Title: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: jonboy009 on June 27, 2011, 02:19:44 AM Note : - this post should be here http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22426.20 (http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22426.20) but as a noob I can not post there. So I will post it here in hopes that the group will see it.
1. CPU base & bitcoin server – Intel DE945GSEJT
2. SPI or I2C interface - Arduino Nano
3. Interface bridging – FPGA connecting
4. Power Needs
5. Cost
As a computer builder for the last 15 years. I could plan the computer part of this build but I have no skills when it comes to cirkit building (FPGA) / arduino programing / cirkit design (backplane). If based on the top FPGA score of 120M/hash per chip. A single chip card in a set of 20 would max out at 2.4G/hash with a power level at 465watts (matches one ati hd6990 at full power with a 835M/hash speed) Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: BitcoinForAll on June 27, 2011, 02:37:07 AM Very, very cool ::)
Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: jonboy009 on June 27, 2011, 02:41:18 AM this is what i do at 3:30 in the morring when i can not sleep!
Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: bcforum on June 27, 2011, 05:34:50 AM An FPGA to do 120MH/s costs ~$800 ea. Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: boaz2020 on June 27, 2011, 05:53:39 AM An FPGA to do 120MH/s costs ~$800 ea. Although I have no idea which FPGA OP is referring to. Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: jonboy009 on June 27, 2011, 07:52:06 AM http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22426.20 (http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22426.20)
The members of the above group are looking into this. This is just my take on there project. They have yet to make up there minds as to what FPGA to use. Yes they are looking to prefab the FPGA cards. Like i said at the bottom of the first post this is just the computer hardward side of the system. Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: MrJohn on June 27, 2011, 10:08:31 AM Good to see people sharing their ideas on FPGAs to the public. If Bitcoin is to survive, we surely need a million individuals each with their own little mining rig.
Keep up the good work! :) Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: tool_462 on June 27, 2011, 11:46:23 AM I'll be first in line to buy an FPGA miner that isn't too spendy, just because they are way cool ;)
Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: jonboy009 on June 28, 2011, 02:36:51 PM FPGA board design
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/696/fpga1.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/696/fpga1.jpg/) Please be aware that the design is not finial and may be missing some parts. Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: mimarob on June 29, 2011, 12:33:26 PM Just wanted to put in my 0.02/16.9 bitcents of wisdom. If you go for the ATX power supply, you could put a connector for it on the board, with the proper "hotwiring" of the green lead etc. so people don't have to mod/vandalize their power supplies.
http://reprap.org/wiki/File:Cache-3408779902_7575952594.jpg or maybe it is way to early for this kind of practical considerations... :-) Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: Zoomer on June 29, 2011, 05:48:38 PM Why not get rid of the x86 board and arduino, and just get a embedded system that will cover it, has lower power consumption, and all that great stuff? Some come with OSes on it. Xilinx has FPGAs with embedded POWER cores too, so that avoids the crappy I2C or SPI interface.
Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: jonboy009 on July 01, 2011, 07:52:43 AM Quote Just wanted to put in my 0.02/16.9 bitcents of wisdom. If you go for the ATX power supply, you could put a connector for it on the board, with the proper "hotwiring" of the green lead etc. so people don't have to mod/vandalize their power supplies. http://reprap.org/wiki/File:Cache-3408779902_7575952594.jpg or maybe it is way to early for this kind of practical considerations... :-) Thanks for the link. as it was around 3:30am when i did the first post i was not in full control of my brain. Quote Why not get rid of the x86 board and arduino, and just get a embedded system that will cover it, has lower power consumption, and all that great stuff? Some come with OSes on it. Xilinx has FPGAs with embedded POWER cores too, so that avoids the crappy I2C or SPI interface. Thanks for the ideas on control of the system. this was just a brain dump to empty out my head so i could get some sleep after seeing the forum post http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22426 (http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22426) untill i get a new job this type of build will sit in the back of my brain trying to get out. jonboy Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: gno on July 01, 2011, 11:49:00 AM Are there any FPGA boards that one can actually purchase for less than one arm and one leg?
Title: Re: Modular FPGA Miner Hardware Design V1.0 (27/6/11) Post by: jonboy009 on July 02, 2011, 08:55:50 AM Are there any FPGA boards that one can actually purchase for less than one arm and one leg? As a test and for some time to learn i was thinking about one of these http://www.altera.com/b/nios-bemicro-evaluation-kit.html (http://www.altera.com/b/nios-bemicro-evaluation-kit.html) offered at $49 how ever it may be to small to run the miner code. |