HashFast Sierra's Owners Thread

[gateway]

I figured since some people will start to get their Sierras that we could have a separate thread for sharing information about these devices such as how to get started, software updates, firmware updates, general info, tips and over clocking.

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[gateway]

reserved.

[gateway]

General Info:

• These puppies are heavy and love to eat power so make sure you now how many amps your plugs can take and what fuses they might be on.
• 3 Boards come in each Sierra and are daisy chained together.
• 2 Power supplies with paper clip trick to enable you to turn them on  *see powering up the device

Power:

• For example I think a typical us household plug might take 20 amps per fuse which could be spread over a few sockets or one.
• These devices seem to take about 1W per Gh, so if you over clock it to lets say 1.4 Th/s your running around 1400 watts and maybe around 11amps.
• Plugging in two into one socket might might be to much and you might get the feeling that the devices are not working but it might just be you do not have enough power, so check this first if your having issues.

Getting Started:

I would personally suggest using a flavor of unix, for my miners I usually use ubuntu desktop 12.04x 64 bit, and enable vnc so I can remote desktop into my boxes.  I then compile cgminer or bfgminer depending on your preference with the proper switches for the hashfast devices.

[maybe someone using these on windows can explain the process of getting it setup]

Once you have the miner software compiled its time to fire up your first box.  Do these in order for now until some bugs are resolved.

If you have one sierra make sure you have enough power, see power section above.

Turning On Single:

• With your pc booted into linux and terminal window open, turn on both power supplies on the Sierra.
• Plug in the USB cable into the back of the Sierra if you haven't done already.
• Plug in the USB cable into your pc
• Start Miner software ... wait a few seconds while it recognizes the device.

You should be up and mining if no issues like power or other are plaguing you.

Multiple Sierras one pc:

• Do the same as above with the first Sierra to get it mining, make sure you do not have all Sierras plugged in to the box just one.
• Once one is hashing, plug in the next, and wait for it to recognize and start hashing, rinse and repeat on other boxes.
• note** if your having issues make sure you have enough power **

Once hashing, leave them alone or you can try the oc settings which I can talk about in another post and be aware if you use these your going to use more power from the outlet so the other sierras that are plugged in might stop working since you do not have enough power.

This should get you hashing, ill try to keep this updated and post other things about the Sierra's as I get time.

cgminer stuff:
If your using cgminer you have 2 additional options right now with 3.11x

--hfa-hash-clock <arg> Set hashfast clock speed (default: 550)
--hfa-temp-overheat <arg> Set the hashfast overheat throttling temperature (default: 85)

Ill talk about overclocking later and please make sure to read the warranty of your device before doing so and understand you could void it or cause issues with your mining hardware.

Getting cgminer to work on windows with your HF device..

• Start cgminer (no extra options)
• Plug in device, wait for windows to finish installing the driver it thinks is right, then run zadig as administrator and tell it to use the WinUSB driver for the "M1" device which is what the hashfast comes up as.
• cgminer should just hotplug it at that point.

[kikaha]

A few things I have found.

10 (5x2) header on the top right of the board (closest to the right power supply) seem to be for the following

1  GND   PWR      Seasonic Power Supply
2  GND   PWR
3  ??      ??
4  ??      ??
5  ??      ??

1 is for Power, as verified on a Baby Jet.  Know that these take a long time to turn off (why would you do this LOL) because of the numerous caps in the on-board supply.

2 is for Activity, and blinks while cgminer is running

I haven't figured out what 3, 4 and 5 do yet.  They don't seem to do anything that I can tell.

-------------------------------

There is a USB 5-pin header also near the top right of the board.

Typically, USB motherboard (IDC) connections are red-white-green-black-black for (power, D-, D+, Gnd, Gnd) (note that the last ground is typically not connected).  But in the photo you can clearly see (from the outside of the board inward) black-green-white-red-black, which is completely wrong for USB.  Testing the pins and then using my own USB IDC to Type A cable, I found the header on the board is correct.  If you connect a standard IDC cable to the board with red starting on the outside of the board, it works perfectly.  Don't know why they would use a USB cable with messed up color coding.

[aasl]

Anyone is using rapsberry pi to connect to sierra? Does RPi+minepeon support sierra?

[gateway]

Anyone is using rapsberry pi to connect to sierra? Does RPi+minepeon support sierra?

I'm using an old notebook with ubuntu desktop right now, I'm sure a pi would work, I can see about getting one.

[jspielberg]

There is a USB 5-pin header also near the top right of the board.

Typically, USB motherboard (IDC) connections are red-white-green-black-black for (power, D-, D+, Gnd, Gnd) (note that the last ground is typically not connected).  But in the photo you can clearly see (from the outside of the board inward) black-green-white-red-black, which is completely wrong for USB.  Testing the pins and then using my own USB IDC to Type A cable, I found the header on the board is correct.  If you connect a standard IDC cable to the board with red starting on the outside of the board, it works perfectly.  Don't know why they would use a USB cable with messed up color coding.

Hey Kikaha -
I am prepping for MPP units (yeah pre-mature... but gives something to do while waiting).

We haven't heard/seen much documentation on the actual hashing modules.

Is that IDC USB header on the board used for daisy chaining (or for direct communication with the miner controller/host computer)?  Trying to figure out if I should order some of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-designed-motherboard-external-connector/dp/B000V6WD8A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390922831&sr=8-1&keywords=idc+usb+cable

[gateway]

There is a USB 5-pin header also near the top right of the board.

Typically, USB motherboard (IDC) connections are red-white-green-black-black for (power, D-, D+, Gnd, Gnd) (note that the last ground is typically not connected).  But in the photo you can clearly see (from the outside of the board inward) black-green-white-red-black, which is completely wrong for USB.  Testing the pins and then using my own USB IDC to Type A cable, I found the header on the board is correct.  If you connect a standard IDC cable to the board with red starting on the outside of the board, it works perfectly.  Don't know why they would use a USB cable with messed up color coding.

Hey Kikaha -
I am prepping for MPP units (yeah pre-mature... but gives something to do while waiting).

We haven't heard/seen much documentation on the actual hashing modules.

Is that IDC USB header on the board used for daisy chaining (or for direct communication with the miner controller/host computer)?  Trying to figure out if I should order some of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-designed-motherboard-external-connector/dp/B000V6WD8A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390922831&sr=8-1&keywords=idc+usb+cable

If your wanting to mimic how a sierra is built you need 1 usb cable to the main board, the rest are daisy chained together.

So with the sierra's their are 3 boards.. the top one has the usb as the main board that controls the others that are daisy chained at the bottom, and connected to the main board at the top.

One thing to note is power, right now with the 2 power supplies, each board gets one pci-e connector for each power supply.. so the board has a pci in the front and back and one comes from psu left and one from psu right.

[jspielberg]

Thanks Gateway -

I am starting to prep for the MPP and trying to decide to build fake HFB (baby jet) or HFS (Seirra).
I have been looking over the hashing module schematic.
http://hashfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/board-layout.jpg

I think I now understand what you are talking about to "top" and bottom" (Schematic J5 and J6), and the master USB J3.

I am leaning now towards getting a couple of USB hubs, and just making them all individual HFB units and let cgminer deal with all the boards.  That would require just adding the IDC USB headers to each board at J3, rather than the daisy chaining cables as well.

Looks like the USB headers can be had from Sewell:
http://sewelldirect.com/IDC-5-Male-Motherboard-Connector-Single-Row-to-USB-20-A-Male-Adapter-Cable.asp
Edit:
Ordered
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=2210&seq=1&format=2
and
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=5442&seq=1&format=2

And newegg looks like it is running a special on the Corsair 100i for $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032

I have been wary of ordering until I am sure that they are going to be shipping MPP within 30 days (they better!), as that is the return policy at newegg.

Any have different plans for the MPP?

[kikaha]

Here is how my Sierra is hooked up.

USB Type B female port on the chassis to USB IDC female connector to USB IDC male header on Top (of the 2 stacked boards) (Board #1)

Board #1 chain-down (flat ribbon cable) to the bottom of the 2 stacked boards (Board #2)

Board #2 chain-down to the bottom board adjacent to the other bottom board (Board #3)

For MPP, it would be good to know if you can chain together more than 3 boards.  The chain cable looks pretty generic.  Going to search for the connector and verify that the ribbon is straight through (looks like it).

I also am going to try a big ass artic radiant cooler, since I hate water coolers.

The Sewell part won't work since it has a male IDC and we need a female IDC.  I ordered these from Amazon and they work fine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IV6S9S/
or course, you will also need one of these to go with it http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R4OSFM (picture is wrong, but the two together work perfectly)

Thanks Gateway -

I am starting to prep for the MPP and trying to decide to build fake HFB (baby jet) or HFS (Seirra).
I have been looking over the hashing module schematic.
http://hashfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/board-layout.jpg

I think I now understand what you are talking about to "top" and bottom" (Schematic J5 and J6), and the master USB J3.

I am leaning now towards getting a couple of USB hubs, and just making them all individual HFB units and let cgminer deal with all the boards.  That would require just adding the IDC USB headers to each board at J3, rather than the daisy chaining cables as well.

Looks like the USB headers can be had from Sewell:
http://sewelldirect.com/IDC-5-Male-Motherboard-Connector-Single-Row-to-USB-20-A-Male-Adapter-Cable.asp

And newegg looks like it is running a special on the Corsair 100i for $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032

I have been wary of ordering until I am sure that they are going to be shipping MPP within 30 days (they better!), as that is the return policy at newegg.

Any have different plans for the MPP?

[jspielberg]

Thanks Kikaha -

I have decided to convert my MPP's to BJ1's so, I guess I can skip on the daisy chain cables.

I ordered:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=2210&seq=1&format=2
and
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=5442&seq=1&format=2

Now we just need them to ship the MPP!

[-ck]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

[gateway]

Here are some visuals.. not the wire-frame is missing some connections but not needed to understand the daisy chaining.  Ill see about getting the latest or a nice pic of one .. not gonna tear my apart right now



This is a 3 board set up, with the master taking the usb plug http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IV6S9S/ ..
You need 3 daisy chain cables, Unfortunately Im not sure if these are custom, I can try to find out..

Slave 1 and Slave 2 connect together, the slave 1 connects to master 1 as in the diagram.  Then plugging in the usb to the master usb connector controls all 3 boards.

Here is also a shot of my sierra, not in this case Slave 1 is under Master 1 and Slave 2 is to the right.

[gateway]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

[dominic25]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

Hello, Is everyone who received their Sierras from batch1? Anyone in batch2?

[jddebug]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

gateway,

did it fix the multi sierra problem?

[gateway]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

gateway,

did it fix the multi sierra problem?

I'm going to test it tomorrow, I had a ton of work todo today and didn't have time to mess around with them, and I always have to walk in the server room and do my magic trick if they dont work.. more info to come...

[CryptKeeper]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

Hello, Is everyone who received their Sierras from batch1? Anyone in batch2?

I am in batch 2 and have not even got the confirmation mail. I don't think that they make it until 31st of january, looks more than mid-february to me.

[gateway]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

Hello, Is everyone who received their Sierras from batch1? Anyone in batch2?

I am in batch 2 and have not even got the confirmation mail. I don't think that they make it until 31st of january, looks more than mid-february to me.

Lets hope you get your soon but please keep this to only tech related stuff, I perfer not to turn this into a I didnt get mine thread yet.. but as I said I hope that yours arrives soon.. cheers!

[jddebug]

New version of cgminer 3.12.0 I just posted has some communication improvements for usb errors that hopefully should help the reliability of these.

+1 , trying it now, I hope it can resolve the multi sierras on one box..

Hello, Is everyone who received their Sierras from batch1? Anyone in batch2?

I am in batch 2 and have not even got the confirmation mail. I don't think that they make it until 31st of january, looks more than mid-february to me.

Lets hope you get your soon but please keep this to only tech related stuff, I perfer not to turn this into a I didnt get mine thread yet.. but as I said I hope that yours arrives soon.. cheers!

I have several arriving soon. I'm really hoping they can be hosted on one host.