Block Erupter USB - Overclocking/ hacking ?

[sidehack]

All of mine worked with just --icarus-timing short, but that was on cgminer 3.1.1 - not sure if the auto timing routines are different between the two versions.

I never ran with a config file, just a comically long command line in a batch file. You might see about putting it in the config file, in case cgminer ignores/overrules that command line flag when it sees options in a config.

[Raptor2213]

I've got a wrench to throw at you guys.  Is it necessary to do any mods whatsoever?

I've got 3 STOCK BEs running at 500-550 Mh/s by just altering the timings:

Code:

--icarus-options 115200:2:2 --icarus-timing 2.0=25

The idea was inspired by this post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=357684.0


Makes me wonder what would happen if you just messed with some settings on your already OCed BEs.

[Trillium]

I've got a wrench to throw at you guys.  Is it necessary to do any mods whatsoever?

I've got 3 STOCK BEs running at 500-550 Mh/s by just altering the timings:

Code:

--icarus-options 115200:2:2 --icarus-timing 2.0=25

The idea was inspired by this post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=357684.0


Makes me wonder what would happen if you just messed with some settings on your already OCed BEs.

Your software has mislead you. The number of operations (SHA256 operations) that are completed per cycle are known. The frequency of the chip is also known and it is a fixed value too (based on the oscillators in the circuit). As a result, changing timing options does not result in a real improvement. I suspect your mining software is giving you a false measurement of their performance.

[Raptor2213]

I've got a wrench to throw at you guys.  Is it necessary to do any mods whatsoever?

I've got 3 STOCK BEs running at 500-550 Mh/s by just altering the timings:

Code:

--icarus-options 115200:2:2 --icarus-timing 2.0=25

The idea was inspired by this post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=357684.0


Makes me wonder what would happen if you just messed with some settings on your already OCed BEs.

Your software has mislead you. The number of operations (SHA256 operations) that are completed per cycle are known. The frequency of the chip is also known and it is a fixed value too (based on the oscillators in the circuit). As a result, changing timing options does not result in a real improvement. I suspect your mining software is giving you a false measurement of their performance.

My pool reports .5 Gh/s for one of them.  The others are on pools I can't see live stats for.  It's real enough.

[sidehack]

I tried settings like that for a week or two to get plenty of stable data. Not only did the submitted work from the miner not increase (shares/min), but the pool's speed reports were exactly the same. The speed data reported in cgminer was erroneous.

[Raptor2213]

I tried settings like that for a week or two to get plenty of stable data. Not only did the submitted work from the miner not increase (shares/min), but the pool's speed reports were exactly the same. The speed data reported in cgminer was erroneous.

Just started testing this.  In 15 min, cgminer reports that it has submitted 39 and 1 hardware error.
My pool is showing that I'm doing almost exactly 2x more submits than cgminer shows (80).
I may need to test it with more than 1 miner...

[sidehack]

ICA 0: | 926.4M/11.94Ph/s | A: 106695 R:54 HW:1067 U:6.32/m

Pool 24-hour average, 435.91MH/s

By-the-hardware hashrate, 458.7MH/s

[Raptor2213]

Unfortunately, it looks like Trillian was right.  The pool is giving me credit for only 1Gh/s.  I guess it's time to do some modding.  I just need to decide between 14mhz and 16mhz crystals.

[yeti_alchemist]

The unit 858D+ Hot Air Gun Rework Station Solder Soldering LED Display w/ 3 Nozzles
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009PPRJHS/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Just caught on FIRE.

You get what you pay for!

Picked up a better rework station and have done a bunch of 16MHz upgrades. It has been challenging to work with the tiny parts and I have learned a lot (with only minor casualties in the BE department).

Thanks to all the contributors in this thread that did all the testing and experimenting.
This has been a fun project. 

[Elemen7s]

Hi, I have just overclocked one of my usb asic miner v3 and when I connect it to the usb, the led does not light up or recognized by the pc. It does get hot.

Im using a 16 mhz oszillator and 1.2K on R1


I re soldered the crystal and checked for the direction and it was good. I also re soldered another resistor just to be sure, but its still not working.

What could the problem be ?

[klondike_bar]

just want to check: if the usb is modded to draw more than 500mA will a hub allow that (assuming you have it connected to sufficient power supply)?

[mbbc]

It does get hot.

Hotter than normal? Could be a short circuit then. Measure the resistance between VCC and GND.

[dbzenhosting]

I just changed the setting in my cgiminer to

icarus-options 115200:2:2 --icarus-timing 2.0=25

Do I need to do any hardware modification to the usb miners? I have a USB fan blowing on them.
Says I am getting 500-575Mhs.  I have 3-4 on a usb hub with a fan on each hub.

I just want to make sure it is safe to run them at that speed and they wont burn up.

[Elemen7s]

It does get hot.

Hotter than normal? Could be a short circuit then. Measure the resistance between VCC and GND.

between the VCC and GND on those gold contacts under the text "Rev. 3.00" it does read 0.5ohms

What does that mean ?

just want to check: if the usb is modded to draw more than 500mA will a hub allow that (assuming you have it connected to sufficient power supply)?

I have only tested on the motherboard USB, Ill try with a transformer later today

[Elemen7s]

just want to check: if the usb is modded to draw more than 500mA will a hub allow that (assuming you have it connected to sufficient power supply)?

I have tested it on a power supply which could go up to 5A, still the same thing. the BE100 chip gets hot and led doesnt blink and  pc wont detect it.

Any help please ??

It does get hot.

Hotter than normal? Could be a short circuit then. Measure the resistance between VCC and GND.

I have tested a good working one and between the VCC and GND there is 7.3ohms and on the non working one it 0.5ohms

Where could the short circuit be ?

[Thom]

Where could the short circuit be ?

[Raptor2213]

If anyone happens to need some resistors/oscillators, I have a some kits up for sale on ebay. 
1.5k resistors and 16MHz crystals.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251438263496

[sysostar]

Hello

Old topic now. But I have few of these. And I like to build things like this.

Upgrade todo:

Heat, polishing, bigger heatsink both side (bigger, both side is all ready, about 0.3% hw error long run. but make better build)
oscillator, maybe 14Mhz, not maybe necessarily to chance resistor for upper volts
Good 5V to "test" pins directly (+5 upped, ground lower), cut usb power.

Get to run about 400Mhs with real cheap usb hubs (power to "test" pins)?

Where to get those oscillators?-) cheap, posted in finland..


-Sysostar

[TheRealSteve]

Old thread is exactly 1 year old (congrats), so just in case any of you tinkerers missed it:
Block Erupter USB mod contest 2015 - 0.3/0.15/0.05 BTC prizes