XC3S50-5TQG144C - 50K Spartan-3 FPGA | AMD | 144-TQFP
MPN: XC3S50-5TQG144C ✗ End of LifeXC3S50-5TQG144C Overview
A field-programmable gate array is a semiconductor whose digital logic and interconnect are configured after manufacture. Within the product hierarchy, an FPGA is a programmable logic device and a semiconductor. The Spartan-3 family combines configurable logic blocks, programmable I/O, embedded block RAM, dedicated multipliers, and clock-management resources, allowing one device to implement control logic, data processing, interfaces, and small embedded systems.
The XC3S50-5TQG144C combines 50,000 system gates with 1,728 logic cells and 97 available I/O in a 144-lead TQFP package. Its 1.2 V core supply reduces core power requirements, while the -5 speed designation corresponds to the 725 MHz maximum figure reported in the supplied product data. The commercial temperature range shown by the verified listings is 0°C to 85°C.
This device is manufactured using 90 nm technology, positioning it as a cost-oriented, low-density FPGA rather than a high-performance FPGA with large on-chip memories. Configuration data programs the logic fabric and I/O standards, allowing hardware revisions and field updates without changing the printed circuit board. Because the package exposes many I/O in a relatively compact surface-mount format, PCB routing and power delivery remain central design constraints.
Typical uses include industrial control, consumer electronics, embedded systems, communications interfaces, instrumentation, and general-purpose digital logic. Its 97 I/O make it particularly useful where external memory, parallel buses, status indicators, sensors, or multiple digital interfaces must connect to programmable logic. The 144-pin package also offers more I/O than a small PLD while remaining manageable for multilayer board assembly.
Designers should verify the exact pinout, configuration interface, supported I/O standards, bank supply voltages, and decoupling requirements against the Spartan-3 manufacturer documentation before layout release. Because this is a legacy programmable-logic platform, toolchain availability, configuration-device compatibility, and long-term procurement should be confirmed during product planning.
This page consolidates the verified distributor specifications, practical design considerations, and carefully qualified same-footprint alternatives for XC3S50-5TQG144C. It also distinguishes documented production options from unavailable or unverified engineering data so engineers can make a defensible sourcing and design decision.
Drop-in alternatives for XC3S50-5TQG144C — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with XC3S50-5TQG144C (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Supply Voltage, Device Type, Logic Cells, Maximum Clock Frequency, Package.
XC3S50-5TQ144C
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
XC3S50-4TQ144C
✅ Drop-InContact for price
View Datasheet →XC3S50-4TQG144I
✅ Drop-InContact for price
View Datasheet →XC3S50A-5TQG144C
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
XC3S50AN-5TQG144C
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
XC3S50AN-4TQG144C
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
XC3S50-5TQG144C Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Device Type | FPGA |
| FPGA Family | Spartan-3 |
| System Gates | 50,000 gates |
| Logic Cells | 1,728 cells |
| Logic Blocks | 192 blocks |
| I/O Count | 97 I/O |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 725 MHz |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.2 V |
| Process Technology | 90 nm |
| Package | 144-pin TQFP |
| Package Code | TQ144 |
| Lead-Free Status | Lead free |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 85°C |
| Mounting Type | Surface mount |
| Terminal Count | 144 terminals |
| Terminal Form | Gull wing |
| Package Shape | Square |
XC3S50-5TQG144C square Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for XC3S50-5TQG144C (square 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 XC3S50-5TQG144C.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
XC3S50-5TQG144C is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Logic, Embedded System Interface Hub, Communications Interface Consolidation, Data Acquisition Front End, Consumer Electronics Control, Programmable Test and Measurement.
Industrial Control Logic
The AMD XC3S50-5TQG144C fits industrial control systems that combine parallel digital I/O with programmable sequencing, monitoring, and communication logic. Its verified 97 I/O provide connections for sensors, actuators, status LEDs, counters, and bus transceivers, while 1,728 logic cells provide substantially more implementation capacity than a basic CPLD. The device can be placed between field-level sensors and a higher-level controller, performing debouncing, limit checks, pulse counting, and state-machine sequencing in parallel with the main processor. The 0°C to 85°C listing is relevant to many commercial industrial environments, although extended-temperature requirements must be checked separately. Exact I/O voltage standards and configuration security features should be confirmed from the manufacturer documentation before schematic release.
Recommended
Embedded System Interface Hub
XC3S50-5TQG144C is well suited to interface-hub designs that bridge external memories, parallel buses, and processor peripherals. Its 97 I/O can accommodate multiple data, address, control, and interrupt signals, while the programmable fabric can implement protocol state machines, asynchronous data capture, FIFO-like buffering, and timing constraints. The -5 variant is listed at a maximum 725 MHz, giving designers more timing margin than the 630 MHz XC3S50-4TQ144C option when external interfaces operate concurrently. Because this is a legacy 90 nm Spartan-3 FPGA, engineers should validate the exact synthesis tool version, supported configuration memory interface, and pin-level I/O standards for the installed design rather than relying only on family-level compatibility.
Recommended
Communications Interface Consolidation
The XC3S50-5TQG144C can consolidate several low-speed communications interfaces in a compact programmable-logic device. Its 97 I/O permit parallel data buses to connect with level-shifting or transceiver components, while the configurable fabric can implement UART, SPI, protocol conversion, command parsing, and buffer-management logic. The 1.2 V core supply is compatible with modern low-voltage digital design practice when suitable I/O-bank supplies are provided. For industrial networking, a transceiver such as the SN65HVD06D can handle the physical layer while the FPGA handles framing and control. Timing closure must be based on actual board-level trace lengths, transceiver delays, and the selected clocking architecture rather than solely on the verified 725 MHz maximum frequency.
Recommended
Data Acquisition Front End
XC3S50-5TQG144C can implement the digital control and acquisition layer for instrumentation, test equipment, and sensor-interface boards. The programmable fabric can coordinate sampling sequences, perform parallel-to-serial conversion, generate control strobes, timestamp events, and transfer captured data to a processor or communications PHY. Its 50,000 system gates and 1,728 logic cells are sufficient for moderate control pipelines, while 97 I/O provide practical connectivity to converters, memories, and status logic. Signal-integrity engineering remains essential because the supplied snippets do not establish differential I/O capabilities, input thresholds, output slew rates, or exact package pin assignments. Those parameters must be checked against the Spartan-3 datasheet before selecting termination, level shifting, and routing schemes.
Recommended
Consumer Electronics Control
The XC3S50-5TQG144C is applicable to cost-sensitive consumer products that require flexible control logic without a large system-on-chip. It can implement button matrices, LED sequencing, display timing, motor-step coordination, sensor fusion logic, and programmable I/O behavior. The 144-pin TQFP package offers 97 I/O while remaining compatible with conventional surface-mount assembly, and the 1.2 V core supply helps simplify power architecture. However, legacy-product designers must confirm whether the target product's production volume and longevity justify maintaining a Spartan-3 design. Configuration storage, programming interfaces, software support, and end-of-life procurement should be evaluated alongside the technical fit. A newer FPGA family may be preferable for a newly launched product even when the XC3S50 footprint could support a short-term migration.
Recommended
Programmable Test and Measurement
XC3S50-5TQG144C can serve as a pattern generator, sequencer, or timing controller in compact test and measurement equipment. Its 97 I/O allow it to drive multiple digital channels, capture responses, implement programmable delays, and coordinate peripheral stimulus. The 1,728-cell Spartan-3 fabric permits parallel test channels and state-machine-based sequencing, while the -5 grade's verified 725 MHz maximum offers better timing margin than the -4 grade's 630 MHz alternative. Engineers should still evaluate output jitter, I/O drive strength, input bandwidth, and clock accuracy, because those details were not present in the supplied distributor snippets. A dedicated clock generator and level-translation devices can support the FPGA when the selected board architecture requires deterministic timing or non-1.2-V peripheral interfaces.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for XC3S50-5TQG144C — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | XC3S50-5TQ144C | XC3S50-4TQ144C | XC3S50A-5TQG144C | XC3S50AN-5TQG144C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | AMD / Xilinx | AMD / Xilinx | AMD / Xilinx | AMD / Xilinx | AMD / Xilinx |
| Package | TQFP-144 | TQFP-144 - same package format | TQFP-144 - same package format | 144-LQFP - same package format | 144-LQFP - same package format |
| FPGA Family | Spartan-3 | Spartan-3 | Spartan-3 | Spartan-3A | Spartan-3AN |
| Logic Cells | 1,728 cells | 1,728 cells | 1,728 cells | 1,584 cells | 1,584 cells |
Key Differentiators
- Higher verified speed grade (vs XC3S50-4TQ144C)
- Closer original-family identity (vs XC3S50A-5TQG144C)
- Original architecture with -5 grade (vs XC3S50AN-5TQG144C)
- Documented commercial-temperature listing (vs XC3S50-4TQG144I)
Design Notes
The verified core supply for XC3S50-5TQG144C is 1.2 V, but I/O-bank voltage and current limits were not included in the supplied data. Before layout, separate the core and I/O supplies according to the manufacturer pin table, place required bypass capacitance at the corresponding package pins, and provide a power source with adequate transient response. Estimated power cannot be calculated responsibly because the selected I/O state, switching activity, auxiliary voltage, and device-specific current tables were not supplied; use the manufacturer worst-case and typical current tables instead.
The 144-pin TQFP footprint requires a TQFP-144 land pattern with 0.5 mm pitch, but exact pad dimensions and courtyard values were not provided and must be taken from the AMD package drawing. Confirm pin-1 orientation and lead numbering against the mechanical drawing before releasing Gerber files. Route the configuration signals, clock inputs, and sensitive interfaces away from switching-node copper, and provide continuous ground-plane return paths to reduce crosstalk and supply-noise coupling.
Do not treat a matching TQFP-144 order code as proof of a drop-in replacement. Spartan-3, Spartan-3A, and Spartan-3AN devices use different architectures and tool/bitstream flows, and the I suffix may indicate a different temperature grade. Validate the exact orderable MPN, complete pinout, configuration interface, supported I/O standards, clocking resources, and timing against the manufacturer documentation. Also confirm that the legacy synthesis tool and programming hardware remain supported for the product's maintenance life.
Use a deliberate clocking plan rather than routing critical signals directly from general-purpose fabric pins. Any PLL or clock-management-resource use must be checked against the exact XC3S50 device resources and the selected speed grade. Keep the configuration interface away from high-current outputs, provide a stable configuration source, and review unused pins according to the manufacturer's termination recommendations. Because a complete pin map was unavailable in the supplied snippets, no pin-specific output-disable or biasing instruction should be assumed.
Compliance Information
The supplied search result describes the package as lead free. RoHS, REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals evidence was not provided, so those fields remain unknown. AEC-Q100 status was not documented and is recorded as not applicable rather than inferred.
