Klondike - 16 chip ASIC Open Source Board - Preliminary

[BkkCoins]

Status: 0/unconfirmed, broadcast through 6 nodes
Date: 24/05/2013 16:51
To: BKKCOINS SCOPE DONATIONS 1DouysB5qE4Zx9T2Z2FMiohJJdSa3tkdus
Debit: -0.50 BTC
Transaction fee: -0.0005 BTC
Net amount: -0.5005 BTC
Transaction ID: a1b61f6e1c95225ec721c318647e8f90a8283dc35d4e10a092cbd21af06f2878

Got enough yet?

Yes. Thank You! Between several forum supporters now there is extra, and I'm just working out with KS and steamboat to get it into PP, and place the order. And settle with them for over pmt.

This is looking really sweet.

[drewh]

BkkCoins,

I just put another BTC in your OScope fund. Maybe if you get enough extra you could get more than two channels. Just a suggestion.

I have a question about the design: How are you generating the ASIC resets? Is it driven by the PIC? The Avalon design of one RC per ASIC seems to me the worst possible design - more components for inconsistent resets per ASIC.

drewh

[BkkCoins]

BkkCoins,

I just put another BTC in your OScope fund. Maybe if you get enough extra you could get more than two channels. Just a suggestion.

I have a question about the design: How are you generating the ASIC resets? Is it driven by the PIC? The Avalon design of one RC per ASIC seems to me the worst possible design - more components for inconsistent resets per ASIC.

drewh

Thank You. Very much appreciated.

Actually I just followed their design. I figured if it's working for them... and they designed the chip. I thought about tying it to the PIC to control but then some things put me off that. I'd have to run another line all over the board and it's getting crowded already. And, if I did that I'd have to reset all 16 chips at once, which I wondered when I'd want to do that. I think the chip is pretty much free running which means if it gets mucked up I should be able to push work data and force it into a valid state. So if Avalon relies on it only for POR, then I'm assuming that's the only time it's really needed. One possible use was to hold it in reset to go into power saving / standby mode. But I can disable the clock for that which I think will work ok.

I'm really sorry I missed that ADS8202 scope that went for $305 on ebay. I was watching that and thinking it would be sweet to get because it has a Logic Analyser option (1GS/s 16 ch.), but I fell asleep and then it was sold. That's what started off this whole scope quest. A four channel would be fabulous but it's just a bit too much money. The Chinese mfrs. haven't got into that yet and the Tektronix and similar would be a lot more money. More than I could justify. I have a cheap Logic Analyser that can give me 8-32 lines (with not so much storage) and I think I'll get by with that. Mostly my concern was that I had nothing to look at non-digital signals, or view how crappy they get, and this will alleviate that. Maybe next year for Gen II Avalon?

This is the MSO7102TD which is similar to what that SDS8202 could become with module. The SDS7102 doesn't have such an upgrade path.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Owon-New-2-in-1-Digital-Mixed-LA-Oscilloscope-MSO7102TD-8-LCD-100MHz-/221227423798?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item33822e9836

That would likely be the next useful step up at $800 - unless I'm wrong. Maybe you have something better in mind for less money?

edit: Actually checked again - the MSO7102TD has a rather crappy 6K/ch. storage limit. To get the 2M/ch. storage you have to spend $900+ for the MSO8102TD.

[Bicknellski]

.......... Maybe next year for Gen II Avalon?

One big fish at a time big guy. 

[Egon]

Anybody in California (LA area possibly, although newspaper has a mailing label on it) that can go put eyes-on the broken Avalon listed on eBay?  Could probably get a collection together between the board devs and buy it... should be 240 chips available.  Thread on it in custom hardware...

[ibminer]

Anybody in California (LA area possibly, although newspaper has a mailing label on it) that can go put eyes-on the broken Avalon listed on eBay?  Could probably get a collection together between the board devs and buy it... should be 240 chips available.  Thread on it in custom hardware...

Looks somewhat legitimate... although it would be best for local pickup! (says Newark, CA)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190844255633

[bitcoiner49er]

Even at 40 GH/s they are making 1.8BTC a day! Why would they be selling it?! Seems fishy to me.

[erk]

Even at 40 GH/s they are making 1.8BTC a day! Why would they be selling it?! Seems fishy to me.

Do the math, there is more profit in selling the gear than using it.

[drewh]

Even at 40 GH/s they are making 1.8BTC a day! Why would they be selling it?! Seems fishy to me.

Do the math, there is more profit in selling the gear than using it.

Actually, I don't think the math supports it. At current difficulty should be about 8K per month.

[erk]

Even at 40 GH/s they are making 1.8BTC a day! Why would they be selling it?! Seems fishy to me.

Do the math, there is more profit in selling the gear than using it.

Actually, I don't think the math supports it. At current difficulty should be about 8K per month.

If it takes them an hour to make a unit and get it out the door its way more profit than mining for an hour. I don't see what a month has to do with it, they don't take that long to build.

[wrenchmonkey]

Even at 40 GH/s they are making 1.8BTC a day! Why would they be selling it?! Seems fishy to me.

Do the math, there is more profit in selling the gear than using it.

Actually, I don't think the math supports it. At current difficulty should be about 8K per month.

If it takes them an hour to make a unit and get it out the door its way more profit than mining for an hour. I don't see what a month has to do with it, they don't take that long to build.

This discussion is regarding an individual who owns ONE Avalon. He's not a manufacturer. Selling it doesn't make sense.

[erk]

This discussion is regarding an individual who owns ONE Avalon. He's not a manufacturer. Selling it doesn't make sense.

Fair enough I thought it was about Avalon in general. Yes at this point in time, there is much more to be made mining than selling unless you can get tens of thousands for it.

[drewh]

.......... Maybe next year for Gen II Avalon?

One big fish at a time big guy.  

I wanted to talk about this, bit didn't want to pollute this thread:

Will the bitcoin arms-race end with this generation of ASICs?
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=215394

[LordTheron]

[/quote]
 cutting me out and get to market first. Why would I want to help them do that?

Avalon makes a few $$ off each chip, and CKOlivas ought to make a few $$ off each miner (which I don't have the power to enforce), and I guess I should get a couple $$ for each Klondike.

[/quote]

Well said mate. As soon as working prototype is there will contact you to agree on licensing and support. You will be getting fair share of of every Klondike build and sold by me and my team and hope that future will bring more exciting projects like this.

[steamboat]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=208381.msg2262454#msg2262454

Lemme know what you think.

[jimrome]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=208381.msg2262454#msg2262454

Lemme know what you think.

You're thinking thermal pads to account for lack of surface flatness?

[steamboat]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=208381.msg2262454#msg2262454

Lemme know what you think.

You're thinking thermal pads to account for lack of surface flatness?

The opposite actually. 3.5mm high feet on the bottom of the heat sink which attach directly to the board, and give enough clearance for parts everywhere else.

[jimrome]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=208381.msg2262454#msg2262454

Lemme know what you think.

You're thinking thermal pads to account for lack of surface flatness?

The opposite actually. 3.5mm high feet on the bottom of the heat sink which attach directly to the board, and give enough clearance for parts everywhere else.

What about board flex?

[mjmvisser]

BTC donated to scope fund!

[fasmax]

@ BkkCoins
How many bytes of data to you have to shift into each Avalon chain to configure the chips?