Looking at this thread, and also at the protocol discussion going on over on BFL forums, I sense the need for a single standard open protocol that can be used for all communication between host-side miner software, and external miner devices (FPGAs, ASICs, etc).
Once hashed out (pun intended), a standard set of libraries could be made and maintained that implemented the protocol in popular languages (C, Java, Python, Ruby, what-have-you), with proper unit tests and all.
There could even be a standards body formed, that would issue certifications of conformity to specific devices running specific firmwares, for those vendors who desired such a thing, and issue cute holographic stickers displaying the certified product's name and firmware hash.
https://forums.butterflylabs.com/announcements/597-bitforce-sc-communication-protocol-draft.htmlIf only someone who wasn't me would head up the effort...
I think Luke-Jr was working on something like this with seven.
