ANTMINER S3+ Discussion and Support Thread

[chinesebob]

Has anyone played with this option to cgminer?

--bitmain-auto      Adjust bitmain overclock frequency dynamically for best hashrate
--bitmain-freq <arg> Set frequency range for bitmain-auto, single value or range

I can't get it to do anything, if I set --bitmain-auto by itself it runs at some very low frequency, I've tried various frequencies and ranges as an argument to --bitmain-freq but I have no idea what syntax it wants the frequency range specified

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[Nite]

Does anyone have a link to replacement fans for the S3?  I have several that I'm using as space heaters and the fans are rather noisy when the room temperature is 70F.

You can use this Silverstone Tek 140mm x 38mm Fan for CPU Cooler and Computer Cases Cooling FHP-141

Keep in mind this fan will block the Lan Port on the S3, so only run these if you plan to run wireless.

I was gonna get these but decided against it because someone else here mentioned that issue to me and I prefer to stay on LAN.

use just one silverstone it works so well that the stock fan you keep runs slower.  

so your saying just one as an exaust will keep the stock intake at a slower speed? didn't think about that, nice I will give it a try then.

[chinesebob]

Bitmain Warranty over the phone (and online) was able to get my S3+ working again, nice work.  Seems the new firmware that came out a few days ago fixes the reset button not working problems, so in case you missed the Nov. firmware release like me, it's available.

Cool!

Code:

dd if=antMiner_S320141126.bin of=kernel bs=1 ibs=1 count=1015116
dd if=antMiner_S320141126.bin of=filesystem.squashfs bs=1 ibs=1 count=2448854 skip=1015116
unsquashfs filesystem.squashfs
ls -1 squashfs-root
bin
dev
etc
lib
mnt
overlay
proc
rom
root
root-files
sbin
sys
tmp
usr
var
www

[chinesebob]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

[neo9436]

I've been running S3's for a number of months now, and all of a sudden one of them seems to be getting a lot of duplicate shares.

Anyone else run in to this problem at all?

[jackbox]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

[spazzdla]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

I have both the computer and S3 on a UPS when I update firmware... I am OCD masta

[jackbox]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

I have both the computer and S3 on a UPS when I update firmware... I am OCD masta

When flashing that is not OCD. That is called essential planning.

[chinesebob]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

I wanted my reset button to work, and to have the ability to factory reset with it. I think not being able to factory reset will eventually result in getting bricked out of a system.

[jackbox]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

I wanted my reset button to work, and to have the ability to factory reset with it. I think not being able to factory reset will eventually result in getting bricked out of a system.

People have screwed up ethernet settings and could not get in through the ethernet port or wifi. But they were able to get in via the serial header on the controller board and reset everything.

[Codemeister]

Just sent out my S3 controller board. Bitmain is going to send me a new one.

[chinesebob]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

I have both the computer and S3 on a UPS when I update firmware... I am OCD masta

When flashing that is not OCD. That is called essential planning.

To be clear, there was no failure in the actual update of the firmware, I even let it clear settings, everything booted and ran fine for about an hour, then all of a sudden the GHS went down to the double digits for no reason.  Restarting cgminer didn't help, rebooting didn't fix it.

[chinesebob]

not sure I trust the new firmware, all my GHS are all of a sudden down in the 100s per S3 three hours after the update

Number one rule of flashing firmware updates. If your rig is working do not flash any new firmware. Mine is working just fine on the old firmware and I have no intentions of flashing it ever if it keeps operating as it does.

I wanted my reset button to work, and to have the ability to factory reset with it. I think not being able to factory reset will eventually result in getting bricked out of a system.

People have screwed up ethernet settings and could not get in through the ethernet port or wifi. But they were able to get in via the serial header on the controller board and reset everything.

I assumed there was a way to do that, similar to other embedded systems, but, that's precisely the reason I would like to have a reset button that works.  The difference in time to factory reset via an externally accessible button versus the time it takes to dig my usb to serial dongle out of a box, and open the S3 and connect to a serial header is fairly substantial.

[CHAOSiTEC]

anyone know what the exact problem was on the S3 that they fixed in S3+ ?

since i have one s3 that will start out fine, but will slowly drift downward in hashing speed, i was thinking that i could fix it myself if i knew what the difference was between s3 and s3+

[pekatete]

anyone know what the exact problem was on the S3 that they fixed in S3+ ?

since i have one s3 that will start out fine, but will slowly drift downward in hashing speed, i was thinking that i could fix it myself if i knew what the difference was between s3 and s3+

Heat dissipation. Re-apply the heat paste (possibly use a better type), swap the paste with heatpads on the chips / front heatsink, tighten both heatsinks properly and update to latest firmware. Voilla, you have an S3+ !

EDIT: by the way, you can also use the voltage setting in the new firmware to help with efficiency / overclocking, see my sig!

[CHAOSiTEC]

anyone know what the exact problem was on the S3 that they fixed in S3+ ?

since i have one s3 that will start out fine, but will slowly drift downward in hashing speed, i was thinking that i could fix it myself if i knew what the difference was between s3 and s3+

Heat dissipation. Re-apply the heat paste (possibly use a better type), swap the paste with heatpads on the chips / front heatsink, tighten both heatsinks properly and update to latest firmware. Voilla, you have an S3+ !

EDIT: by the way, you can also use the voltage setting in the new firmware to help with efficiency / overclocking, see my sig!

already tried that with no effect (and yes i know how to apply the paste :-p )

besides, this particular S3 is not the one running the hottest, its actually one of the lowest in terms of temp, i think there is an engineering part in this that makes up for the difference between the S3s and S3+s...

[pekatete]

anyone know what the exact problem was on the S3 that they fixed in S3+ ?

since i have one s3 that will start out fine, but will slowly drift downward in hashing speed, i was thinking that i could fix it myself if i knew what the difference was between s3 and s3+

Heat dissipation. Re-apply the heat paste (possibly use a better type), swap the paste with heatpads on the chips / front heatsink, tighten both heatsinks properly and update to latest firmware. Voilla, you have an S3+ !

EDIT: by the way, you can also use the voltage setting in the new firmware to help with efficiency / overclocking, see my sig!

already tried that with no effect (and yes i know how to apply the paste :-p )

besides, this particular S3 is not the one running the hottest, its actually one of the lowest in terms of temp, i think there is an engineering part in this that makes up for the difference between the S3s and S3+s...

What is stopping you from classifying it as an S3+ then? Can it not run at higher freqs without a load of HW errors? I have just pointed you to a good solution to efficiently running (even overclocking) with the voltage, but you dissed that with contempt. I only made that post yesterday, but have been toying with it for over a week, so I know what I am talking about there (wouldn't have posted if I was not sure).

The ONLY documented reason, in these hallowed pages no less, has been lack of adequate heat dissipation which leads to HW errors when you try to OC. Combine the two, i.e proper voltage setting at the running freq + good heat dissipation and you have, no doubt, an S3+ !

But hey, you asked the question and got an answer, it is (again!) the proverbial taking a horse to the water hole but cannot force the damn thing to drink!

[CHAOSiTEC]

anyone know what the exact problem was on the S3 that they fixed in S3+ ?

since i have one s3 that will start out fine, but will slowly drift downward in hashing speed, i was thinking that i could fix it myself if i knew what the difference was between s3 and s3+

Heat dissipation. Re-apply the heat paste (possibly use a better type), swap the paste with heatpads on the chips / front heatsink, tighten both heatsinks properly and update to latest firmware. Voilla, you have an S3+ !

EDIT: by the way, you can also use the voltage setting in the new firmware to help with efficiency / overclocking, see my sig!

already tried that with no effect (and yes i know how to apply the paste :-p )

besides, this particular S3 is not the one running the hottest, its actually one of the lowest in terms of temp, i think there is an engineering part in this that makes up for the difference between the S3s and S3+s...

What is stopping you from classifying it as an S3+ then? Can it not run at higher freqs without a load of HW errors? I have just pointed you to a good solution to efficiently running (even overclocking) with the voltage, but you dissed that with contempt. I only made that post yesterday, but have been toying with it for over a week, so I know what I am talking about there (wouldn't have posted if I was not sure).

The ONLY documented reason, in these hallowed pages no less, has been lack of adequate heat dissipation which leads to HW errors when you try to OC. Combine the two, i.e proper voltage setting at the running freq + good heat dissipation and you have, no doubt, an S3+ !

But hey, you asked the question and got an answer, it is (again!) the proverbial taking a horse to the water hole but cannot force the damn thing to drink!

let me put this differently then, since you seem to think im dissing your work (which im not!)

several antminer S3s work fine, and can be overclocked, but some will over time, gradually slow down.

i have tried the following on my antminer S3:

changed thermal paste

overclocked (no noticeable change in the few HWs generated)

underclocked

changed voltage from 0700 to 0785

this particular unit will still over time go slower and slower,

so, i am asking, what is the difference between the S3 and the S3+ since it took bitmaintech a whole month to correct whatever they discovered was wrong, and i am asking if anyone know what got changed...

the other S3 i have, work fine, and is overclocked, running with a slight higher voltage as well, and that unit is running hotter than the trouble unit..

[pekatete]

let me put this differently then, since you seem to think im dissing your work (which im not!)

several antminer S3s work fine, and can be overclocked, but some will over time, gradually slow down.

i have tried the following on my antminer S3:

changed thermal paste

overclocked (no noticeable change in the few HWs generated)

underclocked

changed voltage from 0700 to 0785

this particular unit will still over time go slower and slower,

so, i am asking, what is the difference between the S3 and the S3+ since it took bitmaintech a whole month to correct whatever they discovered was wrong, and i am asking if anyone know what got changed...

the other S3 i have, work fine, and is overclocked, running with a slight higher voltage as well, and that unit is running hotter than the trouble unit..

1. How were we supposed to know all that extra detail when you first asked the question? Last I checked, there are no mind readers on this forum (let alone thread!).
2. Do not feel obliged to ask your question clearly on the back of my thinking you are dissing my "work". Ask your question clearly if you want an answer to your question, else, you'll get what whoever reads it thinks you are asking.
3. Since it seems you believe you have exhausted all avenues, here's one; Swap boards with one of your "working" S3's
I'm done here.

[CHAOSiTEC]

let me put this differently then, since you seem to think im dissing your work (which im not!)

several antminer S3s work fine, and can be overclocked, but some will over time, gradually slow down.

i have tried the following on my antminer S3:

changed thermal paste

overclocked (no noticeable change in the few HWs generated)

underclocked

changed voltage from 0700 to 0785

this particular unit will still over time go slower and slower,

so, i am asking, what is the difference between the S3 and the S3+ since it took bitmaintech a whole month to correct whatever they discovered was wrong, and i am asking if anyone know what got changed...

the other S3 i have, work fine, and is overclocked, running with a slight higher voltage as well, and that unit is running hotter than the trouble unit..

1. How were we supposed to know all that extra detail when you first asked the question? Last I checked, there are no mind readers on this forum (let alone thread!).
2. Do not feel obliged to ask your question clearly on the back of my thinking you are dissing my "work". Ask your question clearly if you want an answer to your question, else, you'll get what whoever reads it thinks you are asking.
3. Since it seems you believe you have exhausted all avenues, here's one; Swap boards with one of your "working" S3's
I'm done here.

actually, i did:

anyone know what the exact problem was on the S3 that they fixed in S3+ ?

since i have one s3 that will start out fine, but will slowly drift downward in hashing speed, i was thinking that i could fix it myself if i knew what the difference was between s3 and s3+

you gave me possible solutions, but not what i asked for, that is the difference...