0. Introduction

Contains notes about trying to use Vivado 2026.1 with the no-cost tiers, initially trying to rebuild projects created in previous versions of Vivado.

1. Problems with device family usage

Initially had issues trying to get use free tiers for both BASIC and ALVEO, as described below

1.1. First installation attempt

Started by downloading FPGAs_AdaptiveSoCs_Unified_SDI_2026.1_0616_1700_Lin64.bin from Adaptive SoCs & FPGA Design Tools Downloads - 2026.1, on a Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS system.

Selected the Vitis install, which also installs Vivado. While the existing projects are Vivado based, went for Vitis as might use it in future.

Selected the devices to install as:

Kintex-7 FPGAs
Artix-7 FPGAs

After installing created a free node locked license for the following products:

Vivado Alveo Edition License
Vivado Basic Tier License
2026 AI Engine Tools License
Vitis HLS License

Was able to create a bitstream for a xcku3p-ffvb676-1-e, using the AS02MC04_enum/gen3_x8_reversed_lane_order project.

Used Add Design Tools or Devices and added "Install devices for Alveo and edge acceleration platforms". Was unable to find a U200 part xcu200-fsgd2104-2-e.

Used Add Design Tools or Devices and added "Virtex UltraScale+ FPGAs" in case that added support for the Alveo U200 which is Virtex UltraScale+ based.

However:

The U200 part didn't appear.
The Kintex UltraScale+ devices are no longer present. Trying to open the AS02MC04_enum/gen3_x8_reversed_lane_order project now fails with the error:

ERROR: [Project 1-596] Project part 'xcku3p-ffvb676-1-e' is not available. Use '-part' with a valid part. Use the get_parts command to see a list of valid parts.

Running the following shows no UltraScale parts - only 7 series devices:

foreach  o [get_parts] { puts "$o"}

1.2. Second installation

Move the /opt/Xilinx/2026.1 created above to /opt/Xilinx/broken_2026.1. Remove $HOME/.config/menus/applications-merged/AMD Adaptive SoC and FPGA Tools.menu as per program group entry.

Re-ran FPGAs_AdaptiveSoCs_Unified_SDI_2026.1_0616_1700_Lin64.bin and selected:

Product to install: Vivado
(selected Vivado rather than Vitis to reduce the download size if didn't work. At this point would have less downloaded if had started with the AMD Unified Installer for FPGAs & Adaptive SoCs 2026.1 SFD)
Selected devices:
- Install devices for Alveo and edge acceleration platforms
- Kintex-7 FPGAs
- Artix-7 FPGAs
- Kintex UltraScale+ FPGAs

After the re-install had only 7 series and Kintex UltraScale+ devices. I.e. still no U200.

The following directories are populated with the same set of files:

/opt/Xilinx/2025.2/data/parts/xilinx/virtexuplus/devint/virtexuplus/xcu200
/opt/Xilinx/2026.1/data/parts/xilinx/virtexuplus/devint/virtexuplus/xcu200

With the exception that 2026.1 has the additional file data/parts/xilinx/virtexuplus/devint/virtexuplus/xcu200/Features/OWNERS. The majority of files appear to be encrypted, so can't inspect the actual difference.

Comparing /opt/Xilinx/2026.1/data/parts/xilinx/virtexuplus and /opt/Xilinx/broken_2026.1/data/parts/xilinx/virtexuplus shows:

Both have a xcu200 directory.
/opt/Xilinx/broken_2026.1 has additional parts directories, which makes sense since that is the installation where installed Virtex UltraScale+ FPGAs to see if that made the U200 part appear.

1.3. Conflict between tier licences

As above, generate a ~/.Xilinx/vivado_2026.lic with the licences for:

Vivado Alveo Edition License
Vivado Basic Tier License
2026 AI Engine Tools License
Vitis HLS License

In the generated license file, the License_Tier:BASIC entries were before the License_Tier:ALVEO entries.

On starting Vivado from the command line, a BASIC license was reported, and in that state only 7 series and Kintex UltraScale+ parts were available:

mr_halfword@Haswell-Ubuntu:/tmp$ /opt/Xilinx/2026.1/Vivado/bin/vivado 
INFO: [Common 17-3922] A valid Vivado Design Suite BASIC license has been detected. Your current license is active and will expire on 02-aug-2027.

****** Vivado v2026.1 (64-bit)
  **** SW Build 6511674 on Tue Jun 16 11:01:26 MDT 2026
  **** IP Build 6504888 on Tue Jun 09 09:05:25 MDT 2026
  **** SharedData Build 6501428 on Mon Jun 08 17:34:18 MDT 2026
  **** Start of session at: Mon Aug  3 12:25:07 2026
    ** Copyright 1986-2022 Xilinx, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    ** Copyright 2022-2026 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Move the vivado_2026.lic file out of the ~/.Xilinx directory, and Vivado then refuses to start:

mr_halfword@Haswell-Ubuntu:/tmp$ /opt/Xilinx/2026.1/Vivado/bin/vivado 
ERROR: Vivado Design Suite cannot be launched because a valid license was not found. Visit the Vivado Licensing page to choose and generate the right license.

Copied just the 5 entries from the original vivado_2026.licwhich mentioned Avleo into a new file~/.Xilinx/alveo_2026.lic`. Starting Vivado now reports an ALVEO license:

mr_halfword@Haswell-Ubuntu:/tmp$ /opt/Xilinx/2026.1/Vivado/bin/vivado 
INFO: [Common 17-3922] A valid Vivado Design Suite ALVEO license has been detected. Your current license is active and will expire on 02-aug-2027.

****** Vivado v2026.1 (64-bit)
  **** SW Build 6511674 on Tue Jun 16 11:01:26 MDT 2026
  **** IP Build 6504888 on Tue Jun 09 09:05:25 MDT 2026
  **** SharedData Build 6501428 on Mon Jun 08 17:34:18 MDT 2026
  **** Start of session at: Mon Aug  3 14:04:57 2026
    ** Copyright 1986-2022 Xilinx, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    ** Copyright 2022-2026 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

start_gui

With the ALVEO license in use, only Alveo parts are listed. Was able to source the fpga_tests/U200_slr_ids/create_project.tcl file and start implementing a project for a xcu200-fsgd2104-2-e part.

1.4. Workaround to allow Vivado to start with either BASIC or ALVEO tier

See the answer Why is Vivado 2026.1 not showing Alveo parts as available after installing devices for Alveo and edge acceleration platforms?

2. Comparing BASIC and ALVEO tier functionality

2.1. ALVEO tier

2.1.1. U200_ibert_100G_ether

Can use IBERT.
Incremental compilation is enabled in the project, and doesn't cause any error to be reported. Albeit didn't actually test incremental compilation.

2.1.2. U200_ibert_100G_ether

Could generate a bitstream for a CMAC. This means the previous CMAC license obtained for 2025.2 is still valid for 2026.1.

2.2. BASIC tier

2.2.1. TOSING_160T_SFP_ibert_2.5

If open TOSING_160T_SFP_ibert_2.5/ibert_7series_gtx_0_ex/ibert_7series_gtx_0_ex.xpr which was created with incremental compilation enabled get a pop-up with the following critical warning:

[Project 96-12] Your current selected license is "BASIC". This license doesn't cover the feature Incremental Compile. See the Vivado Licensing page for what features are supported in each tier and how to get the right license based on your requirements.

Attempt to run synthesis but get the error:

[Chipscope 16-620] Detected ibert instance 'u_ibert_core' in the design. Your current selected license is BASIC. This license doesn't cover the feature you selected. See the Vivado Licensing page for what features are supported in each tier and how to get the right license based on your requirements.

2.2.2. AS02MC04_axi_jtag

Implementing the design get multiple critical warnings due to be unable to create the debug core from the contraints in debug.xdc:

[Vivado 12-29205] 'create_debug_core' tcl command is not supported. Your current selected license is BASIC. This license doesn't cover the feature you selected. See the Vivado Licensing page for what features are supported in each tier and how to get the right license based on your requirements. ["/home/mr_halfword/fpga_sio_clean/fpga_tests/AS02MC04_axi_jtag/debug.xdc":3]

Are able to create a bitstream. On loading the bitstream hw_axi_1 is present, and the read_user_access.tcl and increment_leds.tcl scripts can be run successfully. This means Vivado 2026.1 with the BASIC tier has removed the ILA debug core from the bitstream, reporting Critical Warnings in the process.

If load the bitstream created by the older Vivado using the Vivado 2026.1 Hardware Manager then the hw_ila_1 appears.

2.2.3. AS02MC04_enum

Was able to create a bitstream which had the JTAG Debugger for the XDMA PCIe. However, read incorrect values for the same reason as a problem introduced in v2025.1. That is a problem with the IP, rather than license related.

2.2.4. XCKU5P_SINGLE_QSFP_dma_ddr4

On gernerating the bitstream only Critical Warning was:

[Vivado 12-29794] Your current selected license is "BASIC". This license doesn't cover the feature Incremental Compile. See the Vivado Licensing page for what features are supported in each tier and how to get the right license based on your requirements.

The Hardware Device Manager displayed the MIG status, with the DQS gate status of FAIL : Underflow of the coarse taps used for tracking. Error found on Rank 0, Byte 1.. That is the same failure as occurred when building the bitstream with Vivado 2025.2, and is a problem with the board and/or design.

3. nlviewcommon.logfile files created in working directory

SmartGit showed nlviewcommon.logfile files had been generated in the working directory from where ran Vivado 2026.1.

Based upon their content, look to be created as part of the block diagram editor. Added to the top level .gitignore file.

4. Tool work-arounds.

4.1. installLibs.sh incorrect line endings for Linux

Had to run dos2unix on /opt/Xilinx/2026.1/Vivado/scripts/installLibs.sh to be able to run. Found had already been reported in 000040452 - 2026.1 Vitis - InstallLibs.sh does not run after installing 2026.1 Vitis in Linux OS

4.2. xic doesn't run

Trying to run xic fails that can't find the JRE:

$ /opt/Xilinx/xic/xic
/opt/Xilinx/xic/xic: line 23: /opt/Xilinx/xic/tps/lnx64/jre24.0.2_12/bin/java: No such file or directory

Found had already been reported in 000040444 - Xilinx Information Center (XIC) fails to start after 2026.1 GUI/Batch install due to missing JRE.

Ran the xic-jre-fix.sh script downloaded from the above article:

mr_halfword@Haswell-Ubuntu:~/Downloads/xic-fix$ chmod +x xic-jre-fix.sh 
mr_halfword@Haswell-Ubuntu:~/Downloads/xic-fix$ ./xic-jre-fix.sh 

=== AMD XIC Java Runtime Fix ===

Auto-detected from registry: /home/mr_halfword/.Xilinx/registry/installedSW.xml
  XIC version        : 2026.1
  XIC installedPath  : /opt/Xilinx
  XIC_XINSTALL_ROOT  : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/xic
  TOOLS_XINSTALL     : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/2026.1

Checking pre-requisites ...
  [OK]   .xinstall/xic/ found : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/xic
  [OK]   xic/ found           : /opt/Xilinx/xic

  JRE from boot script: jre24.0.2_12
  Boot script         : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/xic/bin/setup-boot-loader.sh
  Source JRE         : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/2026.1/tps/lnx64/jre24.0.2_12 (same base as XIC)
  JRE to restore     : jre24.0.2_12


[1/3 .xinstall/xic/ (uninstaller)]
  From : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/2026.1/tps/lnx64/jre24.0.2_12
  To   : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/xic/tps/lnx64/jre24.0.2_12
  OK — openjdk version "24.0.2" 2025-07-15


[2/3 xic/ (launcher)]
  From : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/2026.1/tps/lnx64/jre24.0.2_12
  To   : /opt/Xilinx/xic/tps/lnx64/jre24.0.2_12
  OK — openjdk version "24.0.2" 2025-07-15

[3a/3] Copying xinstaller.jar to xic/lib/classes ...
  From : /home/mr_halfword/Downloads/xic-fix/java_lib/xinstaller.jar
  To   : /opt/Xilinx/xic/lib/classes/xinstaller.jar
  OK -- xinstaller.jar copied to xic/lib/classes

[3b/3] Copying xinstaller.jar to .xinstall/xic/lib/classes ...
  From : /home/mr_halfword/Downloads/xic-fix/java_lib/xinstaller.jar
  To   : /opt/Xilinx/.xinstall/xic/lib/classes/xinstaller.jar
  OK -- xinstaller.jar copied to .xinstall/xic/lib/classes

=== Fix complete. Please try launching XIC again. ===

Can now run /opt/Xilinx/xic/xic:

Chester-Gillon/Vivado_2026.1_usage.md

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