VCU118 Development Kit: Virtex UltraScale+ Board Review

The VCU118 has established itself as AMD/Xilinx’s flagship development platform for Virtex UltraScale+ FPGA evaluation. Having spent considerable time bringing up designs on this board for 100G networking and PCIe acceleration projects, I can say it delivers everything a serious FPGA developer needs—and a few things you didn’t know you wanted. This comprehensive review covers the Xilinx VCU118 from a practical engineering perspective: specifications, features, setup considerations, and whether the EK-U1-VCU118-G kit justifies its price tag.

What is the VCU118 Evaluation Kit?

The VCU118 is AMD’s official development platform featuring the XCVU9P-L2FLGA2104E FPGA from the Virtex UltraScale+ family. Unlike budget-oriented development boards, the VCU118 targets professional applications including 1+ Tb/s networking, data center acceleration, and radar/early-warning systems. The board part number EK-U1-VCU118-G includes the evaluation board, loopback cards, cables, power adapters, and a device-locked Vivado Design Suite license.

The XCVU9P at the heart of the Xilinx VCU118 provides 2.5 million logic cells, 6,840 DSP slices, and 345.9 Mb of on-chip memory. With 52 GTY transceivers available on this board configuration—each capable of 32.75 Gb/s—the VCU118 enables serious high-speed serial development without requiring custom hardware.

VCU118 Complete Specifications

FPGA Device Specifications

VCU118 Board Memory Subsystem

The dual DDR4 interfaces use Micron MT40A256M16GE-083E components—five devices per channel providing 80-bit data width (64-bit data plus 16-bit ECC). For applications requiring lower latency, the 288 MB RLDRAM3 delivers significantly faster random access than DDR4.

High-Speed Connectivity

The 52 GTY transceivers are distributed across PCIe, QSFP28, FMC+, and FireFly interfaces. For Rev. 2.0 and later boards running at VCCINT = 0.85V, PCIe Gen3 x16 is fully supported. Earlier revisions at VCCINT = 0.72V are limited to Gen3 x8.

Xilinx VCU118 Clock Architecture

The VCU118 includes a sophisticated clocking subsystem that eliminates the need for external clock sources in most applications:

The Si5328C jitter attenuator is particularly valuable for telecom applications requiring cleaned-up recovered clocks. Two SMA connectors allow injection of external reference clocks for MGT applications.

EK-U1-VCU118-G Kit Contents

The complete EK-U1-VCU118-G kit includes:

The included Vivado Design Suite: Design Edition license is node-locked and device-locked to the XCVU9P. This license must be redeemed within one year of purchase.

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VCU118 PCIe Integration

Installing the VCU118 in a PC Chassis

The VCU118 functions as a PCIe endpoint card but exceeds standard card dimensions—the board height is greater than the 4.376-inch (11.15 cm) PCIe specification. Ensure your chassis has adequate clearance before installation.

Power options for chassis installation:

When installed in a chassis, the ATX power adapter provides 12V through the 4-pin peripheral connector. The board’s power management system handles sequencing and voltage regulation internally.

PCIe Configuration

The integrated PCIe hard block provides DMA support and can operate as either endpoint or root complex, though endpoint mode is the typical configuration.

VCU118 Built-In Self-Test (BIST)

The VCU118 ships with a pre-loaded BIST that validates board functionality on power-up. The test sequence runs automatically and indicates pass/fail status through GPIO LEDs:

When power is applied and SW1 is in the ON position, LED DS3 glows green indicating good power. LED DS34 glows blue when the FPGA completes configuration.

Xilinx VCU118 vs. Other Development Boards

The VCU118 occupies the sweet spot for most high-performance applications. The VCU128 added HBM memory but has been discontinued. For projects requiring maximum transceiver count, the VCU118’s 52 GTY channels typically suffice, though larger designs may require the VU13P-based platforms.

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Power Management and Monitoring

The VCU118 implements sophisticated power management using Maxim MAX20751E and MAX15301 controllers with PMBus monitoring. Real-time voltage and current measurements are available through the I2C bus using TI INA226 power monitors.

The onboard Zynq-7000 XC7Z010 system controller manages power sequencing, clock configuration, and provides a graphical interface (SCUI) for system monitoring.

Getting Started with the VCU118

Initial Setup Procedure

1. Install Vivado Design Suite and redeem the license voucher at xilinx.com/getlicense
2. Connect the USB cable to J4 for JTAG and UART access
3. Apply 12V power through J15 or connect to ATX power in a chassis
4. Set SW1 to ON position to enable power
5. Verify DS3 (green) and DS34 (blue) illuminate indicating successful power-up and configuration
6. Run SCUI software to verify system controller communication

Common Configuration Modes

For development, JTAG mode (M[2:0] = 101) is typical. Production designs typically use Quad SPI boot.

Essential Documentation and Resources

Technical Documents

Download Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between VCU118 Rev 1.x and Rev 2.0?

The primary difference is VCCINT voltage: Rev 1.x boards operate at 0.72V (limiting PCIe to Gen3 x8), while Rev 2.0 and later operate at 0.85V (enabling full PCIe Gen3 x16). Rev 2.0 also transitioned from BPI flash to Quad SPI flash. Check the board silkscreen or use the system controller to identify your revision.

How much does the EK-U1-VCU118-G kit cost?

The EK-U1-VCU118-G lists at approximately $8,000-$9,000 from authorized distributors like DigiKey, Mouser, and Avnet. Pricing varies by region and availability. The kit includes the board, loopback cards, cables, power supplies, and a device-locked Vivado license. The XCVU9P FPGA alone lists at approximately $58,000, making the evaluation kit a significant value for development purposes.

Can I use the VCU118 for production applications?

The VCU118 is designed as an evaluation and development platform. While technically capable of production deployment, most organizations transition to custom PCBs for volume production. The board’s reference design (schematics, layout files) can serve as a starting point for custom designs. Note that devices on evaluation boards are typically marked for engineering use and may not carry full production qualifications.

What Vivado license is included with the VCU118?

The kit includes a Vivado Design Suite: Design Edition license that is node-locked (tied to your computer) and device-locked (only works with XCVU9P). The license includes one year of updates from activation. You must redeem the voucher code at xilinx.com/getlicense within one year of purchase.

How do I connect the VCU118 to external equipment?

The VCU118 provides multiple connectivity options: dual QSFP28 cages for 100G optical modules, FMC+ HSPC connector for mezzanine cards with up to 24 GTY transceivers, FMC HPC connector for standard FMC modules, PCIe x16 edge connector for host connection, Gigabit Ethernet via RJ-45, and dual USB-to-UART bridges for serial communication. The Samtec FireFly connector enables direct optical connectivity for chip-to-optics applications.

Conclusion

The VCU118 remains AMD’s most versatile Virtex UltraScale+ development platform. With the XCVU9P providing 2.5 million logic cells, 52 GTY transceivers, and comprehensive on-board memory, it handles everything from 100G networking to AI inference development. The inclusion of FMC+ support, dual QSFP28 cages, and certified PCIe Gen3 x16 makes it suitable for nearly any high-performance FPGA application.

The EK-U1-VCU118-G kit price of approximately $8,000-$9,000 is substantial, but represents good value considering the included Vivado license and the cost of the bare FPGA. For teams developing production systems based on the XCVU9P or similar Virtex UltraScale+ devices, the Xilinx VCU118 provides a proven, well-documented platform that accelerates development and reduces risk.

Whether you’re prototyping networking equipment, developing acceleration cards, or validating high-speed serial designs, the VCU118 delivers the features and flexibility that professional FPGA development demands.