My review of Avalon 841 .

[HagssFIN]

@richdmz

I'm quoting my old post in the Avalon7 thread.

This also applies for the Avalon8 generation,
as the communication structure is the same.

anyone know where the 4-pin cable connecting miner to auc converter can be found. I'm sure if I had the right name for it I can find it at a cable store?
Looks like a 4pin audio cable to a 5-1/2 cdrom.

It's a five pin cable between the AUC (AvalonMiner USB Converter) and the miner..

Here is a good advice from Phil for a replacement cable.

Does anyone know where you can find replacement  AUC3 I2C 5PIN Cable for the 741. Or even an option that would be a little longer?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013SY7P2U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9Y80AK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?


https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=2.54mm+5+Pin+Female+to+Female+F%2FF+Jumper+Cable+Connector+


I have the top two they work.

use the colored ones

make sure the same  color is on the left  on both units

[1714101750]

1714101750

[1714101750]

1714101750

[1714101750]

1714101750

[1714101750]

1714101750

[philipma1957]

Phil, did you mention you found a generic for the AUC cable on Amazon. I tried searching your posts but couldn't find it.

sure here it is


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013SY7P2U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9Y80AK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


the two above work I tested them with the 741 and 721.



I think these may work I ordered them today  to test

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BK12QBG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


If they work  I will have :

1 spare working rasp pi
3 spare  auc's
5 spare  cable's

I will be building a few more rasp pi's

I hope to have   those parts above as spares.

[richdmz]

Thanks guys! I will be sure to merit you too when it allows me.

[notabeliever]

I will fire up my 841 up soon with one of these tested setups so I'm glad you all were able to post the information for us.

Can  someone PM me the hosting site too.
With all this testing, what does one recommend for a 110V psu. The only option I see is to use two 750 or 850 psu's similar to what parallel miner sells. I have 1-850 (free) and 1-1200 (devoted to A721)  

It seems I can use a 1200 watt Parallelminer PSU with one of the settings mentioned.

[HagssFIN]

I will fire up my 841 up soon with one of these tested setups so I'm glad you all were able to post the information for us.

Can  someone PM me the hosting site too.
With all this testing, what does one recommend for a 110V psu. The only option I see is to use two 750 or 850 psu's similar to what parallel miner sells. I have 1-850 (free) and 1-1200 (devoted to A721)  

It seems I can use a 1200 watt Parallelminer PSU with one of the settings mentioned.

Yours best PSU option when running at 110V mains voltage
is two Hewlett-Packard 750W server PSUs kit with breakout boards and pci-e cables.  

[philipma1957]

I will fire up my 841 up soon with one of these tested setups so I'm glad you all were able to post the information for us.

Can  someone PM me the hosting site too.
With all this testing, what does one recommend for a 110V psu. The only option I see is to use two 750 or 850 psu's similar to what parallel miner sells. I have 1-850 (free) and 1-1200 (devoted to A721)  

It seems I can use a 1200 watt Parallelminer PSU with one of the settings mentioned.

good question

So far  I can go as low as -4  which drops me well under 1000  watts  in a cool room.  Just over 1000 watts in a warm room.

The hosting site has a 10k watt minimum.



https://i.imgur.com/6hQk04L.png

9718  gh  in a 90f room  using 1050 watts


--avalon8-voltage-level -4    this setting      will bullet proof you in hot rooms.

so if you are like me  and have a hotter space in the summer months   you can lower it

then raise it on the cool months to

--avalon8-voltage-level -1

--avalon8-voltage-level +2


look at  these numbers

Temperature©

35/69       the 35 means a warm intake    but that 69 is really cool

Fan

5550RPM / 98%   is not running top speed.

If I emptied  the room of the L3+s   temps will drop a lot.

With these tests I think the Avalon 841  is the best all around miner  for anyone that

can keep room temps under 80f

if your room runs at 90f  and you do not mind the downclocks  it is still really good.

I am going to check room temps  since It is getting warm in NJ today  82f at 10:42 AM

The garage has  4x L3's pulling 3200 watts
It has 1x  Avalon 841    pulling  1030 watts doing 9700 hash
It Has some gpus and usb sticks  670 watts

So it has 4900 watts  the temps are 87/88f

[philipma1957]

Can Avalon 841 run on 110v?

yes  if you look at all my videos on this unit many are with a corsair ax1500i as the psu.

that runs on 110 volts


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEctJaz4Mo0    this shows  max    i would not do a 110 volt line at this setting and temp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvWXJTYrW9o   somewhere in the middle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIe4dDiqnkQ    this shows  downclock

[HagssFIN]

Yep, but the Corsair is a lot more expensive than the 2x HP 750W server psu kit.

And server psus are more robust for mining than the ATX psus.

[philipma1957]

Yep, but the Corsair is a lot more expensive than the 2x HP 750W server psu kit.

And server psus are more robust for mining than the ATX psus.

I use server psus much more often then the Corsair.

I got four Corsair on sale for 860 usd which is still 215 usd each.

There are a few options

I like the hp 1200 server it does 900 watts at 110 volts

It can be found for 80 usd so two are 160 usd

[notabeliever]

Okay I can agree with the HP 1200 psu I bought from parallelminer for the A721. I think I know what to do thanks all

[HagssFIN]

Ok  I guess we all agree that HP rules!  

[fccs]

So have we decided that -2 or -1 is the best for a room that is 95F?  Night time the room I have miners in is low 70s, during day if it's say 85 or 90 outside, it's about 95F inside the room.

[philipma1957]

So have we decided that -2 or -1 is the best for a room that is 95F?  Night time the room I have miners in is low 70s, during day if it's say 85 or 90 outside, it's about 95F inside the room.

--avalon8-voltage-level -3 = 10751.58GHs 32/66c 980 watts

--avalon8-voltage-level -2 = 11680.80GHs 33/67c 1071 watts

--avalon8-voltage-level -1 = 11878.42GHs 33/71C 1123 watts


my guess is try -2

report back on these numbers

Temperature©

37 / 73


you will be close to the 37 since the room is hot

maybe you will be 38/82   with the bold setting above.

since auto shut down is 105  (I would not go over 100)

my guess is try that bold setting.

your hash will drop a bit under 13000  but  you won't burn up the gear.

Note I am quoting megaquake's numbers above which are close to mine except his are in a cooler room then mine or yours.

So to repeat this setting

--avalon8-voltage-level -2      = 11680.80GHs   33/67c 1071 watts

but you are warmer so maybe you  do

11680.80GHs 38/80c 1121 watts

look for big differences and let us know what you get. So we can get a bigger data base.


Please note I asked steve of canon to sell me more gear as I want to do more tests and run 2  units.

My first test unit was free of charge .  The next one I am buying.

[StevenMosher]

If the numbers at 30C as printed are only for the benefit of showcasing the optimal performance temperature ranges, then I would have no problem with the Miner.

That's the intent.

the miner will operate up to 40C,  but above 30C the performance (efficiency) decreases  for SOME  machines.
So,  we would have speced,  40C  and then increased the +-  on the power consumption,  

There is  no issue about the warranty. you wont void the warranty.


Moderator's note: This post was edited by frodocooper to correct erroneous quote formatting.

[philipma1957]

Thanks Steve makes sense Because in a 95 f room with 39/92 set to stock clock

That 92 is still well under 105 shut down guard.

I am happy that slight downclocks are working so well NJ temps got to 90f today so the down clock worked well .

I know temps will moderate in fall and I will have a solid 7 months of above spec numbers.

So a few months of just short of spec are not a big deal at all.

[StevenMosher]

Thanks Steve makes sense Because in a 95 f room with 39/92 set to stock clock

That 92 is still well under 105 shut down guard.

I am happy that slight downclocks are working so well NJ temps got to 90f today so the down clock worked well .

I know temps will moderate in fall and I will have a solid 7 months of above spec numbers.

So a few months of just short of spec are not a big deal at all.

I've sent you a mail with an introduction to the local guru. The voltage setting are just one way to change the clock rates.
if you have the cooling and know what you are doing 14-16+ TH is achievable.  Basically  setting zero  gives you
a clock rate of around 750,  but the max is 1G, so theoretical max is 16.25. Do you have the instructions on bypassing
the standard voltage settings?

Finally,  I should probably invite a luck guy to come to beijing to write a overclocking/underclocking guide.
All expenses paid  + free miner. If anyone  on the forum is interested  write me at steve @ canaan.io

[fccs]

With the exception of today (being 89 degrees outside here in PA), even when it's warm out and in low 80s my garage ventilation handles it decently.  At normal stock not editing It stays under 100.  Barely, but nevertheless it's under 100 lol.  I would like to stay at 90 or under even if it's 90 degrees outside, that's why I'm looking into down clocking this a little bit for summer days.  So I put the -2 setting in both more options, and the command line make of it?  As of right now at 2am my 821's are running at a average of 32 / 79 and my 841's are running at a average of 36 / 89.  What's funny is these are literally right next to eachother.. it's 70 degrees outside and probably about 75 in garage with miners.

[alh]

Until here is more complete info coming from Phil, or Canaan, I thought I would suggest an additional method for tweaking the A841 configuration. I am betting that it's possible to combine the avalon8-voltage-level value along with the avalon8-voltage-level-offset value. In other words, use the voltage-level value to make larger adjustments, and then use the voltage-level-offset value to bias it slightly from the value set by voltage-level. I have just set my A841 to voltage-level -1 and a voltage-level-offset of +1. This clearly works in that the miner starts and runs for me, and with only 15 minutes of run time, it seems a smidge warmer and faster than the voltage-level -1 alone, but clearly slower and cooler than voltage-level-offset -2 alone.

I don't have a good way to measure power at this time, so may not really be able to flesh out this experiment fully. It would be really attractive for Canaan to elaborate on the way in which voltage-level and voltage-level-offset interact with each other, and how that translates into power/hear/speed.

I am currently running the March 5th Pi software that was available when I got my A841. The MM firmware is what was installed when I received the box ( 8411802-1e73b80).

Thanks to all the folks here that got me past the "placebo" GUI option for Voltage Offset that didn't seem to have an effect at all.

[philipma1957]

I am getting a second setup from them.
I will be able to create better testing this way.

I can  place one unit in an ac room  one unit in hot garage.

Do comparisons.
I can do newer firmware on one.


@ Alh  I think

it's possible to combine the avalon8-voltage-level value along with the avalon8-voltage-level-offset value.

Will do more testing on it.

I will also be getting some  sorcerer psus from canaan.

Should have some fun.

[mgoz]

anyone checked hardware errors on these various voltage settings?  Add up the HW[] values in the log output.  I suspect they will be rather high on the dramatic voltage changes.  Hash rate is raw and will include all the errors

For some reason Canaan support told me HW is not hardware errors and that values there don't matter. I have hundreds in 24H period with factory settings.