If you design digital hardware, sooner or later you will reach for a Xilinx FPGA. Xilinx invented the field-programmable gate array in 1985 and spent the next four decades building the broadest FPGA portfolio in the industry — from tiny cost-optimized parts to data-center accelerators with billions of transistors. Xilinx is now part of AMD (the acquisition closed in February 2022, and the products are marketed under AMD’s Adaptive Computing group), but engineers, purchasers, and distributors still search for “Xilinx” every day, and the classic family names — Spartan, Artix, Kintex, Virtex, Zynq — are alive and well.
This 2026 guide is a single reference for three questions people ask most: which Xilinx FPGA series exist and how they differ, what they cost, and where to buy them safely. You will find a complete Xilinx FPGA list, family-by-family breakdowns of all 21 major product lines, realistic price ranges, and a practical guide to authorized distributors and suppliers. Let’s get into it.
What Is a Xilinx FPGA?
An FPGA (field-programmable gate array) is a chip full of configurable logic blocks, memory, DSP slices, and high-speed I/O that you program after manufacturing to implement any digital circuit you like. Unlike a CPU that executes instructions one after another, an FPGA runs your logic in true parallel hardware — which is why FPGAs dominate applications that need deterministic timing and massive throughput: signal processing, video, networking, radar, high-frequency trading, industrial control, and machine-learning inference.
Xilinx holds roughly half of the global FPGA market and effectively created the categories that define it: the FPGA, the programmable System-on-Chip (SoC), and the Adaptive Compute Acceleration Platform (ACAP). A Xilinx FPGA gives you reconfigurable hardware without the enormous NRE cost and long lead times of an ASIC, plus the ability to patch the hardware logic in the field. AMD has publicly committed to long product lifecycles — 7 Series through 2040, UltraScale+ through 2045, and Versal through 2045 and beyond — which is a major reason the parts remain a safe choice for aerospace, defense, and industrial designs with 15- to 25-year horizons.
Xilinx FPGA Series: How the Portfolio Is Organized
The Xilinx catalog can look overwhelming until you see the logic behind it. Three ideas explain almost everything:
- Generation (process node). Devices are grouped into technology generations: the 90/45 nm legacy families, the 28 nm 7 Series, the 20 nm and 16 nm UltraScale / UltraScale+ families, and the 7 nm Versal adaptive platform. Newer nodes mean lower power per operation and higher density.
- Tier (cost vs. performance). Within a generation, families are positioned low-cost (Spartan/Artix), mid-range (Kintex), or high-end (Virtex). Zynq adds hardened Arm processors; Versal adds AI Engines.
- Device type. Not everything Xilinx sells is a pure FPGA. The portfolio also includes SoCs (Zynq), adaptive SoCs/ACAPs (Versal), CPLDs (CoolRunner-II, XC9500XL), and configuration memory (Platform Flash). Knowing which is which saves you from ordering the wrong part.
Below is the complete list, followed by detailed notes on every family.
The Complete Xilinx FPGA List (2026 Comparison Table)
This Xilinx FPGA list covers the 21 product lines most designers encounter, from current production to legacy support. “Tool” shows the primary design software: ISE (legacy), Vivado (7 Series and newer), or Vitis (embedded/AI software flow layered on Vivado).
| # | Series | Node | Type | Design Tool | Lifecycle Status | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spartan-3 / 3E / 3A | 90 nm | FPGA | ISE | Legacy / long-term support | Education, glue logic, legacy industrial |
| 2 | Spartan-6 | 45 nm | FPGA | ISE | Mature / active | Low-cost industrial, consumer, bridging |
| 3 | Spartan-7 | 28 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | I/O-rich cost-sensitive designs |
| 4 | Artix-7 | 28 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | Compact designs needing transceivers |
| 5 | Artix UltraScale+ | 16 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | Low-power edge with high-speed serial |
| 6 | Kintex-7 | 28 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | Best price/performance, DSP, video |
| 7 | Kintex UltraScale | 20 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | Mid-range DSP and packet processing |
| 8 | Kintex UltraScale+ | 16 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | High-throughput signal processing |
| 9 | Virtex-4 | 90 nm | FPGA | ISE | Legacy / long-term support | Legacy telecom, defense |
| 10 | Virtex-5 | 65 nm | FPGA | ISE | Legacy / long-term support | Legacy high-performance, SoC (FXT) |
| 11 | Virtex-6 | 40 nm | FPGA | ISE | Mature | Legacy 40 nm high-end designs |
| 12 | Virtex-7 | 28 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | Flagship 28 nm, wired networking |
| 13 | Virtex UltraScale | 20 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | 400G networking, high-end DSP |
| 14 | Virtex UltraScale+ | 16 nm | FPGA | Vivado | Active production | HBM, terabit networking, ASIC prototyping |
| 15 | Zynq-7000 | 28 nm | SoC (Arm A9) | Vivado / Vitis | Active production | Embedded vision, motor control, IoT |
| 16 | Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC | 16 nm | SoC (Arm A53/R5) | Vivado / Vitis | Active production | ADAS, robotics, multimedia, control |
| 17 | Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC | 16 nm | SoC + RF data converters | Vivado / Vitis | Active production | 5G, radar, phased array, SDR |
| 18 | Versal (Adaptive SoC) | 7 nm | ACAP (Arm + AI Engines) | Vitis | Active production (incl. Gen 2) | AI inference, 5G, data center, edge |
| 19 | CoolRunner-II | 180 nm | CPLD | ISE | Mature | Low-power portable glue logic |
| 20 | XC9500XL | 350 nm | CPLD | ISE | Mature | 3.3 V in-system programmable logic |
| 21 | Platform Flash (XCF) | — | Configuration PROM | ISE / iMPACT | Mature | Storing & loading FPGA bitstreams |
Note: rows 19–21 are not FPGAs. CoolRunner-II and XC9500XL are CPLDs, and Platform Flash is configuration memory. They belong to the wider Xilinx/AMD programmable-logic portfolio and are included here because engineers frequently source them alongside FPGAs.
Every Xilinx FPGA Series Explained
Spartan family — low cost, high volume
Spartan-3 / 3E / 3A (90 nm). The Spartan-3 generation made FPGAs affordable for education and cost-driven products. The base Spartan-3 balanced logic and I/O; Spartan-3E was gate-optimized to deliver the most logic per dollar; and the Spartan-3A sub-families added variants such as 3AN (on-chip Flash configuration) and 3A DSP (dedicated DSP blocks). These are legacy parts programmed with the classic ISE tools, but AMD keeps them in long-term supply for the many industrial and instrumentation designs still shipping with them.
Spartan-6 (45 nm). For over a decade, Spartan-6 was the default low-cost workhorse. It ships in two flavors: LX (logic only) and LXT (adds up to 3.125 Gbps GTP transceivers and a PCIe endpoint block). Even in 2026 it remains popular in industrial, consumer, and interface-bridging designs. It uses ISE, and AMD steers new low-cost projects toward Spartan-7 or the newer Spartan UltraScale+.
Spartan-7 (28 nm). The newest true “Spartan,” Spartan-7 delivers the lowest power and smallest footprint in the 28 nm 7 Series. It is deliberately I/O-rich and has no gigabit transceivers, which keeps cost and power down for sensor fusion, motor control, and I/O expansion. Like all 7 Series parts it uses Vivado and supports the MicroBlaze soft processor if you need a CPU.
Artix family — the cost/performance sweet spot
Artix-7 (28 nm). Artix-7 sits one step above Spartan by adding GTP transceivers (up to 6.6 Gbps), PCIe, and more DSP — while still delivering roughly 50% lower power and 35% lower cost than the older Spartan-6. It is the FPGA behind hugely popular development boards like the Digilent Basys 3 and Arty A7, and it is the go-to choice when you need serial connectivity in a compact, power-efficient package.
Artix UltraScale+ (16 nm). The newest cost-optimized family brings 16 nm FinFET efficiency to the low end. Artix UltraScale+ pairs very low static power with hardened transceivers and a memory controller, targeting battery-powered and thermally constrained edge devices that still need high-speed serial links. It is a natural upgrade path for Artix-7 designs that outgrow 28 nm.
Kintex family — best price/performance
Kintex-7 (28 nm). Many engineers consider Kintex the best value in the entire portfolio: serious DSP muscle and up to 12.5 Gbps GTX transceivers without Virtex-level pricing. Kintex-7 is a mainstay of data acquisition, wireless, and video-processing designs.
Kintex UltraScale (20 nm). The 20 nm Kintex UltraScale steps performance up with transceivers to ~16.3 Gbps and an ASIC-class routing fabric, aimed at mid-range packet processing and DSP where you need more bandwidth than 28 nm can provide.
Kintex UltraScale+ (16 nm). Kintex UltraScale+ pushes transceivers to 32.75 Gbps and adds abundant UltraRAM and DSP, making it a favorite for high-throughput signal processing, medical imaging, and test-and-measurement systems that would otherwise force a jump to Virtex.
Virtex family — the flagship high-end
Virtex-4 (90 nm) and Virtex-5 (65 nm). These legacy flagships still ship for long-life systems. Virtex-4 offered LX/SX/FX variants (FX embedded PowerPC 405 cores and transceivers). Virtex-5 was historically important: it moved the logic fabric from 4-input to 6-input LUTs and introduced FXT parts with PowerPC 440 processors. Both are ISE-era devices under long-term support.
Virtex-6 (40 nm). The 40 nm Virtex-6 (LXT/SXT/HXT) delivered roughly 15% lower power and higher performance than competing 40 nm parts and was widely used in wired communications. It is mature but still available for existing designs.
Virtex-7 (28 nm). Virtex-7 is the 28 nm flagship and a landmark in FPGA history: it introduced Stacked Silicon Interconnect (SSI). The Virtex-7 2000T packed four FPGA dies onto a silicon interposer for 6.8 billion transistors, and the Virtex-7 HT combined FPGA fabric with 28 Gbps transceiver dies for 400G line cards. These are premium parts — single devices can run into the thousands of dollars.
Virtex UltraScale (20 nm) and Virtex UltraScale+ (16 nm). The UltraScale Virtex families target the most demanding workloads. Virtex UltraScale+ offers over 2 million logic cells, transceivers up to 58 Gbps (and 112G PAM4 on some parts), and — crucially — integrated High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) on select devices. They dominate terabit networking, ASIC prototyping/emulation, and the heaviest DSP applications.
Zynq family — FPGA plus hardened Arm processors
Zynq-7000 (28 nm). Zynq-7000 fuses a dual-core Arm Cortex-A9 processing system with 7 Series programmable logic on one chip. It eliminates the integration headaches of a separate CPU + FPGA and has become a default for embedded vision, industrial automation, motor control, and IoT. The PYNQ-Z2 board even lets you drive it from Python.
Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC (16 nm). The MPSoC scales the concept up dramatically: a 64-bit quad-core Cortex-A53 application processor, a dual-core Cortex-R5 real-time processor, an optional Mali-400 GPU, and 16 nm FinFET programmable logic — a genuinely heterogeneous platform for ADAS, robotics, multimedia, and safety-critical control.
Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC (16 nm). The RFSoC is a standout: it integrates RF-class ADCs and DACs (direct RF sampling), soft-decision FEC, and the full MPSoC on a single die. By eliminating discrete data converters it slashes size, power, and board complexity in 5G radios, radar, and phased-array systems.
Versal — the 7 nm Adaptive SoC (ACAP)
Versal (Adaptive SoC). Versal is Xilinx/AMD’s newest architecture and its most ambitious. Built on 7 nm, a Versal device combines scalar engines (Arm cores), adaptable engines (FPGA fabric), and intelligent engines (AI Engines and DSP) connected by a hardened Network-on-Chip. The family spans several targeted series — AI Core, AI Edge, Prime, Premium (112G PAM4), HBM, and RF — plus the newer Versal Gen 2 devices that further boost AI compute per watt. Versal is aimed at AI inference, 5G infrastructure, data-center acceleration, and intelligent edge systems, with availability committed to 2045 and beyond for long-life markets.
CPLDs and configuration devices (not FPGAs, but often ordered together)
CoolRunner-II. A low-power CPLD family (up to 512 macrocells) running at 1.8 V, ideal for portable and battery-powered glue logic where instant-on, non-volatile operation matters.
XC9500XL. A 3.3 V, 5 V-tolerant, in-system-programmable CPLD line long used for board-level control and legacy glue logic. Mature but still stocked.
Platform Flash (XCF). These are configuration PROMs — the XCFxxS (serial) and XCFxxP (parallel) devices store an FPGA’s bitstream and load it automatically at power-up. They aren’t logic devices; they’re support parts. Many newer designs use commodity SPI/BPI flash instead, but Platform Flash remains in service for existing boards.
Xilinx FPGA Price Guide
FPGA pricing is notoriously variable, so treat every figure here as an approximate single-unit price at authorized distributors — actual quotes swing with speed grade, temperature grade, package, and above all volume. For live pricing always check a distributor or an aggregator like Octopart before you commit.
Device (chip) price ranges
| Family | Approx. single-unit device price | What drives the range |
|---|---|---|
| Spartan-3 / 3E / 3A | ~$5 – $40 | Legacy small parts; larger 3A DSP costs more |
| Spartan-6 | ~$10 – $70 | LX vs. LXT (transceivers) |
| Spartan-7 | ~$10 – $80 | Logic-cell count, package |
| Artix-7 | ~$20 – $150 | XC7A12T at the low end, XC7A200T at the top |
| Kintex-7 | ~$100 – $600 | Logic density, transceiver count |
| Kintex UltraScale / US+ | ~$300 – $2,000+ | Node, DSP/UltraRAM, speed grade |
| Virtex-7 | ~$2,000 – $5,000+ | Large SSI parts are premium |
| Virtex UltraScale+ (HBM) | ~$5,000 – $30,000+ | HBM stacks and top-bin parts |
| Zynq-7000 | ~$15 – $200 | Single- vs. dual-core, PL size |
| Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC | ~$100 – $1,500+ | CPU config, PL size, security options |
| Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC | ~$1,500 – $9,000+ | Number/speed of RF converters |
| Versal (Adaptive SoC) | ~$500 – $15,000+ | Series and AI Engine count |
Official development board prices
If you’re evaluating rather than buying bare silicon, AMD’s own boards are the fastest way to start. Representative list prices:
| Board | Device | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|
| SP701 | Spartan-7 | ~$774 |
| AC701 | Artix-7 | ~$1,554 |
| KC705 | Kintex-7 | ~$2,544 |
| KCU105 | Kintex UltraScale | ~$3,594 |
| VC707 | Virtex-7 | ~$5,244 |
| VCU118 | Virtex UltraScale+ | ~$8,394 |
| ZC702 | Zynq-7000 | ~$1,074 |
| ZCU102 | Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC | ~$2,994 |
| Kria KV260 | Zynq UltraScale+ (vision AI kit) | ~$199 |
| Kria KR260 | Zynq UltraScale+ (robotics kit) | ~$349 |
| VCK190 | Versal AI Core | ~$13,195 |
The low-cost Kria KV260 starter kit at ~$199 is the single best entry point in the lineup — it boots Ubuntu and runs vision-AI demos within an hour, no prior FPGA experience required. For hobbyists on a tighter budget, third-party Artix-7 boards such as the Basys 3 come in well under $200.
How to lower your Xilinx FPGA price
A few field-proven tactics reliably cut cost:
- Don’t over-specify. If your design uses 60% of an XC7A100T, optimize it into an XC7A75T. Right-sizing often pays for itself on the first production run.
- Skip faster speed grades you don’t need. The jump from a −1 to a −2 or −3 part can add 20–40% for timing margin you may never use.
- Negotiate at volume. Above ~100 units, distributor pricing is rarely your best deal — an AMD sales representative can often quote 30–50% below distributor rates against an annual commitment.
- Watch temperature grade. Commercial, industrial, and automotive (XA) grades carry real price steps; specify only what your environment demands.
Where to Buy Xilinx FPGAs: Distributors & Suppliers
Where you buy Xilinx FPGA parts matters as much as which part you choose. Counterfeit FPGAs are a documented, serious problem — investigators have traced remarked and falsified Xilinx devices into the supply chains of military systems, where they caused outright failures. The remarking playbook includes relabeling used or reject silicon as new, faking speed and temperature grades, and re-lidding packages to hide tampering. The single best defense is simple: buy from an authorized channel.
Authorized Xilinx distributors (buy new production here)
Since the AMD acquisition, the authorized network is unchanged and operates under AMD Adaptive Computing. Any authorized Xilinx distributor guarantees authentic parts plus design tools, technical support, and warranty coverage:
- Avnet and Avnet Silica (EMEA) — Xilinx’s largest global distribution partner, strong on design-in support.
- DigiKey — deep catalog, fast small-quantity shipping, excellent for prototyping.
- Mouser Electronics — broad stock of new-product devices, boards, and SoCs.
- Rochester Electronics — the authorized source for end-of-life and long-lifecycle parts; it can even re-manufacture obsolete devices.
The definitive, always-current roster lives on AMD’s own authorized distributors page — check it before any large purchase, since regional partners (WT Microelectronics, Weikeng, and others) serve specific territories.
Finding a Xilinx FPGA supplier for obsolete or hard-to-find parts
When a device is out of production and unavailable through authorized channels, you need a reputable independent Xilinx FPGA supplier with real counterfeit-detection capability. Look for franchised or certified independents that are IDEA/ERAI members, are ISO 9001 and AS6081 compliant, and perform incoming inspection (decapsulation, X-ray, electrical test). Aggregators such as TrustedParts let you check live stock across authorized distributors in one search.
A word of caution on open marketplaces: platforms like eBay do list Xilinx chips and used evaluation boards, and for a personal learning project a second-hand board can be fine. For anything going into a product, the risk of counterfeit silicon — failures, schedule slips, and liability — almost always outweighs the saving. If you can’t source from an authorized distributor, use a vetted independent, not an anonymous listing.
Buy vs. build
For evaluation and learning, buy a development board — the tools are free (Vivado ML Standard/WebPACK), and you’ll be productive in days. For production, buy bare devices from an authorized distributor, and once volumes justify it, open a direct conversation with AMD for the best pricing and supply assurance.
How to Choose the Right Xilinx FPGA
Start from your constraints, not the datasheets:
- Tight power or cost budget? Look at Spartan-7 (no transceivers) or Artix-7 / Artix UltraScale+ (with serial links).
- Need mid-range DSP and bandwidth? Kintex-7 or Kintex UltraScale+ offers the best price/performance.
- Chasing maximum performance, HBM, or 400G+ networking? That’s Virtex UltraScale+ territory.
- Want a CPU and FPGA in one chip? Choose Zynq-7000 for cost-sensitive embedded, Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC for heavier compute, or RFSoC if you’re sampling RF directly.
- Building AI inference, 5G, or advanced edge systems? Evaluate Versal.
- Just need glue logic or non-volatile instant-on control? A CoolRunner-II or XC9500XL CPLD may be all you need.
Two more practical checks: confirm your target device is supported by your toolchain (UltraScale and newer require Vivado, not ISE), and prioritize memory resources (BRAM/UltraRAM) as carefully as logic cells — designs often fail to fit because of buffer space, not LUT count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Xilinx still a company? Not as an independent one. AMD completed its acquisition of Xilinx in February 2022, and the Xilinx brand was folded into AMD’s Adaptive Computing group in 2023. The product families (Spartan, Artix, Kintex, Virtex, Zynq, Versal) and their architectures continue unchanged, which is why “Xilinx FPGA” remains the term everyone uses.
What is the cheapest Xilinx FPGA? Among current parts, the smallest Spartan-7 and Zynq-7000 devices start around $10–$15 in single quantities, and legacy Spartan-3/3E parts can be even less. For a ready-to-use learning platform, the Kria KV260 kit (~$199) or a third-party Artix-7 board like the Basys 3 (under $200) offer the best value.
What’s the difference between an FPGA, a Zynq SoC, and a Versal ACAP? An FPGA (Spartan, Artix, Kintex, Virtex) is pure programmable logic. Zynq adds hardened Arm processors alongside that logic, so you get a CPU and FPGA on one chip. Versal goes further, adding AI Engines and a Network-on-Chip to the mix — AMD calls it an “adaptive SoC” or ACAP.
Do Xilinx FPGAs need a license to program? The core tool, Vivado ML Standard (formerly WebPACK), is free and supports most cost-optimized and mid-range devices, including popular parts like the Artix-7 XC7A35T. Only the largest devices and some advanced features require a paid Vivado ML Enterprise license.
Where can I buy Xilinx FPGAs safely? From an authorized distributor — Avnet, DigiKey, Mouser, or Rochester Electronics (for obsolete parts). Authorized channels guarantee authentic silicon and warranty coverage. For end-of-life devices unavailable there, use a certified independent supplier with counterfeit-detection testing rather than an open marketplace.
Should I use ISE or Vivado? Use Vivado for any 7 Series, UltraScale, UltraScale+, Zynq, or Versal design. The older ISE suite is only needed for legacy families such as Spartan-3/6, Virtex-4/5/6, and the CoolRunner-II/XC9500XL CPLDs. New projects should always target Vivado-supported devices.
How long will Xilinx FPGAs stay in production? AMD has published long-lifecycle commitments: 7 Series through 2040, UltraScale+ through 2045, and Versal through 2045 and beyond. That longevity is a key reason the parts are trusted in aerospace, defense, and industrial systems.
The Bottom Line
The Xilinx FPGA portfolio — now under AMD — remains the most complete in the industry, scaling from a few dollars of glue-logic CPLD to five-figure HBM and Versal AI devices. Match the family to your constraints (Spartan/Artix for cost and power, Kintex for value, Virtex for performance, Zynq for embedded, Versal for AI), size the device honestly, and — most important — buy from an authorized distributor or a vetted supplier to keep counterfeits out of your build. Do that, and you’ll get decades of reliable programmable hardware behind your design.
Prices and specifications in this guide are approximate and current as of 2026; always confirm live pricing, stock, and lifecycle status with an authorized distributor before purchasing.
