
CIII51001-2.4
© 2012 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, HARDCOPY, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos 
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Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
July 2012
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1. Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone® III device family offers a unique combination of high functionality, low 
power and low cost. Based on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 
(TSMC) low-power (LP) process technology, silicon optimizations and software 
features 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 power 
budget. Cyclone III LS devices are the first to implement a suite of security features at 
the silicon, software, and intellectual property (IP) level on a low-power and 
high-functionality FPGA platform. This suite of security features protects the IP from 
tampering, 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 and 
Altera® 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
July 2012
CIII51001-2.4

1–2 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Features
Cyclone III Device Handbook July 2012 Altera Corporation
Volume 1
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 to 
eliminate variations over process, voltage, and temperature (PVT)
■Four phase-locked loops (PLLs) per device provide robust clock management and 
synthesis for device clock management, external system clock management, and 
I/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 or 
division, or both, and input frequency in the system without reconfiguring the 
device
■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 and 
custom-fit embedded processing solutions

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview 1–3
Cyclone III Device Family Features
July 2012 Altera Corporation Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
■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 eliminates 
variations with PVT for DDR, DDR2, and QDRII SRAM interfaces
Cyclone III device family supports vertical migration that allows you to migrate your 
device 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
Family Device Logic 
Elements
Number of 
M9K 
Blocks
Total RAM 
Bits
18 x 18 
Multipliers PLLs
Global 
Clock 
Networks
Maximum 
User I/Os
Cyclone III
EP3C5 5,136 46 423,936 23 2 10 182
EP3C10 10,320 46 423,936 23 2 10 182
EP3C16 15,408 56 516,096 56 4 20 346
EP3C25 24,624 66 608,256 66 4 20 215
EP3C40 39,600 126 1,161,216 126 4 20 535
EP3C55 55,856 260 2,396,160 156 4 20 377
EP3C80 81,264 305 2,810,880 244 4 20 429
EP3C120 119,088 432 3,981,312 288 4 20 531
Cyclone III 
LS
EP3CLS70 70,208 333 3,068,928 200 4 20 429
EP3CLS100 100,448 483 4,451,328 276 4 20 429
EP3CLS150 150,848 666 6,137,856 320 4 20 429
EP3CLS200 198,464 891 8,211,456 396 4 20 429
 
 
1–4 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Features
Cyclone III Device Handbook July 2012 Altera Corporation
Volume 1
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)
Family Package E144  (7) M164 P240 F256 U256 F324 F484 U484 F780
Cyclone III 
(8)
EP3C5 94, 22 106, 28 — 182, 68 182, 68 — — — —
EP3C10 94, 22 106, 28 — 182, 68 182, 68 — — — —
EP3C16 84, 19 92, 23 160, 47 168, 55 168, 55 — 346, 140 346, 140 —
EP3C25 82, 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
Cyclone III 
LS
EP3CLS70 — — — — — — 294, 113 294, 113 429, 181
EP3CLS100 — — — — — — 294, 113 294, 113 429, 181
EP3CLS150 — — — — — — 226, 87 — 429, 181
EP3CLS200 — — — — — — 226, 87 — 429, 181
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 affected 
by 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 enable 
migration 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 ground 
plane 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.

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview 1–5
Cyclone III Device Family Features
July 2012 Altera Corporation Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
Table 1–3 lists Cyclone III device family package sizes.
Table 1–4 lists Cyclone III device family speed grades.
Table 1–3. Cyclone III Device Family Package Sizes
Family Package Pitch (mm) Nominal Area (mm2) Length x Width (mm  mm) Height (mm)
Cyclone III
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
Cyclone III LS
F484 1.0 529 23  23 2.60
U484 0.8 361 19  19 2.20
F780 1.0 841 29  29 2.60
Table 1–4. Cyclone III Device Family Speed Grades (Part 1 of 2)
Family Device E144 M164 P240 F256 U256 F324 F484 U484 F780
Cyclone III
EP3C5 C7, C8, 
I7, A7
C7, C8, 
I7 —C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7 ————
EP3C10 C7, C8, 
I7, A7
C7, C8, 
I7 —C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7 ————
EP3C16 C7, C8, 
I7, A7
C7, C8, 
I7 C8 C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7 —C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7 —
EP3C25 C7, C8, 
I7, A7 —C8
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7 ———
EP3C40 — — C8 — — C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7, A7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7
EP3C55 — — — — — — C6, C7, 
C8, I7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7
EP3C80 — — — — — — C6, C7, 
C8, I7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7
C6, C7, 
C8, I7
EP3C120 — — — — — — C7, C8, I7 — C7, C8, 
I7

1–6 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
Cyclone III Device Handbook July 2012 Altera Corporation
Volume 1
Table 1–5 lists Cyclone III device family configuration schemes.
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.
fFor more information about LEs and LABs, refer to the Logic Elements and Logic Array 
Blocks in the Cyclone III Device Family chapter.
Cyclone III 
LS
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 1–4. Cyclone III Device Family Speed Grades (Part 2 of 2)
Family Device E144 M164 P240 F256 U256 F324 F484 U484 F780
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) v v 
Fast passive parallel (FPP) v v 
Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) v v 

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview 1–7
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
July 2012 Altera Corporation Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
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 by 
instantiating 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. 
fFor 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 combination 
of 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 kits
fFor more information about embedded multipliers and digital signal processing 
support, refer to the Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone III Devices chapter.

1–8 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
Cyclone III Device Handbook July 2012 Altera Corporation
Volume 1
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, and 
PLLs. Cyclone III device family includes up to four PLLs with five outputs per PLL to 
provide 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 enable 
auto-calibration of external memory interfaces while the device is in operation. This 
feature 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.
fFor 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.
The 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.
fFor 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.
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 PPDS 

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview 1–9
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
July 2012 Altera Corporation Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
fFor 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, and 
take advantage of the Cyclone III device family PLL dynamic reconfiguration feature 
to calibrate PVT changes.
fFor 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 of 
legacy embedded processors. Single or multiple Nios II embedded processors are 
designed into Cyclone III device family to provide additional co-processing power, or 
even 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 product 
and improve time-to-market over standard product solutions. 
1Separate 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 hot 
swap) and power sequencing support without the use of external devices. You can 
insert 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. 

1–10 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
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Volume 1
The hot socketing feature allows you to use FPGAs on PCBs that also contain a 
mixture 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 devices 
on the board for proper FPGA operation.
fFor 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 read 
and 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.
fFor 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 is 
operating 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 shifted 
out and externally compared to expected results. In addition to BST, you can use the 
IEEE Std. 1149.1 controller for the Cyclone III LS device in-circuit reconfiguration 
(ICR).
fFor 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 and 
productivity. 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 of 
use, the separation flow integrates in the existing incremental compilation flow. 
fFor more information about the Quartus II software features, refer to the Quartus II 
Handbook.

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview 1–11
Cyclone III Device Family Architecture
July 2012 Altera Corporation Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
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 as 
well as commodity parallel flash configuration options. These options provide the 
flexibility for general-purpose applications and the ability to meet specific 
configuration 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. 
fFor 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 the 
configuration 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.
fFor 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 and 
tampering. The configuration security of Cyclone III LS devices uses AES with 256-bit 
security key.
fFor more information, refer to the Configuration, Design Security, and Remote System 
Upgrades in Cyclone III Device Family chapter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
1–12 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Reference and Ordering Information
Cyclone III Device Handbook July 2012 Altera Corporation
Volume 1
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
Family Signature
Package Type
Package Code
Operating Temperature
Speed Grade
Optional Suffix
Indicates specific device 
options or shipment method
EP3C :  Cyclone  III
5  :  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
E  :  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)
144 :  144 pins
164 :  164 pins
240 :  240 pins
256 :  256 pins
324 :  324 pins
484 :  484 pins
780 :  780 pins
C  :  Commercial temperature (T
J
 = 0° C to 85° C)
I  :  Industrial temperature (T
J
 = -40° C to 100° C)
A : Automotive temperature (T
J
 = -40° C to 125° C)
6 (fastest)
7
8
N : Lead-free packaging
ES :  Engineering sample
EP3C 25 F 324 C 7 N
Member Code
Figure 1–2. Cyclone III LS Device Packaging Ordering Information
Family Signature
Package Type
Package Code
Operating Temperature
Speed Grade
Optional Suffix
Indicates specific device 
options or shipment method
EP3CLS  :  Cyclone III LS
70  :  70,208 logic elements
100  :  100,448 logic elements
150  :  150,848 logic elements
200  :  198,464 logic elements
F  :  FineLine Ball-Grid Array (FBGA)
U  :  Ultra FineLine Ball-Grid Array (UBGA)
484 :  484 pins
780 :  780 pins
C  :  Commercial temperature (TJ = 0° C to 85° C)
I  :  Industrial temperature (TJ = -40° C to 100° C)
7 (fastest)
8
N : Lead-free packaging
ES :  Engineering sample
EP3CLS 70 F 484 C 7 N
Member Code

Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview 1–13
Document Revision History
July 2012 Altera Corporation Cyclone III Device Handbook
Volume 1
Document Revision History
Table 1–7 lists the revision history for this document.
Table 1–7. Document Revision History
Date Version Changes
July 2012 2.4 Updated 484 pin package code in Figure 1–1.
December 2011 2.3
■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 2.0
■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 Multipliers 
and 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.
October 2008 1.3
■Updated “Increased System Integration” section.
■Updated “Memory Blocks” section.
■Updated chapter to new template.
May 2008 1.2
■Added 164-pin Micro FineLine Ball-Grid Array (MBGA) details to Table 1–2, Table 1–3 and 
Table 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.
July 2007 1.1
■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.
March 2007 1.0 Initial release.

1–14 Chapter 1: Cyclone III Device Family Overview
Document Revision History
Cyclone III Device Handbook July 2012 Altera Corporation
Volume 1
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