The XCKU035-2FBVA900I is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from the Kintex® UltraScale™ family, manufactured by AMD (formerly Xilinx). Built on a 20nm process node, this industrial-grade field programmable gate array delivers an exceptional price-to-performance ratio, making it a leading choice for engineers designing systems in 100G networking, data center acceleration, medical imaging, 8K/4K video processing, and wireless infrastructure.
What Is the XCKU035-2FBVA900I?
The XCKU035-2FBVA900I is a mid-range Kintex UltraScale FPGA packaged in a 900-pin FCBGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array) form factor. The part number breaks down as follows:
| Part Number Segment |
Meaning |
| XCKU035 |
Kintex UltraScale device, 035 density tier |
| -2 |
Speed Grade 2 (standard commercial speed) |
| FBVA |
Flip Chip BGA, 900-ball package variant |
| 900 |
900 total package pins/balls |
| I |
Industrial temperature grade (–40°C to +100°C) |
This industrial temperature rating makes the XCKU035-2FBVA900I well-suited for demanding environments where reliability across wide temperature ranges is critical.
XCKU035-2FBVA900I Key Specifications
General Device Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Part Number |
XCKU035-2FBVA900I |
| Device Family |
Kintex® UltraScale™ |
| Process Technology |
20nm |
| Logic Cells |
444,343 |
| Equivalent Logic Cells (CLB-based) |
355,474 cells |
| User I/O Pins |
468 |
| Total Package Pins |
900 |
| Package Type |
900-BBGA / FCBGA |
| Operating Temperature |
–40°C to +100°C (Industrial) |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.95V (range: 0.922V – 0.979V) |
| Max Frequency |
725 MHz |
| Speed Grade |
-2 |
| Mounting Type |
Surface Mount |
| RoHS Compliant |
Yes |
| Lifecycle Status |
Production |
On-Chip Memory and DSP Resources
| Resource |
Quantity |
| Block RAM (36Kb tiles) |
445 |
| Total Block RAM Capacity |
~16,020 Kb |
| DSP Slices (DSP48E2) |
1,400 |
| UltraRAM (288Kb blocks) |
0 (UltraScale, not UltraScale+) |
| Maximum Distributed RAM |
~5,600 Kb |
The high DSP slice count and block RAM-to-logic ratio is one of the defining strengths of the Kintex UltraScale family, making the XCKU035-2FBVA900I ideal for signal processing workloads that require thousands of parallel multiply-accumulate operations.
Clocking and Connectivity
| Feature |
Details |
| CMTs (Clock Management Tiles) |
10 |
| MMCMs |
10 |
| PLLs |
20 |
| GTH Transceivers (16.3 Gbps) |
16 |
| PCIe Gen3 x8 Hard Blocks |
2 |
| 100G Ethernet (CAUI-4) |
Available |
| Interlaken |
Supported |
| Max Single-Lane Transceiver Speed |
16.3 Gbps |
I/O Interface Specifications
| I/O Parameter |
Value |
| User I/O Count |
468 |
| HP I/O Banks (High Performance) |
Supported |
| HR I/O Banks (High Range) |
Supported |
| Max I/O Voltage |
3.3V (HR banks) |
| Max Single-Ended I/O Frequency |
1,600 Mbps |
| Max Differential I/O Frequency |
1,600 Mbps |
| I/O Standards Supported |
LVDS, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL, POD, MIPI, and more |
XCKU035-2FBVA900I Package Details
The XCKU035-2FBVA900I uses the FBVA900 flip-chip BGA package, which provides a compact 31mm × 31mm footprint. Flip-chip BGA packaging offers superior thermal and electrical performance compared to wire-bond alternatives, enabling better power delivery and signal integrity at high data rates.
| Package Attribute |
Value |
| Package Code |
FBVA900 |
| Package Shape |
Square |
| Total Balls |
900 |
| Ball Pitch |
1.0 mm |
| Package Body Size |
31 × 31 mm |
| Form of Terminal |
Ball (BGA) |
| PCB Mount |
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) |
Architecture Overview: Kintex UltraScale Technology
The XCKU035-2FBVA900I is built on AMD’s UltraScale architecture, which introduced ASIC-like clocking and routing to the mid-range FPGA segment. Below are the core architectural benefits:
ASIC-Like Clocking
UltraScale devices implement a hierarchical clocking structure that minimizes clock skew across the entire device, enabling more deterministic timing closure versus previous generations.
SSI Technology (Stacked Silicon Interconnect)
The UltraScale family supports monolithic and next-generation stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology for higher-density configurations, enabling integration of multiple die without the typical bandwidth bottlenecks of discrete multi-chip designs.
High-Speed Transceivers (GTH 16.3 Gbps)
With 16 GTH transceivers capable of up to 16.3 Gbps per lane, the XCKU035-2FBVA900I can support a wide range of serial protocols, including:
- 100G Ethernet (4 × 25G via CAUI-4)
- PCIe Gen3 x8
- Interlaken
- CPRI / OBSAI (for wireless infrastructure)
- Custom serial protocols
MicroBlaze Soft Processor
The device supports the MicroBlaze™ soft processor core, running over 200 DMIPs with 800 Mb/s DDR3 memory interface support — enabling embedded processing without requiring an external CPU for control-plane tasks.
Target Applications for the XCKU035-2FBVA900I
The combination of 444K logic cells, 1,400 DSP slices, 16 GTH transceivers, and industrial temperature rating make this FPGA a strong fit for the following applications:
| Application Domain |
How the XCKU035-2FBVA900I Helps |
| 100G Networking & Data Center |
High-bandwidth GTH transceivers + PCIe Gen3 for packet processing acceleration |
| Medical Imaging (CT, MRI, Ultrasound) |
High DSP count enables real-time image reconstruction algorithms |
| 8K/4K Video Processing |
Block RAM + DSP slices support full-resolution video pipeline processing |
| Wireless Infrastructure (4G/5G) |
CPRI/OBSAI support and high DSP density for DFE, beamforming, and signal chain processing |
| Radar & Defense Signal Processing |
Industrial temperature, wide I/O, and deterministic timing for harsh environments |
| Industrial Automation & Control |
–40°C to +100°C operating range with reliable I/O and low-latency control loops |
| High-Performance Computing (HPC) |
Parallel compute acceleration via configurable logic and DSP |
Comparison: XCKU035-2FBVA900I vs Other Kintex UltraScale Variants
| Part Number |
Logic Cells |
DSP Slices |
User I/O |
Package |
Temp Grade |
| XCKU035-2FBVA900I |
444,343 |
1,400 |
468 |
900-FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU035-1FBVA900I |
444,343 |
1,400 |
468 |
900-FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU060-2FFVA1156I |
725,625 |
2,760 |
520 |
1156-FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU115-2FLVF1924I |
1,451,000 |
5,520 |
832 |
1924-FCBGA |
Industrial |
The -2 speed grade of the XCKU035-2FBVA900I offers the best balance between performance and power consumption for most mid-range applications, running up to 725 MHz.
Development Tools and Design Support
AMD provides a complete development ecosystem for the XCKU035-2FBVA900I:
Vivado Design Suite
The Vivado® Design Suite is the primary development environment for all UltraScale FPGAs. It includes:
- Logic synthesis and implementation
- Timing analysis and closure
- Integrated simulation (XSim)
- IP integrator (block design)
- Device programming and debug (ChipScope / ILA)
Vivado supports the full range of high-level design methodologies, from HDL (VHDL/Verilog/SystemVerilog) to high-level synthesis (HLS) using C/C++.
Xilinx IP Catalog
Over 300 pre-verified IP cores are available for the XCKU035-2FBVA900I, including:
- 100G Ethernet MAC
- PCIe Gen3 x8
- DDR4/DDR3 Memory Controllers
- Aurora 64B/66B
- JESD204B/C for high-speed ADC/DAC interfacing
- Video processing IP (VDMA, Video Mixer)
- Forward Error Correction (FEC)
Ordering Information
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Part Number |
XCKU035-2FBVA900I |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| DigiKey Part Number |
122-1768-ND |
| Mouser Part Number |
Available via Mouser Electronics |
| ECCN |
3A991.d |
| USHTS Code |
8542390001 |
| TARIC Code |
8542399000 |
| RoHS |
Compliant |
| Warranty |
12 months from date of purchase (Xilinx standard) |
| Lifecycle |
Production (Active) |
Note: The XCKU035-2FBVA900I is classified as Non-Cancellable, Non-Returnable (NCNR) at most authorized distributors. Always confirm inventory and lead times before placing production orders, as market demand can cause extended lead times.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the “I” suffix mean in XCKU035-2FBVA900I?
The “I” designates the Industrial temperature grade, meaning the device is rated for operation from –40°C to +100°C junction temperature — making it suitable for demanding non-consumer environments.
What speed grade is the XCKU035-2FBVA900I?
It carries a Speed Grade –2, the standard commercial speed grade for this device family. A Speed Grade –1 (slower) and Speed Grade –3 (faster) variant may also be available depending on density.
Is the XCKU035-2FBVA900I RoHS compliant?
Yes, the XCKU035-2FBVA900I is fully RoHS compliant, meeting EU Directive 2011/65/EU standards for restriction of hazardous substances.
What design software should I use with XCKU035-2FBVA900I?
AMD’s Vivado Design Suite is the recommended tool, providing end-to-end FPGA design from HDL entry through bitstream generation and debugging. The device is not supported in the legacy ISE design tools.
What transceiver protocol does the XCKU035-2FBVA900I support?
The device includes 16 GTH transceivers running at up to 16.3 Gbps per lane, supporting protocols such as PCIe Gen3, 100G Ethernet, Interlaken, CPRI, JESD204B, and custom serial interfaces.
What is the core supply voltage?
The VCCINT core voltage is nominally 0.95V, with an acceptable range of 0.922V to 0.979V.
Summary
The XCKU035-2FBVA900I from AMD Xilinx is a production-active, industrial-grade Kintex UltraScale FPGA that sets the benchmark for mid-range programmable logic. With 444,343 logic cells, 1,400 DSP slices, 16 GTH transceivers at 16.3 Gbps, and a robust 900-pin FCBGA package rated for industrial temperatures, it delivers the computational density and connectivity that demanding applications in networking, video, wireless, and computing require. Backed by AMD’s Vivado design ecosystem and a comprehensive IP library, the XCKU035-2FBVA900I enables rapid development and deployment of high-performance FPGA-based systems.
