The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E is a high-performance, mid-range Xilinx FPGA from the Kintex® UltraScale™ family, manufactured on a cutting-edge 20nm process node. Designed for engineers who demand exceptional compute density, signal processing bandwidth, and power efficiency, this device delivers ASIC-class programmable logic in a compact, cost-optimized FCBGA-1517 package.
Whether your application is 100G networking, next-generation medical imaging, 8K/4K video processing, or heterogeneous wireless infrastructure, the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E offers an optimum blend of capability and cost efficiency.
What Is the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E?
The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E belongs to AMD Xilinx’s Kintex UltraScale FPGA family — the first ASIC-class All Programmable Architecture capable of enabling multi-hundred Gbps levels of system performance. The part number breaks down as follows:
| Part Number Segment |
Meaning |
| XCKU115 |
Kintex UltraScale, highest-density device in family |
| -2 |
Speed grade 2 (mid-speed, commercial performance) |
| FLVA |
FCBGA package, 1517-pin variant |
| 1517 |
1517-pin flip-chip ball grid array |
| E |
Extended commercial temperature range (0°C to 100°C) |
XCKU115-2FLVA1517E Key Specifications
General Electrical & Logic Parameters
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Series |
Kintex® UltraScale™ |
| Part Number |
XCKU115-2FLVA1517E |
| Process Technology |
20nm |
| System Logic Cells |
1,451,100 |
| CLB Flip-Flops |
1,326,720 |
| Logic Blocks (LUTs) |
663,360 |
| Total RAM Bits |
75,900 Kbit |
| DSP Slices |
5,520 |
| DSP Performance |
8.2 TeraMACs |
| Maximum Frequency |
725 MHz |
| Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.922V – 0.979V (nominal 0.95V) |
Package & Physical Characteristics
| Parameter |
Value |
| Package Type |
FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) |
| Package Designation |
FLVA1517 |
| Number of Pins |
1,517 |
| User I/O Pins |
624 |
| Speed Grade |
-2 (Commercial) |
| Operating Temperature |
0°C to 100°C (junction) |
| RoHS Compliant |
Yes |
| Mounting Type |
Surface Mount |
Transceiver & Connectivity Specifications
| Feature |
Specification |
| Transceivers |
Up to 64 GTH transceivers per device |
| Transceiver Speed (GTH) |
Up to 16.3 Gb/s (backplane capable) |
| Minimum Transceiver Speed |
12.5 Gb/s (slowest speed grade) |
| PCIe Interface |
Integrated PCIe Gen3 cores |
| DDR4 Memory Interface |
Up to 2400 Mb/s |
| CMAC (100G Ethernet) |
Integrated 100G MAC |
Clocking Resources
| Resource |
Value |
| MMCM (Mixed-Mode Clock Managers) |
Yes – multiple per device |
| PLL |
Yes |
| Clock Architecture |
ASIC-like fine granular clock gating |
| VCXO Integration |
Yes – reduces external clocking BOM |
XCKU115-2FLVA1517E Architecture Overview
## UltraScale Architecture: ASIC-Class Programmability
The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E is built on Xilinx’s UltraScale architecture, which was purpose-built to eliminate traditional FPGA routing bottlenecks. Unlike previous-generation FPGAs, UltraScale uses next-generation routing fabrics, ASIC-like clocking distribution, and 3D-on-3D stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology. The result is predictable, high-utilization design closure — a critical advantage in complex SoC and DSP-intensive designs.
### Stacked Silicon Interconnect (SSI) Technology
The KU115 device leverages Xilinx 2nd-generation 3D IC technology, combining multiple super-logic regions (SLRs) on a single silicon interposer. This approach allows the device to pack over 1.45 million system logic cells while maintaining low latency between SLRs, enabling large designs that would otherwise require multi-chip board-level partitioning.
### High-Density DSP & Memory Resources
With 5,520 DSP48E2 slices delivering 8.2 TeraMACs of compute performance and 75,900 Kbits of on-chip block RAM, the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E is engineered for data-heavy workloads. The high DSP-to-logic and block RAM-to-logic ratios are a defining feature of the Kintex UltraScale family and make this device especially attractive for real-time signal processing applications.
### GTH Transceivers for High-Speed Serial Communication
Up to 64 GTH transceivers running at up to 16.3 Gb/s enable 100G line-rate networking, PCIe Gen3 connectivity, and high-speed inter-chip communication — all on-chip without requiring external serializer/deserializer components.
Applications for XCKU115-2FLVA1517E
The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E is purpose-built for bandwidth-intensive, compute-heavy applications across multiple industries:
| Industry / Domain |
Use Case |
| Networking & Telecom |
100G packet processing, line-rate switching, OTN framing |
| Data Centers |
Hardware acceleration, FPGA-based SmartNICs, AI/ML inference |
| Medical Imaging |
Next-generation MRI, CT reconstruction, ultrasound processing |
| Video & Broadcast |
8K/4K video encode/decode, real-time video analytics |
| Wireless Infrastructure |
Massive MIMO baseband, 5G RAN, heterogeneous wireless |
| Defense & Aerospace |
Radar signal processing, electronic warfare, SIGINT |
| High-Performance Computing |
Custom accelerators, co-processors, FPGA clusters |
| Test & Measurement |
High-speed data acquisition, protocol analysis |
XCKU115-2FLVA1517E vs. Related Kintex UltraScale Devices
| Feature |
XCKU085-2FLVA1517E |
XCKU115-2FLVA1517E |
XCKU115-2FLVA2104E |
| System Logic Cells |
~840,000 |
1,451,100 |
1,451,100 |
| I/O Pins |
520 |
624 |
832 |
| Package Pins |
1517 |
1517 |
2104 |
| Speed Grade |
-2 |
-2 |
-2 |
| Temperature |
Commercial |
Commercial (E) |
Commercial (E) |
| Best For |
Mid-density designs |
High-density, 624 I/O |
Maximum I/O count |
Power and Efficiency
The Kintex UltraScale family delivers up to 40% lower power consumption compared to the previous 28nm generation, thanks to:
- 20nm TSMC process technology with enhanced leakage control
- Fine-grained clock gating throughout the device fabric
- SelectIO™ with on-die termination (ODT) to reduce I/O power
- Intelligent power management through Vivado® Power Analyzer
For the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E operating at its -2 speed grade, the 0.95V VCCINT supply contributes significantly to overall power savings while maintaining the 725 MHz maximum operating frequency.
Design Tools & Development Ecosystem
#### Vivado® Design Suite Compatibility
The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E is fully supported by the AMD Vivado® Design Suite, which provides:
- Logic synthesis and implementation co-optimized for UltraScale devices
- Integrated IP core library including PCIe Gen3, 100G Ethernet MAC (CMAC), and DDR4 controllers
- High-level synthesis via Vitis HLS for C/C++ to RTL development
- Power analysis, simulation, and timing closure tools
#### Supported Design Flows
| Design Flow |
Tool |
| RTL-based (VHDL / Verilog) |
Vivado Design Suite |
| High-Level Synthesis |
Vitis HLS |
| IP Integration |
Vivado IP Integrator (Block Design) |
| Partial Reconfiguration |
Vivado PR Flow |
| Simulation |
Vivado Simulator / ModelSim / Questa |
Part Number Ordering Information
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Manufacturer Part Number |
XCKU115-2FLVA1517E |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (formerly Xilinx) |
| Product Family |
Kintex® UltraScale™ |
| Package |
1517-Pin FCBGA (FLVA) |
| Temperature Grade |
Commercial (0°C to +100°C junction) |
| Speed Grade |
-2 |
| RoHS Status |
RoHS Compliant |
| NCNR Status |
Non-Cancellable, Non-Returnable (NCNR) |
| Warranty |
12 months from date of purchase |
Why Choose the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E?
The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E stands out as the highest-density Kintex UltraScale device in the 1517-pin package, making it the optimal choice for engineers who need maximum logic resources without scaling up to the larger and more expensive FCBGA-2104 or FCBGA-1924 packages. Its -2 speed grade hits the sweet spot for commercial performance, and its 624 user I/O pins accommodate complex multi-interface board designs.
For system architects targeting 100G networking accelerators, DSP pipelines, or large real-time processing workloads — all within a manageable PCB footprint — the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E represents one of the most capable mid-range FPGA solutions on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between XCKU115-2FLVA1517E and XCKU115-2FLVA1517I? The “E” suffix denotes the Extended commercial temperature grade (0°C to 100°C junction), while “I” denotes an Industrial temperature grade (-40°C to 100°C junction). The “I” variant is better suited for harsh environment deployments.
Q: Is the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E pin-compatible with Virtex UltraScale devices? Yes. Kintex UltraScale devices in the same package offer footprint compatibility with Virtex® UltraScale™ devices, enabling scalable migration between families without a PCB redesign.
Q: What memory interfaces does this FPGA support? The XCKU115-2FLVA1517E supports DDR4 at up to 2400 Mb/s via the integrated Memory Interface Generator (MIG) IP, as well as LPDDR3, QDR-II+, and Rldram3 through dedicated hard memory controllers.
Q: Is Vivado free for this device? AMD offers Vivado ML Standard Edition as a free download, which includes WebPACK support for selected devices. The full Enterprise edition is required for the XCKU115 — a paid license or subscription is needed.
Q: What is the XCKU115-2FLVA1517E lead time? Lead times vary by distributor and market conditions. Because this is an NCNR (Non-Cancellable, Non-Returnable) component, buyers should confirm availability and lead time directly with authorized distributors before placing orders.
