Specifications

1. Overview

Introduction

This document describes the hardware features of the Cyclone

III development

board, including detailed pin-out information to enable you to create custom FPGA

designs that interface with all components of the board.

f For information about setting up and powering up the Cyclone III development

board and using the kit’s demo software, refer to the Cyclone III Development Kit User

Guide.

General Description

The Cyclone

III development board provides a hardware platform for developing

and prototyping low-power, high-volume, and feature-rich designs as well as to

demonstrate the Cyclone III device’s on-chip memory, embedded multipliers, and the

Nios

II embedded processor.

With up to 4 Mbits of embedded memory and 288 embedded 18-bit × 18-bit

multipliers, the Cyclone III device supplies internal memory while also providing

external support for high-speed, low-latency memory access via dual-channel DDR

SDRAM and low-power SRAM.

Built on TSMC’s 65-nm low-power process technology, Cyclone III devices are

designed to provide low static and dynamic power consumption. Additionally, with

the support of the Quartus

II software’s PowerPlay technology, designs are

automatically optimized for power consumption. Therefore, the Cyclone III

development board provides a power-optimized, integrated solution for

memory-intensive, high-volume applications.

Accordingly, the Cyclone III development board is especially suitable for wireless,

video and image processing, and other high-bandwidth, parallel processing

applications. Through the use of Altera

-provided video and image intellectual

property (or other MegaCore

functions) and board expansion connectors, you can

enable the inter-operability of the Cyclone III device, allowing application-specific

customization of the development board.

f For more information about the Altera Video and Image Processing Suite MegaCore

functions, refer to the Video and Image Processing Suite User Guide.

To get you started, Altera provides application-specific design examples. The

pre-built and tested design examples allow you to:

■ Create a Cyclone III FPGA design in an hour

■ View Cyclone III FPGA power measurement examples

■ Design a 32-bit soft processor system inside the Cyclone III FPGA in an hour