EP3SL70F780I3G - Stratix III L FPGA 67.5K LE, 780-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3SL70F780I3G ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1492.52 | $1,492.52 |
| 10 | $1395 | $13,950.00 |
| 100 | $1240 | $124,000.00 |
| 500 | $1110 | $555,000.00 |
| 1,000 | $990 | $990,000.00 |
EP3SL70F780I3G Overview
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor integrated circuit built around an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs), embedded memory blocks, DSP slices, and programmable interconnect. FPGAs occupy the high-density tier of programmable logic devices (PLD) and are widely used for ASIC prototyping, high-throughput digital signal processing, high-speed serial protocol bridging, and parallel compute acceleration. The Stratix III L sub-family is positioned as the lower-static-power variant of Stratix III, making it the preferred choice for thermally constrained or battery-backed systems where the F variant would otherwise exceed power budgets.
Key specifications of the EP3SL70F780I3G include 488 user I/Os, 2.7 Mb of embedded memory (M9K + MLAB blocks), support for multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, SSTL) and up to 8 transceivers depending on package variant, an operating junction temperature range of -40C to +100C (industrial), and a 1.1 V core supply. The device is delivered in tray packaging with Pb-free / RoHS-compliant balls.
Typical applications include high-end image processing, software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, ASIC prototyping, telecom line cards, test and measurement instrumentation, and high-speed data acquisition. The 780-FBGA package exposes enough I/O for multi-channel LVDS buses and multiple memory interfaces (DDR2/DDR3 with hard controllers).
When designing with this device, pay attention to power sequencing (VCCINT must reach stable value before VCCPD), thermal management via the exposed die (typical theta-JA around 8-10 C/W with proper heatsink), and use the Quartus II design suite (v13.0 or later for Stratix III L final support) for synthesis, place-and-route, and bitstream generation. The non-volatile (flash-based) configuration of the part is not used here; external configuration memory such as EPCS or JTAG is required.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3SL70F780I3G — 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 EP3SL70F780I3G (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Speed Grade, Operating Temperature, Process Technology, Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3SL70F780I3
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View Datasheet →EP3SL70F780I3G Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Stratix III L |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 67,500 |
| Adaptive Logic Modules (ALM) | 27,000 ALM |
| Embedded Memory | 2,699,264 bits (2.57 Mbit) |
| User I/Os | 488 |
| Package | 780-BBGA, FCBGA (29x29 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.1 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +100C (Industrial) |
| Process Technology | 40 nm TSMC |
| Memory Type | SRAM-based, external configuration |
| DSP Blocks | Multipliers, count varies by die |
| Configuration | External (EPCS / JTAG) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Packaging | Tray |
| Speed Grade | 3 (Medium) |
EP3SL70F780I3G 780-bbga, fcbga (29x29 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3SL70F780I3G (780-bbga, fcbga (29x29 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 EP3SL70F780I3G.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3SL70F780I3G is suitable for 6 applications: ASIC Prototyping, Software Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband, Telecom Line Cards, High-Speed Data Acquisition, Test & Measurement Instrumentation, Image and Video Processing.
ASIC Prototyping
The EP3SL70F780I3G is well suited for ASIC prototyping because its 67,500 logic elements combined with 2.57 Mbit of embedded memory allow faithful mapping of mid-complexity ASIC RTL to real silicon. Compared to simulation, prototyping on a Stratix III L FPGA provides near-100 MHz system-level validation, exposing logic bugs, race conditions and interface timing that pure simulation misses. The 488 user I/Os are sufficient to bring out dozens of ASIC pins, multi-channel DDR2 controllers and JTAG/UART debug interfaces simultaneously. Quoted Fmax for typical designs is around 300-400 MHz; users report the I3 speed grade delivers about 10-15% higher Fmax than the I4 sibling.
Recommended
Software Defined Radio (SDR) Baseband
The EP3SL70F780I3G delivers the parallel DSP throughput that SDR baseband requires: up to 384 18x18 multipliers, dedicated DSP blocks, and abundant routing fabric for high-fanout datapaths. The L (low-power) variant reduces static leakage by ~50% versus the F variant, allowing densely populated SDR cards to stay within thermal envelopes. Designers typically instantiate 100s of FIR filters, FFT cores and channelizers in a single device; the 488 I/Os support LVDS pairs for ADC/DAC interfaces such as the AD9230 or AD9122, and multiple SFP+ links for digital data I/O.
Recommended
Telecom Line Cards
Telecom line cards need high logic density plus hardened memory controllers and high-speed serial I/O - exactly the feature set of the Stratix III L family. The EP3SL70F780I3G drives multi-channel framer/mapper functions, packet classification engines and traffic management fabrics. Its 488 I/Os are typically split between SGMII/SerDes links to PHY devices, an external DDR2/DDR3 buffer memory bus, and control plane SPI/I2C to line-card CPLDs. The industrial temperature grade -40C to +100C ensures compliance with NEBS Level 3 thermal envelopes.
Recommended
High-Speed Data Acquisition
For multi-channel data acquisition systems, the EP3SL70F780I3G aggregates LVDS buses from 8-16 ADC channels and runs real-time DSP (decimation, FFT, channel equalization) on-chip before forwarding via PCIe or Ethernet. The 488 user I/Os are sufficient to bring in 16-bit-wide LVDS data from two ADCs at 250 MHz DDR, plus synchronous clock and frame-sync lines. Designers report running 8-channel 200 MSPS acquisitions through a single EP3SL70 with margins to spare, leveraging the 2.57 Mbit embedded memory for FIFO buffering between the ADC interface and PCIe endpoint.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Modular T&M platforms - oscilloscope front-ends, logic analyzer capture cards, protocol exercisers - rely on Stratix III L FPGAs like the EP3SL70F780I3G for high-speed pattern generation, real-time triggering and protocol decoding. The 67.5K LE budget supports 32-channel 1.5 Gbps pattern generation plus on-chip protocol analyzers for PCIe Gen2, SATA II and USB 3.0 SuperSpeed. The 488 I/Os accept multi-standard LVDS or HSTL input directly from front-end comparators, while 8 transceiver channels deliver external instrument I/O at up to 6.5 Gbps.
Recommended
Image and Video Processing
The EP3SL70F780I3G handles real-time multi-stream video pipelines: Bayer demosaicing, color-space conversion, scaling and overlay composition at 1080p60 per stream, or 4K30 single-stream with the available DSP and memory bandwidth. Its 488 I/Os are typically split between Camera Link / LVDS input ports, HDMI/DVI transmitter links, and DDR2/DDR3 frame-buffer memory. The industrial temperature grade makes it suitable for outdoor broadcast, medical imaging carts and ruggedized defense video systems.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3SL70F780I3G — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3SL70F780I3 | EP3SL70F780C4N | EP3SL70F780C4LN | EP3SL70F780C4LG | EP3SL70F780C4L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 780-FBGA | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same | 780-FBGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel | Intel |
| Logic Elements | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE | 67,500 LE |
| Embedded Memory | 2,699,264 bits | 2,699,264 bits | 2,699,264 bits | 2,699,264 bits | 2,699,264 bits | 2,699,264 bits |
| User I/Os | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 | 488 |
| Temperature Grade | Industrial -40C to +100C | Industrial -40C to +100C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C | Commercial 0C to +85C |
| Speed Grade | I3 (medium-fastest) | I3 | C4 (slower, ~25% lower Fmax) | C4 (slower, ~25% lower Fmax) | C4 (slower, ~25% lower Fmax) | C4 (slower, ~25% lower Fmax) |
| Core Voltage | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V | 1.1 V |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND (Not Recommended for New Designs) | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | RoHS Compliant | RoHS Compliant | RoHS / Pb-free (N suffix) | RoHS / Pb-free (LN suffix) | RoHS / Pb-free (LG suffix) | RoHS / Pb-free (L suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial temperature grade with high speed grade in the same package (vs EP3SL70F780C4N)
- Highest 67.5K LE density in the Stratix III L family at 780-FBGA (vs EP3SL50F780I3G)
- Same package enables drop-in migration to Stratix IV/V with Quartus design reuse (vs EP3SL70F484I3G (484-FBGA variant))
Design Notes
Stratix III L FPGAs require multiple power rails: VCCINT (1.1 V core), VCCPD (3.3 V or 2.5 V I/O pre-driver), VCCA (2.5 V PLL analog), VCCD_PLL (1.1 V PLL digital), and per-bank VCCIO (1.2/1.5/1.8/2.5/3.3 V). Power sequencing must ensure VCCINT ramps before VCCPD, otherwise the I/O buffers may latch up. Estimated: a typical EP3SL70 design consumes 3-7 W static + dynamic depending on toggle rate and utilization; budget 10 W on the heatsink.
The 780-FBGA exposed die provides a direct thermal path; with a properly designed heatsink and 200 LFM airflow theta-JA drops below 5 C/W, sufficient for industrial 100C operation at full utilization. Without airflow or heatsink, junction-to-ambient rises quickly (15-20 C/W) and may exceed 100C in a closed enclosure. Place at least four thermal vias in the BGA land pattern directly under the die and use a high-K thermal interface material.
Use a 12-layer stack-up with dedicated ground and power planes for the 780-FBGA escape. Fan-out the inner rows on staggered microvia layers (e.g. 4-2-4 build-up); the 1.0 mm ball pitch is compatible with standard 0.8/0.4 mm via structures. Maintain 100-ohm differential impedance on all LVDS pairs and 50-ohm single-ended on transceivers; use length matching within 150 mil for DDR2 address/command and within 25 mil for DQ/DQS groups.
Place configuration memory (EPCS or EPCQ) within 3 inches of the FPGA dedicated AS pins; route DATA, DCLK, nCS, and ASDI as a 50-ohm impedance-matched bus. Add pull-up on nCONFIG and pull-down on nSTATUS. JTAG chain: include a 10 kohm pull-up on TCK as recommended by IEEE 1149.1 to keep the chain in known state during board power-up.
Do not rely on the I3G speed grade as a permanent design-in - the part is NRND. New designs should select Stratix IV/V or Cyclone V/10 with active lifecycle. When migrating from I3G to C4 or C4N, re-run timing analysis because Fmax typically drops 20-25%; pipeline paths that meet timing at I3 may fail at C4. Also note that all variants share the same bitstream so configuration files are interchangeable, but PowerPlay estimates need to be regenerated for the new speed grade.
Compliance Information
RoHS-compliant per DigiKey/Intel product listing. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (FPGA, not automotive discrete). Reach and conflict-minerals statements are provided on the Intel Quality & Reliability page.
