A question we get occasionally is:
How is the Xilinx ZC706 with AD-FMCOMMS-3-EBZ development kit different from the Avnet PicoZed SDR using the AD9361? Is it simply a matter of the Vivado license with the ZC706 but not the PicoZed SDR?
The most important difference is that the PicoZed SDR System-on-Module (SOM) is built to be deployed in an end product.It's tested against MIL-STD202 for shock, vibration, and thermal. It's also much, much smaller at 100mm x 62mm.
The ZC706 + FMCOMMS3 combination is primarily for evaluation. The ZC706 has a larger Zynq device (Z7045) than PicoZed SDR 2x2 (Z7035). The FMCOMMS3 module has the same AD9361 as PicoZed SDR, connected to the Zynq PL in nearly identical ways.
At a system-level, the ZC706 + FMCOMMS3 (Avnet kit # AES-ZSDR3-ADI-G) and PicoZed SDR Development Kit (AES-Z7PZ-SDR2-DEV-G) look very similar. However there are some differences. For example, the ZC706 connects DDR3 memory to the Zynq PL and PS, while PicoZed SDR connects DDR3L (low-power) to the PS only. The ZC706 includes a PCIe edge connector. We do not have PicoZed SDR carrier that supports PCIe yet, however the SOM itself can support it.
And yes, as the question implies, PicoZed SDR Dev Kit does not include a Vivado license. You'll see that reflected in the kit prices ($1799 vs. $3595)