GekkoScience is now dabbling with 16nm ASICs for new designs

[sidehack]

Well I got the 2-chip BM1384 test board working better today, and got VH a buttload of data, so hopefully he can grind through it in the next week and get something working. Once 2-chip and ramp code looks good I've got a revision to make to the board before it's fully duplicating the final version, and then we're off to the races.

I'll look around tomorrow for a domestic board house that's reasonable before sending off the order to China. Being able to do all the other assembly in-house is nice for cost and time savings, but there's no way in heck I can make my own 4-layer PCBs for 0.5mm pitch QFN ICs.

On a related note, anyone know a good source for not-retardedly-expensive simple convection reflow ovens? I found one I liked with a US distributor, but the price for the stand it came on was approximately what I'd have paid for the whole thing; just the oven itself had only a 12" square bed and still cost approximately twice what I paid for my car. My IR oven's lack of consistency is starting to really get annoying.

[Eagleone]

THANKS sidehack!

Best power supply source for mining bar none

I had an HP psu fail ( ambient was like 95 my fault ) and sidehack got a new HP 1200 watt to California NEXT DAY !!!

80$ for 1200 watts and 10 pcie ! What other psu would anyone ever want to mine with!
(Maybe if you don't have 220v then it's only gonna give you 900)

130$ to get a psu delivered like 30 hours after ordering it via email!
Even gave me Personal advice about ambient temp and dust!

This guy is amazing

5 stars

Patiently waiting for new miners to run on CK's solo pool

Sorry this is off topic but if you want new miners faster buy all your PSU's from sidehack

[sidehack]

Just heard from VH, and 2-chip communication is working. All we need now is functional ramp code (ramping up the power use of the chips to help maintain balanced current between the two nodes during mining startup) and the baseline 2pac driver will be done.

I'll try and throw together a 2-chip string tomorrow to start testing without ramp code, so I can at least get some efficiency ballparks. If the test setup can be made to start and mine without ramp code, it's probably enough for me to start cracking valves on orders and funding.


The long-term average here should be 11GH, but low hashrate means high variance.
http://solo.ckpool.org/workers/1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr_COMPAC

[sidehack]

So I worked up a 2-chip string hardware test today that's only about 5 components different than the final stick will be. It's currently up and running, swapped out the previous parallel test board. So that's proof the thing works.

There's still ramp code to worry about, but with extra node-level capacitance to help overcome initial power burst the thing lit right up first time on cgminer. So, I think that's pretty much good to go.

I can never find my camera when I actually need it, but as soon as I do I'll post pictures. And there's still the ckpool link a few posts above to keep watch on.

Also, for anyone keeping track, that's 11 hours for the workday plus 6 yesterday makes 17 hours on the week already.


EDIT - camera was, oddly enough, sitting right next to the test machine where the stuff was hooked up. Right where past me knew it'd be needed next, funny present me didn't think to look there.



Here we have both mockups. The unplugged one has two BM1384 in parallel running off a CP2102 USB adapter and a stock Compac regulator. The plugged-in one has two chips in series running off a modified Compac regulator (1.2-1.6V for 0.6-0.8V node-level) and it's chugging away. It's pulling an unnecessarily high current for the hashrate because the voltage was set at a midpoint for testing reasons.

[Biodom]

just awesome...thanks for the pics.
so...it would be wider, right?

don't want to spoil the mood, but , apparently, studies have shown that working more than 55-56hr/week is as productive as working 70 hr, which probably means that one just gets exhausted and not accomplish much in the 56-70hr area.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2015/08/24/working-more-than-55-hours-a-week-is-bad-for-you-in-many-ways
Note to myself (in grad school and during postdoc years): I surely wasted a lot of those 56-70hr periods then, would be better off doing more reading.

[sidehack]

The Monday-Tuesday 9-day span before Thanksgiving I worked 91 hours, and that's with taking Sunday off and leaving early Friday for burger night. That was fun.
My best single week was something like 110 hours in 7 days. Part of that is cheating; I did a 24-hour turnaround trip up to Chicago and back so, even though I slept about 2 hours on the road, I counted the whole thing. Didn't even go home, just got to the shop and napped in the breakroom for about 2 hours until Novak came in for work. That was a fun week.

The stick won't be wider. I'm going to try double-siding it, with node-level components on the top side (where everything else is) and just the ASICs on the back. This means the heatsink will be on the other side from the current Compac. If I'm able to manufacture the prototype PCBs without issue, I'll be satisfied with that design.

The BF16 sticks won't require this, since they don't need as much for node-level components. No level shifters or anything.

[ZedZedNova]

So I worked up a 2-chip string hardware test today that's only about 5 components different than the final stick will be. It's currently up and running, swapped out the previous parallel test board. So that's proof the thing works.

There's still ramp code to worry about, but with extra node-level capacitance to help overcome initial power burst the thing lit right up first time on cgminer. So, I think that's pretty much good to go.

This is awesome news! Now get some sleep so present you isn't stumbling around...

[sidehack]

Now it's time to wind down with a movie and popcorn. Tomorrow I'll see about fetching some PCBs. Maybe VH will have some ramp code to test by then. Morning will probably be eaten up with building and packing, and it's sandwich day to boot, so probably nothing to report until later in the day. But I might start getting a funding plan together.

[IOTUSA]

Now it's time to wind down with a movie and popcorn. Tomorrow I'll see about fetching some PCBs. Maybe VH will have some ramp code to test by then. Morning will probably be eaten up with building and packing, and it's sandwich day to boot, so probably nothing to report until later in the day. But I might start getting a funding plan together.

Good luck with everything, just caught up on your thread. Can't give you enough praise for what you do for the 'hobby' community.

[sidehack]

Prototype 2pac and pod PCBs are on order. If the 2pac works as expected, I'll have enough to send out a few "review" sticks to some good folks on here like I did last time.

VH is still hammering away at the last details of the driver.

I'll probably put up donate/loan/buy addresses on Friday.

[ZACHM]

I would suggest sending a "review" one to philipma1957, since you owe him some money anyway. 

I would be very willing to send some coin and get a review one. 

[sidehack]

I'll probably talk to some of the same reviewers I talked to for the Compacs last year - people I trust whose opinions cover important aspects of a successful product. Phil is really good at understanding customer mindsets, guys like NotFuzzyWarm are well-rounded engineers, and CrazyGuy as a top reseller can comment on marketability.

[ZACHM]

Yes, I expected as much, I just figured it was worth a shot.  Can't wait to get some.

[philipma1957]

I'll probably talk to some of the same reviewers I talked to for the Compacs last year - people I trust whose opinions cover important aspects of a successful product. Phil is really good at understanding customer mindsets, guys like NotFuzzyWarm are well-rounded engineers, and CrazyGuy as a top reseller can comment on marketability.

Ready and waiting my man

I saved a compac 1 model to demo head to head!

[valkir]

I'll probably talk to some of the same reviewers I talked to for the Compacs last year - people I trust whose opinions cover important aspects of a successful product. Phil is really good at understanding customer mindsets, guys like NotFuzzyWarm are well-rounded engineers, and CrazyGuy as a top reseller can comment on marketability.

Still available to manage Canada group buy if need be! 

[sacskate]

I'm in for 5 compacs & 5 pods

[KeezAZA]

Is there confirmed pricing for the Compacs and the pods?

[Exoskeleton]

Is there confirmed pricing for the Compacs and the pods?

No. The prices should be close to what has been announced but it has been said recently that prices could go up a little depending on a lot of factors. It should be worth the wait.

[takagari]

just awesome...thanks for the pics.
so...it would be wider, right?

don't want to spoil the mood, but , apparently, studies have shown that working more than 55-56hr/week is as productive as working 70 hr, which probably means that one just gets exhausted and not accomplish much in the 56-70hr area.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2015/08/24/working-more-than-55-hours-a-week-is-bad-for-you-in-many-ways
Note to myself (in grad school and during postdoc years): I surely wasted a lot of those 56-70hr periods then, would be better off doing more reading.

So your saying you should be able to pull 55hrs without a decrease in production huh?.....

Keep up the good work. Bitmain needs to be taken down a peg!

I'll probably talk to some of the same reviewers I talked to for the Compacs last year - people I trust whose opinions cover important aspects of a successful product. Phil is really good at understanding customer mindsets, guys like NotFuzzyWarm are well-rounded engineers, and CrazyGuy as a top reseller can comment on marketability.

Still available to manage Canada group buy if need be! 

YES add me to a list, if I miss his first sales MESSAGE me I'm down for a bunch!!!!

[qctechno]

Still available to manage Canada group buy if need be! 

Add me to your list.