The XCKU095-2FFVC1517I is a high-performance Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) from AMD Xilinx, part of the industry-renowned Xilinx FPGA Kintex UltraScale family. Built on a 20nm process node and housed in a 1517-pin FCBGA package, this device delivers an exceptional blend of signal processing power, transceiver performance, and energy efficiency — making it a leading choice for 100G networking, data center acceleration, advanced medical imaging, and next-generation wireless infrastructure.
What Is the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I?
The XCKU095-2FFVC1517I belongs to AMD Xilinx’s Kintex UltraScale FPGA product line — a mid-range family specifically engineered to offer the highest signal processing bandwidth at the most competitive price-per-performance-per-watt ratio in the 20nm generation. The “KU095” designation refers to the device size within the Kintex UltraScale series, while the suffix “-2FFVC1517I” encodes the speed grade (-2), package type (FFVC = Fine-Pitch Flip-Chip BGA), pin count (1517), and temperature rating (I = Industrial).
This device is manufactured under AMD following Xilinx’s acquisition and continues to be supported by the Vivado Design Suite, AMD’s flagship design software for adaptive SoCs and FPGAs.
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Key Specifications
| Parameter |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
AMD (Xilinx) |
| Part Number |
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I |
| FPGA Family |
Kintex UltraScale |
| Technology Node |
20nm |
| Logic Cells |
1,176,000 |
| System Logic Cells |
940,800 |
| Speed Grade |
-2 |
| Core Supply Voltage (VCCINT) |
0.95V |
| Package Type |
FCBGA (Fine-Pitch Flip-Chip BGA) |
| Package Code |
FFVC1517 |
| Pin Count |
1,517 |
| Operating Temperature |
-40°C to +100°C (Industrial Grade “I”) |
| Mounting Type |
Surface Mount |
| DigiKey Part Number |
1278-XCKU095-2FFVC1517I-ND |
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Logic and Memory Resources
The XCKU095 device offers a rich set of programmable resources that scale to meet demanding compute and DSP workloads without requiring a more expensive Virtex-class device.
| Resource |
XCKU095 Specification |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) |
Up to ~174,000 CLB slices |
| Block RAM (36Kb blocks) |
2,160 |
| Total Block RAM |
75.9 Mb |
| UltraRAM (288Kb blocks) |
Not available (KU095 class) |
| DSP48E2 Slices |
2,760 |
| Max User I/O Pins |
520 (in FFVC1517 package) |
| GTH Transceivers |
32 |
| GTY Transceivers |
16 |
| PCIe Gen3 x8 Blocks |
3 |
| 100G Ethernet MACs |
3 |
| Interlaken Cores |
3 |
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Transceiver Capabilities
One of the standout strengths of the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I is its high-speed serial transceiver architecture. This device features both GTH and GTY transceivers capable of supporting multi-protocol, high-bandwidth serial links — critical for networking, backplane, and optical module designs.
| Transceiver Type |
Count |
Max Line Rate |
| GTH Transceivers |
32 |
Up to 16.3 Gb/s |
| GTY Transceivers |
16 |
Up to 16.3 Gb/s (KU095-specific) |
| Aggregate Bandwidth |
— |
Up to 1,043 Gb/s |
The GTY transceivers in KU095 devices are rated up to 16.3 Gb/s, providing substantial bandwidth for applications such as 100G Ethernet, OTN, CPRI, and PCIe Gen3.
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Package and Ordering Information
The “-2FFVC1517I” suffix is a structured part number that conveys critical ordering and design information at a glance:
| Suffix Element |
Meaning |
| -2 |
Speed Grade 2 (mid-high performance tier) |
| FF |
Fine-Pitch Flip-Chip BGA packaging technology |
| VC |
Specific package variant identifier |
| 1517 |
1,517 solder ball (pin) count |
| I |
Industrial temperature range (-40°C to +100°C) |
The industrial-grade “I” temperature rating makes this device well-suited for environments where commercial-range components (-40°C to +85°C) would not meet operating requirements, including telecommunications equipment and rugged embedded systems.
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Architecture Highlights
UltraScale ASIC-Like Architecture
The Kintex UltraScale architecture is the first FPGA architecture to be designed with ASIC-class routing and clocking methodology. This results in dramatically reduced skew, improved performance predictability, and design closure that is far closer to what engineers typically achieve with custom silicon.
Enhanced DSP48E2 Slices
The DSP48E2 slices in this device go beyond traditional multiply-accumulate operations. They support wider multipliers for floating-point calculations, wide XOR functions for ECC and CRC operations, and pre-adder squaring for rounding algorithms — allowing designers to accomplish more with fewer DSP resources.
Advanced Block RAM Architecture
The UltraScale block RAM includes hardened memory cascade to reduce fabric utilization, along with a flexible hard FIFO and dynamic power gating. This is particularly beneficial for wireless, video, and signal processing pipelines where large memory structures are required at high clock rates.
Fine-Granular Clock Gating
The UltraScale clocking architecture supports fine-granular clock gating, which enables aggressive power optimization without impacting design performance. This directly contributes to the up-to-40% power reduction compared to prior FPGA generations.
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Typical Applications
The XCKU095-2FFVC1517I is engineered for demanding, bandwidth-intensive applications across multiple industries:
| Industry |
Application Use Case |
| Networking & Data Center |
100G/400G/500G line card processing, packet classification |
| Wireless Infrastructure |
TD-LTE Remote Radio Head DFE, 8×8 100MHz beamforming |
| Medical Imaging |
Next-generation ultrasound, MRI reconstruction, 8K medical video |
| Video Processing |
8k4k video encode/decode, broadcast infrastructure |
| Defense & Aerospace |
Signal intelligence, radar processing, secure communications |
| Test & Measurement |
High-speed data acquisition, protocol analysis |
| High-Performance Computing |
FPGA-accelerated inference, scientific simulation |
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I vs. Other Kintex UltraScale Devices
The XCKU095 sits near the top of the Kintex UltraScale product line. Here is how it compares to neighboring family members:
| Device |
Logic Cells |
DSP Slices |
Block RAM |
Max I/O |
Transceivers |
| XCKU060 |
726,000 |
2,760 |
38.0 Mb |
520 |
32 GTH |
| XCKU085 |
1,045,000 |
2,760 |
67.5 Mb |
702 |
48 GTH |
| XCKU095 |
1,176,000 |
2,760 |
75.9 Mb |
520 (1517 pkg) |
32 GTH + 16 GTY |
| XCKU115 |
1,451,000 |
5,520 |
75.9 Mb |
702 |
64 GTH |
The XCKU095 occupies a strategic position — offering GTY transceivers alongside GTH, which the XCKU085 lacks, while remaining more cost-accessible than the XCKU115.
Design Tools and Support for XCKU095-2FFVC1517I
Vivado Design Suite
AMD’s Vivado Design Suite is the primary development environment for the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I. It provides a fully integrated design flow including synthesis, implementation, simulation, and in-system debug. The minimum required version for XCKU095 production designs is Vivado 2015.3 with speed file version 1.24.
IP Cores and Reference Designs
A comprehensive library of validated IP cores — including PCIe Gen3, 100G Ethernet, Interlaken, and JESD204B — is available through the Vivado IP catalog, enabling rapid integration of standard interfaces without custom RTL development.
Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE)
For accurate power budgeting during design planning, AMD recommends using the Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) tool, which accounts for the specific device configuration, toggle rates, and I/O standards used in your design.
Why Choose the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I?
- Best price-per-performance at 20nm among mid-range FPGAs
- Industrial temperature grade for demanding environmental conditions
- Dual transceiver types (GTH + GTY) for maximum interface flexibility
- Proven UltraScale architecture used in production-critical infrastructure globally
- Supported by AMD’s full ecosystem including Vivado, AI engines, and certified partners
XCKU095-2FFVC1517I Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I and XCKU095-2FFVC1517E? The “I” suffix denotes the industrial temperature grade (-40°C to +100°C), while the “E” suffix denotes extended temperature range. Always verify which temperature specification is required by your system operating environment before selecting a variant.
Q: Is the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I RoHS compliant? Yes, AMD Xilinx XCKU095 devices in the FFVC1517 package are manufactured to meet RoHS environmental compliance requirements.
Q: What software version is required for XCKU095 designs? Designs using the XCKU095 require a minimum of Vivado Design Suite 2015.3 with speed specification version 1.24 or later for production-qualified timing signoff.
Q: Can the XCKU095-2FFVC1517I be used in defense and aerospace applications? The industrial-grade device is widely used in defense-adjacent applications. For MIL-grade requirements, AMD Xilinx offers the XQKU095 defense-grade variant with enhanced screening.
