The Vivado Enterprise Edition license unlocked by the Genesys 2 voucher expired in 30 days

[Tparng]

I just bought a Genesys2 board recently. Only the Vivado ML Enterprise Edition license is allowed to use Genesys2 board (The free Vivado ML Standard Edition License can not see the Genesys2 board at all).  However, the Vivado ML Enterprise Edition license unlocked by the Genesys2 voucher will expire in 30 days (not permanent). That means I HAVE TO pay extra money( $2995 for a Node License, $3595 for a floating license)  to continue the Vivado Enterprise Edition license after 30 days to use the Genesys2 board for any future development. This is not mentioned in any Genesys2 product shop/reference link web pages.  Is this fair to the users of Digilent Genesys2 product?

Edited August 5, 2022 by Tparng
typos

[asmi]

That's not how this license works. It limits you from using newer versions of software, but existing version will work forever because it's a permanent license. Just make sure you create a license via Xilinx license manager web site, download and install it locally. Once expired, this license will be permanently bound to your network adapter's MAC address, so if you wish to retain it, make sure you record that address in case you have to move your installation to another PC - you will have to assign that MAC to your new PC's network card for this to work, but it can be done.

That 30 expiry this is probably just a trial license, and has nothing to do with the voucher. Also the voucher gives you one year of updates from the moment you redeem it, so it covers at least two (or three if you are lucky) versions of Vivado/Vitis.

[Tparng]

The followings are what I got from Xilinx support staff:

ansarimo (Employee)

Edited 21h ago

Hi @Tparng (Customer) 

To answer your queries:

1.Does that mean I have to choose the one of the xc7k325 parts in the Parts list for Genesys2 board? Do this support full development functions (simulation, synthesis, and implementation) for the Genesys2 board? 

[AH] Yes, you'd need to select Kintex-7 XC7K325T-2FFG900C for the Genesys2 board and ideally it should provide full support to Vivado Flow

2.The Enterprise Edition license unlocked by the voucher expired in 30 days (not permanent), does that mean I HAVE TO pay extra money to continue the Enterprise Edition license after 30 days to use the Genesys2 board for any development ?

[AH] Yes, your understanding is correct. The 30-day license is a trial license and after 30-days a full Vivado ML Enterprise edition license will be required to continue using the Genesys2 board.

The Free Vivado ML standard edition doesn't support the above part and hence full license is required.

More information on the licensing features and cost can be found on the following page: https://www.xilinx.com/products/design-tools/vivado/vivado-ml-buy.html#licensing

Thanks and Regards,

Ansari Hunen

Edited August 5, 2022 by Tparng
BTW, I just redeem my Genesys2 voucher 3 days ago. My Vivado LM Edition version is 2022.1. Any one can download and install the Vivado ML Enterprise Edition except that Xilinx use the licenseto control what fpga boards you can see when for a project

[elodg]

@Tparng,

Let's make sure I am understanding this. You redeemed the voucher in the Genesys 2 kit, got generated a Vivado ML Enterprise license tied to your MAC address, got to use it for 30-days and it stopped working afterwards.

Please open Vivado License Manager and look for the license you generated. It should look similar to the screenshot below.

If your license has an expiration date and you can confirm that is was generated with the voucher in the kit, let me know and we will look into it.

BTW, the license is valid for one year of versions. This means you can update your Vivado ML Version up to the version listed in the "Version Limit" column in Vivado License Manager.

[zygot]

Things change.. especially when a vendor has a new owner. The way that it was is not necessarily the way the it is, or always will be. Something has clearly changed since AMD took ownership of Xilinx.

My node-locked device license for the Kintex 325T works with Vivado 2020.2. In fact, it works for the NetFPGA-1G-CML board which has a K325T in a smaller package. That doesn't mean that the newer tools will honor node-locked device licenses for those boards. My K325T license is only good for Vivado 2021.12 so I can't verify that the ML tools will honor the license ( There's no such thing as version 2021.12 and I don't have Vivado 2021.1 installed ). It's possible that the rules for node-locked licenses have changed and you may have issues with Vivado 2020.2 and your board.. but it might be worth the effort to find out.

What I do know is that the ML version of Vivado 2021.2 takes forever to open, but not before telling me that it's timed out and I try starting an earler version of the tools. I think that it must want to call home... which it can't do on this machine. I also know that when I tried to create a new project in Vivado 2021.2 by adding sources from an older tool version of a Genesys2 project it never completes the required IP "upgrade" process... just keeps telling me that it's working on it. I have used Vivado 2021.2 to create new ZYNQ UltraScale+ projects from scratch as the "free" version supports my devices. I also know that all of the older tool versions now take a long time to start up since the 2021.2 version was installed. Something has changed with recent versions of the tools.

In the short term you might try using Vivado 2020.2. In the past older versions of the tools seem to have honored newer licenses, though I wouldn't guarantee it. Likely the whole license scheme is different from what it used to be. So far the AMD/Xilinx situation isn't as bad as Intel/Altera has gotten... but rivals tend to imitate each other, usually to the detriment of their customers. [edit] Imitation isn't just a sincere form of flattery... it appears to be a good way to create ersatz forms of monopolistic and unfair competitive practices without legal consequences. The losers of this game generally are the customers.

Obviously, a vendor that sells a particular FPGA board that requires a special node-locked device license needs to keep up with the tools as some boards will no longer be viable in the market place if the customer has to pay 3X the cost of the board for 1 tool version in order to use it. I'd suggest that Digilent should be ahead of this and work out issues before customers find them. That means testing all new tool versions with such boards and being proactive in letting potential customers know about any changes the the tool vendor decides to impose on its customers. Edited August 5, 2022 by zygot

[Tparng]

@elodg

The following is dumped from my License manager and there arre generated with the voucher in the kit:

[Tparng]

@elodg

Xilinx only allows you to have 30 days evaluation of Vivado Enterprise Edition when I redeeming the Voucher:

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Tparng

[elodg]

What you requested there is the standard 30-day evaluation license available without any voucher.

I added a section to the RM on how to redeem the Genesys 2 voucher: https://digilent.com/reference/programmable-logic/genesys-2/reference-manual#software_support.

Let me know how it goes.

[Tparng]

I do have a permanent OEM _7K325T_DesignEd license (see the black high-lighted row below).  Should I delete the 30-day Vivado_ML_Enterprise_Edition evaluation license and all other licenses except the OEM _7K325T_DesignEd license?

What version of Vivado Design Edition should I use and where to download? Currently only the Vivado_ML_Enterprise Edition can see the Genesys2 board.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Tparng

[elodg]

You found the voucher license. If it is in a separate file, delete the other one, Clear Cache and Refresh. If they are in the same file you will have to find a way in the Xilinx License portal to delete the eval license or download them separately.

The reference manual recommends Vivado ML Enterprise Edition.

[Tparng]

By editing my license list in the Xilinx License portal, I finally got the list clean up as below and I can still use Vivado ML Enterprise Edition with Genesys2 board.  Thanks a lot for your help.