The XVC protocol allows Vivado IDE to communicate JTAG commands over ethernet to an embedded system so that a target Xilinx device can be programmed and/or debugged. This enables a vendor agnostic solution for debugging and programming a Xilinx device. Programming capabilities include the same support as a traditional JTAG connection would provide. Debugging capabilities include operability with Xilinx System Debugger (XSDB) or with Vivado Hardware Debug IP.
The JTAG commands to the device are the same commands that would have been transferred to the device if it were natively communicating with a programming cable or using a Digilent module. This ensures functionality between all the existing Vivado Hardware Debug tools.