The XCKU115-2FLVD1517E is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA from AMD’s Kintex® UltraScale™ family, manufactured on an advanced 20nm process node. Designed for demanding signal processing, 100G networking, and data-intensive applications, the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E delivers exceptional compute density, DSP throughput, and transceiver performance — all in a cost-optimized mid-range package. Whether you are designing for defense-grade embedded systems, medical imaging, or high-speed data centers, this FPGA stands out as a proven solution.

---

What Is the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E?

The XCKU115-2FLVD1517E is a member of the Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA family, built on AMD’s UltraScale™ architecture — the industry’s first ASIC-class All Programmable Architecture capable of multi-hundred Gbps system performance. The “D” suffix in the part number denotes the defense/extended temperature variant, screened for operation from –40°C to 100°C, making it suitable for ruggedized and mission-critical deployments. It is packaged in a 1517-pin FCBGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) and uses SSI (Stacked Silicon Interconnect) technology to achieve the highest logic density in its class.

---

XCKU115-2FLVD1517E Key Specifications at a Glance

---

XCKU115-2FLVD1517E Part Number Decoder

Understanding the part number helps engineers confirm they have the correct variant for their design.

---

Architecture Highlights: Why the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E Stands Out

UltraScale ASIC-Class Architecture

The XCKU115-2FLVD1517E is built on the UltraScale architecture, which introduces next-generation routing, ASIC-like clocking, and advanced 3D IC integration. Unlike previous generation FPGAs, UltraScale devices achieve up to 2× speed grade improvement at high utilization, dramatically reducing the performance gap between FPGA prototyping and ASIC deployment.

High-Density DSP and Block RAM

With 5,520 DSP48E2 slices, the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E delivers up to 8.2 TeraMACs of DSP compute performance, making it ideal for FFT-heavy workloads, FIR filters, image processing pipelines, and machine learning inference. The integrated 75.9 Mb of on-chip block RAM reduces the need for external memory, lowering BOM cost and PCB complexity.

High-Speed Transceivers

The XCKU115-2FLVD1517E includes GTH (Gigabit Transceiver High-speed) transceivers capable of operating at 16G backplane speeds, with up to 64 transceivers per device. The minimum transceiver speed in even the slowest speed grade is 12.5 Gb/s, ensuring high signal integrity for serial interfaces such as PCIe Gen3, SRIO, Aurora, and 10G/40G Ethernet.

DDR4 and Advanced Memory Interface

The device supports DDR4 at 2400 Mb/s in a mid-speed grade, enabling robust memory bandwidth for applications requiring large data buffers or streaming data pipelines. This is particularly advantageous in data center workloads and software-defined networking (SDN) applications.

SSI Technology for Maximum Density

Using AMD’s Stacked Silicon Interconnect (SSI) technology, the KU115 achieves a die size equivalent to multiple stacked silicon interposers, providing the highest logic density in the Kintex UltraScale family without the cost of a full Virtex device.

---

Detailed Logic Resource Comparison: KU115 vs. Other Kintex UltraScale Devices

The XCKU115 represents the flagship device in the Kintex UltraScale portfolio, offering the maximum resources across every dimension — logic, DSP, memory, and transceivers.

---

Target Applications for the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E

100G Networking and Packet Processing

The massive transceiver count and GTH bandwidth make the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E a top choice for 100G line-rate packet classification, traffic shaping, and deep packet inspection in network appliances and carrier-grade routers.

Data Center Acceleration

With PCIe Gen3 hard IP blocks and high-bandwidth DDR4 interfaces, the device plugs seamlessly into server platforms as a hardware accelerator for workloads such as database queries, video transcoding, and financial analytics.

DSP-Intensive Signal Processing

Applications including RADAR signal processing, wireless base station beamforming, wideband spectrum monitoring, and software-defined radio (SDR) benefit directly from the 5,520 DSP slices and teraMAC-level throughput.

Next-Generation Medical Imaging

High frame-rate MRI reconstruction, CT volume rendering, and ultrasound signal processing demand both high compute density and reliable operation — exactly what the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E provides across its extended temperature range.

8K/4K Video Processing

Real-time 8K video encoding, multi-channel 4K mixing, and broadcast-quality chroma processing require the high logic utilization and memory bandwidth that only a flagship mid-range FPGA like the KU115 can deliver at reasonable cost.

Defense and Aerospace Embedded Systems

The –40°C to 100°C extended temperature rating and the FLVD packaging make the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E appropriate for harsh-environment deployments in radar, electronic warfare, signal intelligence (SIGINT), and satellite payload processing.

---

Power and Thermal Characteristics

The 40% power reduction compared to prior-generation 28nm devices makes the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E well-suited for thermally constrained embedded system designs.

---

Development Tools and Ecosystem

Vivado Design Suite

The XCKU115-2FLVD1517E is fully supported by AMD’s Vivado® Design Suite, which provides a unified environment for design entry, synthesis, place-and-route, simulation, and bitstream generation. Vivado’s machine-learning-driven placement and routing delivers rapid design closure even at the high utilization common with the KU115.

IP Core Library

AMD provides a rich library of pre-verified IP cores optimized for UltraScale devices, including PCIe Gen3 endpoints, DDR4 PHY, Aurora serial interfaces, 10G/100G Ethernet MACs, and DSP libraries — dramatically accelerating time-to-market.

Footprint Compatibility

The XCKU115 in the 1517-pin FCBGA package shares footprint compatibility with Virtex® UltraScale™ devices, allowing seamless scalability — designers can prototype on the more cost-effective Kintex device and migrate to Virtex for additional performance without a PCB re-spin.

---

Ordering and Compliance Information

---

XCKU115-2FLVD1517E vs. XCKU115-2FLVA1517E: Key Differences

Engineers frequently compare the FLVD and FLVA variants of the same device. Here is what sets them apart:

The FLVD variant offers a wider temperature range and is screened for reliability in ruggedized environments, while the FLVA variant maximizes available user I/O for commercial high-pin-count designs.

---

Summary: Is the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E Right for Your Design?

The XCKU115-2FLVD1517E is the right choice when your project demands:

• Maximum logic density within the Kintex UltraScale family (1.45M cells)
• Extreme DSP throughput (5,520 slices, 8.2 TeraMACs)
• High-speed serial connectivity (up to 64 GTH transceivers at 16G)
• Extended temperature operation (–40°C to 100°C, defense-grade screening)
• PCIe Gen3 and DDR4 hard IP for system-level integration
• 40% lower power compared to 28nm FPGAs

From 100G networking and data center acceleration to military-grade signal processing and next-generation medical imaging, the XCKU115-2FLVD1517E delivers the performance, reliability, and flexibility that advanced FPGA designs require.