Evaluation Licenses

LogiCORE IP Evaluation License Agreements

The LogiCORE™ IP Evaluation License Agreement is a legal agreement that states the conditions under which you may evaluate the core.

When you evaluate a LogiCORE IP core, you are asked to accept a Xilinx LogiCORE IP Evaluation License Agreement either by signing a hard copy evaluation license agreement, or more often, by clicking an "Accept" button on an online web page containing a link to this agreement to acknowledge your acceptance of the license terms.

Electronic Evaluation License Keys

Many of the IP Cores included with the ISE® Design Suite CORE Generator™ software or Xilinx Embedded Development Kit (EDK/XPS) are provided at no additional charge. Such cores are covered by the Xilinx End User License Agreement and do not require installation of a license key.

More complex system level IP Cores may be licensed for an additional fee. You can typically evaluate fee-based cores in hardware if a Hardware Evaluation License Key is installed on the computer you use to process your FPGA design. Without the Hardware Evaluation Key, you can still evaluate the core via simulation.

The two types of Electronic Evaluation License Keys are:

• Simulation-Only Evaluation License Keys
• Full System Hardware Evaluation License Keys

Simulation-Only Evaluation License Keys

Typically included by default with most ISE (CORE Generator) cores which are controlled by electronic licenses. The simulation-only license keys allow you to interact with the customization GUI and generate simulation models for the core.

Full System Hardware Evaluation License Keys

Allows you to also generate implementation netlists and bitstreams that you can use to program an FPGA device and evaluate the core in hardware for some number of hours (the exact duration depends on the core).

• For most ISE Cores, the Full System Hardware Evaluation License Keys can be generated at the Product Download and Licensing site or they must be requested through a Xilinx FAE.
• For EDK Cores, the Full System Hardware Evaluation License Key for each fee-based core is bundled into the EDK software release as well as subsequent service pack updates. These "bundled" evaluation keys expire about 14 months from the particular EDK release. Additional keys may be generated after the 14-month period to re-enable evaluation access on the Product Download and Licensing site.
• Full System Evaluation License Keys expire after a specified period of time. Refer to the product web page for your specific IP core for details on evaluation license expiration.

Whether it is an electronic license for Evaluation, or for a Fee-based core, the following applies:

• For IP released with ISE 11.1 or later
  • IP license keys are distributed from Product Download and Licensing site and access is granted by your company's in-house license administrator. See Installation, Licensing and Release Notes for the relevant ISE tools release for details.
• For IP released prior to ISE 11.1
  • You must fill out a web form (found in the Evaluation Lounge for the core) with your UNIX host ID or PC MAC address information. Once you submit the request, the license key is generated and emailed to you automatically. Upon receiving the license email from Xilinx with the license attachment, you need to detach the license archive and install it on your host machine.
  • The license generator can only generate electronic license keys for a single host and will allow you to access both the latest and previously released versions of the core.