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Author Topic: What to do with BFL FPGA singles now?  (Read 6383 times)
SgtSpike
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October 14, 2013, 07:21:44 PM
 #21

They're not completely worthless yet...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/768-896MH-s-BFL-FPGA-Single-Bitcoin-Miner-In-Hand-Ships-Now-/141079903811?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20d9047e43
zerocode20
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October 14, 2013, 07:36:09 PM
 #22


Probably the people buying have no idea the difference between FPGA/ASIC .......

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October 15, 2013, 05:37:07 AM
 #23

Let me say, I do not think they are scrap.  They do have a value, it is just pretty low.  They can be used as an FPGA dev platform.  That is why I say I would buy a few for $30 each.  But I will never get that $30 back mining BTC. 
Last I checked they were cryptographically locked to BFL's FPGA images and BFL won't provide the info needed to reprogram them. IIRC they also can't be reprogramed over the USB bus.
Unacceptable
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October 15, 2013, 08:16:11 AM
 #24

I sold one of mine last month on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300968030370?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649

Private auction for 2 more on another forum,$150 each  Grin

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Got GOXXED ?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KiqRpPiJAU&feature=youtu.be
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kramble
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October 15, 2013, 08:17:00 AM
 #25

Let me say, I do not think they are scrap.  They do have a value, it is just pretty low.  They can be used as an FPGA dev platform.  That is why I say I would buy a few for $30 each.  But I will never get that $30 back mining BTC. 
Last I checked they were cryptographically locked to BFL's FPGA images and BFL won't provide the info needed to reprogram them. IIRC they also can't be reprogramed over the USB bus.

That's useful info. I was wondering if it might be worth porting my litecoin miner onto them, but I'll stick with the Lancelot and Ztex for now. Its just a hobby project anyway as the return on mining LTC would be minimal at the sort of hash rates I'm achieving (It was a challenge ... lots of people said FPGA couldn't do scrypt, well it can, just not very well Tongue ).

Github https://github.com/kramble BLC BkRaMaRkw3NeyzsZ2zUgXsNLogVVkQ1iPV
Leehoya
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October 15, 2013, 08:22:44 AM
 #26

Plenty of sha256 alt coins right now. Mine them all!

OleOle
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October 15, 2013, 08:43:43 AM
 #27

Mine it while selling it online at high price, who know you might be lucky. Smiley

Or maybe even mine with it while selling it online as 'pre-order', then arrange for delivery in two weeks, two months or two years.

Seems to have worked before...  Cheesy

Leehoya
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October 15, 2013, 09:00:05 AM
 #28

Mine it while selling it online at high price, who know you might be lucky. Smiley

Or maybe even mine with it while selling it online as 'pre-order', then arrange for delivery in two weeks, two months or two years.

Seems to have worked before...  Cheesy
I think that guy is from BFL isnt it? Cheesy

lightfoot
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October 22, 2013, 06:56:47 PM
 #29

Interesting side thought: How low could the sale prices on things like this go?

Could the price of 500 erupters drop below that of a 1,500 watt space heater? That might be the minimum price.

C
SgtSpike
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October 22, 2013, 08:04:13 PM
 #30

Interesting side thought: How low could the sale prices on things like this go?

Could the price of 500 erupters drop below that of a 1,500 watt space heater? That might be the minimum price.

C
It definitely could.  Who wants to maintain 500 erupters and all the USB tangle that goes along with it to save $15?
razorfishsl
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October 22, 2013, 10:24:23 PM
 #31

Let me say, I do not think they are scrap.  They do have a value, it is just pretty low.  They can be used as an FPGA dev platform.  That is why I say I would buy a few for $30 each.  But I will never get that $30 back mining BTC. 
Last I checked they were cryptographically locked to BFL's FPGA images and BFL won't provide the info needed to reprogram them. IIRC they also can't be reprogramed over the USB bus.

That's useful info. I was wondering if it might be worth porting my litecoin miner onto them, but I'll stick with the Lancelot and Ztex for now. Its just a hobby project anyway as the return on mining LTC would be minimal at the sort of hash rates I'm achieving (It was a challenge ... lots of people said FPGA couldn't do scrypt, well it can, just not very well Tongue ).

That can easily be fixed. The crypto keys can be removed with a JTAG.

yep ok ..... the  BFL bit-files will no longer work, but it's not as if you need them.

High Quality USB Hubs for Bitcoin miners
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=560003
Carlton Banks
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October 22, 2013, 10:35:27 PM
 #32

I have the same problem with my FPGAminer x6500's, they're just scraping by still now that the exchange rate has jumped, lol

Vires in numeris
OleOle
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October 23, 2013, 12:08:47 AM
 #33

Mine it while selling it online at high price, who know you might be lucky. Smiley

Yeah, there's a great tradition of over-priced miners online, no point in fighting history Wink

Worth out what you think it is worth, add 25%, double your anticipated shipping charges then add that to the unit total cost then advertise it as 'free shipping'. Throw in a 'free' usb with drivers and miners plus an 'instruction guide' and away you go Cheesy

I can just hear the buyers now thinking, "Hmm... bitcoin? ...crypto? Sounds interesting... make money in rising and falling markets... I might buy that."




-----

Disclaimer: I have bought overpriced asic miner units on ebay so I know it works  Cheesy




Quix
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October 23, 2013, 03:27:17 AM
 #34

Figure out what the real board underneath it is, remove the BFL casing and sell it as whatever FPGA it is. Worth way more that way.
evansearle42
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October 25, 2013, 10:45:14 AM
 #35

Keep it as a collection and show it to your kids next time Smiley
OleOle
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October 25, 2013, 12:40:52 PM
 #36

The forum member Vesperwillow has this in their signature, maybe worth contacting them?

"ASIC/Scrypt Buyback Program: I will BUY your mining equipment if you're considering selling."

No harm in asking.

 Smiley


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October 25, 2013, 12:41:49 PM
 #37

They have two, quite expensive, FPGA chips inside. They could be recovered and used elsewhere.
high110
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October 25, 2013, 01:34:22 PM
 #38

Oh man - bitcoin just touched 180...at this rate, I'll have to turn off my miners.  Sell it while you can.

Ironly Cloud mining at CEX has gone up?? was 0.85 per GHs yesterday and now it's .9 per GHS.   Check out the signature.

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kramble
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October 25, 2013, 01:47:50 PM
 #39

They have two, quite expensive, FPGA chips inside. They could be recovered and used elsewhere.

According to Ngzhang they are EP3SL150F780 https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=79825.0
Some additional info https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=123155.0

However the bitstream is protected (see http://www.altera.co.uk/literature/wp/wp-01010.pdf) and if BFL used the poly-fuse option rather than battery-backup, the devices may be unusable (I defer to rasorfishsl upthread, but AFAIK poly-fuses are one-time programmable and if the tamper flag is set the devices are junk without the master key).

Github https://github.com/kramble BLC BkRaMaRkw3NeyzsZ2zUgXsNLogVVkQ1iPV
rocks (OP)
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October 25, 2013, 04:27:52 PM
 #40

Keep it as a collection and show it to your kids next time Smiley

I think this is what I decided to do. Sell it on ebay what probably the best suggestion, but today they go for less than $100 and at that price it would be nice to just hold onto the brick for sentimental purposes. If I had more than 1 though I'd sell the extra's on ebay.
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