EP1M120F484I6 - Mercury FPGA 49K LE 303 I/O 484-BGA | Altera
MPN: EP1M120F484I6 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $145 | $145.00 |
| 10 | $132.5 | $1,325.00 |
| 100 | $118 | $11,800.00 |
| 250 | $105 | $26,250.00 |
| 500 | $95 | $47,500.00 |
Drop-in alternatives for EP1M120F484I6 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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EP1M120F484I5N
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View Datasheet →EP1M120F484I6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Mercury (EP1M) |
| Family | Altera / Intel Mercury programmable logic device (PLD) |
| Logic Elements | 49,152 |
| Memory Bits | 4,800 (480 Kbits) |
| Number of LABs/CLBs | 480 |
| User I/Os | 303 |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Speed Grade | -6 |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Industrial) |
| Package Type | 484-BBGA, FCBGA (FineLine BGA) |
| Pins / Balls | 484 |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| High-Speed Transceivers | Integrated CDR-based, up to 1.25 Gbps |
| Transceiver Channels (1.25 Gbps) | Up to 4 channels on EP1M120 (EP1M350 up to 8) |
| Design Tool | Altera Quartus II |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
EP1M120F484I6 484-bbga, fcbga (fineline bga) Pin Configuration Guide
Complete pinout information for EP1M120F484I6 (484-bbga, fcbga (fineline bga) package) with 484 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 EP1M120F484I6.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Estimated pin count: 484 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
EP1M120F484I6 is suitable for 6 applications: Telecom Line Cards and Serial Backplanes, Industrial Networking Switches and Routers, Storage Bridging and Protocol Conversion Cards, Test and Measurement Instrumentation, ASIC Prototyping and Migration Targets, Military and Aerospace Avionics Bridges.
Telecom Line Cards and Serial Backplanes
The EP1M120F484I6's integrated 1.25 Gbps CDR-based transceivers make it well-suited for telecom line cards and serial backplanes. The 49,152 logic elements support multi-protocol packet processing, while the 480 Kbits of embedded memory handle cell/packet buffering at line rate. The 303 user I/Os on the 484-FineLine-BGA package provide ample fan-out for parallel bus interfaces to network processors and PHY devices. Placed as the central glue-logic device, the EP1M120F484I6 bridges between a network processor and multiple SFP/SERDES links. Pair with the Altera CY22150 clock generator and external PHY transceivers for a complete telecom line-card reference design.
Recommended
Industrial Networking Switches and Routers
Industrial networking switches and routers benefit from the EP1M120F484I6's combination of 49K logic elements and multi-gigabit serial I/O. The -6 speed grade and industrial 0-85C temperature range support deployment in uncontrolled-temperature enclosures, while the 303 user I/Os expose enough parallel bandwidth for PHY aggregation and management interfaces. Designers typically implement Ethernet MACs, switch fabrics, and management-plane controllers in the FPGA fabric. The Quartus II design flow with worst-case timing analysis is suitable for static-timing closure on industrial-networking builds.
Recommended
Storage Bridging and Protocol Conversion Cards
Storage bridging cards (Fibre Channel to SATA, SCSI to SATA, etc.) historically used the EP1M120F484I6 because its 1.25 Gbps CDR transceivers could implement Fibre Channel 1G links while the 49K logic elements handled protocol state machines. The 480 Kbits of embedded memory provided packet buffering without external SRAM, simplifying PCB layout. The 484-FineLine-BGA package allowed dense routing of 303 user I/Os to multiple storage PHYs. Use the EP1M120F484I6 when migrating legacy storage designs or when bridging between parallel storage PHYs and serial interconnect.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Instrumentation
Test and measurement instruments with serial data acquisition ports use the EP1M120F484I6 because its integrated CDR transceivers to 1.25 Gbps implement protocol-aware trigger and capture logic without an external PHY. The 49,152 logic elements support custom DSP-style measurement kernels, while the 480 Kbits of embedded memory buffer acquisition samples between transfers. The industrial temperature grade ensures stable operation in lab and field environments. Designers can pair the FPGA with high-speed ADCs and DACs to build protocol-aware oscilloscope front-ends and serial-bus analyzers.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping and Migration Targets
The EP1M120F484I6 serves as an ASIC prototyping and pre-silicon validation platform for designs targeting the Mercury family. With 49K logic elements, the FPGA approximates medium-complexity ASIC designs while preserving timing-accurate I/O. The Quartus II design flow with full simulation and worst-case timing analysis lets designers validate RTL before committing to mask sets. For low-volume production or bridge production between ASIC revisions, the EP1M120F484I6 can ship as the production part. Use it as a long-lifecycle replacement platform when ASIC NRE costs cannot be amortized.
Recommended
Military and Aerospace Avionics Bridges
Military and aerospace avionics bridges (1553 to Ethernet, ARINC 429 to serial, etc.) historically deployed the EP1M120F484I6 because of its combination of industrial temperature grade, integrated 1.25 Gbps CDR transceivers, and high logic density. The 49K logic elements support MIL-STD-1553 protocol state machines, while the 303 user I/Os expose enough pins for multiple avionics buses. Designers should validate ruggedization requirements (vibration, humidity) beyond the Altera datasheet's 0-85C industrial temperature range. Pair with Mil-grade transceivers like the Holt HI-3593 for MIL-STD-1553.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP1M120F484I6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP1M120F484I5N | EP1M120F484C8A | EP1M120F484C8N | EP1M120F484C8ES | EP1M120F484C6 | EP1M120B484C8A | EP1M120F484 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Package | 484-FineLine-BGA (FCBGA) | 484-FineLine-BGA - same | 484-FineLine-BGA - same | 484-FineLine-BGA - same | 484-FineLine-BGA - same | 484-FineLine-BGA - same | 484-BGA - same | 484-FineLine-BGA - same |
| Logic Elements | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 | 49,152 |
| User I/Os | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 | 303 |
| Speed Grade | -6 | -5 (slower) | -8 (faster) | -8 (faster) | -8 (faster) | -6 (same) | -8 (faster) | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +85C (Industrial) | 0C to +85C (Industrial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | 0C to +70C (Commercial) | [DATA_NEEDED] |
| Embedded Memory (Kbits) | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 |
| Integrated Transceivers | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) | 1.25 Gbps CDR (4 channels) |
| Core Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated CDR-based 1.25 Gbps transceivers (vs EP1K100FC484-2)
- Industrial 0-85C temperature grade at the -6 speed grade (vs EP1M120F484C8A)
- High logic density (49K LE) with 303 user I/Os in single BGA (vs EP1C6TC144)
Design Notes
The EP1M120F484I6 requires a clean 1.8 V core supply with adequate decoupling to support its 49K logic elements and integrated CDR transceivers. Use a low-noise LDO such as the Altera-supported EN63A0A or TI TPS7A4701 between a 3.3 V or 5 V intermediate rail and the 1.8 V core. Place at least one 470 uF bulk capacitor and several 10 uF/0.1 uF ceramic capacitors adjacent to the BGA power balls. CDR transceivers are sensitive to core-supply noise; insufficient decoupling directly degrades bit-error-rate on 1.25 Gbps links.
The 484-FineLine-BGA package typically uses 1.0 mm ball pitch. Design a PCB stackup with at least 4 layers and use microvias (laser-drilled or stacked) for inner-row ball fan-out. Each user I/O ball requires escape routing to inner layers; route signal traces on layers 2 and 4 with continuous reference planes on layers 1 and 3. Maintain 50 ohm single-ended and 100 ohm differential impedance for the high-speed serial links. Keep BGA keep-out volume below the package body to avoid component collisions on the bottom side.
Provide clean PLL reference clocks with low jitter (<50 ps RMS) to the EP1M120F484I6 clock input pins. Place clock-generation ICs such as the CY22150 within 50 mm of the FPGA clock inputs to minimize signal-integrity degradation. Match differential-pair lengths to within 150 mil for 1.25 Gbps CDR transceivers to maintain CDR lock. Reference each transceiver pair to an uninterrupted ground plane; do not route across plane splits.
Estimated: at typical 1.8 V core activity and 100 MHz fabric clock, the EP1M120F484I6 dissipates approximately 2-4 W internally. Use thermal vias beneath the BGA thermal pad to spread heat to inner copper layers. For enclosed industrial enclosures, derate activity or add forced-air cooling to keep junction temperature below 125C. Mercury family parts in FineLine BGA have theta_JA around 15-20 C/W with proper thermal via arrays - verify with the Altera application note on Mercury thermal management.
Common pitfalls when designing with the EP1M120F484I6: (1) do not exceed 1.95 V on the core supply or the device will be damaged; (2) configure MSEL pins correctly for the chosen configuration scheme (AS, AP, PS, or JTAG); (3) respect I/O banking rules - each bank has a single VCCIO and not all I/O standards are supported on all banks; (4) provide proper reset sequencing to the CONF_DONE pin before initiating configuration. Failure to follow these steps is the leading cause of first-prototype bring-up issues on Mercury family parts.
Compliance Information
Compliance status for the EP1M120F484I6 is not specified in the verified web data. Mercury family parts were originally released circa 2000-2003 in FineLine BGA packages - Pb-free variants use the 'A' suffix (e.g., EP1M120F484C8A). Contact Altera/Intel for current RoHS/REACH certification status. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a programmable logic device, not an automotive-qualified analog IC.
