A leading semiconductor analyst has accused AMD of "treason" after discovering that a China-based company is crowdfunding a system built around AMD's Zynq UltraScale+ XCZU47DR RFSoC, a US export-controlled dual-use component. Dylan Patel of SemiAnalysis said the chip is being quoted at around $1,000 in China, far below the $36,000 US list price, and called for a government investigation.
AMD pushed back, telling Tom's Hardware that it does not sell or ship directly into restricted regions and that any such shipment would violate its policy. The company said it investigates all suspected diversion cases and would report violations to authorities. Patel and AMD therefore disagree on intent: he sees a deliberate dumping of restricted silicon; AMD blames unauthorized diversion by third parties.
The XCZU47DR is a complex RFSoC with Arm cores, FPGA fabric, and high-speed data converters, used in radar, software-defined radio, and satellite communications. Although it is the commercial XC variant rather than the defense-grade XQ series, it carries an ECCN 3A001.a.14 classification, meaning exports to China normally require a license that would almost certainly be denied. A license exception for Group B countries could, however, let the chips reach China indirectly, which may explain how Puzhi obtained them.
Patel's $1,000 figure is his reported quote, not a public retail price. The chip has been on the market since 2020 and sold to many companies, making the original source hard to trace. Meanwhile, US resellers list lead times of 40 to 52 weeks, suggesting strong demand in the US and Europe, while Puzhi says it will ship its system in November 2026.