LightningAsic usb miners based Gridseed GC3355 Tech Support Thread

[maardein]

Best way is to use "dd" to another linux machine, with this you will have a complete image of the controller and be able to mount it on other *nix systems.

Ofcourse dd should be installed then, most likey its a openwrt image, then its easy to install dd with ipkg install, then you will have to find which package holds dd. Command should look like:

ssh root@123.45.67.89 "dd if=/dev/xvda " | dd of=/home/archive/givethebeastaname.img

rgdz,
bhai

Thanks I got some help from Girhes already with the images. dd luckily was already installed, since there seems to be no package manager (ipkg is not available).

It is indeed openwrt, the partitions are mtd partitions. I managed to copy them to /tmp and then extract them through scp 

Here is a download with all the files, for anyone who wants to play. Root pass is 123456

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7cOfhzHSYKJTkpYVWUta1VEWjQ/edit?usp=sharing

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[testthewhiterabbit]

2. Can you tell me how you wired this up?

If using a stand alone PSU, on the 20/24 pin connector:
1) Optional: Put a high wattage resistor across a red (5 volts)and black (ground) wire. Pins 23 and 3 work well. This puts a 5 volt load and stabilizes the 12 volt rail.
2) Short pin 16 (green: power on signal) to a black wire (pin 19 works well). This turns the PSU on.

For all PSUs:
3) Take a drive connector. The yellow wire is 12 volts, and the black wire is ground. On the miner power cable, the Red Miner Wire connects to Yellow PSU wire, and the White Miner wire connects to the Black PSU wire.

Although the Drive wire connector is rated for 11 amps (130 watts), I wouldn't put more than 4 amps (50 watts) on a single wire. Although that would be all 10 miners in LTC only mode, to be safe, I wouldn't put more than 2 miners per Drive wire.
[/quote]

I'm thinking of using a standard PC power supply to power the miners.

What is your reasoning behind only putting 2 miners per drive wire?  From my understanding 130 watts should support at least 15 miners.

Can the PCI-E cables be used at all?

[maardein]

2. Can you tell me how you wired this up?

If using a stand alone PSU, on the 20/24 pin connector:
1) Optional: Put a high wattage resistor across a red (5 volts)and black (ground) wire. Pins 23 and 3 work well. This puts a 5 volt load and stabilizes the 12 volt rail.
2) Short pin 16 (green: power on signal) to a black wire (pin 19 works well). This turns the PSU on.

For all PSUs:
3) Take a drive connector. The yellow wire is 12 volts, and the black wire is ground. On the miner power cable, the Red Miner Wire connects to Yellow PSU wire, and the White Miner wire connects to the Black PSU wire.

Although the Drive wire connector is rated for 11 amps (130 watts), I wouldn't put more than 4 amps (50 watts) on a single wire. Although that would be all 10 miners in LTC only mode, to be safe, I wouldn't put more than 2 miners per Drive wire.

I'm thinking of using a standard PC power supply to power the miners.

What is your reasoning behind only putting 2 miners per drive wire?  From my understanding 130 watts should support at least 15 miners.

Can the PCI-E cables be used at all?

The reasoning is just to make sure you don't accidentally melt the cables when enabling dual mode (which you currently can't disable on other device than the supplied controller).

The PCI-e cables can also be used.

[maardein]

I have been going through the .php files, and although I don't understand most of it (I am not a programmer), doesn't this mean that the hashrate shown in the webinterface is actually a derived hashrate as well, and not the actual measured hashrate?

Code:

function getLtcHashrate() {
		$cache = new Cache(PATH_CACHE);
		$stats = $cache->get(CACHE_STATSUI);
		$ltc = array();
		var_dump($stats['ltc']);
		
		foreach($stats['ltc'] as $devid => $ltcminer) {
			$hashrate = 0;
			foreach($ltcminer as $diff => $shares)
			{
				$hashrate += $shares['valid'] > 0 ? ((float) $diff * pow(2.0, 15)) / ((time() - $shares['time']) / $shares['valid']) : 0;
			}
			$ltc[$devid] = round($hashrate / 1000);
		}
		return $ltc;
	}

[gamefixer]

The PCI-e cables can also be used.

That was my original plan but Fry's didnt have ANY PCIe extension cables. I wonder how that place stays afloat sometimes. I cant tell you how many times I've been there looking for something fairly common only to not find it. Ugh...

I ended up using the 4 pin drive connectors and the miners all seem to be fine. I'm sure they will be even better in single mode when I get my controller.

Speaking of the controller, anyone know where I can buy JUST the controller in case the supplier doesnt come through?

[worldlybedouin]

Speaking of the controller, anyone know where I can buy JUST the controller in case the supplier doesnt come through?

This is the actual TP-Link device:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005VEJ3GM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1G6FH2VD75Q7T&coliid=I2I7480GEDQPFF

But keep in mind the the controller has different firmware.  I dont think anyone has tried to buy this and then flash it with the LightingASIC firmware to see if it will actually work or not.

The only other way that i can think of getting a controller is buying from Gridseed or someone like Jack/LightingASIC.

[Girhes]

No, you can not "flash" the lightningasic firmware since we don't have the original firmware file, but you can install openwrt to any embedded device with the same hardware and copy either the gridseed, or now even the LA files over it to make it a "controller".

[Xell]

you can not "flash" the lightning

groan

[nrellihan]

I have been going through the .php files, and although I don't understand most of it (I am not a programmer), doesn't this mean that the hashrate shown in the webinterface is actually a derived hashrate as well, and not the actual measured hashrate?

Code:

function getLtcHashrate() {
		$cache = new Cache(PATH_CACHE);
		$stats = $cache->get(CACHE_STATSUI);
		$ltc = array();
		var_dump($stats['ltc']);
		
		foreach($stats['ltc'] as $devid => $ltcminer) {
			$hashrate = 0;
			foreach($ltcminer as $diff => $shares)
			{
				$hashrate += $shares['valid'] > 0 ? ((float) $diff * pow(2.0, 15)) / ((time() - $shares['time']) / $shares['valid']) : 0;
			}
			$ltc[$devid] = round($hashrate / 1000);
		}
		return $ltc;
	}

Looks like its calculating hash rate just like a pool would.

[nrellihan]

Can anyone who has contacted one of asiabtc's support people post their skype names? I'm not getting any response from their official skype and need to speak to one of their support folks.

[maardein]

I have been going through the .php files, and although I don't understand most of it (I am not a programmer), doesn't this mean that the hashrate shown in the webinterface is actually a derived hashrate as well, and not the actual measured hashrate?

Code:

function getLtcHashrate() {
		$cache = new Cache(PATH_CACHE);
		$stats = $cache->get(CACHE_STATSUI);
		$ltc = array();
		var_dump($stats['ltc']);
		
		foreach($stats['ltc'] as $devid => $ltcminer) {
			$hashrate = 0;
			foreach($ltcminer as $diff => $shares)
			{
				$hashrate += $shares['valid'] > 0 ? ((float) $diff * pow(2.0, 15)) / ((time() - $shares['time']) / $shares['valid']) : 0;
			}
			$ltc[$devid] = round($hashrate / 1000);
		}
		return $ltc;
	}

Looks like its calculating hash rate just like a pool would.

Yeah, exactly what I thought I was hoping they had a way to actually measure hashrate.

[worldlybedouin]

I have been going through the .php files, and although I don't understand most of it (I am not a programmer), doesn't this mean that the hashrate shown in the webinterface is actually a derived hashrate as well, and not the actual measured hashrate?

Code:

function getLtcHashrate() {
		$cache = new Cache(PATH_CACHE);
		$stats = $cache->get(CACHE_STATSUI);
		$ltc = array();
		var_dump($stats['ltc']);
		
		foreach($stats['ltc'] as $devid => $ltcminer) {
			$hashrate = 0;
			foreach($ltcminer as $diff => $shares)
			{
				$hashrate += $shares['valid'] > 0 ? ((float) $diff * pow(2.0, 15)) / ((time() - $shares['time']) / $shares['valid']) : 0;
			}
			$ltc[$devid] = round($hashrate / 1000);
		}
		return $ltc;
	}

Looks like its calculating hash rate just like a pool would.

Yeah, exactly what I thought I was hoping they had a way to actually measure hashrate.

So I guess that explains why the rate seems to jump around so much on the Dashboard?  Or is that more an indicator of hashing instability?

[poopypants]

Can anyone that is more knowledgeable with code explain to me why the controller is able to disable the BTC core when only mining Scrypt, yet connected to windows PC the cores activate and stay idle?  Sorry ive mentioned this many times but its really starting to bother me that its wasting power an I would like to understand it better.  Thanks in advance.

[Andareed]

I have been going through the .php files, and although I don't understand most of it (I am not a programmer), doesn't this mean that the hashrate shown in the webinterface is actually a derived hashrate as well, and not the actual measured hashrate?

Code:

function getLtcHashrate() {
		$cache = new Cache(PATH_CACHE);
		$stats = $cache->get(CACHE_STATSUI);
		$ltc = array();
		var_dump($stats['ltc']);
		
		foreach($stats['ltc'] as $devid => $ltcminer) {
			$hashrate = 0;
			foreach($ltcminer as $diff => $shares)
			{
				$hashrate += $shares['valid'] > 0 ? ((float) $diff * pow(2.0, 15)) / ((time() - $shares['time']) / $shares['valid']) : 0;
			}
			$ltc[$devid] = round($hashrate / 1000);
		}
		return $ltc;
	}

Looks like its calculating hash rate just like a pool would.

Yeah, exactly what I thought I was hoping they had a way to actually measure hashrate.

So I guess that explains why the rate seems to jump around so much on the Dashboard?  Or is that more an indicator of hashing instability?

Mining is based on probability, so by hashing you really performing probabilistic trials. Eventually you will converge on the expected value. If you want the actual hash rate, there's no need to measure it. Computer chip operations are specified in terms of how many clock cycles they take, so if you know the frequency you can compute operation times. Unfortunately gridseed has not published operation cycle times (though this is something you could determine by measuring), though they have published hash rates for specific frequencies:

[Andareed]

Can anyone that is more knowledgeable with code explain to me why the controller is able to disable the BTC core when only mining Scrypt, yet connected to windows PC the cores activate and stay idle?  Sorry ive mentioned this many times but its really starting to bother me that its wasting power an I would like to understand it better.  Thanks in advance.

Are you using cpuminer or cgminer? There's a specific set of bytes you have to send to the controller that tells it to disable the BTC units. cpuminer does this, and that's what the controller is using afaik, whereas cgminer doesn't.

[stex2009]

What do you guys use to power these things up?
In simple words, what all do I need to start hashing if I buy say one of these.

[Girhes]

poopypants compile this one:

https://github.com/gridseed/usb-miner/blob/master/software/cpuminer/

It doesn't send the commands to activate the BTC cores, so you'll be fine with it in LTC only mode.

The miners work pretty interesting however. They used a version of cgminer which already had scrypt support removed. BTC only mode runs with cgminer. LTC only mode with cpuminer. To get dual mode you have to run them side by side - cgminer handles BTC like normal, cpuminer only polls work to do from the pools then sends it in upd packets to cgminer which gives it to the LTC cores. cgminer then sends the results back in upd packets to cpuminer...

[Andareed]

What do you guys use to power these things up?
In simple words, what all do I need to start hashing if I buy say one of these.

They're supposed to come with everything (miners, PSUs, USB hubs, and controller), but some have arrived without controller or USB hubs

[Nurka]

Anyone know if we can expect to see fan control in the software/firmware in the future? or if the fans are hard wired?

I really would like to lower the speed, I don't see that I need all this for only mining LTC and I'd like to keep the setup close to my living space.

[darkjed]

Can anyone that is more knowledgeable with code explain to me why the controller is able to disable the BTC core when only mining Scrypt, yet connected to windows PC the cores activate and stay idle?  Sorry ive mentioned this many times but its really starting to bother me that its wasting power an I would like to understand it better.  Thanks in advance.

Are you using cpuminer or cgminer? There's a specific set of bytes you have to send to the controller that tells it to disable the BTC units. cpuminer does this, and that's what the controller is using afaik, whereas cgminer doesn't.

I've noticed that even when just scrypt mining the controller board runs cgminer with the following parameters(run a ps command while scrypt mining)....

/www/soft/cgminer --dif --gridseed-options=baud=115200,freq=850,chips=5,modules=1,usefifo=0,btc=0 --hotplug=0 -o stratum+tcp://[your.pool.com] -u [your.username] -p [your.password]

so there is a possibility that one of these statements causes the cores to shutdown and draw no power