EP1M120F15FC484 - Mercury FPGA, 120K Gates, FCBGA-484 | Intel / Altera
MPN: EP1M120F15FC484 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $145 | $145.00 |
| 10 | $132.5 | $1,325.00 |
| 100 | $118 | $11,800.00 |
| 500 | $105 | $52,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $92 | $92,000.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1M120F15FC484 — 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:
EP1M120F484C6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$198 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1M120F484I6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$95 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1M120B484C7A
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$52 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1M120B484I6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$213.75 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1M120B484C8A
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$62 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP1M120F15FC484 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | Mercury |
| Logic Elements | 4,800 |
| Typical Gates | 120,000 |
| Maximum User I/O Pins | 303 |
| Total RAM Bits | 49,152 |
| Embedded Memory Blocks | Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) |
| Speed Grade | F15 (-1.5) |
| Package | 484-ball FineLine BGA (FCBGA) |
| Ball Pitch | 1.0 mm |
| Process Technology | 0.18 um SRAM |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V |
| I/O Voltage (VCCIO) | 3.3 V |
| Configuration | SRAM, supports EPC4/EPC8/EPC16 |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP1M120F15FC484 484-ball fineline bga (fcbga) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1M120F15FC484 (484-ball fineline bga (fcbga) package) with 303 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 EP1M120F15FC484.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 303 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
EP1M120F15FC484 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Backplane Interface, DSP Co-Processing Engine, Networking Switch Glue Logic, DDR Memory Controller Front-End, Industrial Control Logic, ASIC Prototyping Platform.
Telecom Backplane Interface
The EP1M120F15FC484 fits telecom backplane interface cards because it combines 303 user I/O pins with LVDS and SSTL I/O support, enabling multi-channel source-synchronous links between line cards and a switch fabric. Its 4,800 LEs deliver enough logic for 8b/10b encoding, CRC generation, and per-channel framing without external glue logic. The 1.5 V core keeps dynamic power manageable on a 3.3 V backplane, while the dedicated PLL multiplies a 77.76 MHz reference to the 311 MHz rates used in standard telecom fabrics. Drop-in compatibility with the -6 speed grade (EP1M120F484C6) lets designers reserve the right to upgrade Fmax without PCB rework.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing Engine
The EP1M120F15FC484 suits DSP co-processing because its 49,152 bits of embedded RAM (ESBs) provide single-cycle access for FIR filter coefficients and data samples. The 4,800 LEs deliver roughly 4 GMACs of throughput when implementing 16-bit MAC pipelines, and the carry chains support fast adders and accumulators. The 1.5 V core keeps power within a 2 W envelope, suitable for plug-in DSP modules on host cards. Designers can pipeline an entire FFT butterfly or correlate-and-sum operation into one device, offloading the host processor.
Recommended
Networking Switch Glue Logic
The EP1M120F15FC484 fits networking switch glue logic because its 303 I/O pins accept LVTTL, LVCMOS, GTL+, and SSTL standards used by PHY and switch ASICs of the era. The Mercury MultiTrack interconnect gives predictable timing on fanout-heavy glue paths such as LED drivers, port-status aggregation, and I2C/SPI management bus muxes. With 4,800 LEs the device comfortably absorbs a full 24-port managed Ethernet switch's logic tail. The 1.5 V core / 3.3 V I/O split simplifies power sequencing with adjacent switch ASICs.
Recommended
DDR Memory Controller Front-End
The EP1M120F15FC484 fits DDR memory controller front-ends because its per-pin delay chains and SSTL-2 I/O support compensate for DDR timing skew at up to 167 MHz. The ESB-based FIFO buffers isolate read/write domains, and 4,800 LEs absorb the command scheduler, refresh logic, and parity generation. The 1.5 V core interfaces cleanly to 2.5 V SSTL I/O through VCCIO bank programming. Designers can prototype a DDR controller before committing to ASIC flow.
Recommended
Industrial Control Logic
The EP1M120F15FC484 fits industrial control because the Mercury die integrates 4,800 LEs with 49,152 RAM bits for state-machine and lookup-table based control logic. The 303 I/O pins support 24 mA drive strength for opto-isolated inputs and relay drivers, and the dedicated PLL cleans noisy industrial clock sources. Its 0.18-um process tolerates extended thermal stress when paired with the industrial-temperature EP1M120F484I6 drop-in. Engineers typically implement PID loops, motion-control state machines, and protocol bridges (Modbus, CAN) on this device.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
The EP1M120F15FC484 fits ASIC prototyping because the 4,800 LEs are large enough to map representative RTL blocks and the 49,152 RAM bits model embedded SRAM accurately. Designers can validate IO ring behaviour with LVDS, SSTL, and GTL+ standards before committing to a 0.18-um ASIC shuttle. The SRAM-based configuration allows infinite design iterations, and JTAG-based downloads accelerate regression cycles. The Mercury family shares the Quartus II flow with Cyclone, easing migration once the prototype is verified.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1M120F15FC484 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1M120F484C6 | EP1M120F484I6 | EP1M120B484C7A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) | Intel (Altera) |
| Package | 484-ball FCBGA | 484-ball FCBGA (same) | 484-ball FCBGA (same) | 484-ball FCBGA (same) |
| Speed Grade | F15 (-1.5) | -6 (faster) | -6 (faster) | -7 (slower) |
| Logic Elements | 4,800 | 4,800 (same die) | 4,800 (same die) | 4,800 (same die) |
| Total RAM Bits | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 |
| Maximum User I/O | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| Operating Temperature | [DATA_NEEDED: commercial/industrial] | Commercial (0C to +70C) | Industrial (-40C to +100C) | Commercial (0C to +70C) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
| Typical Unit Price (2026-09-07) | USD 145 | USD 165 (faster grade premium) | USD 195 (industrial premium) | USD 110 (slower grade discount) |
Key Differentiators
- Slowest speed grade in Mercury family (vs EP1M120F484C6)
- Commercial temperature grade (vs EP1M120F484I6)
- FCBGA-484 high-density package (vs EP1M120B484C7A)
Design Notes
Estimated: The EP1M120F15FC484 has a 1.5 V core (VCCINT) and 3.3 V I/O (VCCIO). With all 303 I/O at 24 mA and a 50% toggle rate, I/O power can exceed 1.2 W; the core adds another 0.5-1.5 W depending on utilization. Provide at least four 100 uF bulk capacitors and sixteen 0.1 uF decoupling capacitors around the FCBGA-484 footprint to keep the VCCINT ripple under 50 mVpp.
Estimated: For a 1.5 W core and 1.2 W I/O load on the FCBGA-484 package (theta_JA ~12 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board), junction temperature rises about 32 C above ambient. In a sealed enclosure at 55 C ambient, junction temperature stays below the 125 C commercial limit, but designers should still specify a thermal pad under the BGA and thermal vias to the inner ground plane.
Use a 1.0 mm pitch FCBGA land pattern with non-solder-mask-defined (NSMD) pads to improve solder joint reliability. Place 0.1 uF decoupling capacitors on the inner layer directly beneath the BGA, and route all VCCINT/VCCIO power planes as split planes with stitching vias every 5 mm. Maintain 50 ohm controlled impedance for LVDS pairs and length-match within 150 mil across an 8-bit bus.
Do not confuse the F15 speed grade with a -6 grade: F15 corresponds to -1.5 (slowest tier) and runs significantly slower than -6. Do not assume EPC16 configuration works without 3.3 V VCCIO on dedicated configuration pins. Do not omit the JTAG TCK pull-down resistor when designing boundary-scan fixtures.
Compliance Information
Operating temperature grade not specified in provided data. RoHS and REACH status unknown - the Altera Mercury family predates Intel's RoHS compliance disclosures.
