The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from AMD’s Kintex® UltraScale™ family, built on a 20nm process node. With 1,451,100 system logic cells, 624 user I/Os, and a 1517-pin FCBGA package, this industrial-grade device delivers an outstanding balance of compute density, signal integrity, and power efficiency for demanding applications in 100G networking, medical imaging, DSP processing, and data center infrastructure.
What Is the XCKU115-1FLVA1517I?
The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is an industrial-temperature (-40°C to +100°C) variant of the Kintex UltraScale KU115 device, operating at speed grade -1 and a core voltage of 0.95V. It belongs to AMD Xilinx’s mid-range UltraScale™ FPGA lineup — the first ASIC-class programmable architecture engineered for multi-hundred Gbps system performance.
The device leverages second-generation 3D IC stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology to maximize logic density per package while maintaining competitive power consumption. It is co-optimized with the Vivado® Design Suite for rapid design closure and production-ready deployment.
XCKU115-1FLVA1517I Key Specifications
General Device Parameters
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Part Number |
XCKU115-1FLVA1517I |
| Series |
Kintex® UltraScale™ |
| Process Technology |
20nm |
| Speed Grade |
-1 |
| Temperature Range |
Industrial: -40°C to +100°C |
| Package Type |
FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) |
| Package Designation |
FLVA1517 |
| Number of Pins |
1517 |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.922V – 0.979V (typ. 0.95V) |
| RoHS Compliance |
Yes |
Logic Resources
| Resource |
Quantity |
| System Logic Cells |
1,451,100 |
| Logic Blocks (CLBs) |
663,360 |
| CLB Flip-Flops |
1,326,720 |
| Look-Up Tables (LUTs) |
663,360 |
Memory Resources
| Memory Type |
Capacity |
| Block RAM (BRAM) |
75.9 Mb (77,722 Kb) |
| Total RAM Bits |
77,722 Kbit |
| UltraRAM |
Available (reduces BOM cost) |
DSP and Clocking
| Feature |
Detail |
| DSP Slices |
High-density DSP48E2 slices |
| DSP Performance |
Up to 8.2 TeraMACs |
| Maximum Clock Frequency |
630 MHz |
| Clock Management Tiles |
MMCM and PLL |
| Clocking Style |
ASIC-like fine-granular clock gating |
I/O and Connectivity
| Feature |
Detail |
| User I/O Count |
624 |
| I/O Standards Supported |
LVDS, SSTL, HSTL, LVCMOS, and more |
| Transceiver Speed |
Up to 16.3 Gb/s (GTH) |
| Max Transceivers |
Up to 64 per device |
| Memory Interface |
DDR4 up to 2,400 Mb/s |
| PCIe Interface |
Integrated PCIe® Gen3 (x8) |
XCKU115-1FLVA1517I Part Number Decoder
Understanding the part number helps confirm you are ordering the correct variant:
| Segment |
Meaning |
| XC |
Xilinx Commercial/Industrial device |
| KU |
Kintex UltraScale family |
| 115 |
Density tier (largest in Kintex UltraScale) |
| -1 |
Speed grade (-1 = standard, slowest in family) |
| FLVA |
Package type (Flip-Chip Low-profile Ball Grid Array) |
| 1517 |
Pin count |
| I |
Industrial temperature grade (-40°C to +100°C) |
Why Choose the XCKU115-1FLVA1517I?
Best-in-Class Price/Performance at 20nm
The Kintex UltraScale family was purpose-built to deliver the highest signal processing bandwidth among mid-range FPGAs. The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I achieves up to 8.2 TeraMACs of DSP performance and supports 16G backplane-capable transceivers — all within a cost-optimized packaging strategy that reduces total system BOM cost by up to 60% compared to previous-generation devices.
Industrial Grade Reliability
The “-I” suffix confirms operation across the full industrial temperature range of -40°C to +100°C, making this device suitable for ruggedized systems in telecommunications infrastructure, industrial automation, aerospace test equipment, and outdoor deployments.
Ultra-Low Power Design
The 20nm UltraScale architecture delivers up to 40% lower dynamic power compared to prior-generation Xilinx FPGAs. Combined with fine-granular clock gating and configurable low-voltage operation, the XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is engineered for power-sensitive environments without trading off performance.
High-Bandwidth Memory Interfaces
With DDR4 support at 2,400 Mb/s and high-performance (HP) I/O banks featuring calibrated programmable on-die termination (DCI), the device is designed for systems requiring high-throughput data movement between FPGA fabric and external memory.
Vivado Design Suite Integration
The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is fully co-optimized with AMD’s Vivado® Design Suite, enabling rapid synthesis, implementation, and IP integration. It also maintains footprint compatibility with Virtex® UltraScale™ devices, providing a scalable migration path for higher-density requirements.
XCKU115-1FLVA1517I Applications
The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is deployed across a wide range of compute-intensive and high-bandwidth applications:
| Application Segment |
Use Case |
| 100G Networking |
Packet processing, line cards, traffic management |
| Data Center |
Accelerator cards, FPGA-as-a-Service (FaaS) platforms |
| Medical Imaging |
8K/4K video reconstruction, CT/MRI signal processing |
| Wireless Infrastructure |
5G baseband processing, heterogeneous RAN |
| Defense & Aerospace |
Radar signal processing, EW systems (industrial grade) |
| Test & Measurement |
High-speed data acquisition, protocol analysis |
| Video Broadcast |
4K/8K real-time encoding and processing |
XCKU115-1FLVA1517I vs. Similar Kintex UltraScale Variants
When selecting the right variant, the two most important differentiators are speed grade and temperature grade:
| Part Number |
Speed Grade |
Temperature Range |
Package |
Cells |
| XCKU115-1FLVA1517I |
-1 |
Industrial (-40 to 100°C) |
FCBGA-1517 |
1,451,100 |
| XCKU115-2FLVA1517I |
-2 |
Industrial (-40 to 100°C) |
FCBGA-1517 |
1,451,100 |
| XCKU115-2FLVA1517E |
-2 |
Extended (0 to 100°C) |
FCBGA-1517 |
1,451,100 |
| XCKU115-1FLVA1517C |
-1 |
Commercial (0 to 85°C) |
FCBGA-1517 |
1,451,100 |
| XCKU115-1FLVA2104I |
-1 |
Industrial (-40 to 100°C) |
FCBGA-2104 |
1,160,880 |
The -1 speed grade represents the standard-performance tier, where the minimum VCCINT is 0.922V. The -2 speed grade enables higher performance (up to 725 MHz in some configurations) but at additional cost. For most industrial designs where timing closure is achievable at -1, the XCKU115-1FLVA1517I provides the optimal cost/performance balance.
Package and Mechanical Information
| Parameter |
Detail |
| Package Style |
FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) |
| Package Name |
FLVA1517 |
| Total Pin Count |
1,517 |
| Mounting Type |
Surface Mount |
| Operating Temperature |
-40°C to +100°C |
| Storage Temperature |
Consult AMD/Xilinx datasheet |
The FLVA (Flip-Chip Low-profile Vertical-mount Ball Grid Array) package is designed for high-density PCB layouts. Proper PCB design guidelines including via-in-pad design, controlled impedance routing, and power delivery network (PDN) analysis are recommended for successful board bring-up.
Power Supply Requirements
The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I requires multiple supply rails for full operation:
| Supply Rail |
Voltage |
Function |
| VCCINT |
0.922V – 0.979V |
Core logic supply |
| VCCAUX |
1.71V – 1.89V |
Auxiliary supply |
| VCCO |
1.0V – 3.3V |
I/O bank supply (bank-dependent) |
| VCCAUX_IO |
1.71V – 1.89V |
HP I/O auxiliary supply |
| MGTAVCC |
0.922V – 0.979V |
GTH transceiver core |
| MGTAVTT |
1.14V – 1.26V |
GTH transceiver termination |
Careful power sequencing, decoupling capacitor placement, and use of AMD’s Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) tool are strongly recommended during hardware design.
Design Tools and Programming Support
The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is supported by the following tools and ecosystems:
- Vivado® Design Suite – Synthesis, implementation, and bitstream generation
- Vitis™ Unified Software Platform – HLS-based design and software acceleration
- Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) – Pre-silicon power estimation
- ChipScope™ / ILA – In-system debugging
- JTAG / SelectMAP / SPI – Configuration and programming interfaces
- IP Integrator (IPI) – Block design integration for PCIe, DDR, and Ethernet subsystems
Ordering Information
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Manufacturer Part Number |
XCKU115-1FLVA1517I |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (formerly Xilinx) |
| Product Category |
Embedded – FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) |
| Availability |
Contact authorized distributors |
| Lead Time |
Extended lead times possible — plan accordingly |
| NCNR Policy |
May apply — verify at time of purchase |
Note: The XCKU115-1FLVA1517I is a specialized, high-density FPGA. Due to strong market demand, lead times can be extended. It is advisable to source from authorized AMD/Xilinx distributors such as DigiKey, Mouser, or Arrow Electronics to ensure product authenticity and warranty coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between XCKU115-1FLVA1517I and XCKU115-2FLVA1517I? The primary difference is speed grade. The -2 variant supports higher clock frequencies (up to ~725 MHz) and is better suited for timing-critical designs, while the -1 variant (up to 630 MHz) is more cost-effective for designs where lower performance is acceptable.
Q: Is the XCKU115-1FLVA1517I an industrial-grade FPGA? Yes. The “I” suffix designates an industrial operating temperature range of -40°C to +100°C, making it suitable for harsh-environment deployments.
Q: What programming software is required? AMD’s Vivado® Design Suite is the primary tool for design, synthesis, and programming. Free WebPACK and full license versions are available from AMD.
Q: Can the XCKU115-1FLVA1517I be used in aerospace or defense applications? While the industrial-grade part is suitable for many ruggedized systems, aerospace/defense applications with higher reliability requirements may consider the qualified XQKU115 variant.
Q: What memory interfaces are supported? The device supports DDR3, DDR4 (up to 2,400 Mb/s), RLDRAM3, and QDR-II+/IV SRAM interfaces through its high-performance I/O banks.
