EP1C6Q240C8N - Cyclone FPGA 6K LEs, 240-PQFP | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1C6Q240C8N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.45 | $18.45 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.85 | $1,385.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.6 | $9,600.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6Q240C8N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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View Datasheet →EP1C6Q240C8N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone I |
| Process Technology | 0.13 µm SRAM, 1.5 V core |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 598 |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 |
| Embedded Memory Type | M4K blocks (4 Kbit each) |
| Maximum User I/O | 185 |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 275.03 MHz |
| Speed Grade | 8 (commercial, fastest) |
| Package | 240-BFQFP / PQFP-240 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Pitch | 0.5 mm |
| Configuration Method | Serial (EPCS) or JTAG |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V |
| I/O Standards Supported | LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL-2, SSTL-3 |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
EP1C6Q240C8N 240-bfqfp / pqfp-240 Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6Q240C8N (240-bfqfp / pqfp-240 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 EP1C6Q240C8N.
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
EP1C6Q240C8N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control and Motor Drive, Custom Peripheral Bridge / Glue Logic, Low-Cost Video Processing Pipelines, Legacy System Redesign and Sustainment, Educational FPGA Development Platforms, Telecom Line Card Glue Logic.
Industrial Control and Motor Drive
The EP1C6Q240C8N fits industrial control applications because its 5,980 logic elements and 185 user I/Os can absorb the PWM generation, encoder quadrature decoding, and communication glue typically required for a multi-axis motor drive. The 2 PLLs are sufficient to synthesize the carrier frequencies for three-phase inverters (typically 4-16 kHz) and a separate Ethernet or RS-485 reference clock. The 240-pin PQFP package is hand-solderable with care, supporting prototyping of industrial PCBs that must accept through-hole or wide-pitch components for harsh-environment reliability. According to the Cyclone device handbook, the device's LVTTL/LVCMOS I/O standards directly interface to 3.3 V and 5 V logic via level-shifted I/O banks, eliminating external buffers in most motor-control designs.
Recommended
Custom Peripheral Bridge / Glue Logic
The EP1C6Q240C8N is well-suited for legacy peripheral bridging because its 5,980 LEs can host 8-bit ISA-to-PCI bridges, custom memory controllers, or proprietary bus interfaces that no modern ASSP supports. The 92,160 bits of M4K RAM provide 23 dual-port or single-port RAM blocks at 4 Kbit each, which is enough for small FIFOs and lookup tables. According to Altera's Cyclone I datasheet, the device supports LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL-2, and SSTL-3 I/O standards, allowing direct connection to both 3.3 V peripherals and DDR-style memory buses without external transceivers. The 240-pin PQFP is also valuable when designing bridges for older PCBs where fine-pitch BGAs are difficult to assemble.
Recommended
Low-Cost Video Processing Pipelines
The EP1C6Q240C8N supports low-cost video processing pipelines at resolutions up to standard-definition (480i/576i) because its 5,980 LEs and 92 Kbit of block RAM are sufficient for frame buffers, color-space conversion, and simple motion-adaptive deinterlacing. The 2 PLLs synthesize pixel clocks from a 27 MHz reference, supporting common video standards. According to Altera's reference design library, the Cyclone I was widely used in surveillance DVRs and video switching matrices where cost is critical and resolution is modest. The 185 user I/Os are adequate to drive ITU-R BT.656 video buses plus an 8-bit GPIO control channel.
Recommended
Legacy System Redesign and Sustainment
The EP1C6Q240C8N is the preferred part for legacy system redesign because the Cyclone I family remains in extended-supply mode and is stocked at multiple distributors with verified authenticity. According to Intel/Altera's product longevity program, the part is supported for industrial and military customers who must sustain fielded equipment for 10+ years. The 240-pin PQFP package can be drop-shipping-compatible with predecessor designs that use older Altera FPGAs (e.g., FLEX 10K) at the same footprint. Designers needing a density upgrade can substitute the EP1C12Q240C8N in the same 240-PQFP package without PCB rework.
Recommended
Educational FPGA Development Platforms
The EP1C6Q240C8N is favored for university FPGA courses and Altera/Intel training workshops because the 240-pin PQFP is hand-solderable for lab rework and can be socketed on development boards. Its 5,980 LEs are large enough to teach VHDL/Verilog designs of moderate complexity (UART, VGA, simple CPU cores) but small enough for students to grasp timing closure without advanced tools. The Quartus II Web Edition supports Cyclone I natively, allowing free software access for academic use. According to Altera's university program, Cyclone I boards have been deployed at hundreds of institutions worldwide for digital logic education.
Recommended
Telecom Line Card Glue Logic
The EP1C6Q240C8N is used in telecom line-card glue logic where it handles TDM bus crossbar switching, HDLC framing, and LIU (Line Interface Unit) control alongside a network processor. The 2 PLLs generate the TDM bit clocks from a Stratum-3 reference, and the 185 user I/Os accommodate multiple E1/T1 interfaces plus management Ethernet. According to telecom OEM reference designs, the Cyclone I's LVTTL/LVCMOS support and SSTL-2 compatibility allow direct interface to legacy telecom ASICs that operate at 3.3 V or 1.8 V without external transceivers. The 240-PQFP package also eases rework on high-mix line-card SKUs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6Q240C8N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6Q240C8 | EP1C6Q240C7N | EP1C6Q240C6N | EP1C6Q2408N | EP1C12Q240C8N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 240-PQFP / BFQFP | 240-PQFP / BFQFP - same | 240-PQFP / BFQFP - same | 240-PQFP / BFQFP - same | 240-PQFP / BFQFP - same | 240-PQFP / BFQFP - same |
| Brand | Altera (Intel) | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same | Altera (Intel) - same |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 5,980 | 12,060 |
| Speed Grade | -8 (fastest commercial) | -8 | -7 | -6 | -8 | -8 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 275 MHz | 275 MHz | ~250 MHz | ~200 MHz | 275 MHz | 275 MHz |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 92,160 | 239,616 |
| User I/O Count | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial (0C to +85C) | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial |
| Pin Compatibility | Reference | Drop-in (same die) | Drop-in (slower speed) | Drop-in (slower speed) | Drop-in (same die) | Drop-in (2x density) |
Key Differentiators
- Highest-speed commercial bin in the Cyclone I family (vs EP1C6Q240C6N)
- Same PQFP-240 footprint supports density upgrades without PCB rework (vs EP1C12Q240C8N)
- Wide 240-pin PQFP is hand-solderable for prototyping (vs EP2C5F256 (Cyclone II))
Design Notes
The Cyclone I EP1C6Q240C8N requires a 1.5 V core supply and a 3.3 V I/O supply; both rails must ramp in the order specified by the datasheet (VCCINT before VCCIO) to prevent latch-up. According to the Cyclone device handbook, the device draws approximately 200-500 mA on VCCINT depending on logic utilization and toggle rate. Use a low-dropout regulator (e.g., TI TPS7A4501) with adequate bulk capacitance - at least 100 µF of low-ESR decoupling - to suppress core-voltage sag during configuration. Estimated: at 80% utilization and 100 MHz clock, VCCINT current is approximately 400 mA.
The 240-pin PQFP (BFQFP) has a 0.5 mm pitch and gull-wing leads on all four sides. According to the Altera package specification, the recommended PCB land pattern requires a footprint pad width of 0.30 mm and pad length of 1.50 mm to ensure reliable solder fillets. Place 0.1 µF decoupling capacitors within 5 mm of every VCCINT/VCCIO pin group, and use a solid ground plane beneath the device to minimize simultaneous-switching-noise (SSN) on the 185 I/Os.
The Cyclone I family is volatile - the configuration SRAM is lost on power-down, so the device MUST be reconfigured at every power-up via a serial configuration device (EPCS1/EPCS4) or JTAG. Forgetting to strap the MSEL pins correctly is a common board bring-up failure. Also note that JTAG instructions require TCK to be pulled low during power-up; if TCK floats high, the device enters a JTAG-driven configuration state and will not boot from EPCS.
Estimated: at maximum toggle rate, 80% utilization, and 1.5 V/100 MHz operation, the EP1C6Q240C8N dissipates roughly 0.5-0.8 W. The 240-pin PQFP has θJA ≈ 25 °C/W (with 4-layer PCB and adequate copper), giving a junction-temperature rise of ~15-20 °C above ambient. Forced-air cooling is generally not required at moderate ambient temperatures, but designers targeting industrial (-40 to +100 °C) operation should verify thermal margin at the high end of the range.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Altera/Intel material declaration. Not AEC-Q100 qualified (industrial-grade FPGAs follow separate qualification flow). Halogen-free status not separately certified by manufacturer.
