Official FutureBit Apollo II/BTC Software/Image and Support thread

[terra.tec]

That would be awesome if you could. Even better would be that functionality baked into the UI 

So far, I have received no response from Futurebit team. I am still waiting for their reply how can I make Apollo II stop burning power and go idle.

They use an apollo-helper binary to reset the device but I can't find it for x86_64 on Github.

Code:

./apollo-helper --help
Usage: apollo-helper [OPTIONS] --sink <SINK>

Options:
  -s, --sink <SINK>
  -b, --baud <BAUD>
  -r, --reset         Reset board
      --verify-reset  Verify reset (wait answer from board after reset)
  -h, --help          Print help
  -V, --version       Print version

[PennyBit]

Hey everyone.

Also I was wondering whether there shouldn't be field or some way to show when one finds block! Otherwise it could take long time before you realize you actually found one.

Thanks

I was also wondering about that and think it would be a neat little feature. Was also wondering whether anybody has actually successfully mined a block on their own Apollo II node and short of checking their wallet how did they know? I've been debating whether to point my entire arsenal at the Apollo II node or keep a few pieces split between other (pool/solo) destinations. I apologize if this has been asked before but I'm just wandering the road to wisdom - lol.

Cheers!

[MakerAZ]

Solo Mining is ON and

What do these numbers mean?

Best share: 964,790,372
Accepted shares: 1,016,905,108

Miner Page shows: 9.40 TH/s
SOLO Mining Page shows: 7.42 TH/s

the screenshot: https://ibb.co/wS8bnpf

PS:I still cannot upload images in my posts

[crypto_curious]

That would be awesome if you could. Even better would be that functionality baked into the UI  

So far, I have received no response from Futurebit team. I am still waiting for their reply how can I make Apollo II stop burning power and go idle.

They use an apollo-helper binary to reset the device but I can't find it for x86_64 on Github.

Code:

./apollo-helper --help
Usage: apollo-helper [OPTIONS] --sink <SINK>

Options:
  -s, --sink <SINK>
  -b, --baud <BAUD>
  -r, --reset         Reset board
      --verify-reset  Verify reset (wait answer from board after reset)
  -h, --help          Print help
  -V, --version       Print version

Thanks, where I can find this binary? Is it only in full node image file? And no x86_64?

[terra.tec]

Thanks, where I can find this binary? Is it only in full node image file? And no x86_64?

Correct and here https://github.com/jstefanop/apolloapi-v2/tree/main/backend/apollo-miner/bin

[nullama]

Thanks, where I can find this binary? Is it only in full node image file? And no x86_64?

Correct and here https://github.com/jstefanop/apolloapi-v2/tree/main/backend/apollo-miner/bin

Isn't the miner v2 for x86_64 just here?

https://github.com/jstefanop/Apollo-Miner-Binaries/tree/main/Apollo%20II/linux-x86_64

Or are you looking for something else?

By the way, jstefanop, the binaries for v1 are still not updated:

apollo-miner 09bb0bf 2021-11-22, msp ver 0xd166

[crypto_curious]

Futurebit team has confirmed on e-mail:

Hi the USB version is designed to be shutdown via the power switch. If you are using another computer and not an apollo there is no way to shut it down via USB as this functionality is only possible with the full node unit.

Hi standard units controlled with a third part pc can only be shutdown with the power switch in the back.

FutureBit Team
hello@futurebit.io

Had I known this, I would never buy this device. Now, I have to use 24/7 or not at all. Cannot temperature or time control it. Once internet goes down or want it to idle, it just continues to burn full power forever.

[mr_eee]

Solo Mining is ON and

What do these numbers mean?

Best share: 964,790,372
Accepted shares: 1,016,905,108

Miner Page shows: 9.40 TH/s
SOLO Mining Page shows: 7.42 TH/s

the screenshot: https://ibb.co/wS8bnpf

PS:I still cannot upload images in my posts

Best Share is the highest difficulty your miners have solved. If the difficulty exceeds the network difficulty, then you have solved a block and could earn the block reward upon successfully broadcasting your result to the network and after another miner adds a block to yours. Accepted shares is how many shares of work your miners have submitted to your solo pool. If you have multiple miners connected to your solo pool, they will display in the Solo Mining users section and their respective shares submitted and best share result will show in that section.

[mr_eee]

I'm still running my 1st generation apollo BTC, mostly for the node and solo pool functionality. I'm wondering if I turn the miner off and keep the node on, will the solo pool still work if I connect other miners to it? I have a few bitaxe miners that i've successfully connected to my apollo solo pool, and if i shut off the miner on my apollo BTC, the Solo Mining Page just says "Miner is Offline" and does not show any stats. My Bitaxe miners are still running, and according to their logs, they are receiving work and submitting shares that are getting accepted by the pool.

If the solo pool is still operating even when my apollo btc miner is turned off and node is on, then a helpful update to the apollo OS 2 would be to continue to display the solo pool stats page.

Our futurebit miners may age and become less efficient with their hashpower, but they are still very useful as a full node and solo pool.

[mr_eee]

I'm still running my 1st generation apollo BTC, mostly for the node and solo pool functionality. I'm wondering if I turn the miner off and keep the node on, will the solo pool still work if I connect other miners to it? I have a few bitaxe miners that i've successfully connected to my apollo solo pool, and if i shut off the miner on my apollo BTC, the Solo Mining Page just says "Miner is Offline" and does not show any stats. My Bitaxe miners are still running, and according to their logs, they are receiving work and submitting shares that are getting accepted by the pool.

If the solo pool is still operating even when my apollo btc miner is turned off and node is on, then a helpful update to the apollo OS 2 would be to continue to display the solo pool stats page.

Our futurebit miners may age and become less efficient with their hashpower, but they are still very useful as a full node and solo pool.

Update: from John on X @jstefanop1:
”pool is still running on the backend...this is an issue with our front end stat engine that is tied with the miner, so when you turn it off the front end stats for solo pool disable as well.

Will be fixed in the 2.1 release”
https://x.com/jstefanop1/status/1821248823249007088?s=46&t=yqiPADlCRlmpYPKvZpyfrA

[MrMik]

Looks like I fried my Apollo, I'm after advice on how to diagnose if it's worth trying to repair it.

This is what happened before I let the magic smoke out:

I dug out the unused Apollo to use it for a bit of heating. Powered it up with a monitor, running Armbian on the OrangePi and starting the miner via the sudo ./start etc etc command prompt in a terminal, all worked well.

Then I plugged it into a 2kW PSU but I used cables that came from a different (650W) PSU. Nothing seemed to happen except it smelled a bit funny....

The I used the cables that are the correct ones for the 2kW PSU, and now the Apollos fan turns on, the all lights are out and it's dead as a door-nail.


I already disconnected the OrangePi and tried to power the miner via laptop and USB, but same result, fan spins, nothing else happens.


I find it hard to believe that they make cables labelled PCIe on one end, with an 8 pin connector at the other end that will it into different PSUs that use different pin layouts at the PSU end, but that seems to be what happened. Bastards!

Any idea what part of the Apollo would have fried due to this and if it can be repaired?

And is it possible that the OrangePi may have survived the 12V getting connected to the wrong pins?

[heslo]

Looks like I fried my Apollo, I'm after advice on how to diagnose if it's worth trying to repair it.

This is what happened before I let the magic smoke out:

I dug out the unused Apollo to use it for a bit of heating. Powered it up with a monitor, running Armbian on the OrangePi and starting the miner via the sudo ./start etc etc command prompt in a terminal, all worked well.

Then I plugged it into a 2kW PSU but I used cables that came from a different (650W) PSU. Nothing seemed to happen except it smelled a bit funny....

The I used the cables that are the correct ones for the 2kW PSU, and now the Apollos fan turns on, the all lights are out and it's dead as a door-nail.


I already disconnected the OrangePi and tried to power the miner via laptop and USB, but same result, fan spins, nothing else happens.


I find it hard to believe that they make cables labelled PCIe on one end, with an 8 pin connector at the other end that will it into different PSUs that use different pin layouts at the PSU end, but that seems to be what happened. Bastards!

Any idea what part of the Apollo would have fried due to this and if it can be repaired?

And is it possible that the OrangePi may have survived the 12V getting connected to the wrong pins?

Not all PSU's are pinned out the same (stupid I know) Sounds like you've shoved 12v into somewhere you shouldn't have

[jstefanop]

Futurebit team has confirmed on e-mail:

Hi the USB version is designed to be shutdown via the power switch. If you are using another computer and not an apollo there is no way to shut it down via USB as this functionality is only possible with the full node unit.

Hi standard units controlled with a third part pc can only be shutdown with the power switch in the back.

FutureBit Team
hello@futurebit.io

Had I known this, I would never buy this device. Now, I have to use 24/7 or not at all. Cannot temperature or time control it. Once internet goes down or want it to idle, it just continues to burn full power forever.

It's an issue with USB reset on windows devices for the new Apollo. Have not been able to do much testing on windows but if there are apps or a "reset" command you can send over the COM port it should turn it off.

Other option is to use a smart plug and shut it on/off that way if you cant physically access it.

[Wolf_schiesst]

I tried a "sudo apt update" after I had sucessfully completed a "sudo apt upgrade" via SSH using Putty.
Unfortunetlay, with the latest firmware version v2.0.5 (MCU2) I am getting the following error message:

Code:

Err:10 http://deb.volian.org/volian scar InRelease
  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
Hit:9 http://netcup.armbian.com/apt jammy InRelease
Hit:8 https://paulcarroty.gitlab.io/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/debs vscodium InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
E: Failed to fetch http://deb.volian.org/volian/dists/scar/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
E: The repository 'http://deb.volian.org/volian scar InRelease' is no longer signed.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

Can you maybe explain to me, how I can solve this issue? Thanks for your support!

[MakerAZ]

I wish my Apollo II UI could show me time-based statistical graphs like those all other pools have.

[Wolf_schiesst]

I tried a "sudo apt update" after I had sucessfully completed a "sudo apt upgrade" via SSH using Putty.
Unfortunetlay, with the latest firmware version v2.0.5 (MCU2) I am getting the following error message:

Code:

Err:10 http://deb.volian.org/volian scar InRelease
  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
Hit:9 http://netcup.armbian.com/apt jammy InRelease
Hit:8 https://paulcarroty.gitlab.io/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/debs vscodium InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
E: Failed to fetch http://deb.volian.org/volian/dists/scar/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
E: The repository 'http://deb.volian.org/volian scar InRelease' is no longer signed.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

Can you maybe explain to me, how I can solve this issue? Thanks for your support!

got it fixed with changing "/etc/apt/sources.list.d/nala.list" from

Code:

deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nala.gpg] http://deb.volian.org/volian/ scar main

to

Code:

deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nala.gpg] http://deb.volian.org/volian/ nala main

Result (i am not sure, whether I should update the kept back ones with "sudo apt-get --with-new-pkgs upgrade" or not):
Note: The Ubuntu Pro ESM Apps nag message can be ignored IMHO or removed (see https://askubuntu.com/questions/1452519/what-are-the-services-apt-news-and-esm-cache-and-how-do-i-disable-them/)

Code:

Get more security updates through Ubuntu Pro with 'esm-apps' enabled:
  libmagickcore-6.q16-dev python2.7-minimal libde265-dev libmatio11
  libmagickwand-dev libheif1 libvips-dev imagemagick libiperf0 libpathplan4
  libopenexr-dev graphviz libavdevice58 libgvpr2 libgvc6 libopenexr25
  libpostproc55 libcgraph6 libmagickcore-6.q16-6-extra libcdt5 libavcodec58
  traceroute iperf3 libmagickwand-6.q16-6 libpython2.7 libavutil56
  imagemagick-6.q16 libswscale5 libvips42 libheif-dev libmagickcore-6.q16-6
  gir1.2-vips-8.0 liblab-gamut1 libswresample3 imagemagick-6-common
  libmagickcore-6-arch-config libavformat58 python2.7-dev libpython2.7-dev
  libmagickwand-6-headers libmatio-dev python2.7 libde265-0
  libpython2.7-minimal libmagickwand-6.q16-dev libmagickcore-6-headers
  libpython2.7-stdlib libavfilter7
Learn more about Ubuntu Pro at https://ubuntu.com/pro
The following packages have been kept back:
  armbian-bsp-cli-orangepi4-lts armbian-bsp-cli-orangepi4-lts-current armbian-config armbian-firmware armbian-jammy-desktop-gnome armbian-plymouth-theme armbian-zsh libharfbuzz0b linux-dtb-current-rockchip64 linux-image-current-rockchip64 linux-u-boot-orangepi4-lts-current python3-apport python3-problem-report
  python3-update-manager update-manager update-manager-core
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 16 not upgraded.

[MrMik]

One of my Apollo BTC's is misbehaving in a strange way. 

It's few years old, Model # : FBA2001 is written on the cover. Powered by an after-market PSU, which is good, 'cause the stock PSU would have issues with what it's doing....

No matter what command I use to start it (in a terminal on a Linux SBC and also on a Linux laptop), it will always run at full bore.

That means sucks 350W (measured at the wall) and produces around 3.5 TH/s, while the terminal claims this:

BOARDS SYS INFO (1 boards, 44 chips):
BRD  FOUND      REV   SPI     PWR  CHIPS  ON  ON_T  inOhOsc  OhOscN  OhOscT  OhN  OhT  loI  Tc  Th    T, C              TA  RevADC   OCP     HE  osc  OSChip               U, mV               I, mA  P, Wt
  0      1  BREV:20  1x 4  2x2x11     44   1     1        0       0       0    0    0   33   0   0   67  0    0( 0)  0( 0)    4007  0x00  0 (0)   50     N/A   U0: 9999 U1: 7662   I0:    8 I1: 8106     62

The command to start it was something like this:  sudo ./start_etc..etc..etc.sh

And the text in the .sh file is this (but with proper pool and user info):
./apollo-miner -host Xxxx -port xxxx -user Xxxxxx -pswd x -comport /dev/ttyACM0 -brd_ocp 50  -osc 50 -ao_mode 1 -fan_temp_low 65 -fan_temp_hi 70 -fan_pwm_low 1 -fan_pwm_hi 100

Any idea what has gotten into it and how to exorcise whatever is bedevilling it?

[jstefanop]

I wish my Apollo II UI could show me time-based statistical graphs like those all other pools have.

Already in the works for 2.1!

[jstefanop]

One of my Apollo BTC's is misbehaving in a strange way. 

It's few years old, Model # : FBA2001 is written on the cover. Powered by an after-market PSU, which is good, 'cause the stock PSU would have issues with what it's doing....

No matter what command I use to start it (in a terminal on a Linux SBC and also on a Linux laptop), it will always run at full bore.

That means sucks 350W (measured at the wall) and produces around 3.5 TH/s, while the terminal claims this:

BOARDS SYS INFO (1 boards, 44 chips):
BRD  FOUND      REV   SPI     PWR  CHIPS  ON  ON_T  inOhOsc  OhOscN  OhOscT  OhN  OhT  loI  Tc  Th    T, C              TA  RevADC   OCP     HE  osc  OSChip               U, mV               I, mA  P, Wt
  0      1  BREV:20  1x 4  2x2x11     44   1     1        0       0       0    0    0   33   0   0   67  0    0( 0)  0( 0)    4007  0x00  0 (0)   50     N/A   U0: 9999 U1: 7662   I0:    8 I1: 8106     62

The command to start it was something like this:  sudo ./start_etc..etc..etc.sh

And the text in the .sh file is this (but with proper pool and user info):
./apollo-miner -host Xxxx -port xxxx -user Xxxxxx -pswd x -comport /dev/ttyACM0 -brd_ocp 50  -osc 50 -ao_mode 1 -fan_temp_low 65 -fan_temp_hi 70 -fan_pwm_low 1 -fan_pwm_hi 100

Any idea what has gotten into it and how to exorcise whatever is bedevilling it?

Hmm looks like current control and/or one of the voltage controllers has gone bad on the main board. Unfortunately stuff like that is hard to fix without a full hashboard replacement. What mode were you running it on?

[MrMik]

Hmm looks like current control and/or one of the voltage controllers has gone bad on the main board. Unfortunately stuff like that is hard to fix without a full hashboard replacement. What mode were you running it on?

Not sure exactly what it was set to. It stopped working some time about a year ago, I did not have time to muck around with it at the time. I think it might be the OrangePi that stopped working, because it just did not boot any longer. It was running the FutureBit OS from SD card, with a second Apollo connected to it by USB cable, both with 200mm fans on top and stock fans replaced with something that spins down to 1500rpm when not hot. Set to minimum noise to heat the bedroom at night and to start mining by flicking the power switch on (no monitor attached).

I had tried all sorts of settings before using it as the bedroom heater and it was running quietly for several months before it stopped booting up.