Bitcoin Forum

Block Erupter from BTCGuild arrived today, rather yesterday.  Spent the last 14 hours trying to get it to hash without success.

ft232r_scan: Found 0424:9512 - not a ft232r was a complaint by minepeon.
connect-debounce failed was noted on various machines.

I can see one of the two crystals isn't square on its pads.

I've order an expensive USB3.0 hub from Amazon and hope that will correct the problem but the Block Erupter arrived with the seal on the small white box opened so, it's even money this is dud.   I don't see an easy way to contact BTCGuild by email.  Seems to be missing from the website.

soy

You might want to PM eleuthria directly, though he might be quite busy with coding and packing (not necessarily at the same time).

The seal on the box was opened because every unit is tested before being shipped to ensure it is not a DoA unit (~1-2% of units are DoA, ASICMINER includes 2% extra with each shipment to cover them).

Please try following the guide on BTC Guild, found here: http://www.btcguild.com/index.php?page=support&section=blockerupter

cgminer version 3.3.1 - Started: [1969-12-31 19:00:29]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (5s):0.000 (avg):0.000h/s | DA:0  DR:0  HW:0  WU:0.0/m
 ST: 2  SS: 0  NB: 1  LW: 12  GF: 0  RF: 0
 Connected to xxxxxxxxxxxxxx diff 1 with stratum as user xxxxxxxxxxxxx
 Block: 00984d01467e0c43...  Diff:26.2M  Started: [19:00:29]  Best share: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 [P]ool management ettings [D]isplay options [Q]uit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 [1969-12-31 19:00:28] Started cgminer 3.3.1
 [1969-12-31 19:00:28] Loaded configuration file /opt/minepeon/etc/miner.conf
 [1969-12-31 19:00:28] No devices detected!
 [1969-12-31 19:00:28] Waiting for USB hotplug devices or press q to quit
 [1969-12-31 19:00:28] Probing for an alive pool
 [1969-12-31 19:00:29] Switching to pool 2 xxxxxxxxxxx:3333 - firs
t alive pool
 [1969-12-31 19:00:29] Pool 0 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:3333 alive
 [1969-12-31 19:00:29] Switching to pool 0 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:3333
 [1969-12-31 19:00:29] Network diff set to 26.2M
 [1969-12-31 19:00:34] API running in IP access mode on port 4028 (11)
 [1969-12-31 19:00:34] FAIL: USB get_lock not found (1:26)
 [1969-12-31 19:00:34] FAIL: USB remove not already in use (1:26)

This looks very odd. Did you find the issue yet?

Try cgminer 3.1.1.  I find that's the only version my USB BEs are really happy with.

Also try running cgminer using sudo, if you're using linux.

No.  And the B.E. LED gives a good, bright light which toggles off and on then stays on after the R.Pi is up and running.  The lines thru the test aren't mine but appeared when I copied and pasted.

When I try to run it on a Ubuntu system, and this has been running bfgminer with a zTex 1.15x, I get 'unable to enumerate USB device on port'.

Are you use usb 2.0 or 3.0?

Just tried with a PCMCIA USB 2.0 adapter and got unable to enumerate USB device, and again with another PCMCIA USB 2.0 cardbus adapter, same thing. This on a Ubuntu system that runs zTex 1.15x just fine.

-deleted-
EDIT
Quote from: bronan on June 21, 2013, 09:00:39 PM
Its actually connected to my old htpc at the moment since it does not work at all on my new intel i7 system even if i install any of them given winsub drivers
The new machine has many usb3 ports i am not sure if this is the reason why it totally fails to see the device even though its clearly listed in the usb devices under hardware.
You don't want the WinUSB driver for BFL devices. Uninstall that first.
FTDI's current official driver has problems with USB 3 ports.
If it's already installed, you will need to use their CDM_Uninstaller to remove it completely. Put VID 0403 and clear PID (it should be blank); add it to the list and uninstall.
Once that's done, the simple workaround is to use a USB 2 hub (or port) the first time you plug each device in.
After the device has installed correctly, you should be safe to move it back to a USB 3 port/hub.

I'm guessing that you didn't look around much. If the USB Hub you bought is an Anker 10 Port 3.0 it won't work with RPi. You need a RPi verified Hub. there is a link to that list around here somewhere. There is also a whole thread about doing this on a Pi.

The lines are because the forum uses for strikethrough.... like this: struck text

Try wrapping what you pasted in code tags.  This will prevent the forum software from attempting to interpret anything within the tags.

What I've been trying to use while awaiting the 7 port Plugable (I see is unverified and some report problems) is a CyberPower CP-HA420 with a 2.6 amp 5 volt supply it came with.  Waking them all up at once I was getting connect-debounce errors.  I just tried waking up the RPi with the hub but not the B.E, then plugged in the B.E.

[   65.763973] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
[   65.764083] USB Serial support registered for generic
[   65.764110] usbserial: USB Serial Driver core
[   65.858437] usbcore: registered new interface driver cp210x
[   65.858635] USB Serial support registered for cp210x
[   65.858781] cp210x 1-1.2.2:1.0: cp210x converter detected
[   65.956346] usb 1-1.2.2: reset full-speed USB device number 5 using dwc_otg
[   66.060840] usb 1-1.2.2: cp210x converter now attached to ttyUSB0
[   66.795443] cp210x ttyUSB0: cp210x converter now disconnected from ttyUSB0
[   66.795590] cp210x 1-1.2.2:1.0: device disconnected

added the B.E.

[root@minepeon minepeon]# dmesg | tail
[   72.506354] usb 1-1.2.2: device descriptor read/64, error -32
[   72.696266] usb 1-1.2.2: device descriptor read/64, error -32
[   72.886272] usb 1-1.2.2: new full-speed USB device number 7 using dwc_otg
[   72.966416] usb 1-1.2.2: device descriptor read/64, error -32
[   73.156318] usb 1-1.2.2: device descriptor read/64, error -32
[   73.346341] usb 1-1.2.2: new full-speed USB device number 8 using dwc_otg
[   73.766120] usb 1-1.2.2: device not accepting address 8, error -32
[   73.846295] usb 1-1.2.2: new full-speed USB device number 9 using dwc_otg
[   74.266224] usb 1-1.2.2: device not accepting address 9, error -32
[   74.266471] hub 1-1.2:1.0: unable to enumerate USB device on port 2

I went into  /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/ and changed old_scheme_first to Y and increased initial_descriptor_timeout from 5000 to 15000.

I rebooted and no joy.  I stopped cgminer and restarted getting this:

 [1969-12-31 19:06:05] Started cgminer 3.3.1
 [1969-12-31 19:06:05] Loaded configuration file /opt/minepeon/etc/miner.conf
 [1969-12-31 19:06:05] No devices detected!
 [1969-12-31 19:06:05] Waiting for USB hotplug devices or press q to quit

Seeing the hotplug notice, I tried disconnecting the B.E. and reconnecting.  No change.

The "device disconnected" messages here are normal if cgminer was running.


I was getting these messages on one of my 14 hubs.  That hub is going back to Amazon.


Changes to /sys do not persist across reboots.  You need to set what you need set at bootup (in rc.local or whatever your distro uses).


I would guess you hub is busted.  Is it possible to test it on a different computer?

I advice you to try CGMiner 3.1.1 first, and configure them using -S /dev/ttyUSBx, without direct libusb access.

Check also that the BE receives enough power.

My two bitcoincents.

Have you tried the Bitminter pool miner software?  I've asked and they say you can use Erupters with there miner software.
No harm in trying...

It wouldn't hurt to test your power brick if you have a multimeter, but the dmesg errors are not caused by an incorrect version of cgminer.

Well, the other day I had replaced caps in a supply for an old Dell Inspiron 5150.  Power hungry laptop but fast.  I just gave the hub and B.E a try on that and no connections difficulties and correctly identified.  I'll have to fight with it to install mining software tho.  --nope, just looked back and now there's connect-debounce port error messages.  Perhaps after the B.E. warmed up?

Tried it again.  First I put the B.E. at the output of my air conditioning for a minute until it was well cooled.  Then reinserted into the hub.  All was well for just about 60 seconds then the 'device descriptor read/64, read -32' messages appeared, then the 'unable to enumerate device' messages started.  Next to find out if it's the hub or the B.E. that changes.

With an air conditioner that looks like a Dr. Who darlek and the B.E. on a USB cable, the B.E. inserted into the AC output, the hub some distance, there are no error messages after 5 minutes.  Will now remove the B.E. from the AC and insert the hub.  Sixty-four seconds later the error messages started.  So, the problem starts after the B.E. heats.

The CP2101 gets hotest, in the neighborhood of 250°F according to my IR meter.  Don't want to give up until after I test it on a USB3.0 hub however and its tracking number isn't registering on the USPO tracking yet.

USPS tracking sucks... half the time the package shows up before the tracking acknowledges they've even received it.  That is pretty hot though.  I wonder if maybe it's not fully seated so the heat isn't being wicked away.  Even with no airflow, I can put my finger on that chip for 2 or 3 seconds before it gets uncomfortable, so mine isn't anywhere near that hot.  One of these days I'm going to learn why I need an IR meter instead of using my fingers :P.

Okay, with the B.E. tucked into the air conditioner outlet and the RPi on top of the AC and the net a nearby switch for my WDTV, it's running:



 cgminer version 3.3.1 - Started: [1969-12-31 19:00:26]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (5s):133.4M (avg):138.3Mh/s | DA:4  DR:0  HW:0  WU:2.0/m
 ST: 2  SS: 0  NB: 1  LW: 14  GF: 0  RF: 0
 Connected to xxxxxxxxxxxxx diff 1 with stratum as user xxxxxxxxx
 Block: 00966e42400b20a1...  Diff:26.2M  Started: [19:00:26]  Best share: 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 [P]ool management ettings [D]isplay options [Q]uit
 AMU 0:                | 300.9M/279.5Mh/s | DA:4 DR:0 HW:0 WU:4.03/m
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 [1969-12-31 19:00:25] Loaded configuration file /opt/minepeon/etc/miner.conf
 [1969-12-31 19:00:25] Loaded configuration file /opt/minepeon/etc/miner.conf
 [1969-12-31 19:00:25] No devices detected!
 [1969-12-31 19:00:25] Waiting for USB hotplug devices or press q to quit
 [1969-12-31 19:00:25] Probing for an alive pool
 [1969-12-31 19:00:26] Switching to pool 2 xxxxxxxxxxx- firs
t alive pool
 [1969-12-31 19:00:26] Pool 1 http://xxxxxxxxxxxxx:3333 alive
 [1969-12-31 19:00:26] Switching to pool 1 http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:3333
 [1969-12-31 19:00:26] Pool 0 http://api-stratum.bitcoin.cz:3333 alive
 [1969-12-31 19:00:26] Switching to pool 0 http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx3333
 [1969-12-31 19:00:26] Network diff set to 26.2M
 [1969-12-31 19:00:31] API running in IP access mode on port 4028 (12)
 [1969-12-31 19:02:08] Accepted 1895e4cb Diff 10/1 AMU 0 pool 0
 [1969-12-31 19:02:15] Accepted 195fa067 Diff 10/1 AMU 0 pool 0
 [1969-12-31 19:02:15] Accepted fe3f5bb0 Diff 1/1 AMU 0 pool 0
 [1969-12-31 19:02:16] Accepted 1b280425 Diff 9/1 AMU 0 pool 0

 cgminer version 3.3.1 - Started: [1969-12-31 19:00:26]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (5s):503.9M (avg):291.9Mh/s | DA:34  DR:2  HW:0  WU:4.5/m
 ST: 2  SS: 0  NB: 3  LW: 87  GF: 0  RF: 0

Too bad it will go wrong when I shut down the AC for the night.

............
 [P]ool management ettings [D]isplay options [Q]uit
 AMU 0:                | 334.8M/333.7Mh/s | DA:47 DR:2 HW:0 WU:5.74/m

looks like ya got it figured out, ya need to move to the south pole.

FTFY

So, when it's running properly the green LED is off except for when sending a burst of data.

Correct

Right.  It flashes when it finds a share and when it is sent new work.  Otherwise, it should be off.

Took it out of the AC and it failed in 60 seconds.  I wonder if the problem may be the USB2.0 rise time.  Lower slew rate causing heat as occurs in poorly designed switching supplies.  Popped it back in the AC and restarted - running okay.  Wondering if the input to the USB3.0 hub will be too fast for my USB2.0 machines.

I suppose Schmitt triggers would be asking too much.

You could have a poor solder connection some where on the board.
If you can find some thing to magnify with, look at all the solder connections and make there sure good.
You might be able to find out if it is a bad solder connection by vibrating the board while it is running in the AC.
Also I think you can buy cold spray from Radio Shack. Just cool components one at a time and see which one makes it work.

If it is the CP2012 heating due to incoming slew rate of the data, since this type of failure is apparently common in the USB3.0 world, somebody can make a good buck selling a small signal conditioner to be placed between a USB port and a USB3.0 device.

Just looked at the cp2102 datasheet and it's a USB 2.0 device.  Must look tomorrow if there's a suffix.

So, the CP2102 among other things takes the USB 5 volts and generates 3.3 volts that it can source to other components.  250°F is hot.  the datasheet says its temp range is -40° - +85°C (185°F) although under absolute maximum ratings, ambient temperature under bias max is 125°C (257°F).

When the AC went to fan only last night as the home cooled for the night, the green LED came on as it stopped hashing.  I took a TO-220 heatsink, put on a dab of heatsink compound, and strapped it to the CP2102 on the B.E. board and returned it to the AC air duct.  It's been running ever since - 11  hours.

So, its heat might be due to high USB voltage that needs to be knocked down to 3.3 volts by the CP2102 or internal switching supply inefficiency or excessive load on the 3.3 volts.  I looked at the poor positioning of the crystal next to the CP2102 and what looks like excessive solder - if it's shorting to the metal case that would load it down.

The new USB3.0 hub is sitting at the post office.  Must get it now and check if it improves the heating problem.

The new USB3.0 hub with the room temperature B.E. was plugged into the booted Inspiron 5150 which was at a linux root command prompt.  The new hub was turned on and immediately there scrolled on the screen 'unable to enumerate device' messages and this with the TO-220 heatsink still strapped to the B.E to the surface of the CP2012.  I unplugged the B.E. and the scrolling stopped.  Will try and measure the voltages on Vdd and REGIN (USB voltage in) and will attempt a reset pulling 9 low.

Lastly went back to the TO-220 heatsink mounted atop the B.E.  Anodized so it doesn't conduct, a reduced Teflon washer as a spacer off the board so it lays flat, heatsink compound, in free air in a 75° room without a fan, it lasted 5 minutes.  This was using the CyberPower USB2.0 hub rather than the new USB3.0.  I don't think the USB3.0 hub feels the signal is good enough to pass.  I'll try it again tomorrow.

Made a complex heatsink that made contact with both the CP2102 and the ASIC. Also, the heatsink was mounted to two standoffs atop which sat a small 12v fan.  I was undecided whether to power the fan with a wall wart or step-up module powered from the USB 5v. I went with a 9 volt wall wart then changed up to that thru the step-up module for high fan speed.  It was only a little more capable of communicating with the RPi or a laptop via a USB2.0 hub than when it only had a TO-220 heatsink and chilled.  A few mods to the heatsink then it stopped hashing and couldn't get brought back to life.  I looked into what an 11.0592MHz crystal would be used for.  One application online said the frequency was right for the interrupt for multiple processes at some common frequency another said it related to baud rate in communication processes.  So, since it was positioned in what looked like a funky fashion, I decided to remove it and replace it.  Taking two large alligator clips I trimmed them down with a Dremel until each could clamp either side of the crystal protecting the adjacent chips from heat as well as some caps.  I applied light pressure with a dental pick to the top of the crystal while heating with a hot air desoldering tool.  The top pair of pads freed first but the lower pad pair ripped off the device.  Too much pressure, too little heating time.  So, looking up replacement crystals I find only one brand in a Digikey catalog 2010 that was the correct package dimensions and had an operating temperature of 125°C as it was for automotive applications.  Unfortunately not available in 11.0592MHz.   Searching Digikey online couldn't find the frequency at 125°C.  Other brands offered the frequency but with a max of 85°C.  I recall I found the temperature in the area of the CP2102 and 11.0592MHz crystal to be around 250°F with an IR meter.  That's 121°C in the neighborhood of a crystal who's max working temp is likely 85° and that is involved in com baud rate.  So, the heat from the CP2102 is perhaps destabilizing the crystal.  Before buying another crystal I'm trying to repair the present.  Curiously only pins 1 and 3 of the 4 pad crystal have any function.  This might explain the funky positioning, getting max access to the only 2 functional pins.

You rebuilding it?

Wow... hope you get it working.

Keep us posted.

First try after repair attempt on the crystal was a bust.  Into hub, short blink of the LED and nothing.  I had used an iron to solder in the crystal.  Now I put the custom protective alligator clip heatsinks in place and while  holding down with the dental pick, heated with hot air.  Cooled in the chill of the AC and tried the hub plug-in test again and got the standard flashings of the LED!  Didn't try to get it hashing yet but looked at the laptops std out and see 'device descriptor read/64, error -71' four time then an instance of 'device not accepting address 40, error -71' then and instance of 'device not accepting address 41, error -71, then finally 'unable to enumerate USB device on port 2'.   So, essentially it's the original failure messages - there's no topside heatsink of any kind.  Replacing the CP2102 is out of the question so I'm left with replacing the crystal.  Meanwhile experience has showed me it will run like this if tucked into the AC outlet.  Will try the two heatsinks and fan.

Have lapped the complex heatsink for better contact with the CP2102 and ASIC tops.  Using thermal compound between the chips and heatsink.  Pre-chilling in AC.  Will shut down bfgminer on the laptop, it having the -S all switch, plug-in the B.E., start bfgminer, plug in fan.  Have an alligator clip to the top of the crystal tho if the heat from the CP2102 is effecting it, this might not improve the situation but instead cause additional heating of the crystal. ...  No joy.  Trying RPi. ... Okay, hashing on RPi via a USB2.0 hub.  Must wait tho as it warms.

[2013-07-17 17:14:40] USB: AMU0 read1 buffering 4 extra bytes
 [2013-07-17 17:15:13] Stratum from pool 0 detected new block
 [2013-07-17 17:15:21] USB: AMU0 read1 buffering 4 extra bytes

I get those occasionally.... as long as it isn't every second you should be okay.

Slush's pool is reporting 9.435MHz

while cgminer is showing:
AMU 0: | 290.4M/364.9Mh/s | DA:20 DR:0 HW:106 WU:2.33/m

I'm going to buy an 85°C working temp crystal and replace what's on there and take that out of the equation.

That's way high HW errors.  You should have around 1%.

The room temp dropped to below 80°F, the B.E. had been disconnected from cgminer and the miner sitting idle.  I flipped the BE upside down so the attached fan would be drawing air from below thru the steel bars of the rack, unplugged and hotplugged the BE, it came up and has been hashing okay.  I think the 80°F temp is the key.  Still, the failure to connect to anything but the RPi is unacceptable.  I've ordered two crystals, one good for 85°C at the correct frequency and one good for 125°C at 12.000MHz.  What the heck right?

 AMU 1: | 335.1M/334.6Mh/s | DA:165 DR:0 HW:2 WU: 4.71/m

Is that the system timer or the hashing timer?

I am fairly sure that the Block erupter is a USB 1.1 device, I read that somewhere.

You know that Raspberry Pi doesnt work with USB 3.0 hubs?

Your work with your faulty BE is very interesting.  I had already decided to put a small heat sink
 
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/120970427830?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

on my BE chip, but I'm going to put one on the CP2102 now as well.

Still waiting for my 4 BE's, and a longer wait for my early June 2013 Jalapeno order :)

Phil

It's the cgminer indication of the BE stats I believe:

AMU 1: | 333.3M/334.9Mh/s | DA:392 DR:1 HW:2 WU: 4.45/m

The CP2102 datasheet indicates the chip is a USB2.0, interface I believe.

I'm sorry, i meant the oscilator. i miss quoted. there are two, one for the system and one for the ASIC?(i think). i was wondering which was giving you problems. since people have speculated about over clocking these miners, i was thinking it would be convient if you were playing with the right one, although i suspect that you aren't.

Right, the 11.xxxxMHz crystal. 

Wonder if a simple barrier of some kind between the CP2102 and the crystal would improve communication.  Not metal naturally, a thin piece of Styrofoam as a wall sitting on double sided tape would show if the approach would help.

I have a bad block erupter also bought from btcguild. It works if its cool for maybe a minute but doesn't work at operating temp. Have a 120mm fan on it and it averages about 140mhash after all the hardware errors

What's your ambient?

You might try a heatsink designed for a TO-220 transistor.  That's what worked well to cool the CP2012 while under a fan - I needed to modify a Teflon washer of the kind typically found in a TO-3 transistor mounting kit.  It's fairly large so I had to cut a 90° notch so it would fit then had to lap it sandpaper to get the  height right.  Then you need to get a #3x.50-10 screw to hold it in place and a dab of heatsink compound.  It doesn't sit square and in fact is 45° off the line so it doesn't see interference from the USB connector.

I wonder if the CP2012 needs to be soldered to the board at its center so it could cool better but I'm not going to expose it to high enough heat to test the theory.  I suspect the problem is more closely related to the 11.xxxx crystal.  Note there is very little information on the crystal aside from the frequency.  The BE manufacturer may have gone to cheaper crystals that can't take much heat.

Oil Cooling?

Maybe try this: shut down the fan, start it up so it fails to connect and gets hot.  Let it sit getting hot for some minutes.  Then when it's not going to get hotter, apply light pressure to the top of the CP2102 and shut down the power allowing it to cool while applying pressure.

If the hottest part of the CP2102 is at the internal bottom facing the ground plane and if it's suppose to be soldered but wasn't heated enough, since the temperature above the CP2102 can reach 250°F+, then the area near the ground plane is hotter, perhaps hot enough to liquify the solder.  If so, after cooling and having pressure applied topside while cooling, the next time it fires up the ground plane can draw away the CP2102 heat more effectively.

That or the BE gets killed.

I just got a BE myself yesterday, all this talk about overheating as me wondering. Is it safe to run a BE without airflow over a extended amount of time? (over an hour) I'm wondering because this damned desk fan I bought(I'll replace it sooner or later I think) is pretty damned loud at night and was wondering if it's safe to it off during the night.

If there is room in my usb hub, I'm going to stick small heatsinks on the Erupter's UART (CP2021), the regulator (AOZ1021) and the BE chip (BE100).

My intention is to extend the life of the device by bringing down the overall PCB temperature. The components that get hot may be ok with it, but the whole USB is getting very hot, and all the components will be cooking.

I have a small, quiet USB fan from ebay for $2 that will be running 24/7.

My neighbour has a FLIR camera, when I get my Erupters I will ask him for a picture or two and post them here.

I'll do before and after heatsinks.

Just wanna get my Erupters!

Please do!  Would be cool just to see this image when hashing away.

Yes it is safe to run them for an extended length of time with out a fan. I have one that has run 24/7 for over 3 weeks.

Seems like a lot of buggering about.  I just point a 120mm across mine, and they work.  They get OMG hot without it and eventually crap out.  The 120mm fan is running off an old Netgear router PSU (12v).

The CP2012 on mine are cool to the touch, it's only the BE100 that's toasty.

A replacement crystal arrived.  It has an upper packaging of the black material like an IC rather than metal.  I'd wonder about the metal, picking up heat from the CP2102.  The B.E. has been running well on a RPi but hasn't connected to bfgminer on the Vaio I use with zTex.  I first connected the BE to the USB2.0 hub is assess if the new crystal was soldered correctly.  The LED lit and flashed so yes.  There was a single failure to enumerate message.  The BE had no heatsink, top or bottom, but I had no intent of hashing yet.  I reassembled the heatsinks and tested again.  I now was getting clean USB connects to the Vaio, no error messages at all.  I changed the -S option on bfgminer from only the single port for the zTex to -S all, and tried both.  Bfgminer would hang.  I was seeing no indication bfgminer registered the presence of the BE.  

Putting the BE on RPi again, there was a single comm error and it was hashing.  Ambient is 73.4°F and excessive errors occur when ambient approaches 80°F so it should be fine.  It had accumulated 20 HW errors early but that has been unchanged for 25 of the 30+ minutes it's been hashing at ~334MH/s.

I tried the BE with the _USB3.0_ hub to the Vaio and quickly got a page of "unable to enumerate USB device" so changing the crystal isn't the solution.  I had determined the 11.xxxMHz was a crystal and not a resonator (which includes a pair of capacitors) by its size.  I'm using a 2010 Digikey catalog so maybe the 2012 show resonators in a 5mm x 3.2mm four pin package but this crystal behaves like the original so....  The resonators were larger.  Looking at the BFL Jalapeno schematics, they use an FT2232 and its datasheet shows it using a 6MHz resonator OR a 6MHz crystal with attendant external capacitors.  I don't see an appropriate capacitor pair for the BE 11.xxxMHz crystal.

So, it's leave it with the new crystal and put it back on the RPi.  

On another subject, I wonder if MinePeon startum+tcp can source to another system rather than run startum+tcp on two systems or if my best bet is to put the --no-stratum switch in cgminer.conf and use the same switch with bfgminer then run stratum-miner-proxy.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_DLmNkCkkVpbWVWZkZvdlNFVzQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_DLmNkCkkVpLTducXJsVWwxSVk/edit?usp=sharing

Researching the crystal, there is a discussion about its "start-up" capacitor values tho it's an unrelated application.  The range of start-up caps was 18pf-33pf depending on which manufacturer's datasheet.  So, I made a small start-up network using 18pf caps and added it to the Block Erupter.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_DLmNkCkkVpaE54VGd3dW50Wk0/edit?usp=sharing

There was no improvement with startup and possibly was more difficult to get running.  I see when the B.E. shuts down from ambient temperature >80°F, cgminer reports the hashrate goes into the gigahertz range.  I suspect the crystal but it could be a parasitic oscillation of some kind.  It remains to be seen if the added start-up network will improve functionality when ambient temperature rises above 80°F.

^ was worse when I had something plugged into the Raspberry Pi hub next to the USB Eruptor. Ran ok for the few days. Now it's crapping out. Very hot to the touch but not sure how much. Have that basic included heatsink on the back but no fan. Don't want to put a fan on it really... noise...

I mentioned in an early post in this thread that the Block Erupter arrived and the small box had a seal that had been opened.  The box was unsealed.  I only own a single Block Erupter.  It's still not right.  I imagine it makes perfect sense to send returned bad B.E.s to customers who only get one.  No way to compare performance, is there BTCGuild.

Just my own experience, all my BE's have come with the seal broken.  They either were opened for testing or to see the color.

Sorry to hear about yours and it's problems.

I'm not buying it.  Sealed after testing at the production facility and sold without color choice.  No valid reason to open the box.  With a big back order line and anxious buyers, breaking the seal sounds unreal not to mention the question of what kind of testing could possibly be done for what period of time given the numbers after which there'd still be back orders and opened boxes of BE's that were iffy or returns.  Nah, they'd be in and out and seals opened by the lucky customers.

BTCguild said he was personally testing each unit before shipping them at the time yours was shipped. that is why the seal was broken. you got one that passed his testing and was still bad. you should have returned it as soon as you had a problem. as long as you didn't unsolder anything i suspect that he will send you a new one.

They are tested before shipping to prevent people who like to poke and prod, eventually damaging the unit, from then claiming some conspiracy theory about how they were ripped off and sent a damaged unit. You most likely shorted something when you were doing your circuit testing. It sounds to me to be a bad case of banana hands on your part. Much more believable than BTCGuild ripping you off. These things are not exactly rocket science to get running.

if you're concerned about broken seals, I bough 10 BE from SonicSilentBoom (reseller with the cheapest price BTW) and they came in a big sealed box with 10 smaller sealed well packaged white boxes inside. Also inside the smal box, the BE was sealed in small plastic bag.

SonicSilentBoom do not temper with the BEs. I would be curious about his policy concerning defects.

Also, the seal is Quality Control seal. AM tested them prior to box them.

As an analogy, can you imagine going to Best Buy to buy some electronic where boxes are preopen because they retest it back in store?

Minimal bad ones from factory. If you bought from me, I will take care of you. Reseller you purchased from should handle replacement/warranty if not obvious damage (stick bent/broken in half).

 :( Ah well, moot.  I devised a heatsink and fan.  Moot because I changed the crystal, then added a startup network to the crystal, then added a tantalum capacitor to the USB power in.  The close proximity fan caused dust to build up in lees and that degraded performance after a while.  The startup network worked well, the B.E. was running on a not-approved Cyber Power hub as the room climbed into the mid-80°'s F.  Usually the B.E. would shut down if the ambient got to 79°+ registering impossibly high hash rates on the minepeon cgminer.  I decided to buy the D-Link DUB-H7.  It arrived today.  I also had purchased a Seagate Plus Backup for my main system which I'm going to use today.  Both were open.  The wall warts have identical plugs tho the Seagate Plus is 12v while the D-Link DUB-H7 is 5v.  I noted to friends that the cheap 7 port hubs on ebay, external 5v plug same as the D-Link, hardwired to the upstream port and that 12v wall wart plugs fit perfectly (bought a L-C meter that came with one).  Don't know if the D-Link upstream port is hard wired to the voltage in plug but it certainly goes to the downstream port.  That gremlin that danced around on the wing of an aircraft on Twilight Zone must have guided my hand as I fired up the block erupter on the D-Link hub using the 12v wall wart.  The CP2102 quickly fried.  My B.E. is dead.  :(

soy

PS: A replacement CP2102 has been ordered, should ship Monday and arrive later in the week.  With luck it was the only chip that fried.  The D-Link hub is fine.  My just short of 65 year old eyes and reflexes aren't what's needed to remove and replace a CP2102 so odds are less than even money it will succeed. 

Total cost to "upgrade" the BE at this point?

I don't quite understand the question.  I was getting failure to enumerate messages.  The changes were attempts to get stable operation, wasn't "upgrade"ing.

Does this count?  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_DLmNkCkkVpWlpfa3BUVm9iZDQ/edit?usp=sharing

CP2102 replacement failed.  Will try again tomorrow.  Darn thing shifted on me.  Looks like I'm not yet eligible for a B.E. coupon.  I don't expect they're real tempted to issue coupons to those who paid 1BTC + shipping when they can offer those to anyone who will buy a back order B.E. at 0.6BTC + shipping.

Checked the voltage feeding the resistor/LED and found 5vdc so I figured either the CP2102 internal switching supply was dead or the mispositioned chip was shorting pins 6 & 7. 

Started heating the chip to remove, saw a very nice flux bubbling, better than yesterday, and decided to just test the voltage out of pin 6 again.  Now I was getting a very stable 3.5v at the resistor/LED! 

The original CP2102 was allowing the voltage at pin 6 to migrate as high as 3.9v.  Since when pin 6 is at 5v flashing LED appears okay tho marginally brighter, connect failures happened.  Whether the 3.9v out of the original CP2102 was a problem we don't know. 

So, I cleaned, reassembled and tested with the stable 3.5v out of pin 6.  Proper LED flashing but failures to connect, comm errors from AM0 on cgminer.  Bummer.

The IC has been again removed from the BE and after lunch I'll try remounting it. 

I hope the CP2102 doesn't need any programming. 

Only having purchased a single CP2102, if it isn't working today I'll order one or two more.  I'm sure it can tolerate some heating but repeated mount, un-mount, remount can't be good. 

Noticeably, the original CP2102 while attempting to connect got very hot, this isn't heating but that may change with remounting.

Unknown if any other chips on board fried when the hub saw 12vdc.

It seemed positioned as perfectly as I can get it by hand.  The clothespin with screw to hold it in place had to be modified.  Looked perfect after soldering.  Tried connecting but got comms errors.  Heated again, tried again, now hashing at 333.4MH/s.  Apparently success!

soy

Knock wood it's been hashing all afternoon like a champ. :)

How much have you spent trying to fix it? "Upgrade" or as you say what was the cost of all the "attempts to get stable operation"?

What's the voltage between the ground pad (pad most distant from the heatsink hold down screw, call it pad 1) and pad 6?  Does that voltage vary?

You do have a hub between the raspberry pi and the BE, correct?

off the top of my head

copper pipe 1"diameter 2"length, less than a buck at Lowes I think, that was cut lengthwise, flattened, cut, nibbled and shape'd to have pads down on the CP2102 and ASIC then soldered to standoffs.

standoffs from Radio Shack, maybe a buck and a half

screws from Lowes to hold the new heatsink less than a buck per package at Lowes

small fan from a triple fan insert that would snap into a drive slot to exhaust heat, free from scrap

wall wart to drive fan free from scrap (actually fan is 12v so I'm using a 10watt step-up switching converter I bought years ago for under $10 between a lower voltage wall wart and the fan)

crystal from digikey, a buck or two plus shipping from Digikey

capacitors for crystal start up network free from scrap motherboard

replacement CP2102 as the original had a deep burn spot after mistakenly plugging a strong 12v wall wart supply into a new D-Link HUD7 hub, a buck or two from Digikey plus shipping (in the interim while the BE was down I used the D-Link on my main machine and was so impressed with the improved communication between my main machine and other gear, I'm likely leaving it there)

10uf tantalum capacitor across the USB Vbus (after reading USB3.0 and USB2.0 control chip datasheets, these are needed and perhaps the non-approved early USB2.0 CyberPower hub didn't have these on outputs) a buck or two from Radio Shack

Wish I had changed the CP2102 first off.  The BE has been running well for almost 3 days now on the CyberPower hub and Raspberry Pi.

soy

 I have a hot air desoldering station tweaked for the extra heat which I used to remove the CP2102 but you can't count that in the cost as I bought it anticipating I may have to change some FETs on a Jalapeno I may one day finally get after their pisspoor slow production.  I also bought a nice L/C meter for measuring components when I built a switching converter to bring a good sized Zenith laptop switching supply voltage down to 12v for my zTex 1.15x and used that meter to vet capacitors for the crystal start-up network.

I should note changing the CP2102 is a very delicate operation and I venture to say of those amateurs who attempt the change more than not will lose the BE completely.

Must say, when they run right they're no hassle at all.

Any ideas with this matter why they buffer on the raspberry pi and not my windows 7 device? All they do is buffer on it. I unplug and put in pc and they start chugging along.

Also at least one device is not recognized by cgminer. I did make sure to test without any other devices on the hub just to make sure it wasn't seeing a device and thinking it can mine.

Thanks

p.s I got mine from btc guild and they were sealed as far as a sticker on the box with no tampering (the little white box you can't get open without showing some tampering when you open it ;) )