...
i will add a temperature sensor on the next design, but IMHO, it's useless.
because it can't be installed inside the FPGA package, and the temperature read out is just a board temp. the response time is not quick enough for protection purpose.
board interconnect can be done now, only need a bitsteam modify. this feature is still under development.
The temperature sensor would not be for the sake of a microsecond shut down - but more for noting a trend to reduce the work to help reduce the temperature. I don't run my GPU cards near the limits - I set them below those limits to promote a longer life  There is, however, a rather simple need for it: if the fan should fail, you would see a temperature rise and possibly have the software notice this and reduce the amount of work or even stop it from processing. It may not be fast enough - but I guess only experimentation would tell? Different subject ... Actually one thing I've not asked or found written anywhere yet: is it possible to upload a new bitsteam using USB? Or do you need the extra developer hardware to do that? the speed adjust feature should build in the bitsteam it self. the FPGA will automatically sample its temperature (with out a independent sensor device, just "it self" ) and rise and down the operation speed continuously. why need to read the temperature, calculate, then adjust by sending a command from PC?  about the bitsteam update: icarus need a platform cable to update the bitsteam. next product will have some changes. |
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Hi ngzhang,
I've heard you are developing next hardware revision of Icarus board.
Below is my 0.02$, comments are welcome.
One necessary thing is FPGA temperature sensors. For example TI digital sensors with serial output will be OK but I have no idea how to mechanically put them to the chips (why FPGA manufacturer didn't place one directly to the die?)
Second idea (which can be easily implemented with current revision boards btw) is simple but fast SPI interface using some DIMM connector pins. SPI address and SPI/USB interface selection can be done with existing DIP switches. The goal is to develop neat carrier board with 12-16 Icarus slots, ARM/MIPS/ATOM/etc CPU board slot and good 250-350W PSU behind. We can install several big 200mm fans for the whole rack and adjust their rotation speed according to temperature sensors output.
i will add a temperature sensor on the next design, but IMHO, it's useless. because it can't be installed inside the FPGA package, and the temperature read out is just a board temp. the response time is not quick enough for protection purpose. board interconnect can be done now, only need a bitsteam modify. this feature is still under development. BTW, the most challenge for the design is to reduce the core temperature. |
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by my testing is 1.66A, with standard 5CM fan.
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what miner software is best for icarus ?
i suggest RG7 for testing or single board, MPBM for multi-boards. |
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it's a 2.5/5.5mm plug.
What is the length of the plug (metal part only)? any longer than 10mm will be ok. |
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Now I have to wait for eldentyrell to make progress to decide where my money goes next....
Send your money to the board-makers. The more boards you have, the more money you stand to gain from the release of my design and therefore (hopefully) the more you will be willing to contribute. Stay tuned on progress (I screwed up last night's build). Are you planning to release Algorithmic bitstream for Icarus soon? I would like to be the first to donate for such bitstream! no, you will not. i will the first!  |
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Have all circuits connected to a single ATX?
no, i only connected about 15 |
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+ 19% duty
i will follow customers' advice about the declare and invoice to as best i can to minimize the tax. |
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so what are the actual specs?
569$, around 20W and 375 Mhash/s. correct?
what's shipping costs to germany?
569$/20W/380M/s 35$ |
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2012-03-11 01:27:00.423000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:00.423000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:00.423000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:00.423000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:00.423000 [100]:
2012-03-11 01:27:00.453000 [500]: BTCGuild (donation): Got 1 jobs
2012-03-11 01:27:00.453000 [300]: BTCGuild (donation): New block detected
2012-03-11 01:27:01.083000 [500]: Eligius (donation): Got 120 jobs
2012-03-11 01:27:02.912000 [300]: Untitled Icarus worker: Running at 0.000000 MH/s
2012-03-11 01:27:02.912000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:02.912000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:02.912000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:02.912000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:02.912000 [100]:
2012-03-11 01:27:05.558000 [300]: Untitled Icarus worker: Running at 0.000000 MH/s
2012-03-11 01:27:05.558000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:05.558000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:05.558000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:05.558000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:05.558000 [100]:
2012-03-11 01:27:08.008000 [300]: Untitled Icarus worker: Running at 0.000000 MH/s
2012-03-11 01:27:08.008000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:08.008000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:08.008000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:08.008000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:08.008000 [100]:
2012-03-11 01:27:10.513000 [300]: Untitled Icarus worker: Running at 0.000000 MH/s
2012-03-11 01:27:10.513000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:10.513000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:10.513000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:10.513000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:10.513000 [100]:
2012-03-11 01:27:13.015000 [300]: Untitled Icarus worker: Running at 0.000000 MH/s
2012-03-11 01:27:13.015000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:13.015000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:13.015000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:13.015000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:13.015000 [100]:
2012-03-11 01:27:44.516000 [300]: Untitled Icarus worker: Running at 0.000000 MH/s
2012-03-11 01:27:44.516000 [100]: Untitled Icarus worker: Traceback (most recent call last):
2012-03-11 01:27:44.516000 [100]: File "C:\TheSeven-Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner-8c43ba7\modules\theseven\icarus\icarusworker.py", line 208, in main
2012-03-11 01:27:44.516000 [100]: interval = min(60, 2**32 / 1000000. / self.stats.mhps)
2012-03-11 01:27:44.516000 [100]: ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero
2012-03-11 01:27:44.516000 [100]:
? |
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wow, 13 port hubs? where did you get those? And it would be really awesome if you could test the new MPBM on such a huge cluster My board didn't arrive yet, so I'm not sure if the ported module even works at all right now. (Seems to be stuck at customs - grrr.) i must say... Germany's customs is ****. but , your MBPM is solid stable. like all Made in Germany stuff . about the HUB: here: http://www.360buy.com/product/511117.htmlvery stable. with a 4A 5V adapter. about 24$/ea Heh, calling that crappy garbled up display stable? You really need to try the new one And I bet that hub is two cascaded 7 port hubs internally. heh! where is the new one  ? |
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wow, 13 port hubs? where did you get those? And it would be really awesome if you could test the new MPBM on such a huge cluster My board didn't arrive yet, so I'm not sure if the ported module even works at all right now. (Seems to be stuck at customs - grrr.) i must say... Germany's customs is ****. but , your MBPM is solid stable. like all Made in Germany stuff .  about the HUB: here: http://www.360buy.com/product/511117.htmlvery stable. with a 4A 5V adapter. about 24$/ea |
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Not sure if you meant this, but a Hardware Error is simple - it's when the value returned was no good
(and cgminer keeps track of that also)
So what I meant was each time a bad share was returned you simply step the clock down as small as possible.
As I've mentioned before - I've had zero HW errors since I started mining with my 2 Icarus.
That's true, but ztex does more in this area. They don't just check difficulty 1 nonces, but rather the current nonce the FPGA is working on every couple of milliseconds. That way they can judge a lot better whether an invalid was just bad luck (some single event glitch) or whether that chip is being constantly overloaded. Well ztex may be more complex, but this simple solution would work also (if I could adjust the clock) Still zero HW errors - 7 days It certainly wouldn't bother me in the least if it was 1 or 2 MHz below the failure point since I would hazard a guess that the life of the FPGA would not be very good if it was constantly at borderline failure. (from what Energizer posted the current setting is obviously further below the limit than 1 or 2) ngzhang: is that a difficult thing to consider? (Being able to adjust the MHz clock speed with a command?) in my plan, a similar feature maybe add to next version of bitsteam: adjust frequency full-automatic. |
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hi, i'm sorry about the disappear and no answer to many mails for a few days. i got a box of boards yesterday. i'm busy for testing them.  i must finish some bulk orders before 3/12. so please have a nice day, my friends.
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is there any questions i should answer? about over heat: i test a fan stop issue for 1 day, 1% invalid, no damage. but i'm afraid, so i won't to do a heat-sink drop issue... |
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Hmm is it the USB protocol being used or a software bug in MBPM?
My 5 day non-stop run so far with 2 Icarus boards has 0 "Hardware errors" in cgminer.
In cgminer a "Hardware error" means a nonce returned that's no good (invalid).
I presume that is what you are referring to?
(cgminer uses serial access on top of USB to Icarus and Bitforce)
yes , i think the protocol have some problems. i check the invalid shares, all looks like "XXXX0000", 4 of zeros in hex. a real hardware error should looks like "XXXXXXXX", no regular. |
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Well, I received today my two first FPGA boards, after a week and some change of transit. The packaging was excellent. Right now they're hashing along for about 3 hours on ABCpool. I use RG7 miner (the Python ones are a bit out of my league for now, but I'll start messing around with them soon enough). The speeds I'm getting (as reported by ABCpool) range from as low as 300 to as high as 510 - I'm sure it's just some kind of misreporting, I don't think these things can go that high... can they? Regarding temperatures - they seem to heat up to 70-75 degrees as far as I can tell when touching the back of the PCB underneath the chips. I really need to get an infrared thermometer or some kind of thermal probes. I occasionally get connection drops (see picture), but they don't affect efficiency as far as I can tell. And it's probably because of my connection anyway. Here they are, going at it:  hi, please notice if the heat-sink is installed firmly on the chip. the invalid rate "should" no more than 0.2% (in 24 hours), and 0.1% is typical (caused by communication, 6ms communication time in average 6s, so 0.1% work on garbage, this will be fix in next version of firmware). press the heat sink to fix it. by my test for 18 boards, the highest one is 0.17% invalid rate, 0.1% in average. under MBPM. |
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I've tested with each of my 2 powerpack + Icarus boards Both show 23.1 to 23.4 watts. With just the plugpack alone - the meter shows 1.1 Watts. I wouldn't say the plugpacks are 'hot' - but they're warmer than various other plugpacks I have running switches etc. edit: This is the meter I'm using - http://wattsclever.com/product/energy-watch-monitor-EW5001hummmm... my meter shows a zero if all boards turned off. i think the default adapter is Ok for a few boards, because the waste (if there is) is rather low. i use a ATX with 80plus label to handle multi-boards. compact and effective. |
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