Newbies for FPGAs

[it_guru]

I'm starting this thread to find out how many Newbies are here to look into FPGA mining or some other use of FPGA but using the current work done in Bitcoin as a launching platform.

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[bluetrepidation]

+1 for me. I created this account just to research an FPGA miner I could also use for electronic hobby projects.

A.J.

[n2liquid]

FPGA's are amazing, but can they build specialized enough hardware that beats the monstruous processing power of GPU's?

[nostromo429]

Do they live on e.g. a PCI card that you plug into a normal computer, or is it something more painful to use?

[bluetrepidation]

USB connectivity so very easy to implement. Programming the FPGA seems to require JTAG on some boards which is a bit confusing. Why not use USB for all communication?

A.J.

[n2liquid]

@bluetrepidation I think JTAG is in the pinout of most (all?) microprocessors and FPGA's. JTAG is a debug port standard, different from USB which is general purpose. You can just buy a JTAG-USB adapter and live happily thereafter, though It wouldn't make sense to force one of these inside every PCB or IC; it would just take up space.

@nostromo429 there are FPGA kits with PCI and PCI-E connections, but these are only used when very large amounts of data need to flow between the FPGA and the PC. I think for Bitcoin mining, the USB speed would be plenty.

[Defkin]

+1 for me. I created this account just to research an FPGA miner I could also use for electronic hobby projects.

A.J.

same here

[hardpick]

does anyone know where to buy samples of
both pcb's
Ultra-Low-Cost DIY FPGA Miner - 175MH/s @ $1/MH
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=44891.0

I don't have enought post to ask question on above forum

[Luis_GT]

Ive been researching fpga's due to the high cost of electricity... But the price to performance has been high...

[aschaetter]

+1 here too... $1/MH is not bad at all considering how much you would save on powering them...

[tf101]

+1 here... have a few FPGAs already and am just about to start soldering a new PS for them... just wish the FTDI chips support ARM and I could ditch the using PC's all together....

[Patrick||Rodgers]

I am willing to buy a BFL unit if they are for real.

[aschaetter]

Yeah... I keep seeing people showing theirs off, but I have yet to see someone selling a low-cost package.

[uglybuddy6]

Well FPGAs are very interesting im interested in any cheap affordable mining. If only FPGAs where cheaper i would invest in hundreds.

[korac0]

what is the average hash rate of these FPGA boards and at what wattage?

what is average price of an assembled board?

can once save a good deal of money if they knew how to solder? 

[DeepBit]

what is the average hash rate of these FPGA boards and at what wattage?
what is average price of an assembled board?
can once save a good deal of money if they knew how to solder? 

1. 350-380 MH/s per dual-chip Spartan6 board at ~20W.
2. $560
3. Not really a good deal because you'll lose lots of time for manufacturing the PCB and collecting all the components.
Also you should remember that soldering BGA chips is not a task for newbies.

[jago25_98]

If we plug the figures from
http://cablesaurus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=56
into
http://bitcoinx.com/profit/index.php

I get a minimum almost 6 year break even for UK prices and that's before the drop to 25 blocks this year (current price $5.7, 0.19elec, power 25w estimate beyond the 20w minimum, 250mhash). After the rate drop the calculator just says >10000, can't get it to work.

It's not economic yet but it will probably be the future as the cost comes down.

[Geir]

I also joined for FPGAs Looks like there is a lot off interest

[yjacket]

Have you guys been looking at the Butterfly labs page in the mining forum? If they actually put out a product I will certainly be buying some.

[rupy]

I joined because I bought a ztex FPGA and it's the future of BTC. Now I mine 1 BTC per day week for 8W, silent and without ecological regret! GPU miners that don't recognise FPGA mining are just bitter. They need one PC per 3-6 cards while FPGA is controlled via USB so you can have 127 FPGA's on one PC!!! Do the math on that and the electricity bill...