AWS Vivado AMI - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Dmeads
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 05:04:47 am
content: Whoa. Just found out you can rent a Vivado image from Amazon.https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/B08CXK1YR8?qid=1603774816725&sr=0-3&ref_=srh_res_product_titleHas anyone tried this? Thoughts?I found out about it from this thread:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/fpga/kintex-xc7k325t-for-$45/I'm thinking of getting a kintex board not supported with the Webpack version, and this could be useful.

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 03:42:28 pm
content: Get Genesys 2 board from Digilent. It includes a free license for Vivado locked to K325 chip. You can use it for 325 devices in any package or speed grade. And you get a nice board to boot! I think this is the cheapest way to get a license, it includes one year of updates.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 03:56:09 pm
content: I didn't know Xilinx offered that, and even less so that Amazon was now also a marketplace for this kind of thing.But rental models for licenses are becoming common for EDA software in general. Actually, any kind of subscription license that is not permanent can be seen as rental.But yes, now most EDA vendors (at least for the more expensive stuff) offer subscriptions for much shorter amounts of time than the typical 1 year. Apparently here it's even by the hour!It's of course up to you to decide whether it makes sense for your particular use.One thing I'm not completely comfortable with here: as opposed to a permanent license, what's the guarantee that you'll have access to the software at (possibly) the version you used for a particular project, and that may have had a particular behavior (whether intentional or a bug) that your project may be tied to! This is bad, but yes this really happens. You do not necessarily immediately upgrade your software in a given context without giving it a second thought. Now if you're on subscription, and even more so for short-term rental, what's the guarantee you'll ever get a license for older versions than the last if needed? It's often unclear from the licensing conditions.

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 07:57:58 pm
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on October 27, 2020, 03:56:09 pmIf I understand this right, you don't rent just software license, but also hardware node to run it. Since Vivado P&R is VERY processor-intensive, and you usually will have to run it multiple times, not to mention a ton of time you will likely spend is simulator, you will have to be prepared for a large bill at the end of the month.I rest my case - buying a board with Vivado voucher is the cheapest option, and it's a permanent one, so you can use it for as long as you will be able to run the version you've licensed.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2020, 03:03:19 pm
content: Quote from: asmi on October 27, 2020, 07:57:58 pmOK, I didn't see that. So I further understand the specific Amazon model. Does that mean that Vivado would run on a pool of Amazon servers?Besides what I already said about the rental model, this would be one additional point against this IMO. Sure it can get you access to more processing power than your workstation and save you some significant time on large designs, but having to send your files on a remote server like this, we all know what that means. Your call. As for me, I prefer waiting for an additional couple minutes of run time and keep my IP in a safe place.And, my point about software versions would probably be even more problematic. If you're using this remote model, I guess you'll have access only to the latest relase? Which may not be what you want. (Not a huge showstopper, but can definitely be, especially if you work on safety-critical stuff and have validated your design with a specific version of the tools.)

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2020, 03:08:45 pm
content: There is a list of available sever configurations on the web page. Prices range from $0.046 for 2 cores to $26.69 for 128 cores per hour.

author: miken
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2020, 03:47:20 am
content: In the other thread I raised the prospect of AWS in the context of getting off the ground with the lowest possible investment, just playing around with eBay junk and stuff like that.For real work it's certainly less than ideal. The points folks have made about continued and general availability are well taken. I assume the main reason the AMI is available is so that people can develop for the AWS F1 instance without massive up-front costs. (The F1 instance contains a Virtex Ultrascale+, and as of yet I haven't had any good ideas for what to do with one.) So when/if the FPGA instances are discontinued, Xilinx and Amazon have no reason to keep the machine images around.For my home projects I stick to Webpack devices, but in moments of weakness I think about that other SQRL board with the HBM Virtex...

author: hansfbaier
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 10:04:45 pm
content: Hi,I just wanted to let you know that there is now a free and open source toolchain for theXilinx Kintex chips, supporting the XC7K70T up to the XC7K480T.The toolchain currently is already able to build the bitstream for a Linux SoC with DDR3 memoryon the Kintex High Performance banks.Here is the URL where you can find the toolchain and demo projects:https://github.com/kintex-chatter/toolchain-installerBest regards,Hans