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10M08SCU169C8G Product Overview
The 10M08SCU169C8G is a low-cost, non-volatile FPGA from Intel's (formerly Altera) MAX 10 series. Built on an advanced 55nm process technology, the 10M08SCU169C8G is the only single-chip FPGA that integrates internal flash memory. The 10M08SCU169C8G features 8,000 logic elements (LEs), 500 logic array blocks (LABs), and 387,072 bits of embedded RAM, making it well-suited for control logic and data acquisition applications in industrial, communications, and consumer electronics.
The MAX 10 series is renowned for its high integration and low cost, and the 10M08SCU169C8G, as a mid-density member of this family, is housed in a compact 11×11 mm 169-UBGA package, offering an ideal solution for applications requiring small PCB footprints. The 10M08SCU169C8G is a commercial-grade device supporting an operating temperature range of 0°C to 85°C.
10M08SCU169C8G Key Features
Non-Volatile Single-Chip Solution: The 10M08SCU169C8G integrates internal dual-configuration flash and user flash memory, eliminating the need for external configuration devices. The 10M08SCU169C8G supports instant-on operation—ready for use immediately upon power-up—simplifying system design and reducing BOM costs.
High Cost-Effectiveness Logic Resources: The 10M08SCU169C8G provides 8,000 logic elements (LEs) and 500 LABs, capable of implementing moderate-complexity digital logic systems for applications such as protocol control, state machines, and data acquisition.
Embedded Memory Resources: The 10M08SCU169C8G integrates a total of 387,072 bits (approximately 378 Kbit) of embedded RAM blocks, suitable for data buffering and small-capacity cache applications.
Flexible I/O Interfaces: The 10M08SCU169C8G offers 130 user I/O pins, supporting various I/O standards from 1.2V to 3.3V for flexible connection to diverse peripherals.
Integrated Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC): The 10M08SCU169C8G features a built-in temperature sensor and supports SEU (Single-Event Upset) error detection and correction, enhancing system reliability.
Comprehensive Security Features: The 10M08SCU169C8G supports 256-bit AES bitstream encryption, UID (Unique Identifier) protection, and SEU error detection and correction, safeguarding design intellectual property and making it suitable for high-security applications.
Commercial-Grade Operating Temperature: The 10M08SCU169C8G supports an operating temperature range of 0°C to 85°C, suitable for standard commercial environments.
Package and Process: The 10M08SCU169C8G is fabricated on a 55nm process with a core voltage of 2.85V to 3.465V. The 169-pin UBGA package of the 10M08SCU169C8G measures just 11×11 mm, making it an ideal choice for space-constrained applications.
10M08SCU169C8G Application Scenarios
Industrial Automation and Control: The 10M08SCU169C8G's 8K logic elements and built-in flash memory are suitable for small-to-medium PLCs, motor control, and machine vision applications, with instant-on capability meeting real-time requirements.
Communications and Networking Equipment: The 10M08SCU169C8G can be used in small-cell base stations, network switches, and routers for protocol processing and signal control.
Consumer Electronics: The 10M08SCU169C8G is used in embedded systems such as smart home devices, wearables, and portable terminals; the non-volatile single-chip solution reduces system complexity.
IoT Solutions: The 10M08SCU169C8G's built-in flash memory and low-power characteristics make it suitable for smart sensors, data acquisition, and edge computing nodes.
Motor Control: The 10M08SCU169C8G's integrated ADC and PLL resources make it well-suited for various motor drive and control applications.
10M08SCU169C8G Advantages and Highlights
The Only Single-Chip FPGA with Integrated Flash: MAX 10 is Altera/Intel's only FPGA series with internal flash memory, and the 10M08SCU169C8G exemplifies this, eliminating the need for external configuration chips and enabling instant-on power-up, significantly simplifying design and reducing BOM costs.
8K Logic Element Mainstream Density: With 8,000 logic elements, the 10M08SCU169C8G is a standard-density model in the low-to-mid-range FPGA market, capable of meeting the design requirements of most embedded systems.
Ultra-Compact 11×11 mm Package: The 169-UBGA package of the 10M08SCU169C8G occupies only 121 mm², making it suitable for space-constrained product designs.
Comprehensive Security Features: The 10M08SCU169C8G supports AES encryption and UID protection, effectively preventing design theft or cloning.
Integrated Analog Functionality: The 10M08SCU169C8G includes a built-in temperature sensor and ADC, reducing the need for external components.
Mature Software Ecosystem: The Quartus Prime design suite provides a comprehensive IP core library and development tools for the 10M08SCU169C8G, supporting the Nios II soft-core processor.
Highly Competitive Cost: As part of Intel's low-cost FPGA series, the 10M08SCU169C8G offers a very attractive price point.
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FAQ:
Compared to the 10M04, what improvements does the 10M08SCU169C8G offer besides doubling the logic elements?
The 10M08SCU169C8G has twice the logic elements (8K vs 4K) and about three times the embedded RAM (378 Kbit vs 126 Kbit), allowing it to accommodate more complex digital systems such as communication controllers with large buffers, a full 32-bit RISC-V soft core, or more parallel processing logic. Both share the same number of PLLs (2) and a similar I/O count.
Does the 10M08SCU169C8G have a built-in ADC? How can I acquire analog signals?
The 10M08SCU169C8G is a purely digital FPGA with no integrated ADC. To acquire analog signals, you can connect an external small SPI ADC via the GPIO pins. If an on-chip ADC is essential for your design, consider MAX 10 variants that include analog features, such as certain 10M08SAU packages or higher-density MAX 10 models with ADC blocks.
Do I need a paid license to develop for the 10M08SCU169C8G? Is the toolchain difficult to learn?
No paid license is required. The free Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition supports the entire design flow for the 10M08SCU169C8G—entry, synthesis, place-and-route, and JTAG debugging. The workflow is similar to other mainstream FPGAs, supporting Verilog/VHDL and schematic entry. With abundant tutorials and community resources, the learning curve is moderate and well-suited for students, makers, and small-to-medium businesses.
What can I practically do with 378 Kbit of RAM on the 10M08SCU169C8G? Can it store a complete program?
378 Kbit (~47 KB) on the 10M08SCU169C8G can serve as program and data memory for a soft-core processor, or be configured as FIFOs, dual-port RAM, or look-up tables. For instance, a streamlined 32-bit RISC-V soft core can run entirely from this RAM on the 10M08SCU169C8G, with space left for stack and data buffers. It's more than adequate for moderately complex embedded applications.
Can I replace an old MAX II CPLD with the 10M08SCU169C8G? What are the advantages?
Absolutely. The 10M08SCU169C8G uses a LUT-based architecture that is far more flexible than the CPLD's product-term structure, with significantly richer resources (embedded RAM, PLLs, more registers). It retains the MAX series' instant-on, single-chip, non-volatile characteristics while delivering substantially higher logic capacity and a modern development toolchain, making it a comprehensive upgrade over legacy CPLDs.
Is the UBGA-169 package of the 10M08SCU169C8G difficult to hand-solder? How many PCB layers are recommended?
With a 0.8 mm ball pitch, the UBGA-169 of the 10M08SCU169C8G is on the easier end of the BGA spectrum, but hand-soldering still requires a hot-air rework station. A 4-layer PCB is typically sufficient to fully break out all pins of the 10M08SCU169C8G, keeping design complexity and cost low. If I/O usage is modest, a 2-layer board can also work for partial breakouts.
How can I implement a simple SPI slave on the 10M08SCU169C8G? How much code is required?
Creating an SPI slave on the 10M08SCU169C8G typically requires about 50–100 lines of Verilog/VHDL, covering a state machine, shift register, and chip-select logic. You can also use the free IP cores available in Quartus. Once implemented, simply connect the FPGA's GPIO to the external SPI master to exchange data.
What is the typical power consumption of the 10M08SCU169C8G? Can it be powered from a battery or USB?
Static power of the 10M08SCU169C8G is very low, and dynamic power depends on design size and clock frequency. A typical 8K LE design of the 10M08SCU169C8G operating under full load consumes a few hundred milliwatts, making it perfectly suitable for USB or battery-powered operation, such as in portable instruments and handheld devices.
How fast is the power-up configuration of the 10M08SCU169C8G? Can it boot in milliseconds?
The internal configuration flash of the 10M08SCU169C8G loads very quickly—typically within several milliseconds to a few tens of milliseconds from cold power-up to user-mode operation. This instant-on capability of the 10M08SCU169C8G easily meets the requirements of real-time systems, unlike traditional FPGAs that must load from external flash, a process that takes significantly longer.
Can I build a sensor data collector with UART and SPI interfaces using the 10M08SCU169C8G? What would the architecture look like?
Yes. A typical architecture using the 10M08SCU169C8G would include a UART transmitter, an SPI master controller, a small state machine for reading sensors and formatting data, and an on-chip RAM serving as a transmit buffer. All modules can be implemented inside the 10M08SCU169C8G, directly outputting serial data to a PC or MCU. This makes it ideal for industrial sensor gateways or data loggers.