AMD XC2VP50-5FFG1148C

Overview

XC2VP50-5FFG1148C from Xilinx is a Virtex-II Pro platform FPGA integrating dual PowerPC 405 RISC processor blocks, up to 16 RocketIO multi-gigabit transceivers (operating at 3.125 Gb/s), 53,136 logic cells, and 852 user I/Os in an 1148-pin flip-chip fine-pitch BGA package. It delivers embedded processing, high-speed serial connectivity, and programmable logic for telecom backplane interfaces, wireless baseband processing, and network packet forwarding systems.

For engineers reviewing the XC2VP50-5FFG1148C datasheet, pinout, applications, or equivalent options, key selection considerations include confirmed -5 speed grade timing (300 MHz PowerPC, 3.125 Gb/s transceivers), FF1148 package I/O count (852), absence of bonded-out RocketIO pins in this package variant, and dual-processor support with MMU and on-chip memory interface.

Technical Context

This device implements a hardened dual-core PowerPC 405 subsystem with 16 KB instruction and 16 KB data caches, MMU, and OCM interface - all operating at up to 300 MHz in the -5 speed grade. Its FPGA fabric includes 232 18×18-bit multipliers, 232 Block SelectRAM+ modules (18 Kb each), and twelve Digital Clock Managers supporting precise phase shifting and frequency synthesis.

The XC2VP50-5FFG1148C uses the FF1148 flip-chip BGA package, which - per Table 3 - has no bonded-out RocketIO transceiver pins; those resources are disabled or unused, freeing pins for additional SelectIO-Ultra I/O (852 total). All transceiver functionality is logically present but electrically inaccessible in this specific package configuration.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

XC2VP50-5FFG1148C is housed in a 1148-ball flip-chip fine-pitch BGA (FF1148) with 1.0 mm pitch, 35 mm × 35 mm body size, and thermal-enhanced construction optimized for high-power density applications. This package variant disables RocketIO transceiver bonding - all 16 transceiver channels are present in silicon but not connected to package balls.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar FPGA-based embedded processing applications.

Compared with XC2VP50-5FFG1148C, XC2VP70-5FF896C trades smaller package size for greater transceiver count and logic capacity, while XC4VLX80-11FF1148C abandons hard PowerPC cores for higher DSP throughput and newer process node - making it suitable only when embedded processing is secondary to computational density.

Availability

XC2VP50-5FFG1148C is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for telecom infrastructure, industrial video analytics, and avionics data concentrators requiring stable component supply across extended product lifecycles.

Supply support for XC2VP50-5FFG1148C includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Xilinx, now part of AMD, pioneered programmable logic solutions and developed the Virtex family as high-end FPGAs for demanding system-level integration.

The Virtex-II Pro product line was engineered to merge FPGA flexibility with hardened processor and transceiver subsystems - targeting applications where software-defined radios, protocol-aware networking, and real-time embedded control converge.

FAQ

Is XC2VP50-5FFG1148C recommended for new designs?

No - XC2VP50-5FFG1148C is marked "Product Not Recommended For New Designs" per Xilinx DS083 v5.0. It remains available for legacy program support and obsolescence mitigation, but Xilinx recommends Virtex-5 or later families for new development due to superior performance, lower power, and ongoing toolchain support. XC2VP50-5FFG1148C continues to be stocked and supported by Aetrix Electronics for existing deployments.

Does XC2VP50-5FFG1148C include operational RocketIO transceivers?

No - although the XC2VP50 die contains up to 16 RocketIO transceivers, the FF1148 package used in XC2VP50-5FFG1148C does not bond them out to external pins (per Table 3, DS083). All transceiver I/Os are unconnected; the 852 user I/Os come exclusively from SelectIO-Ultra banks. XC2VP50 devices in FF672 or FF896 packages do expose RocketIO pins.

What is the maximum operating frequency of the PowerPC cores in XC2VP50-5FFG1148C?

In the -5 speed grade, the dual PowerPC 405 cores in XC2VP50-5FFG1148C operate at up to 300 MHz under commercial temperature conditions (0°C to 85°C), as specified in Table 4 of DS083. This assumes proper decoupling, thermal management, and adherence to voltage requirements (1.5V VCCINT, 2.5V VCCAUX).

Can XC2VP50-5FFG1148C be configured via JTAG?

Yes - XC2VP50-5FFG1148C fully supports IEEE 1149.1 JTAG boundary-scan through TCK, TMS, TDI, and TDO pins. JTAG enables configuration (via IEEE 1532), debug access to processor cores, readback of configuration memory and register states, and I/O integrity testing - all without requiring dedicated configuration pins like CCLK or DONE.

What memory resources are available on XC2VP50-5FFG1148C?

XC2VP50-5FFG1148C provides 4,176 Kb of block-based SelectRAM+ (232 × 18 Kb modules) and up to 1,378 Kb of distributed RAM. Each 18 Kb block is true dual-port, configurable from 16K×1 to 512×36, with three read-during-write modes - enabling efficient implementation of FIFOs, frame buffers, and lookup tables without external memory.