Celebration of evolution of Bitcoin asic chips frame.

[Beastlymac]

Awesome idea! I'm looking forward to see how this turns out.

Just to get pendantic on chip / manufacturer names, e.g.:
ASICMINER BE100 130nm
Bitmain BM1380 55nm
Bitmain BM1382 28nm
Butterfly Labs 65nm
Butterfly Labs 28nm    
KnCMiner 28nm
KnCMiner 20nm
Innosilicon A1 28nm
Spondoolies-Tech Hammer 40nm

... you get the drift, official spellings. I think it is helpful to add the node size since some chips don't seem to have a part number (e.g. BFL, KnC).

Thank you for your recommendation. I have updated the post.

For ASICMiner, there are only currently two chips out:

Gen 1: 130nm @ 336MH/s (No longer in production)
Gen 3: 40nm @ 10-12 GH/s (Currently produced)

Gen 2 was never produced.

Thanks for the information. Post updated.

[Beastlymac]

Bump i am still looking for any available chips.

[Beastlymac]

I am still working on this. I have some fpga chips on the way. If anyone has done spare chips I would be greateful if you can send me a pm with the chip model and the price you're looking for it.

Thaks

[AJRGale]

I have a handful of dead USB Block Eruptors, i could de-chip and send them to you, they are the be100, unless you want the whole things?

[AJRGale]

I have a handful of dead USB Block Eruptors, i could de-chip and send them to you, they are the be100, unless you want the whole things?

Alrighty then!

time to revive this old post.


Here is 4 of them

all yours Beastlymac

i'll send a PM too

[sidehack]

Is this still a thing? I have buckets of BE100 chips but it looks like that's taken care of already. I've also got some Sierra and Habanero which, if I can't get 'em working, could supply some Golden Nonces. The only Avalon 1st-gen chips I have unattached are also exploded from a hot-shorted VRM.

What news of this project?

[AJRGale]

Hmm, no communication? Beastlymac? last message from them was January 08

[valkir]

Any update??

That could be a really nice piece for a bitcoin museum! 

[Beastlymac]

The project is still in works. It has been under a bit of a hiatus as I have had some issues and not been active in anything related to btc in a while.

The chips that are collected:
Hashfast Golden Nonce
Spondoolies hammer (Donated by Spondoolies)
Innosilicon A1
BFL V1 65nm
Bitfury V1 and V2
Avalon A3233


I am also planning on using boards from the S1 and S3 (as I have a S3 lying around and buying a S1 should be relatively cheap.

I have updated people who have offered chips or sent other messages in regards to the project.

Thank you all for your support.


I also plan to use a few of the prototype boards for the Nanofury USB miner that VS3 was kind enough to send me for a similar project that is also in the works.

[TheRealSteve]

Glad to see this is still an active project

I would recommend some small frames that can be individually labeled, rather than a single frame, as individual frames allow for greater room of expansion, different exhibit styles (yup, I'm an optimist and think that in due time the history of Bitcoin makes it into museum exhibitions), etc.  But collection is probably the hard part for now, short of buying up miners and desoldering the chips.

I know you've already effectively got the BitFury Rev 1, but perhaps it would be a nice challenge to collect the three major styles?  I.e. next to the 'β / 5 Ghash', also get the BioInfoBank and CCCP ones.

[vs3]

I was just going to say that some of those boards look very familiar

I forgot if I sent you any of the actual prototypes - I think I have one or two NF2s that I might let get another home...

[quakefiend420]

Cool project idea!

I have the Cointerras, no idea how to separate from the board without damaging them though.

[TheRealSteve]

I have the Cointerras, no idea how to separate from the board without damaging them though.

In lieu of a rework station, a hot air gun or hot plate will do.  The solder should melt long before the chip would be physically damaged.  Remove as much thermal paste as possible.  Plenty of other components on those boards you can practice on   Check out YouTube, search for 'desolder BGA' to get some idea of approaches.  I'd heat from the bottom even if using a heat gun, just because it's a pretty big chip carrier and it'll probably be easier to get the solder balls molten if heated from the bottom, rather than through the package.

[AJRGale]

I have the Cointerras, no idea how to separate from the board without damaging them though.

In lieu of a rework station, a hot air gun or hot plate will do.  The solder should melt long before the chip would be physically damaged.  Remove as much thermal paste as possible.  Plenty of other components on those boards you can practice on   Check out YouTube, search for 'desolder BGA' to get some idea of approaches.  I'd heat from the bottom even if using a heat gun, just because it's a pretty big chip carrier and it'll probably be easier to get the solder balls molten if heated from the bottom, rather than through the package.

sand in a fry pan set to medium high even? let it sit for a bit till you can poke a screwdriver at it and make it move with ease?

[TheRealSteve]

sand in a fry pan set to medium high even? let it sit for a bit till you can poke a screwdriver at it and make it move with ease?

That's pretty much the hotplate approach, with the sand providing a more even heating field given frying pans' proclivity to warping.  Those reading this: use an old frying pan you're not going to use for cooking - some of the chemicals released are pretty nasty.  Won't kill you outright, but will certainly provide a little extra flavor that you could do without.

[TheRealSteve]

Giving this thread a nudge.  Beastlymac, a few more for you to collect:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/ASIC