The combined sidehack-novak usb stick review thread. AKA GekkoScience BM1384

[philipma1957]

This will be the thread for the beta testers of sidehack-novak's adjustable  usb sticks.

I am one of 4 or 5 testers.

I will make it self mod to keep it clean.

I just got mine and I am stuck.

Not because the stick or the gear is an issue.  Basically I have not done a bat file for cg miner in a year and do not remember how to do it.

I will post a few photos .

the stick loaded as com3

[philipma1957]

I am 1 reviewer . lots of photos and info.

I am using 3.1 watts to get 9.5gh any drop on the charts was my issue not the sticks.


full size link

http://imageshack.com/a/img538/421/3yEN5R.png

[philipma1957]

For the next reviewers.

[philipma1957]

Locked for the next little bit.

all reviewers  shoot me a pm


all others be patient .

[philipma1957]

photos

full size


http://imageshack.com/a/img537/8740/IM9WVH.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img905/450/b5G9Vn.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img912/5105/91rjyM.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img661/6357/caamyC.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img537/3305/Xlot8L.jpg

this is cgminer 4.9.1   I need a bat file



this is my start file/bat file empty due to lack of memory (58 year old minds work like this)



the test stick


note watts 28.4   if I unplug the usb hub i drop to 25 watts




one more shot of stick

[sidehack]

If it enumerated as a COM port, you need to install the WinUSB driver for hotplug support and such (Zadig) which will allow cgminer to detect it natively. You'll also want to include "--au3-freq xxx" in the command line, where "xxx" is a valid operating frequency. According to the code I'm seeing (AntMiner U3 is under the Icarus driver), valid frequencies (and their associated per-chip GH/s) are:

100	5.5
125	6.88
150	8.25
175	9.63
193.75	10.66
196.88	10.83
200	11
206.25	11.34
212.5	11.69
218.75	12.03
225	12.38
237.5	13.06
243.75	13.41
250	13.75

The command line I use is "cgminer.exe -o stratum.mining.eligius.st:3334 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr -p x --au3-volt 0 --au3-freq 150"

The --au3-volt is not really necessary, since the voltage is not software-adjustable on the Compac.

[philipma1957]

thanks I will load zadig and set bat file

[Mikestang]

Since this is using the U3 stuff in cgminer, you may want to use cgminer 4.9.0.  4.9.1 does not recognize the U3, it's a known bug, so don't know if that will affect this stick.

You probably also want to add --suggest-diff 1 to your .bat file so that your stick starts at a reasonable pool diff.

If it enumerated as a COM port, you need to install the WinUSB driver for hotplug support and such (Zadig) which will allow cgminer to detect it natively.

Is there a way to do this without using Zadig?  I have a computer that refuses to complete the Zadig installation, so I need to find another way to do what Zadig does.

[sidehack]

I've not used suggest-diff but that's probably a good idea. Eligius starts out at 128, which this stick should see about 7 instead.

The 4.9.1 compiled into the latest Minera build works fine, but I've been testing with 4.9.0 on Windows so I can verify it's good.

I think the drivers can be found external to Zadig and possibly installed manually. I've not tried. My Win7 desk machine has never taken kindly to Zadig installer.

[AJRGale]

Since this is using the U3 stuff in cgminer, you may want to use cgminer 4.9.0.  4.9.1 does not recognize the U3, it's a known bug, so don't know if that will affect this stick.

You probably also want to add --suggest-diff 1 to your .bat file so that your stick starts at a reasonable pool diff.

If it enumerated as a COM port, you need to install the WinUSB driver for hotplug support and such (Zadig) which will allow cgminer to detect it natively.

Is there a way to do this without using Zadig?  I have a computer that refuses to complete the Zadig installation, so I need to find another way to do what Zadig does.

could do a 'buntu run, need to give permissions to the com port though, 0224 hours here, so not up to pulling info right now, if you need it, pm me, i'll look for it about 0900

[philipma1957]

Since this is using the U3 stuff in cgminer, you may want to use cgminer 4.9.0.  4.9.1 does not recognize the U3, it's a known bug, so don't know if that will affect this stick.

You probably also want to add --suggest-diff 1 to your .bat file so that your stick starts at a reasonable pool diff.

If it enumerated as a COM port, you need to install the WinUSB driver for hotplug support and such (Zadig) which will allow cgminer to detect it natively.

Is there a way to do this without using Zadig?  I have a computer that refuses to complete the Zadig installation, so I need to find another way to do what Zadig does.

yeah this win 7 is not liking zadig.  I am going to strip this back.

I had a fear of this issue I have another pc to try on. and I am building a pc next week.

[alh]

Does anybody know if bfgminer supports the U3? It's been over 9 months since I worried about USB stick mining, and haven't kept up with support in bfgminer.

I too found the Zadig/Windows interaction to be quite frustrating. I ultimately went to the Raspberry Pi realm, which I found a bit more stable.

[HerbPean]

Since this is using the U3 stuff in cgminer, you may want to use cgminer 4.9.0.  4.9.1 does not recognize the U3, it's a known bug, so don't know if that will affect this stick.

You probably also want to add --suggest-diff 1 to your .bat file so that your stick starts at a reasonable pool diff.

If it enumerated as a COM port, you need to install the WinUSB driver for hotplug support and such (Zadig) which will allow cgminer to detect it natively.

Is there a way to do this without using Zadig?  I have a computer that refuses to complete the Zadig installation, so I need to find another way to do what Zadig does.

yeah this win 7 is not liking zadig.  I am going to strip this back.

I had a fear of this issue I have another pc to try on. and I am building a pc next week.

Phil, I run the zadig driver without issue on my Win7. I have 7 S1 blades running with that driver and some CP2102.

I think the CGminer I run was modify to be able to do that. I run CGMiner 4.7.0.

I can send you my executable if you wanna try.

Here's from the thread => https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=671128.680

short summary:

we connected the antminer blades to cp2102 usb sticks, and got cgminer to mine at full speed, repo:
https://github.com/FireWalkerX/cgminer-bmsc.git
edit: compile : ./autogen.sh --enable-bmsc;make

windows:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iuj9fz6zt8qm3q9/cgminer-bmsc.zip?dl=0

underclocked the antminers, per instructions from here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=526060.0

i never recieved the prototype from j4bberwock, so, im guessing we will have to settle for the cp2102 usb sticks,
next, well, since it can still pay to use my s1 boards underclocked ill keep them running for now, and looking for the next project :-p

that about covers it

Hope it helps !


EDIT: Also, make sure within zadig, to install the correct winusb driver for the USB your device is connected (Go in Option => Show all Devices)

EDIT2: I guess the bmsc option won't work with the unit tho ...

[Mikestang]

Does anybody know if bfgminer supports the U3? It's been over 9 months since I worried about USB stick mining, and haven't kept up with support in bfgminer. 

The latest version, 5.2.0, has U3 support, although there are mixed results between users.

[hurricandave]

Its usually Windows Defender that is the stick in the mud between Win7 and Zadig. You need to check and see which program Defender is blocking or adjust the security level long enough to let Zadig install then place it in the allowed list within Defender. Don't forget, to get Zadig to work, you need to let the siliconlabs driver install first then run Zadig as Administrator.

[alh]

What is the hashrate per chip supposed to be? I haven't been following this as closely as I have want'ed to do.

Go back up about 8-9 posts, and you'll find a table of frequency/hashrate. That's for one chip, which is what this stick has.

[alh]

What is the hashrate per chip supposed to be? I haven't been following this as closely as I have want'ed to do.

Go back up about 8-9 posts, and you'll find a table of frequency/hashrate. That's for one chip, which is what this stick has.

Oh ok i thought that was for the U3 chip and this is using a different chip isn't it?

Sidehack or Novak might have to weigh in here, but I think the table was derived by measurements from sidehack. The U3 connection is that it identifies to the driver/miner software as a U3, even though it obviously isn't a U3.

That's how I understand it, but I've been wrong before as my wife likes to say.... 

[sidehack]

Its usually Windows Defender that is the stick in the mud between Win7 and Zadig. You need to check and see which program Defender is blocking or adjust the security level long enough to let Zadig install then place it in the allowed list within Defender. Don't forget, to get Zadig to work, you need to let the siliconlabs driver install first then run Zadig as Administrator.

Zadig has never worked on both Win7 systems I've tried to put it on in the last couple years. I have the silabs driver working fine, used it on an older cgminer for TheRealSteve's block erupter competition. But Zadig installer has never worked, and it's not because of any Windows security garbage.

What is the hashrate per chip supposed to be? I haven't been following this as closely as I have want'ed to do.

Go back up about 8-9 posts, and you'll find a table of frequency/hashrate. That's for one chip, which is what this stick has.

Oh ok i thought that was for the U3 chip and this is using a different chip isn't it?

The U3 uses four BM1382 (same as S3/S4); the miner he's testing has a single BM1384 (same as S5) on it. The table was frequencies cgminer understands for the U3, but the listed hashrates are what the BM1384 will do with those frequencies. It's a 55-core chip, so MHz to GH/s is times 0.055

Also, if you have a Raspberry Pi, I ran five sticks off the stock cgminer in the latest Minera build without any problems. If you don't want to screw with the overly scripted and weighty web UI, just ssh into the pi and do stuff from there.

The bulk of this information is already presented in the GekkoScience BM1384 Dev thread, so don't be too surprised if it gets pared out of this review thread. But for now, there it is.

[HerbPean]

Sidehack, may I ask which USB hub you're using for your Raspberry Pi ?

thanks

[sidehack]

Sidehack, may I ask which USB hub you're using for your Raspberry Pi ?

thanks

I got one of those $8 11-port junkers from Ebay about two years ago, stripped it down and beefed the power lines with extra wire and capacitors for running overclocked block erupters. There's pictures in the dev thread. We're thinking about building our own hub that'll take in higher than 12V and internally regulate high-current 5V to the ports, which would be good for Compac and Amita stuff but also for anyone working on a solar setup or charging a lot of devices in a car or something. So I'll probably be testing that in a month or so, but for now I have a junker hub that's been rebuilt for higher current.