EP1C6Q240C6 - Cyclone FPGA 5980 LE 185 I/O | Altera
MPN: EP1C6Q240C6 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $40.05 | $40.05 |
| 10 | $38.5 | $385.00 |
| 25 | $36.9 | $922.50 |
| 100 | $34.25 | $3,425.00 |
| 500 | $31 | $15,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $29.5 | $29,500.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6Q240C6 — 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:
EP1C6Q240C6N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$29.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$28.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C8
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$18.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240I7N
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$21.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240I7
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ 参数待验证✓ In Stock
$21.15 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Number of Logic Elements/Cells | 5980 |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 598 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92160 |
| Number of User I/O | 185 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 405.2 MHz |
| Process Technology | 130 nm |
| Package / Case | 240-BFQFP (240-pin PQFP) |
| Terminal Form | Gull Wing (QFP) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | 6 (C6) |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (C suffix) |
| Packaging | Tray |
EP1C6Q240C6 240-bfqfp (240-pin pqfp) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6Q240C6 (240-bfqfp (240-pin pqfp) 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 EP1C6Q240C6.
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
EP1C6Q240C6 is suitable for 6 applications: Legacy Industrial I/O and Glue Logic Replacement, Parallel Bus Protocol Bridging, Parallel Sensor and Data Acquisition Front End, Parallel Video Timing and Image Sensor Interface, FPGA Development, Teaching and Design Reuse, Test and Measurement Instrument Logic.
Legacy Industrial I/O and Glue Logic Replacement
The EP1C6Q240C6 can replace multiple 74-series logic, small PALs, and early CPLDs in industrial controls because its 5,980 logic elements are sufficient for address decoding, bus arbitration, interlock logic, and parallel I/O expansion. The 185 user I/O pins can connect directly to optocouplers, relay drivers, and legacy buffers, while the 1.5 V core and 130 nm process reduce dynamic power compared with older 5 V logic. The 240-pin PQFP package is more reworkable and inspectable than a high-pin-count BGA, which matters for maintenance and field repair. An EPCS4SI8N serial configuration device can store the SRAM bitstream, allowing deterministic power-up. For higher ambient temperature environments, select the industrial EP1C6Q240I7N variant.
Recommended
Parallel Bus Protocol Bridging
Cyclone FPGAs are often used to bridge parallel buses with different timing and data widths, and the EP1C6Q240C6 has enough I/O and logic for such interfaces. A designer can map an 8-bit legacy microcontroller bus to a 16-bit DSP bus, generate chip selects, insert wait states, and perform address remapping in a single device. The 185 distinguishable user I/O pins exceed the needs of most parallel bridges, leaving spare pins for status LEDs, test headers, and handshake lines. Because the device supports operation up to 405.2 MHz internally, even a moderate-speed bridge is far below the timing ceiling, reducing the risk of setup/hold violations. Use synchronous design techniques and register all crossing signals for reliable operation in noisy industrial backplanes.
Recommended
Parallel Sensor and Data Acquisition Front End
The EP1C6Q240C6 fits into data acquisition front ends where a system must sample multiple parallel ADCs, deserialize LVCMOS sensor data, or time-stamp digital events. With 598 LABs, it can implement small FIFOs, trigger logic, counters, and a soft SPI or parallel interface to a processor. The 92,160 bits of RAM help buffer short bursts of data before transfer. The 1.5 V core voltage is comfortable for a mixed-signal board that already has 1.5 V or 1.8 V rails, but level shifting is required to drive legacy 3.3 V ADC backplanes. Use a low-jitter external oscillator for sample clocks and pay attention to simultaneous switching outputs on the 185 I/O pins by placing series resistors and limiting slew rates.
Recommended
Parallel Video Timing and Image Sensor Interface
The EP1C6Q240C6 can implement timing generation, line buffering, and pixel preprocessing for parallel video interfaces such as legacy CMOS image sensors and VGA/XGA controllers. A typical design consumes only a few thousand logic elements for line counter, pixel clock enable, blanking generation, and small FIFOs, leaving the remaining resources for image-processing functions like thresholding or Bayer interpolation. The 185 I/O pins are enough for a 16-bit parallel sensor data bus plus sync and control signals. Because the FPGA is SRAM-based, the video timing patterns are fully re-configurable without changing PCB hardware. For video clock speeds above 100 MHz, controlled impedance traces and matched group routing are recommended, although the 240-pin PQFP package inherently has larger parasitics than a modern BGA.
Recommended
FPGA Development, Teaching and Design Reuse
The EP1C6Q240C6 is often used in university laboratories and legacy development boards because 5,980 logic elements are enough to teach combinational logic, finite state machines, counters, and simple soft processor cores. Students can observe internal signals on the 185 I/O pins using logic analyzers, and the 240-pin PQFP permits easy hand soldering during repair or experimentation. Configuration can be loaded through JTAG for interactive development or from an EPCS device for stand-alone demos. The part is not recommended for new large-scale designs, but it remains useful as a low-cost entry point if the laboratory already owns Cyclone I tooling and boards. Modern Intel/Altera Quartus software may still support older families, but verify the tool version during setup.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrument Logic
For benchtop instrumentation, the EP1C6Q240C6 provides flexible digital logic for pattern generators, bit-error testing, logic analyzer trigger circuits, and bus emulation. The 5,980 logic elements can implement edge detectors, data generators, and simple sequencers, while the 185 I/O pins connect to front-end comparators and backplane interfaces. The high 405.2 MHz internal frequency enables time-interleaved counters and fine-resolution digital delay lines when constrained by an external high-frequency clock. Because test equipment often runs continuously, thermal management is important: verify the package heat dissipation under an estimated 1.5 V core current of perhaps several hundred milliamps, and provide a small airflow or copper pour if the ambient temperature is high. Add remote JTAG for production calibration updates.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6Q240C6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6Q240C6N | EP1C6Q240C8N | EP1C6Q240C8 | EP1C6Q240I7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 240-BFQFP / 240-PQFP | 240-BFQFP / 240-PQFP | 240-BFQFP / 240-PQFP | 240-BFQFP / 240-PQFP | 240-BFQFP / 240-PQFP |
| Logic Elements | 5980 | 5980 | 5980 | 5980 | 5980 |
| User I/O Count | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92160 | 92160 | 92160 | 92160 | 92160 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Maximum Internal Clock | 405.2 MHz | 405.2 MHz | [DATA_NEEDED: max fMAX for speed grade 8] | [DATA_NEEDED: max fMAX for speed grade 8] | [DATA_NEEDED: max fMAX for industrial grade 7] |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial (C) | Commercial (C) | Commercial (C) | Commercial (C) | Industrial (I) |
| RoHS / Lead-Free | Not confirmed (no N suffix) | Lead-free / RoHS (N suffix) | Lead-free / RoHS (N suffix) | Not confirmed (no N suffix) | Lead-free / RoHS (N suffix) |
Key Differentiators
- Commercial speed grade 6 offers higher timing performance than C8 variants in the same package (vs EP1C6Q240C8)
- 240-pin PQFP package allows easier inspection and rework than equivalent-density BGA FPGAs (vs EP1C6F256C7N)
- Simpler 5,980 LE density provides a lower-cost entry point than larger 240-pin Cyclone variants (vs EP1C12Q240C8N)
Design Notes
The EP1C6Q240C6 core operates from a 1.5 V supply. Because it is an older 130 nm FPGA, the exact current consumption depends on logic utilization and toggle rate; a typical 5,980 LE design can draw from several hundred mA to near 1 A in the worst case. Estimated: use a supply capable of at least 1.5 A with 1.5 V output, and decouple with a 10 uF bulk capacitor plus multiple 100 nF ceramic capacitors distributed near the FPGA power pins. Separate the 1.5 V core plane from I/O banks and place ferrite beads only if I/O noise isolation is required. Confirm all unused I/O banks are tied to an appropriate voltage and not left floating.
The 240-pin PQFP has a 24 mm square body with 0.5 mm pitch, which demands careful fan-out and adequate via placement. Use a four-layer or larger board with solid ground and power planes under the package. Add bypass capacitors as close to the VCC and GND pins as possible, ideally within 5 mm of each power pin group, and use short vias to coplanar planes. For the 185 user I/O pins, keep high-speed trace lengths matched and avoid routing parallel bus lines directly under the crystal or switching regulators. If the design uses JTAG, place a 10 kOhm pull-up on TMS and TDO as recommended by Altera configuration guidelines.
Because EP1C6Q240C6 is SRAM-based, it will not operate until the configuration image is loaded. Never omit the configuration circuit or rely on an unprogrammed device during power-on. Use an EPCS serial configuration device or program through JTAG in production. Also confirm that the configuration voltage and I/O voltage standards match your selected PROM and level shifters; legacy Cyclone devices support multiple I/O standards but the bank voltage must be correct. Finally, for new designs verify that the Quartus/Quartus II software version still includes the Cyclone family, because newer tool releases may drop support for mature FPGA families.
Compliance Information
The verified web data does not explicitly list RoHS/REACH status for EP1C6Q240C6. Altera's legacy N suffix normally designates lead-free/RoHS finish; this part lacks the N suffix, so its compliance is marked unknown until a material declaration or datasheet confirmation is obtained.
