[Guide] Dogie's Comprehensive ASICMiner Blade Setup

[dogie]

So, I've got the terminals wired and verified with multimeter that each screw is getting 12v, but nothing's happening.  I have the power jumper on both posts and I know this backplane works because I was using it with the HP psu.

Either the 750w Corsair PSU I got isn't providing enough power or I did something wrong with the wiring.  Any thoughts?  I'll post a picture of my wiring when I get home this evening.

How many blades?

[dmking79]

Right now, 6.  If I'm understanding your guide right - each blade needs 100w so the 750 should cover it.  Should. 

Took these last night.  It's connected to the PCI-X cable coming from the PSU
https://i.imgur.com/fLlJtaj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5VaR6kC.jpg

[dogie]

Right now, 6.  If I'm understanding your guide right - each blade needs 100w so the 750 should cover it.  Should. 

Took these last night.  It's connected to the PCI-X cable coming from the PSU

Well thats never going to work. You're trying to put 700W+ through ONE cable which is designed for ~300W max. There isn't really a safe configuration in which you can draw the required power from a CX750M to a backpane.

[dmking79]

Well thats never going to work. You're trying to put 700W+ through ONE cable which is designed for ~300W max. There isn't really a safe configuration in which you can draw the required power from a CX750M to a backpane.

Ok...so what would you recommend, then?  A bigger PSU?  One PCI-X for the Ground and one for the 12v? Something else entirely?  There's got to be some way to power the back plane without the room sounding like it's got a jet engine in the corner.

[dogie]

Well thats never going to work. You're trying to put 700W+ through ONE cable which is designed for ~300W max. There isn't really a safe configuration in which you can draw the required power from a CX750M to a backpane.

Ok...so what would you recommend, then?  A bigger PSU?  One PCI-X for the Ground and one for the 12v? Something else entirely?  There's got to be some way to power the back plane without the room sounding like it's got a jet engine in the corner.

You could potentially get away with using two separate PCI-E cables branches, but that's really pushing the connectors to the limit which is the problem. Ideally you'd wire up each blade individually, the backpane was never designed for normal PSUs and so you have 2 screw terminals trying to do the job of 10.

[dmking79]

You could potentially get away with using two separate PCI-E cables branches, but that's really pushing the connectors to the limit which is the problem. Ideally you'd wire up each blade individually, the backpane was never designed for normal PSUs and so you have 2 screw terminals trying to do the job of 10.

Understood.  I'll go with wiring them individually, rather than risk, you know, burning down my house.  Guess I'll need to find molex connectors for the blades

[dogie]

You could potentially get away with using two separate PCI-E cables branches, but that's really pushing the connectors to the limit which is the problem. Ideally you'd wire up each blade individually, the backpane was never designed for normal PSUs and so you have 2 screw terminals trying to do the job of 10.

Understood.  I'll go with wiring them individually, rather than risk, you know, burning down my house.  Guess I'll need to find molex connectors for the blades

PCI-E or ATX is preferred for the blades as 100W is considered over for a molex. You've got 4 PCI-E, two 4 pin ATX (in the 8 pin) and then can use a 2xmolex to PCI-E for the final blade.

[dmking79]

I'll get started on that.....hopefully last time I pester you about something, would you know where I could find the molex connectors for the blades?  I got my blades off ebay and they didn't include them.  Been searching and haven't come up with anything helpful

[dogie]

Theyre 4 pin, 5.08mm pitch screw terminals, you'll find them in big bags on ebay for almost nothing.

[CrazyGuy]

I've still got a bunch of molex to 4pin cables left over, PM me if you need a few. Also, note that if you are using the 4 pin connectors on a blade and utilizing the back plane as a stand, make sure you have all 4 pin connectors attached before starting your PSU. If you only have one unit connected, power will be distributed from that unit to the rest of the board since they are all on the same circuit.

[dmking79]

I've still got a bunch of molex to 4pin cables left over, PM me if you need a few. Also, note that if you are using the 4 pin connectors on a blade and utilizing the back plane as a stand, make sure you have all 4 pin connectors attached before starting your PSU. If you only have one unit connected, power will be distributed from that unit to the rest of the board since they are all on the same circuit.

Cool, I already got a bunch of eBay. I'm not sure what you mean by "Also, note that if you are using the 4 pin connectors on a blade and utilizing the back plane as a stand, make sure you have all 4 pin connectors attached before starting your PSU. If you only have one unit connected, power will be distributed from that unit to the rest of the board since they are all on the same circuit"

[dogie]

I've still got a bunch of molex to 4pin cables left over, PM me if you need a few. Also, note that if you are using the 4 pin connectors on a blade and utilizing the back plane as a stand, make sure you have all 4 pin connectors attached before starting your PSU. If you only have one unit connected, power will be distributed from that unit to the rest of the board since they are all on the same circuit.

Cool, I already got a bunch of eBay. I'm not sure what you mean by "Also, note that if you are using the 4 pin connectors on a blade and utilizing the back plane as a stand, make sure you have all 4 pin connectors attached before starting your PSU. If you only have one unit connected, power will be distributed from that unit to the rest of the board since they are all on the same circuit"

He means don't wire only one of them up while also plugged into the backpane with other blades plugged in as it will try and power the others through that molex.

[dmking79]

Ah, ok.  Yeah I wasn't planning to have both the blades and backplane wired at the same time - figured it was a one or the other kind of deal. 

So...am I the only idiot doing it this way?  Does everyone else just use the HP psu?  Would it be easier to do something about the noise?

[dogie]

Ah, ok.  Yeah I wasn't planning to have both the blades and backplane wired at the same time - figured it was a one or the other kind of deal. 

So...am I the only idiot doing it this way?  Does everyone else just use the HP PSU?  Would it be easier to do something about the noise?

No I meant don't have one blade wired in to test, with other blades that aren't wired in but are also on the backpane.

[dmking79]

Ah, ok.  Roger. 

[enginehead]

Anyone know why I seem to be getting only 50% efficiency (5 ghps) showing on the blade (v2) but bfgminer is showing 10 ghps. Not sure which is true.

[dogie]

Anyone know why I seem to be getting only 50% efficiency (5 ghps) showing on the blade (v2) but bfgminer is showing 10 ghps. Not sure which is true.

Can you upload a screenshot of bfgminer, the blade's interface page and the pool please.

[enginehead]

https://bitcointalk.org/home/rupert/Pictures/bfgminer.png
pxy 0 is the blade
https://bitcointalk.org/home/rupert/Pictures/blade.png

pool shows the BFGminer total hash rate.

[enginehead]

Try again
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17990112/bfgminer.jpg

pxy 0 is the blade. Please ignore the sick proxy

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17990112/blade.jpg


Pool is show the bfgminer total

[enginehead]

Oh and I've tried a hard reset. No change.