Braiins OS & Braiins OS+ custom ASIC firmware: optimize performance & efficiency

[Mrdeere]

Thanks for the Firmware, Seems to be running pretty good. I have it installed in a s9. I have a question though. With auto-tuning turned on, Is there a way to adjust the fan speed/profile without needing to re-run the entire tuning process again using the web ui?

[Vietjan]

i assume you had the jumper correct and you could boot the sdcard.

Even with the SD-card in the right orientation and the jumper in the correct position the controller boards without the U6 chip do not boot from SD-card.

Good luck if you decide to try it, post back your results!

In the end the solution was quite simple and it even is much easier than installing Braiins from SD-card.
First I used ASICseer to remove the signature check, and immediately after this I used the Braiins OS+ Web Package to upgrade to Braiins from the web interface.

No need to flash older Bitmain firmware first, and no need to take the miner apart and move a jumper back and forth.

[JaDaveIII]

Wanted to see what everyone thought was the best settings for S9 13.5. I have it hooked to a Antminer 1600W PSU via 220v. Have autotune running with the PSU power set at 1440w. Currently pulls between 13 and 14.3 TH/s some times dips a little lower for a bit. Board temp is around 70c and Chip temp is around 87c.

That's no better than factory stock firmware. Are you mining with AsicBoost ? That's the only thing I would think that would be the cause. Some pools have different URL's for AB. With AB On, you would, with stock Bitmain firmware, be drawing only around 1250 watts, at the normal 13.5 hash rate. With AB on and 1440 watts you should be at least 15 Th/S, with factory firmware. I know with other 3rd party  firmware I got a tad over 17 Th/s at 1550 watts

[Artemis3]

[NEW RELEASE] Braiins OS+ 20.06 Release & Roadmap Update

We’ve just released Braiins OS+ 20.06. Here’s some of what’s new:
 • Saved autotuning settings (previously available only with the nightly build)
 • Run custom commands in batch with BOS Toolbox
 • Auto-upgrade
 • Dynamic Power Scaling
 • Support for Stratum V1 passwords and yiimp-based pools (e.g. prohashing)
 • IP report button now works correctly

You can find more details on the release here: https://braiins.com/news/development-update-braiins-os-20-06

With this release, we will now shift our full focus to supporting more hardware, starting with the S17 and T17 models. In other words, this is the last major release specifically for S9s. We anticipate a beta version Braiins OS S17 and T17 support within the next month, with full autotuning Braiins OS+ support coming in a subsequent release.

[kano]

...
In the end the solution was quite simple and it even is much easier than installing Braiins from SD-card.
First I used ASICseer to remove the signature check, and immediately after this I used the Braiins OS+ Web Package to upgrade to Braiins from the web interface.

No need to flash older Bitmain firmware first, and no need to take the miner apart and move a jumper back and forth.

Well the Asicseer install does a LOT more, than instead, just installing an old BM firmware that doesn't have the SSH lockout.
Ass firmware also, as is obvious, violates the cgminer license.
It also tracks your miner back to them (and installs various other software also ...)

So ... you'd be best to just do the simple BM downgrade to a non-SSH lockout version, then install braiins
... and stay away from the Ass firmware since that could be problematic.

P.S. as usual the mod here merits a post that suggests (temporarily) using a firmware that violates the cgminer license ...

[Vietjan]

So ... you'd be best to just do the simple BM downgrade to a non-SSH lockout version, then install braiins

A 2019 firmware of Bitmain doesn't permit you to downgrade to an earlier version, you are forced to remove the signature check to load any other firmware than a 2019 firmware of Bitmain.
And I never installed the Asicseer firmware, I just removed the signature check with their installer. You can do this without installing firmware.

[Artemis3]

You can use a procedure involving the T9+ image and a micro sd card, while the guide to do it was moved into some zip file, its still in the Bitmain support page (for now). Its nearly identical to testing Braiins OS: Just flash the sd, move jumper jp4. Boot the sd card and wait (blindly) some minutes for the T9+ firmware to be flashed into nand, leds flash signaling completion. Then restart and browse the miner's page, you can now upgrade to the S9 2018 firmware and stay there. It won't hash until you do install the S9 firmware...

Something nastier is coming for the S17 family, meaning people who upgrade their firmware won't be able to replace it unless a chip is de-soldered and a new one soldered back in (replaced) on the controller.

In other news, Braiins OS for the S17 should be (hopefully) coming in July.

[NotFuzzyWarm]

Something nastier is coming for the S17 family, meaning people who upgrade their firmware won't be able to replace it unless a chip is de-soldered and a new one soldered back in (replaced) on the controller.

Sounds like BM is resorting to using a WORM (Write Once Read Many) programmable memory chip to foil the 3rd party folks.

That not only sucks for tweakers but I'd think will also make it impossible to upgrade even using BM's latest firmware as it is released...
Crap like this is why I refuse to use BM gear any more.

[Artemis3]

What i read elsewhere is that Xilinx provides this sort of security feature, where you can "fuse" parts inside the chip after you flash the firmware to it. This is probably what the rumored Russian malware that damaged nands did, but I'm unsure if the S9s have this.

What appears to be certain, is that the S19 ships with this "feature", and the newer firmware updates in the rest of the S17 family do this as well. So if you even have even the slightest plan to ever try Braiins OS in your S17, make sure you do not ever update the firmware. Because, it is yet to be seen if these could be bypassed somehow (without getting a solder gun, that is).

[Pendrak]

This remember me about the XBOX 360 DVD units, the last model (XBOX E) got a DVD unit with the firmware locked on the chip, in the end, no one found a way to unlock those chips.

If Bitmain begin to do this i think most ppl are going to buy other brands, is really nice get you old/new hardware and install a firmware like Braiins that let you underclock/overclock and undervolt/overvolt and get more juice from it.

[Keezasa]

[...]

Did you have to change permissions anywhere when doing the upgrade via the web interface? I keep getting these errors.

Code:

ubiattach: error!: cannot attach mtd2 error 17 (File exists) mount: mounting ubi1:rootfs on /mnt/config/ failed: No such device mkdir: can't create directory '/mnt/config/home/usr_config': No such file or directory cp: can't create '/mnt/config/home/usr_config/mac': No such file or directory umount: can't umount /mnt/config: Invalid argument /www/pages/cgi-bin/upgrade_clear.cgi: line 67: ubidetach: not found runme.sh: line 38: base64: not found cat: can't open '/usr/bin/ctrl_bd': No such file or directory

I am wondering if I am having all these challenges because I have this board: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-Antminer-control-board-S9K-S9SE-Z11-Z9-Z9mini-V9-10pcs-/173994257105

[Artemis3]

That sounds likely. This has only been tested with the typical Xilinx S9 controllers. And no, you are not supposed to change any permissions to upgrade...

Whatever controller is used in the S9K and SE and Hybrid none of those work.

[Breeze]

What appears to be certain, is that the S19 ships with this "feature", and the newer firmware updates in the rest of the S17 family do this as well. So if you even have even the slightest plan to ever try Braiins OS in your S17, make sure you do not ever update the firmware. Because, it is yet to be seen if these could be bypassed somehow (without getting a solder gun, that is).

How old firmware are we talking about?
I have Linux 4.6.0-xilinx-gff8137b-dirty #25 SMP PREEMPT Fri Nov 23 15:30:52 CST 2018. Should be good.
Thinking about buying another one for cheap bucks.

[Artemis3]

Don't look at the kernel date, look at the File System Version date.


I asked and was given a capture confirming a block found. I did ask for more details if possible, but in the meantime here you go:



Source requested privacy, so i smudged the user details.

...
After 59 days uptime. 😊
...
👍  thank you! That block (height 630368) is worth 7.79874674 BTC.
...

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/block/630368

[Breeze]

Don't look at the kernel date, look at the File System Version date.

Ok, so can we install this to a newer S17Pro from January 2020? Don't know the exact file system version.

[Artemis3]

The S17 support isn't ready, but i think the Pro has a good chance, as long as you haven't updated the firmware.
Key point: Don't upgrade.

[philipma1957]

The S17 support isn't ready, but i think the Pro has a good chance, as long as you haven't updated the firmware.
Key point: Don't upgrade.

I have a s17pro with some really old firmware like April 2019.

Could I do it via team viewer?

[Biffa]

[...]

Looks promising, but more detail would be good, I can't see how to connect those two images. There is no data in either image that relates to the other image.  Can you get a screenshot with more info? At least we need the bestshare from the miner gui.

[MoparMiningLLC]

yes i hate miners that dont show best share... my innos are like that - no damn best share like wtf....

[Artemis3]

Thanks for your feedback.

Unfortunately Braiins OS doesn't show "Best Share" in the Summary table of the web UI, it exists if you poll it via API command, but i doubt the source did at the time. So now I'm requesting this field to be added to the Summary table (the one you see in that screen capture), and hopefully someone in the future will share it when they find another block.