LFSC3GA15E-7F900C Guide: LatticeSC High-Performance SERDES FPGA

In the era of specialized connectivity, the LatticeSC™ (System Chip) family stood out as a unique bridge between pure FPGAs and ASICs. While modern FPGAs chase massive logic counts, the LFSC3GA15E-7F900C was built for one specific purpose: Connectivity.

Featuring integrated 3.8 Gbps SERDES, PURESPEED™ I/O technology, and a robust 15K LUT fabric, this chip was the engine behind many telecom backhaul and high-speed video systems.

Although now classified as Obsolete/Legacy, it remains a critical component for maintaining specialized industrial and communications hardware. This guide decodes its specs, explains its architecture, and clarifies the common confusion between "SC" and "SCM" devices.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Decoding the Part Number: What "LFSC3GA15E" Means
  • The Breakdown Matrix
  • The Critical "-7" Speed Grade
  • Price Analysis & Lifecycle Status
• 2. Architecture: The LatticeSC Platform
  • Integrated High-Speed SERDES
  • PURESPEED I/O Technology
• 3. LatticeSC vs. LatticeSCM: The MACO Difference
• 4. Applications & Legacy Maintenance
• 5. Conclusion

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1. Decoding the Part Number: What "LFSC3GA15E" Means

Lattice part numbers are dense with technical data. Here is the breakdown for LFSC3GA15E-7F900C:

The Breakdown Matrix

Segment	Code	Meaning
Family	LFSC	LatticeSC (System Chip) FPGA Family.
Gen	3GA	3rd Generation / 3G SERDES Architecture.
Logic	15	15.2 K Look-Up Tables (LUTs).
Voltage	E	1.2V Core Voltage (Standard).
Speed	-7	Speed Grade 7 (High Performance). Faster than -5/-6.
Package	F900	900-ball fpBGA (Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array).
Temp	C	Commercial Temperature (0°C to +85°C).

The Critical "-7" Speed Grade

The -7 indicates this is a high-performance bin.

• Why it matters: For designs utilizing the full 3.8 Gbps bandwidth of the SERDES channels or pushing the 700 MHz global clock limit, this speed grade is often mandatory.
• Warning: Replacing it with a slower -5 or -6 part during repairs may cause timing violations and link instability, leading to CRC errors in data transmission.

Price Analysis & Lifecycle Status

This device is Obsolete.

Procurement Tip: Sourcing requires navigating the broker market as authorized distributors no longer stock it. [Check Stock for LFSC3GA15E-7F900C at Aichiplink] to find verified legacy inventory.

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2. Architecture: The LatticeSC Platform

The LatticeSC family was designed to handle data in motion, differentiating it from "Logic-only" FPGAs.

Integrated High-Speed SERDES

The "SC" stands for System Chip, highlighting the integrated quad-channel SERDES blocks.

• Speed: Supports data rates from 600 Mbps up to 3.8 Gbps.
• Protocols: Built-in Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) blocks offer hardware support for PCI Express, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and XAUI.
• Benefit: Unlike soft-core SERDES implementations, these hardened blocks consume less power and logic, leaving the 15K LUTs free for your custom application.

PURESPEED I/O Technology

Apart from serial links, the parallel I/O is equally robust.

• Memory Support: Dedicated circuitry to support DDR2 and QDRII memory interfaces at speeds up to 400 MHz (800 Mbps data rate).
• Source Synchronous: Adaptive Input Logic (AIL) automatically aligns data to clocks, simplifying board design complexities.

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3. LatticeSC vs. LatticeSCM: The MACO Difference

Engineers often confuse the LFSC (this part) with the LFSCM. It is crucial to check the part number on your BOM.

Feature	LFSC (This Chip)	LFSCM (M-Series)
Name	LatticeSC	LatticeSCM
Fabric	FPGA LUTs + SERDES	FPGA LUTs + SERDES + MACO
MACO?	No	Yes (Masked Array for Cost Optimization)
Flexibility	Full Fabric Programmability	Hardened IP Blocks for specific functions
Use Case	General Logic + Comms	Logic + Heavy Bus Interfaces (SPI4.2, Memory)

What is MACO? Masked Array for Cost Optimization. The "M" series chips contain hardened, structured ASIC blocks (like pre-built memory controllers or packet interfaces) that don't use up LUTs.

Verdict: The LFSC3GA15E is the pure FPGA version. It does not have the pre-hardened MACO blocks.

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4. Applications & Legacy Maintenance

The LFSC3GA15E-7F900C is often found in long-lifecycle equipment:

1. Telecom Backhaul: Translating legacy SONET/SDH frames to Ethernet packets using the SERDES blocks.
2. Medical Imaging: High-speed data capture from sensors via LVDS pairs.
3. Video Broadcasting: Bridging proprietary video buses to PCIe interfaces.

Software Support: To maintain or modify designs for this chip, you need:

• Lattice Diamond (Check specific version compatibility for SC family).
• ispLEVER Classic: For older legacy designs.

5. Conclusion

The Lattice LFSC3GA15E-7F900C is a testament to the "Connectivity First" FPGA philosophy. While it has been superseded by the ECP5 and Certus-NX families, its combination of 15K logic cells and robust 3.8G SERDES makes it irreplaceable in many legacy systems.

Sourcing Legacy Lattice FPGAs Need to repair a critical system? Visit Aichiplink.com to search for LFSC3GA15E-7F900C and other obsolete Lattice components.

Search LatticeSC Stock Now

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Jack Elliott from AIChipLink.

 

AIChipLink, one of the fastest-growing global independent electronic   components distributors in the world, offers millions of products from thousands of manufacturers, and many of our in-stock parts is available to ship same day.

 

We mainly source and distribute integrated circuit (IC) products of brands such as Broadcom, Microchip, Texas Instruments, Infineon, NXP, Analog Devices, Qualcomm, Intel, etc., which are widely used in communication & network, telecom, industrial control, new energy and automotive electronics. 

 

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