The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from the Kintex® UltraScale™ family, built on AMD’s 20nm architecture. Featuring 1,451,100 logic cells, 728 user I/Os, and Speed Grade -3 — the fastest in its class — this device delivers the optimal balance of price, performance, and power efficiency for demanding embedded and signal processing applications.
What Is the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E?
The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) manufactured by AMD (formerly Xilinx), part of the Kintex UltraScale series. It uses both monolithic and stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology to achieve high logic density and signal processing bandwidth within a mid-range power envelope. The “-3” speed grade designation indicates the highest-performance silicon bin available for this device family, making it ideal for timing-critical and high-throughput designs.
The device is housed in a 1924-pin FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) package and is RoHS compliant. It operates over a commercial temperature range of 0°C to 100°C.
XCKU115-3FLVF1924E Key Specifications
Core Logic & Memory Resources
| Parameter |
Value |
| Logic Cells |
1,451,100 |
| CLB Flip-Flops |
1,326,720 |
| Logic Blocks (CLBs) |
663,360 |
| Block RAM (Total Bits) |
77,721,600 bits (~74 Mb) |
| DSP Slices |
5,520 |
| UltraRAM (URAM) |
Not available (UltraScale, not UltraScale+) |
I/O & Connectivity
| Parameter |
Value |
| User I/O Count |
728 |
| Total Package Pins |
1,924 |
| I/O Standards Supported |
LVCMOS, LVDS, SSTL, HSTL, and more |
| Max I/O Voltage |
3.3V |
| MMCM / PLL |
Yes |
Performance & Power
| Parameter |
Value |
| Speed Grade |
-3 (Fastest) |
| Max Clock Frequency |
Up to 725 MHz+ (design dependent) |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.922V – 0.979V |
| Process Node |
20nm |
| Operating Temperature |
0°C to 100°C (Commercial) |
Package Information
| Parameter |
Value |
| Package Type |
FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) |
| Package Code |
FLVF1924 |
| Pin Count |
1,924 |
| Package Shape |
Square |
| Terminal Type |
Ball (BGA) |
| RoHS Compliant |
Yes |
XCKU115-3FLVF1924E vs Other Speed Grades
Understanding the difference between speed grades is critical when selecting the right XCKU115 variant for your design.
| Part Number |
Speed Grade |
Logic Cells |
Package |
Use Case |
| XCKU115-1FLVF1924E |
-1 (Slowest) |
1,451,100 |
FCBGA-1924 |
Cost-sensitive, lower-speed designs |
| XCKU115-2FLVF1924E |
-2 (Mid) |
1,451,100 |
FCBGA-1924 |
Balanced performance and cost |
| XCKU115-3FLVF1924E |
-3 (Fastest) |
1,451,100 |
FCBGA-1924 |
High-frequency, timing-critical systems |
The -3 speed grade achieves higher maximum operating frequencies and tighter timing closure, making it the preferred choice for 100G+ networking line cards, high-speed DSP pipelines, and advanced radar or imaging systems.
Architecture Overview: Kintex UltraScale Technology
20nm UltraScale Architecture
The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is built on Xilinx’s UltraScale architecture at the 20nm process node. Compared to the previous 28nm 7-Series devices, the UltraScale generation introduces significant improvements in routing efficiency, DSP density, and transceiver performance — while reducing static and dynamic power consumption.
Key architectural advances include:
- Next-generation routing architecture — eliminates routing bottlenecks found in previous generations
- Advanced DSP48E2 slices — support cascading, pre-adder logic, and complex arithmetic operations at high clock rates
- Integrated IP cores — including PCIe Gen3, 100G Ethernet MAC, Interlaken, and more
- MMCM and PLL resources — for flexible, low-jitter clock management across the fabric
SSI Technology (Stacked Silicon Interconnect)
The XCKU115 uses SSI technology, combining multiple silicon dies on a single package interposer. This enables logic densities that would be impractical in a single monolithic die, while maintaining high inter-die bandwidth and low latency. SSI technology is what enables the 1.4M+ logic cell count within this device.
XCKU115-3FLVF1924E Applications
#### 100G Networking and Data Center Applications
The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is purpose-built for high-throughput packet processing workloads. Its high DSP-to-logic ratio and large block RAM resources make it well suited for:
- 100G / 400G Ethernet switching and line cards
- Network Function Virtualization (NFV) acceleration
- Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) engines
- Programmable NIC offload (SmartNIC architectures)
#### High-Performance DSP and Signal Processing
With 5,520 DSP slices and a high block RAM bandwidth, the device handles demanding digital signal processing tasks such as:
- Radar signal processing and beamforming
- Software-defined radio (SDR) platforms
- OFDM modulation and FEC encoding/decoding
- LTE, 5G NR baseband processing for heterogeneous wireless infrastructure
#### Medical Imaging and Diagnostics
The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is used in next-generation medical imaging platforms including:
- MRI reconstruction pipelines
- CT scanner real-time image processing
- Ultrasound signal processing
- High-resolution 8K/4K video pipeline processing
#### Aerospace, Defense, and Test Equipment
Speed Grade -3 makes this device attractive for defense-grade platforms where timing margins are critical:
- Electronic warfare signal analysis
- High-speed data acquisition systems
- SIGINT processing
- ATE (automated test equipment) with parallel logic execution
#### High-Performance Computing (HPC)
- AI and machine learning inference acceleration
- Scientific simulation co-processors
- FPGA-based genome sequencing acceleration
Design Tools and Development Support
Vivado Design Suite
The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is fully supported by AMD’s Vivado Design Suite, which provides:
- HDL synthesis (VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog)
- Place-and-route with UltraScale-specific optimizations
- Timing analysis and closure tools
- IP Integrator for block-based design entry
- Simulation and hardware debug (ILA, VIO)
Vivado ML Edition
For teams working on machine learning or complex DSP designs, Vivado ML Edition adds AI-driven placement and routing recommendations, reducing implementation time and improving timing closure rates.
Supported IP Cores
| IP Core |
Description |
| PCIe Gen3 x16 |
High-speed host interface |
| 100G Ethernet |
MAC and RS-FEC |
| Interlaken |
High-bandwidth chip-to-chip |
| DDR4/DDR3 MIG |
External memory controller |
| Aurora |
Serial data link |
| AXI Interconnect |
On-chip bus fabric |
Ordering Information and Part Number Decoder
Understanding the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E part number helps you quickly verify the right variant for procurement:
| Field |
Code |
Meaning |
| Device Family |
XC |
Xilinx Commercial |
| Product Family |
KU |
Kintex UltraScale |
| Device |
115 |
Highest-density KU device |
| Speed Grade |
-3 |
Fastest speed bin |
| Package Type |
FLV |
Flip-Chip Low Voltage |
| Package |
F1924 |
FCBGA, 1924 pins |
| Temperature |
E |
Extended commercial (0°C to 100°C) |
Why Choose the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E?
- Maximum performance — Speed Grade -3 delivers the tightest timing margins and highest operating frequencies in the KU115 family
- High logic density — 1.45M logic cells support extremely complex parallel processing designs
- Proven 20nm process — mature manufacturing with well-characterized timing libraries and IP support
- Broad ecosystem — supported by all major FPGA EDA tools and a wide range of reference designs
- System BOM reduction — integration of PCIe, Ethernet MAC, and high-speed transceivers on-chip reduces external component count by up to 60% versus previous device generations
- Power efficiency — 20nm architecture reduces active power by up to 40% compared to 28nm predecessors
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between XCKU115-3FLVF1924E and XCKU115-2FLVF1924E? The only difference is the speed grade. The -3 variant is the fastest silicon bin, supporting higher maximum clock frequencies and tighter timing. The -2 is a mid-grade option for less timing-critical designs.
Q: Is the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E RoHS compliant? Yes. The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is fully RoHS compliant, making it suitable for use in products sold in the EU and other regulated markets.
Q: What design software is needed for the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E? AMD’s Vivado Design Suite is the primary tool. Vivado supports synthesis, implementation, timing closure, and hardware debug for all UltraScale devices, including the XCKU115.
Q: Is the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E suitable for defense applications? The commercial-grade XCKU115-3FLVF1924E operates from 0°C to 100°C. For military-grade requirements, AMD offers the XQKU115 radiation-hardened and extended-temperature variants.
Q: What package does the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E use? It uses a 1924-pin FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) package, also referred to as BBGA or FLVF1924.
Summary
The XCKU115-3FLVF1924E is AMD’s highest-performance commercial Kintex UltraScale FPGA in the 1924-pin FCBGA package. With 1,451,100 logic cells, 5,520 DSP slices, 74 Mb of block RAM, and Speed Grade -3, it is the top choice for engineers designing high-frequency signal processing systems, 100G networking equipment, advanced medical imaging platforms, and data center acceleration cards. Backed by AMD’s mature Vivado toolchain and a rich IP ecosystem, the XCKU115-3FLVF1924E provides the performance, flexibility, and development support required to bring complex FPGA-based products to market efficiently.
