The XC3S50-5VQG100C is a high-performance, cost-optimized Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) from Xilinx’s Spartan-3 family. Manufactured using advanced 90nm process technology, this device delivers 50,000 system gates in a compact 100-pin VTQFP (Very Thin Quad Flat Pack) surface-mount package — making it a compelling choice for engineers designing high-volume, cost-sensitive consumer and embedded applications.
Whether you are developing signal processing systems, embedded control logic, or digital communication interfaces, the XC3S50-5VQG100C offers a proven, flexible, and affordable programmable logic solution. For a full range of compatible devices, visit our Xilinx FPGA product catalog.
What Is the XC3S50-5VQG100C? Part Number Breakdown
Understanding the part number helps engineers quickly identify device characteristics:
| Part Number Segment |
Meaning |
| XC3S |
Xilinx Spartan-3 family |
| 50 |
50,000 system gate density |
| -5 |
Speed grade 5 (highest performance in family) |
| VQG |
100-pin VTQFP, Pb-free (RoHS-compliant) package |
| 100 |
100 total pins |
| C |
Commercial temperature range (0°C to 85°C) |
Note: The “G” in VQG indicates a Pb-free, RoHS-compliant package, distinguishing it from the standard VQ100 variant.
XC3S50-5VQG100C Key Specifications
Core Electrical & Logic Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD Xilinx |
| Part Number |
XC3S50-5VQG100C |
| Family |
Spartan-3 |
| System Gates |
50,000 |
| Equivalent Logic Cells |
1,728 |
| CLBs (Configurable Logic Blocks) |
192 |
| CLB Array |
16 × 12 |
| Distributed RAM Bits |
12K (12,288 bits) |
| Block RAM Bits |
72K (73,728 bits) |
| Dedicated Multipliers |
4 |
| Digital Clock Managers (DCMs) |
2 |
| Maximum User I/Os |
63 |
| Maximum Differential I/O Pairs |
29 |
| Maximum Clock Frequency |
725 MHz |
| Process Technology |
90nm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
1.2V (1.14V – 1.26V) |
Package & Mechanical Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Package Type |
100-Pin VTQFP (Very Thin Quad Flat Pack) |
| Package Code |
VQG100 |
| Body Size |
14 × 14 mm |
| Mounting Type |
Surface Mount |
| Lead Finish |
Pb-free (RoHS Compliant) |
Environmental & Operating Conditions
| Parameter |
Value |
| Temperature Grade |
Commercial |
| Operating Junction Temperature (TJ) |
0°C to +85°C |
| Storage Temperature |
-65°C to +150°C |
XC3S50-5VQG100C Architecture Overview
## Five Functional Elements of the Spartan-3 Architecture
The Spartan-3 FPGA architecture is built around five tightly integrated programmable elements:
1. Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) CLBs are the primary logic resources. Each CLB in the Spartan-3 family contains four slices, and each slice includes two 4-input Look-Up Tables (LUTs), two storage elements (registers or latches), carry logic, and arithmetic gates. The XC3S50-5VQG100C features 192 CLBs arranged in a 16×12 array, providing 1,728 equivalent logic cells.
2. Input/Output Blocks (IOBs) The IOBs surround the CLB array as a ring, providing a programmable interface between internal logic and external pins. The device supports 63 user I/Os and 29 differential pairs, compatible with multiple I/O standards.
3. Block RAM A single column of 18-Kbit dual-port block RAM modules provides 72K bits of dedicated on-chip memory. Both ports (A and B) can be accessed independently, supporting a wide variety of memory configurations and widths.
4. Dedicated Multipliers The XC3S50-5VQG100C includes 4 dedicated 18×18-bit hardware multipliers, enabling efficient DSP-style arithmetic without consuming CLB resources.
5. Digital Clock Managers (DCMs) Two DCMs provide precise clock synthesis, phase shifting, duty-cycle correction, and frequency multiplication/division — critical for synchronous design and multi-clock domain systems.
Supported I/O Standards
The XC3S50-5VQG100C supports a wide range of industry-standard I/O interfaces:
| I/O Standard Category |
Supported Standards |
| Single-Ended |
LVTTL, LVCMOS 3.3V / 2.5V / 1.8V / 1.5V |
| Differential |
LVDS, RSDS, BLVDS, LVPECL |
| Bus |
PCI (3.3V), GTL, GTL+, HSTL, SSTL |
| Other |
AGP-2x, PCI-X (limited), LVCMOS 1.2V |
Note: DCI (Digitally Controlled Impedance) signal standards are not supported in Bank 5 when using the VQ100/VQG100 package.
Configuration Modes
The XC3S50-5VQG100C supports several flexible configuration methods:
| Mode |
Description |
| Master Serial |
Uses an external SPI or serial PROM |
| Slave Serial |
Configured by an external controller |
| Master Parallel (SelectMAP) |
Byte-wide parallel configuration |
| Slave Parallel (SelectMAP) |
Byte-wide slave-mode configuration |
| JTAG (Boundary Scan) |
IEEE 1149.1-compliant in-system programming |
Configuration data is stored in reprogrammable static CMOS Configuration Latches (CCLs), which retain their state as long as power is applied. The device is fully reconfigurable in the field.
XC3S50-5VQG100C vs. Other Spartan-3 Variants
Speed Grade Comparison (XC3S50, VQG100 Package)
| Part Number |
Speed Grade |
Max Frequency |
Temperature |
| XC3S50-4VQG100C |
-4 (Standard) |
630 MHz |
Commercial |
| XC3S50-5VQG100C |
-5 (High Performance) |
725 MHz |
Commercial |
| XC3S50-5VQG100I |
-5 (High Performance) |
725 MHz |
Industrial |
| XC3S50-4VQG100I |
-4 (Standard) |
630 MHz |
Industrial |
Spartan-3 Family Density Comparison
| Device |
System Gates |
Logic Cells |
Max I/Os |
Block RAM |
Multipliers |
| XC3S50 |
50K |
1,728 |
63 |
72K bits |
4 |
| XC3S200 |
200K |
4,320 |
141 |
216K bits |
12 |
| XC3S400 |
400K |
8,064 |
264 |
288K bits |
16 |
| XC3S1000 |
1M |
17,280 |
391 |
432K bits |
24 |
| XC3S1500 |
1.5M |
29,952 |
487 |
576K bits |
32 |
| XC3S2000 |
2M |
46,080 |
565 |
720K bits |
40 |
Typical Applications for the XC3S50-5VQG100C
The XC3S50-5VQG100C is a versatile device well-suited to a wide range of embedded and digital design applications:
#### Industrial & Embedded Control
- Motor control logic (brushless DC, stepper control)
- PLC expansion logic and I/O interface bridging
- System management controllers
#### Communications & Networking
- UART, SPI, I²C, and parallel bus protocol bridging
- Line-rate framing and encoding (e.g., 8b/10b encoding)
- Glue logic for Ethernet PHY interfaces
#### Signal Processing
- FIR/IIR digital filters using dedicated multipliers
- Data stream serialization and deserialization
- Sensor data aggregation and preprocessing
#### Consumer Electronics
- Display timing and control logic
- USB/HDMI protocol support glue logic
- Low-cost custom logic for appliances and IoT devices
#### Prototyping & Education
- FPGA development boards and evaluation kits
- Academic digital design projects
- ASIC prototyping and pre-silicon verification
Development Tools & Design Flow
The XC3S50-5VQG100C is supported by the following Xilinx/AMD design tools:
| Tool |
Purpose |
| ISE Design Suite |
Primary legacy tool for Spartan-3 synthesis, implementation, and bitstream generation |
| Vivado Design Suite |
Newer platform (primarily for 7-series and above; limited Spartan-3 support) |
| ChipScope Pro |
On-chip logic analyzer for debugging |
| iMPACT |
JTAG configuration and programming tool |
| ModelSim / ISIM |
HDL simulation (VHDL, Verilog) |
Recommended: For new XC3S50-5VQG100C designs, Xilinx ISE Design Suite 14.7 is the fully supported toolchain.
Ordering Information
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Manufacturer Part Number |
XC3S50-5VQG100C |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Series |
Spartan-3 |
| Package |
100-VTQFP (VQG100) |
| Lead Finish |
Pb-free / RoHS Compliant |
| Temperature Grade |
Commercial (0°C ~ 85°C) |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) |
MSL 3 |
Related / Alternative Part Numbers
| Part Number |
Difference |
| XC3S50-4VQG100C |
Same package, lower speed grade (-4) |
| XC3S50-5VQG100I |
Same speed grade, Industrial temperature |
| XC3S50-5TQG144C |
Higher pin count (144-TQFP), same speed grade |
| XC3S50A-5VQG100C |
Spartan-3A variant, similar density |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between XC3S50-5VQG100C and XC3S50-5VQ100C? The “G” in VQG indicates that the package is Pb-free (RoHS-compliant), whereas VQ100 uses standard (tin-lead) solder. Electrically, they are identical.
Q: Is the XC3S50-5VQG100C recommended for new designs? Yes. As of the most recent Xilinx documentation revision (2013 and later), the Spartan-3 family is recommended for new designs. However, engineers building new products with longer lifecycles may wish to evaluate the Spartan-7 family for greater capacity and modern toolchain support.
Q: What programming software do I need for the XC3S50-5VQG100C? The ISE Design Suite (version 14.7, the final release) is the primary toolchain for Spartan-3 devices. It includes synthesis, place-and-route, simulation (ISIM), and the iMPACT configuration tool.
Q: What configuration PROM is compatible with the XC3S50-5VQG100C? Compatible serial PROMs include the Xilinx XCF01S and XCF02S. SPI Flash devices from manufacturers such as Micron, Spansion, and Winbond are also widely used.
Q: What is the supply voltage for the XC3S50-5VQG100C? The core supply voltage (VCCINT) is 1.2V (tolerance: 1.14V to 1.26V). I/O banks require separate VCCO supplies depending on the selected I/O standard (typically 1.2V, 1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, or 3.3V).
Summary
The XC3S50-5VQG100C delivers a compelling combination of logic density, memory resources, speed, and compact packaging at a low cost. With 50,000 system gates, 725 MHz maximum performance, 63 flexible user I/Os, and full RoHS compliance in a 14×14mm surface-mount footprint, it remains one of the most widely deployed entry-level FPGAs in cost-sensitive embedded and consumer applications.
For the full range of compatible and alternative Xilinx programmable logic devices, explore our Xilinx FPGA selection.
