Can I train my headlights to mine bitcoin?

[stlouisweb]

I've been looking into ASIC mining hardware.
I'm a little discouraged, looks like a lot of expensive vaporware
However, I found some Automotive HID headlight control modules for $79, with ASIC chips.
I don't know much about the technology, so my question is:
Can these Automotive ASIC devices be reprogrammed to mine coin?
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=380479670108&cmd=VIDESC

[Matthew N. Wright]

I've been looking into ASIC mining hardware.
I'm a little discouraged, looks like a lot of expensive vaporware
However, I found some Automotive HID headlight control modules for $79, with ASIC chips.
I don't know much about the technology, so my question is:
Can these Automotive ASIC devices be reprogrammed to mine coin?
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=380479670108&cmd=VIDESC

The bad news is, it won't make any bitcoins.
The good news is, BFL customers may buy them just the same.

[CIYAM]

You cannot *re-program* an ASIC it is a "purpose-built" Integrated Circuit (FPGA on the other hand *can* be re-programmed).

[greyhawk]

I've been looking into ASIC mining hardware.
I'm a little discouraged, looks like a lot of expensive vaporware
However, I found some Automotive HID headlight control modules for $79, with ASIC chips.
I don't know much about the technology, so my question is:
Can these Automotive ASIC devices be reprogrammed to mine coin?
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=380479670108&cmd=VIDESC

You should try it with your alarm clock, it's got an ASIC too.

[DigitalDroid]

At first I thought this was a joke, but I can see where the confusing might be coming from.

ASIC simply stands for "Application-specific integrated circuit".

Your desktop or laptop computer is a general purpose device. It can perform many different functions. You can add additional software to your computer to make it do new things. For example: if you install a video-player, you can watch videos. If you install a bitcoin miner, you can mine bitcoins.
So your processor, the piece of hardware that does most of the work, can be used to accomplish a lot of different tasks.

An ASIC is a piece of hardware designed to perform a specific task. What that task is could be anything. It all depends on what the manufacturer designed it to do.

[Dragonman]

So if I am reading this right there is no way to access the on board chips to reprogram them?

[CIYAM]

So if I am reading this right there is no way to access the on board chips to reprogram them?

Indeed - they simply cannot be reprogrammed.

[shockvibee]

So if I am reading this right there is no way to access the on board chips to reprogram them?

They can't be reprogrammed that's why they're so good at what they do!