ANTMINER S3+ Discussion and Support Thread

[IYFTech]

antMiner_S320141126.bin don't surpport adjust voltage. Hash board's power maybe cut off when you over clock.

antMiner_S320141126.bin doesn't support anything at all - it is broken. Read all the reports about it.

Remove it from your download site - then release a properly tested firmware that works!

+100!!

@ Bitmain:

How about taking that piece of junk firmware off your website before someone else makes the same mistake I did & tries to update their S3's with it?

I just spent 4 hours upgrading then downgrading all my S3's because, once again, you release firmware that is completely untested.

One is not amused 

@ Bitmain,

Do you even read this thread? Just scroll back a few pages & catch up a bit. In fact, you can see from most of your threads that this firmware is another botched together piece of junk.

Get rid of it.

[ATCkit]

antMiner_S320141126.bin don't surpport adjust voltage. Hash board's power maybe cut off when you over clock.

antMiner_S320141126.bin doesn't support anything at all - it is broken. Read all the reports about it.

Remove it from your download site - then release a properly tested firmware that works!

Now miner hardware modified, I want know your hash board's num. Can you help me? Thanks.

The numbers on the hash board are:

1. S3_CtrlBoard_AR9331_V1.1   ......below this is a number in small print which is:35622

2. One major part (ThinkPHY2 v2.0) smells like it had been cooking. It has a bar code number: 2059A0C7B253

EDIT: The control board looks like it's easy to replace. As this is still under 90 days, just send me another board and i can do the replacement.

EDIT 2: also note that the UPS tracking # for this order was: 1ZR78990D957451087. It was delivered to me on: Tuesday,  09/16/2014 at 10:42 A.M.
So, as it died on Dec 13th, due to the faulty Bitmain firmware, I still had a few days left on the warranty.

[Chris_Sabian]

Does anyone know of a good way to stop the 'no internet' beeping on the S3?  I have the no beeping option selected on the set-up page but they will still beep when no work is available.  It is very annoying because the internet is not reliable right now and I'm using the S3 as a space heater.   

Maybe some hot glue on the beeper?

[iglasses]

antMiner_S320141126.bin don't surpport adjust voltage. Hash board's power maybe cut off when you over clock.

antMiner_S320141126.bin doesn't support anything at all - it is broken. Read all the reports about it.

Remove it from your download site - then release a properly tested firmware that works!

+100!!

@ Bitmain:

How about taking that piece of junk firmware off your website before someone else makes the same mistake I did & tries to update their S3's with it?

I just spent 4 hours upgrading then downgrading all my S3's because, once again, you release firmware that is completely untested.

One is not amused 

@ Bitmain,

Do you even read this thread? Just scroll back a few pages & catch up a bit. In fact, you can see from most of your threads that this firmware is another botched together piece of junk.

Get rid of it.

This is one of the problems with h/w vendors being such mining operations at the same time.  All they have to do is release a faulty firmware update and BOOM thousands of miners are running slow/not at all.
Doesn't sound very decentralized to me.

[patriotminer76]

So following the advice about re-starting cgminer the device came back online but only hashed at 40ghs average after several hours.  I restarted and had similar rates.  Thinking the only change I made was flashing the firmware to the latest version, I decided to try and go back to an earlier firmware.  It never stopped flashing.  Does this mean the controller is a goner?

Tried the re-set button.  Can't see the device on the network or communicate via direct cable.

How does one go about getting a replacement S3 controller?  Presuming I can't get an RMA, can they be purchased?

Any ideas to get it back to a working firmware?

Thanks again.

[ATCkit]

So following the advice about re-starting cgminer the device came back online but only hashed at 40ghs average after several hours.  I restarted and had similar rates.  Thinking the only change I made was flashing the firmware to the latest version, I decided to try and go back to an earlier firmware.  It never stopped flashing.  Does this mean the controller is a goner?

Tried the re-set button.  Can't see the device on the network or communicate via direct cable.

How does one go about getting a replacement S3 controller?  Presuming I can't get an RMA, can they be purchased?

Any ideas to get it back to a working firmware?

Thanks again.

Sounds like the same thing happened to you as me. Based on Bitmain's reply above, i think it is the controler that's gone.

 I have tried for several hrs to get mine running again. no luck. I have a few days left on my warranty and am hoping they give me a replacement controller.

[lordmykl]

Does anyone know of a good way to stop the 'no internet' beeping on the S3?  I have the no beeping option selected on the set-up page but they will still beep when no work is available.  It is very annoying because the internet is not reliable right now and I'm using the S3 as a space heater.   

Maybe some hot glue on the beeper?

I tried the hot glue technique...it only muffled it slightly. The only way I found that was 100% effective was to take some pliers and surgically remove the PC speaker.  It works like a charm.

[patriotminer76]

How do you know how long you have left on your warranty?  I didn't purchase from bitmain directly.  In any case, there must be a way to purchase the controller alone.

[ATCkit]

As in my post above    ".....by the UPS tracking #..... It was delivered to me on: Tuesday,  09/16/2014 at 10:42 A.M.
So, ...... I still have a few days left on the warranty."

Ya i sure hope the controller can be purchased even after warranty has gone.

[patriotminer76]

OK thanks so how do you contact bitmain to get an RMA?  I received mine in mid November.  Can't find anything about how to start the process.

[pekatete]

Those looking to replace their controller boards - bitmain are a bit awkward with their controllers, and I do not know why? Last I tried to get a replacement on, I was quoted $110 (if I recall + shipping), or given the option to order an S3+ to have the controller shipped with that order. But when I chose to go the $110 route but with EMS shipping - not DHL / UPS (which was like 2 weeks wait), they never followed through for some obscure reason. I got fed-up jumping through hoops, so you better brace yourselves!

[patriotminer76]

I don't like this at all.  How can any company continue to exist if they sell a product that they will not stand behind less than 30 days after receipt?

I did NOTHING more than flash to the latest firmware in an attempt to fix a problem.  This caused more problems so I attempted to flash back to an older firmware.  The flash never finished.  I have pressed the RESET button which is supposed to do a factory reset.  My network is 192.168.1.x.  The controller no longer responds and the answer on the official Antminer S3 Discussion and support thread is  "good luck getting a new one"??

There must be someone with an interest in Bitmain as a company that is able to offer a proper and helpful suggestion.  At the very least they should sell replacement parts.

Looks like I won't be buying Bitmain hardware again.  Was about to buy the new water cooled one but if they can't support their simpler units what hope do I have?

No wonder BTC keeps dropping  Between PBmining type scams and crappy mining hardware supported only other users who can only share in the pain.

[Biodom]

It never stopped flashing.  Does this mean the controller is a goner?

what do you mean by never stopped flashing? If you mean that the 'wheel" never stops turning-it does that, but it does NOT mean that process was not finished (I know, it is kind of counterintuitive). However, i just logout or reset browser after 10 min, then restart the PSU, log in and you should be OK, unless as you posted, controller is not functioning, which is rare.

[patriotminer76]

Well maybe it DID finish flashing, HOWEVER, upon restarting I can not access the gui at all.

The web browser never registered a response from the unit so the page showed "flashing" even after the unit had restarted itself (and stopped working).

Rare problems occurring seem to be what happens to me.  Wish there was a way to re set it.  Holding that reset button does nothing.

[Biodom]

Well maybe it DID finish flashing, HOWEVER, upon restarting I can not access the gui at all.

The web browser never registered a response from the unit so the page showed "flashing" even after the unit had restarted itself (and stopped working).

Rare problems occurring seem to be what happens to me.  Wish there was a way to re set it.  Holding that reset button does nothing.

It will not be a consolation, but the cause is maybe that you started doing something BEFORE the previous process finished.
You need to RMA the unit. Contact Bitmain warranty if this is a November miner. Warranty is 90 days.

[bitsolutions]

Just fired up an S3+ today which came with the antMiner_S320141126.bin and as prior posts indicate it would stop hashing (~47Gh) after a few hours. I thought it was bad hardware, but I had also upgraded 5 other S3 & S3+ today to the same firmware and they each began doing the same thing.

Uploaded antMiner_S320141024.bin and things are pretty normal.

Try upgrading to the latest antMiner_S320141126.bin firmware and then ssh in and execute this command.

Code:

cp /overlay/etc/config/cgminer /tmp/cgminer.tmp && cp /overlay/etc/config/network /tmp/network.tmp && rm -r /overlay/* && mkdir /overlay/etc && mkdir /overlay/etc/config && cp /tmp/cgminer.tmp /overlay/etc/config/cgminer && cp /tmp/network.tmp /overlay/etc/config/network && reboot

This should clear out most bad configs and preserve your network and cgminer configs.

You may also want to execute this to set your voltage

Code:

uci set cgminer.default.voltage=0725 && uci commit

and this to set your frequency.

Code:

uci set cgminer.default.freq=18:225:0882 && uci commit

These all seemed to fix any low hashing S3+ I had on the newest firmware.

[pekatete]

Well maybe it DID finish flashing, HOWEVER, upon restarting I can not access the gui at all.

The web browser never registered a response from the unit so the page showed "flashing" even after the unit had restarted itself (and stopped working).

Rare problems occurring seem to be what happens to me.  Wish there was a way to re set it.  Holding that reset button does nothing.

You are now raising the possiblility that you have not bricked the board ... do you have any other S3+'s on your network and if so is any of them on the default static IP?
When you flash a unit that (usually) is on DHCP, th web UI will NOT register a response because the flashing resets the IP to the default one and turns the network settings to static. Thus you have to log onto the default static IP (192.168.1.99) rather than the on you had on DHCP. And if you have 2 units on the default IP, ofcourse one will not show up on your network, and that will be the last to ry to use that IP (which in this case is the rebooting / reflashed rig).

[patriotminer76]

Oh I wish it was that!  Sadly this is my only S3+.

[ATCkit]

Well maybe it DID finish flashing, HOWEVER, upon restarting I can not access the gui at all.

The web browser never registered a response from the unit so the page showed "flashing" even after the unit had restarted itself (and stopped working).

Rare problems occurring seem to be what happens to me.  Wish there was a way to re set it.  Holding that reset button does nothing.

You are now raising the possiblility that you have not bricked the board ... do you have any other S3+'s on your network and if so is any of them on the default static IP?
When you flash a unit that (usually) is on DHCP, th web UI will NOT register a response because the flashing resets the IP to the default one and turns the network settings to static. Thus you have to log onto the default static IP (192.168.1.99) rather than the on you had on DHCP. And if you have 2 units on the default IP, ofcourse one will not show up on your network, and that will be the last to ry to use that IP (which in this case is the rebooting / reflashed rig).

It's pretty clear to me that the firmware cooked my controller.

Here's what Bitmain replied to me- re: the same issue as Patriotminer:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=671189.msg9845178#msg9845178
     "antMiner_S320141126.bin don't surpport adjust voltage. Hash board's power maybe cut off when you over clock."

and https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=671189.msg9845434#msg9845434
      "Now miner hardware modified, I want know your hash board's num. Can you help me? Thanks."

I provided him the details here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=671189.msg9846032#msg9846032

and also sent an RMA request to: info@bitmaintech.com

Their day should be starting soon. So I anticipate hearing something from them given how many people have posted problems here re; the Nov firmware.

I have 2 S3s and 1 other S3+. They survived the ordeal just fine. In fact, i set back their frequency to the level for a standard S3... as they were all running between 470 and 590 with the Oct firmware. Evenso, one of my standard S3s is still close to 600. Am a bit worried about that one- but it smells ok.

[bitsolutions]

Just fired up an S3+ today which came with the antMiner_S320141126.bin and as prior posts indicate it would stop hashing (~47Gh) after a few hours. I thought it was bad hardware, but I had also upgraded 5 other S3 & S3+ today to the same firmware and they each began doing the same thing.

Uploaded antMiner_S320141024.bin and things are pretty normal.

Try upgrading to the latest antMiner_S320141126.bin firmware and then ssh in and execute this command.

Code:

cp /overlay/etc/config/cgminer /tmp/cgminer.tmp && cp /overlay/etc/config/network /tmp/network.tmp && rm -r /overlay/* && mkdir /overlay/etc && mkdir /overlay/etc/config && cp /tmp/cgminer.tmp /overlay/etc/config/cgminer && cp /tmp/network.tmp /overlay/etc/config/network && reboot

This should clear out most bad configs and preserve your network and cgminer configs.

You may also want to execute this to set your voltage

Code:

uci set cgminer.default.voltage=0725 && uci commit

and this to set your frequency.

Code:

uci set cgminer.default.freq=18:225:0882 && uci commit

These all seemed to fix any low hashing S3+ I had on the newest firmware.

Turns out this didn't completely fix it, the issue is that the pic firmware from this build is very unstable. You can fix this by flashing the pic firmware from the antMiner_S320141013.bin firmware. To retrieve the stable pic firmware first flash the antMiner_S320141013.bin firmware to your miner, do not retrieve from any other firmware version especially antMiner_S320141024.bin(the pic firmware is identical to antMiner_S320141013.bin but very tricky to retrieve due to the filesystems being built incorrectly).
To retrieve the firmware scp it to your computer using the following command. This assumes your miner is still on the default IP of 192.168.1.99 .

Code:

scp root@192.168.1.99:/rom/etc/config/miner_pic.hex miner_pic.hex

Next Flash the latest antMiner_S320141126.bin firmware and upload the file back.

Code:

scp miner_pic.hex root@192.168.1.99:/etc/config/miner_pic.hex

Finally reboot your miner to apply the stable pic firmware.