EP3SL70F780C4LN - Stratix III L 67.5K LE FPGA | Intel | 780-FBGA
MPN: EP3SL70F780C4LN β End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1850 | $1,850.00 |
| 10 | $1725 | $17,250.00 |
| 50 | $1610 | $80,500.00 |
| 100 | $1495 | $149,500.00 |
| 250 | $1380 | $345,000.00 |
EP3SL70F780C4LN Overview
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a type of programmable logic device that allows hardware designers to configure digital logic blocks and interconnect routing after manufacture. FPGAs sit above ASICs and microcontrollers in design flexibility, providing massive parallel processing, high-speed serial transceivers, and customizable I/O. Stratix III devices are part of the high-performance FPGA family used in networking, signal processing, and ASIC prototyping applications, and the "L" suffix denotes a lower-power variant with reduced static power consumption compared to the standard Stratix III line.
Key features of the EP3SL70F780C4LN include 488 user I/Os supporting multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL), embedded multiplier blocks for DSP operations, dedicated high-speed transceivers, and a configurable logic fabric supporting 40nm-equivalent performance at 65 nm. The 780-FBGA flip-chip package enables high signal integrity at clock rates up to 600 MHz core fabric speed.
Architecturally, the Stratix III L series uses an adaptive logic module (ALM) structure with 8-input fracturable look-up tables, offering improved logic utilization over previous Stratix II designs. The 65 nm process node and the "L" power-optimized design reduce static power by up to 50 percent compared to non-L variants, while maintaining signal integrity via the flip-chip BGA substrate.
Typical applications include high-end telecommunications infrastructure, ASIC prototyping, high-speed digital signal processing, military and aerospace signal processing subsystems, and high-performance computing acceleration. The 488 I/O count supports wide parallel data buses, and the 67.5K LE capacity enables large designs such as multi-channel video processing pipelines and protocol bridges.
When designing with this FPGA, ensure the PCB supports the flip-chip BGA thermal envelope via adequate thermal vias and copper pours under the package. The Quartus II design software (legacy support required for Stratix III) is mandatory for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, parametric comparison data, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone. All specifications are extracted from the Intel Stratix III device handbook and verified distributor listings as of 2026-09-10.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL70F780C4LN 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 EP3SL70F780C4LN (same form factor and footprint) β differing in Speed Grade, Package, Process Technology, RoHS Status, Operating Temperature.
Quick Comparison Tool β Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL70F780C4L
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$944.74 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL70F780C4LG
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$380 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL70F780C4G
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$835 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL70F780C3N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL70F780C2N
β Drop-Inβ In Stock
$139 / Unit
View Datasheet βEP3SL200F780C4LN
β Drop-Inπ Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3SL70F780C4LN Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 2,700 |
| Total RAM Bits | 2,699,264 |
| User I/O Pins | 488 |
| Number of Pins | 780 |
| Package Type | 780-FBGA (FCBGA) |
| Package Dimensions | 29 x 29 mm |
| Process Technology | 65 nm |
| Core Voltage Range | 0.86 V to 1.15 V |
| Operating Junction Temperature | 0C to 85C (commercial) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| MSL Level | 3 (per JEDEC J-STD-020) |
| Design Software | Quartus II (legacy Stratix III support) |
EP3SL70F780C4LN 29 x 29 mm Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL70F780C4LN (29 x 29 mm 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 EP3SL70F780C4LN.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL70F780C4LN is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Infrastructure, ASIC Prototyping, High-Speed Digital Signal Processing, Military and Aerospace Signal Processing, High-Performance Computing Acceleration, Video Broadcast and Processing.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The EP3SL70F780C4LN fits telecom infrastructure backplanes because its 488 user I/Os support wide parallel data buses while its 67,500 logic elements implement protocol bridges, framer/ deframer logic, and traffic management blocks. The 65 nm Stratix III L silicon delivers core fabric speeds up to 600 MHz, sufficient for 10 Gbps Ethernet MAC layers and OTN framer functions. Placed on a line card alongside PHY transceivers, the FPGA provides hardware-accelerated packet classification at line rate with deterministic latency. Engineers value the 2,699,264 bits of block RAM as packet-buffer storage between classification and queuing stages. Compared with a software-only CPU solution, this FPGA offloads wire-speed processing with sub-microsecond response, reducing host CPU load by orders of magnitude.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SL70F780C4LN is widely used as an ASIC prototype platform because its 67,500 logic elements and 2,699,264-bit block RAM approximate mid-complexity ASICs with high fidelity. Quartus II synthesis preserves register-transfer-level (RTL) timing semantics, enabling realistic pre-silicon validation of ASIC RTL before tape-out. Placed in a multi-FPGA prototyping farm, the 780-FBGA package allows stacking multiple devices via board-to-board connectors for ASICs exceeding 70K gates. The 65 nm process node provides timing behavior close to typical ASIC libraries, simplifying static timing closure on the prototype. Compared to simulation-only validation, this FPGA prototype catches real-world clock-domain crossing and reset-distribution bugs that simulation misses, materially reducing ASIC re-spin risk.
Recommended
High-Speed Digital Signal Processing
The EP3SL70F780C4LN is well suited for high-speed DSP applications because its embedded multiplier blocks and 67,500 logic elements implement hundreds of multiply-accumulate (MAC) operations per clock cycle. The 488 user I/Os allow direct interface to parallel ADC/DAC converters operating in the hundreds of MSPS range. In radar, software-defined radio, and medical imaging systems, the FPGA delivers FIR filters, FFT engines, and beamforming logic with deterministic latency unavailable on general-purpose DSPs. The 2,699,264-bit block RAM holds FFT working buffers and coefficient tables, eliminating off-chip memory bottlenecks. Compared to a GPU DSP solution, this FPGA provides lower latency and deterministic timing essential for closed-loop control applications.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Signal Processing
The EP3SL70F780C4LN serves defense and aerospace signal-processing subsystems because its 780-FBGA package and commercial 0C to 85C junction temperature meet standard avionics envelope requirements when paired with a ruggedized PCB stack-up. The 67,500 logic elements implement secure communications waveforms, electronic-warfare preprocessing, and sensor-fusion pipelines. With 488 user I/Os, the FPGA aggregates data from multiple RF front-ends, optical sensors, and inertial measurement units in a single device. Designers appreciate the Quartus II support for safety-critical verification flows including design-rule checking and formal equivalence verification. Compared to radiation-hardened FPGAs, this part provides much higher logic density at lower cost for non-orbiting military platforms.
Recommended
High-Performance Computing Acceleration
The EP3SL70F780C4LN accelerates HPC workloads such as genomic alignment, financial Monte Carlo simulation, and computational fluid dynamics because its parallel logic fabric performs hundreds of operations per clock cycle versus the sequential execution of CPUs. The 2,699,264-bit block RAM caches working datasets close to the compute elements, eliminating memory-latency stalls. Host systems attach the FPGA via PCIe or custom interconnects, with the 488 I/Os supporting high-bandwidth parallel host interfaces. Compared to a CPU-only server, an FPGA-accelerated node can deliver 10x-100x speedup on parallelizable kernels while consuming less power per operation. The Quartus II OpenCL support enables HPC programmers to target the FPGA using familiar C-like syntax.
Recommended
Video Broadcast and Processing
The EP3SL70F780C4LN powers broadcast video processing because its 488 user I/Os accept multi-channel SDI inputs and drive HDMI/DisplayPort outputs with sub-frame latency. The 67,500 logic elements implement color-space conversion, scaling, deinterlacing, and overlay composition in real time. With 2,699,264 bits of block RAM, the FPGA holds multiple frame buffers for pipelined processing stages. Placed in a video-mixing console or broadcast switcher, the device handles 4K video streams at 60 fps with no external DSP assistance. Compared to an ASIC broadcast chip, this FPGA allows in-field firmware updates for evolving codec standards such as HEVC and AV1, extending product lifecycle without hardware redesign.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL70F780C4LN β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL70F780C4L | EP3SL70F780C4LG | EP3SL70F780C3N | EP3SL70F780C2N | EP3SL200F780C4LN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Package | 780-FBGA (29x29 mm) | 780-FBGA (29x29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (29x29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (29x29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (29x29 mm) - same | 780-FBGA (29x29 mm) - same |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 200,000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 2,699,264 | 9,564,544 |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Speed Grade | -4 (fastest) | -4 (fastest) | -4 (fastest) | -3 (mid) | -2 (slowest) | -4 (fastest) |
| Pb-free (N suffix) | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RoHS Compliant | Yes | Non-RoHS (SnPb) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Lower-power Stratix III L variant vs standard Stratix III (vs EP3SE70F780C4 (non-L variant))
- Footprint-compatible higher-density upgrade path (vs EP3SL200F780C4LN)
- Pb-free ball finish for RoHS markets (vs EP3SL70F780C4L (without N suffix))
Design Notes
Estimated: at typical Stratix III L utilization (~70% logic, ~50% RAM, 200 MHz core), this FPGA dissipates approximately 5-8 W. The 780-FBGA flip-chip package requires a thermal via array under the die (typically 4x4 or 5x5 grid of 0.3 mm drilled vias filled with thermal epoxy) plus a heat spreader or heatsink for reliable 85C junction operation. Do not rely on natural convection alone for production deployments.
The 780-FBGA has 1.0 mm ball pitch requiring HDI PCB stack-up (microvia-in-pad or via-on-pad recommended). Use 4-6 layer PCB minimum with continuous GND planes adjacent to the BGA signal layers to control impedance for LVDS and HSTL I/O. Matched-length routing within 50 mil tolerance is mandatory for differential pairs feeding transceivers. Reference the Altera Stratix III board design guidelines for via pattern and decoupling capacitor placement.
Do not hot-swap the EP3SL70F780C4LN without proper power-sequencing - the core voltage (0.86-1.15 V) must ramp monotonically and reach regulation before I/O voltages. The Quartus II legacy Stratix III support is required (Quartus Prime 16.1 or earlier with Stratix III device support); modern Quartus Prime 22.x+ may not include this family. Configure unused I/O pins as tri-stated inputs with weak pull-up to avoid floating-pin current draw.
The Stratix III L supports LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, and HSTL I/O standards with dedicated hardware SERDES for LVDS up to 1 Gbps. Place 0.1 uF and 0.01 uF decoupling capacitors within 100 mil of each VCCINT and VCCIO pin pair. Use differential via symmetry (matched via count and length) for high-speed transceiver lanes to maintain 90-ohm differential impedance.
Compliance Information
Pb-free (N suffix) indicates RoHS-compliant SnAgCu ball finish. AEC-Q100 is not applicable for FPGAs - industrial temperature variants (I-suffix) target the equivalent reliability envelope.
