Meta Description: The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is a high-performance AMD Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA with 530,250 logic cells, 520 I/Os, and 20 GTH transceivers in a 1156-pin FCBGA package. Learn full specs, features, and applications.

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What Is the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C?

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is a commercial-grade Xilinx FPGA from AMD’s Kintex® UltraScale™ family, built on a 20nm TSMC high-k metal gate (HKMG) planar process. Designed to deliver an optimal balance of price, performance, and power efficiency, this device is well suited for mid-range to high-performance applications in networking, video processing, data centers, and signal processing.

Part of the AMD UltraScale™ architecture — the industry’s first ASIC-class programmable architecture — the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C combines monolithic and next-generation stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology to support multi-hundred Gbps system throughput in a highly programmable, cost-effective package.

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XCKU040-2FFVA1156C Part Number Breakdown

Understanding the part number helps buyers identify the exact device variant they need.

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XCKU040-2FFVA1156C Key Specifications

General Device Specifications

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Logic & Fabric Resources

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Memory Resources

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DSP & Signal Processing

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I/O & Transceivers

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Clocking Resources

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XCKU040-2FFVA1156C vs. Similar Variants

This table compares the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C with other speed grades and temperature variants in the same package.

Note: The logic resources are identical across all grade variants of the XCKU040 in the FFVA1156 package. The speed grade affects timing closure and maximum achievable frequency; the temperature suffix determines the ambient temperature range the device is tested and rated for.

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Architecture Overview: AMD Kintex UltraScale

ASIC-Class UltraScale Architecture

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is built on AMD’s UltraScale™ architecture — the first ASIC-class all-programmable architecture for FPGAs. Key architectural innovations include:

• Next-generation routing that eliminates bottlenecks found in previous FPGA generations
• ASIC-like clocking with low-skew, high-fanout clock distribution across the entire die
• Enhanced CLB structure with improved logic cell packing for higher utilization at lower dynamic power
• Co-optimization with Vivado® Design Suite for rapid design closure and timing convergence

20nm Process Technology Advantages

Fabricated on TSMC’s 20nm high-performance low-power (HPL) process, the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C achieves up to 40% lower power than previous-generation Kintex-7 devices at equivalent performance levels. The 20nm node also enables significantly higher logic density, making it possible to integrate larger designs in a single device rather than using multi-chip solutions.

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GTH Transceiver Capabilities

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C includes 20 GTH transceivers capable of supporting high-speed serial data rates up to 16.3 Gb/s, making it ideal for backplane communication, 100G Ethernet line cards, and other high-bandwidth applications.

GTH Transceiver Key Features

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Integrated Hard IP Blocks

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C includes several integrated hard IP cores that reduce resource usage and improve performance compared to soft implementations:

• PCIe Gen3 x8 – Integrated PCI Express controller for high-throughput host connectivity
• DDR4/DDR3 Memory Controller – Supports 2,400 Mb/s DDR4 for robust memory subsystems
• Integrated Configuration Logic – Supports JTAG, SelectMAP, and SPI configuration modes
• System Monitor – On-chip voltage and temperature monitoring with I2C interface
• XADC – Analog-to-digital conversion for analog monitoring channels

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Power Architecture

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is engineered for efficient power consumption across all operating conditions.

The UltraScale architecture features fine-grained clock gating that substantially reduces dynamic power during idle logic states — an important advantage for power-sensitive deployments.

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Supported Design Tools

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is fully supported by AMD’s modern design toolchain.

AMD recommends Vivado Design Suite 2015.1 or later for production use with the XCKU040 family.

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Typical Application Areas

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is well suited for the following demanding application domains:

Networking & Communications

• 100G Ethernet line cards – 20 GTH transceivers enable full 100G aggregation with Interlaken or MAC/PCS implementations
• Packet processing engines – High LUT and BRAM density supports line-rate classification and forwarding
• Wireless base station processing – DSP48E2 slices and GTH transceivers address CPRI/eCPRI fronthaul interfaces

Video & Imaging

• 8K/4K video processing – High DSP bandwidth and large BRAM pools support real-time, multi-channel video pipelines
• Medical imaging systems – CT, MRI, and ultrasound reconstruction benefit from the device’s 8.2 TeraMAC DSP performance
• Broadcast infrastructure – SDI interface processing and multi-format conversion

Data Center & High-Performance Computing

• FPGA acceleration cards – PCIe Gen3 x8 hard IP integrates seamlessly into server architectures
• SmartNIC offload – Network offload and encryption acceleration with high-bandwidth I/O
• AI inference acceleration – Fixed-point matrix operations in DSP48E2 slices for low-latency inference

Defense & Aerospace (Commercial Grade Note)

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is rated for commercial temperature (0°C to +85°C). For defense, military, or harsh-environment applications requiring wider temperature ranges, consider the -I (Industrial: –40°C to +100°C) or -E (Extended: –40°C to +100°C) variants.

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Footprint Compatibility & Migration Path

One of the UltraScale architecture’s key advantages is footprint compatibility across family members sharing the same package designator suffix. Devices in the FFVA1156 package are footprint-compatible with other UltraScale architecture devices using the same package sequence, enabling hardware platform reuse across design generations.

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Ordering Information

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does the “-2” speed grade mean for XCKU040-2FFVA1156C?

The -2 denotes the second-highest speed grade in the Kintex UltraScale XCKU040 lineup. Higher speed grades (such as -3) achieve faster internal timing at a higher cost, while lower grades (-1, -1L) target lower power or cost-sensitive designs. The -2 grade offers an excellent balance of timing performance and device cost for most commercial applications.

What is the difference between XCKU040-2FFVA1156C and XCKU040-2FFVA1156I?

The only difference is the temperature grade. The C suffix (Commercial) is rated for 0°C to +85°C junction temperature. The I suffix (Industrial) is rated for –40°C to +100°C, making it suitable for harsher operating environments. All logic resources, transceivers, and I/O counts are identical.

Is the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C compatible with Vivado?

Yes. AMD Vivado Design Suite fully supports the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C. Vivado 2015.1 or later is required for production-grade designs targeting this device.

What PCIe generation does the XCKU040-2FFVA1156C support?

The device includes an integrated PCIe Gen3 hard block supporting up to x8 lane configurations, with data rates up to 8 GT/s per lane.

Can I replace XCKU040-2FFVA1156C with XCKU040-2FFVA1156E?

Physically, yes — both share the same FFVA1156 package and are pin-compatible. The difference is temperature screening. If your application operates within 0°C–85°C, the commercial-grade -C part is appropriate. Substituting the -E or -I grade provides no additional performance but does add margin for wider temperature operation.

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Summary

The XCKU040-2FFVA1156C is a powerful, mid-range to high-performance FPGA that delivers exceptional logic density (530,250 cells), high-speed serial connectivity (20 × GTH at up to 16.3 Gb/s), and deep DSP capability (1,920 DSP48E2 slices, 8.2 TeraMACs) — all in a compact 1156-pin FCBGA package. Built on 20nm technology with AMD’s ASIC-class UltraScale architecture, this commercial-grade device is the design choice for networking, video, data center acceleration, and signal processing applications that demand proven performance at a competitive cost.