ZTEX USB-FPGA Modules 1.15x and 1.15y: 215 and 860 MH/s FPGA Boards

[Turbor]

@ Rupy

That's a very nice rig you have there, Sir ! I like to see what others do with their boards. Cool

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[CA Coins]

Has anybody seen this?  Was running steadily for a few days until this popped up:

Code:

2012-02-27T22:39:50: bus-0-1: ztex_ufm1_15d3-2012-L1-B1: f=208.00MHz,  errorRate=0.00%,  maxErrorRate=1.14%,  hashRate=208.0MH/s,  submitted 13 new nonces,  luckFactor=1.00
2012-02-27T22:41:28: bus-0-1: ztex_ufm1_15d3-2012-L1-B1: Error: bus=bus-0  device=\\.\libusb0-0014--0x221a-0x0100: Read hash data: libusb0-dll:err [control_msg] sending control message failed, win error: The device does not recognize the command. : Disabling device

It kept running like this until I noticed a slight drop in hash rate.  Restarted the java process and now everything is fine.

[catfish]

and my initial programming efforts (using the 15d3a.ihx firmware) seemed to fail - the process started, then claimed 'no ZTEX devices present' and further programming efforts resulted in 'no device found'.

Then, when disconnecting the USB, and reconnecting, my Mac tells me a 'Ztex FPGA device for Bitcoin mining' unit has been connected to the USB bus (I've got Growl set up to notify me of all hardware changes). Nice touch, so the programming may have worked after all...

This looks like your MacOS is having a problem wit the re-numeration of the FX2 devices. If you would send the output I could say more.

Just a timing issue Stefan, IMO... before the programming command, the system saw the USB device as a 'Vendor Specific Device' and had no drivers loaded for it. Running the System Profiler showed the USB tree with that same info on it.

Once the programming was completed, somehow OS X now 'knows' what the module is... after unplugging and re-plugging, running System Profiler shows that the device *is* recognised as a 'btcminer for ZTEX FPGA Modules' (quote) with Product ID 0x0100 and Vendor ID 0x221a (which isn't the original ven_id and dev_id IIRC?). Interestingly the 'Serial Number' quoted by the System Profiler is 'Catfish-A1' which is exactly what I called it in the 'programming' stage. Manufacturer is 'ZTEX' so that's correct. Current available is 500 mA and the device claims it only needs 100 mA.

Apart from that, I can't come up with any other conclusion that the OS simply required the device to be unplugged and re-plugged, since it had suddenly changed from an unknown device to a known device - perhaps the required bus re-scan after programming didn't work (or hadn't been implemented)... remember I'm using a hacked up 64-bit libusbJava64.jnilib here, and in your own words on the forum, the 64-bit libusb Java bindings haven't been as well tested...

I think the only way I could give you the info you need is if I was running a USB bus analyser when this original programming occurred. I wasn't, unfortunately... my kernel logs simply don't show anything abnormal going on. And I'm running a big, complex system (as you've probably guessed)...

I'm always keen to mess around on the bleeding edge (I was the first person in the UK to software unlock the iPhone and make a call on a UK network - it was Vodafone - happened to be online with Hotz at 2am when he cracked it) so this is all good fun for me.


BTW - it works, and is working consistently. It's been a good 3 hours of constant mining in an office filled with GPU beasts (hence ambient temps are around 30 deg C), and it's maintaining 208 MHz, max error rate in the 3 hours 0.70%, and luck factor is 1.0. The Mac it's running on is an 8-core Xeon workstation with 10 GB of RAM, running 7 optimised minerd instances for Litecoin, one cgminer instance on the hacked 6870 GPU, and is feeding one 30", one 27" and one 18" screen. The USB tree looks insane as there are hubs in the LED Cinema Displays and I've got hubs hanging off those, with iPhones and other random gadgets connected, including a Blue Eyeball webcam/mic which eats bandwidth. The 27" LED display has a built in webcam as well, plus I have three separate USB audio outputs. In short, this Mac is running flat out as it's also my main machine so Safari has something like 90-odd windows open, swamping the GPU vram and hammering the PCIe bus. The ZTEX 1.15d is cruising along rather nicely, on what's effectively an unsupported platform.

Blindingly good work Stefan. I hope my 'tunnel' cooling system works because I'm definitely going to be ordering some more boards... all down to cash and price now. The development process on this Mac has resulted in a bunch of 64-bit Java libs that are now portable to any Mac and usable with Stefan's 'plug and play' downloadable Jar file, at least on Snow Leopard (I'll test Lion when I get a copy later this week).


Last word on the software topic Stefan - do you want my modifications to the libusbJava-src/Makefile to support later versions of OS X? If you aren't interested in the code, I'm happy for you to point other OS X-using customers to my email (which you have).

[rjk]

The Mac it's running on is an 8-core Xeon workstation with 10 GB of RAM, running 7 optimised minerd instances for Litecoin, one cgminer instance on the hacked 6870 GPU, and is feeding one 30", one 27" and one 18" screen. The USB tree looks insane as there are hubs in the LED Cinema Displays and I've got hubs hanging off those, with iPhones and other random gadgets connected, including a Blue Eyeball webcam/mic which eats bandwidth. The 27" LED display has a built in webcam as well, plus I have three separate USB audio outputs. In short, this Mac is running flat out as it's also my main machine so Safari has something like 90-odd windows open, swamping the GPU vram and hammering the PCIe bus. The ZTEX 1.15d is cruising along rather nicely, on what's effectively an unsupported platform.

Holy shit dude. Seriously.

[CA Coins]

The Mac it's running on is an 8-core Xeon workstation with 10 GB of RAM, running 7 optimised minerd instances for Litecoin, one cgminer instance on the hacked 6870 GPU, and is feeding one 30", one 27" and one 18" screen. The USB tree looks insane as there are hubs in the LED Cinema Displays and I've got hubs hanging off those, with iPhones and other random gadgets connected, including a Blue Eyeball webcam/mic which eats bandwidth. The 27" LED display has a built in webcam as well, plus I have three separate USB audio outputs. In short, this Mac is running flat out as it's also my main machine so Safari has something like 90-odd windows open, swamping the GPU vram and hammering the PCIe bus. The ZTEX 1.15d is cruising along rather nicely, on what's effectively an unsupported platform.

Holy shit dude. Seriously.

That's a serious man cave, albeit a rather hot man cave

[catfish]

The Mac it's running on is an 8-core Xeon workstation with 10 GB of RAM, running 7 optimised minerd instances for Litecoin, one cgminer instance on the hacked 6870 GPU, and is feeding one 30", one 27" and one 18" screen. The USB tree looks insane as there are hubs in the LED Cinema Displays and I've got hubs hanging off those, with iPhones and other random gadgets connected, including a Blue Eyeball webcam/mic which eats bandwidth. The 27" LED display has a built in webcam as well, plus I have three separate USB audio outputs. In short, this Mac is running flat out as it's also my main machine so Safari has something like 90-odd windows open, swamping the GPU vram and hammering the PCIe bus. The ZTEX 1.15d is cruising along rather nicely, on what's effectively an unsupported platform.

Holy shit dude. Seriously.

That's a serious man cave, albeit a rather hot man cave

That's *one* of the 11 Macs down there. Two are hackintoshes, current build is an i5-2500 with 16 GB ram and three 5770 cards. The rest are all genuine Apple hardware. Though the Cube isn't doing much. The Macbook Air 10" is connected up to a 24" LED Cinema and runs the BTC client. It's chaos in here at the moment, it does have to be said...

Like the 'man cave' comment. My girlfriend calls it 'the fucking matrix' (quote, word for word) if she ever has to come down here I guess running the RedPill screensaver on the Macs doesn't help matters...

[CA Coins]

Like the 'man cave' comment. My girlfriend calls it 'the fucking matrix' (quote, word for word) if she ever has to come down here  I guess running the RedPill screensaver on the Macs doesn't help matters... 

LOL, that's great!

[rupy]

The hex spacers are 5,5 cm, but you have to measure your heatsinks, bought at the most assorted screw shop in town... When it comes to temperature I actually "underclock" my chips. The way to do this is remove them from the cold air stream at boot up so they clock down to about 208/212 and then I place them over the air inlet on the edge of the window board. I can barely feel that they are warm, even on the bottom if the first FPGA. That way I know they will last as long as they can. The trick here is to have window board ventilators that are drawn by the evacuation air pump of the building, cooling without noise!

FYI, the brick from ztex get's a little too hot with 5 boards, atleast if you want it to last 10 years. I would buy a 80 watt instead. The DC splitter is awesome though!

EDIT: One last tip... the d-link usb router with 7 connections actually run 5 ports fine without external power, great to reduce power cable salad!

[ztex]

Has anybody seen this?  Was running steadily for a few days until this popped up:

Code:

2012-02-27T22:39:50: bus-0-1: ztex_ufm1_15d3-2012-L1-B1: f=208.00MHz,  errorRate=0.00%,  maxErrorRate=1.14%,  hashRate=208.0MH/s,  submitted 13 new nonces,  luckFactor=1.00
2012-02-27T22:41:28: bus-0-1: ztex_ufm1_15d3-2012-L1-B1: Error: bus=bus-0  device=\\.\libusb0-0014--0x221a-0x0100: Read hash data: libusb0-dll:err [control_msg] sending control message failed, win error: The device does not recognize the command. : Disabling device

It kept running like this until I noticed a slight drop in hash rate.  Restarted the java process and now everything is fine.

You see this if the USB connection is interrupted. Check the USB cables and if possible, try out another port of the hub.

If it happens, you just need to rescan the bus (command "r").

[cypherdoc]

Ztex, what is your delivery time?

[ztex]

Ztex, what is your delivery time?

Small amounts (e.g. for testing) are available immediately and can be ordered from the shop (http://shop.ztex.de)

For larger amounts the lead time depends on the volume, e.g. currently about 7 weeks for 50 FPGA boards. (The aim is to reduce the lead time of a 100 unit order to about 4 weeks.)

[BR0KK]

Finaly im able to post here

i do have  five 1.15x Boards at home. I want to by at least 5 more boards from Ztex.

[aTg]

Finaly im able to post here

i do have  five 1.15x Boards at home. I want to by at least 5 more boards from Ztex.

What have you done with the radiator? only you put the fan?
Those using other more flat radiator?

[rjk]

Finaly im able to post here

i do have  five 1.15x Boards at home. I want to by at least 5 more boards from Ztex.

I would be interested in seeing some other angles.

[CA Coins]

Finaly im able to post here

i do have  five 1.15x Boards at home. I want to by at least 5 more boards from Ztex.

What have you done with the radiator? only you put the fan?
Those using other more flat radiator?

Yeah, it is hard to see, but what did you do with the heatsinks?

[BR0KK]

I changed them to the flat titan model.  Sadly the original titan coolers don't have an RPM Signal Cable (yellow cable). So i switched them out.

The cooler provided is great but to high for me (actualy i only had small spacers here)
One thing that is anoying with the Coolers ist the extra 5,25 Plug (but thats not realy a problem. I will shorten the wire soon)
They are a bit loud but thats fine. I ll have to use earplugs to sleep

That won't be a problem if i build a case for them

I'll provide you with more pics tomorow

[aTg]

A couple of photos

[BR0KK]

Some extra Pics from my mining rig:


The last picture is the power consumption (it reads 106.04w) with a mac mini Server (I7DC 16GB 500GB) that acts as the host for my Windows VM (witch cares for the FPGAs) and a 7 Port USB Switch. Works great and i do not get any usb connection losses.

I will change that to a ARM Computer like RasberryPI, Beagleboard or Pandaboard if possible some day.

I do get an USB Lib error when i start my BTCminer. Something like "high speed configuration failed...." but it works without that.

[Turbor]

Do you run the newest version of the mining software ? I had this error for a while but it's gone now. What speeds do you get with that heatsinks ?

[rupy]

A couple of photos

Neat! I really can't recommend PicoPSU enough, and also you should remove the fans, at least on the Atom; it doesn't need it. Try to use your imagination on how you could cool the chip without using a fan, like placing it in a box outside for example.

Silence is priceless!

BTW: I started a ZTEX team on deepbit, use same name as here and join it, so everyone can see how well the rigs perform in realtime depending on setup!