GekkoScience Compac BM1384 Stickminer Official Support Thread

[Jake36]

If you want to run the sticks on linux, you'll need either bfgminer or cgminer.  Either way you are probably going to have to compile them, but I've had little trouble with this so it's probably just a matter of running a few simple commands.

Here's what you'd do to get cgminer on linux going:
1. Open a terminal.
2. wget http://gekkoscience.com/misc/cgminer-gekko.tar.gz            

This downloads the file- you can save it from your browser instead, it's the same thing.

3. tar -xvzf cgminer-gekko.tar.gz

This extracts the files. which are compressed (like a zip file for linux)

4. cd cgminer-gekko
 
Enters the cgminer-gekko folder you just extracted.

5. sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool

You need to install the dependencies for cgminer.

6. ./autogen.sh

This will generate a configure script for you which will set up compiling for your system.

7. ./configure --enable-gekko

This will configure the build.  This is the most likely place to have anything go wrong, if it does, let me know exactly what's up.  Odds are it would be some package that you should have installed.

8. make

Performs the build.  If you get an error there- again, let me know details.

You are ready to run cgminer.  This should look something like:

./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://stratum.mining.eligius.st:3334 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr --compac-freq 150

Although if you don't have permissions setup you may have to become root or use sudo, eg,

sudo ./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://stratum.mining.eligius.st:3334 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr --compac-freq 150

cgminer should now detect any compacs plugged in while it is running.  Obviously you'll use a slightly different command to launch cgminer, if you use that one you'll be mining for us!  Most pools even post example commands, let me know if you need help figuring it out.

--
novak

error from your instructions above on #7 step (as you said the likely error point) I got this

configure: error: Missing required libcurl dev >= 7.18.2 

I'm using an old Compaq Evo N800v Laptop that can't run XP anymore (to monitor Titan(s)) and is running the latest patches that it can run of (just updated) Unbuntu 12.04 LTS (still supported with updates etc and again updated today all up to date) this is the most upgrade of such my little laptops can handle for unbuntu versions (topped out) FYI.

anyway just need more of your UNBUNTU command line magic to continue (I only installed unbuntu 12.04 LTS on these laptops because not useful for xp or above ....to monitor Titan(s) so
my extent of Linux is managing to install the install CD originally and get on the store and get putty.exe (free) to ssh into Titan(s)

So this oh so zoom zoom terminal scroll spiffy install stuff was pretty cool ...no idea wtf is going on but again cool... ..the installs/ build up to the point it choked in command line etc all
very MATRIX like scrolling away merrily ...looked like it was compiling SKYNET to a linux newbie like me...all very spiffy)

anyway just looking at what monkey see monkey do commands I need to type in next to continue this process

again thanks for the help

You beat me to the post... LOL

Try what I just posted, should be the same for unbutu as it is for raspbian.

[sidehack]

The voltage wasn't maxed out quite yet (since he was testing on a V0.3 prototype where the dead zone on the pot could fry your ASIC but at 450MHz the effective hashrate was lower than at 425MHz. The production-version V0.5 doesn't have that problem (the dead zone sets voltage to minimum, 550mV) so overvolting is not an issue. If you need more voltage at the top end (more than 800mV) I think dropping the resistance on the unmarked resistor above the pot can get you there. It's 34.8K but taking it down to about 32K will give you 850mV top end. Note this would be like running an S5 off 12.8V supply.

At 450MHz the stick was pulling 2.5A and we haven't tested further. Yet.

Searing - try "sudo apt-get install libcurl-dev" and see what that does. Not sure if that's what you need but the answer is of that form. You know, like what that guy there just posted.

[novak@gekkoscience]

error from your instructions above on #7 step (as you said the likely error point) I got this

configure: error: Missing required libcurl dev >= 7.18.2  

I'm using an old Compaq Evo N800v Laptop that can't run XP anymore (to monitor Titan(s)) and is running the latest patches that it can run of (just updated) Unbuntu 12.04 LTS (still supported with updates etc and again updated today all up to date) this is the most upgrade of such my little laptops can handle for unbuntu versions (topped out) FYI.

anyway just need more of your UNBUNTU command line magic to continue (I only installed unbuntu 12.04 LTS on these laptops because not useful for xp or above ....to monitor Titan(s) so
my extent of Linux is managing to install the install CD originally and get on the store and get putty.exe (free) to ssh into Titan(s)

So this oh so zoom zoom terminal scroll spiffy install stuff was pretty cool ...no idea wtf is going on but again cool... ..the installs/ build up to the point it choked in command line etc all
very MATRIX like scrolling away merrily ...looked like it was compiling SKYNET to a linux newbie like me...all very spiffy)

anyway just looking at what monkey see monkey do commands I need to type in next to continue this process

again thanks for the help

Crap I left off a step, where I said "you have to install the dependencies for cgminer," I didn't actually tell you what those where or how to do so.

Run this command:
sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config libcurl3-dev libudev-dev

The error you see is the configure script checking to make sure it has everything needed to compile and failing because it does not, specifically libcurl-dev is missing.  

I don't run ubuntu myself so I hope that the package names are accurate here (they're from the README).  If not... Let me know what packages it can't find.

EDIT: Package names may be as Jake36 posted:

build-essential autoconf automake libtool libcurl4-openssl-dev pkg-config libncurses5-dev and libudev-dev

so run:

sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool libcurl4-openssl-dev pkg-config libncurses5-dev and libudev-dev


--
novak

[Searing]

error from your instructions above on #7 step (as you said the likely error point) I got this

configure: error: Missing required libcurl dev >= 7.18.2  

I'm using an old Compaq Evo N800v Laptop that can't run XP anymore (to monitor Titan(s)) and is running the latest patches that it can run of (just updated) Unbuntu 12.04 LTS (still supported with updates etc and again updated today all up to date) this is the most upgrade of such my little laptops can handle for unbuntu versions (topped out) FYI.

anyway just need more of your UNBUNTU command line magic to continue (I only installed unbuntu 12.04 LTS on these laptops because not useful for xp or above ....to monitor Titan(s) so
my extent of Linux is managing to install the install CD originally and get on the store and get putty.exe (free) to ssh into Titan(s)

So this oh so zoom zoom terminal scroll spiffy install stuff was pretty cool ...no idea wtf is going on but again cool... ..the installs/ build up to the point it choked in command line etc all
very MATRIX like scrolling away merrily ...looked like it was compiling SKYNET to a linux newbie like me...all very spiffy)

anyway just looking at what monkey see monkey do commands I need to type in next to continue this process

again thanks for the help

Crap I left off a step, where I said "you have to install the dependencies for cgminer," I didn't actually tell you what those where or how to do so.

Run this command:
sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config libcurl3-dev libudev-dev

The error you see is the configure script checking to make sure it has everything needed to compile and failing because it does not, specifically libcurl-dev is missing.  

I don't run ubuntu myself so I hope that the package names are accurate here (they're from the README).  If not... Let me know what packages it can't find.

EDIT: Package names may be as Jake36 posted:

build-essential autoconf automake libtool libcurl4-openssl-dev pkg-config libncurses5-dev and libudev-dev

so run:

sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool libcurl4-openssl-dev pkg-config libncurses5-dev and libudev-dev


--
novak

OK I got them to work ..here my  2 gekko dust miners at work set at default 150mh (no idea what a good GH speed is) here is my Eligius address below for anyone interested
they are running on Unbuntu 12.04 using the fixes (which I added to the list for Novak's help) he can post this someplace so folk can use it for probably unbuntu but at least
my version for sure of 12.04 LTC version on some older laptops (not the latest unbuntu but still supported with upgrades FYI) ..again prob will work with newer versions too.

anyway my Eligius Address to watch them mine below

http://eligius.st/~wizkid057/newstats/userstats.php/1PbhCD56EE1ur45UvTca5wEUkAPpTi25oq

below is a pic of them mining (no idea if these are good speeds at 150mh or what but anyway its a pic)




here is my full imgur album to look at my knc shrine to titan(s) etc notice the KNC Jupiter 550gh used now as a gravity assist device to keep the miner bench grounded

http://lostgonzo.imgur.com/


Here is the modified list to be used for the above with Novak's additions from the previous post


REVISED FIXED STEPS FOR UNBUNTU 12.04 LTC (and probably will work with newer versions)

If you want to run the sticks on linux, you'll need either bfgminer or cgminer.  Either way you are probably going to have to compile them, but I've had little trouble with this so it's probably just a matter of running a few simple commands.

Here's what you'd do to get cgminer on linux going:
1. Open a terminal.
2. wget http://gekkoscience.com/misc/cgminer-gekko.tar.gz            

This downloads the file- you can save it from your browser instead, it's the same thing.

3. tar -xvzf cgminer-gekko.tar.gz

This extracts the files. which are compressed (like a zip file for linux)

4. cd cgminer-gekko
 
Enters the cgminer-gekko folder you just extracted.

5. sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool

You need to install the dependencies for cgminer.

6. ./autogen.sh

This will generate a configure script for you which will set up compiling for your system.

7. ./configure --enable-gekko

7.1 ADDED FIX (#1) (See below) just run this

sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config libcurl3-dev libudev-dev

7.2 ADDED FIX (#2) just run this

sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf automake libtool libcurl4-openssl-dev pkg-config libncurses5-dev and libudev-dev

This will configure the build.  This is the most likely place to have anything go wrong, if it does, let me know exactly what's up.  Odds are it would be some package that you should have installed.

8. make

Performs the build.  If you get an error there- again, let me know details.

You are ready to run cgminer.  This should look something like:

./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://stratum.mining.eligius.st:3334 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr --compac-freq 150

Although if you don't have permissions setup you may have to become root or use sudo, eg,

sudo ./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://stratum.mining.eligius.st:3334 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr --compac-freq 150

cgminer should now detect any compacs plugged in while it is running.  Obviously you'll use a slightly different command to launch cgminer, if you use that one you'll be mining for us!  Most pools even post example commands, let me know if you need help figuring it out.

--
novak


ok works just fine ...anyone can tell me if the speeds are ok etc at 150mh and I can also tweak that later as I wish...but chugging away just fine (pretty lcd lights)

i also have a orico 10 port hub here that says windows and mac but works plug and play just fine with unbuntu 12.04 LTC w/o issue

here is a previous bitcointalk post with pic

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1126705.msg12348793#msg12348793


so all is well ...anyway the above listing (revised) works fine for anyone in need

thanks for the help Novak and Sidehack like the toys and appreciate the help (man prob should get more .....the grin of getting them up was worth the ROI)

but for use as a laugh on my 2 old no longer able to be used compaq evo N800V laptops on my Titan to monitor my Titan(s) this will be some pretty slick "bling"
for them to run too LOL

anyway later I'll prob be asking how to rev them up some ZOOM ZOOM

again thanks all for the help


additional: er by the way it says 54 MONTHS before I make enough to payout....er maybe I don't want to use Eligius huh?  lol

anyway other way to do this on a pool and at least get paid out in dust once every 2 months or some such? (or i guess i can just solo/lotto mine them
or NOVAK would be  like BUY MORE USB'S from them lol

just got a laugh off my page above with the 54 months to payout (edit: now it shows 17 months...progress)

[fullzero]

Got 2 sticks yesterday 

I haven't tried high settings yet; but they work great @ 150.

Your hashrate is actually more suggestive of a 200 MHz clock rate.  Did you supply a command line argument to force it to 150 MHz, or did you just "run it straight from the package". Your rates look great!

My package arrived at work today, so I have to wait until tonight to try mine out.  

Your right; I was using cmd line arguments, but they were ignored.  Was actually running default; usb3 control drivers always cause problems for me. 

[armedmilitia]

A few questions:

How would we go about REALLY pushing these sticks? The BM1384 datasheet says that these chips can do 22gh/s @ 10W--I'm pretty sure some of those dipo hubs that klintay was selling could actually handle the current for that. Is there a bottleneck for current in the stick (if that makes any sense)?

I also noticed that max operational temp of the chip is 125 degrees celsius. That seems quite high to me, do you know the actual max/recommended chip temps that the stickminer can handle?

Link for the lazy:
https://www.bitmaintech.com/files/download/BM1384_Datasheet_v2.0.pdf

Thanks everyone!

[notlist3d]

Turns out keeping some stuff is a good idea.  I kept a few hubs from old day's I found in my parts area.  Trying just a few at first. 

But I have a feeling will be buying a few more.  Started to map out an idea to hold my hubs and some fan's to keep it all cool.  Should work good in the end.

[fullzero]

I added a Jetflow 120 to my BE Cube case and made a usb to fan adapter to run it at 5v.  Almost silent and keeps the compacs cool to the touch.

[sidehack]

The current rating on the inductor is 17.5A, which at 400MHz (22GH) at 0.8V you should see less than 12.5A. I don't know where the breaking point is because I've never pushed one farther than 450MHz, which was drawing 2.5A from the USB jack. I bet if you could run about 850mV and 500MHz you'd see around 17A at 27.5GH and run a serious risk of your ASIC bursting into flames before the inductor does. But it'd be pretty fun. You'd also be drawing well over 3A from your jack, especially if the voltage was sagging.

[edonkey]

In any case, I take your point. I'll PM the Minera author to ask him about Compac support, and if it's OK for me to post an image.

If I do post an image, I'll have to clean it up a bit first. I've already personalized it for me.

michelem has given me permission to post the Minera mod. What a great guy! I'll try to get it cleaned up and posted today.

I've also been talking to him about directly supporting the Compac by including cgminer-gekko in a future release of Minera. It would be nice to have a built-in specialized mining alternative to the general solutions like bfgminer (which is already included with Minera, but currently is not the right version for Compac support).

Also if future products were based on the same cgminer-gekko fork, then having a foot in the door with Minera for the Compac could lead to more streamlined support for future Gekko products under Minera.

I'll get the mod posted then step out of the way. Maybe if novak wants to follow up regarding Gekko product support under Minera he could talk directly with michelem.

EDIT: Just read some other posts that indicate that Compac support will be included in the official cgminer release. If that's the case, then Compac support under Minera will naturally happen in future updates without requiring the inclusion of the Gekko fork. However it would still be nice to have a Compac preset in Minera (maybe it would set the lowest frequency as an example). That would be something that michelem could add.

[notlist3d]

In any case, I take your point. I'll PM the Minera author to ask him about Compac support, and if it's OK for me to post an image.

If I do post an image, I'll have to clean it up a bit first. I've already personalized it for me.

michelem has given me permission to post the Minera mod. What a great guy! I'll try to get it cleaned up and posted today.

I've also been talking to him about directly supporting the Compac by including cgminer-gekko in a future release of Minera. It would be nice to have a built-in specialized mining alternative to the general solutions like bfgminer (which is already included with Minera, but currently is not the right version for Compac support).

Also if future products were based on the same cgminer-gekko fork, then having a foot in the door with Minera for the Compac could lead to more streamlined support for future Gekko products under Minera.

I'll get the mod posted then step out of the way. Maybe if novak wants to follow up regarding Gekko product support under Minera he could talk directly with michelem.

Can't wait to see image!  Sounds like a good guy to allow it.  And thank you for doing it.

Will it work on raspberry Pi2 or just Raspberry PI 1.  I am new to Minera.

[edonkey]

In any case, I take your point. I'll PM the Minera author to ask him about Compac support, and if it's OK for me to post an image.

If I do post an image, I'll have to clean it up a bit first. I've already personalized it for me.

michelem has given me permission to post the Minera mod. What a great guy! I'll try to get it cleaned up and posted today.

I've also been talking to him about directly supporting the Compac by including cgminer-gekko in a future release of Minera. It would be nice to have a built-in specialized mining alternative to the general solutions like bfgminer (which is already included with Minera, but currently is not the right version for Compac support).

Also if future products were based on the same cgminer-gekko fork, then having a foot in the door with Minera for the Compac could lead to more streamlined support for future Gekko products under Minera.

I'll get the mod posted then step out of the way. Maybe if novak wants to follow up regarding Gekko product support under Minera he could talk directly with michelem.

Can't wait to see image!  Sounds like a good guy to allow it.  And thank you for doing it.

Will it work on raspberry Pi2 or just Raspberry PI 1.  I am new to Minera.

Yeah, he's a great guy with a great product.

I'm running Minera on three different Pi's, but they're all variants on the Pi 1. I don't know if Minera works on a Pi 2. That's a good question.

[novak@gekkoscience]

A few questions:

How would we go about REALLY pushing these sticks? The BM1384 datasheet says that these chips can do 22gh/s @ 10W--I'm pretty sure some of those dipo hubs that klintay was selling could actually handle the current for that. Is there a bottleneck for current in the stick (if that makes any sense)?

I also noticed that max operational temp of the chip is 125 degrees celsius. That seems quite high to me, do you know the actual max/recommended chip temps that the stickminer can handle?

Link for the lazy:
https://www.bitmaintech.com/files/download/BM1384_Datasheet_v2.0.pdf

Thanks everyone!

You'd have to keep it cool, obviously.  The 125C is internal to the chip so if the heatsink gets that hot you've got yourself a paperweight.

The lowest bottleneck on current for the stick is the USB jack, which is only rated for 1.5A.  I haven't seen any trouble with pushing them above that but you've been warned.  Other than that, as sidehack said, both the chip and inductor will start getting very hot once you get over about 450MHz at over 800mV.

OK I got them to work ..here my  2 gekko dust miners at work set at default 150mh (no idea what a good GH speed is) here is my Eligius address below for anyone interested
they are running on Unbuntu 12.04 using the fixes (which I added to the list for Novak's help) he can post this someplace so folk can use it for probably unbuntu but at least
my version for sure of 12.04 LTC version on some older laptops (not the latest unbuntu but still supported with upgrades FYI) ..again prob will work with newer versions too.

anyway my Eligius Address to watch them mine below

http://eligius.st/~wizkid057/newstats/userstats.php/1PbhCD56EE1ur45UvTca5wEUkAPpTi25oq

Awseome, I may add some of this info to the original post where people can see it.  As far as hashrate, if you read my original post it tells you that expected hashrate in GH is MHz * .055, so at 150MHz you should expect 8.25GH per stick.  150MHz probably pulls a little over stock USB power, especially if you don't undervolt them, so it's a pretty good starting place.  If you have a beefy hub you can try going higher but you may also need to adjust the voltage up a little.

--
novak

[armedmilitia]

The current rating on the inductor is 17.5A, which at 400MHz (22GH) at 0.8V you should see less than 12.5A. I don't know where the breaking point is because I've never pushed one farther than 450MHz, which was drawing 2.5A from the USB jack. I bet if you could run about 850mV and 500MHz you'd see around 17A at 27.5GH and run a serious risk of your ASIC bursting into flames before the inductor does. But it'd be pretty fun. You'd also be drawing well over 3A from your jack, especially if the voltage was sagging.

You'd have to keep it cool, obviously.  The 125C is internal to the chip so if the heatsink gets that hot you've got yourself a paperweight.

The lowest bottleneck on current for the stick is the USB jack, which is only rated for 1.5A.  I haven't seen any trouble with pushing them above that but you've been warned.  Other than that, as sidehack said, both the chip and inductor will start getting very hot once you get over about 450MHz at over 800mV.

Really useful info guys, thanks. The inductor is the part of the miner that converts your usb DC 5v to the chip 0.6-0.8v, right?

Sidehack/Novak, I guess we'll find out the breaking point. I'm planning on pushing my spare one as hard as possible! I'll be recording that on video, sure hope my hub doesn't give out first.
 
I'm thinking of crudely attaching it to my s1 heatsink to suck some of that heat out.

[sidehack]

Be careful how crude it is. Don't short something out.

The inductor is part of the circuit that does the voltage conversion. It's the R47 brick in the middle. The two flat black guys off its corner alternate switching between GND and 5V, then the inductor and all the capacitors to its upper left filter that switched voltage down to an average DC value.

[armedmilitia]

Be careful how crude it is. Don't short something out.

The inductor is part of the circuit that does the voltage conversion. It's the R47 brick in the middle. The two flat black guys off its corner alternate switching between GND and 5V, then the inductor and all the capacitors to its upper left filter that switched voltage down to an average DC value.

I'll double check exactly what the metal of the heatsink is touching. I'll have to figure out a way to cool that brick too, thanks for the explanation. You learn something new every day. I'm pretty excited for this project.

[Meech]

I added a Jetflow 120 to my BE Cube case and made a usb to fan adapter to run it at 5v.  Almost silent and keeps the compacs cool to the touch.

Thats exactly what I intend to do.  Nice.

[novak@gekkoscience]

Running at 23.77 GH/s (at 437.5 MHz, expected hashrate is 24.06 GH/s) with 0.7% HW errors.  Voltage is measured at almost exactly 0.80 V, which is the max the stick goes to.  Running at 425MHz I got one hardware error in about half an hour.

--
novak

[bmoscato]

That's crazy, how much heat is the stick throwing off?  I'm wondering if you put like six of these in a hub if you'd be able to keep them cool...

[novak@gekkoscience]

That's crazy, how much heat is the stick throwing off?  I'm wondering if you put like six of these in a hub if you'd be able to keep them cool...

I measured 2.8A on USB (which sagged to 4.9V), so that's 13.7W.  I just had it in front of a pretty mediocre 120mm computer fan and the single stick was fine.  Not cool but it was probably about a 15C temperature increase on the heatsink.

--
novak