Swedish ASIC miner company kncminer.com

[Searing]

It's s shame that there seems to be such a variance in build quality between rigs, things like slack screws make me think whoever assembled these things probably hadn't much experience.

I doubt its the assembly. Its almost certainly because they chose not to test and bin the chips. All wafers have defunct chips and chips of varying quality, thats a given. Almost all asic manufacturers test their chips on the wafer, and then again once they are packaged, tossing out the broken ones and binning the others according to how well they perform (power consumption, clock speed, if applicable, number of working cores) and use different bins for different products (think various AMD or Intel chips with different clockspeeds), or combine good and not so good chips to get a more predictable end product (afaik, thats what BFL does).

KnC seems to solder all their chips on a module, and they will do a final assembly functional test, but whether you get 4 excellent or 4 mediocre chips or a mix of both is just a matter of luck.

well they likely will do this same method in the future..they thought they'd get 400gh they got up 550gh or more...so the plan to skip that step seemed to work in speeding up the delivery I guess...sloppy thou it maybe be....24hrs is the devil on rollerskates....in speed if you get the stuff off the plane via courier and into a working box

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygE01sOhzz0

ie they went "plaid"

[FeedbackLoop]

Also getting some better stats, 10 more cores, by just disabling the fan on just my problematic board.   Still no numbers on actual average long-term performance but I guess/hope it will follow  Phoenix's path.

Temperature does not seem to change significantly matching FiatKillers pics. Perhaps the sensors are indeed not in chip itself like someone mentioned?  Sorry if that was already posted. Can't find it.

The sink does get crazy hot to the touch. Switching the bad board fan with a worse one. No fan at all feels too risky.

[sbfree]

Hotter is better! I had a supplemental house fan & turned it off. ASICs fans are unplugged. Only
left the tilted case fans on. FW 9.7 and Enablecores afterwards. No Bertmod yet. HW error rate
was 19% before. Hashrate was mid-250s before. WU was 3900ish before.
Considering putting the case back on also...

fiatkiller, you are bold w/ turning off heat sink fans....but i have to agree....

miner_knc   250.75 GH/s   44,156k (99.83%)

my stats above on btcguild....AFTER TURNING OFF THE A/C....asic temps went up, but so did the HASHING as shown above...

something that would normally range around 220GH/s is now a solid 250+GH/s,

and yes, since error rate went from around 20% to now under 15%, that difference caused less wasted shares and more good share= higher hash rate at server. YAY!

wish I had one that was super like phoenix1969's, who has 3 saturns all above 270GH/s, but I am now happy with my unit though and no a/c....

ps asic temps went from low to mid 40'c, to now upper 40's to low 50's celsius...

[DimensionsOfHell]

Well I still am getting the "Running (Connect to CGMiner API failed)" error from the web GUI.
Yes, I have cleared the cash on the browser, AND used a different browser.

More importantly I can tell it isn't doing anything because the pool isn't getting much work.

Looks like 0.96 isn't up to prime time for my Mercury.  Going back to 0.95 because at least that was hashing something.  Unless there is something else to do to get 0.96 to work?

Thanks,

_theJestre

I have similar problems with my Saturn. Download bertmod and check the stats of your VRMs. You might have a bad unit or two. I have 3 bad VRMs out of my two boards. My guess is that with BAD VRMs you cannot update to the higher fw, probably because they are more well adjusted to work with the VRMs, and since some VRMs are not functioning [properly, or at all, like in my case], its causing the later fw to not work. The only fw I can get running stable is fw 0.9.4. Out of my Saturn, I am averaging 150gh/s.

Check with the bertmod patch, you might need to RMA the board. Or you could try all the tricks the good folks here have discussed. I've tried them all (other then disabling fans), and nothing fixed it.

Bertmod: http://forum.kncminer.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/6183-bertmod-0-2-unofficial-firmware-mod-feedback-thread

[sbfree]

Well I still am getting the "Running (Connect to CGMiner API failed)" error from the web GUI.
Yes, I have cleared the cash on the browser, AND used a different browser.

More importantly I can tell it isn't doing anything because the pool isn't getting much work.

Looks like 0.96 isn't up to prime time for my Mercury.  Going back to 0.95 because at least that was hashing something.  Unless there is something else to do to get 0.96 to work?

Thanks,

_theJestre

I have similar problems with my Saturn. Download bertmod and check the stats of your VRMs. You might have a bad unit or two. I have 3 bad VRMs out of my two boards. My guess is that with BAD VRMs you cannot update to the higher fw, probably because they are more well adjusted to work with the VRMs, and since some VRMs are not functioning [properly, or at all, like in my case], its causing the later fw to not work. The only fw I can get running stable is fw 0.9.4. Out of my Saturn, I am averaging 150gh/s.

Check with the bertmod patch, you might need to RMA the board. Or you could try all the tricks the good folks here have discussed. I've tried them all (other then disabling fans), and nothing fixed it.

Bertmod: http://forum.kncminer.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/6183-bertmod-0-2-unofficial-firmware-mod-feedback-thread

I don't know if your problem is related, but I am now starting to suspect that a little extra heat (rather than cooling) and now as of recently, tightening down (slightly) on the heat sink crossmember screws (WHICH MOST LIKELY PUSHES THE CHIP DOWN AS WELL) has improved performance ON SOME machines....I suspect on yours, and I don't know DIDDLY (other than Bo), that you will probably find some of the screws on the crossmember for the heatsink can use a little tightening.....which in turn will probably make the chip have better contact to the board, then you will notice change in VRM stats...HOPEFULLY.

Disclosure...I KNOW NOTHING.
good luck.

[helmax]

eligius pool anyone can connect?

i see errors in my cgminer

[RHA]

I was right when I signaled two weeks ago at #kncminer channel that the Saturn seems to work better in higher temperature.
Now many people confirm it.
Going from 40-42 C to 48.5-50 C moves avg from 267 to 274 (at cgminer AND at the pool) and WU from 3850-3900 to 4010.

[semaster]

eligius pool anyone can connect?

i see errors in my cgminer

use elizium.name

[sbfree]

I was right when I signaled two weeks ago at #kncminer channel that the Saturn seems to work better in higher temperature.
Now many people confirm it.
Going from 40-42 C to 48.5-50 C moves avg from 267 to 274 (at cgminer AND at the pool) and WU from 3850-3900 to 4010.

just plain crazy isn't?

My rig room is at 84 degree F, and my saturn is running the best it's ever ran....

btcg stats:
miner_knc   256.86 GH/s   44,536k (99.83%)

when before w/ extra fans and a/c I was at 220/230GH/s max at btcg....

[sbfree]

I was right when I signaled two weeks ago at #kncminer channel that the Saturn seems to work better in higher temperature.
Now many people confirm it.
Going from 40-42 C to 48.5-50 C moves avg from 267 to 274 (at cgminer AND at the pool) and WU from 3850-3900 to 4010.

just plain crazy isn't?

My rig room is at 84 degree F, and my saturn is running the best it's ever ran....

btcg stats:
miner_knc   256.86 GH/s   44,536k (99.83%)

when before w/ extra fans and a/c I was at 220/230GH/s max at btcg....

Dam, now I am starting to wonder about the earlier firmwares that ran w/ low error rates, but low hashing too, maybe with this "HEATING" solution they might run even better than .97?

[FeedbackLoop]

Boh! You should have posted here like Phoenix did!    I also suspected this in the very first two days and thought to myself I was being silly...   It also takes some colective courage to disable fans.

After disabling the two sink fans for the two worst boards and replacing that flow with two extra case fans placed at a distance, my jupiter went from a 500 GH/s melon to nearly 550 GH/s at pool.  

I'm getting about 10 extra GH/s at KNC's cgminer value and about 50 GH/s extra at pool and using the formula in the previous page (they measure the same) with a corresponding decrease in HW (16% HW to about 7% so far). Getting about 13 cores extra as reported by BertMod (2 to  4 bad ones remaining). Temps 52 in the front boards (the bad ones) and 63 in the back ones which either means the temp sensors are indeed in the DC/DC modules or that I got the bad boards wrong (but a good result...).
 
If these stats change significantly with longer averages I will post here. Otherwise it holds

Firmware 0.95.

[sbfree]

soy, phoenix1969, btc_uzr, (and all others I forget) WHO ARE THE UNOFFICIAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM for KNC,

I THANK YOU.

I know there many who have contributed their knowledge, expertise, and testing stats, you are included in that thank you.

I know there should be more honorable mentions, so please cont. to mention them in your replies....since this is the only true form of support we have currently. I do thank knc for their efforts as well, as they did surmount that mountain peak.

[FeedbackLoop]

soy, phoenix1969, btc_uzr, (and all others I forget) WHO ARE THE UNOFFICIAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM for KNC,

I THANK YOU.

I know there many who have contributed their knowledge, expertise, and testing stats, you are included in that thank you.

I know there should be more honorable mentions, so please cont. to mention them in your replies....since this is the only true form of support we have currently. I do thank knc for their efforts as well, as they did surmount that mountain peek.

+1 and sbfree and FiatKiller in that list too

[Phoenix1969]

Thanks for the mention and thank you for thanking me...lolz
you made my morning...Good morning all

just to clarify... I truly believe SOME of the Temperature phenomena is caused by loose heatsink bar screws. Mine are rock solid now, all night, no flux  
This was especially true with the saturn that took a long time to ramp up to speed, and would speed up during the day, and slow down at night. Its the fastest one now, and ramps up very quickly now.

[timmmers]

I was right when I signaled two weeks ago at #kncminer channel that the Saturn seems to work better in higher temperature.
Now many people confirm it.
Going from 40-42 C to 48.5-50 C moves avg from 267 to 274 (at cgminer AND at the pool) and WU from 3850-3900 to 4010.

So, how is my merc running at 140 at 38C ? that equates to 280 for 2 modules.
I think temp increases only help some modules that for some reason aren't in the best condition. Expansion somewhere being the logical reason.

[timmmers]

soy, phoenix1969, btc_uzr, (and all others I forget) WHO ARE THE UNOFFICIAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM for KNC,

I THANK YOU.

I know there many who have contributed their knowledge, expertise, and testing stats, you are included in that thank you.

I know there should be more honorable mentions, so please cont. to mention them in your replies....since this is the only true form of support we have currently. I do thank knc for their efforts as well, as they did surmount that mountain peak.

You got that right, KNC have been useless. Can you imagine how much trouble people would have had without the threads and discussions on here and their own forum? They can't even answer the phone from what I see, that's so bad after all the money they have taken from customers.

[FeedbackLoop]

I was right when I signaled two weeks ago at #kncminer channel that the Saturn seems to work better in higher temperature.
Now many people confirm it.
Going from 40-42 C to 48.5-50 C moves avg from 267 to 274 (at cgminer AND at the pool) and WU from 3850-3900 to 4010.

So, how is my merc running at 140 at 38C ? that equates to 280 for 2 modules.
I think temp increases only help some modules that for some reason aren't in the best condition. Expansion somewhere being the logical reason.

It seems to help with hardware errors. Either the clock tolerance thing or one of the assorted mechanical/ solder ball stuff. Who knows! Maybe the way to know for sure would be to play with the clock (if possible in any way). Slightly lower clock leading to significantly less errors would indicate the clock  tolerance thing rather than a mechanical/connection thing.

Also make sure you are not just taking those 140 for granted from KNC's cgminer and that you  are either computing those from shares, measuring at pool, or that your hardware error rate is negligible.

[FeedbackLoop]

Mine are rock solid now, all night, no flux  

No flux means all fans off case closed?

[timmmers]

I was right when I signaled two weeks ago at #kncminer channel that the Saturn seems to work better in higher temperature.
Now many people confirm it.
Going from 40-42 C to 48.5-50 C moves avg from 267 to 274 (at cgminer AND at the pool) and WU from 3850-3900 to 4010.

So, how is my merc running at 140 at 38C ? that equates to 280 for 2 modules.
I think temp increases only help some modules that for some reason aren't in the best condition. Expansion somewhere being the logical reason.

It seems to help with hardware errors. Either the clock tolerance thing or one of the assorted mechanical/ solder ball stuff. Who knows! Maybe the way to know for sure would be to play with the clock (if possible in any way). Slightly lower clock leading to significantly less errors would indicate the clock  tolerance thing rather than a mechanical/connection thing.

Also make sure you are not just taking those 140 for granted from KNC's cgminer and that you  are either computing those from shares, measuring at pool, or that your hardware error rate is negligible.

Pool and cg miner agree, within half a GH and have done since I got it the only change being updating to .97 which added 4 Gh , 36C at the moment.
I'd love to know the story behind temps ..but what works is more important I suppose.

[ekiro]

Can KnC ever release another miner that will be profitable?

Looking at the difficulty growth, and the pricy hardware, I see no positive ROI on mining yourself anymore. 

From now on KnC will manufacture their own, mine with them, then sell the hardware off to recover some money.

Don't be the guy buying second hand garbage.