Intel Altera Cyclone III Series Low-Power FPGA EP3C16U256C8N

EP3C16U256C8N Product Overview

The EP3C16U256C8N is a low-power, low-cost FPGA from Intel's (formerly Altera) Cyclone III series. Built on a mature 65nm low-power (LP) process technology, the EP3C16U256C8N achieves an excellent balance between logic resources, power consumption, and cost. It features 15,408 logic elements (LEs), 56 M9K embedded memory blocks, and 56 dedicated DSP multipliers, making the EP3C16U256C8N well-suited for digital signal processing and control logic applications in industrial, communications, and consumer electronics.

The Cyclone III series is renowned for its high cost-effectiveness, and the EP3C16U256C8N, as a mid-density member of this family, is housed in a compact 14×14 mm 256-UBGA package, offering an ideal solution for applications requiring small PCB footprints. The EP3C16U256C8N is a commercial-grade device that supports an operating temperature range of 0°C to 85°C.

EP3C16U256C8N Key Features

• High Cost-Effectiveness Logic Resources: The EP3C16U256C8N provides 15,408 logic elements (LEs) and 963 logic array blocks (LABs), capable of implementing moderate-complexity digital logic systems for applications such as protocol control, state machines, and data acquisition.

• Embedded Memory Resources: The EP3C16U256C8N integrates a total of 504 Kbit of embedded RAM, organized as 56 M9K memory blocks, suitable for data buffering, small-scale image processing, and cache applications.

• Digital Signal Processing Capability: The EP3C16U256C8N features 56 dedicated 18x18 DSP multipliers with a maximum performance of 260 MHz, supporting high-performance digital signal processing, filter implementations, and FFT algorithms, efficiently handling audio and communication signals.

• Flexible I/O Interfaces: The EP3C16U256C8N offers up to 168 user I/O pins, supporting various I/O standards including 3.3V, 2.5V, 1.8V, and 1.5V, as well as LVTTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, and SSTL, enabling direct connection to diverse peripherals.

• Robust Clock Management: The EP3C16U256C8N integrates 4 PLLs (Phase-Locked Loops) providing flexible clock synthesis, multiplication/division, and phase shifting capabilities to ensure high precision and stability of the system clock.

• Commercial-Grade Operating Temperature: Supports an operating temperature range of 0°C to 85°C, suitable for standard commercial environments.

• Package and Process: Fabricated on a 65nm low-power CMOS process with a core voltage of 1.15V to 1.25V (typically 1.2V), the EP3C16U256C8N offers an excellent performance-to-power ratio. The 256-pin UBGA package measures just 14×14 mm, making the EP3C16U256C8N an ideal choice for space-constrained applications.

• LVDS High-Speed Interface: The EP3C16U256C8N supports LVDS signaling at up to 875 Mbps for reception and 840 Mbps for transmission, suitable for video and data transfer applications.

  
  

EP3C16U256C8N Application Scenarios

• Industrial Automation and Control: The 15K logic elements and DSP modules of the EP3C16U256C8N are suitable for small-to-medium PLCs, servo controllers, machine vision systems, and other industrial applications sensitive to cost and power.

• Communications and Networking Equipment: The EP3C16U256C8N can be used in small-cell base stations, network switches, and routers for protocol processing and signal modulation/demodulation.

• Video and Image Processing: The 504 Kbit block RAM and DSP modules of the EP3C16U256C8N support video encoding/decoding, image scaling, and display interface conversion, suitable for security surveillance and consumer electronics.

• Consumer Electronics: The EP3C16U256C8N is used in embedded systems such as portable devices, handheld terminals, and smart home products; the ultra-compact 14×14 mm package is especially well-suited for space-constrained product designs.

• Automotive Electronics: The EP3C16U256C8N is applicable for cost-sensitive applications such as infotainment systems and driver assistance.

• Medical Equipment: The EP3C16U256C8N is used for signal acquisition and processing in portable ultrasound devices and similar applications.

EP3C16U256C8N Advantages and Highlights

• 65nm Low-Power Process: The EP3C16U256C8N delivers up to 50% lower power consumption compared to the previous-generation 90nm Cyclone II, maintaining extremely low power levels while providing 15K logic elements, making it ideal for power-sensitive applications.

• Ultra-Compact 14×14 mm Package: The 256-UBGA package of the EP3C16U256C8N occupies only 196 mm², making it one of the smallest package options in the Cyclone III series and significantly saving PCB space.

• 15K-Class Logic Element Capacity: With 15,408 logic elements, the EP3C16U256C8N is a mainstream density model in the low-to-mid-range FPGA market, capable of meeting the design requirements of most embedded systems.

• High-Performance DSP Processing: The EP3C16U256C8N integrates 56 dedicated DSP multipliers enabling parallel processing of multiple data channels and efficient implementation of algorithms such as FIR filtering and FFT.

• Flexible I/O and Standard Support: The EP3C16U256C8N supports 3.3V I/O voltage, matching common peripheral devices perfectly and simplifying system design.

• Mature Software Ecosystem: The Quartus II design suite provides a comprehensive IP core library and development tools for the EP3C16U256C8N, supports the Nios II soft-core processor, and offers extensive development documentation.

• Low-Cost Solution: As part of Altera's low-cost FPGA series, the EP3C16U256C8N offers highly competitive pricing and serves as an ideal alternative to ASICs and ASSPs.

  
  

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    FAQ

    1. What is EP3C16U256C8N?
    The EP3C16U256C8N is an Intel/Altera Cyclone® III FPGA in a 256-pin UBGA package with 15,408 logic elements and 168 I/O pins.

    2. What are the key specifications of EP3C16U256C8N?
    The EP3C16U256C8N features 15,408 logic elements, 963 LABs/CLBs, 516,096 bits total RAM, 168 I/Os, 1.15V–1.25V operating voltage, 0°C to 85°C temperature range.

    3. What package does EP3C16U256C8N use?
    The EP3C16U256C8N uses a 256-pin UBGA (Ultra FineLine BGA), measuring 14mm × 14mm with 0.80mm ball pitch and 2.20mm height.

    4. What applications is EP3C16U256C8N suitable for?
    The EP3C16U256C8N is suitable for consumer electronics (digital TV, Blu-ray players), industrial automation control, automotive infotainment systems, communications equipment (baseband signal processing, packet processing), medical devices, and digital signal processing & image processing.

    5. What development tools support EP3C16U256C8N?
    The EP3C16U256C8N is supported by Intel Quartus II software, which provides the complete FPGA design flow including design entry, HDL synthesis, place-and-route, simulation, and device programming.

    6. What is the operating temperature range of EP3C16U256C8N?
    The EP3C16U256C8N is a commercial-grade device with a temperature range of 0°C to 85°C (TJ).

    7. Is EP3C16U256C8N RoHS compliant?
    Yes, the "N" suffix indicates that the EP3C16U256C8N is lead-free and RoHS compliant.

    8. What is the maximum operating frequency of EP3C16U256C8N?
    The EP3C16U256C8N can operate at up to 402 MHz, with some sources indicating up to 472.5 MHz.

    9. What are the alternative models for EP3C16U256C8N?
    Alternatives to the EP3C16U256C8N include EP3C16U256C8 (non-RoHS compliant, leaded version), EP3C16M164C7N (different package and speed grade), and EP3C16M164C8N (different package), differing primarily in package, speed grade, and RoHS compliance.

    10. What configuration modes does EP3C16U256C8N support?
    Cyclone III devices like the EP3C16U256C8N use SRAM cells to store configuration data that must be reloaded at each power-up. The EP3C16U256C8N supports Active Serial (AS), JTAG, Passive Serial (PS), and other configuration modes.