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Cyclone III FPGA Design Resources

Designing with Cyclone® III FPGAs is easy. The design resources listed in Table 1 provide you with technical information to help you learn about, evaluate, and begin designing with Cyclone III FPGAs.

Table 1. Cyclone III Design Resources
Category Design Utility Description
Resources on Altera's Website
Book Icon Device Family Overview Find the right Cyclone III device to meet your design requirements.
Questions and Answers Get answers to common questions about Cyclone III FPGAs.
Configuration Center Learn about the configuration solution for Cyclone III FPGAs that best fits your requirements.
Memory Solutions Center Find everything needed for designing memory interfaces with Altera® FPGAs, including technical documentation, software and tool support, characterization reports, intellectual property (IP) cores, reference designs, demonstration boards, and simulation models.
Cyclone III DSP Solutions See what digital signal processing (DSP) solutions are available: a broad range of support services, tools, and development platforms for implementing DSP designs in Cyclone III devices.
Cyclone III FPGA Signal Integrity Center Access Cyclone III FPGA signal integrity design resources to help you develop, layout, and verify your high-speed design.
Literature Center Listing of all Cyclone III FPGA related literature.
Video-on-Demand Resources (back to top)
Camcorder Icon Video Learning - Short Two minutes of Cyclone III FPGA highlights in flash video format.
Video Learning - Medium 15-minute executive overviews on the features and benefits of Cyclone III FPGAs for typical applications in webcast video format.
Expand Your Design Possibilities Using Low-Cost FPGAs 60-minute in-depth presentation on the Cyclone III FPGA family in webcast video format.
Low Power Learn more about Cyclone III FPGA low power silicon design features, power-aware design flows, and power estimation and optimization tools.
Cyclone III Training Learn more about Cyclone III FPGA product features via this online training class.
Software Resources (back to top)
DVD Icon Quartus II Web Edition Software Download the free Quartus® II Web Edition software (supports all Cyclone III devices (1)).
Third-Party Software Learn more about how Altera's Quartus II software integrates with EDA partner software, creating a seamless design methodology for FPGA and structured ASIC designs.
IP MegaStoreTM Select off-the-shelf IP core functions from Altera and Altera's partners. IP cores are optimized for Altera devices, reducing design and test time, and can be evaluated in hardware and simulation prior to licensing.
DSP Builder Learn how to link The MathWorks MATLAB and Simulink environments with Altera's industry-leading Quartus II development software.
Development Kit Resources (back to top)
Devkit Icon Cyclone III Development Kits

Altera and partners offer a portfolio of development kits starting at just $199 to jump-start Cyclone III designs. Each kit comes with everything you need to evaluate and design with Cyclone III FPGAs.

You can order many of these kits via Altera's online eStore or any Altera distribution partner.

Application-Specific Resources (back to top)
Application Resources Icon Automotive

Cyclone III FPGAs provide the right combination of DSP, on-board memory, external memory interfaces, and logic for next-generation automotive applications such as infotainment graphics processing, automotive networking, and driver assistance applications.

Video and Imaging Processing

Improve cost, performance, and productivity for video applications. Cyclone III FPGAs provide the right combination of DSP, on-board memory, external memory interfaces, and logic for next generation video processing. Examples include a

  • Complete H.264 solution for under $20
  • High-definition (HD) scaling solution for under $5
Display Applications

Cyclone III FPGAs are the only devices optimized for display applications.

  • Design a single platform for a wide range of display sizes and resolutions for under $5. Cyclone III FPGAs are the only low-cost FPGAs that meet 1080p HDTV performance requirements.
  • Improve your existing ASIC or ASSP picture quality and features utilizing a 'companion' FPGA for under $5.
Industrial

Cyclone III FPGAs offer an effective solution for a variety of industrial applications such as industrial Ethernet, graphics control, and embedded control.

Wireless Communications

Learn how Cyclone III FPGAs can implement all of the baseband processing and IF modem functions (channel and RF cards) for basestations.

  • See a design example that fits an entire pico or femto basestation in a single FPGA for under 1 watt of total power
Military

The Cyclone III FPGA family delivers the best architecture with the right combination of features to solve the unique challenges of software defined radio and other military systems: small size, low-weight, low-cost, and low-power requirements.

Memory Solutions Center Find everything needed for designing memory interfaces with Altera FPGAs, including technical documentation, software and tool support, characterization reports, IP cores, reference designs, demonstration boards, and simulation models.
DSP Solutions Center See what DSP solutions are available from Altera: a broad range of support services, tools, and development platforms for implementing DSP designs in FPGAs.

(back to top)

Note:

  1. Quartus II software v7.0 supports all Cyclone III devices except the EP3C5 device (available in v7.1).  All Ultra-FineLine BGA package ordering codes ("U" package designator) will be supported in future revisions of Quartus II software. Contact your local Altera representative for the latest software support schedules.

 

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