DIY PCB with AVALON: "The Quarter Stick" - Needs Help!

[papamoi]

hi alten

so no news until now?

[allten]

hi alten

so no news until now?

Nop!

I'll post it here when I get some.
They are probably very busy so the chore of exercising patience continues. 

[burnin]

BIG DISCLAIMER:
This is a early mock up drawing, just to give you guys an idea what I'm working on.

10 Chip / module - > 2,5Ghash.
USB interface with Avalon protocol
Stacking connectors for power and control





What am i working on right now?

PIC32 controller:
*CDC Device class Interface for virtual UART and a USB-HID driver-less Bootloader
*Implement host protocol

PCB:
*Layout for the 1,2V Switching regulator
*PIC32 basic environment
*cooling solution

As i don't own an Avalon machine, i can't implement the downstream interface to the chips yet.
But i have a dev-board for the pic here so i can get the host interface up and running.

This product is intendet to be partly DIY.
You get the PCB with attached heatsink, Fan and mounting materials.

[Syke]

Looks decent. Can you resize it so that one module has the same cross section as a fan. That way each module can be fitted in a nice case with one fan blowing across the heatsink. I think those would work quite well.

How about an 80mm fan? Put 16 chips in a 4x4 arrangement, and you'd have a really nice little 4 GH/s box.

[SebastianJu]

Looks nice... I think i now will save all my btc for spending it on this project once its ready...

@burnin... Since it would help you to have access to an avalon maybe you could ask in the avalon user thread from batch one avalons if someon lives near you and has an avalon plus is willing to let you do some testing? I only know a thread were batch 3 buyers are listed with their country but maybe there is something similar for batch one.

[FuriousTeam]

looks very nice! let's hope they really sell chips

[aneutronic]

+1

Excellent idea. This will help a lot in decentralizing mining, count me in.

:grabs popcorn and pulls up chair, waiting patiently:

[eestimees]

+1

[dan99]

Count me in.. I am interested.

[lbr]

+1
GJ so far.

[ashleysly]

BIG DISCLAIMER:
This is a early mock up drawing, just to give you guys an idea what I'm working on.

10 Chip / module - > 2,5Ghash.
USB interface with Avalon protocol
Stacking connectors for power and control





What am i working on right now?

PIC32 controller:
*CDC Device class Interface for virtual UART and a USB-HID driver-less Bootloader
*Implement host protocol

PCB:
*Layout for the 1,2V Switching regulator
*PIC32 basic environment
*cooling solution

As i don't own an Avalon machine, i can't implement the downstream interface to the chips yet.
But i have a dev-board for the pic here so i can get the host interface up and running.

This product is intendet to be partly DIY.
You get the PCB with attached heatsink, Fan and mounting materials.

I am guessing some chips are going to need programming. I would like to help in this design and put Bitcoins towards it so the chips can be purchased.

[arklan]

so this would NOT include avalon chips? do we have any idea what they may cost per chip? also, what would your set up run, per 2.5 ghash? in short, would it compete favorably against bfl's supposed prices? not that i trust bfl to ship mind - i just want to know if i'm looking at a couple hundred bucks for a miner or what.

[Luckybit]

I think the majority of us agree -- it should be a simple, "idiot proof" device.  Plug-n-play with the software integrated would be great.

Major stumbling block is sourcing ASICs.  Not much response on that front from Avalon.  They may be more forthcoming once their next generation chip is out.

What probability would you give to a kickstarter project for building ASICs and simple mining devices getting funded?  Any other ideas?

Kickstarter is a great idea. Do that.

[Luckybit]

so this would NOT include avalon chips? do we have any idea what they may cost per chip? also, what would your set up run, per 2.5 ghash? in short, would it compete favorably against bfl's supposed prices? not that i trust bfl to ship mind - i just want to know if i'm looking at a couple hundred bucks for a miner or what.

I'd be willing to pay a couple grand. What could I get for that?

[Luckybit]

https://products.butterflylabs.com/50-gh-s-bitcoin-miner.html

What we need is something like this. For those of us who can get $2000 or so we should be able to get something like 50-gh. If it scales up to as much as we can afford then after we pay back the cost of the basic rig it would just be a matter of upgrading.

[dan99]

Looks nice... I think i now will save all my btc for spending it on this project once its ready...

@burnin... Since it would help you to have access to an avalon maybe you could ask in the avalon user thread from batch one avalons if someon lives near you and has an avalon plus is willing to let you do some testing? I only know a thread were batch 3 buyers are listed with their country but maybe there is something similar for batch one.

Would be great if someone can grab hold of an avalon asic and work from there ... rather than wait and wait .............

[burnin]

addressing your questions:

The board will be not be entirely plug and play, and you won't get a pretty case to go with it.
What you will get is the complete assembled and tested board/heatsink module
and mounting materials, cables, fan etc. This for a DIY Audience after all.

I'm designing this for 80mm Fans -> Module is going to be ~85mm wide and ~120mm deep.
This is still subject to change.

The Avalon Chips have a large pad underneath that's soldered to the board for cooling.
They dissipate all the heat through the board, that's why the heat sink is on the other side.
That's also the reason why the chips have to be professionally re-flow soldered.

Stacking Interconnect between the Modules will be CAN Bus with a maximum of 32 Modules to be connected on one bus.
Maybe even more, 32 Modules = 4 Module Avalon box.
For power Stacking I'm looking into 6pin VGA connector's

Controller will probably be swapped for an AVR32 because microchip isn't that Open Source friendly.
AVR32 is more $ though.


Timescale:
After ordering the chips from Avalon it will take at least 4 weeks for them to get them Produced and shipped here.
When there are no hold-ups on the way and with careful planning i could start shipping within a week of receiving the chips.

Payment will be split between Chip cost (only BTC) and the manufacturing/shipping costs: Eur or BTC.

Allten, Zefir and I are still working on the Details though.

[Gomeler]

Please publish whatever information you can regarding costs from Avalon. I'm interested in the boards but depending on the heatsink costs and shipping costs I might just want the completed/tested boards.

[tbd]

Stacking Interconnect between the Modules will be CAN Bus with a maximum of 32 Modules to be connected on one bus.
Maybe even more, 32 Modules = 4 Module Avalon box.
For power Stacking I'm looking into 6pin VGA connector's

Controller will probably be swapped for an AVR32 because microchip isn't that Open Source friendly.
AVR32 is more $ though.

Sounds good.  I like the decision to use CAN as the interconnect.

How much more is the AVR32?  Better Open Source support is probably worth it.

 

[DPoS]

This would be a good kickstarter if you can get good facts of the Avalon chip purchase and all the steps on assembly..  I think it isn't clear what are all the steps the buyer will have to perform...

you can layout everything and have a controlled way of getting the funds for the group buy and also have tiers for people who would pay more for less DIY?  (perhaps do some assembly for $$ for that group)

The only issue would be you are really a reseller on the Avalon chips..  if any are bad, what is the option? will Avalon replace them through you?