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

[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?

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[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!

[BR0KK]

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 ?

I run 120221 so the latest aviable BTC Miner. Im on Firmware ztex_ufm1_15d1.ihx right now

[Turbor]

I run 120221 so the latest aviable BTC Miner. Im on Firmware ztex_ufm1_15d1.ihx right now

You can try out the d3 firmware. Works very well over here. Perhaps the error goes away.

[BR0KK]

The seenshot in my previous post is actialy made on FW d3a. Ill have to try d3 as soon as i come home.
D1 seems the most stable.

[antirack]

I've been testing the Modular Python Bitcoin Miner for a few days and it seems to work very well for a first version. It also has a few nice design features, such as backup pools and it supports different devices at the same time. While I haven't ever worked with Python before, I see it's very simple to modify and add support for new devices. It has a few clear advantages over Java (ie. Xiangfu is running MPBM on his home router).

It currently works with Icarus, X6500 and GPUs. It would be great if somebody could create a worker (or modify an existing worker) for the ZTEX board, do you have any pointers how to get started on this?

[punin]

Hey guys,

We are collecting donations to send a 1.15x board to Con in Australia, so he can make the CGMiner compatible with Ztex boards. Please donate if you feel like this is something you'd wish for/could be useful to you..

http://bountychest.com/bountychest/ztex-support-for-cgminer/

Address for donations: 15vVYfwx2cjkYzHB8yKhGeTw1MZz2NdhrJ

[nelisky]

I've been testing the Modular Python Bitcoin Miner for a few days and it seems to work very well for a first version. It also has a few nice design features, such as backup pools and it supports different devices at the same time. While I haven't ever worked with Python before, I see it's very simple to modify and add support for new devices. It has a few clear advantages over Java (ie. Xiangfu is running MPBM on his home router).

It currently works with Icarus, X6500 and GPUs. It would be great if somebody could create a worker (or modify an existing worker) for the ZTEX board, do you have any pointers how to get started on this?

I am going to port ztex board support to python for my own egocentric needs but I will give supporting the MPBM a stab. This is, of course, something I do with my spare time, and that mythical creature "parco tempus" has been making itself almost extinct as of late... So if someone else has started on this I'll be glad to help with what I already have, but I'm not yet making my code public as it would probably take me more time explaining than fixing and cleaning.

I anyone is doing this too let me know and I'll help in any way I can.

[antirack]

Hey guys,

We are collecting donations to send a 1.15x board to Con in Australia, so he can make the CGMiner compatible with Ztex boards. Please donate if you feel like this is something you'd wish for/could be useful to you..

http://bountychest.com/bountychest/ztex-support-for-cgminer/

Address for donations: 15vVYfwx2cjkYzHB8yKhGeTw1MZz2NdhrJ

5 coins sent.

I am sure if ZTEX would place a board or two into the right hands (TheSeven who writes the MPBM etc) support by those miners is almost guaranteed.

[ztex]

There is an Open Source discount program: http://www.ztex.de/os_discount_program.e.html

For the implementation of ZTEX FPGA Board support for other Open Source bitcoin mining software I'm willing to give up to 100% OS discount for a single board.

But this is a lot of work because the ZTEX FPGA boards are more complex then competitor boards. Not just BTCMiner needs to be ported (host software is about 1800 lines) also a part of the SDK (host API is about 4700 lines)  needs to be rewritten if another language than Java is used.

[nelisky]

There is an Open Source discount program: http://www.ztex.de/os_discount_program.e.html

For the implementation of ZTEX FPGA Board support for other Open Source bitcoin mining software I'm willing to give up to 100% OS discount for a single board.

But this is a lot of work because the ZTEX FPGA boards are more complex then competitor boards. Not just BTCMiner needs to be ported (host software is about 1800 lines) also a part of the SDK (host API is about 4700 lines)  needs to be rewritten if another language than Java is used.

That is why I considered using MPBM. I already control my single ztex board using python, but lack firmware config atm. There are a lot of safety checks and code handling libusb oddities in ztex's sources that I'm completely ignoring, but need to go in to make this feature complete.

[bulanula]

My entire network is run by my Mac Mini Server, and due to the timing and prices of *good* SSDs when I bought it (the SandForce controllers hadn't been brought out, neither the Crucial series, and the OCZ Vertex was the only performance alternative but the chipset was developed by a small, little-known firm, Indilinx IIRC), it has two Intel X25-M SSDs in RAID-0. Running a main server on 'suicide RAID' would make most sysadmins foam at the mouth, but it's different with SSDs, since their failure mode is read-only. If the SSD dies, then you can still read your data off the broken RAID and copy onto new drives. And besides, we're all backing up our servers aren't we?

Not really related to FPGA but here goes :

That is total BS mate. You need to do some research.

The main thing that dies in current SSDs is the actual controller.

Also, endurance of the NAND ( how much charge remains in the NAND cells without them being powered ) decreases as you go through the P/E cycles.

This means that if you "burn" through the cycles ( often 5000 or 3000 for 34nm and 25nm NAND ) and keep the drives powered off for like a week then no data can be recovered at all as the cells lose their charge.

The read-only SSD death is a total myth AFAIK.

When it dies, it dies.

[nelisky]

It currently works with Icarus, X6500 and GPUs. It would be great if somebody could create a worker (or modify an existing worker) for the ZTEX board, do you have any pointers how to get started on this?

https://github.com/nelisky/Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner/tree/ztex

This is a very crude first attempt, many things are still missing, the devices need to be preflashed and the bitstreams must match the firmware. Only one device is supported (it does filter by serial, but then uses only the first device found) and the freq change algorithm from the error rate is much, much simpler than ztex's, and I only implemented the low speed FPGA config so far.

Next step would be multiple device suport but as I only have one currently I'm not going to blindly implement that. I might add to the code base to support more of ztex's original java source goodies ported to python, like the high speed config, but I'll be happy to pass that anyone else wanting to lend a hand.

Have fun (I'm mining on p2pool with my single ztex using this code right now).

[antirack]

It currently works with Icarus, X6500 and GPUs. It would be great if somebody could create a worker (or modify an existing worker) for the ZTEX board, do you have any pointers how to get started on this?

https://github.com/nelisky/Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner/tree/ztex

This is a very crude first attempt, many things are still missing, the devices need to be preflashed and the bitstreams must match the firmware. Only one device is supported (it does filter by serial, but then uses only the first device found) and the freq change algorithm from the error rate is much, much simpler than ztex's, and I only implemented the low speed FPGA config so far.

Next step would be multiple device suport but as I only have one currently I'm not going to blindly implement that. I might add to the code base to support more of ztex's original java source goodies ported to python, like the high speed config, but I'll be happy to pass that anyone else wanting to lend a hand.

Have fun (I'm mining on p2pool with my single ztex using this code right now).

Job well done to get this kick started! I have downloaded your tree and tried to get it to work to no avail. It seems the fact that I am using Python 3.2.2 _may_ be the problem, since "invisible syntax" is no longer allowed with version 3. Or possibly it's because I am on Windows.

Code:

  File "C:\Users\master\Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner\worker\fpgamining\ztexdev.py", line 187
    self.checkCapability("CAPABILITY_FPGA");
                                           ^
TabError: inconsistent use of tabs and spaces in indentation

As mentioned above, I am new to many things here, including Java and Python development. At first I copy and pasted your changes and files manually into my miner files, then I installed github to clone the complete tree. Same result. I also ran into some problems finding the modules, but adding the import statement (for ztexdev with path) into ztexworker.py fixed that.

I suggest to post this on the Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner thread as well, makes more sens to continue this over there without creating unnecessary clutter over here.

On a more positive sidenote, I have two more ZTEX 1.15x in the mail

[TheSeven]

There is an Open Source discount program: http://www.ztex.de/os_discount_program.e.html

For the implementation of ZTEX FPGA Board support for other Open Source bitcoin mining software I'm willing to give up to 100% OS discount for a single board.

But this is a lot of work because the ZTEX FPGA boards are more complex then competitor boards. Not just BTCMiner needs to be ported (host software is about 1800 lines) also a part of the SDK (host API is about 4700 lines)  needs to be rewritten if another language than Java is used.

I wonder why you ignored my inquiry about implementing MPBM support a couple of weeks ago then...

[nelisky]

Job well done to get this kick started! I have downloaded your tree and tried to get it to work to no avail. It seems the fact that I am using Python 3.2.2 _may_ be the problem, since "invisible syntax" is no longer allowed with version 3. Or possibly it's because I am on Windows.

Code:

  File "C:\Users\master\Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner\worker\fpgamining\ztexdev.py", line 187
    self.checkCapability("CAPABILITY_FPGA");
                                           ^
TabError: inconsistent use of tabs and spaces in indentation

As mentioned above, I am new to many things here, including Java and Python development. At first I copy and pasted your changes and files manually into my miner files, then I installed github to clone the complete tree. Same result. I also ran into some problems finding the modules, but adding the import statement (for ztexdev with path) into ztexworker.py fixed that.

I suggest to post this on the Modular-Python-Bitcoin-Miner thread as well, makes more sens to continue this over there without creating unnecessary clutter over here.

On a more positive sidenote, I have two more ZTEX 1.15x in the mail

Thanks for spotting these, I have been lazy and copied much of the code from Ztex Java and then adapted in place, leaving some cruft behind. My branch has been updated with those removed.

But I'm confused, did you get it working at all? I don't yet do python 3 (too much critical code that breaks so it will not be an easy migration) but I might start using it for this