Use Beagleboard/Pandaboard to run FGPA mining rig

[torusJKL]

Hi

I'm looking into creating a rig using FGPAs.
To control them I would like to use a Beagleboard-xM or Pandaboard ES.

The Beagleboard-xM has a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8.
The PandaBoard ES has a Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore with Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) at 1.2 GHz each.

Has somebody used these boards?
How many FGPAs do you think it will able to manage?

Thanks.

[n0ne]

Estimated hashes?

[torusJKL]

Estimated hashes?

As a start 900 - 1000 MHash

[BkkCoins]

You really could use almost anything to control the FPGAs. For example, the Icarus board has simply a UART-USB chip. It takes USB data and feeds it serial into the FPGA. So the interface/control of the FPGA is trivial computing wise. The task is more about how you get work for the miner and UI/RPC.

I'm building a single chip PIC with Ethernet board as a miner control to feed a cluster of FPGAs. It's not built yet but the PCB design is done. I'm waiting for the Chinese PCB fab to re-open after their New Year so I can make some boards. Good they took a holiday as I'm having extra time to fix mistakes and improve the design.

[CubedRoot]

I would rather go with a RaspberryPi than a beagleboard.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

[P_Shep]

Your DD-WRT'd USB router

[BkkCoins]

I would rather go with a RaspberryPi than a beagleboard.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

I'm eager to get my hands on one when they come out. Credit card size coolness.

[chungenhung]

Your DD-WRT'd USB router

that would be really awesome if someone can get that to work.

[P_Shep]

Well, got cgminer to compile for the mips (broadcom) processor my ASUS RT-N16 has.
Absolutely no idea if it does ANYTHING, but it compiled!

All in need to do now is:
Actually install DD-WRT on my router.
Acquire a BFL unit.
See if it does anything

[n0ne]

Estimated hashes?

As a start 900 - 1000 MHash

WAT? how? on what board. Let's break this down.

ps. The Raspberry Pi seems like it wouldn't hash much... But $25, I guess you can just buy LOTS of them.

[CubedRoot]

I think you missed it completely there n0ne. LMAO!

Hes wanting to use a Raspberry Pi to control a farm of FPGA's.  The BFL's are supposed to get around 854 mHash.

[n0ne]

haha yea maybe it went over my head. I'm a bit new to this FPGA stuff. The way I under stand it i RaspberryPi board with it's on-board chip would be way to weak. So I'm guessing the idea is to control something else with it?

ps. I'm drunk, be nice

[CubedRoot]

NA. I think it would be OK.  Its a pretty powerful liittle arm processor.
All you really need is just something to distribute work to the BFL units, server as a "hub" and connect to your pool.  All the hasing is done on the BFL (FPGA) in much the same context as a GPU does the work in a "normal" rig.

[n0ne]

NA. I think it would be OK.  Its a pretty powerful liittle arm processor.
All you really need is just something to distribute work to the BFL units, server as a "hub" and connect to your pool.  All the hasing is done on the BFL (FPGA) in much the same context as a GPU does the work in a "normal" rig.

Oh ok I see. The idea is to use one of these to be the controller for all the BFL boxes. Neat, would make things more stream line.

[torusJKL]

I would rather go with a RaspberryPi than a beagleboard.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Unfortunately they are not for sale yet.
But as soon as they are I will get myself one of these anyways.

I think you missed it completely there n0ne. LMAO!

Hes wanting to use a Raspberry Pi to control a farm of FPGA's.  The BFL's are supposed to get around 854 mHash.

Exactly.
This should manage several independant FPGA boards.
BFL..., well let's see when they are out.

[rupy]

I use a mini-itx atom D510MO as desktop and run my fpga from that, economical, silent and better for the environment and with proper linux!

[rjk]

I use a mini-itx atom D510MO as desktop and run my fpga from that, economical, silent and better for the environment and with proper linux!

<3 Pico-ITX formfactor with a Via processor.

[CubedRoot]

The RaspberryPi is supposed to be around 5 watts.  
Most Mini-ITX boards will be in the 50 to 75 watt range.

Oh, the RaspberryPi also runs a proper linux distro....Debian

[ArtForz]

The RaspberryPi is supposed to be around 5 watts.  
Most Mini-ITX boards will be in the 50 to 75 watt range.

Oh, the RaspberryPi also runs a proper linux distro....Debian

50-70W? For a atom or via board? In what universe?

[CubedRoot]

Im talking total power draw measured using a kill-a-watt.  You figure in the ineffeciency of the PSU, HDD, and the mobo, you will see around 50 watts.