The XCKU040-1SFVA784C is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from AMD’s Kintex® UltraScale™ family, engineered for demanding mid-range applications that require an optimal balance of signal processing bandwidth, transceiver performance, and power efficiency. Built on a 20nm process node, this device delivers ASIC-class performance in a compact 784-pin FC-BGA package — making it a go-to choice for 100G networking, DSP-intensive computing, medical imaging, and wireless infrastructure design.

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What Is the XCKU040-1SFVA784C?

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C is part of AMD’s (formerly Xilinx) Kintex UltraScale™ FPGA product line. The part number encodes critical configuration details:

This device is classified as an IC FPGA 468 I/O 784FCBGA, targeting engineers who need high logic density, rich DSP resources, and multi-gigabit transceivers in a cost-effective, mid-range form factor.

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XCKU040-1SFVA784C Key Specifications

Core Device Parameters

Memory Resources

DSP and Processing

I/O and Connectivity

Electrical and Thermal

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XCKU040-1SFVA784C Architecture Overview

UltraScale™ Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs)

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C implements AMD’s UltraScale architecture with CLBs featuring 6-input look-up tables (LUTs) and flip-flops. Each LUT can function as logic, distributed RAM, or a shift register (SRL). Two slices form one CLB, and carry logic enables efficient arithmetic operations. This structure gives designers exceptional flexibility for implementing both control logic and datapath functions within a single device.

High-Performance DSP Slices

With 1,920 DSP48E2 slices, the XCKU040-1SFVA784C delivers substantial fixed-point and floating-point processing capability. Each DSP slice includes a 27-bit pre-adder, a 27×18-bit multiplier, a 48-bit accumulator, and 96-bit XOR functionality. These slices can be cascaded for higher-precision arithmetic, making the device well-suited for FIR filters, FFTs, matrix operations, and machine learning inference workloads.

Block RAM with Built-In FIFO and ECC

The 600 block RAM tiles (each 36Kb true dual-port) provide 21.1 Mb of on-chip memory. Every block RAM includes built-in FIFO support and error-correcting code (ECC) functionality, reducing the need for external logic and improving data integrity in mission-critical applications. The BRAMs support simple dual-port and true dual-port configurations with independent clocking on each port.

GTH Multi-Gigabit Transceivers

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C integrates 20 GTH transceivers, each capable of operating up to 16.3 Gb/s. These transceivers support a wide range of serial protocols including PCIe Gen3, 10GbE, CPRI, JESD204B, Interlaken, and SRIO. The low-jitter, high-bandwidth transceivers enable designs targeting 100G networking line cards, backplane communications, and high-speed data acquisition systems.

Integrated PCIe Gen3 Hard Block

An integrated PCIe Gen3 ×8 endpoint/root complex block reduces design complexity and saves valuable LUT resources when implementing host interface functions. This hard IP provides compliant PCIe performance without consuming fabric logic, leaving more CLB resources available for application-specific processing.

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XCKU040-1SFVA784C Package and Footprint Details

784-Pin FCCSP BGA Package

The SFVA784 package is footprint-compatible with other UltraScale and UltraScale+ devices sharing the same package sequence, allowing hardware designers to scale performance up or down without a PCB redesign. This significantly reduces time-to-market for product families spanning multiple performance tiers.

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Target Applications for the XCKU040-1SFVA784C

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C is designed to address a broad spectrum of high-performance embedded and communications applications:

100G Networking and Data Center

The combination of 20 GTH transceivers, an integrated PCIe Gen3 block, and deep logic resources makes this FPGA ideal for 100G line cards, network switches, and SmartNIC offload engines. Engineers can implement high-throughput packet processing, traffic management, and hardware-accelerated network functions directly in fabric.

Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Systems

With 1,920 DSP slices and a flexible block RAM architecture, the XCKU040-1SFVA784C excels in radar signal processing, software-defined radio (SDR), OFDM baseband processing, and beamforming applications. The device’s 20nm process ensures low power consumption even under heavy DSP utilization.

Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Equipment

High-resolution imaging systems — including ultrasound, CT, and MRI reconstruction platforms — benefit from the device’s deep on-chip memory, high DSP density, and low-latency interconnect. The commercial temperature grade suits controlled clinical environments.

Wireless Infrastructure and CPRI Fronthaul

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C supports CPRI/eCPRI fronthaul interfaces for 4G/5G remote radio head (RRH) and distributed unit (DU) architectures. GTH transceivers provide the high-speed serial links required for functional split point implementations in O-RAN compliant systems.

High-Speed Data Acquisition

Paired with high-speed ADCs using JESD204B interfaces, this FPGA serves as the central processing engine in test and measurement instruments, software-defined instruments (SDIs), and spectrum analyzers where real-time, high-bandwidth processing is essential.

Embedded Vision and Video Processing

Support for 8K video pipeline processing, multi-channel video transport, and real-time image processing makes the XCKU040-1SFVA784C a viable platform for broadcast, industrial machine vision, and autonomous systems requiring low-latency visual inference.

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Development Tools and Ecosystem

Vivado Design Suite

AMD’s Vivado Design Suite is the primary design environment for the XCKU040-1SFVA784C. It provides synthesis, implementation, simulation, and hardware debugging tools optimized for UltraScale devices. The UltraFAST™ design methodology integrated into Vivado helps engineers meet timing closure requirements even in complex, high-utilization designs.

IP Integrator and Xilinx IP Catalog

The Vivado IP Integrator offers a rich catalog of pre-verified IP cores including PCIe endpoints, Ethernet MACs, AXI interconnects, memory controllers, and DSP libraries — all validated for UltraScale devices. This dramatically reduces design time and verification overhead.

KCU105 Evaluation Kit

AMD’s Kintex UltraScale KCU105 Evaluation Kit uses the KU040 device and provides a complete development environment for prototyping applications targeting this FPGA family. It includes DDR4 SDRAM, PCIe, SFP+ cages, and FMC expansion connectors.

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XCKU040-1SFVA784C vs. Related Kintex UltraScale Variants

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C (suffix “C”) targets commercial-grade applications operating within 0°C to 85°C junction temperature. For industrial environments requiring operation down to -40°C, the equivalent “I” suffix variant (XCKU040-1SFVA784I) should be selected instead.

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Ordering and Availability Information

Note: FPGA lead times can vary significantly with market conditions. Always verify current stock and lead time with your authorized distributor before committing to a project schedule.

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Why Choose the XCKU040-1SFVA784C?

The XCKU040-1SFVA784C offers a compelling combination of attributes that few mid-range FPGAs can match:

Best price/performance/watt at 20nm — The Kintex UltraScale family was specifically positioned by AMD to deliver the highest signal processing bandwidth per dollar in the mid-range segment, making it cost-competitive against both higher-end Virtex devices and lower-density alternatives.

Scalable footprint — The SFVA784 package is footprint-compatible across UltraScale device sizes, enabling hardware teams to design a single PCB and select the appropriate logic density during production ramp.

Rich hard IP — Integrated PCIe Gen3, GTH transceivers, and DDR4 memory controllers reduce design complexity and accelerate time-to-market compared to soft IP implementations.

Mature ecosystem — With Vivado design tools, an extensive IP catalog, and a large community of reference designs, the XCKU040-1SFVA784C benefits from years of production deployment across telecommunications, defense, and industrial markets.

Long product lifecycle — AMD has committed to supporting UltraScale FPGAs through 2045, making the XCKU040-1SFVA784C a reliable long-term platform for products with extended production horizons.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between XCKU040-1SFVA784C and XCKU040-1SFVA784I? The “C” suffix denotes a commercial temperature range device (0°C to 85°C junction), while the “I” suffix indicates an industrial grade device rated for -40°C to 100°C junction temperature operation. All other logic resources and performance specifications are identical.

Is the XCKU040-1SFVA784C RoHS compliant? Yes. The device carries RoHS3 compliance status, making it suitable for use in products sold in the European Union and other markets with lead-free requirements.

What development software is required for the XCKU040-1SFVA784C? AMD Vivado Design Suite (2018.x or later recommended) is required for synthesis, implementation, and debugging. A Vivado ML Edition license is needed for the full feature set on UltraScale devices.

Can the XCKU040-1SFVA784C be used for partial reconfiguration? Yes. UltraScale devices fully support partial reconfiguration (PR), allowing sections of the FPGA fabric to be reprogrammed while the remainder of the device continues operating — a critical feature for adaptive computing and field-upgradeable systems.

What memory interfaces does the XCKU040-1SFVA784C support? The device supports DDR3, DDR4, LPDDR3, QDR II+, and RLDRAM 3 through the High-Performance (HP) I/O banks, with memory controller IP available from AMD’s IP catalog.