ANTMINER S3+ Discussion and Support Thread

[ZymurBits]

.... we'll have to agree to disagree as I believe it is so far fetched to assume all the reported falling hash-rate that coincided with the newer firmware installation should be attributed to repasting (or handling during repasting).

Throwing in my 2 bits, I experienced the deteriorating hashrate phenomenon after installing a newer firmware (I think 12/19).  After reverting back to 10/24 firmware, I haven't had that problem.

[soy]

Oops.  Checking the good S3, S3#1, after a day at 237.5M and a great hashrate which I didn't record and don't trust my memory.  Now before that S3#1 ran dependably at ~440GH/s but afterwards seemed to be stuck between 435&438, getting to the 440+ area for a while after startup but dropping 2-4GH after warming.  No x's have ever showed on S3#1.  So, unless I'm wrong, overclocking even for only a day or two will degrade the hashrate/frequency.  Am checking now GH/f/wattage from 100M and upward.  Perhaps efficiency improved?  Will know in a day.  This test I'm doing is 2hr/frequency so perhaps not attaining full GH/s at each.

------------------------

Okay, S3#1 is back to normal after working my way up the frequency ladder.  440.46GH/s(avg) after 20 hours at 218.75M.  So the hashrate drop wasn't permanent.

[soy]

.... we'll have to agree to disagree as I believe it is so far fetched to assume all the reported falling hash-rate that coincided with the newer firmware installation should be attributed to repasting (or handling during repasting).

Throwing in my 2 bits, I experienced the deteriorating hashrate phenomenon after installing a newer firmware (I think 12/19).  After reverting back to 10/24 firmware, I haven't had that problem.

I feel like Linus in football season with Lucy moving the placed football causing Linus to fall.  I took your suggestion but didn't see any 10/24 S3 firmware so went to an earlier, 20140721, version and found myself back at the firmware I had before trying others.  I had worked my way up to 20141013 which repeatedly came up with GUI failures so I backed down to 20140811.  But you said earlier so I again tried the next earlier which was as I Mentioned 20140721, the LuCI.  Can't help feeling like I've been played, Lucy LuCI.

So the 20140721 firmware was replaced last night requiring me to replace the rebooting at low hashrate script and by this morning it had run twice for low hashrate, e.g. below 421.

Waiting on that liquid flux which only left California yesterday.

After restarting cgminer the second time since firmware change, there was an x on each chain on this S3#2.  x's at chain1#2 and chain2#8.  This, the S3 from Pines in Florida sold as new but arriving in an opened box, has had x's various times at chain1#2, chain2#6, chain2#8 and chain2#16 but as mentioned previously the chain2#16 was cleared by cleaning the ASICs with a brush and solvent as it sits near the intake fan and at that time I had the fan on full 12v continually and may have pulled in some debris that hit that ASIC.

[aarons6]

.... we'll have to agree to disagree as I believe it is so far fetched to assume all the reported falling hash-rate that coincided with the newer firmware installation should be attributed to repasting (or handling during repasting).

Throwing in my 2 bits, I experienced the deteriorating hashrate phenomenon after installing a newer firmware (I think 12/19).  After reverting back to 10/24 firmware, I haven't had that problem.

I feel like Linus in football season with Lucy moving the placed football causing Linus to fall.  I took your suggestion but didn't see any 10/24 S3 firmware so went to an earlier, 20140721, version and found myself back at the firmware I had before trying others.  I had worked my way up to 20141013 which repeatedly came up with GUI failures so I backed down to 20140811.  But you said earlier so I again tried the next earlier which was as I Mentioned 20140721, the LuCI.  Can't help feeling like I've been played, Lucy LuCI.

So the 20140721 firmware was replaced last night requiring me to replace the rebooting at low hashrate script and by this morning it had run twice for low hashrate, e.g. below 421.

Waiting on that liquid flux which only left California yesterday.

After restarting cgminer the second time since firmware change, there was an x on each chain on this S3#2.  x's at chain1#2 and chain2#8.  This, the S3 from Pines in Florida sold as new but arriving in an opened box, has had x's various times at chain1#2, chain2#6, chain2#8 and chain2#16 but as mentioned previously the chain2#16 was cleared by cleaning the ASICs with a brush and solvent as it sits near the intake fan and at that time I had the fan on full 12v continually and may have pulled in some debris that hit that ASIC.

my s3s are on the 12/19 firmware and they are rock solid stable at 440ghs @ 218.75
its not a firmware problem.

[aarons6]

^^^ I don't think there's more to add to that ..... I don't have a malfunctioning S3 variant, but will dig up the old firmware, extract the PIC firmware and do a raw comparison, if there is a discrepancy, I'll replace the PIC hex file with the old one and see what happens ... just don't hold your breath as that may not be for a while.

No problem.  I'm still thinking the S3#2 hashrate fall is somehow related to rough removal of the heatsinks from the hashing boards and some hairline crack at a capacitor or resistor, fixed with a touch of flux and fine handling of a soldering iron will stop the hashrate fall although that rough handling could just as easily put a crack in the solder of an ASIC pin which I can't fix with an iron.  Though the PIC issue might somehow relate to the very minor albeit detectable lower hashrate of the controller from S3#2 onto S3#1.

Well, it has been widely reported that the newer firmwares depict diminishing hash-rate syndrome ...... and I can not attribute that to your particular hairline crack diagnosis. Thats not to say it is not may be the case for your #2, but most definitely not for the multitude other reported rigs.

The repasting suggestion appeared fairly early.  It was almost described as something one should do even if there were no serious faults showing.  This led to many miners being taken offline in a period when return was still pretty good but hashrate rising so a gainsay motive isn't out of the question.  How many S3 owners, attempting the repasting, were not electronic techs with SMT experience who would not comprehend that flexing a circuit board tends to damage SMT solder joints.  It could very well be that falling hashrate happened almost always after repasting.  I'd venture we don't know.

ive repasted my s3s..

the heatsinks on these are on the outside.. you dont have to take anything apart.
its not difficult.. there is 4 screws and they are spring loaded.. meaning you cant over tighten them..

as long as you werent a complete idiot and put the heatsinks on upside down, you cant really screw it up.

clean the chips off, just put a dab of new paste on each chip, screw the heatsink back on.

when i took mine off there were 3 chips that didnt have any paste at all and 2 or 3 only had about 20% covered.

just make sure you use non conductive thermal paste..
i think i used MX-4.

[Real-Duke]

my s3s are on the 12/19 firmware and they are rock solid stable at 440ghs @ 218.75
its not a firmware problem.

Both S3 of mine running all on Firmware from 9th January..stable and the S3+ too
Picture from 1 S3:


1 S3+

[Mikestang]

My first S3+ should arrive any day, looking forward to it, woo!  I plan to factory reset it and flash with the latest firmware straight away, like I did with my S1.

As a hobby miner I love that I can pick up the older tech for a mere fraction of what it retailed new for.  Can't wait for the next gen to come out so that the used S5 price drops by 80%.

[vegasguy]

Anyone handy with fixing these. I just listed my 2Ths S4 on ebay starting at $49 (no reserve). Does need some sort of repair.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bitmain-Antminer-S4-BATCH-2-Bitcoin-Miner-2Th-s-SHA256-Mining-AS-IS-Power-on-/281651706290?

Vegas

[rva26]

Hello, I come to you because I 've realized a problem of hashrate on my S3 no more than 200GH/s
here is the screenshot


http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/827500antminer.png


Thank you in advance .

[soy]

Hello, I come to you because I 've realized a problem of hashrate on my S3 no more than 200GH/s
here is the screenshot





Thank you in advance .

You have power going to how many PCIE connectors?  Using all 4? only 2? only 1?  Plugged in closest to the RJ45 socket end?

[rva26]

Just two PCIE connectors plugged closest to the RJ45 and it normally runs for six months minimum, I just look 2 days ago the low hashrate. 

[MyRig]

Please try power it off, wait for 10-15 minutes then power it back on!

Hello, I come to you because I 've realized a problem of hashrate on my S3 no more than 200GH/s
here is the screenshot





Thank you in advance .

[Mikestang]

Just two PCIE connectors plugged closest to the RJ45 and it normally runs for six months minimum, I just look 2 days ago the low hashrate.  

Take a look at your screen shot, ASIC Status, one of your boards is dead, you're hashing with 1/2 an S3.

[soy]

Just two PCIE connectors plugged closest to the RJ45 and it normally runs for six months minimum, I just look 2 days ago the low hashrate.  

Take a look at your screen shot, ASIC Status, one of your boards is dead, you're hashing with 1/2 an S3.

I use all 4 PCIE connections and gather the three conductors of each polarity to 16 gauge copper stranded good for 15 amps.  Short a couple of connectors one time, I tried using only two PCIE and those conductors got warm.  So, you're moving a lot of current.

[rva26]

Just two PCIE connectors plugged closest to the RJ45 and it normally runs for six months minimum, I just look 2 days ago the low hashrate. 

Take a look at your screen shot, ASIC Status, one of your boards is dead, you're hashing with 1/2 an S3.

I use all 4 PCIE connections and gather the three conductors of each polarity to 16 gauge copper stranded good for 15 amps.  Short a couple of connectors one time, I tried using only two PCIE and those conductors got warm.  So, you're moving a lot of current.

Please try power it off, wait for 10-15 minutes then power it back on!

Hello, I come to you because I 've realized a problem of hashrate on my S3 no more than 200GH/s
here is the screenshot


http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/827500antminer.png


Thank you in advance .

I tried to plug 4 PCIE and turn off for 20 minutes, and i don't have any result.

[takagari]

I have an Ant S3+
That I can access, log into, but both boards will not come online.
No red LED's on the inside,
I've popped it open, cables look secure. No noticable issues on the boards. I can Web login, set my miner etc.


Anything I should look for? Is it cooked?

[takagari]

I have an Ant S3+
That I can access, log into, but both boards will not come online.
No red LED's on the inside,
I've popped it open, cables look secure. No noticable issues on the boards. I can Web login, set my miner etc.


Anything I should look for? Is it cooked?

Well, that was easy
I swapped the board with a control board that only had a single working blade, and boom online.

So I clearly had a bad controller.

Now to see what happens if I put it witht he one who had an offline blade

EDIT:
So yup, controller board is dead, have a bad board and a bad blade.

What does a new control board cost? does bitmain sell them?

[MyRig]

Bad control PCB can be send to USA or EU service center to be serviced for $25/25 Euro.  

if it is still 90-day warranty, simply send it back to the service center, if it is out of warranty, check with the center first via support@bitmain.zendesk.com

If it can be serviced, the replacement be send to you via postal service.

there is no more S3 or S4 parts available for sale.

I have an Ant S3+
That I can access, log into, but both boards will not come online.
No red LED's on the inside,
I've popped it open, cables look secure. No noticable issues on the boards. I can Web login, set my miner etc.


Anything I should look for? Is it cooked?

Well, that was easy
I swapped the board with a control board that only had a single working blade, and boom online.

So I clearly had a bad controller.

Now to see what happens if I put it witht he one who had an offline blade

EDIT:
So yup, controller board is dead, have a bad board and a bad blade.

What does a new control board cost? does bitmain sell them?

[soy]

I have an Ant S3+
That I can access, log into, but both boards will not come online.
No red LED's on the inside,
I've popped it open, cables look secure. No noticable issues on the boards. I can Web login, set my miner etc.


Anything I should look for? Is it cooked?

Well, that was easy
I swapped the board with a control board that only had a single working blade, and boom online.

So I clearly had a bad controller.

Now to see what happens if I put it witht he one who had an offline blade

EDIT:
So yup, controller board is dead, have a bad board and a bad blade.

What does a new control board cost? does bitmain sell them?

Return and repair takes some time.  I think I'd first check continuity between the ribbon cable pins and destinations.  Perhaps not all points can be seen.  Is it always the same side?  If you put a single board to the left (looking at the RJ45 port) does chain# 1 show working ASICs?  When you connect 2 boards which chain works? When you have a single board connected chain#1 is on the left.  When you have two boards connected chain#1 is on the right and chain #2 on the left.

Isolate specifically which ribbon cable connector to investigate first.

Also you can take the controller board out into bright sunshine and go over it with a dental pick looking for metal or solder balls that don't belong.

[soy]

My flux arrived so tomorrow while fresh I'll rip down my lousy S3#2, removing all four heatsinks, cleaning well, then hitting each solder point lightly to reflow the solder, well most of them anyway.  Won't touch the ASICs.  Reclean, reassemble and Bob's your uncle, hopefully.