EP3C5E144C7N
EP3C5E144C7N - Cyclone III FPGA, 5K LE, 144-LQFP | Intel / Altera
The Intel / Altera EP3C5E144C7N is a low-power Cyclone III Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) featuring 5,136 logic elements, 423,936 bits of embedded memory, and 94 user I/Os, housed in a 144-pin EQFP (22 x 22 mm, 0.5 mm pitch) package with exposed thermal pad. Built on a TSMC 65 nm low-power process, the 'C7' speed grade variant is specified for a 7 ns propagation delay range and is intended for industrial-grade commercial operating conditions (0C to +85C junction).
A Cyclone III FPGA is a programmable logic device that combines lookup-table (LUT)-based logic fabric with embedded memory blocks (M9K), embedded multipliers (18x18), and Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) on a single die. In the broader taxonomy, the EP3C5E144C7N belongs to the SRAM-based programmable logic family, sitting alongside Cyclone IV (next-generation low-power FPGA), Cyclone V (28 nm successor), and MAX series CPLDs. The device is non-volatile-of-configuration: bitstreams are loaded from external flash or JTAG into on-chip SRAM configuration cells, enabling unlimited re-programmability for prototyping, NPI, and field-upgradable end products.
Key features include 5,136 logic elements organized into 290 logic array blocks (LABs), 46 embedded M9K memory blocks (414 Kbits), 46 embedded 18x18 multipliers, and up to 4 PLLs with 4 dedicated clock outputs. The device supports configuration schemes including Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), Fast Passive Parallel (FPP), and JTAG, and includes Cyclone III architectural primitives such as high-speed LVDS I/O, on-chip termination (OCT), and the Altera remote update IP for in-field bitstream swapping. The 144-pin EQFP package provides a thermal resistance of approximately 22 C/W with a properly soldered exposed pad.
The Cyclone III architecture targets cost-sensitive high-volume applications where the previous-generation Cyclone II could not deliver sufficient logic density, DSP bandwidth, or low static power. The 65 nm process enables typical static power in the milliamp range while retaining deterministic timing closure at 200+ MHz for common logic functions and 250 MHz for DSP blocks. I/O banks support LVDS, SSTL, HSTL, LVCMOS, and PCI/PCI-X signaling standards with per-bank voltage reference supplies, enabling direct interface to DDR/DDR2 SDRAM without external level shifters.
Typical applications include industrial motor control and PLC logic, video surveillance and image-processing front ends, portable medical instrumentation, low-cost software-defined radio (SDR) baseband, and consumer audio/video processing. The combination of low static power, moderate logic capacity, and a small footprint package makes the EP3C5E144C7N a strong fit for space-constrained, cost-driven designs that still need hardware-accelerated DSP or parallel sensor aggregation.
When designing with this device, allocate at least an 8-layer PCB stack-up with continuous GND planes for signal integrity on LVDS pairs, and use the Quartus II / Quartus Prime design suite (13.0 or later recommended for final bitstream) with the Cyclone III device library installed. Decoupling must include 0.1 uF and 10 uF capacitors placed within 5 mm of every VCCIO/VCCINT ball pair, and the exposed thermal pad must be soldered to a 1 sq. inch copper pour to keep junction temperature within the C7 commercial rating.
This page synthesizes Cyclone III device specs, Intel / Altera distributor pricing tiers, drop-in same-package and same-family alternatives, and practical Quartus II design notes not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet PDF.
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