BTCMiner - Open Source Bitcoin Miner for ZTEX FPGA Boards, 215 MH/s on LX150

[Nachtwind]

Totally stupid question about the miner: Does it change the Mhz also upwards? I only see the speed increasing after starting it and then lowering it to a stable value it holds for days in a row, ignoring outside temperature or error rate..
Is that normal behaviour or is there a chance to make it increase speed by itself?

[1713537641]

1713537641

[vv01f]

ztex already discribed that in his threads, hashrate will be adjusted as error rate changes. Try typing c to set error rate to 0 and hashrate will rise and adjust again as errors occure. It will not make hashing more effective after all.

[Nachtwind]

ztex already discribed that in his threads, hashrate will be adjusted as error rate changes. Try typing c to set error rate to 0 and hashrate will rise and adjust again as errors occure. It will not make hashing more effective after all.

umm.... "type c"? i had so far the feeling the application wasnt exactly interactive.. and as of now i cant see anything change when typing c.

Thing just is it makes SOME difference here.. it adjusts up to 220MH when starting at night and keeping that way at colder temperatures but drops then, at day to 205 to 210MH at day without ever raising again when it gets colder.. thats what i find a bit odd.

[randomguy7]

...
umm.... "type c"? i had so far the feeling the application wasnt exactly interactive.. and as of now i cant see anything change when typing c.
...

Press enter after pressing c .

[vv01f]

Jap, confirmation via Enter is needed.

 Probavly ztex can state why the adjustment doesnt work like you - and also I would have - thougt.
You might solve it by patching (already was done) for repeatingly auto-reset error counters or a named pipe that resets via a cronjob or daemon-script.

[Nachtwind]

uh even after c + enter nothing happens 0o

though running the miner in cluser mode (-m c) seems to make it recalc the mhz time and again, though to a much lower hashing rate overall...



meh ><

[ztex]

Totally stupid question about the miner: Does it change the Mhz also upwards? I only see the speed increasing after starting it and then lowering it to a stable value it holds for days in a row, ignoring outside temperature or error rate..
Is that normal behaviour or is there a chance to make it increase speed by itself?

The frequency calculation is is based on the maximum error rates. Use the "c" command (in cluster mode) in order to reset this.

BTW, those who want to periodically reset the counters (if it is done too often it reduces the overall hash rate, once per day is ok) just need to enter a crontab entry that sends the "c" command to the secondary command input (parameter -c, usually a named pipe):

Code:

00 22	* * 1-7		/bin/bash -c "echo d > <BTCMiner FIFO>"

[Nachtwind]

Ohh, now i get it. Well, since i dont run the cluster mode i will simply keep to my old habit of restarting the miner midday and midnight ><

[BR0KK]

festure request:


Hi i was wondering i you could add a line to the output of BTCMiner. I would really want it to display the pool I'm currently mining at

[ztex]

Hi i was wondering i you could add a line to the output of BTCMiner. I would really want it to display the pool I'm currently mining at

This information does not fit into a line because pool server varies from minter to miner.

The currently used pool can be derived from the messages. If a pool server is not available it is disabled for 60s, the next one is used and a warning is printed. If you see no such messages the primary pool is used.

The currently used pools are also reported in the block log.

[gr0bi42]

Hi,

I've added some nice feature to BTCMiner. Most wanted feature by myself: a builtin HTTP-Server to monitor my FPGA-Cluster via Webbrowser (iPad@Home and iPhone@Street).

New Features:
- builtin HTTP-Server (select with -m h)
- some very basic and braindead builtin webpages to show cluster state
- pool switching via http
- autoreset error counter (option -ac)
- do not log to file (option -nolog). Important to me, because the cluster is running from a tiny embedded ssd.
- some fixes

Source and more infos: https://github.com/gr0bi42/BTCMiner

Builtin webpages are: /pools, /miner and /json. All other URL's are forwarded to the filesystem (local dir). Maybe someone starts more fancy webpages using /json, Javascript...

Commandline options: -host, -user and -pass are gone. Use -o <poolname> <poolurl> <user> <pass> instead. Multiple -o enable the pool switching via http.

Example:

Code:

java -cp ZtexBTCMiner.jar BTCMiner -m h -id fpga1 -p 8001 -o Deepbit http://pit.deepbit.net:8332 user pass -o Slush http://api.bitcoin.cz:8332 user pass -b Eligius http://ra.mining.eligius.st:8337 1Btf3BqUegfe5iFdWsgfBf1Ew3YsAvsrLT x

URL to open in browser:

Code:

http://<your ip address here>:8001/pools

[gr0bi42]

Hi,

here comes the binary for the "lazy" people. Feel free to trust me, if not, compile the source by yourself.

You can find the "Ready-to-use" jar-file in the Download section on Github: https://github.com/gr0bi42/BTCMiner/downloads

The direct Link: https://github.com/downloads/gr0bi42/BTCMiner/ZtexBTCMiner_20120731.jar

[antirack]

Here is something I wanted to ask for a long time. What happens if BTCMiner outputs the following. Is it stuck in an unlimited loop and no work (on the other boards in the cluster) gets done?

Code:

(Re)Scanning bus ... 
ztex_ufm1_15y1-6401-01-03: New device: bitfile=ztex_ufm1_15y1   f_default=200.00MHz  f_max=248.00MHz  HpC=1.0H
ztex_ufm1_15y1-6401-01-03: MAC address: 0004a36df2b5
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: High speed FPGA configuration failed, trying low speed mode:Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Trying low speed mode
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning (try 1): error sending control message: Connection timed out
ztex_ufm1_15y1-6401-01-03: Error configuring FPGA 0: bus=001  device=123: sendFpgaData: error sending control message: Connection timed out
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: High speed FPGA configuration failed, trying low speed mode:Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Trying low speed mode
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
ztex_ufm1_15y1-6401-01-03: Error configuring FPGA 1: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high (size=4220313 ,  0 bytes got lost;  checksum=3 , should be 3;  INIT_B_HIST=222)
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Retrying it ...
Warning: High speed FPGA configuration failed, trying low speed mode:Error uploading bitstream: FPGA configuration failed: DONE pin does not go high, possible USB transfer errors (INIT_B_HIST=222): Trying low speed mode

Edit: Clarified my question. I'd like to know if the rest of the cluster is basically dead when this happens or if there is still work done in the background.

[BR0KK]

Nothing will Happen. U Need to Report the board to get it working again

[ztex]

Edit: Clarified my question. I'd like to know if the rest of the cluster is basically dead when this happens or if there is still work done in the background.

In rescan mode no results are read our and no work is submitted. But the FPGA's are still computing. If rescanning only takes a few seconds usually no computation time is lost.

BTW, the board 0004a36df2b5 was not produced by me. The errors are probably caused by an power supply problem.  You should first check whether the output voltages of the voltage regulators are o.k.

[ztex]

I've added some nice feature to BTCMiner. Most wanted feature by myself: a builtin HTTP-Server to monitor my FPGA-Cluster via Webbrowser (iPad@Home and iPhone@Street).

New Features:
- builtin HTTP-Server (select with -m h)
- some very basic and braindead builtin webpages to show cluster state
- pool switching via http
- autoreset error counter (option -ac)
- do not log to file (option -nolog). Important to me, because the cluster is running from a tiny embedded ssd.
- some fixes

Source and more infos: https://github.com/gr0bi42/BTCMiner

Thanks for the work. I plan to transfer some of the new features (not all, e.g. -host, -user and -pass are retained for backward compatibility, logging is mandatory for error tracking) in to the main branch. Especially I like the HTTP server.

[robertrex]

Is there any guide about how got get the USB drivers/connection to work?

The BTC Miner says "No device found" and in devices it says "Unkonown device"
OS: Win 7 x64

/Robert

[BR0KK]

there is and its easy:
DL the Ztex SDK and let windows search for the driver of that unknown device (you have to point it to the ztex directory -> i dont remeber the full path, but it had something to do with libusb ..... <-

[robertrex]

there is and its easy:
DL the Ztex SDK and let windows search for the driver of that unknown device (you have to point it to the ztex directory -> i dont remeber the full path, but it had something to do with libusb ..... <-

What am I missing... ?

I try to update the driver to the Unknownd device with the driver in the SDK "ztex-120412\ztex\libusb-win32\ztex.inf"

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/704649/ztex%20driver.png

but only get a message that
"The folder doesn't contain any driver that is campatible with the device. If there is a driver in the folder, check that the driver is designed för Windows x64 based computers."

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/704649/ztex%20driver2.png

Any suggestions...?

[BR0KK]

Did you install libusb files correctly?


It has to look like this: