1. Cyclone III Device Family Overview
July 2012
CIII51001-2.4
CIII51001-2.4

Cyclone® III device family offers a unique combination of high functionality, lowpower and low cost. Based on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company(TSMC) low-power (LP) process technology, silicon optimizations and softwarefeatures to minimize power consumption, Cyclone III device family provides the ideal
solution for your high-volume, low-power, and cost-sensitive applications. To address
the unique design needs, Cyclone III device family offers the following two variants:■

Cyclone III—lowest power, high functionality with the lowest cost■

Cyclone III LS—lowest power FPGAs with security

With densities ranging from about 5,000 to 200,000 logic elements (LEs) and
0.5 Megabits (Mb) to 8 Mb of memory for less than ¼ watt of static power
consumption, Cyclone III device family makes it easier for you to meet your powerbudget. Cyclone III LS devices are the first to implement a suite of security features atthe silicon, software, and intellectual property (IP) level on a low-power andhigh-functionality FPGA platform. This suite of security features protects the IP fromtampering, reverse engineering and cloning. In addition, Cyclone III LS devices
support design separation which enables you to introduce redundancy in a single
chip to reduce size, weight, and power of your application.
This chapter contains the following sections:■“Cyclone III Device Family Features” on page 1–1■“Cyclone III Device Family Architecture” on page 1–6■“Reference and Ordering Information” on page 1–12

Cyclone III Device Family Features
Cyclone III device family offers the following features:

Lowest Power FPGAs■

Lowest power consumption with TSMC low-power process technology andAltera® power-aware design flow■

Low-power operation offers the following benefits:■■

Extended battery life for portable and handheld applications■

Reduced or eliminated cooling system costs■

Operation in thermally-challenged environments

Hot-socketing operation support© 2012 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, HARDCOPY, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos
are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other words and logos identified as
trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its
semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products andservices at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service
described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying
on any published information and before placing orders for products or services.

ISO
9001:2008
Registered

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
July 2012
Subscribe

1–2

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Features

Design Security Feature
Cyclone III LS devices offer the following design security features:■

Configuration security using advanced encryption standard (AES) with 256-bit
volatile key■

Routing architecture optimized for design separation flow with the Quartus® II
software■Design separation flow achieves both physical and functional isolation
between design partitions■

Ability to disable external JTAG port■

Error Detection (ED) Cycle Indicator to core■

Provides a pass or fail indicator at every ED cycle■

Provides visibility over intentional or unintentional change of configuration
random access memory (CRAM) bits■

Ability to perform zeroization to clear contents of the FPGA logic, CRAM,
embedded memory, and AES key■

Internal oscillator enables system monitor and health check capabilities

Increased System Integration■

High memory-to-logic and multiplier-to-logic ratio■

High I/O count, low-and mid-range density devices for user I/O constrained
applications■■

Adjustable I/O slew rates to improve signal integrity■

Supports I/O standards such as LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL, PCI, PCI-X,
LVPECL, bus LVDS (BLVDS), LVDS, mini-LVDS, RSDS, and PPDS■

Supports the multi-value on-chip termination (OCT) calibration feature toeliminate variations over process, voltage, and temperature (PVT)

Four phase-locked loops (PLLs) per device provide robust clock management andsynthesis for device clock management, external system clock management, andI/O interfaces■

Five outputs per PLL■

Cascadable to save I/Os, ease PCB routing, and reduce jitter■

Dynamically reconfigurable to change phase shift, frequency multiplication ordivision, or both, and input frequency in the system without reconfiguring thedevice■Remote system upgrade without the aid of an external controller■

Dedicated cyclical redundancy code checker circuitry to detect single-event upset(SEU) issues■

Nios® II embedded processor for Cyclone III device family, offering low cost andcustom-fit embedded processing solutions

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

July 2012 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Features

1–3■

Wide collection of pre-built and verified IP cores from Altera and Altera
Megafunction Partners Program (AMPP) partners■

Supports high-speed external memory interfaces such as DDR, DDR2,SDR SDRAM, and QDRII SRAM■

Auto-calibrating PHY feature eases the timing closure process and eliminatesvariations with PVT for DDR, DDR2, and QDRII SRAM interfaces

Cyclone III device family supports vertical migration that allows you to migrate yourdevice to other devices with the same dedicated pins, configuration pins, and power
pins for a given package-across device densities. This allows you to optimize device
density and cost as your design evolves.
Table 1–1 lists Cyclone III device family features.
Table 1–1. Cyclone III Device Family Features
FamilyCyclone III

Cyclone III
LS

July 2012

DeviceLogic
Elements

Number of
M9K
BlocksTotal RAMBits

18 x 18
Multipliers

PLLs

GlobalClock
Networks

Maximum
User I/Os

EP3C5

5,136

46

423,936

23

2

10

182

EP3C10

10,32046

423,936

23

2

10

182

EP3C16

15,40856

516,096

56

4

20

346

EP3C25

24,624

66

608,256

66

4

20

215

EP3C4039,600126

1,161,216

126

4

20

535

EP3C5555,856260

2,396,160

156

4

20

377

EP3C8081,264305

2,810,880

244

4

20

429

EP3C120

119,088432

3,981,312

288

4

20

531

EP3CLS70

70,208333

3,068,928

200

4

20

429

EP3CLS100

100,448483

4,451,328

276

4

20

429

EP3CLS150

150,848666

6,137,856

320

4

20

429

EP3CLS200

198,464891

8,211,456

396

4

20

429

Altera Corporation

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 11–4

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Features

Table 1–2 lists Cyclone III device family package options, I/O pins, and differential
channel counts.
Table 1–2. Cyclone III Device Family Package Options, I/O pin and Differential Channel Counts (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)Package

E144 (7)

M164

P240

F256

U256

F324

F484

U484

F780

EP3C5

94, 22

106, 28—

182, 68

182, 68

—

—

—

—

EP3C1094, 22

106, 28—

182, 68

182, 68

—

—

—

—

EP3C1684, 1992, 23160, 47 168, 55

168, 55—

346, 140

346, 140—

EP3C2582, 18—148, 43 156, 54

156, 54

215, 83———

EP3C40——128, 26——

195, 61

331, 127

331, 127

535, 227 (6)EP3C55

—

—

—

—

—

—

327, 135

327, 135

377, 163

EP3C80

—

—

—

—

—

—

295, 113

295, 113

429, 181

EP3C120

—

—

—

—

—

—

283, 106—

531, 233

EP3CLS70

—

—

—

—

—

—

294, 113

294, 113

429, 181

Cyclone III EP3CLS100
LS
EP3CLS150

—

—

—

—

—

—

294, 113

294, 113

429, 181

—

—

—

—

—

—

226, 87—

429, 181

EP3CLS200

—

—

—

—

—

—

226, 87—

429, 181

FamilyCyclone III(8)

Notes to Table 1–2:
(1) For each device package, the first number indicates the number of the I/O pin; the second number indicates the differential channel count.
(2) For more information about device packaging specifications, refer to the Cyclone III Package and Thermal Resistance webpage.
(3) The I/O pin numbers are the maximum I/O counts (including clock input pins) supported by the device package combination and can be affectedby the configuration scheme selected for the device.
(4) All packages are available in lead-free and leaded options.
(5) Vertical migration is not supported between Cyclone III and Cyclone III LS devices.
(6) The EP3C40 device in the F780 package supports restricted vertical migration. Maximum user I/Os are restricted to 510 I/Os if you enablemigration to the EP3C120 and are using voltage referenced I/O standards. If you are not using voltage referenced I/O standards, you can increase
the maximum number of I/Os.
(7) The E144 package has an exposed pad at the bottom of the package. This exposed pad is a ground pad that must be connected to the groundplane on your PCB. Use this exposed pad for electrical connectivity and not for thermal purposes.
(8) All Cyclone III device UBGA packages are supported by the Quartus II software version 7.1 SP1 and later, with the exception of the UBGA
packages of EP3C16, which are supported by the Quartus II software version 7.2.

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

July 2012 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Features

1–5

Table 1–3 lists Cyclone III device family package sizes.
Table 1–3. Cyclone III Device Family Package Sizes
FamilyPackage

Pitch (mm)Nominal Area (mm2)Length x Width (mm  mm)

Height (mm)

E144

0.5

484

22  22

1.60

M164

0.5

64

88

1.40

P240

0.5

1197

34.6  34.6

4.10

F256

1.0

289

17  17

1.55

U256

0.8

196

14  14

2.20

F324

1.0

361

19  19

2.20

F484

1.0

529

23 23

2.60

U484

0.8

361

19  19

2.20

F780

1.0

841

29  29

2.60

F484

1.0

529

23  23

2.60

U484

0.8

361

19  19

2.20

F780

1.0

841

29  29

2.60

Cyclone III

Cyclone III LS

Table 1–4 lists Cyclone III device family speed grades.
Table 1–4. Cyclone III Device Family Speed Grades (Part 1 of 2)
FamilyDevice

E144

M164

P240

EP3C5

C7, C8, C7, C8,
I7, A7
I7—

EP3C10C7, C8, C7, C8,
I7, A7
I7

EP3C16

F324

F484

U484

F780

C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7

—

—

—

—

—

C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7

—

—

—

—

C7, C8, C7, C8,
I7, A7I7C8C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7—

EP3C25

C7, C8,
I7, A7—C8C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7

EP3C40

—

—

C8

—

—

EP3C55

—

—

—

—

—

EP3C80————

EP3C120

—

—

—

—

Cyclone III

July 2012

Altera Corporation

F256

U256

C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7
—

—

—
—

C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C6, C7,
C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7 C8, I7, A7

C6, C7,
C8, I7—

C6, C7,
C8, I7

C6, C7,
C8, I7

C6, C7,
C8, I7——

C6, C7,
C8, I7

C6, C7,
C8, I7

C6, C7,
C8, I7——

C7, C8, I7—

C7, C8,
I7

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 11–6

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture

Table 1–4. Cyclone III Device Family Speed Grades (Part 2 of 2)
FamilyCyclone III
LS

Device

E144

M164

P240

F256

U256

F324

F484

U484

F780

EP3CLS70

—

—

—

—

—

—

C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7

C7, C8,I7

EP3CLS100

—

—

—

—

—

—

C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7

C7, C8,I7

EP3CLS150

—

—

—

—

—

—

C7, C8, I7—

C7, C8,I7

EP3CLS200

—

—

—

—

—

—

C7, C8, I7—

C7, C8,I7

Table 1–5 lists Cyclone III device family configuration schemes.
Table 1–5. Cyclone III Device Family Configuration Schemes
Configuration Scheme

Cyclone III

Cyclone III LS

Active serial (AS)v

v

Active parallel (AP)v—

Passive serial (PS)vv

Fast passive parallel (FPP)vv

Joint Test Action Group (JTAG)vv

Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
Cyclone III device family includes a customer-defined feature set that is optimized for
portable applications and offers a wide range of density, memory, embedded
multiplier, and I/O options. Cyclone III device family supports numerous external
memory interfaces and I/O protocols that are common in high-volume applications.
The Quartus II software features and parameterizable IP cores make it easier for you
to use the Cyclone III device family interfaces and protocols.
The following sections provide an overview of the Cyclone III device family features.

Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks
The logic array block (LAB) consists of 16 logic elements and a LAB-wide control
block. An LE is the smallest unit of logic in the Cyclone III device family architecture.
Each LE has four inputs, a four-input look-up table (LUT), a register, and output logic.
The four-input LUT is a function generator that can implement any function with four
variables.
f For more information about LEs and LABs, refer to the Logic Elements and Logic Array
Blocks in the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

July 2012 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture

1–7

Memory Blocks
Each M9K memory block of the Cyclone III device family provides nine Kbits of
on-chip memory capable of operating at up to 315 MHz for Cyclone III devices and up
to 274 MHz for Cyclone III LS devices. The embedded memory structure consists of
M9K memory blocks columns that you can configure as RAM, first-in first-out (FIFO)
buffers, or ROM. The Cyclone III device family memory blocks are optimized for
applications such as high throughout packet processing, embedded processor
program, and embedded data storage.
The Quartus II software allows you to take advantage of the M9K memory blocks byinstantiating memory using a dedicated megafunction wizard or by inferring memory
directly from the VHDL or Verilog source code.
M9K memory blocks support single-port, simple dual-port, and true dual-port
operation modes. Single-port mode and simple dual-port mode are supported for all
port widths with a configuration of ×1, ×2, ×4, ×8, ×9, ×16, ×18, ×32, and ×36. True
dual-port is supported in port widths with a configuration of ×1, ×2, ×4, ×8, ×9, ×16,
and ×18.
f For more information about memory blocks, refer to the Memory Blocks in the Cyclone
III Device Family chapter.

Embedded Multipliers and Digital Signal Processing Support
Cyclone III devices support up to 288 embedded multiplier blocks and Cyclone III LS
devices support up to 396 embedded multiplier blocks. Each block supports one
individual 18 × 18-bit multiplier or two individual 9 × 9-bit multipliers.
The Quartus II software includes megafunctions that are used to control the operation
mode of the embedded multiplier blocks based on user parameter settings.
Multipliers can also be inferred directly from the VHDL or Verilog source code. In
addition to embedded multipliers, Cyclone III device family includes a combinationof on-chip resources and external interfaces, making them ideal for increasing
performance, reducing system cost, and lowering the power consumption of digital
signal processing (DSP) systems. You can use Cyclone III device family alone or as
DSP device co-processors to improve price-to-performance ratios of DSP systems.
The Cyclone III device family DSP system design support includes the following
features:■

DSP IP cores:■

Common DSP processing functions such as finite impulse response (FIR), fast
Fourier transform (FFT), and numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) functions■

Suites of common video and image processing functions■

Complete reference designs for end-market applications■

DSP Builder interface tool between the Quartus II software and the MathWorks
Simulink and MATLAB design environments■

DSP development kitsf For more information about embedded multipliers and digital signal processing
support, refer to the Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone III Devices chapter.

July 2012

Altera Corporation

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 11–8

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture

Clock Networks and PLLs
Cyclone III device family includes 20 global clock networks. You can drive global
clock signals from dedicated clock pins, dual-purpose clock pins, user logic, andPLLs. Cyclone III device family includes up to four PLLs with five outputs per PLL toprovide robust clock management and synthesis. You can use PLLs for device clock
management, external system clock management, and I/O interfaces.
You can dynamically reconfigure the Cyclone III device family PLLs to enableauto-calibration of external memory interfaces while the device is in operation. Thisfeature enables the support of multiple input source frequencies and corresponding
multiplication, division, and phase shift requirements. PLLs in Cyclone III device
family may be cascaded to generate up to ten internal clocks and two external clocks
on output pins from a single external clock source.
f For more PLL specifications and information, refer to the Cyclone III Device Data Sheet,
Cyclone III LS Device Data Sheet, and Clock Networks and PLLs in the Cyclone III Device
Family chapters.

I/O Features
Cyclone III device family has eight I/O banks. All I/O banks support single-ended
and differential I/O standards listed in Table 1–6.
Table 1–6. Cyclone III Device Family I/O Standards Support
Type

I/O Standard

Single-Ended I/O

LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL, PCI, and PCI-X

Differential I/O

SSTL, HSTL, LVPECL, BLVDS, LVDS, mini-LVDS, RSDS, and PPDSThe Cyclone III device family I/O also supports programmable bus hold,programmable pull-up resistors, programmable delay, programmable drive strength,
programmable slew-rate control to optimize signal integrity, and hot socketing.
Cyclone III device family supports calibrated on-chip series termination (RS OCT) or
driver impedance matching (Rs) for single-ended I/O standards, with one OCT
calibration block per side.
f For more information, refer to the I/O Features in the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

High-Speed Differential Interfaces
Cyclone III device family supports high-speed differential interfaces such as BLVDS,
LVDS, mini-LVDS, RSDS, and PPDS. These high-speed I/O standards in Cyclone III
device family provide high data throughput using a relatively small number of I/O
pins and are ideal for low-cost applications. Dedicated differential output drivers on
the left and right I/O banks can send data rates at up to 875 Mbps for Cyclone III
devices and up to 740 Mbps for Cyclone III LS devices, without the need for external
resistors. This saves board space or simplifies PCB routing. Top and bottom I/O banks
support differential transmission (with the addition of an external resistor network)
data rates at up to 640 Mbps for both Cyclone III and Cyclone III LS devices.

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

July 2012 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture

1–9

f For more information, refer to the High-Speed Differential Interfaces in the Cyclone III
Device Family chapter.

Auto-Calibrating External Memory Interfaces
Cyclone III device family supports common memory types such as DDR, DDR2,SDR SDRAM, and QDRII SRAM. DDR2 SDRAM memory interfaces support data
rates up to 400 Mbps for Cyclone III devices and 333 Mbps for Cyclone III LS devices.
Memory interfaces are supported on all sides of Cyclone III device family. Cyclone III
device family has the OCT, DDR output registers, and 8-to-36-bit programmable DQ
group widths features to enable rapid and robust implementation of different
memory standards.
An auto-calibrating megafunction is available in the Quartus II software for DDR and
QDR memory interface PHYs. This megafunction is optimized to take advantage of
the Cyclone III device family I/O structure, simplify timing closure requirements, andtake advantage of the Cyclone III device family PLL dynamic reconfiguration feature
to calibrate PVT changes.
f For more information, refer to the External Memory Interfaces in the Cyclone III Device
Family chapter.

Support for Industry-Standard Embedded Processors
To quickly and easily create system-level designs using Cyclone III device family, you
can select among the ×32-bit soft processor cores: Freescale®V1 Coldfire, ARM®
Cortex M1, or Altera Nios® II, along with a library of 50 other IP blocks when using
the system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) Builder tool. SOPC Builder is an Altera
Quartus II design tool that facilitates system-integration of IP blocks in an FPGA
design. The SOPC Builder automatically generates interconnect logic and creates a
testbench to verify functionality, saving valuable design time.
Cyclone III device family expands the peripheral set, memory, I/O, or performance oflegacy embedded processors. Single or multiple Nios II embedded processors aredesigned into Cyclone III device family to provide additional co-processing power, oreven replace legacy embedded processors in your system. Using the Cyclone III
device family and Nios II together provide low-cost, high-performance embedded
processing solutions, which in turn allow you to extend the life cycle of your productand improve time-to-market over standard product solutions.
1

Separate licensing of the Freescale and ARM embedded processors are required.

Hot Socketing and Power-On-Reset
Cyclone III device family features hot socketing (also known as hot plug-in or hotswap) and power sequencing support without the use of external devices. You caninsert or remove a board populated with one or more Cyclone III device family
during a system operation without causing undesirable effects to the running system
bus or the board that was inserted into the system.

July 2012

Altera Corporation

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 11–10

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture

The hot socketing feature allows you to use FPGAs on PCBs that also contain amixture of 3.3-V, 2.5-V, 1.8-V, 1.5-V, and 1.2-V devices. The Cyclone III device family
hot socketing feature eliminates power-up sequence requirements for other deviceson the board for proper FPGA operation.
f For more information about hot socketing and power-on-reset, refer to the
Hot-Socketing and Power-on Reset in the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

SEU Mitigation
Cyclone III LS devices offer built-in error detection circuitry to detect data corruption
due to soft errors in the CRAM cells. This feature allows CRAM contents to be readand verified to match a configuration-computed CRC value. The Quartus II software
activates the built-in 32-bit CRC checker, which is part of the Cyclone III LS device.
f For more information about SEU mitigation, refer to the SEU Mitigation in the
Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

JTAG Boundary Scan Testing
Cyclone III device family supports the JTAG IEEE Std. 1149.1 specification. The
boundary-scan test (BST) architecture offers the capability to test pin connections
without using physical test probes and captures functional data while a device isoperating normally. Boundary-scan cells in the Cyclone III device family can force
signals onto pins or capture data from pins or from logic array signals. Forced test
data is serially shifted into the boundary-scan cells. Captured data is serially shiftedout and externally compared to expected results. In addition to BST, you can use theIEEE Std. 1149.1 controller for the Cyclone III LS device in-circuit reconfiguration(ICR).
f For more information about JTAG boundary scan testing, refer to the IEEE 1149.1(JTAG) Boundary-Scan Testing for the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

Quartus II Software Support
The Quartus II software is the leading design software for performance andproductivity. It is the only complete design solution for CPLDs, FPGAs, and ASICs in
the industry. The Quartus II software includes an integrated development
environment to accelerate system-level design and seamless integration with leading
third-party software tools and flows.
The Cyclone III LS devices provide both physical and functional separation between
security critical design partitions. Cyclone III LS devices offer isolation between
design partitions. This ensures that device errors do not propagate from one partition
to another, whether unintentional or intentional. The Quartus II software design
separation flow facilitates the creation of separation regions in Cyclone III LS devices
by tightly controlling the routing in and between the LogicLock regions. For ease ofuse, the separation flow integrates in the existing incremental compilation flow.
f For more information about the Quartus II software features, refer to the Quartus II
Handbook.

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

July 2012 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture

1–11

Configuration
Cyclone III device family uses SRAM cells to store configuration data. Configuration
data is downloaded to Cyclone III device family each time the device powers up.
Low-cost configuration options include the Altera EPCS family serial flash devices aswell as commodity parallel flash configuration options. These options provide theflexibility for general-purpose applications and the ability to meet specificconfiguration and wake-up time requirements of the applications. Cyclone III device
family supports the AS, PS, FPP, and JTAG configuration schemes. The AP
configuration scheme is only supported in Cyclone III devices.
f For more information about configuration, refer to the Configuration, Design Security,
and Remote System Upgrades in the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

Remote System Upgrades
Cyclone III device family offers remote system upgrade without an external
controller. The remote system upgrade capability in Cyclone III device family allows
system upgrades from a remote location. Soft logic (either the Nios II embedded
processor or user logic) implemented in Cyclone III device family can download a
new configuration image from a remote location, store it in configuration memory,and direct the dedicated remote system upgrade circuitry to start a reconfiguration
cycle. The dedicated circuitry performs error detection during and after theconfiguration process, and can recover from an error condition by reverting to a safe
configuration image. The dedicated circuitry also provides error status information.
Cyclone III devices support remote system upgrade in the AS and AP configuration
scheme. Cyclone III LS devices support remote system upgrade in the AS
configuration scheme only.
f For more information, refer to the Configuration, Design Security, and Remote System
Upgrades in the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

Design Security (Cyclone III LS Devices Only)
Cyclone III LS devices offer design security features which play a vital role in the large
and critical designs in the competitive military and commercial environments.
Equipped with the configuration bit stream encryption and anti-tamper features,
Cyclone III LS devices protect your designs from copying, reverse engineering andtampering. The configuration security of Cyclone III LS devices uses AES with 256-bit
security key.
f For more information, refer to the Configuration, Design Security, and Remote System
Upgrades in Cyclone III Device Family chapter.

July 2012

Altera Corporation

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 11–12

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Reference and Ordering Information

Reference and Ordering Information
Figure 1–1 and Figure 1–2 show the ordering codes for Cyclone III and Cyclone III LS
devices.
Figure 1–1. Cyclone III Device Packaging Ordering Information
Package TypeE : Plastic Enhanced Quad Flat Pack (EQFP)
Q : Plastic Quad Flat Pack (PQFP)
F : FineLine Ball-Grid Array (FBGA)U : Ultra FineLine Ball-Grid Array (UBGA)
M : Micro FineLine Ball-Grid Array (MBGA)

EP3C

Family Signature
EP3C : Cyclone III

25

Operating Temperature
C : Commercial temperature (TJ = 0° C to 85° C)
I : Industrial temperature (TJ = -40° C to 100° C)
A : Automotive temperature (TJ = -40° C to 125° C)

F

324

C

N

7

Optional Suffix
Indicates specific device
options or shipment method

Package Code144 : 144 pins
164 : 164 pins
240 : 240 pins
256 : 256 pins
324 : 324 pins
484 : 484 pins
780 : 780 pins

Member Code5 : 5,136 logic elements
10 : 10,320 logic elements
16 : 15,408 logic elements
25 : 24,624 logic elements
25E : 24,624 logic elements
40 : 39,600 logic elements
55 : 55,856 logic elements
80 : 81,264 logic elements
120 : 119,088 logic elements

N : Lead-free packaging
ES : Engineering sample
Speed Grade
6 (fastest)
7
8

Figure 1–2. Cyclone III LS Device Packaging Ordering Information
Package TypeF : FineLine Ball-Grid Array (FBGA)U : Ultra FineLine Ball-Grid Array (UBGA)Family Signature
EP3CLS : Cyclone III LS

EP3CLS
Member Code70 : 70,208 logic elements
100 : 100,448 logic elements
150 : 150,848 logic elements
200 : 198,464 logic elements

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

70

Operating Temperature
C : Commercial temperature (TJ = 0° C to 85° C)
I : Industrial temperature (TJ = -40° C to 100° C)

F

484

C

Package Code484 : 484 pins
780 : 780 pins

7

N

Optional Suffix
Indicates specific device
options or shipment method
N : Lead-free packaging
ES : Engineering sample
Speed Grade
7 (fastest)
8

July 2012 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Document Revision History

1–13

Document Revision History
Table 1–7 lists the revision history for this document.
Table 1–7. Document Revision History
Date
July 2012

December 2011

Version
2.4

2.3

Changes
Updated 484 pin package code in Figure 1–1.
■

Updated Table 1–1 and Table 1–2.

■

Updated Figure 1–1 and Figure 1–2.

■

Updated hyperlinks.

■

Minor text edits.

December 2009

2.2

Minor text edits.

July 2009

2.1

Minor edit to the hyperlinks.

June 2009

October 2008

May 2008

July 2007

March 2007

July 2012■

Added Table 1–5.

■

Updated Table 1–1, Table 1–2, Table 1–3, and Table 1–4.

■

Updated “Introduction”, “Cyclone III Device Family Architecture”, “Embedded Multipliersand Digital Signal Processing Support ”, “Clock Networks and PLLs ”, “I/O Features ”,“High-Speed Differential Interfaces ”, “Auto-Calibrating External Memory Interfaces ”,“Quartus II Software Support”, “Configuration ”, and “Design Security (Cyclone III LS
Devices Only)”.

■

Removed “Referenced Document” section.

■

Updated “Increased System Integration” section.

■

Updated “Memory Blocks” section.

■

Updated chapter to new template.

■

Added 164-pin Micro FineLine Ball-Grid Array (MBGA) details to Table 1–2, Table 1–3 andTable 1–4.

■

Updated Figure 1–2 with automotive temperature information.

■

Updated “Increased System Integration” section, Table 1–6, and “High-Speed Differential
Interfaces” section with BLVDS information.

■

Removed the text “Spansion” in “Increased System.

■

Integration” and “Configuration” sections.

■Removed trademark symbol from “MultiTrack” in “MultiTrack Interconnect”.

■

Removed registered trademark symbol from “Simulink” and “MATLAB” from “Embedded
Multipliers and Digital.

■

Signal Processing Support” section.

■

Added chapter TOC and “Referenced Documents” section.

2.0

1.3

1.2

1.1

1.0

Altera Corporation

Initial release.

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 11–14

Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Document Revision History

July 2012 Altera Corporation