EP1C6Q240C8 - Cyclone FPGA, 6K LEs, 240-PQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1C6Q240C8 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $33.2 | $332.00 |
| 100 | $27.8 | $2,780.00 |
| 500 | $22.5 | $11,250.00 |
| 1,000 | $18.9 | $18,900.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6Q240C8 — 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:
EP1C6Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$9.6 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C7
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$17.16 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$28.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$29.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$29.9 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C12Q240C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$24.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C8 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone |
| Family | Cyclone I |
| Process Technology | 0.13 micrometer, all-layer copper SRAM |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 5,980 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 185 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 |
| Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) | 2 |
| Maximum User I/O | 185 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 C to +85 C (commercial) |
| Speed Grade | 8 |
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (Q240), 34.60 x 34.60 mm, 0.50 mm pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Configuration Modes | Active Serial, Passive Serial, JTAG |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, PCI |
EP1C6Q240C8 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 2 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 3 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage |
| Pin 4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 5 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 6 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 7 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 8 | VCCINT — Core supply voltage (1.5 V) |
| Pin 9 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 10 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 1) |
| Pin 20 | VCCIO1 — I/O bank 1 supply voltage |
| Pin 30 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 40 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 50 | VCCIO2 — I/O bank 2 supply voltage |
| Pin 60 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 2) |
| Pin 70 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 80 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 3) |
| Pin 90 | VCCIO3 — I/O bank 3 supply voltage |
| Pin 100 | TCK — JTAG clock input |
| Pin 110 | I/O — User I/O pin (bank 4) |
| Pin 120 | TMS — JTAG mode select input |
| Pin 130 | TDO — JTAG data output |
| Pin 140 | TDI — JTAG data input |
| Pin 150 | nSTATUS — Configuration status |
| Pin 160 | nCONFIG — Configuration control |
| Pin 170 | CONF_DONE — Configuration done |
| Pin 180 | DCLK — Configuration clock |
| Pin 190 | DATA0 — Configuration data input |
| Pin 200 | MSEL0 — Configuration mode select 0 |
| Pin 210 | MSEL1 — Configuration mode select 1 |
| Pin 220 | PLL1_OUTp — PLL1 clock output |
| Pin 230 | VCCPLL — PLL analog supply (1.5 V) |
| Pin 240 | GND — Ground |
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
EP1C6Q240C8 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control & Factory Automation, Telecommunications Line Cards, Video Processing & Display Controllers, Consumer Electronics & Set-Top Box Logic, Low-Cost DSP Front-End, Educational & University Lab Boards.
Industrial Control & Factory Automation
The EP1C6Q240C8 fits industrial control because its 5,980 logic elements and 185 user I/O provide headroom for multi-axis motor control state machines, encoder interfaces, and safety-logic monitoring. The 240-pin PQFP footprint supports through-hole-friendly prototyping on FR-4 control boards and the 0 to 85 C commercial range covers most factory-floor environments. Designers typically pair it with 3.3 V LVCMOS peripherals; VCCIO banks allow mixed 1.5 V/2.5 V/3.3 V I/O without level shifters. The two PLLs synthesize motor PWM clocks, and the 92 Kbit embedded RAM implements axis trajectory tables and PID lookup tables, eliminating external SRAM and reducing BOM cost in PLC and machine-vision systems.
Recommended
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP1C6Q240C8 was historically deployed in telecom line cards for protocol bridging, framer interfacing, and TDM switching. Its 185 I/O support LVTTL/LVCMOS/SSTL standards commonly found on T1/E1 framer ICs, and the dedicated PLL resources generate the 1.544 MHz / 2.048 MHz TDM clocks from a single system reference. The 92 Kbit embedded RAM implements small packet buffers and channel-association tables. For new telecom designs, however, the Cyclone family is obsolete; current line-card designs use Cyclone V or Arria series FPGAs with hardened transceivers for higher reliability and lifecycle support.
Recommended
Video Processing & Display Controllers
Video processing boards benefit from the EP1C6Q240C8's 5,980 LEs to implement color-space conversion, frame-rate conversion, and on-screen display (OSD) overlays. The 92 Kbit embedded RAM fits several scan-line buffers for de-interlacing or alpha blending at standard definition (480i/576i). The 185 user I/O directly drive parallel RGB panels or BT.656 video ADCs/DACs, and the two PLLs generate pixel clocks from an external 27 MHz reference. The PQFP-240 package is convenient for prototype video breakout boards, but production designs targeting HD video typically require larger Cyclone IV or Cyclone V devices with embedded multipliers.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics & Set-Top Box Logic
The EP1C6Q240C8 was widely adopted in cost-sensitive consumer electronics including set-top box glue logic, LCD TV scalar boards, and digital photo frame controllers. Its 5,980 LEs and 185 I/O fit the back-end of an MPEG-2 decoder providing HDMI/YPbPr output formatting and audio mixing. The 1.5 V core voltage reduces power dissipation for always-on consumer appliances, and the PQFP-240 package supports low-cost PCB assembly. Consumer designs should note that the part is obsolete; current equivalent density is offered by Cyclone 10 LP 10CL006 or Lattice iCE40 families with longer production windows.
Recommended
Low-Cost DSP Front-End
Low-cost DSP front-ends such as software-defined radio (SDR) preselectors, audio effects processors, and vibration analysis cards used the EP1C6Q240C8 as a sample-rate conversion and FIR filter engine. Its 5,980 LEs and 18 embedded multiplier blocks (per Cyclone family datasheet) implement multi-channel FIR filters and Goertzel algorithms at audio rates. The 92 Kbit embedded RAM functions as a coefficient store and circular delay line. While the EP1C6 is obsolete today, the architecture illustrates how mid-density FPGAs deliver DSP functionality at ASIC-comparable unit cost when the volume is high enough.
Recommended
Educational & University Lab Boards
University digital logic and computer architecture labs deploy the EP1C6Q240C8 because the PQFP-240 package is breadboard-friendly (with a breakout PCB) and the Cyclone architecture is well-documented in textbooks. Students implement RISC-V or MIPS cores, simple VGA controllers, and I2C/SPI peripherals using the 5,980 LEs and 185 I/O. The Quartus II Web Edition (free) supports the EP1C6 device family, and the Quartus Programmer works with the low-cost USB-Blaster cable. The obsolete status is not a barrier for educational use; universities can stock recycled or specialty-stock parts for years of lab sessions.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6Q240C8 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6Q240C8N | EP1C6Q240C7 | EP1C6Q240C6N | EP1C12Q240C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same | 240-pin PQFP (Q240) - same |
| Brand | Intel (formerly Altera) | Intel / Altera | Intel / Altera | Intel / Altera | Intel / Altera |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 12,060 |
| LABs | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 312 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 239,616 |
| Speed Grade | 8 (slowest) | 8 | 7 (faster) | 6 (fastest) | 8 |
| Lead-Free (RoHS) | No (leaded) | Yes (Pb-free) | No (leaded) | Yes (Pb-free) | Yes (Pb-free) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Drop-in lead-free variant exists with same silicon (vs EP1C6Q240C8N)
- Higher-density pin-compatible upgrade option (vs EP1C12Q240C8N)
- Faster speed grade pin-compatible options available (vs EP1C6Q240C7)
Design Notes
The EP1C6Q240C8 requires three distinct supply rails: VCCINT (1.5 V nominal, 1.425 V to 1.575 V tolerance) for core logic, VCCIO (per bank, 1.5 V to 3.3 V depending on I/O standard) for user I/O, and VCCPLL (1.5 V analog) for the two PLL blocks. Decouple each VCCINT pin pair with a 0.1 microfarad X7R ceramic placed within 100 mils of the package. Add a bulk 47 to 100 microfarad tantalum near the PQFP-240's power pins. Isolate VCCPLL from VCCINT with a ferrite bead (600 ohms at 100 MHz) and a 10 microfarad + 0.1 microfarad LC pi-filter; PLL analog noise directly degrades jitter and clock stability.
Estimated: The PQFP-240 package has a theta_JA of approximately 25 C/W with standard JEDEC four-layer PCB airflow. At 275 MHz toggle rate and 80 percent logic utilization, ICC core current is approximately 200 mA. Total power = 1.5 V x 0.20 A + I/O contribution = approximately 0.3 W plus I/O. Junction temperature rise above ambient is approximately 7.5 C, well within the 85 C commercial limit. Estimated: this assumes typical I/O activity of 50 percent; designs with sustained 100 percent switching on many I/O should add airflow. The PQFP's exposed die-pad option is not present on this part, so use copper pours on top and bottom layers tied to GND.
Route configuration signals (nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, DCLK, DATA0) with 50 ohm controlled impedance and keep them shorter than 50 mm when using Passive Serial mode. Place the EPCS configuration memory within 25 mm of the FPGA to meet active-serial hold-time. Use JTAG chain pinout consistent with TCK pulled to GND through 1 kilohm and TMS/TDI pulled up to VCCIO through 10 kilohm, per IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan requirements. Reserve four GND pins under the package's perimeter for solid stitch vias forming a Faraday cage around the die.
Do not connect VCCIO banks to different voltages unless each bank's I/O standard matches the chosen VCCIO value (e.g., 3.3 V VCCIO for LVCMOS33). Mixing LVTTL 5 V tolerant signaling on this 1.5 V core device is NOT supported despite legacy Altera naming - the EP1C6 is a 1.5 V core device, not 5 V tolerant. Do not exceed 1.575 V on VCCINT or latchup will occur. Do not leave MSEL0/MSEL1 floating - they must be tied to GND or VCCIO to select AS/PS/JTAG mode. Failure to connect nSTATUS to a 10 kilohm pull-up will cause configuration to fail intermittently.
Compliance Information
The EP1C6Q240C8 is the leaded (SnPb) commercial variant; the EP1C6Q240C8N suffix denotes the lead-free RoHS-compliant variant. RoHS status for the EP1C6Q240C8N is compliant. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a commercial-grade FPGA.
