Avalon ASIC users thread

[dust]

One of my batch 3 avalons is performing very poorly due to a high HW errors.  Unplugging all by one module, each module individually has between a 25 and 75% HW error rate at either 256 or 300Mhz.

This degraded performance starting after about 6 hours of mining at 300Mhz.

Is there anything I should try before trying to make a warranty claim?

I was calculating the hardware error rate wrong.  It should be HW/LocalWork, which brings the error rates i'm seeing to a much more reasonable 1%.

Regardless, 3 out of 4 of my batch 3 units end up with <10Gh/s after 3-12hrs of mining, some more frequently than others.

Could this behavior be due to the new temperature throttling feature?  I have the default temperature limits of 70C target and 90C cutoff, but I don't see the temps going over 70C.

[1713953078]

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[1713953078]

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[1713953078]

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[iammagicmike]

I've been running my 4 module version Avalons at 350mhz using the stock PSU. Is this bad?

I have had 7 Avalons at 350mhz running on the stock PSU for about a week. I did have to replace one PSU, but otherwise they seem to be running fine.

In my previous experience when a PSU goes bad, the whole machine just shuts off, after replacing the power supply everything is good to go and no extra harm was done.

Am I taking a large gamble of the PSUs failing and potentially harming the equipment?

I read in the Batch 3 thread that a four module Avalon @ 350mhz runs at 930 Watts at the wall. I think the Avalons only ship with 850w PSUs. So obviously what I'm doing is probably risky, I'm just wondering how risky??

I would say you are very lucky. We have 2 4 module avalons with stock PSUs, and both are very unstable at anything over 300 MHz. Replaced one so far with a 1200w corsair PSU, and it runs solid at 350MHz static overclock. In fact it runs better with less error on static 350 than with 350 as a start point and --avalon-auto option.

Not sure why yours are OK, but consider yourself lucky!

was there any special way that you overclocked?  I just got my 4 module running w a 1250 W OCZ PSU yesterday and I was happy that she was up and running.  Haven't had time to mess around with OC. 

[crazyearner]

any idea how to fix the NMW

[STATS] => 0
   [ID] => AVA0
   [Elapsed] => 1439
   [Calls] => 0
   [Wait] => 0.000000
   [Max] => 0.000000
   [Min] => 99999999.000000
   [baud] => 115200
   [miner_count] => 24
   [asic_count] => 10
   [timeout] => 35
   [frequency] => 354
   [fan1] => 1560
   [fan2] => 2400
   [fan3] => 2400
   [temp1] => 26
   [temp2] => 50
   [temp3] => 50
   [temp_max] => 50
   [no_matching_work] => 81
   [match_work_count1] => 1139
   [match_work_count2] => 1077
   [match_work_count3] => 1146
   [match_work_count4] => 1112
   [match_work_count5] => 1129
   [match_work_count6] => 1151
   [match_work_count7] => 1144
   [match_work_count8] => 1147
   [match_work_count9] => 1083
   [match_work_count10] => 1157
   [match_work_count11] => 1147
   [match_work_count12] => 1099
   [match_work_count13] => 1163
   [match_work_count14] => 1175
   [match_work_count15] => 1141
   [match_work_count16] => 1188
   [match_work_count17] => 1161
   [match_work_count18] => 1110
   [match_work_count19] => 1130
   [match_work_count20] => 1157
   [match_work_count21] => 1175
   [match_work_count22] => 1179
   [match_work_count23] => 1226
   [match_work_count24] => 1165

[Ghost of USD]

Sorry if this has already been discussed:

Should I be connecting the second EPS12V CPU connection on the PDU board? It seems to be working just fine with one, but I'm not interested in toasting anything!

And if I should connect it, can I just use an 8-pin PCI-e connection? I've got only one "CPU" connection on my PSU.

Thanks all

Touch the wires. Slightly warmer than ambient is OK. Anything more is dangerous.

You absolutely CANNOT swap EPS12V for PCIE. Be careful because depending on the manufacturing tolerances, sometimes those molex plugs can fit the wrong socket. But I recommend you don't even try, it will short out the PSU.

That said, if someone knows what they are doing, they could theoretically change around the positives and negatives to make it work.

[fpgaminer]

any idea how to fix the NMW

Please search before asking; it saves everyone time.

NMW is just another kind of hardware error.  Best to just ignore it.

[fpgaminer]

Regardless, 3 out of 4 of my batch 3 units end up with <10Gh/s after 3-12hrs of mining, some more frequently than others.

Check the System Log.  Do you see any errors with the error code -71?

[kano]

any idea how to fix the NMW

Please search before asking; it saves everyone time.

NMW is just another kind of hardware error.  Best to just ignore it.

and being very roughly about 0.3% in his post, it really doesn't matter either.

[kefky]

I have a batch#3 Avalon with 4 modules. Firmware Version: 20130723. WiFi is disabled.
After few hours of mining I get usually error messages like these:

Code:

usb 1-1: clear tt 1 (0040) error -71

usb 1-1: clear tt 1 (8040) error -71

usb 1-1: clear tt 1 (0030) error -71

usb 1-1: clear tt 1 (9031) error -71 

Any idea how to fix this?

[kefky]

Regardless, 3 out of 4 of my batch 3 units end up with <10Gh/s after 3-12hrs of mining, some more frequently than others.

Check the System Log.  Do you see any errors with the error code -71?

I have the same problem and I see error code -71 in the system log.
Any idea how to fix this?
(firmware Version: 20130723. WiFi is disabled.)

[2weiX]

Sorry if this has already been discussed:

Should I be connecting the second EPS12V CPU connection on the PDU board? It seems to be working just fine with one, but I'm not interested in toasting anything!

And if I should connect it, can I just use an 8-pin PCI-e connection? I've got only one "CPU" connection on my PSU.

I connected *all* the power connectors on my b3's and they all work fine:
1 x 24-pin mobo connector
2 x EPS 12v
3 x PCI-E 8-pin

I looked around and didn't see any directions on the forums about which to connect, and Avalon shipped with no documentation, so I figured it's a power-hungry thing and why not just connect them all.

You cannot substitute the pci-e for the eps connector.

Bought a nice ANTEC 1200W PSU
that only comes with ONE (ONE!!!!) CPU cable.

Why-oh-why couldn't they just have used 4x PCIE?

[exahash]

Regardless, 3 out of 4 of my batch 3 units end up with <10Gh/s after 3-12hrs of mining, some more frequently than others.

Could this behavior be due to the new temperature throttling feature?  I have the default temperature limits of 70C target and 90C cutoff, but I don't see the temps going over 70C.

I had the same problem on my batch 3's.  I noticed the load average was really high whenever that happened, logged in via ssh, and saw cgminer was eating nearly 100% of the cpu.

I solved it by adding this to the end of /usr/bin/cgminer-monitor

A=`top -n1 |grep cgminer | cut -d'%' -f2 | head -n1`
sleep 2
B=`top -n1 |grep cgminer | cut -d'%' -f2 | head -n1`
sleep 2
C=`top -n1 |grep cgminer | cut -d'%' -f2 | head -n1`
if [ $A -gt 80 ] && [ $B -gt 80 ] && [ $C -gt 80 ]; then
#    echo "All are greater than 80"
    killall -s 9 cgminer
    sleep 1
    /etc/init.d/cgminer restart
    exit 0;
fi


What that's doing is looking at the cpu usage of cgminer three times, a couple seconds apart, and if it's over 80% all three times then it's too high, so restart cgminer.

cgminer-monitor already runs every two minutes, so at worst I'm only giving up about 2 mins of hashing.

[fpgaminer]

Any idea how to fix this?
(firmware Version: 20130723. WiFi is disabled.)

If you haven't already, you have to delete/remove WiFi, not just disable/stop it.  Network->Wifi->Remove

Obviously: Make sure you have set up and are running over LAN first.

[kefky]

Any idea how to fix this?
(firmware Version: 20130723. WiFi is disabled.)

If you haven't already, you have to delete/remove WiFi, not just disable/stop it.  Network->Wifi->Remove

Obviously: Make sure you have set up and are running over LAN first.

Thanks I'll give a try but after few hours of mining I also noticed that some of the match_work_counts are zero:

Code:

   [match_work_count9] => 0
   [match_work_count10] => 0
   [match_work_count11] => 0
   [match_work_count12] => 0
   [match_work_count13] => 0
   [match_work_count14] => 0
   [match_work_count15] => 0
   [match_work_count16] => 0

It looks like some of the chips are not working.
I rebooted the unit many times but the same match_work_counts are always zero.
The unit running stable but only with 50-57 Gh/s.   
What can I do?

[odin.dillinger]

just got my long awaited btach 3, and evertything seems to be running nice, but i cant seem to get into the web interface from my wi fi. Anybody knows why? Probably a noob question, but then again, I am a noob 

[SolarSilver]

Thanks I'll give a try but after few hours of mining I also noticed that some of the match_work_counts are zero:

Code:

   [match_work_count9] => 0
   [match_work_count10] => 0
   [match_work_count11] => 0
   [match_work_count12] => 0
   [match_work_count13] => 0
   [match_work_count14] => 0
   [match_work_count15] => 0
   [match_work_count16] => 0

It looks like some of the chips are not working.
I rebooted the unit many times but the same match_work_counts are always zero.
The unit running stable but only with 50-57 Gh/s.  
What can I do?

Open the cover (count the nuts you retrieve so you don't end up with one dropped on the inside shorting out
the FPGA board) and re-connect the power cord coming from the PDU to the second hashing module and also check it's flat cable going to the FPGA controler board.

One of them is probably loose from shipping abuse

[CoinHoarder]

just got my long awaited btach 3, and evertything seems to be running nice, but i cant seem to get into the web interface from my wi fi. Anybody knows why? Probably a noob question, but then again, I am a noob  

Connect an ethernet cable from your Avalon directly into a laptop/computer.

Manually configure your computer's IP address to 192.168.0.101

Open http://192.168.0.100 in a web browser

Make sure WR703N can access Internet, Configure WiFi: Network -> WIFI -> Scan(select your WIFI network) -> Join Network -> WPA passphrase -> Submit -> Save & Apply for connect to WIFI Internet

Setup your mining worker: Status -> Cgminer Configuration.

Restart the cgminer service: System -> Startup

Check your avalon status: Status -> Cgminer Status

Setup password using ssh (or through the web interface)

More info here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon

[kefky]

Thanks I'll give a try but after few hours of mining I also noticed that some of the match_work_counts are zero:

Code:

   [match_work_count9] => 0
   [match_work_count10] => 0
   [match_work_count11] => 0
   [match_work_count12] => 0
   [match_work_count13] => 0
   [match_work_count14] => 0
   [match_work_count15] => 0
   [match_work_count16] => 0

It looks like some of the chips are not working.
I rebooted the unit many times but the same match_work_counts are always zero.
The unit running stable but only with 50-57 Gh/s.  
What can I do?

Open the cover (count the nuts you retrieve so you don't end up with one dropped on the inside shorting out
the FPGA board) and re-connect the power cord coming from the PDU to the second hashing module and also check it's flat cable going to the FPGA controler board.

One of them is probably loose from shipping abuse

Thanks for your reply!
I've already done it.
I opened the box and found this:  
https://i.imgur.com/iIgAfKl.jpg

One of the four hashing unit's molex connector wasn't connected properly and it was already burned.
I fixed it and now everything seems to be working fine. (my fingers crossed)

[tarui]

i see some users running at 350mhz for batch 2?

is it possible to run at greater than 350mhz, at 360mh? for batch 1 with say 1250w 80+ gold psu?

previously it was running at 345mhz on a 1000w psu

so i got a new 1050w and was thinking if i should return and exchange it for a 1250w psu instead for greater hashing rate and make up the shortfall(downtime)

[troner]

If you haven't already, you have to delete/remove WiFi, not just disable/stop it.  Network->Wifi->Remove

May I ask why disabling isn't enough?

[Digigami]

Hey Avalon users!

I'm working on a Bytecoin P2Pool, and now have a testing server with the updated p2pool which supposedly should support your Avalon machines!

I'd like to ask if anyone would be willing to help me test it? I understand Avalons had significant difficulties with the older versions of p2pool, and I would like to make sure it works as advertised before I switch my main pool node over.

If anyone is willing, please send me a PM

Thanks,
Digigami

UPDATE - Had someone volunteer.. and it appears the updated p2pool is still suffering issues at this time.. back to the drawing board