The XC3S5000-5FGG900C is a high-density, commercially-graded Xilinx FPGA from the Spartan-3 family, manufactured by AMD (formerly Xilinx). Featuring 5,000,000 system gates, a 900-ball Fine-Pitch BGA package, and a commercial temperature rating, this device delivers powerful, cost-effective programmable logic for high-volume production and complex digital design applications. Whether you are working on embedded systems, DSP, communications, or industrial control, the XC3S5000-5FGG900C offers a proven, flexible platform for FPGA-based development.
XC3S5000-5FGG900C Key Specifications Overview
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Part Number |
XC3S5000-5FGG900C |
| Series |
Spartan-3 |
| Logic Cells |
74,880 |
| System Gates |
5,000,000 |
| CLB Array (Rows × Cols) |
104 × 80 |
| CLB Flip-Flops |
74,880 |
| Distributed RAM |
1,872 Kbits |
| Block RAM |
1,872 Kbits |
| Multiplier Blocks (18×18) |
104 |
| DCMs (Digital Clock Managers) |
8 |
| Maximum User I/O |
784 |
| Package |
FGG900 (Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array) |
| Package Pins |
900 |
| Speed Grade |
-5 |
| Operating Temperature |
0°C ~ 85°C (Commercial) |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
1.2 V |
| Auxiliary Supply Voltage (VCCAUX) |
2.5 V |
| Configuration Voltage (VCCO) |
1.14 V ~ 3.45 V |
| Technology |
SRAM-based, 90 nm |
| Status |
Active |
What Is the XC3S5000-5FGG900C?
The XC3S5000-5FGG900C belongs to Xilinx’s Spartan-3 generation, designed to bring high-performance programmable logic at a low cost per gate. The “5” in the part number suffix denotes the -5 speed grade, the slowest (and most cost-efficient) option in the Spartan-3 lineup. The “FGG900” indicates the Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) package with 900 solder balls, and “C” signifies the commercial temperature range (0°C to 85°C).
This device is ideally suited for applications where design density and cost efficiency are priorities — making it a popular choice for production designs in consumer electronics, industrial automation, and embedded processing.
XC3S5000-5FGG900C Detailed Electrical Characteristics
Power Supply Requirements
| Supply Rail |
Voltage Range |
Typical |
Purpose |
| VCCINT |
1.14 V – 1.26 V |
1.20 V |
Core logic power |
| VCCAUX |
2.375 V – 2.625 V |
2.50 V |
Auxiliary circuits, DCI |
| VCCO |
1.14 V – 3.45 V |
Variable |
I/O bank power |
Configuration Interfaces
| Interface |
Supported |
| Master Serial |
Yes |
| Slave Serial |
Yes |
| Slave Parallel |
Yes |
| JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) |
Yes |
| SelectMAP |
Yes |
| SPI Flash |
Yes (via Master Serial) |
Architecture Highlights of the Spartan-3 XC3S5000
Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs)
The Spartan-3 CLB architecture consists of four slices per CLB, where each slice contains two 4-input Look-Up Tables (LUTs), two storage elements (flip-flops or latches), and dedicated carry logic. The XC3S5000 contains 8,320 CLBs arrayed across a 104×80 matrix, providing extensive routing resources and high logic utilization potential.
Block RAM and Distributed RAM
The device offers 1,872 Kbits of block RAM, organized as 18 Kbit dual-port RAM blocks (52 blocks total), each configurable in various aspect ratios. An additional 1,872 Kbits of distributed RAM is available through the LUT-based memory in the CLB slices, providing fast, low-latency storage for small data buffers, FIFOs, and shift registers.
18×18 Multiplier Blocks
With 104 dedicated hardware multiplier blocks, the XC3S5000 is well-equipped for DSP-intensive applications such as digital filtering, FFT acceleration, and motor control algorithms. Each multiplier performs a full 18×18-bit two’s complement multiplication in a single clock cycle.
Digital Clock Managers (DCMs)
The 8 DCMs on the XC3S5000-5FGG900C support clock multiplication, division, phase shifting, and deskewing — enabling complex multi-clock domain designs with precise timing control.
Package and Pin Information: FGG900
FGG900 Package Overview
| Parameter |
Detail |
| Package Type |
Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) |
| Total Balls |
900 |
| Ball Pitch |
1.00 mm |
| Package Body Size |
31 mm × 31 mm |
| Maximum User I/O |
784 |
| I/O Banks |
8 |
| Differential I/O Pairs |
Up to 376 |
The FGG900 package provides the highest I/O count available for the XC3S5000 density, making it the preferred choice for high-pin-count interface designs including DDR memory, PCI, Ethernet, and parallel bus interfaces.
Speed Grade Comparison: XC3S5000 -4 vs -5
| Parameter |
-4 (XC3S5000-4FGG900C) |
-5 (XC3S5000-5FGG900C) |
| Speed Grade |
-4 (Faster) |
-5 (Slower) |
| Max Frequency (typical) |
Higher |
Lower |
| Cost |
Higher |
Lower |
| Best For |
Timing-critical designs |
Cost-sensitive production |
| Commercial Temp |
Yes |
Yes |
The -5 speed grade is the entry-level performance tier in the Spartan-3 family. It is the most cost-effective option and is typically used when the design’s timing budget is not extremely tight — ideal for cost-optimized mass production runs.
XC3S5000-5FGG900C Typical Applications
The XC3S5000-5FGG900C is widely deployed across a broad range of industries and applications:
- Industrial Control Systems — Motion controllers, PLC interfaces, and real-time sensor processing
- Communications Equipment — Protocol bridges, framer/mappers, SONET/SDH interfaces
- Embedded Processing — Soft processor implementations (MicroBlaze, PicoBlaze) with peripheral fabrics
- Video and Image Processing — Line buffers, pixel processing pipelines, and display controllers
- Test and Measurement — High-speed data capture, waveform generation, and logic analysis
- Military and Aerospace (evaluation) — Pre-production prototyping prior to radiation-hardened migration
- Consumer Electronics — Set-top boxes, smart home devices, and display systems
Ordering Information and Part Number Decoder
Decode the XC3S5000-5FGG900C Part Number
| Field |
Code |
Meaning |
| Family |
XC3S |
Spartan-3 family |
| Density |
5000 |
5,000,000 system gates |
| Speed Grade |
5 |
-5 (slowest, most economical) |
| Package Type |
FGG |
Fine-Pitch BGA |
| Pin Count |
900 |
900 solder balls |
| Temperature |
C |
Commercial (0°C to 85°C) |
Related Part Numbers
| Part Number |
Speed Grade |
Package |
Temperature |
| XC3S5000-4FGG900C |
-4 |
FGG900 |
Commercial |
| XC3S5000-5FGG900C |
-5 |
FGG900 |
Commercial |
| XC3S5000-4FGG900I |
-4 |
FGG900 |
Industrial |
| XC3S5000-5FT256C |
-5 |
FT256 |
Commercial |
Design Tools and Software Support
The XC3S5000-5FGG900C is fully supported by Xilinx ISE Design Suite (the legacy toolchain for Spartan-3 devices). Key tools include:
- ISE Project Navigator — RTL design entry, synthesis, implementation, and bitstream generation
- XST (Xilinx Synthesis Technology) — HDL synthesis engine supporting VHDL and Verilog
- ChipScope Pro — In-system logic analyzer for real-time debugging
- CORE Generator — IP core generation for memory controllers, DSP blocks, and communication interfaces
- iMPACT — JTAG-based device programming and configuration
Note: Spartan-3 devices are not supported in Vivado Design Suite. ISE 14.7 is the recommended and final supported version.
Compliance and Certifications
| Standard |
Status |
| RoHS Compliant |
Yes |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) |
MSL 3 |
| JEDEC J-STD-020 |
Compliant |
| Lead-Free (Pb-Free) |
Yes |
| ESD Sensitivity |
Electrostatic Sensitive Device (ESD) |
PCB Design and Assembly Considerations
When designing a PCB for the XC3S5000-5FGG900C in the FGG900 package, the following guidelines are recommended:
- BGA fanout strategy — Use via-in-pad or dog-bone fanout depending on PCB layer count; 6–8 layers typically required
- Decoupling capacitors — Place 100 nF ceramic capacitors as close as possible to each VCCINT and VCCAUX power pin
- PCB trace impedance — Match impedance for high-speed I/O banks (e.g., DDR, LVDS) to 50 Ω single-ended or 100 Ω differential
- Thermal management — Ensure adequate airflow or heatsinking; the device has moderate power dissipation depending on utilization
- Configuration circuit — Design a dedicated JTAG header and optionally a SPI flash or parallel NOR flash for configuration storage
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between XC3S5000-4FGG900C and XC3S5000-5FGG900C? A: The only difference is the speed grade. The -4 is faster and slightly more expensive, while the -5 is slower and more cost-effective. Both have identical logic resources, I/O count, and package.
Q: Is the XC3S5000-5FGG900C still in production? A: The XC3S5000 is currently listed as active. However, designers starting new projects should evaluate whether the newer Spartan-6 or Spartan-7 families better meet their requirements, as Spartan-3 is a mature (legacy) platform.
Q: What configuration memory is compatible with the XC3S5000-5FGG900C? A: Xilinx recommends the XCF series Platform Flash PROMs (e.g., XCF32P) or third-party SPI NOR flash devices for non-volatile configuration storage.
Q: Can I use MicroBlaze soft processor with this device? A: Yes. The XC3S5000 has sufficient logic resources to instantiate one or more MicroBlaze 32-bit soft processor cores, along with peripheral IP such as UART, GPIO, and memory controllers.
Q: What is the bitstream size for the XC3S5000? A: The configuration bitstream size for the XC3S5000 is approximately 19.7 Mbits (uncompressed).
Summary
The XC3S5000-5FGG900C is a production-proven, high-gate-count Spartan-3 FPGA that balances logic density, I/O flexibility, and cost efficiency. With 74,880 logic cells, 104 hardware multipliers, 8 DCMs, nearly 4 Mbits of combined RAM, and 784 user I/Os in a compact 900-ball BGA, it remains a capable choice for a wide range of embedded, communications, and industrial designs. Its -5 speed grade makes it the most economical variant for high-volume production where timing margins are adequate.
