Raspberry Pi alternatives that can run multiple BFL singles, ASICs ?

[crazyates]

Side note: I'm totally geeking out the past few days looking up all these mini ARM computers. Whoever said ASICs would take all the fun out of mining was lying. 

[stevegee58]

A BeagleBone would be a potential alternative.  I'm surprised noone has mentioned it yet.  They draw about 3 watts, less than the RPi.

Those look to be between 90 and 100 USD. Kind of on the pricey side. $50 is about my personal cap for these types of hardware.

They're $87 if you buy 5 or more. 

Seriously we use these things at work and I use them at home.  They're very reliable, apparently more reliable than the current generation of RPi.

[bitcoindaddy]

A BeagleBone would be a potential alternative.  I'm surprised noone has mentioned it yet.  They draw about 3 watts, less than the RPi.

Those look to be between 90 and 100 USD. Kind of on the pricey side. $50 is about my personal cap for these types of hardware.

They're $87 if you buy 5 or more. 

Seriously we use these things at work and I use them at home.  They're very reliable, apparently more reliable than the current generation of RPi.

Looks like a better processor than the Raspberry Pi, but no video out, so it would kind of leave you guessing if something went wrong and you couldn't connect to it.

[stevegee58]

Looks like a better processor than the Raspberry Pi, but no video out, so it would kind of leave you guessing if something went wrong and you couldn't connect to it.

Real men don't need no stinking GUI!  You SSH into it like a man!

[crazyates]

Looks like a better processor than the Raspberry Pi, but no video out, so it would kind of leave you guessing if something went wrong and you couldn't connect to it.

Real men don't need no stinking GUI!  You SSH into it like a man!

Lol

[hardcore-fs]

A BeagleBone would be a potential alternative.  I'm surprised noone has mentioned it yet.  They draw about 3 watts, less than the RPi.

Those look to be between 90 and 100 USD. Kind of on the pricey side. $50 is about my personal cap for these types of hardware.

They're $87 if you buy 5 or more. 

Seriously we use these things at work and I use them at home.  They're very reliable, apparently more reliable than the current generation of RPi.

Looks like a better processor than the Raspberry Pi, but no video out, so it would kind of leave you guessing if something went wrong and you couldn't connect to it.

For a bit extra you can get a newbie front end.
http://www.chipsee.com/beaglebone.html

Other than that you get into it like any other remote 'linux' platform, because no matter how 'good' your eyes are, you will not be able to see a monitor 'remotely'.

[hardcore-fs]

I'm a bit more rudimentary, using an FPGA miner to debug the controller that I'm going to be using to run the ASIC rigs.

Critical requirements:

1. TWO Network ports
2. MULTIPLE USB ports routed DIRECTLY into the Microcontroller chip not via a hub.
3. Embedded linux.
4. IDE port.






Mining software:
Anything that can be cross compiled for linux, currently I'm using an embedded python design with web front end.
Utilisation is about 12%

[stevegee58]

Nice work dude.  What controller board is that you're using?

[hardcore-fs]

The Xilinx is one of a few I own from my Uni. thesis work, its like the first time I've pulled it out of its box since then.
The "green" controller is YLP2440 Proto board that I was gifted by the Chinese supplier to do kernel work for them back in 2007!!
so the kernel was like 2.4.x
I had to re-do the linux drivers & board kernel files so that It could be brought unto the 2.6.39 head.
The biggest fuck-fest was that 64 bit linux mis-compiles the cross platform binaries and disk images, BUT the kernel works.

Seems ARM only correctly compiles under 32 bit linux, then getting python to run is a whole new issue.......
Plus the RTC clock battery went flat, so it thinks it is 2000.

But it does indeed work and means that there is no need to run expensive host systems, plus if it turns out to be under powered I have a few spare 7",8", 10" tablets (again from suppliers)


Bootup


starting the python client



Overall workload 7%, which varies upto 12%, so it may well be that really cheap arm processors may NOT be able to reliably support ASIC mining rigs, which means I may well have to look at hacking up one of my tablets........

[BitSyncom]

It's only got 32MB of DDR1 RAM. That isn't enough to run cgminer, is it?

It runs fine, but I have not tested with multiple devices. I don't think it'll be a problem, I'll hook up some FPGAs and let you know.

[hardcore-fs]

It's only got 32MB of DDR1 RAM. That isn't enough to run cgminer, is it?

It runs fine, but I have not tested with multiple devices. I don't think it'll be a problem, I'll hook up some FPGAs and let you know.

Once you clear all the shit out of linux, you will be surprised at how light it can be (<1mb).
Main issue is going to be the interfaces bottlenecking then hammering the CPU interrupt threads, potentially with ASICS you should be seeing a full nonce cycle time in about 30-35ms, so there will be an enforced work requirement at the end of that , plus any overhead of "found" nonces during that period.

It all depends how these bloody suppliers are going to configure the ASICS.

A. Each ASIC sha256 internal protocol engine is given a full range.
B. Each ASIC sha256 internal protocol engine is given a partial range
C. buffering of work within the engine?
D. buffering of final results?
 I.E with a full scan range of 30-35ms, it makes sense to return a SINGLE buffer of all valid results for that nonce at the end of the scan, that way work scheduling becomes very easy and less likely to collide on the communication bus.
Once you allow  individual reporting of nonce hits, you basically convert your scheduling of jobs to a random function, as returning nonces collide with potential job allocations on the communication busses.

HC

[Kuusou]

Is anyone using or thinking about using one of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834684001

I think I might pick one up even if I don't use it as a mining controller.

[runlinux]

Is anyone using or thinking about using one of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834684001

I think I might pick one up even if I don't use it as a mining controller.

Maybe with Uberoid installed it may work. Those things suck so hard. I played with one at work for about 10 seconds before I gave it back.

[abbeytim]

to be honest even if you use a modern pc it will still take less power than when you gpu mined so i dont get why you need a raspberry pi when you can just buy a used netbook for under $100

[hardcore-fs]

to be honest even if you use a modern pc it will still take less power than when you gpu mined so i dont get why you need a raspberry pi when you can just buy a used netbook for under $100

...... because......

It equates to electrical usage, the less wattage per hash you use... the MORE profit you make, also the cost of the kit has to be amortized over the profit.

One Embedded system running WRT = 
one less:
Desktop/portable
Hub/switch
Power supply
less heat.
less hippies complaining about the global impact of mining bit coins....

[stevegee58]

Exactly.  You can make a custom PC with a micro ATX motherboard, RAM, CPU etc and use that as a custom controller.  They can be put together pretty cheaply but they still consume way more power than a RPi or BeagleBone.

A PC controlling an ASIC miner will draw around 100 watts (obviously if it's GPU mining it's way more).
A BeagleBone draws about 3 watts.

At 10 cents/kWh a PC costs about $7/month to run 24/7.

[Kuusou]

Is anyone using or thinking about using one of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834684001

I think I might pick one up even if I don't use it as a mining controller.

Maybe with Uberoid installed it may work. Those things suck so hard. I played with one at work for about 10 seconds before I gave it back.

You would use it the same exact way you would any of these other devices. Except with the added perk of having a keyboard, mouse, and screen attached to it for quick use.

I don't know why anyone would think to keep (or put it on in the first place...) Windows CE..

[hardcore-fs]

Is anyone using or thinking about using one of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834684001

I think I might pick one up even if I don't use it as a mining controller.

Maybe with Uberoid installed it may work. Those things suck so hard. I played with one at work for about 10 seconds before I gave it back.

You would use it the same exact way you would any of these other devices. Except with the added perk of having a keyboard, mouse, and screen attached to it for quick use.

I don't know why anyone would think to keep (or put it on in the first place...) Windows CE..

OY!!! , windows CE was cutting edge tech. compared to windows8!
Lightweight... all the stability of windows 98... when programs could actually run in under 4mb of ram.


It should be like anything else... you choose your computing equipment & OS to perform a task, unfortunately there is a lot of platform  and os 'silliness'

But you can see how it propagates:
The Raspberry Pi is a good solid machine and looks cool (who would not want to tell people they paid 25pounds for a computer?) BUT is it suitable for running a farm of ASICS?

People tend to evaluate hardware along the lines of :
"Hay that's cool/ can get me laid, how can I integrate it into what I'm doing?"
Which is how the whole  Iphone/Ipad fiasco got started.
Rather than:
"What do I honestly need to accomplish, what are the requirements, what kit should I use?"


Personally I think that for the coolest/easiest life, people should be looking for a multi-PORT setup to run an ASIC farm NOT trying to cram it all into shitty USB hubs tied into mega SOC's.

HC

[CrazyGuy]

I think you have a good point hardcore, although I'm not sure about the possibility of an iPhone or RPi getting you laid. With that said, here's a guy running cgminer on his linksys router:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=76685.0

[zxyzxy]

Exactly.  You can make a custom PC with a micro ATX motherboard, RAM, CPU etc and use that as a custom controller.  They can be put together pretty cheaply but they still consume way more power than a RPi or BeagleBone.

A PC controlling an ASIC miner will draw around 100 watts (obviously if it's GPU mining it's way more).
A BeagleBone draws about 3 watts.

At 10 cents/kWh a PC costs about $7/month to run 24/7.

if someone compiles a tutorial on how to make it run via beaglebone, im happy to oblige