Power Efficiency
Unrivaled System-level Power Reduction
Through careful selection of silicon process and power-conscious architecture design, Xilinx devices deliver power efficiency across all product portfolios, including Spartan-6, 7 series, UltraScale™, and UltraScale+™ FPGAs, and SoCs. With each generation, Xilinx broadens its power reduction capabilities, ranging from process enhancements, architectural innovations, aggressive voltage scaling strategies, and advanced software optimization strategies. More detail on portfolio-specific capabilities, silicon process advantages, and benchmark comparisons are shown below. Power estimation, thermal models, full software support, and demonstration boards are publically available for all families.
UltraScale+ FPGAs
Based on a high performance, low-power semiconductor process (TSMC 16nm FinFET+), the UltraScale+ device families delivers up to 60% overall device-level power savings over 7 series FPGAs and SoCs. Architectural enhancements include:
- Hardware-based clock gating
- Hardened BRAM cascading
- DSP block efficiencies
- Power-optimized transceivers
Through architectural innovation and a dual-voltage operation of the primary core fabric, UltraScale+ families more than double the performance-per watt-capabilities of 7 series families by realizing power reductions while improving overall performance.
| 7 Series (28nm) VNOM |
UltraScale (20nm) VNOM |
UltraScale+ (16nm) VNOM |
UltraScale+ (16nm) VLOW |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Voltage (VCCINT) | 1V | 0.95V | 0.85V | 0.72V |
| Normalized Facric Performance | 1.0x | 1.2x | 1.6x | 1.2x |
| Normalized Total Power | 1.0x | 0.7x | 0.8x | 0.5x |
| Performance/Watt | 1.0x | 1.7x | 2x | 2.4x |
Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs
In addition to all the power reducing capabilities of UltraScale+ FPGA logic, Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs utilize multiple power islands and domains within the processing system for coarse-grain and fine-grain dynamic power gating to continually adjust power consumption to performance demands, lowering overall device power.
UltraScale FPGAs
Based on a low-power 20nm semiconductor process coupled with significant static and power gating, UltraScale FPGA families deliver up to 40% overall device-level power savings compared to 7 series FPGAs. Architectural enhancements shared with UltraScale+ devices include
- Hardware-based clock gating
- Hardened BRAM cascading
- DSP block efficiencies
- Power-optimized transceivers
| 7 Series (28nm) VNOM |
UltraScale (20nm) VNOM |
UltraScale+ (16nm) VNOM |
UltraScale+ (16nm) VLOW |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Voltage (VCCINT) | 1V | 0.95V | 0.85V | 0.72V |
| Normalized Facric Performance | 1.0x | 1.2x | 1.6x | 1.2x |
| Normalized Total Power | 1.0x | 0.7x | 0.8x | 0.5x |
| Performance/Watt | 1.0x | 1.7x | 2x | 2.4x |
7 Series FPGAs & Zynq-7000 Programmable SoCs
As the only 28nm FPGAs and SoCs fabricated on a high-performance, low-power process (28HPL), 7 series devices offer up to 50% total power reduction over previous generation families and superior performance per watt compared to competing 28nm solutions. Architectural and block-level innovations include:
- Partial reconfiguration for static power savings
- Multi-mode I/O control
- Intelligent clock gating
- Power binning and voltage scaling
View competitive benchmark summaries as well as detailed benchmark process.
Optimized Power Delivery Solutions
Power management requirements are diverse and often unique to a specific use case. As a result, no single power management design can provide the optimal solution. Xilinx partners with the industry’s leading power management companies (list below) to provide a variety of reference designs mapping to common use cases, as well as overall guidance on the power supply requirements of Xilinx products
Reference Designs
Below you will find a selection of reference designs developed together with some of our power management partners. Designs are grouped by product family, however, many of these reference designs can be easily modified and applied to other product families. Please contact our partners for additional information and guidance in relation to any designs shown below.
| Vendor | Reference Design | Target Device(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Infineon | 12 Highly Optimized & Scalable PMIC Based Solutions with Integrated Power Sequencing (use case 1, 2, 3) | ZU2 - ZU9 |
| Dialog Semiconductor | Cost and Footprint Optimized, Scalable Power Solution Offering Full Power Management Flexibility (use case 4)1 | ZU2-ZU19 |
| Texas Instruments | 25-30W Remote Radio Head (use case 2)1 | ZU9EG, ZU15EG |
| Optimized and scalable power solution for ZU2 to ZU5 (use case 1,2,3,4)1 | ZU2 – ZU5 | |
| Intersil-Renesas | Highly Optimized Discrete and Module Based Solution for Lower Power Applications (use case 1)1 | ZU2 (CG & EG), ZU3 (CG & EG) |
| Highly Optimized Discrete and Module Based Solution for Higher Power Applications (use case 2)1 | ZU11EG, ZU15EG, ZU17EG, ZU19EG | |
| Monolithic Power Systems | Scalable Module Based Solution (use case 1)1 | ZU2 - ZU19 |
Note 1: For more information on Zynq UltraScale+ device use-cases, please see the Power Supply Consolidation Solutions for Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs section of UG583.
| Vendor | Reference Design | Target Device(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Intersil/Renesas | Xilinx VCU128 Eval Board | VU37P |
| Monolithic Power Systems | Area optimized module based solution for Kintex UltraScale+ | All KU+ |
| ABB | Scalable module based solution for Virtex UltraScale+ | VU37P |
| Cyntec | Scalable module based solution for Virtex UltraScale+ | VU37P |
| Vendor | Reference Design | Target Device(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Infineon | Avnet Kintex UltraScale Development Board | KU040 |
| Texas Instruments | Low Noise Power Supply for GTH & GTY Serial Transceivers | Kintex UltraScale |
| Virtex UltraScale FPGA Power Solution (with Telemetry Option) | Virtex UltraScale | |
| Kintex UltraScale FPGA Power Solution (with Telemetry Option) | Kintex UltraScale | |
Virtex UltraScale FPGA Multi 100G Optical Networking Platform |
VU095,VU125,VU160,VU190 |
| Vendor | Reference Design | Target Device(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dialog Semiconductor | Cost & Area optimized Zynq 7000S solution on Avnet’s MiniZed board | 7Z007S |
| Scalable, Flexible Power Solutions, Cost and Footprint Optimized for Zynq 7000 | Up to ZC7020 | |
| Texas Instruments | Highly Scalable, Integrated Power Supply Reference Design for Zynq-7000 SoCs | All Zynq-7000 |
| Low Power Zynq-7000 and DDR3 Power Solution | ZC7010, ZC7020 | |
| High Power Zynq-7000 Power Management Solution | ZC7035, ZC7040 | |
| EXAR | Industrial Ethernet Power Management Reference Design | ZC7020 |
| Monolithic Power Systems | Industrial Ethernet Power Management Reference Design | ZC7020 |
| NXP | Zynq-7020 ZED board Optimized Management Reference Design | ZC7020 |
| Maxim Integrated | Zynq-7020 ZED board Optimized Management Reference Design | ZC7020 |
ZC7100 |
| Vendor | Reference Design | Target Device(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dialog Semiconductor | Scalable, Flexible Power Solutions, Cost and Footprint Optimized for Artix-7 | All Artix-7 |
| Texas Instruments | Highly Scalable, Integrated Power Supply Reference Design for Artix-7 FPGAs | All Artix-7 |
| Analog Devices | Artix-7 ARTY Development Board | A35T |
A35T |
| Vendor | Reference Design | Target Device(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Monolithic Power Systems | Scalable, Cost and Area Optimized Spartan-7 Solutions | S6 - S100 |
| Dialog Semiconductor | Scalable, Flexible Power Solutions, Cost and Footprint Optimized for Spartan-7 | S6 - S100 |
| Texas Instruments | Highly Scalable, Integrated Power Supply Reference Design for Spartan-7 FPGAs | All Spartan-7 |
Note: All solutions are the responsibility of the specific power vendor. Please check with the appropriate power vendor for additional information, e.g., availability.
Webinars and App Notes
| Type | Vendor | Description | Target Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinar | Infineon | DC/DC PMIC for Xilinx FPGAs/SoCs for 10W to 50W Applications w/ Avnet | Zynq UltraScale+, Zynq-7000, Kintex UltraScale |
| Texas Instruments | How to rapidly design the power supply rails of Xilinx FPGAs & SoCs | Spartan-7, Artix-7 & Zynq-7000 | |
| App Note | On Semiconductor | Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC Automotive power solutions to ASIL-C | Zynq UltraScale+ |
Power Management Companies
Distribution Partner
Documentation
Power Efficiency
Xilinx provides best-in-class tools to estimate pre-implementation power consumption, optimize for lowest power at every design stage, and provide extensive analysis for user-guided optimization. Below are a variety of power-related and Xilinx industry-leading hardware and software-based tools for designers to get started today.
