The XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I is a high-performance, low-power Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) from AMD Xilinx, belonging to the Kintex® UltraScale™ family. Built on a 20nm process node and housed in a 1517-pin FCBGA package rated for industrial temperatures, this device delivers exceptional processing bandwidth, advanced DSP capability, and outstanding power efficiency — making it a top choice for demanding embedded and signal-processing applications.

If you are sourcing or evaluating Xilinx FPGA components, the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I stands out as one of the most capable mid-range devices in the UltraScale lineup.

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What Is the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I?

The XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I is the industrial-grade, low-power (-1L) speed-grade variant of the XCKU115 Kintex UltraScale FPGA. The part number breaks down as follows:

• XCKU115 – Kintex UltraScale, 115 density point (largest in the Kintex UltraScale family)
• L1 – Low-power (-1L) speed grade; operates at VCCINT = 0.90V for reduced static power
• FLVD – Fine-pitch Low-Voltage BGA, industrial temperature suffix (D = –40°C to 100°C)
• 1517 – 1517-pin package footprint
• I – Industrial temperature grade

This combination of industrial-grade reliability and low-power operation makes the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I uniquely suited for applications that must run reliably across harsh temperature environments while minimizing heat dissipation.

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XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I Key Specifications

General Overview Table

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Logic and Memory Resources

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High-Speed Serial and Connectivity

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Clock and Configuration

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Why Choose the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I?

#### Ultra-High Logic Density in a Mid-Range Device

With over 1.45 million system logic cells, the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I is the highest-density member of the Kintex UltraScale family. It delivers near-Virtex-class logic capacity at a significantly lower cost, closing the gap between mid-range and high-end FPGAs.

#### Industry-Leading DSP Performance

The device incorporates 5,520 DSP48E2 slices, enabling a peak compute throughput of 8.2 TeraMACs. This makes it exceptionally well-suited for computationally intensive tasks including radar signal processing, beamforming, 8K video transcoding, and machine learning inference engines.

#### Low-Power Operation for Harsh Environments

The -1L speed grade allows the device to operate at VCCINT = 0.90V, reducing dynamic and static power consumption by up to 40% compared to equivalent previous-generation devices. When operated at 0.95V, it delivers the same timing performance as a standard -1 device, giving designers flexibility to trade off speed and power as needed.

#### Industrial Temperature Reliability (–40°C to +100°C)

The “D” suffix in the part number designates the industrial temperature range. This qualification is critical for deployments in military-adjacent, aerospace, transportation, and outdoor infrastructure applications where ambient temperatures fluctuate widely and device reliability over long operational lifetimes is non-negotiable.

#### 64 High-Speed GTH Transceivers

With 64 GTH transceivers operating at up to 16.3 Gb/s each, the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I supports multi-hundred Gbps system-level throughput. These transceivers are optimized for 100G Ethernet, PCIe Gen3, Interlaken, CPRI/eCPRI, and OTN protocols — essential for networking line cards and wireless base station equipment.

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XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I vs. Related Part Numbers

Understanding the naming convention helps engineers select the right variant for their design.

The XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I is the preferred choice when low power AND industrial temperature tolerance are both required simultaneously.

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Target Applications

The XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I is engineered for high-throughput, power-aware designs in demanding industries.

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UltraScale Architecture Highlights

The Kintex UltraScale family is built on AMD Xilinx’s UltraScale architecture, which was the industry’s first ASIC-class programmable architecture. Key architectural advantages include:

• Next-Generation Routing – Reduces routing congestion typically seen at high utilization, achieving up to 2 speed-grade improvement versus previous FPGA generations under high-utilization conditions.
• ASIC-Like Clocking – Fine-grained clock gating and dedicated clock networks eliminate unnecessary dynamic power consumption.
• SSI Technology Support – Stacked Silicon Interconnect enables the highest-density devices (including XCKU115) to be constructed from multiple stacked silicon dies with ultra-high-bandwidth inter-die connectivity.
• Vivado® Design Suite Optimization – The device is co-optimized with Xilinx Vivado for fast design closure, IP integration, and verification.
• PCIe Gen3 Hard IP – Up to four integrated PCIe Gen3 x8 blocks eliminate the need for soft PCIe implementations, saving significant logic resources and improving performance.

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Power Supply Requirements

Proper power sequencing and supply filtering are essential for reliable XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I operation.

Design Tip: Use the free Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) tool to model your exact power consumption based on toggle rates, resource utilization, and operating conditions before committing to your power delivery network design.

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Package and PCB Design Considerations

FCBGA-1517 Package Details

The XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I shares a footprint-compatible package with smaller Kintex UltraScale devices (e.g., XCKU085), enabling a scalable board design strategy. Engineers can prototype on a smaller, more affordable device and migrate to the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I for production without PCB re-layout.

PCB Design Guidelines

• Use controlled impedance routing for differential high-speed I/O pairs
• Place decoupling capacitors as close as possible to each supply ball on the BGA
• Follow AMD Xilinx UG583 (UltraScale PCB Design Guide) for recommended stack-up, via structures, and BGA escape routing
• BGA ball pitch is 1.0mm; route with microvias or blind/buried vias for dense designs

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Configuration and Security

The XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I supports multiple configuration modes for flexible deployment:

• Master SPI – Single, Dual, Quad, and Octal SPI Flash options
• Master BPI – Parallel NOR Flash for faster configuration
• Slave SelectMAP – Processor-controlled configuration
• JTAG – Debug and incremental configuration

Security features include AES-256 bitstream encryption with HMAC/SHA-256 authentication, protecting proprietary designs from unauthorized readback or cloning. The on-chip eFUSE array stores encryption keys permanently and securely.

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Ordering Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between XCKU115-L1FLVA1517I and XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I? Both are -1L low-power speed grade variants with identical logic resources. The key difference is the temperature qualification: the FLVA suffix designates a commercial range (0°C to 85°C) device, while FLVD designates the industrial range (–40°C to 100°C) variant. For harsh-environment deployments, the FLVD variant is required.

Q: Can the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I run at -1 speed grade performance? Yes. When VCCINT is set to 0.95V (rather than the low-power 0.90V), the -1L device meets the same timing specifications as a standard -1 speed grade device. This dual-voltage flexibility allows system designers to balance power and performance dynamically.

Q: Is the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I supported in Vivado? Yes. The device is fully supported in AMD Xilinx Vivado Design Suite. It is also supported in the Vitis unified software platform for high-level synthesis and accelerated application development.

Q: What transceivers does the XCKU115-L1FLVD1517I include? The device integrates 64 GTH transceivers capable of operating up to 16.3 Gb/s per lane, suitable for 100G Ethernet, PCIe Gen3, CPRI, OTN, and Interlaken protocols.