GekkoScience Compac BM1384 Stickminer Official Support Thread

[zOU]

The shop is in a state of electrical-renovation turmoil right now (Novak's computer, this craptop and the hosting room are the only things functional right now; we don't even have lights back yet) but as soon as my workbench machine is back up I'll post the mechanical spec for the heatsinks.

Thank you !

Hopefully I will not fry my sticks :p

I'm a bit wary of putting 2 face to face on the heatsink as it'll create a double hotspot where the 2 chips are in contact, but on the other hand it's quite big and will be well cooled with 2 fans. (push/pull, 1 fan at each end of the heatsink)

Since I have 6, I plan to put 3 on each side.

[munky666]

is it possible to have 2 gekko sticks mining in 2 different pools using just one raspberry pi with bfgminer?

[Mikestang]

is it possible to have 2 gekko sticks mining in 2 different pools using just one raspberry pi with bfgminer?

I know how to do it with cgminer, you run two instances of cg and in each batch file you use --usb :1 which means that instance of cgminer will only use 1 usb device and not look for others, then you configure each instance to point 1 stick to the pool you want.

I don't see a similar command for bfg, so you probably have to do load balancing and send 1/2 the hash to one pool and 1/2 to another.

[Mikestang]

I'm a bit wary of putting 2 face to face on the heatsink as it'll create a double hotspot where the 2 chips are in contact, but on the other hand it's quite big and will be well cooled with 2 fans. (push/pull, 1 fan at each end of the heatsink)

What are you hoping to accomplish with this?  If it's additional cooling beyond the stock heat sink then I think having the chips back to back is not a good idea.  Stagger them each side so the chips aren't right against each other.

[zOU]

What are you hoping to accomplish with this?  If it's additional cooling beyond the stock heat sink then I think having the chips back to back is not a good idea.  Stagger them each side so the chips aren't right against each other.

yep, that's also something I though about

Once I get the space between the mounting holes I'll see what I can do.

Just trying to put to some use some spare heatsinks I have lying around

I still have a couple of boxes of old junk to go through (I'll probably find my old Alpha P7125 too !)

[sidehack]

Well you're in luck, because my workstation's back up. At least temporarily.



Note that the Compac heatsink actually has 8 fins. I wasn't really specifying the profile so much as the dimensions.

[zOU]

Thank you !

Let's hope luck sticks around and we find a block in the stick run !

[edonkey]

is it possible to have 2 gekko sticks mining in 2 different pools using just one raspberry pi with bfgminer?

If you don't have a problem using cgminer-gekko, you could use the "--balance" option and specify two pools. It's a simpler approach than running multiple cgminer instances.

I do this today with the Minera/Compac mod. I've got two sticks that balance between two pool configurations. Easy to set up and it works well.

[hedgy73]

is it possible to have 2 gekko sticks mining in 2 different pools using just one raspberry pi with bfgminer?

If you don't have a problem using cgminer-gekko, you could use the "--balance" option and specify two pools. It's a simpler approach than running multiple cgminer instances.

I do this today with the Minera/Compac mod. I've got two sticks that balance between two pool configurations. Easy to set up and it works well.

That sounds interesting. Can you show an example of how this is done please?

[zOU]

This should be asked and discussed in the cgminer thread as it is not relevant to the HW

But here you go:
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/20992/can-i-set-up-cgminer-to-mine-in-different-pools-by-a-defined-ratio

[hedgy73]

This should be asked and discussed in the cgminer thread as it is not relevant to the HW

But here you go:
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/20992/can-i-set-up-cgminer-to-mine-in-different-pools-by-a-defined-ratio

Thanks zOU .

[Biodom]

for BFGminer:

--set compac:clock=*** (decimal, not hex)

you can fine tune them by:
- setting them at the frequency you want to achieve (assuming your hub port can deliver the W)
- setting core V until you get no HW error using the "screw pod"

coming back to this command-I tried to use it, but compacs don't initialize (say DEAD in red/yellow) when I set it at 180, although I waited just 30 sec.
I think the default is 150, right? With wiper at ~ 600-650mV (flat at 4pm), what would be a good starting frequency?

[Mikestang]

for BFGminer:

--set compac:clock=*** (decimal, not hex)

you can fine tune them by:
- setting them at the frequency you want to achieve (assuming your hub port can deliver the W)
- setting core V until you get no HW error using the "screw pod"

coming back to this command-I tried to use it, but compacs don't initialize (say DEAD in red/yellow) when I set it at 180, although I waited just 30 sec.
I think the default is 150, right? With wiper at ~ 600-650mV (flat at 4pm), what would be a good starting frequency?

Default is 225, the compacs will run at that freq if you do not include any command, but the frequency setting shouldn't have any effect on bfg reporting your compacs as DEAD.  You may have other issues.

Your freq should be set based on the available amperage to your stick.  I think 250 is right around 0.9A, so good for a usb3 port.

[Biodom]

for BFGminer:

--set compac:clock=*** (decimal, not hex)

you can fine tune them by:
- setting them at the frequency you want to achieve (assuming your hub port can deliver the W)
- setting core V until you get no HW error using the "screw pod"

coming back to this command-I tried to use it, but compacs don't initialize (say DEAD in red/yellow) when I set it at 180, although I waited just 30 sec.
I think the default is 150, right? With wiper at ~ 600-650mV (flat at 4pm), what would be a good starting frequency?

Default is 225, the compacs will run at that freq if you do not include any command, but the frequency setting shouldn't have any effect on bfg reporting your compacs as DEAD.  You may have other issues.

Your freq should be set based on the available amperage to your stick.  I think 250 is right around 0.9A, so good for a usb3 port.

I find this whole command line finicky.
Sometimes it starts OK, sometimes it says
"got 0000000", then start, sometimes just hangs.
my bfgminer directory now also somehow auto-executes whatever I paste there without hitting return/enter.

EDIT: I keep trying to run five sticks on Superbpag. Four -zero errors, fifth-10% error, and it is not the stick because it does not matter which stick I try (it is a different one each time), but tend to be one of the latter slots (CBMs). Anyway, getting >53-54 Gh from five sticks at default frequency and mV. Next-oveclocking with Y cable.
Do you guys have a particular fan you favor? I am using little Arctic USB fan, but its flexible neck is too darn short.

[Jake36]

for BFGminer:

--set compac:clock=*** (decimal, not hex)

you can fine tune them by:
- setting them at the frequency you want to achieve (assuming your hub port can deliver the W)
- setting core V until you get no HW error using the "screw pod"

coming back to this command-I tried to use it, but compacs don't initialize (say DEAD in red/yellow) when I set it at 180, although I waited just 30 sec.
I think the default is 150, right? With wiper at ~ 600-650mV (flat at 4pm), what would be a good starting frequency?

Default is 225, the compacs will run at that freq if you do not include any command, but the frequency setting shouldn't have any effect on bfg reporting your compacs as DEAD.  You may have other issues.

Your freq should be set based on the available amperage to your stick.  I think 250 is right around 0.9A, so good for a usb3 port.

I find this whole command line finicky.
Sometimes it starts OK, sometimes it says
"got 0000000", then start, sometimes just hangs.
my bfgminer directory now also somehow auto-executes whatever I paste there without hitting return/enter.

EDIT: I keep trying to run five sticks on Superbpag. Four -zero errors, fifth-10% error, and it is not the stick because it does not matter which stick I try (it is a different one each time), but tend to be one of the latter slots (CBMs). Anyway, getting >53-54 Gh from five sticks at default frequency and mV. Next-oveclocking with Y cable.
Do you guys have a particular fan you favor? I am using little Arctic USB fan, but its flexible neck is too darn short.

I've got a old 5V case fan hooked up and just zipped tied in place along with 1 of the arctic usb fans.

Kind of strange about the superbpag, I've pushed it kind of hard, with 7 sticks @ 275MHz for ~6 hours and never had trouble (just noticed the superbpag getting a little warm, so stopped). Right now I've been moving sticks around, but got 5 sticks @ 250MHz in it.

[Mikestang]

because it does not matter which stick I try (it is a different one each time), but tend to be one of the latter slots (CBMs).

Could the hub be running out of power, like it can't supply enough to the last stick so the stick generate HW errors? You would expect this if the voltage wasn't turn up enough on the stick, but since it's a different stick dependent on how many other sticks are ahead of it then it might be the hub.

[Biodom]

because it does not matter which stick I try (it is a different one each time), but tend to be one of the latter slots (CBMs).

Could the hub be running out of power, like it can't supply enough to the last stick so the stick generate HW errors? You would expect this if the voltage wasn't turn up enough on the stick, but since it's a different stick dependent on how many other sticks are ahead of it then it might be the hub.

yeah, could be, but it is NEVER the very last one, but rather the third or fourth (most often).
It could be because I hooked it up to USB2 nonpowered hub and not directly to pi zero. Did not try with pi B+ or pi 2 yet.

[xleejohnx]

anyone running minepeon on a pi with this compac plugged in?

i cant get it to hash over 3ghs
it is in a powered usb hub 2.0 5v4a

if anyone has a step by step so i can see if i  missed anything.

or if you have a better idea on how to go about setting up the pi to work... im open to any ideas

[Biodom]

anyone running minepeon on a pi with this compac plugged in?

i cant get it to hash over 3ghs
it is in a powered usb hub 2.0 5v4a

if anyone has a step by step so i can see if i  missed anything.

or if you have a better idea on how to go about setting up the pi to work... im open to any ideas

i run it on pi zero using USB 3.0 powered hub that was discussed here a lot-a very powerful Superbpag (70W, 14A, 2A/slot).
People hooked up Superbpag directly to pi via USB, but i used a nonpowered usb 2.0 hub as a bridge because mouse and keyboard don't like usb 3.0 hubs, apparently, and pi zero doesn't have multiple USB ports while regular pi does (so, you don't even need that bridge for regular pi B+ or pi 2).
I hooked up mouse and keyboard and usb-to ethernet adapter to usb 2.0 bridge.
Also, just use bfgminer on pi via command line in Terminal.

[zOU]

anyone running minepeon on a pi with this compac plugged in?

i cant get it to hash over 3ghs
it is in a powered usb hub 2.0 5v4a

if anyone has a step by step so i can see if i  missed anything.

or if you have a better idea on how to go about setting up the pi to work... im open to any ideas

best way to start is to check at what V the core chip is running.

So get your favorite multimeter and verify using ground + vcore pads at the back.

then force it to run at 150Mhs for a start.

and then take it from there depending on your usb hub W per port.

Check this for speed / W correspondence:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16epfBXVscFFZV1G3_Gn8SHDzB46bq93CUnH8cHoyoxQ/edit#gid=0