BFL BitForce SC Firmware source code

[Joshwaa]

If we flash to the new firmware are there any gains? Will it void the lifetime guarantee if we do flash it with stock 1.2.5? 

[Luke-Jr]

If we flash to the new firmware are there any gains? Will it void the lifetime guarantee if we do flash it with stock 1.2.5? 

At least under US law, it is illegal to void warranties unless you actually do damage to the device.
Whether you're confident in your ability to modify firmware without damaging it or not, is up to you.
Also note that overclocking (I'm not sure how to define this with BFL ASICs!) generally always does damage, even when it works.

[Joshwaa]

Thanks Luke.  Are there any gains from the new firmware?

[Luke-Jr]

Thanks Luke.  Are there any gains from the new firmware?

Pretty sure this is the same firmware units have been shipping with for at least a month now.

[Joshwaa]

My Jally is 1.0.0

[kano]

My Jally is 1.0.0

http://www.kano-kun.net/?p=70

[Joshwaa]

My Jally is 1.0.0

http://www.kano-kun.net/?p=70

Yes Kano I have read your entire blog and thread, thanks for your work BTW. Yours says will void warranty, but Luke is saying it will not. Did Josh/Inaba comment on this? I thought I recalled him saying it would.

[kano]

My Jally is 1.0.0

http://www.kano-kun.net/?p=70

Yes Kano I have read your entire blog and thread, thanks for your work BTW. Yours says will void warranty, but Luke is saying it will not. Did Josh/Inaba comment on this? I thought I recalled him saying it would.

Yes he said it would void the warranty:
https://forums.butterflylabs.com/announcements/3282-bitforce-sc-firmware-version-1-2-5-a-3.html#post45157

[Askit2]

It does seem ironic that if I get a new mustang and put a blower on it the doors, windows, bumpers interior pieces are still warrantied Everything but the engine, transmission, clutch, driveshaft and rearend. Even those parts can have some protection but likely would be denied. If I put on a new firmware apparently power supplies, fans, and everything else is at a loss. I wonder if the same law applies to the ancillary equipment. Guarantee the only way to know would be to have a failure, try for warranty work, have it denied then sue.

I get the overclocking issue. I also get that if they say you can put on the new FW then you would likely if at all possible potentially re-flash to something that BFL would accept as safe. Making it look not overclocked but there has to be a better way to tell if the chips failed because of heat that was from overclocking or just went bad on their own.

The easiest way to guess is that no one would bother flashing to a slower setup so all flashed units are obviously overclocked. Thus all non factory firmware is warranty voiding.

Any Idea if the firmware would one day be available like the FPGA in a way that doesn't kill your warranty?

EDIT: At this point I have left messages about my failed Power supply and at that time failing fan on the voice mail, BFL's own forum and in an email. I have waited 10 days. I suppose that isn't so bad. I have my FPGA power supply and I can't really send it back until they get back to me. The fan header is built in making it moderately difficult to replace the fan. I suppose if it hits a month with no warranty work I can safely assume the warranty isn't worth worrying about as it isn't worth anything to me so far. Maybe I should just order the dragon now.

[Flashman]

If we flash to the new firmware are there any gains? Will it void the lifetime guarantee if we do flash it with stock 1.2.5? 

At least under US law, it is illegal to void warranties unless you actually do damage to the device.
Whether you're confident in your ability to modify firmware without damaging it or not, is up to you.
Also note that overclocking (I'm not sure how to define this with BFL ASICs!) generally always does damage, even when it works.

I guess we're talking Magnuson-Moss act... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act

and the "Warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with the product in order to retain the warranty" provision.

However, we're not quite talking about a "necessary" service part like an air filter or a belt, but some unnecessary change, like a hot camshaft.

But, since BFL has many times said that the process the ASIC was made on was good for 1 Ghz plus, and that the chips were originally specced for 8 or 9GHs, one could claim that the implied warranty is that you're not overclocking anything to bump them up a bit. Especially from jally speed to speed of chips chipped in singles.

and on the other hand the warranty given "This unit’s system board has a lifetime warranty from manufacture defect or component failure." implies that fans and PSUs are not covered.

Anyway, when all is said and done, it would not be very unusual for any digital equipment manufacturer to deny warranty based on overclocking or firmware modification. A manufacturer can make convincing arguments in court for denying claim, especially when it has not offered a "Full" warranty.

That is though, only the Federal situation, some states may have warranty statutes that differ wildly.


So this is all IMO and IANAL and YMMV and AFAIK this is MO of FTC and might be SNAFU, FUBAR, GTFO or LMFAO 

[bitpop]

You forgot DTF

[Askit2]

If we flash to the new firmware are there any gains? Will it void the lifetime guarantee if we do flash it with stock 1.2.5? 

At least under US law, it is illegal to void warranties unless you actually do damage to the device.
Whether you're confident in your ability to modify firmware without damaging it or not, is up to you.
Also note that overclocking (I'm not sure how to define this with BFL ASICs!) generally always does damage, even when it works.

I guess we're talking Magnuson-Moss act... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act

and the "Warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with the product in order to retain the warranty" provision.

However, we're not quite talking about a "necessary" service part like an air filter or a belt, but some unnecessary change, like a hot camshaft.

But, since BFL has many times said that the process the ASIC was made on was good for 1 Ghz plus, and that the chips were originally specced for 8 or 9GHs, one could claim that the implied warranty is that you're not overclocking anything to bump them up a bit. Especially from jally speed to speed of chips chipped in singles.

and on the other hand the warranty given "This unit’s system board has a lifetime warranty from manufacture defect or component failure." implies that fans and PSUs are not covered.

Anyway, when all is said and done, it would not be very unusual for any digital equipment manufacturer to deny warranty based on overclocking or firmware modification. A manufacturer can make convincing arguments in court for denying claim, especially when it has not offered a "Full" warranty.

That is though, only the Federal situation, some states may have warranty statutes that differ wildly.


So this is all IMO and IANAL and YMMV and AFAIK this is MO of FTC and might be SNAFU, FUBAR, GTFO or LMFAO 

That specific act also limited what they removed from warranty when non branded parts where used. They used to be able to avoid warranty work on suspension problems if someone changed their own oil. Now it didn't actually cause a suspension problem. But since they hadn't had all their work done at the factory shop the factory warranty need not apply before that act.

I was specifically talking about that act.

Lets go with a different example. Lets say I put on shiney new 1.2.5 firmware on my Jalapeno's. I set the clock to 7 (Nasser said it was safe) and have the test for speed and to de-clock the unit on. I have in 3 months a failure of my FTDI chip. Did the newer firmware break the USB coms? I would doubt it. Now I have no warranty because I upgraded the firmware. I would argue that some parts of the board would be un-affected by over clocking it. Could the mosfet/power system be damaged sure. The ASIC hashing chips too.  Just I doubt that EVERYTHING would be damaged by it.

I also was pretty sure when I paid (September 2012) the warranty said it was full. Now I wish I had a way to check. I am likely wrong.

[bitpop]

It's like rooting phones. And being asked for a receipt. They will do anything possible to get out of warranty. Amd even put a switch on 6990 to void your warranty just by trying it and not knowing what it was. I had no clue it was an overclock switch. Did they do it for fun? No, they added a way for people to accidentally void their warranty and leaving an instant record.

[Askit2]

I guess maybe people put three separate things that kept being said by BFL together. Lifetime warranty, overclocking and next month.....
I can get one of them.....

I guess I see the point on the phone rooting too. I am not sure I agree with it defaulting to a voided warranty. Usually in a legal sense it would have to be proven you did definitely cause the failure to void the warranty. BUT no one is going to hire a lawyer, spend a bunch of money trying to get a replacement maybe 300$ product (in case the price goes up again....). It would cost less to replace it ones self. Sadly its where the car stuff works out better. You spend 20K+ on a car you might actually fight for warranty work on a 6K part plus labor.

In theory my power supply that failed to last all of 2 hours should be covered regardless because even ancillary equipment is covered by the 90 day US warranty. Same with my maybe 7 hour fan. Sadly both won't add up to the cost of getting them shipped to me.

I really would have preferred the Power supply cables that non paying review units received but apparently paying customers are not good enough to get. I suppose having everything setup to use a Power supply was a bad idea. It cost me few hours. I really don't get why the "Marketing" versions got parts no one else did.

[twobitcoins]

Apparently BFL is now shipping devices with firmware version 1.2.6.

Luke, do you think you could check with BFL about releasing the latest source code?  I suspect you have better contacts than the typical customer.

[Luke-Jr]

Apparently BFL is now shipping devices with firmware version 1.2.6.

Luke, do you think you could check with BFL about releasing the latest source code?  I suspect you have better contacts than the typical customer.

Nasser informed me he plans to check this code into git this weekend.

[twobitcoins]

Nasser informed me he plans to check this code into git this weekend.

Excellent.  Thanks!

[Luke-Jr]

Updated OP with 1.2.6.

[goxed]

Why is engine 0 always disabled?

[LordTheron]

Hi,

Is it safe to flash 1.2.6 to my Jaly? Im running 1.2.5 at the moment  so do I flash it as per Kano guide?

Luke, could you post compiled binary for Jaly?