The XCKU040-L1FBVA676I is a high-performance, low-power Xilinx FPGA from the AMD Kintex™ UltraScale™ family. Designed for power-conscious applications that still demand mid-range performance, the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I combines 20nm process technology with a compact 676-pin FCBGA package to deliver an exceptional balance of logic density, signal processing bandwidth, and energy efficiency. Whether your design targets wireless infrastructure, industrial automation, or advanced image processing, this device is engineered to meet the demands of today’s most challenging embedded systems.
What Is the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I?
The XCKU040-L1FBVA676I is part of Xilinx’s Kintex UltraScale series — the first FPGA family built on the UltraScale architecture at the 20nm node. The “-L1” speed grade designation identifies this as a low-power (-1L) variant capable of operating at a reduced VCCINT of 0.90V, offering the lowest static power consumption in its class while delivering the same performance as a standard -1 speed grade device when operated at 0.95V. The “-I” suffix confirms an industrial temperature range, making it suitable for deployment in thermally demanding environments.
XCKU040-L1FBVA676I Key Specifications
General Device Overview
| Parameter |
Value |
| Part Number |
XCKU040-L1FBVA676I |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Family |
Kintex UltraScale |
| Architecture |
UltraScale (20nm) |
| Logic Cells |
424,200 |
| Speed Grade |
-1L (Low Power) |
| VCCINT Voltage |
0.90V / 0.95V |
| Package |
676-Pin FCBGA (FBVA676) |
| Temperature Range |
Industrial (−40°C to +100°C) |
| RoHS Status |
Compliant |
| Lifecycle Status |
Active |
Logic and Fabric Resources
| Resource |
Quantity |
| System Logic Cells |
424,200 |
| CLB Flip-Flops |
486,000 |
| CLB LUTs |
243,000 |
| Distributed RAM (Kb) |
3,020 |
| Block RAM (36Kb each) |
600 |
| Total Block RAM (Mb) |
21.1 |
| DSP Slices |
1,920 |
I/O and Connectivity
| Feature |
Value |
| Total I/O Pins |
312 |
| User I/O (HP Banks) |
312 |
| GTH Transceivers |
20 |
| Max Transceiver Speed |
16.3 Gbps |
| PCIe Hard Blocks |
2 |
| 100G Ethernet MACs |
2 |
| 150G Interlaken Blocks |
2 |
| CMAC Blocks |
2 |
Memory and Processing
| Feature |
Value |
| UltraRAM Blocks |
0 (XCKU040 tier) |
| Block RAM Cascadable |
Yes |
| Max DSP Performance |
Up to 4,608 GMACs |
| ECC Support |
Yes (Block RAM) |
| Configuration Memory |
Internal Flash (BBRAM / eFUSE) |
Power and Packaging
| Parameter |
Value |
| VCCINT (Low Voltage Mode) |
0.90V |
| VCCINT (Standard Mode) |
0.95V |
| VCCAUX |
1.8V |
| Package Type |
Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA) |
| Pin Count |
676 |
| Package Dimensions |
27 mm × 27 mm |
| Ball Pitch |
1.0 mm |
| Operating Temperature |
−40°C to +100°C (Industrial) |
Understanding the Part Number: XCKU040-L1FBVA676I
Each segment of the part number carries specific technical meaning:
| Segment |
Meaning |
| XC |
Xilinx Commercial FPGA |
| KU |
Kintex UltraScale family |
| 040 |
Device size/density identifier |
| -L1 |
Low-power speed grade (-1L), screened for low static power |
| F |
Flip-chip package |
| BV |
Ball via package variant |
| A |
Package sub-type |
| 676 |
676 total pins |
| I |
Industrial temperature range (−40°C to +100°C) |
XCKU040-L1FBVA676I: Key Features and Highlights
High DSP and Block RAM Density
The XCKU040 packs 1,920 DSP48E2 slices and 600 36Kb block RAMs, giving it the highest signal processing bandwidth available in a mid-range FPGA. This makes the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I ideal for compute-intensive workloads including FFT-based algorithms, digital filters, and real-time image pipelines.
Next-Generation GTH Transceivers
With 20 GTH transceivers capable of reaching up to 16.3 Gbps per lane, the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I supports a wide range of high-speed serial protocols. Applications such as 10GbE, 40GbE, PCIe Gen3, CPRI, JESD204B, and Interlaken can all be implemented natively without external PHY components.
Integrated Hard IP Blocks
The device includes two integrated PCIe Gen3 x8 hard blocks, two 100 Gigabit Ethernet (CMAC) cores, and two 150G Interlaken interfaces — critical for reducing logic utilization and meeting timing closure in complex networking and communications designs.
Low-Power -1L Speed Grade
The L1 speed grade is uniquely engineered for power-sensitive deployments. When operated at VCCINT = 0.90V, the device is screened for lower maximum static power. When switched to 0.95V, it matches the timing performance of a standard -1 speed grade, giving designers full flexibility to trade power for performance within the same silicon.
Industrial Temperature Range
The “-I” suffix certifies operation across the full industrial temperature range of −40°C to +100°C, ensuring long-term reliability in environments such as factory floors, outdoor telecom equipment, military-grade electronics, and transportation systems.
UltraScale Architecture Advantages
Built on Xilinx’s UltraScale architecture, the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I leverages:
- AMBA AXI4 interconnects throughout the fabric for faster throughput
- UltraFast design methodology support in Vivado for streamlined development
- Advanced power management with per-clock-region power gating
- Staggered power supply sequencing for simpler board design
- Dedicated configuration logic with bitstream encryption and authentication (AES-256 and SHA-256/384)
XCKU040-L1FBVA676I vs. Related Variants
| Part Number |
Speed Grade |
VCCINT |
Package |
Temp Range |
| XCKU040-L1FBVA676I |
-1L (Low Power) |
0.90V / 0.95V |
676-pin FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU040-1FBVA676I |
-1 |
0.95V |
676-pin FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU040-2FBVA676I |
-2 |
0.95V |
676-pin FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU040-L1FBVA900I |
-1L (Low Power) |
0.90V / 0.95V |
900-pin FCBGA |
Industrial |
| XCKU040-2FBVA900I |
-2 |
0.95V |
900-pin FCBGA |
Industrial |
Design Tip: The XCKU040-L1FBVA676I and XCKU040-1FBVA676I are pin-compatible. If your system’s power budget allows, upgrading from -1L to -1 or -2 speed grades is straightforward and requires no PCB changes.
Typical Applications
The XCKU040-L1FBVA676I is deployed across a wide range of demanding industries:
Wireless and Wired Communications
- Baseband processing for 4G/5G small cells and remote radio units (RRU)
- CPRI/eCPRI fronthaul and midhaul aggregation
- 100G/400G packet processing and network switching
- Data plane acceleration in network function virtualization (NFV)
Defense and Aerospace
- Electronic warfare (EW) signal processing
- Radar and sonar digital signal chains
- Secure, encrypted communications using built-in AES-256 bitstream security
- MIL-SPEC-adjacent applications requiring extended temperature operation
Industrial Automation and Machine Vision
- Real-time image acquisition and processing
- Motor control and multi-axis servo coordination
- Industrial Ethernet (EtherCAT, PROFINET) implementation
- Functional safety systems requiring deterministic I/O control
Medical and Scientific Instrumentation
- Ultrasound beamforming
- High-channel-count data acquisition
- Radiation-tolerant design candidates (with appropriate SEU mitigation)
- Low-power portable diagnostic equipment
High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI Acceleration
- Data center FPGA offload cards
- Inference acceleration for machine learning models
- High-frequency trading (HFT) FPGA pipelines
- Crypto and compression hardware engines
Development Tools and Support
Designing with the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I is fully supported by AMD’s Vivado Design Suite, which provides:
| Tool / Resource |
Description |
| Vivado Design Suite |
Primary synthesis, implementation, and bitstream generation tool |
| Vivado HLS / Vitis HLS |
High-level synthesis from C/C++ to RTL |
| Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) |
Accurate power estimation before hardware bring-up |
| IP Integrator (IPI) |
Block design environment for integrating Xilinx IP cores |
| ChipScope Pro / ILA |
In-system logic analyzer for real-time debugging |
| UltraFast Methodology |
AMD’s official design methodology guide for UltraScale timing closure |
The minimum supported Vivado release for production use of XCKU040-L1 devices is Vivado Design Suite 2016.4 (speed spec v1.23).
Ordering and Availability
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (formerly Xilinx) |
| Official Part Number |
XCKU040-L1FBVA676I |
| Package |
676-Pin FCBGA |
| RoHS Compliant |
Yes |
| Lead-Free Finish |
Yes |
| Lifecycle |
Active — in production |
| Authorized Distributors |
Digi-Key, Mouser, Avnet, Arrow, TTI |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I and XCKU040-1FBVA676I? The -L1 variant is screened for lower maximum static power and can operate at VCCINT = 0.90V for reduced power consumption. Both parts share the same silicon and package, and deliver identical timing performance at VCCINT = 0.95V. The -1L is preferred in battery-backed or thermally constrained designs.
Q: Is the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I drop-in compatible with other 676-pin XCKU040 parts? Yes. All XCKU040 devices in the 676-pin FBVA package are pin-compatible, making it straightforward to migrate between speed grades or power variants without PCB rework.
Q: What transceiver protocols does the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I support? The GTH transceivers support a broad range of protocols including PCIe Gen1/2/3, 10GbE, 40GbE, CPRI, JESD204B, SATA, USB 3.0, Interlaken, and custom serial protocols up to 16.3 Gbps per lane.
Q: Does the XCKU040-L1FBVA676I support bitstream encryption? Yes. The device supports AES-256 bitstream encryption along with HMAC/SHA-256 authentication to protect intellectual property and prevent unauthorized configuration.
Q: What is the maximum operating temperature? The “-I” (Industrial) grade ensures reliable operation from −40°C to +100°C junction temperature, suitable for harsh industrial, telecom, and defense environments.
