMI compliance at the system level when integrating this FPGA into medical equipment. A heatsink or thermal via array is recommended under the FBGA die pad for sustained workloads.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Broadcast video routers, format converters, and frame synchronizers rely on the EP3SL70F780C4 for real-time SDI/HD-SDI/3G-SDI processing, color-space conversion, and chroma keying. The 488 user I/Os accommodate multiple BNC-style SDI inputs alongside downstream HDMI/DVI outputs, and the embedded DSP blocks support 4:2:2 to 4:4:4 upscaling without external ASICs. At 500 MHz fabric speed, the device processes multiple HD video streams in parallel with negligible latency. For 4K/UHD workflows, consider migrating to the EP3SL150F780 series in the same FBGA-780 footprint. Quartus II IP cores simplify SDI scrambling/descrambling and ancillary data extraction for captioning and AFD metadata.
Recommended
Wire-Speed Network Packet Inspection
Deep-packet-inspection (DPI) line cards in carrier-grade routers leverage the EP3SL70F780C4 to parse multi-gigabit traffic flows and execute parallel regular-expression matchers on every packet header. The 67.5K LEs and 2,700 LABs map efficiently onto TCAM-style content-addressable memories implemented in fabric, while the 488 I/Os support multiple 10 Gbps Ethernet interfaces via SFP+ cages. Embedded M9K memory buffers packet descriptors between classifier and forwarding stages. The 65 nm low-power Stratix III L variant balances per-MHz power consumption against throughput, an important consideration in chassis with hundreds of line cards. A continuous GND plane and matched-length impedance routing are critical above 1 Gbps on this FBGA-780 package.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL70F780C4 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL70F780C3 | EP3SL70F780C2 | EP3SL70F780I4 | EP3SL70F780I3 | EP3SL70F780C3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Package | 780-FBGA (FCBGA-780) | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | C4 (commercial) | C3 (slower) | C2 (slowest) | I4 (industrial) | I3 (industrial, slower) | C3 (slower, lead-free) |
| Operating Temperature (TJ) | 0 C to 85 C | 0 C to 85 C | 0 C to 85 C | -40 C to 100 C | -40 C to 100 C | 0 C to 85 C |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Process Technology | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm | 65 nm |
Key Differentiators
- Speed grade C4 offers highest timing margin in the EP3SL70F780 family (vs EP3SL70F780C3)
- Industrial temperature variant EP3SL70F780I4 enables harsher deployments (vs EP3SL70F780I4)
- Direct same-family upgrade path to higher density EP3SL150F780I3N (vs EP3SL150F780I3N)
Design Notes
The EP3SL70F780C4 requires a clean multi-rail power architecture: 1.1 V for the core, 2.5 V/3.3 V for auxiliary and I/O banks, and a dedicated PLL analog supply (VCCA_PLL) typically 2.5 V. Per the Altera Stratix III device handbook, the core rail must ramp before or simultaneously with the aux rail to avoid latch-up. Decoupling follows the 1-2-4 rule: one bulk capacitor per power pin group, two mid-frequency ceramics per VCC/GND pair, and four high-frequency 0.1 uF capacitors within 50 mils of each power pin. The 1.1 V core can draw 2-5 A depending on toggle rate, so use a controller with at least 10 A peak capability and a 4-layer PCB with 2 oz copper on inner power planes.
The 780-FBGA package exposes a central thermal die pad that must be soldered to a thermal via array for heat extraction. Estimated: with theta_JA of approximately 10-12 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board and 25% utilization at 500 MHz, junction temperature rise can exceed 30 C above ambient. For sustained workloads, add a copper heatsink or forced-air cooling. Industrial grade variants (I4/I3) extend the operating junction envelope from 85 C to 100 C and are recommended for chassis-mounted or outdoor deployments.
PCB layout for the EP3SL70F780C4 must follow Altera's Stratix III pin connection guidelines. Use a 6-8 layer stackup with continuous ground planes beneath the BGA field to control simultaneous switching noise across the 488 I/Os. Matched-length impedance routing is required for DDR3 interfaces (target 50 ohm single-ended, 100 ohm differential). Place decoupling capacitors on the opposite side of the BGA within 100 mils of their respective power pins, and provide an unbroken return path beneath each high-speed signal trace. Failure to control return paths on this 488-I/O device is a common cause of signal-integrity failures on first prototypes.
Three pitfalls repeatedly surface on Stratix III designs: (1) omitting the PLL analog supply filter (a ferrite bead plus 10 uF + 0.1 uF network) which causes PLL jitter and link training failures; (2) leaving CONFIG_DONE / nSTATUS / nCONFIG unbonded or incorrectly pulled - these require external 10 kohm pull-ups to 2.5 V; (3) using 1.8 V I/O standards without configuring the bank VCCIO to 1.8 V, leading to partial configuration and unreliable JTAG chains. Always validate the configuration chain with Quartus II programmer before depopulating the board for rework.
High-speed serial interfaces (LVDS, DDR3, external memory interfaces) should be routed on inner stripline layers adjacent to a solid ground plane. Per the Stratix III device handbook, the recommended BGA breakout uses via-in-pad or microvia technology for inner rows; dog-bone fan-out is acceptable for outer rows but adds parasitic inductance. Maintain at least 3W spacing between differential pairs and adjacent signals to minimize crosstalk. The 488 user I/Os allow designers to map DDR3 byte lanes to bank groups 1-8; grouping by byte-lane avoids the need for level shifters between bank voltages.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per distributor listing (DigiKey/Mouser). REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-mineral declarations were not present in the verified web data and are marked unknown. The EP3SL70F780C4 is not AEC-Q100 qualified - it targets commercial telecom, broadcast, and industrial applications rather than automotive safety.
