EP1C4F400C6N - Cyclone FPGA 4K LEs 400-BGA | Intel
MPN: EP1C4F400C6N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $40.8 | $40.80 |
| 10 | $38.5 | $385.00 |
| 100 | $34.2 | $3,420.00 |
| 500 | $29.9 | $14,950.00 |
| 1,000 | $26.4 | $26,400.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C4F400C6N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP1C4F400C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$21.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C4F400C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$15.26 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C4F400C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$28.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C4F400I7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$26.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C4F400I6
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP1C4F400C6N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Intel (formerly Altera) |
| Series | Cyclone (Cyclone I) |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 4,000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 78,336 |
| Embedded RAM Blocks | M4K (4 Kbits each) |
| User I/Os | 301 |
| PLL | 2 PLLs |
| Package Type | 400-ball FineLine BGA |
| Package Code (JEDEC) | F400 / FBGA-400 |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM CMOS |
| Configuration Method | SRAM (serial EPCS or JTAG) |
| Speed Grade | C6 (commercial) |
| Operating Temperature (commercial C grade) | 0 °C to +85 °C |
| Supply Voltage VCCINT | 1.5 V |
| Supply Voltage VCCIO | 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| MSL (Moisture Sensitivity) | MSL3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (per Altera/Intel product page) |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
EP1C4F400C6N f400 / fbga-400 Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C4F400C6N (f400 / fbga-400 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 EP1C4F400C6N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Safe Operating Area (SOA) & Thermal Characteristics
No official SOA curve available for this digital IC. Always operate within absolute maximum ratings specified in the datasheet. Ensure adequate cooling and derate as needed.
Typical Applications
EP1C4F400C6N is suitable for 6 applications: Digital Video Processing Bridge, Industrial Motor Control Glue Logic, Telecommunications Line-Card Interface, Low-Cost Prototyping Platform, Embedded Display Controller, Test and Measurement Front-End.
Digital Video Processing Bridge
The EP1C4F400C6N is well suited as a video-format bridge in mid-volume video products. Its 301 user I/Os comfortably accommodate 24- or 30-bit RGB buses plus HSYNC/VSYNC/DE and a 16-bit control bus, while the 4,000 LEs run line buffers, color-space converters, and deinterlacers in real time. The 78,336 bits of embedded M4K RAM hold 4-8 scan lines of buffering, and the C6 speed grade is sufficient for 1080p60 pixel rates (148.5 MHz). Place the device between a video decoder and an LCD controller; its LVDS-capable I/O bank pairs drive flat-panel TMDS/serializer channels without external buffers.
Recommended
Industrial Motor Control Glue Logic
In a motor-control system the EP1C4F400C6N absorbs the role of multiple discrete 74HC logic chips by generating PWM timing, decoding Hall/encoder feedback, and handling interlock logic between the MCU, gate driver, and safety relays. The 301 I/Os interface to 3-phase gate drivers, opto-isolated fault inputs, and a parallel status display, while the 2 PLLs derive high-resolution PWM frequencies and resolver-excitation clocks from a single crystal. The C6 commercial speed grade suits equipment sealed inside 0 to 70 °C enclosures; for -40 °C to +100 °C industrial cabinets, swap to EP1C4F400I7N, which is pin-compatible and reuses the same Quartus project.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line-Card Interface
Used as the interface logic on a T1/E1 or low-density Ethernet line card, the EP1C4F400C6N handles 8-bit TDM bus aggregation, framing, and protocol mapping between the framer IC and the backplane connector. The 78,336 bits of M4K RAM implement small elastic stores, while 301 I/Os route a parallel backplane plus a 16-bit local bus. The 1.5 V core plus 3.3 V-tolerant I/O is compatible with both legacy 5 V transceivers (via level shifters) and modern 3.3 V framers. The Cyclone I LVDS support enables direct connection to 100-Mbit Ethernet PHYs without external resistors.
Recommended
Low-Cost Prototyping Platform
Designers and universities use the EP1C4F400C6N as the heart of a low-cost development board that exercises a real FPGA, JTAG, and 200+ breadboard-accessible I/Os without the cost of a Cyclone IV. Its 4,000 LEs are large enough to host a 32-bit Nios II soft processor, an SDRAM controller, and 50+ GPIO while leaving 30-50% utilization for user logic. The C6 speed grade runs Nios II at 50 MHz, sufficient for instruction set exploration and embedded Linux (uClinux) bring-up. Boards designed around the 400-ball BGA can swap EP1C4F400C6N for EP1C4F400C7N or C8N for timing-margin experiments.
Recommended
Embedded Display Controller
The EP1C4F400C6N is widely used as a low-cost display controller that converts a parallel RGB888 input from a host SoC into an LVDS output for a flat panel, while also generating on-screen-display (OSD) overlays and gamma-correction LUTs. The 78,336 bits of M4K RAM store up to 4 scan lines of frame-buffer data plus a 256x24 gamma LUT, and 301 I/Os accommodate the input bus plus 4 LVDS pairs and a 16-bit GPIO control port. The C6 speed grade supports up to 85 MHz pixel rate; EP1C4F400C7N or C8N is recommended for 1080p60 at 148.5 MHz with full OSD overlay.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Front-End
In a benchtop T&M instrument the EP1C4F400C6N functions as a parallel data formatter, triggering engine, and pattern generator. The 301 I/Os drive a parallel DAC/ADC data bus plus trigger in/out BNCs, and the 4,000 LEs host a state-machine-based sequencer that runs at the C6 device's internal 200 MHz PLL. The 78,336 bits of M4K RAM implement deep FIFO buffers that absorb bursts between the FPGA and the host CPU. EP1C4F400C8N is a pin-compatible upgrade when an instrument needs tighter timing margin for high-speed pattern generation.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C4F400C6N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C4F400C6 | EP1C4F400C8N | EP1C4F400C7N | EP1C4F400I7N | EP1C4F400I6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 400-ball FineLine BGA (F400) | 400-ball FineLine BGA - same | 400-ball FineLine BGA - same | 400-ball FineLine BGA - same | 400-ball FineLine BGA - same | 400-ball FineLine BGA - same |
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Logic Elements | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Total RAM Bits | 78,336 | 78,336 | 78,336 | 78,336 | 78,336 | 78,336 |
| User I/Os | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 | 301 |
| Speed Grade | C6 (commercial) | C6 | C8 (faster) | C7 (faster) | I7 (industrial) | I6 (industrial) |
| Temperature Range | 0 °C to +85 °C (commercial) | 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 |
| VCCINT | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| PLLs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Highest 400-BGA speed grade flexibility within EP1C4F400 family (vs EP1C4F400C8N)
- Same 400-ball BGA footprint as industrial-temperature EP1C4F400I7N (vs EP1C4F400I7N)
- Lead-free C6 commercial option vs. lead-finish EP1C4F400C6 (vs EP1C4F400C6)
Design Notes
The EP1C4F400C6N requires a clean 1.5 V VCCINT supply capable of 0.5-1.5 A depending on toggle rate. Decouple every VCCINT ball with a 0.1 µF X7R ceramic placed within 50 mil of the BGA, plus four to eight bulk 47 µF tantalum or polymer capacitors around the package. VCCIO is set per bank; the JTAG VCCIO (bank 1) must match the I/O bank supplying the JTAG connector (typically 2.5 V or 3.3 V). Per the Cyclone Device Handbook, all VCC pins must be connected, including unused PLL analog supply pins.
The 400-ball FineLine BGA dissipates heat primarily through the balls and internal die. At 100 % toggle rate the EP1C4F400C6N typically draws 0.7-1.0 A from VCCINT, yielding 1.0-1.5 W. A four-layer FR-4 board with 1 oz copper and a continuous GND plane is sufficient; for high-utilization designs add thermal vias under the die to spread heat. Forced airflow is not required below 1.5 W but is recommended above 2.0 W. The commercial C6 grade is rated to 0 °C to +85 °C case temperature.
The 400-ball FineLine BGA uses a 1.00 mm ball pitch. Use 0.4-0.5 mm diameter solder paste apertures with NSMD (non-solder mask defined) pads to ensure reliable joints. Provide 0.5 mm escape routing through the inner row of balls; deeper rows require via-in-pad or microvia HDI stack-up. Per the Altera packaging guidelines, the breakout needs at least a 6-layer stack-up with continuous GND and VCCINT planes on layers 2 and 5. PCB fab with HDI capability and a reflow profile of 245 °C peak is required.
Do NOT leave the Cyclone I CONF_DONE pin floating - it needs a 10 kΩ pull-up to VCCIO. A common mistake is to forget the CRC error pin handling: if the CRC_ERROR pin asserts, the user application must reach the configuration error state cleanly. Also note that the Cyclone I JTAG ID is different from Cyclone II/III/IV, so JTAG chain order matters. After power-up, run the Quartus programmer and verify the device ID before assuming the part is healthy. Configuration devices must be a Cyclone I-compatible EPCS (e.g. EPCS4) - the wrong EPCS will fail to configure silently.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliance per Altera/Intel product page. Trailing 'N' in MPN indicates lead-free plating. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a commercial-grade FPGA; industrial temperature is provided as a separate variant (I6/I7N). REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status are not stated in the verified data and are marked 'unknown'.
