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Cyclone III FPGA Design Resources

Home > Products > Devices > Cyclone III (and LS) > Design Resources

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

  • Resources on Altera's website
  • Video-on-demand resources
  • Software resources
  • Development kit resources
  • Application-specific resources
Table 1. Cyclone III FPGA 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 the Cyclone III FPGA family.
Configuration Center Learn about the Cyclone III FPGA configuration solution 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, including a broad range of support services, tools, and development platforms for implementing DSP designs in Cyclone III FPGAs.
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
  • Automotive Applications

  • Industrial Applications

15-minute executive overviews (in webcast video format) on the features and benefits of the Cyclone III FPGA family for typical applications.
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 Free Icon Download the free Quartus® II Web Edition software (supports only Cyclone III devices (1)). No license is required.
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 FPGA 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 low-cost FPGAs 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, including a broad range of support services, tools, and development platforms for implementing DSP designs in FPGAs.

(back to top)

Note:

  1. Quartus II software v9.0 Service Pack 2 supports all Cyclone III devices, including Cyclone III LS devices. Cyclone III LS devices are only supported on Quartus II Subscription Edition software. Contact your local Altera representative for the latest software support schedules.
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