Is this Avalon broken? ("FPGA controller messed up, 0 wrong results")

[ShadesOfMarble]

Hi,

I have an Avalon (clone) here which worked for some time but now stopped doing so. Cgminer output is: http://pastebin.com/YeAPkPWP (Too long to paste it in this post)

To me it looks like there is some problem with the USB interface, like it cannot read from it. Is it possible the FTDI chip is broken? (If yes, how could that happen?)

(I tried to attach the control unit to the TP-Link router as well as to a Xubuntu machine (which generated the output above), same result)


Thanks for any suggestions!

[Ytterbium]

Have you gotten in contact with the company that made the clone? Maybe they can send replacement controller board.

[coldguy]

could you please ssh to tplink 703n, run command "dmesg | grep usb" and show the output here.

[ShadesOfMarble]

@Ytterbium

Yes, but then I still don't know

- If the board is actually broken or there's something that can easily be fixed
- What caused this error (so I can avoid it in the future, if I did something wrong)

@coldguy

Thanks, I will do that tomorrow.

[Kartaiv]

No -- "Err 0" is result value for success (i.e. no error). You can see this if you look at cgminer code.

[ShadesOfMarble]

could you please ssh to tplink 703n, run command "dmesg | grep usb" and show the output here.

Here you go:

Code:

root@OpenWrt:~# dmesg | grep usb
[    9.170000] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
[    9.170000] usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
[    9.180000] usbcore: registered new device driver usb
[   10.860000] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 2 using ehci-platform
[   10.990000] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial
[   10.990000] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
[   11.000000] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for generic
[   11.120000] usbcore: registered new interface driver ftdi_sio
[   11.120000] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for FTDI USB Serial Device
[   11.440000] usb 1-1.1: new full-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-platform
[   11.580000] usb 1-1.1: Detected FT232RL
[   11.580000] usb 1-1.1: Number of endpoints 2
[   11.590000] usb 1-1.1: Endpoint 1 MaxPacketSize 16384
[   11.590000] usb 1-1.1: Endpoint 2 MaxPacketSize 16384
[   11.600000] usb 1-1.1: Setting MaxPacketSize 64
[   11.610000] usb 1-1.1: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0

No -- "Err 0" is result value for success (i.e. no error). You can see this if you look at cgminer code.

Yes, you are right... Somehow redundant to display this message for "no error". Anyway, the unit is not producing a single valid share.

Hooking it up to a Xubuntu machine, cgminer says "Idling 32 miners" and nothing happens.

Using the TP-Link and starting cgminer via SSH:

Code:

root@OpenWrt:~# cgminer --avalon-options 115200:24:10:45:282 -S/dev/ttyUSB0 -o [redacted] --api-allow
 W:127.0.0.1 --api-listen --quiet
 [2013-08-07 17:16:39] Avalon: Goto idle mode
 [2013-08-07 17:16:41] Avalon: Reset failed! not an Avalon? (0: 00 b6 b2 10)    
 [2013-08-07 17:16:43] Avalon: Goto idle mode
 [2013-08-07 17:16:43] AVA0: FPGA controller messed up, 0 wrong results         
 [2013-08-07 17:16:45] Avalon: Reset failed! not an Avalon? (0: 00 00 00 02)    
 [2013-08-07 17:16:47] Avalon: Goto idle mode
 [2013-08-07 17:16:47] AVA0: FPGA controller messed up, 0 wrong results         

[coldguy]

The FTDI chips should be working, in my point of view. The problem maybe some internal error in the FPGA. If you have the right tools you can try to re-flash it.

[coldguy]

When the control unit is working, is the LED labeled as "Done" on? Besides it, are there any other LEDs (LED1 ~ LED4) on at the same time?

[ShadesOfMarble]

When the control unit is working, is the LED labeled as "Done" on? Besides it, are there any other LEDs (LED1 ~ LED4) on at the same time?

Yes, DONE is instantly lit after power is turned on.
No, the other LEDs are dark.

I know the DONE LED is for the FPGA, do you actually know what the other one are for?

[coldguy]

I am not sure what LED1 ~ LED4 are doing for. Normally they are off, if the ctrl u is working properly. So I think this ctrl unit should be working properly as well.

Try upgrade the firmware in your 703n to the newest version (0723 I think). That the last thing I can suggest at this moment.

[mvalley]

Was this ever resolved? I'm running into the same issue with a unit I just bought.

[-ck]

Upgrade from ancient firmware

[Gerronimo]

Have the same problem:
Avalon 55nm 230Ghs
TP-link 703N

0 hash at all. network is OK

Tried both OpenWrt and direct USB (cgminer).

LED:
Done - constantly lit
1 led - blink

Tried everything - all firmware of Tplink, several Wifi routers (messed up with Connection refused).

cgminer shows

Avalon: Reset failed! not an Avalon? (0: 00 b6 b2 10)
get avalon read got err 0