The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from AMD’s Kintex UltraScale family, engineered for demanding mid-range applications that require exceptional signal processing bandwidth, next-generation transceivers, and low-power operation. Built on a proven 20nm process node, this device delivers an outstanding balance of performance, power efficiency, and cost-effectiveness — making it one of the most capable FPGAs available in its class.
What Is the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E?
The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E is a Kintex UltraScale Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) manufactured by Xilinx (now AMD). It belongs to the XCKU060 device family and is identified by the following naming convention:
| Code Segment |
Meaning |
| XC |
Xilinx Commercial product |
| KU |
Kintex UltraScale family |
| 060 |
Device size / logic density tier |
| -2 |
Speed grade (mid-range performance) |
| FFVA |
Flip-chip Fine-pitch Ball Grid Array package type |
| 1517 |
1517-pin package |
| E |
Commercial temperature grade (0°C to +85°C) |
This part number tells engineers exactly what to expect: a commercial-grade, mid-speed, 1517-pin FCBGA device designed for professional PCB integration.
XCKU060-2FFVA1517E Key Specifications
The table below summarizes the most critical electrical and physical specifications for the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E.
General Electrical Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Part Number |
XCKU060-2FFVA1517E |
| FPGA Family |
Kintex UltraScale |
| Process Technology |
20nm |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.95V |
| Speed Grade |
-2 |
| Temperature Grade |
Commercial (0°C to +85°C) |
| Maximum Clock Frequency |
725 MHz |
Logic and Memory Resources
| Resource |
Quantity |
| System Logic Cells |
725,550 |
| CLB Logic Cells |
331,680 |
| CLB Flip-Flops |
663,360 |
| CLB LUTs |
331,680 |
| Block RAM (Total Bits) |
38,912,000 bits (~38 Mb) |
| DSP Slices |
2,760 |
| UltraRAM |
Not included (UltraScale+ only) |
I/O and Connectivity
| Parameter |
Value |
| Total I/O Pins |
624 |
| Package |
1517-Pin FCBGA (FFVA1517) |
| Package Type |
Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array |
| GTH Transceivers |
32 |
| GTH Transceiver Line Rate |
Up to 16.3 Gb/s |
| CMAC (100G Ethernet) |
2 |
| PCIe Gen3 Hard Blocks |
2 |
| Interlaken Hard Blocks |
2 |
| MMCM |
10 |
| PLL |
20 |
XCKU060-2FFVA1517E Package Details
The FFVA1517 package is a 1517-ball Fine-Pitch Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array, commonly referred to as FCBGA or BBGA. This package format is standard for high-density, high-pin-count FPGAs and offers excellent signal integrity for multi-gigabit applications.
| Package Attribute |
Detail |
| Package Code |
FFVA1517 |
| Total Ball Count |
1517 |
| Package Style |
Flip-Chip BGA (FCBGA) |
| PCB Mount Style |
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level |
MSL 3 |
| RoHS Compliance |
Yes |
UltraScale Architecture: What Makes It Different
The Kintex UltraScale architecture is built on a 20nm planar process and incorporates AMD’s ASIC-class routing methodology. Unlike previous-generation FPGAs, UltraScale devices eliminate long interconnect paths by routing signals more efficiently — reducing power consumption while maintaining high throughput.
Key Architectural Innovations
ASIC-like Clocking: The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E uses an advanced clocking architecture with 10 MMCMs and 20 PLLs, allowing engineers to generate precise, phase-aligned clocks across the device without jitter accumulation.
Next-Generation GTH Transceivers: The device features 32 GTH transceivers capable of operating at up to 16.3 Gb/s per lane, enabling full-rate 100G Ethernet, PCIe Gen3, Interlaken, and other high-bandwidth protocols.
High DSP Density: With 2,760 DSP slices, the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E achieves exceptional throughput for signal processing pipelines, including FIR filters, FFTs, matrix multiplication, and machine learning inference.
Stacked Silicon Interconnect (SSI) Technology: While the XCKU060 uses a monolithic die, it is part of a family that also supports SSI technology for even larger densities — giving engineers a scalable design platform.
Target Applications for the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E
The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E is designed to address a broad set of high-performance use cases. Below are the primary application verticals where this device excels.
100G Networking and Data Center
The two integrated 100G Ethernet MAC (CMAC) hard blocks, combined with PCIe Gen3 endpoints and GTH transceivers, make this FPGA an ideal choice for:
- Line-rate packet processing at 100 Gbps
- Network interface cards (NICs) and SmartNICs
- Network packet inspection and deep packet analysis
- Data center switching and load balancing
Wireless Infrastructure
The device’s combination of high DSP density and flexible I/O makes it well-suited for:
- Massive MIMO baseband processing
- 4G LTE and 5G NR signal chain implementation
- Heterogeneous radio access networks (HetNet)
- Digital pre-distortion (DPD) and beamforming
Medical Imaging
For medical-grade imaging applications, the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E provides:
- Real-time ultrasound beamforming
- CT/MRI image reconstruction pipelines
- High-throughput image compression and filtering
- Low-latency sensor data aggregation
High-Resolution Video Processing
With its large logic and memory footprint, the device supports:
- 8K4K video processing pipelines
- HEVC/H.265 encoding and decoding
- Broadcast video routing and switching
- Real-time image enhancement and upscaling
Defense and Aerospace
The commercial (-E suffix) variant suits development environments, while the XCKU060-2FFVA1517 also has industrial and defense-grade equivalents. Common applications include:
- Radar and electronic warfare signal processing
- Software-defined radio (SDR) platforms
- Satellite communication modems
- Secure communications and cryptographic acceleration
Speed Grade Comparison: XCKU060 Family
The XCKU060 is offered in multiple speed grades. Understanding the difference helps engineers select the right variant for their performance and power budget.
| Speed Grade |
VCCINT |
Performance Level |
Typical Use Case |
| -1 |
0.95V |
Baseline |
Cost-optimized, lower-frequency designs |
| -2 (This Part) |
0.95V |
Mid-range |
General high-performance applications |
| -3 |
1.0V |
Highest |
Maximum performance, timing-critical paths |
| -1L |
0.90V |
Low-power |
Power-sensitive and thermal-limited designs |
The -2 speed grade strikes the ideal balance between performance headroom and power consumption for the majority of production designs.
Ordering Information and Part Number Variants
Engineers evaluating the XCKU060 family will encounter several variants. The table below clarifies the differences.
| Part Number |
Package |
Speed Grade |
Temperature |
Voltage |
| XCKU060-2FFVA1517E |
FFVA1517 |
-2 |
Commercial (0–85°C) |
0.95V |
| XCKU060-1FFVA1517E |
FFVA1517 |
-1 |
Commercial (0–85°C) |
0.95V |
| XCKU060-3FFVA1517E |
FFVA1517 |
-3 |
Commercial (0–85°C) |
1.0V |
| XCKU060-2FFVA1517I |
FFVA1517 |
-2 |
Industrial (−40–100°C) |
0.95V |
| XCKU060-L1FFVA1517I |
FFVA1517 |
-1L |
Industrial (−40–100°C) |
0.90V |
| XCKU060-2FFVA1156E |
FFVA1156 |
-2 |
Commercial (0–85°C) |
0.95V |
For designs that require operation beyond 0–85°C, the XCKU060-2FFVA1517I (industrial-grade) variant is the recommended alternative with identical performance characteristics.
Design and Development Tools
Xilinx Vivado Design Suite
The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E is fully supported by the Vivado Design Suite, AMD’s integrated design environment for UltraScale FPGAs. Vivado provides:
- RTL synthesis and implementation
- IP Integrator for block design flows
- Timing closure and static timing analysis
- Bitstream generation and programming
Minimum recommended version: Vivado 2015.4 or later for full XCKU060 support.
Soft Processor Support
The device supports the MicroBlaze™ soft processor core, capable of running at over 200 DMIPs with DDR3 memory at 800 Mb/s. This enables embedded firmware and control plane processing directly within the FPGA fabric.
High-Level Synthesis
For algorithm developers, AMD’s Vitis HLS (formerly Vivado HLS) enables C/C++ and SystemC designs to be synthesized directly into FPGA fabric — dramatically reducing design time for DSP and machine learning workloads.
Power Considerations
The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E operates with a 0.95V core supply (VCCINT), enabling competitive power efficiency compared to older FPGA nodes. Key power rails include:
| Power Rail |
Nominal Voltage |
Function |
| VCCINT |
0.95V |
Core logic power |
| VCCAUX |
1.8V |
Auxiliary I/O and clocking |
| VCCO |
1.2V – 3.3V |
I/O bank supply (varies by standard) |
| MGTAVCC |
1.0V |
GTH transceiver analog core |
| MGTAVTT |
1.2V |
GTH transceiver termination |
AMD’s Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) tool is recommended for accurate power budgeting before finalizing a PCB design.
Compliance and Certifications
| Attribute |
Detail |
| RoHS |
Compliant |
| REACH |
Compliant |
| ECCN |
3A001.a.7.b |
| USHTS |
8542390001 |
| TARIC |
8542399000 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between XCKU060-2FFVA1517E and XCKU060-2FFVA1517I? The only difference is the operating temperature range. The -E suffix indicates a commercial-grade part (0°C to +85°C), while the -I suffix denotes an industrial-grade part (−40°C to +100°C). All electrical performance specifications are identical.
Q: Is the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E obsolete? As of 2026, the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E remains an active product within AMD’s portfolio. It continues to be supported by current versions of the Vivado Design Suite.
Q: What transceivers does the XCKU060 support? The XCKU060 includes 32 GTH transceivers operating at up to 16.3 Gb/s per lane, supporting protocols such as 100GbE, PCIe Gen3, Interlaken, OTU4, and CPRI.
Q: Can the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E be used for machine learning inference? Yes. The high DSP slice count (2,760) and large block RAM capacity make it suitable for deploying quantized neural network inference accelerators, particularly using AMD’s DPU IP or custom RTL designs compiled via Vitis AI.
Q: What programming interface does the XCKU060 use? The device is programmed via JTAG or SelectMAP interfaces. Configuration bitstreams can be loaded from SPI flash, BPI flash, or SD cards. Partial reconfiguration (PR) is also supported for dynamic design updates.
Summary
The XCKU060-2FFVA1517E is a versatile, production-ready FPGA that delivers exceptional logic density, high-speed transceivers, and broad protocol support in a compact 1517-pin FCBGA package. With 725,550 logic cells, 2,760 DSP slices, 38 Mb of block RAM, and 32 GTH transceivers at 16.3 Gb/s, it is one of the most capable mid-range FPGAs available on the market. Whether you are designing for 100G networking, medical imaging, wireless infrastructure, or high-resolution video, the XCKU060-2FFVA1517E provides the performance and flexibility your application demands.
