XCKU060 FPGA: Complete Kintex UltraScale Specifications

The XCKU060 sits at the heart of AMD’s Kintex UltraScale family, delivering what I consider the optimal balance of logic capacity, DSP performance, and transceiver bandwidth for mid-range to high-end designs. After working with multiple Xilinx XCKU060 variants across telecommunications and medical imaging projects, this guide consolidates the specifications, package options, and practical design considerations that matter when selecting this device for production hardware.

Xilinx XCKU060 Overview and Architecture

The Xilinx XCKU060 (also referenced as Xilinx KU060 in shorthand) is built on TSMC’s 20nm process technology using the UltraScale architecture. This device occupies a mid-range position in the Kintex UltraScale lineup—larger than the XCKU040 but smaller than the XCKU095 and XCKU115 multi-die devices.

What makes the XCKU060 particularly attractive for production designs is its monolithic die construction. Unlike the larger XCKU085 and XCKU115 which use stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology, the XCKU060 avoids the timing complexities of crossing super-logic region (SLR) boundaries while still providing substantial logic capacity.

Xilinx XCKU060 Core Specifications

The 725,550 system logic cells translate to genuine design capacity—not inflated marketing numbers. In practice, I’ve found the XCKU060 comfortably accommodates designs that would push a Kintex-7 XC7K480T to its limits, with room to spare for debugging infrastructure and future feature additions.

XCKU060 I/O and Transceiver Resources

The I/O architecture in the XCKU060 follows the UltraScale paradigm of separating high-performance (HP) and high-range (HR) I/O banks. This distinction matters significantly for DDR4 memory interfaces, LVDS signaling, and general-purpose connectivity.

XCKU060 I/O Bank Configuration

GTH Transceiver Specifications

The 32 GTH transceivers in the XCKU060 support line rates from 500 Mb/s up to 16.3 Gb/s, enabling a wide range of serial protocols:

Each GTH Quad includes a shared QPLL for low-jitter operation at high line rates, plus individual CPLLs per channel for protocol flexibility. The transceiver count makes the XCKU060 suitable for applications requiring multiple 10G Ethernet ports or PCIe Gen3 x8 with additional serial connectivity.

XCKU060 Package Options and Pinouts

AMD offers the XCKU060 in multiple package options to balance I/O availability, thermal performance, and PCB routing complexity. Package selection significantly impacts both design capability and manufacturing cost.

Available XCKU060 Packages

The FFVA1517 package provides full access to all XCKU060 resources, including all 32 GTH transceivers and maximum I/O count. For designs requiring fewer transceivers, the FFVA1156 offers a more manageable BGA footprint while still providing 20 GTH channels.

The SFVA784 package deserves special mention for cost-sensitive applications. Its 0.8mm ball pitch requires more advanced PCB fabrication (typically 6/6 mil or finer design rules), but the smaller package reduces both FPGA cost and PCB real estate requirements.

XCKU060 Part Number Structure

Understanding the XCKU060 part numbering helps when specifying devices:

XCKU060-2FFVA1156I breaks down as:

• XCKU060: Device (Kintex UltraScale, 060 capacity)
• -2: Speed grade (-3 fastest, -2 standard, -1 lowest power)
• FF: Package type (Flip-chip Fine-pitch)
• VA1156: Package variant (1156 balls)
• I: Temperature grade (C=Commercial, I=Industrial, E=Extended)

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XCKU060 Speed Grades and Power Options

The XCKU060 offers four speed grade options, each targeting different performance and power requirements:

The -1L devices provide the most interesting power optimization opportunity. When operated at 0.90V VCCINT (designated -1LV in Vivado), static power drops significantly while maintaining -1 speed grade timing at 0.95V operation. This dual-voltage capability allows production devices to optimize for either performance or power based on system requirements.

Temperature Grade Options

For industrial and outdoor applications, the -40°C to +100°C range of industrial grade devices is essential. The extended temperature grade provides a middle ground for controlled environments with occasional thermal excursions.

XCKU060 Memory Interface Support

The XCKU060 supports high-performance memory interfaces through dedicated PHY logic in the HP I/O banks:

For most new designs, DDR4 at 2133-2400 MT/s provides the optimal balance of bandwidth and timing margin. The XCKU060’s HP I/O banks support DBI (Data Bus Inversion) and on-die termination calibration required for robust DDR4 operation.

XCKU060 Power Supply Requirements

Proper power supply design is critical for reliable XCKU060 operation. The device requires multiple voltage rails with specific sequencing requirements:

Power Rail Specifications

The current values above represent typical ranges—actual consumption depends heavily on design utilization, clock frequencies, and switching activity. Always run Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) with realistic design parameters before finalizing the power supply.

Power Sequencing

The XCKU060 requires specific power-on sequencing:

1. VCCINT and VCCINT_IO ramp together (or VCCINT first)
2. VCCBRAM ramps with or after VCCINT
3. VCCAUX and VCCAUX_IO ramp after VCCINT reaches 80%
4. VCCO rails ramp after VCCAUX is stable
5. MGT supplies (MGTAVCC, MGTAVTT, MGTAVCCAUX) ramp after core supplies

Violating this sequence can cause latch-up or device damage. Power management ICs with built-in sequencing (like the TI LM3880 or similar) simplify implementation.

Target Applications for XCKU060

The XCKU060’s resource mix targets several high-growth application areas:

Wireless Infrastructure and 5G

The combination of 2,760 DSP slices and 32 GTH transceivers enables digital front-end processing, CPRI/OBSAI backhaul, and massive MIMO beamforming. The 38Mb of block RAM provides buffering for complex signal processing chains.

Medical Imaging Systems

Ultrasound beamforming, CT reconstruction, and MRI signal processing benefit from the DSP48E2 architecture’s 27×18 multipliers and 48-bit accumulators. The GTH transceivers handle high-speed sensor data streams from detector arrays.

Data Center Networking

100G Ethernet line cards, smart NICs, and storage acceleration leverage PCIe Gen3 integration and multiple 10G/25G Ethernet ports. The logic capacity supports complex packet processing pipelines.

Video Processing

4K/8K video encoding, decoding, and format conversion utilize the DSP slices for transform operations and block RAM for frame buffering. HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort interfaces are supported through the HP I/O banks.

XCKU060 Development Boards and Evaluation Kits

Several development platforms support XCKU060 prototyping:

The ALINX AXKU062 provides a complete development environment with PCIe Gen3 x8 connectivity, dual 10G SFP+ ports, and HPC/LPC FMC expansion for custom I/O.

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Essential XCKU060 Documentation and Resources

Technical Documentation

Download Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between XCKU060 and XCKU040?

The XCKU060 provides approximately 37% more logic cells (725,550 vs 530,250), 44% more DSP slices (2,760 vs 1,920), and 80% more block RAM (38.0Mb vs 21.1Mb) compared to the XCKU040. The XCKU060 also offers 32 GTH transceivers versus 20 in the XCKU040. For designs requiring more resources than the XCKU040 provides but not needing the complexity of multi-die devices, the XCKU060 is the logical choice.

Does the XCKU060 support DDR4 memory?

Yes, the XCKU060 fully supports DDR4 SDRAM at data rates up to 2400 MT/s. The HP I/O banks include dedicated memory PHY logic for DDR4 timing calibration, DBI support, and on-die termination. Both component DDR4 and RDIMM/LRDIMM configurations are supported with appropriate memory controller IP.

What Vivado license is required for XCKU060 development?

The XCKU060 requires Vivado Design Edition or higher—it is not supported by the free WebPACK edition. Development boards like the ALINX AXKU062 typically include device-locked licenses that provide full functionality for the specific FPGA on the board. For production deployment, a standard Vivado license covering the Kintex UltraScale family is required.

Can I migrate designs from Kintex-7 to XCKU060?

Migration from Kintex-7 to XCKU060 is supported but requires attention to architectural differences. The DSP48E2 slices in UltraScale have different capabilities than DSP48E1 in 7-Series. Block RAM primitives differ between generations. I/O standards and clocking resources also have variations. Xilinx provides migration guides, and Vivado includes analysis tools to identify compatibility issues during the migration process.

What is the typical power consumption of XCKU060?

Power consumption varies significantly based on design utilization, clock frequencies, and switching activity. A moderately loaded XCKU060 design (50% logic utilization, 500MHz clock, 16 active transceivers) typically consumes 8-15W total. Designs with heavy DSP utilization or high transceiver activity can exceed 20W. Use the Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) spreadsheet tool with actual design parameters for accurate projections before finalizing thermal solutions.

Conclusion

The XCKU060 delivers a compelling combination of logic capacity, DSP performance, and serial connectivity for mid-range to high-end FPGA designs. Its monolithic construction avoids the complexity of multi-die timing while providing resources that significantly exceed the XCKU040. For applications in wireless infrastructure, medical imaging, data center acceleration, and high-resolution video processing, the XCKU060 offers the performance headroom and I/O flexibility that production designs demand.

Whether you’re migrating from a Kintex-7 platform or starting a new UltraScale design, the XCKU060’s proven architecture and comprehensive tooling support make it a solid foundation for demanding embedded applications.