The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from the Kintex® UltraScale™ family, manufactured by AMD (formerly Xilinx). Built on an advanced 20nm process node, this device delivers an exceptional balance of DSP performance, logic density, and power efficiency — making it one of the most capable mid-range FPGAs available for demanding applications. Whether you are designing for 100G networking, next-generation medical imaging, or high-bandwidth data center infrastructure, the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C provides the processing power and I/O flexibility to meet your requirements.

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What Is the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C?

The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C is a member of the Kintex UltraScale FPGA product line — AMD Xilinx’s 20nm, first-generation UltraScale architecture platform. The part number breaks down as follows:

The “-3” speed grade designation means this variant delivers the highest performance within the XCKU040 device family, achieving a maximum internal clock frequency of 850 MHz.

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XCKU040-3FFVA1156C Key Specifications

The table below summarizes the core technical specifications for the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C:

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XCKU040-3FFVA1156C Logic and DSP Resources

The XCKU040 logic tier provides a rich set of programmable resources. Below is a detailed breakdown of on-chip resources for this device:

Programmable Logic Resources

Memory Resources

DSP Resources

I/O and Transceiver Resources

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UltraScale Architecture: What Makes It Stand Out

#### First ASIC-Class All Programmable Architecture

The Kintex UltraScale family was the first FPGA architecture to adopt ASIC-class routing and clocking structures. This means the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C benefits from a predictable, deterministic design flow that dramatically reduces timing closure effort in complex, high-utilization designs.

#### Next-Generation GTH Transceivers

The device incorporates GTH high-speed serial transceivers capable of operating up to 16.3 Gbps. These transceivers support a wide range of industry protocols including PCIe Gen3, JESD204B, Interlaken, CPRI, SRIO, and 10G/25G Ethernet — making the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C well-suited for high-bandwidth connectivity applications.

#### Advanced Clocking with MMCM and PLL

The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C includes both Mixed-Mode Clock Managers (MMCMs) and Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs), providing precise, low-jitter clock generation and management. These resources support frequency synthesis, phase shifting, and fine-grained clock domain control essential to multi-protocol designs.

#### Integrated PCIe Gen3 Hard IP

A fully integrated PCI Express Gen3 hard block eliminates the need to consume programmable logic fabric for PCIe interfaces, conserving LUT resources and improving latency for PCIe-connected applications such as NVMe storage, accelerator cards, and FPGA-based compute platforms.

#### Vivado Design Suite Compatibility

The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C is fully supported by AMD’s Vivado Design Suite, which provides synthesis, implementation, and timing analysis tools purpose-built for UltraScale devices. The co-optimized toolchain enables faster design closure compared to older FPGA families.

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Package Information: FFVA1156 FC-BGA

The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C uses the FFVA1156 flip-chip, fine-pitch ball grid array package. This surface-mount package offers:

The FFVA1156 footprint is pin-compatible with larger Virtex UltraScale devices in the same package, giving design teams an upgrade path to higher logic density without a PCB re-spin.

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Electrical Characteristics

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Operating Conditions

Note: The “C” suffix in XCKU040-3FFVA1156C designates the Commercial temperature grade. For extended (–40°C to +100°C) or industrial temperature operation, consider the “E” (Extended) or “I” (Industrial) suffix variants.

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XCKU040-3FFVA1156C vs. Other XCKU040 Variants

The XCKU040 is available in multiple speed grades and temperature ranges. The table below compares the key speed-grade variants in the same FFVA1156 package:

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Top Application Areas for the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C

#### 100G Networking and Packet Processing

The combination of GTH transceivers, integrated PCIe Gen3, and high DSP throughput makes the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C ideal for line-rate 100G Ethernet packet processing, deep packet inspection (DPI), and network function virtualization (NFV) applications.

#### Data Center Acceleration

FPGA-based accelerators in data centers demand high I/O bandwidth, efficient memory interfaces, and deterministic latency. The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C’s DDR4 support at 2,400 Mbps and large Block RAM pool enable low-latency, high-throughput compute offload applications.

#### Next-Generation Medical Imaging

The high DSP slice count (1,920 DSP48E2) and fast clock speeds support the real-time signal processing pipelines required for CT, MRI, and ultrasound imaging systems, where throughput and latency directly impact image quality.

#### 8K/4K Video Processing

Demanding video applications such as 8K4K broadcast production, video analytics, and machine vision benefit from the high fabric utilization capacity and large memory bandwidth provided by this device.

#### Wireless Infrastructure (5G/LTE)

The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C supports heterogeneous wireless infrastructure designs including massive MIMO baseband processing, CPRI/eCPRI front-haul interfaces via GTH transceivers, and high-speed DSP chains for channel equalization and coding.

#### Test and Measurement Equipment

High-frequency I/O banks, precision clocking, and large logic capacity make this FPGA well-suited for high-speed digitizer boards, protocol analyzers, and automated test equipment (ATE).

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Design Tool and IP Ecosystem

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Ordering Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between XCKU040-3FFVA1156C and XCKU040-3FFVA1156E? The only difference is the temperature grade. The “C” suffix is Commercial (0°C to +85°C junction temp); the “E” suffix is Extended (–40°C to +100°C). All logic, I/O, and performance specifications are identical.

Q: Is the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C pin-compatible with Virtex UltraScale in the same package? Yes. The FFVA1156 package is footprint-compatible with Virtex UltraScale FFVA1156 devices, enabling a seamless upgrade path to higher device capacities on the same PCB.

Q: What Vivado version supports the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C? Vivado 2015.4 or later is required for full production support of this device. AMD recommends using the latest Vivado release for the most up-to-date IP and timing data.

Q: Does the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C support DDR4 memory? Yes. HP (High-Performance) I/O banks on the device support DDR4 interfaces at up to 2,400 Mbps, enabling high-bandwidth memory subsystems for data-intensive applications.

Q: What transceivers are included in the XCKU040? The XCKU040 includes 20 GTH transceivers capable of up to 16.3 Gbps per lane, supporting protocols such as PCIe Gen3, JESD204B, Interlaken, CPRI, 10G/25G Ethernet, and SATA/SAS.

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Summary

The XCKU040-3FFVA1156C is AMD Xilinx’s highest-performance commercial-grade configuration of the XCKU040, offering 530,250 system logic cells, 1,920 DSP slices, 20 GTH transceivers, and an 850 MHz maximum clock frequency within the compact, PCB-friendly 1156-pin FC-BGA package. Its ASIC-class UltraScale architecture, paired with full Vivado Design Suite support, makes it a trusted choice for engineers pushing the boundaries of networking, data center, broadcast, medical, and wireless design.

For teams who need scalability, the FFVA1156 footprint compatibility with larger Virtex UltraScale devices ensures that choosing the XCKU040-3FFVA1156C is not a dead-end — it is the foundation of a long-term platform strategy.