What Is the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I?

The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I is a high-performance Xilinx FPGA belonging to the Kintex® UltraScale™ family, manufactured by AMD (formerly Xilinx). Built on TSMC’s 20nm process node, it is engineered to deliver the best price/performance/watt ratio in the mid-range FPGA market. The “-3” speed grade designation marks this as the fastest-performing variant in the XCKU115 lineup, while the “I” suffix confirms industrial-grade temperature certification — making it suitable for demanding, real-world deployment environments.

This device leverages AMD’s UltraScale™ architecture, which was the industry’s first ASIC-class programmable architecture capable of enabling multi-hundred Gbps system performance. It combines massive logic density, high-bandwidth transceivers, and deep on-chip memory to serve as a powerhouse for data-intensive applications such as 100G networking, advanced DSP, and next-generation signal processing.

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XCKU115-3FLVA1517I Key Specifications at a Glance

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XCKU115-3FLVA1517I Detailed Technical Specifications

## Logic and Programmable Resources

The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I offers one of the largest logic footprints in the Kintex UltraScale family. With 1,451,100 system logic cells organized into 663,360 Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs), engineers gain massive parallelism for both control logic and compute-intensive pipelines. The 1,326,720 CLB flip-flops support high-speed pipelining, essential for achieving the timing closure demanded by -3 speed grade designs.

## Memory Architecture

On-chip memory is critical for latency-sensitive applications. The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I provides approximately 77,722 Kbits of total Block RAM, distributed across multiple Super Logic Regions (SLRs). This multi-SLR architecture using AMD’s stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology enables higher bandwidth between logic fabric sections while maintaining a flat programming model.

## DSP Processing Power

The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I is optimized for signal processing workloads. Its DSP48E2 slices deliver up to 8.2 TeraMACs of compute performance, making this device exceptionally capable for:

• Digital pre-distortion (DPD) in wireless base stations
• High-resolution FFT/FIR filtering
• Real-time radar and sonar processing
• 8K/4K video processing pipelines

## High-Speed Transceivers

The device integrates GTH transceivers capable of line rates up to 16.375 Gb/s, supporting a wide range of serial protocols. This enables direct implementation of backplane interconnects and fiber-optic links without external serializer/deserializer chips.

## PCIe and Connectivity

The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I includes multiple integrated PCI Express® Gen3 cores, removing the need for external PCIe bridges and significantly reducing BOM cost and board complexity. This makes it an excellent candidate for FPGA acceleration cards, smart NICs, and high-speed data acquisition boards.

## I/O and Packaging

With 624 user I/Os distributed across High-Performance (HP) and High-Range (HR) I/O banks, the device offers flexible signaling standards including LVDS, HSTL, SSTL, and single-ended LVCMOS at various voltage levels (1.0V–3.3V). The 1517-pin FCBGA package (FLVA1517) provides footprint compatibility with other UltraScale devices, enabling design scalability.

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## Speed Grade -3 vs Other XCKU115 Variants

The “-3” speed grade offers the highest operational frequency among all XCKU115 variants. Understanding speed grade differences is important when selecting the right part for your timing budget.

The “I” suffix (Industrial) on the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I confirms a junction temperature rating of -40°C to +100°C, qualifying it for use in environments well beyond standard commercial-grade parts.

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## Key Features and Benefits

### ASIC-Class UltraScale Architecture

AMD’s UltraScale architecture was designed from the ground up to close timing at higher utilization levels than previous generations. Advanced routing resources and ASIC-like clocking with fine granular clock gating enable designers to achieve performance targets faster and with less power.

### Up to 40% Lower Power vs. Previous Generation

Compared to earlier 28nm Xilinx FPGA generations, the UltraScale 20nm process delivers up to 40% lower dynamic power. This directly translates to reduced cooling requirements and lower operating costs — critical in data center and industrial deployments.

### System Integration Reduces BOM by 60%

By integrating PCIe Gen3 cores, GTH transceivers, clock management tiles (MMCM/PLL), and advanced DDR4 interfaces on a single device, the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I can replace multiple discrete components on a board. This consolidation reduces the BOM cost by up to 60% while improving signal integrity.

### Vivado Design Suite Optimization

The device is co-optimized for use with AMD’s Vivado® Design Suite, providing fast design closure through intelligent placement and routing algorithms. IP cores from the Xilinx IP catalog — including 100G Ethernet MAC, Aurora, PCIe, and JESD204B — are fully validated for XCKU115 devices.

### Footprint Compatibility with Virtex UltraScale

The FLVA1517 package is footprint-compatible with select Virtex® UltraScale™ devices, allowing design scalability from mid-range to high-end FPGA products without full PCB redesigns.

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## Target Applications for XCKU115-3FLVA1517I

The combination of the highest speed grade (-3), industrial temperature rating, and maximum logic density makes this device the preferred choice for performance-critical and ruggedized systems.

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## Part Number Decoder: XCKU115-3FLVA1517I

Understanding the AMD Xilinx part numbering convention helps engineers quickly identify the exact variant required.

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## Ordering and Compliance Information

Note: The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I is a Non-Cancellable / Non-Returnable (NCNR) product at most distributors. Confirm lead times and availability before placing orders. A 12-month manufacturer warranty from date of purchase typically applies.

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## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

### What is the difference between XCKU115-3FLVA1517I and XCKU115-3FLVA1517E?

The only difference is the temperature grade. The “I” suffix designates the Industrial temperature range (-40°C to +100°C junction temperature), while the “E” suffix designates the Extended commercial range (0°C to +100°C). For environments subject to cold startup or wide ambient swings, the “I” grade is required.

### Is the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I the fastest XCKU115 variant?

Yes. The -3 speed grade is the highest performance grade offered for the XCKU115. It provides the highest maximum clock frequency across all logic, DSP, and I/O resources compared to the -2 and -1 variants.

### What development tools support the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I?

AMD’s Vivado® Design Suite fully supports this device. Synthesis, implementation, simulation, and IP integration are all handled within Vivado. Older ISE Design Suite versions do not support UltraScale devices.

### Does the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I support partial reconfiguration?

Yes. The UltraScale architecture fully supports Dynamic Function eXchange (DFX), formerly called Partial Reconfiguration. This allows specific regions of the FPGA fabric to be reconfigured at runtime without disrupting the rest of the design.

### What PCIe generations does this FPGA support?

The XCKU115-3FLVA1517I integrates multiple PCIe Gen3 (8 GT/s) hard cores, supporting x1, x2, x4, x8, and x16 lane widths depending on configuration.

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## Related Kintex UltraScale Devices

If the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I does not precisely match your requirements, the following related devices may be considered:

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For technical support, design resources, reference designs, and Vivado IP cores for the XCKU115-3FLVA1517I, visit the official AMD/Xilinx documentation portal or contact your authorized distributor.