S
Simon
Guest
So I wanted to know if it was possible to update an old embedded-development kit license that's expired. There's nothing on xilinx' site as far as I can see that allows for old licenses to be renewed. So I go to the support section, fill out the form explaining the situation and send it off.
I promptly get back a canned reply...
--- Cut Here ---
Thank you for your inquiry,
There are three ways to purchase Xilinx products:
Xilinx Sales Reps: http://www.xilinx.com/company/contact/sales-offices.htm
ˇ Sales representatives can help if you do not know which products are best for your design.
Online Store: http://www.xilinx.com/onlinestore/
ˇ The Xilinx Online Store provides a quick and simple way to purchase Xilinx design tools and a selection of development boards and kits directly from Xilinx. Simply locate your product of interest and click the "Buy" link from anywhere on Xilinx.com to get started.
Things to consider before purchasing from the Xilinx Online Store:
ˇ Tax Exempt orders must be placed through distribution.
ˇ On-line purchases are by credit card only. No purchase orders please.
Xilinx accepts the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
ˇ No Intellectual Products are sold on the On-line Store
Xilinx Distributors: http://www.xilinx.com/company/contact/index.htm
ˇ Xilinx Authorized Distributors offer access to a comprehensive set of Xilinx design tools, IP cores, devices, development boards and kits.
ˇ The Xilinx Productivity Advantage (XPA) Bundling Program is only offered when purchasing through a Xilinx Authorized Distributor. To learn more about how to reduce your design productivity solution costs, please visit http://www.xilinx.com/xpa/.
University Faculty: http://www.xilinx.com/university/professors/index.htm
ˇ Universities may be eligible for full versions of design tools at no charge. University professors must initiate the request at the University Faculty link above.
Thank you,
Xilinx Development System Team
--- Cut Here ---
.... which is useless [I know what I want to use it for, so no sales reps; The online store doesn't provide any option I can see; I can't see distributors being interested in upgrading a kit I bought directly from Xilinx; I'm not at university].
I didn't actually read the reply until the next day due to work/home email filters, so once I've read it, I send in another request, pointing out that the canned reply wasn't useful and asking the same question again, along with "Is it really the case that I have to but a new piece of hardware (which I don't want or need) in order to extend a license for a product I bought directly from you ?" because the only way I can see it being possible on the xilinx site is to re-purchase the same board, thus getting a new license..
Guess what. A few seconds later I get back the exact *same* reply, word for word. No attempt to read/parse the question I asked, just an apparent canned reply for any license/purchase question.
I wanted to work on this in the background, with a project that I think could be useful for my work, but it's not official, so I can't go to the support guys here at work. I would have liked to have tried to use the same device manufacturer as the tens-of-thousands-of-dollars boards that we have here at work, for ease of later porting, but I'm now so frustrated by the lack of human response, I'm going to look at Altera (or anyone else, really, all I want is PCIe and some DDR ram)
I *was* prepared to put down my own hard-earned cash to do this, but I'll be damned if they're getting any of my money now, if they can't even answer a simple question like this, I can't see them being any use once I've spent the money.
Giving up on Xilinx.
Simon.
I promptly get back a canned reply...
--- Cut Here ---
Thank you for your inquiry,
There are three ways to purchase Xilinx products:
Xilinx Sales Reps: http://www.xilinx.com/company/contact/sales-offices.htm
ˇ Sales representatives can help if you do not know which products are best for your design.
Online Store: http://www.xilinx.com/onlinestore/
ˇ The Xilinx Online Store provides a quick and simple way to purchase Xilinx design tools and a selection of development boards and kits directly from Xilinx. Simply locate your product of interest and click the "Buy" link from anywhere on Xilinx.com to get started.
Things to consider before purchasing from the Xilinx Online Store:
ˇ Tax Exempt orders must be placed through distribution.
ˇ On-line purchases are by credit card only. No purchase orders please.
Xilinx accepts the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
ˇ No Intellectual Products are sold on the On-line Store
Xilinx Distributors: http://www.xilinx.com/company/contact/index.htm
ˇ Xilinx Authorized Distributors offer access to a comprehensive set of Xilinx design tools, IP cores, devices, development boards and kits.
ˇ The Xilinx Productivity Advantage (XPA) Bundling Program is only offered when purchasing through a Xilinx Authorized Distributor. To learn more about how to reduce your design productivity solution costs, please visit http://www.xilinx.com/xpa/.
University Faculty: http://www.xilinx.com/university/professors/index.htm
ˇ Universities may be eligible for full versions of design tools at no charge. University professors must initiate the request at the University Faculty link above.
Thank you,
Xilinx Development System Team
--- Cut Here ---
.... which is useless [I know what I want to use it for, so no sales reps; The online store doesn't provide any option I can see; I can't see distributors being interested in upgrading a kit I bought directly from Xilinx; I'm not at university].
I didn't actually read the reply until the next day due to work/home email filters, so once I've read it, I send in another request, pointing out that the canned reply wasn't useful and asking the same question again, along with "Is it really the case that I have to but a new piece of hardware (which I don't want or need) in order to extend a license for a product I bought directly from you ?" because the only way I can see it being possible on the xilinx site is to re-purchase the same board, thus getting a new license..
Guess what. A few seconds later I get back the exact *same* reply, word for word. No attempt to read/parse the question I asked, just an apparent canned reply for any license/purchase question.
I wanted to work on this in the background, with a project that I think could be useful for my work, but it's not official, so I can't go to the support guys here at work. I would have liked to have tried to use the same device manufacturer as the tens-of-thousands-of-dollars boards that we have here at work, for ease of later porting, but I'm now so frustrated by the lack of human response, I'm going to look at Altera (or anyone else, really, all I want is PCIe and some DDR ram)
I *was* prepared to put down my own hard-earned cash to do this, but I'll be damned if they're getting any of my money now, if they can't even answer a simple question like this, I can't see them being any use once I've spent the money.
Giving up on Xilinx.
Simon.
