GekkoScience is now dabbling with 16nm ASICs for new designs

[sidehack]

Yeah, no doubt. The current generation of Bitfury and Bitmain chips are literally 100 times better than the first-gen Avalon and ASICMiner chips from less than four years ago.

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[valkir]

Finally got around to building a test 2Pac with good chips. The first 3 test sticks (used by VH for driver dev) were built with out-of-spec rejects from Compac manufacture, meaning they ran hot or poorly from the get-go and wouldn't be representative of the performance of a stock manufactured stick.

Yesterday I got the robot set up to run out 2Pacs, today I did a bit of dabbling with voltage ranges on the buck. I had noted that these guys don't particularly like to initialize below about 630mV per node even though at low frequencies (100MHz) they should be good to 600mV, but at the bottom threshold of voltage, chip power draw balance and node-level storage matters a whole heck of a lot. So I figured up buck voltage adjustment resistors that'll give you 630mV to about 830mV, which means it should be good for at least 400MHz.

I ran a quick efficiency test, only up to 300MHz because my USB power meter is only rated for 3A.

Freq	GH	Vcore	Power	J/GH
100	11.00	1.26	3.67	0.33
125	13.75	1.26	4.48	0.33
150	16.50	1.26	5.27	0.32
175	19.25	1.26	6.12	0.32
200	22.00	1.32	7.43	0.34
225	24.75	1.36	8.73	0.35
250	27.50	1.40	10.11	0.37
275	30.25	1.46	12.25	0.40
300	33.00	1.50	13.98	0.42

As you can see, efficiency across the bottom end of frequencies is pretty flat. That's because they're all at the same voltage level. Efficiency actually improves slightly with an increase in frequency because the maintenance current (buck controller, LDOs, CP2102 etc) is pretty constant so a higher proportion of power is used for mining.

At 300MHz, the total device efficiency is only about 15% worse than the datasheet chip-level efficiency, which I think is pretty good for a stick miner. It also puts up over 30GH, which I think is pretty darn good for a stickminer. Note this is about the same power draw the original Compac expected to see at 22GH, so we're seeing a 50% improvement in hashrate. If the stick could be pushed to 400MHz you'd see it drawing about 23W for 44GH, but I don't want to test this until I have a bit stouter measurement tool.

This is some nice number!  

[leowonderful]

Great numbers for efficiency! Currently waiting for another usb fan to arrive, once that and my 2Pac gets here I'll certainly be trying to hit 300 MHz and above. Can't wait for the BF sticks and miners, can't even imagine how fun those will be to overclock!! They might even replace my S3's and older miners with efficiency

[in2tactics]

Looking good!

[willi9974]

Nice
Can The sticks already be ordered?

Best Regards from Germany
Willi

[sidehack]

Anything in Germany will likely want to talk to MacEntyre, the proprietor of bitshopper.de - he'll be stocking 2Pacs as soon as they're ready, and has already expressed interest in licensing BF16 designs for manufacture and sale in Europe.

[willi9974]

Perfect, so i will contact MacEntyre

[sidehack]

The Bitshopper 2Pac PCBs are in, so I'll get started manufacturing those before long. The same order also had Biggie pod prototype PCBs, so maybe I'll get to building one of those soon and seeing how it works.

The biggest problem I'm having with 2Pac assembly is paste application and wetting on the pads of ASICs and other fine-pitch QFN chips, which thoroughly dominate the complexity of the Biggie. So I'll have to work on the assembly process to solve that problem and make sure the minion currently in charge of running the pick-and-place does it right.

[Morguk]

Can't wait for the biggie!

[BustyKuroNeko]

I can't wait for the S5 upgrade board  They can't come soon enough.

[Spill]

Hi sidehack,  sorry for the noob question but would this usb miner be able to take advantage of a usb3.1 port 900mA?
If its plugged it into a 3.1 usb port?  Thank you for your hard work.

[murasame2003]

Hi sidehack,  sorry for the noob question but would this usb miner be able to take advantage of a usb3.1 port 900mA?
If its plugged it into a 3.1 usb port?  Thank you for your hard work.

It certainly can take advantage of additional amp available for a port.
vh posted a very useful chart explaining vcore voltage/frequency - current draw here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1764803.msg17863895#msg17863895

In order to fully take advantage of what this USB miner can deliver, you definitely want powered USB hub with additional current available for each port.

[takagari]

Very curious to get these and see what is needed, hopefully the software is easy

Really was hoping to have the bigger ones by now

[Biodom]

Very curious to get these and see what is needed, hopefully the software is easy

Really was hoping to have the bigger ones by now

Biggies?

[sidehack]

Yeah well, I was hoping to have a lot of things by now.

I'll be starting procurement for a second batch of 2Pacs by rolling the profits from this batch forward into materials for the next one so I can pretty much shift seamlessly from one to the next. That's the kind of momentum I wish I'd been able to have with the Compac last year.

I'm looking at buying a new Pick and Place machine, something that'll automate parts placement a lot more efficiently and accurately than the one I have now. Something that'll hold precision a lot better, so the boards coming out of it will require a lot less rework afterward. That's going to be a huge step in being able to manufacture more complex miners quickly - like the Biggie. As soon as I have time I'll work up a prototype, but for now ASICs have to be hand-placed to get them right enough to be reliable. Even on the 2Pacs. But I'm eyeballing a robot with a vision system for proper centering and ball screw carriers for precision, which should help out a lot. The second batch of 2Pacs should put me over the top of buying it, or at least come close. Gonna have another batch of PSU boards to help it out.

Hopefully the Biggie prototype works without a lot of issue. If it does I'll look into batching; it'll require juggling back and forth between Biggie and 2Pac (heh) for a while. Gonna need multiple buttloads of ASICs.

Oh also and I'm pulling out an old USB hub design project. Figured out a better way to do a thing or three I thought would be cool features.

[Biodom]

Hopefully the Biggie prototype works without a lot of issue. If it does I'll look into batching; it'll require juggling back and forth between Biggie and 2Pac (heh) for a while. Gonna need multiple buttloads of ASICs.

check the @yochdog auction on ebay, maybe he will sell at some discount here.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-Of-Bitmain-Antminer-S5-/192106981757

lots of disassembly work, though...
99X30=2970 chips, if i am not mistaken in my math.

[sidehack]

If they were S5 that'd be alright, but not S5+. Friggin' individual heatsinks.

[d57heinz]

If you dont have time or unable to complete the bf usb sticks.. Id be willing to put the .22 btc i paid for that towards the upgrade kit for s1 s3 style heat sink board replacement.. Im in no means in a hurry.  Great to see progress is still being made here. Havent checked in some time.  Keep me posted

seems for me if im not stroking your ego you blow me off.  i thought you was different.  hmmmm

BR

[sidehack]

Actually, I tend to blow people off who stroke my ego because they tend to be yes-men and I prefer men of action. Speaking of action, I took Sunday off because I worked 80 hours in the 7 days prior getting 300 2Pacs out the door.
I also appreciate correctness and don't like to operate on assumption. Correctness states nobody has ever put money into BF sticks, but assumption would have me understand you actually meant BW sticks - a mistake I'm getting tired of correcting. BW sticks are assembled, but they require both hardware testing and some driver work from VH and it's not like I haven't been busy lately.

[takagari]

Actually, I tend to blow people off who stroke my ego because they tend to be yes-men and I prefer men of action. Speaking of action, I took Sunday off because I worked 80 hours in the 7 days prior getting 300 2Pacs out the door.
I also appreciate correctness and don't like to operate on assumption. Correctness states nobody has ever put money into BF sticks, but assumption would have me understand you actually meant BW sticks - a mistake I'm getting tired of correcting. BW sticks are assembled, but they require both hardware testing and some driver work from VH and it's not like I haven't been busy lately.

Ah okay.. u suck, work faster, stop dragging your ass?

Better
I know you're one man, I can have hopes but I know reality is lol

I know you arn't up for loans etc. maybe an IPO or something at btcpop? let people buy shares, knowing the risk etc?

Just a thought