The XCKU025-1FFVA1156C is a high-performance Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) from AMD Xilinx, belonging to the Kintex UltraScale family. Built on 20nm process technology, this device delivers an exceptional balance of signal processing capability, DSP performance, and power efficiency — making it a top choice for mid-range FPGA applications in communications, defense, industrial, and medical markets.
If you are looking for a reliable, production-grade Xilinx FPGA with industry-leading price-to-performance characteristics, the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C is engineered to meet demanding design requirements.
What Is the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C?
The XCKU025-1FFVA1156C is part of AMD Xilinx’s Kintex UltraScale product line — a family designed to maximize signal processing bandwidth in a mid-range package. The “XCKU025” designates the device family and density tier, while “1FFVA1156C” encodes the speed grade (–1), package type (FFVA flip-chip BGA), pin count (1156), and temperature range (Commercial).
This device is manufactured using 20nm TSMC technology, offering significant improvements in power efficiency, logic density, and transceiver performance compared to previous FPGA generations.
XCKU025-1FFVA1156C: Full Technical Specifications
## Core Logic and Fabric Resources
| Parameter |
Value |
| FPGA Family |
Kintex UltraScale |
| Process Technology |
20nm |
| Logic Cells |
318,150 |
| Logic Blocks (CLBs / Slices) |
145,440 |
| Flip-Flops |
663,360 |
| LUTs |
331,680 |
## Memory Resources
| Parameter |
Value |
| Total Block RAM |
13,004,800 bits (≈ 13,005 Kbits) |
| Block RAM Tiles (36K) |
360 |
| UltraRAM (URAM) |
Not available (Kintex UltraScale series) |
| Distributed RAM |
Embedded in LUT fabric |
## DSP and Arithmetic Performance
| Parameter |
Value |
| DSP Slices |
1,152 |
| Peak DSP Performance |
High-throughput signal processing |
| Cascade Chain Support |
Yes |
| Pre-Adder Support |
Yes |
## I/O and Connectivity
| Parameter |
Value |
| Maximum User I/O |
312 |
| Package |
1156-BBGA / FCBGA (Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Package Designation |
FFVA1156 |
| I/O Standards Supported |
LVDS, SSTL, LVCMOS, HSTL, and more |
| High-Performance I/O Banks |
Yes |
| High-Range I/O Banks |
Yes |
## Transceiver Capabilities
| Parameter |
Value |
| GTH Transceivers |
16 |
| GTH Line Rate |
Up to 16.3 Gb/s |
| PCIe Gen3 Support |
Yes (integrated block) |
| Interlaken Support |
Yes (via IP) |
| 100G Ethernet Support |
Yes (via IP) |
## Power and Package Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.922V – 0.979V (nominal 0.95V) |
| Speed Grade |
–1 (standard commercial speed) |
| Package Type |
FC-BGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) |
| Pin Count |
1156 |
| Temperature Range |
0°C to 100°C (TJ) — Commercial Grade |
| Mounting Type |
Surface Mount (SMT) |
| RoHS Compliant |
Yes |
## Part Number Decoder: Understanding XCKU025-1FFVA1156C
Breaking down the part number helps engineers quickly identify key device attributes at a glance.
| Segment |
Meaning |
| XC |
Xilinx (AMD) FPGA prefix |
| KU |
Kintex UltraScale family |
| 025 |
Device density / logic tier (smallest in KU family) |
| -1 |
Speed grade –1 (standard; grades go up to –3) |
| FF |
Flip-Chip packaging |
| VA |
Package variant |
| 1156 |
1156 BGA pins |
| C |
Commercial temperature range (0°C to 100°C TJ) |
Note: The industrial temperature variant is designated XCKU025-1FFVA1156I, suitable for –40°C to 100°C (TJ).
## Key Features of the Kintex UltraScale Architecture
The XCKU025-1FFVA1156C is built on AMD Xilinx’s UltraScale architecture, which introduced a next-generation FPGA design methodology with several critical advancements over 7-series devices.
#### UltraScale ASMBL Architecture
The UltraScale ASMBL (Advanced Silicon Modular Block) architecture enables an ASIC-like design flow, reducing timing closure complexity and improving routability for high-frequency designs.
#### Next-Generation GTH Transceivers
The 16x GTH transceivers operate at up to 16.3 Gb/s per lane, supporting protocols including PCIe Gen3, JESD204B, CPRI, Serial RapidIO, and 10G/100G Ethernet — critical for high-bandwidth communications and instrumentation designs.
#### High DSP and Block RAM Ratio
The XCKU025-1FFVA1156C contains 1,152 DSP48E2 slices and approximately 13 Mb of Block RAM, giving it a high compute-to-logic ratio that excels in signal processing pipelines, FFT engines, FIR filters, and matrix arithmetic.
#### Integrated PCIe Gen3 Hard Block
An integrated PCIe Gen3 x8 hard IP block reduces resource consumption and simplifies system integration for PCIe-based accelerator and host interface designs.
#### Low-Cost, High-Density Packaging
The 1156-pin FCBGA package provides access to 312 user I/Os in a compact, surface-mount footprint suitable for advanced PCB layouts, enabling dense system integration.
## Typical Applications for XCKU025-1FFVA1156C
The XCKU025-1FFVA1156C targets demanding mid-range applications where high DSP bandwidth, fast transceivers, and low power consumption are critical.
| Application Area |
Use Case Examples |
| Wireless Communications |
4G/5G baseband processing, CPRI/OBSAI fronthaul |
| Wired Networking |
10G/100G packet processing, line cards |
| Defense & Aerospace |
Radar signal processing, EW systems, SDR platforms |
| Test & Measurement |
Protocol analyzers, signal generators |
| Medical Imaging |
Ultrasound beamforming, CT/MRI data processing |
| Industrial Control |
Machine vision, real-time control systems |
| Video Processing |
Multi-channel video encoding/decoding |
| High-Performance Computing |
Hardware accelerators, FPGA-based co-processors |
## XCKU025-1FFVA1156C vs. Other Kintex UltraScale Devices
To help engineers select the right density, here is how the XCKU025 compares to other Kintex UltraScale family members.
| Device |
Logic Cells |
Block RAM (Mb) |
DSP Slices |
GTH Transceivers |
Max I/O |
| XCKU025 |
318,150 |
~13.0 |
1,152 |
16 |
312 |
| XCKU035 |
444,750 |
~17.1 |
1,920 |
20 |
400 |
| XCKU040 |
530,250 |
~20.8 |
1,920 |
20 |
520 |
| XCKU060 |
726,000 |
~32.1 |
2,760 |
32 |
520 |
| XCKU095 |
1,143,450 |
~49.1 |
5,520 |
48 |
780 |
| XCKU115 |
1,451,250 |
~62.2 |
5,520 |
64 |
780 |
The XCKU025 is the entry-level device of the Kintex UltraScale family — providing the most cost-effective path to UltraScale architecture benefits for designs that do not require the maximum logic capacity.
## Ordering and Availability Information
| Attribute |
Details |
| Manufacturer |
AMD Xilinx (formerly Xilinx, Inc.) |
| Part Number |
XCKU025-1FFVA1156C |
| Base Part Number |
XCKU025 |
| Package |
1156-BBGA, FCBGA |
| Packaging Format |
Tray |
| RoHS Status |
RoHS Compliant |
| Export Control |
Subject to US EAR; verify ECCN before export |
| Authorized Distributors |
Digi-Key, Arrow, Avnet, Newark/Farnell |
## Design Tools and Software Support
AMD Xilinx provides a complete design ecosystem for the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C.
| Tool |
Purpose |
| Vivado Design Suite |
RTL synthesis, implementation, timing analysis |
| Vitis HLS |
High-level synthesis from C/C++ |
| Vitis Software Platform |
Embedded software development |
| IP Integrator |
Block design and IP integration |
| Power Design Manager |
Power estimation and optimization |
| ChipScope Pro / ILA |
In-system debug and signal probing |
The Vivado Design Suite (2014.1 and later) fully supports XCKU025 devices, including place-and-route, timing closure, and bitstream generation.
## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between XCKU025-1FFVA1156C and XCKU025-1FFVA1156I? A: The “C” suffix indicates a Commercial temperature range (0°C to 100°C TJ), while “I” indicates Industrial temperature range (–40°C to 100°C TJ). The logic, I/O, and transceiver specifications are otherwise identical.
Q: What speed grade is the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C? A: Speed grade –1. The Kintex UltraScale family is available in speed grades –1L (low power), –1, –2, and –3, with –3 offering the highest performance.
Q: Is the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C RoHS compliant? A: Yes, the device is fully RoHS compliant.
Q: How many PCIe lanes does the XCKU025 support? A: The device includes an integrated PCIe Gen3 hard IP block supporting up to x8 lanes (8 lanes at Gen3 speeds).
Q: What programming tools are required for XCKU025-1FFVA1156C? A: AMD Xilinx’s Vivado Design Suite is the primary tool for synthesis, implementation, and programming via JTAG (using Xilinx Platform Cable USB or JTAG-HS3 programmer).
## Summary: Why Choose the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C?
The XCKU025-1FFVA1156C stands out as a compelling choice for mid-range FPGA designs, offering:
- 20nm technology for improved power efficiency and performance versus 28nm predecessors
- 318,150 logic cells with 1,152 DSP slices and ~13 Mb Block RAM for compute-intensive workloads
- 16 GTH transceivers at up to 16.3 Gb/s for high-speed serial connectivity
- Integrated PCIe Gen3 hard block for simplified host interface design
- 312 user I/Os in a 1156-pin FCBGA package for flexible system integration
- Full Vivado ecosystem support for streamlined FPGA development
- Commercial-grade temperature range (0°C–100°C TJ) for standard industrial environments
- RoHS compliance for global market access
Whether you are designing wireless infrastructure, test equipment, a PCIe accelerator card, or a high-performance embedded system, the XCKU025-1FFVA1156C delivers the logic capacity, transceiver capability, and design ecosystem to bring your project to production.