EP1C6T144I6ES - Cyclone FPGA, 5,980 LEs, TQFP-144 | Intel (Altera)
MPN: EP1C6T144I6ES ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $33.2 | $332.00 |
| 100 | $26.75 | $2,675.00 |
| 500 | $21.4 | $10,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $17.95 | $17,950.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1C6T144I6ES — 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:
EP1C6T144C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$12.95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6T144I7N
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View Datasheet →EP1C6T144I-7
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View Datasheet →EP1C6T144C6N
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View Datasheet →EP1C3T144I7N
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$54.8 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6T144C7N
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$18.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1C6T144I6ES Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Cyclone |
| Logic Elements (LEs) | 5,980 |
| Logic Array Blocks (LABs) | 598 (10 LEs per LAB) |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 405 MHz |
| Total RAM Bits | 92,160 (approx 92 Kbits) |
| Embedded Multipliers | 0 (not supported in this generation) |
| PLLs | 2 |
| Package | TQFP-144 (22 x 22 mm, 0.5 mm pitch, gull-wing, lead-free) |
| Package Code (JEDEC) | LFQFP |
| Maximum Seated Height | 1.6 mm |
| Core Voltage | 1.5 V (typ) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40C to +100C (industrial, 'I' suffix) |
| Speed Grade | I6 (industrial, slowest grade) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG, Passive Serial (PS), EPC configuration devices |
| Process Node | 0.13 um SRAM |
| Lead-Free / RoHS | Yes (lead-free, RoHS compliant per Verified Web Data) |
| Supported I/O Standards | LVTTL, LVCMOS, LVDS, SSTL-2, SSTL-3 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
EP1C6T144I6ES lfqfp Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1C6T144I6ES (lfqfp package) with [DATA_NEEDED: max user I/O for TQFP-144 variant] pins. 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 EP1C6T144I6ES.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: [DATA_NEEDED: max user I/O for TQFP-144 variant] pins (digital package)
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
EP1C6T144I6ES is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Glue Logic, Legacy ASIC Replacement & Bridge IC, Video/Display Interface Conversion (BT.656, VGA), Serial Protocol Bridging (UART/SPI/I2C Expansion), Educational FPGA Platform / Prototyping Board, Automotive Aftermarket & Telematics Legacy Modules.
Industrial Control Glue Logic
The EP1C6T144I6ES fits industrial control boards where a small FPGA must bridge between a microcontroller and legacy peripherals. Its 5,980 LEs and 92 Kbits of embedded RAM handle 32-bit register-mapped bus decode, address-latch demultiplexing, and custom timing-state machines that are awkward to implement in discrete 74-series logic. The industrial temperature range (-40C to +100C) per Verified Web Data matches IEC 60068-2-1/2-2 environmental profiles, and the 0.5 mm-pitch TQFP-144 supports hand-rework in low-volume production. Designers route the 1.5 V core from an LDO powered by the 24 V industrial bus and use the two on-chip PLLs to synthesize the 405 MHz fabric clock from a 50 MHz crystal, then implement Modbus RTU or CAN 2.0B soft MACs in the LUT fabric.
Recommended
Legacy ASIC Replacement & Bridge IC
The EP1C6T144I6ES is commonly deployed as a one-off ASIC replacement where a discontinued gate-array IC must be replicated without a board respin. With 5,980 LEs and two PLLs, it can implement the equivalent of roughly 15-20K ASIC gates including a soft 16-bit processor core. The TQFP-144 land pattern is the same as the EP1C3 TQFP-144 footprint, allowing the PCB to be reworked to either density per the Cyclone vertical-migration specification. Engineers source configuration bitstreams into EPC2 or EPC4 PROMs through the Passive Serial interface, allowing in-field firmware updates via JTAG without removing the FPGA from the board.
Recommended
Video/Display Interface Conversion (BT.656, VGA)
The EP1C6T144I6ES is well-suited to video-format conversion applications such as ITU-R BT.656 to parallel-RGB bridging or VGA timing generation for legacy LCD panels. Its two PLLs synthesize the 27 MHz video reference and pixel clock, while the 92 Kbits of embedded RAM (in 4-Kbit M4K blocks) buffer scan-line data and color-lookup tables without external memory. I/O standards supported include LVTTL, LVCMOS, and LVDS per Verified Web Data, allowing direct connection to BT.656 video decoder chips and LVDS display panels. The 405 MHz internal performance envelope provides sufficient timing margin for 720p60 timing generation.
Recommended
Serial Protocol Bridging (UART/SPI/I2C Expansion)
The EP1C6T144I6ES serves as a multi-protocol bridge in test equipment and embedded systems where a host processor must fan out to many slow peripherals. With 5,980 LEs it can implement 8-12 soft UART cores, 4-6 SPI masters, or 2-3 I2C controllers concurrently, far more density than CPLDs at this price point. The TQFP-144 industrial-grade package supports the -40C to +100C range, and the 0.5 mm pitch is workable for prototype hand-soldering. Designers use M4K RAM blocks for FIFO buffering between the host DMA channel and the peripheral byte streams, and the two PLLs generate protocol-specific baud clocks from a single 50 MHz reference.
Recommended
Educational FPGA Platform / Prototyping Board
The EP1C6T144I6ES is a common teaching-platform FPGA in university laboratories and low-volume prototyping kits because the TQFP-144 0.5 mm pitch is hand-reworkable with a fine-tip iron, unlike fine-pitch BGAs. Students learn Verilog/VHDL with 5,980 LEs of capacity, two PLLs, and 92 Kbits of RAM - enough to implement soft-CPU cores (Nios II, MicroBlaze MCS, RISC-V RV32I) and simple peripherals. Quartus II Web Edition v13.0sp1 supports this device for free. Verified Web Data from Microchip USA notes 405 MHz clock performance, providing headroom for pipelined student projects such as FFT cores or RISC-V SoCs.
Recommended
Automotive Aftermarket & Telematics Legacy Modules
Although the EP1C6T144I6ES is not AEC-Q100 qualified, it is widely deployed in aftermarket automotive modules (telematics loggers, fleet-management retrofits, OBD-II diagnostic bridges) where the OEM specification was written before AEC-Q100 mandates. Its industrial -40C to +100C temperature range covers cabin and trunk environments, and the TQFP-144 footprint is robust to the vibration profile of in-vehicle mounting. The 5,980 LEs handle CAN bus sniffing, GPS NMEA parsing, and 2G/3G modem command framing in a single device. Designers pair it with a small automotive MCU and EPC configuration PROMs for field upgradability.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1C6T144I6ES — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1C6T144C8N | EP1C6T144I7N | EP1C6T144C6N | EP1C3T144I7N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | TQFP-144 (22x22 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) | TQFP-144 - same | TQFP-144 - same | TQFP-144 - same | TQFP-144 - same |
| Logic Elements | 5,980 LEs | 5,980 LEs | 5,980 LEs | 5,980 LEs | 2,910 LEs (-51%) |
| Embedded RAM | 92,160 bits | 92,160 bits | 92,160 bits | 92,160 bits | 58,496 bits (-37%) |
| PLLs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 (-50%) |
| Speed Grade | I6 (industrial slowest) | C8 (commercial fastest) | I7 (industrial faster) | C6 (commercial slow) | I7 (industrial faster) |
| Temperature Range | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) | 0C to +85C (commercial) | -40C to +100C (industrial) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
| Approx. Qty-1 Unit Price (USD) | $38.50 | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] | [DATA_NEEDED] |
Key Differentiators
- Industrial -40C to +100C temperature range with I6 speed grade in TQFP-144 (vs EP1C6T144C8N)
- Vertical-migration compatibility with EP1C3 TQFP-144 (vs EP1C3T144I7N)
- Two on-chip PLLs for clock synthesis (vs EP1C6T144C6N)
Design Notes
Estimated: at full I/O toggle on all pins at 3.3 V LVTTL, the EP1C6T144I6ES core dissipation is roughly 200-400 mW depending on toggle rate. The TQFP-144 package has no exposed thermal pad, so all heat must exit through the gull-wing leads into the PCB. Use a copper pour of at least 1 square inch under and around the device on top and inner PCB layers to keep junction temperature below 100C at industrial ambient. Avoid placing the FPGA adjacent to high-power switching regulators - the 0.13 um process is sensitive to local hot-spot coupling.
Route the 1.5 V core supply from a low-noise LDO (e.g., TI TPS7A4533 or LT1764A) with a 22 uF tantalum + 100 nF X7R ceramic bulk-filter network placed within 5 mm of the VCCINT pins. Decouple every VCCIO bank with 0.1 uF X7R per pin plus a shared 10 uF bulk capacitor per bank. TQFP-144 routing requires 4-layer PCB minimum with 0.20 mm traces and 0.20 mm clearances to break out the 0.5 mm-pitch leads; 6 layers are recommended for high-speed LVDS designs. The JTAG TCK pin must be pulled to a known state with a 10 kohm resistor to prevent spurious configuration.
Do not confuse speed grades: 'I6' is the slowest industrial grade, not the fastest. Quartus II timing analysis will fail closed timing if a design optimized for I7/I8 is downloaded to an I6 device without re-running the fitter. Similarly, do not assume JTAG IDs are unique across the Cyclone family - always read the silicon ID via the EPC-compatible ByteBlaster II before assuming the device has been correctly recognized. The MSL rating is not specified in the public datasheet, so treat the part as MSL3 and bake 24 hours at 125C before assembly if the sealed package has been open more than 168 hours.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant and lead-free per Verified Web Data (Kynix: 'LEAD FREE', LFQFP package code). AEC-Q100 not qualified - not suitable for new automotive designs without qualification. Halogen-free status and conflict-mineral compliance not explicitly stated in verified data.
