Introduction

The Xilinx XC7K160T-2FBG484i is a Kintex-7 series field programmable gate array (FPGA) providing high performance, capacity, and bandwidth. This mid-range family balances power, performance and cost for high-end embedded applications.

Key features of this FPGA include:

• 163,200 logic cells with 6-input look-up tables
• On-chip memory of nearly 10Mb
• 2800 DSP slices for intensive signal processing
• High speed transceivers reaching 10Gbps
• Advanced power management options
• High logic capacity in a space saving BGA package

This article provides an in-depth look at the XC7K160T architecture, characteristics, applications, design considerations, and frequently asked questions surrounding use of this popular Xilinx FPGA.

XC7K160T Family Overview

The Xilinx Kintex-7 family offers high performance FPGAs featuring both high logic capacity and high speed connectivity suitable for wireless, medical, video, and military applications.

The XC7K160T device specifically provides:

• 163,200 logic cells in 6-input LUTs
• 218 DSP slices with 27×18 multipliers
• On-chip memory of 9.9Mb
• Dual channel 1062Mb/s DDR3 memory interface
• 2800 Mb/s data transfer rate per I/O
• High speed serial transceivers up to 10.3Gb/s
• 1.0V core voltage and 2.5V I/O voltage
• Operating temperature range of 0°C to +100°C
• Space saving 23mm x 23mm 484 ball BGA package
• Static power of 2W and total power less than 10W

This balance of high logic capacity, DSP, memory blocks, and I/O in an efficient package make the XC7K160T suitable for advanced embedded systems.

XC7K160T FPGA Architecture

The Xilinx Kintex-7 family uses a unified FPGA architecture to efficiently implement designs requiring both advanced digital signal processing and high speed connectivity. It is optimized for applications such as wireless infrastructure, medical imaging, semiconductor test, military video processing, and machine vision.

Key architectural features include:

Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs): Each CLB contains two slices, each with four 6-input LUTs and 8 flip-flops. LUTs can also be configured as 64-bit RAM or shift registers. There are 32600 CLB slices containing the bulk of the FPGA’s logic capacity.

DSP Slices: 218 27×18 bit multipliers enable intensive DSP functions. Features include cascading, optional pipeline registers, and dedicated ALUs to avoid routing congestion.

Block RAM: Over 9Mb of distributed block RAM provide on-chip data storage. 36Kb blocks support a range of width/depth configurations with ECC options.

I/O: The FPGA offers 550 high performance I/O supporting up to 2800Mb/s. Support for common I/O standards like LVDS, PCIe, SATA, and memory interfaces.

Transceivers: Integrated serial transceivers reach speeds up to 10.3Gbps, with lower power versions at 3.2Gbps. Support various protocols including Ethernet, Interlaken, and PCI Express.

Clock Management Tiles (CMT): 10 CMTs provide clock synthesis, conditioning, and jitter filtering.

This combination of high capacity, high performance blocks makes this an optimal FPGA for advanced embedded systems.

XC7K160T-2FBG484i Characteristics

The XC7K160T-2FBG484i denotes specific device characteristics within the broader XC7K160T family:

• Temperature Range: The 2F version supports an extended 0°C to +100°C industrial temperature range for more demanding environments.
• Package: This FPGA utilizes a space saving 23mm x 23mm body size, 1.0mm ball pitch 484 ball grid array (BGA) package. Provides highest I/O density in this device class.
• Speed Grade and Power: Designated speed grade -2, with maximum static power rating of 2W. Dynamic power consumption is device dependent but less than 10W total.
• Configuration: SRAM-based which loads programming from external memory on power up. Remote system update capability.
• Part Marking: Xilinx’s marking format for this exact device prints as XC7K160T FFG484 – 2 along with additional manufacturing codes on the chip top side.

So in summary, the XC7K160T-2FBG484i is the Kintex-7 FPGA with 163K logic cells, packaged in a 484 pin BGA, speed grade -2, extended temperature range, SRAM configured.

Key Applications of the XC7K160T

The Xilinx XC7K160T FPGA fits well in high performance embedded systems requiring a balance of digital logic, signal processing, and high speed connectivity.

Some of the key application areas include:

Wireless Communications: Mid-range logic density supports base stations and infrastructure processing data intensive protocols like LTE. Integrated DSP slices and transceivers are optimized for wireless systems.

Medical Imaging: Ultrasound, MRI, and CT scan systems leverage the FPGA’s ability to process large data sets combined with high speed interfaces.

Video Processing: Surveillance, machine vision, and video conferencing systems take advantage of the XC7K160T’s 1080p video performance and image processing capabilities.

Semiconductor Testing: High pin count, fast data rates, and timing features support automated test equipment for semiconductor production environments.

Aerospace and Defense: Ruggedized designs for mission computing, instrumentation and sensors benefit from logic capacity, reliability and extended temperature range.

Scientific Instrumentation: High performance embedded systems used in research rely on the raw processing power, flexibility, and I/O bandwidth of devices like the XC7K160T.

This FPGA hits the sweet spot for many applications needing a balanced feature set, high performance, and proven architecture.

XC7K160T vs Konkurrenz’s Comparable FPGAs

The Xilinx XC7K160T resides between competing FPGAs from other vendors in terms of density and capability:

So the XC7K160T hits a middle ground between lower cost FPGAs and very high density Stratix/Virtex families. This balanced density, features, and cost make it attractive for many applications.

Key Design Considerations with the XC7K160T

Engineers should keep several design considerations in mind when working with the XC7K160T FPGA:

• Utilization – At 163K logic cells, designs over 100K usage require analysis to ensure timing, power, and congestion goals are met.
• Thermal – With 10W max power, proper board airflow or heatsinks are needed. Thermal simulation should be performed.
• Decoupling – Numerous power pins require proper decoupling for stability. Plan for bulk and localized decoupling.
• ESD Protection – FPGAs are highly ESD sensitive. Robust protection diodes, pads, and handling controls must be used.
• Design Flows – Xilinx offers strong tool flows – ISE, Vivado, Vitis – leveraging FPGA optimizations and IP libraries.
• Debugging – Plan for debug access through JTAG, internal probes, logic analyzers. ChipScope integrated tools are useful.

Properly planning for utilization, thermal, ESD, debug, and taking advantage of Xilinx design tools ensures success with this FPGA.

How to Get Started with the XC7K160T

Xilinx provides excellent documentation and development kits to jumpstart XC7K160T designs:

• Product Specification – Data sheet contains comprehensive technical reference information on the FPGA.
• Documentation Navigator – Central area to access device user guides, application notes, white papers, reference designs, and training material.
• Kintex-7 GTX Transceiver User Guide – In-depth guide to implementing high speed serial I/O.
• Vivado Design Suite – Xilinx’s flagship design environment with FPGA-optimized implementation tools.
• KCU105 Evaluation Kit – Full platform to develop and evaluate designs. Includes board, power supply, memory module, cables, and documentation.

Engineers should leverage these resources when starting new XC7K160T-based projects.

Conclusion

The Xilinx XC7K160T-2FBG484i FPGA delivers an optimal balance of high capacity, performance, and features for advanced embedded systems. With 163K logic cells, abundant memory blocks, DSP slices, fast serial transceivers, and dense I/O, this versatile FPGA services a wide range of applications. Engineers require FPGA skills and Xilinx-specific expertise to fully utilize the capabilities. Following recommended design practices and using Xilinx development kits accelerates success leveraging the XC7K160T in next generation systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main differences between Kintex-7 and Virtex-7 FPGA families?

Key differences:

• Density – Virtex-7 offers up to 2M logic cells, significantly higher than Kintex-7
• Performance – Virtex-7 clock speeds, DSP slices, SERDES are faster
• Cost – Virtex devices are most expensive, aimed at top performance
• Power – Virtex max TDP up to 30W, Kintex-7 just 10W
• Package – Virtex utilizes high-pin BGA packages, Kintex-7 more compact
• Certification – Virtex has more rigorous qualification for aerospace/defense

So in essence, Virtex-7 is very high performance while Kintex-7 balances capability and cost.

What are the most important specs for evaluating an FPGA?

Key specifications include:

• Logic cells – Determines capacity for digital logic and routing
• Block memory – On-chip data storage avoids external memories
• DSP blocks – Enable high throughput arithmetic operations
• Maximum transceiver speed – Essential for high speed interfaces
• Package footprint – Impacts board layout and routing
• Temperature range – Industrial grade required for some applications
• Static power – Lower power extends battery life

The requirements depend on the target application of the FPGA.

What are the easiest ways to get started with FPGA development?

Recommendations to begin FPGA development:

• Use vendor evaluation kits – These provide full out-of-box development platforms
• Download design tools – Take advantage of vendor tool ecosystems with optimizations
• Follow board user guides – Accelerate learning proper implementation
• Run demo projects – Modifying examples is faster than new designs
• Take online training – Tool specific and FPGA courses shorten the learning curve
• Engage tech support – FPGA vendor FAEs can mentor new users

Jumping right into tools, kits, and examples gets new FPGA developers productive quickly.

What types of designers work with FPGAs?

Typical designers using FPGAs include:

• Digital logic designers – Implement logic gates, state machines, algorithms
• Hardware engineers – Interface FPGAs to processors, memory, converters
• Embedded software developers – Program the integrated soft processors
• DSP engineers – Develop complex signal processing blocks
• PCB layout designers – Layout, route, and debug FPGA boards
• Systems engineers – Manage IP selection, partitioning, co-design
• Application engineers – Map product features to optimized FPGA logic

FPGAs therefore require multi-disciplinary systems expertise to properly apply.

What makes Xilinx FPGAs unique?

Some unique advantages of Xilinx FPGAs:

• Large ecosystem of third party IP libraries
• Long history as the pioneer in FPGAs
• Unified, regular architecture for efficiency
• Advanced tool suite with unique features
• Highest performance transceivers
• Comprehensive product portfolio
• Wide range of development kits and boards
• Strong integration between software and hardware

These factors together provide compelling benefits versus competitors.