Skip to content

🛠️ AMD VEK280 Boot Issue

Author: Julien Posso (ONERA)

Date: 2026-03

Tags: Troubleshooting AMD-Versal VEK280 QuickStart Vitis-AI

🎯 The Goal

Trying to execute the Vitis-AI 3.5 quickstart guide on a new board.

⚙️ Environment

  • Hardware: AMD Versal VEK280 (rev B3)
  • OS: N/A
  • Toolchain: Vitis-AI 3.5

💥 The Problem

The board does not boot from the micro SD card. The Versal UART0 terminal remains completely black (shows nothing), while the cooling fan consistently runs at maximum RPM.

The Root Cause

Vitis-AI 3.5 is deprecated and strictly incompatible with Versal production boards (like the VEK280 rev B3). However, as of early 2026, the 3.5 documentation is still the top result referenced on Google, leading to massive losses of time.

💡 The Workaround / Solution

The Fix: Upgrade Vitis-AI

You must use Vitis-AI 5.1 or above. AMD only released the compatible toolchain for production boards in the first quarter of 2026.

  1. Go to the Vitis-AI 5.1+ Documentation.
  2. If needed, use the icon at the bottom right of the AMD webpage to ensure you are on version 5.1 or higher.
  3. Follow the Quick Start Guide (and check the System Requirements).

🔗 References