This article was originally published on January 7, 2021
Editor’s Note: This content is contributed by Eric Nguyen, Product Marketing Manager - Versal AI Core series and Versal Prime series evaluation boards & kits
Xilinx is introducing two Versal™ ACAP evaluation kits: Versal AI Core series VCK190 evaluation kit and Versal Prime series VMK180 evaluation kit. Both the VCK190 and VMK180 evaluation kits come with the same set of accessories and have similar onboard interfaces. The main difference between the kits is the target device. The VCK190 evaluation board uses the Versal AI core series VC1902 ACAP, which includes an array of AI Engines while the VMK180 evaluation board uses the Versal Prime series VM1802 ACAP.
VCK190 and Versal AI Core Series VC1902 ACAP
The VC1902 is part of the Versal AI Core series, which delivers breakthrough AI inference and wireless acceleration with integrated AI Engines, delivering over 100X greater compute performance than today's server-class CPUs. The Versal AI Core series is optimized for compute-intensive applications, specifically DSP, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
VMK180 and Versal Prime Series VM1802 ACAP
The VM1802 is part of the Versal Prime series, which provides a diverse set of compute engines, next-generation I/O, and integrated DDR controllers, enabling low latency acceleration across a wide range of workloads. The Versal Prime series targets a broad range of applications requiring both performance and flexibility, such as storage acceleration, optical networking, and 5G xHaul.
Key Features and Interfaces
Key features and interfaces for the VCK190 and VMK180 Evaluation board include
- PCIe® x8 edge connector to support up to Gen4 data rate up to 16Gb/s
- QSFP28/SFP28/RJ45 connectors for high-speed telecom and data communication applications
- Dual FMC+ connectors for high-speed I/O connections
- 16GB onboard memory (8GB DDR4 DIMM & 8GB LPDDR4 component)
- High-speed debug port
- System controller and board management and evaluation (BEAM) tool
Accessories and tools shipped with the board include a one-year Vivado® Design Suite licensing voucher, power supply, USB & Ethernet cables, micro SD cards, a boot module, and a Pmod plug-in module. With standardized development flows and a rich set of example designs and tutorials, the VCK190 and VMK180 evaluation kits allow users to prototype and optimize their designs.
Learn More
To order or to learn more about each of the boards, visit www.xilinx.com/vck190 or www.xilinx.com/vmk180.