Re: Black Arrow 28nm 100Ghash Bitcoin ASIC from $0.49/GH/s

[DebitMe]

Minion ASIC - Tapeout complete
23/02/2014: We are happy to report that VeriSilicon has completed our Minion ASIC yesterday and taped out to Global Foundries today.
Black Arrow is working hard to improve the existing designs of our miners and ensure that the pre-ordered miners will be assembled and dispatched immediately after the chips arrive from the factory.

Thank you

[goozman96]

[goozman96]

how long does it take from tapeout to delivery again?

~2 months

[notbatman]

shiny

[notbatman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvluuAIiA50

[OleOle]

Glad tapeout has been announced. Whats the next thing we can moan about whilst we wait 2 months?

Is this where BA announce on a weekly basis that everything is on track for May delivery and a week before May, we get told about a delay?

Apart from actually posting pictures, its a waiting game now, just 2 solid months before a fully fledged forum riot happens if BA anounce another delay or total failure.

Hopefully the products are delivered as quick as possible but you're quite right, another delay or total failure are also potential outcomes.

 

[ernie-]

Anyone know why the tape out was delayed by so many months? One moment I am reading batch #1 to ship 24th. Feb, next moment people are wondering if tape out will be by 24th. Feb. That's an extraordinary delay which would have been known about months ago.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Guys, let's get serious... there is a > 90% probability in my opinion that we will see additional delays. These guys are not pros like the KNC/OrSoc team and the chance of them being able to get everything right on the first try is quite small. Not zero mind you, they might get lucky... Sorry to be such a downer here but if you honestly believe they will deliver on April 30/May 1st you're likely to suffer another disappointment.

The good news is that by that time we've all probably moved on to the acceptance phase so this will not come as a shock anymore... two months will work wonders, you'll see!  

Probably right. Bitmine (who also used VS/GF to manufacture chips) took 4 months from tapeout to shipping. I would guess that blackarrow has more experience producing hardware/asics so its possible they ship in ~3 months.

This is Black Arrow's first foray in producing ASICs, and their first partnership with Virisilicon. And, it is a partnership and not simply contracting Virisilicon to bring the Minion to fruition. Big difference.

That said, who's penning the email to Global Foundries to verify that they are in fact now starting the wafer process for Black Arrow/Virisilicon? GF should have no problem with sending a reply to verify, for just like Virisilicon's reply(s), what'll be asked in no way would construe a breach of any NDA.

Goozman? You did so well last time, care to do it again?

~Bruno Kucinskas

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Think he already has contact GF.

Nope! That's all Virisilicon correspondences, not GF.

[goozman96]

Already contacted GF too, but haven't heard back.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Already contacted GF too, but haven't heard back.

TY, Gooz. BTW, sorry to hear about Guzman. I wonder if he had any dealings on SR.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Think he already has contact GF.

Nope! That's all Virisilicon correspondences, not GF.

Does it really matter though or are you just fishing for something to create fud?

Bitmine uses verisilicon/global foundries and are now shipping

Blackarrow has a confirmed contract with verisilicon. What more verification do we need that its not a scam?

I would think it would be counterintuitive to rake in several million usd in investments and proceed to spend a few million on tapeing out a chip so you can maybe convince a few more people to preorder before you run.

Why not just jump ship as soon as they had a few million in preorders?

That so-called contract that Black Arrow has with Virisilicon consist of a partnership, oppose to simply contracting them to provide a service. Big difference! Ergo, why an NDA was not in play when info was requested of them. Now, I suggest asking the same exact thing of Global Foundries, whereupon I'll assume the reply WILL be different.

[xxsskxx]

Just spotted these

http://imgur.com/a/tcimG

[goozman96]

As an update to my customers, we will be importing the old database in over the next 72hrs, please expect an email when it has been done.

It's been 12 days since you posted this. 12 days = 288 hours If you understand maths, you'll see the problem here.

Did Colorado get sucked into some temporal vortex and I somehow missed that on the news? Unless that is what a polar vortex is. Hmmm.... 

It's now been 384 hours (16 days).

[Phinnaeus Gage]

As an update to my customers, we will be importing the old database in over the next 72hrs, please expect an email when it has been done.

It's been 12 days since you posted this. 12 days = 288 hours If you understand maths, you'll see the problem here.

Did Colorado get sucked into some temporal vortex and I somehow missed that on the news? Unless that is what a polar vortex is. Hmmm.... 

It's now been 384 hours (16 days).

WOW! That's 1 1/7 Fortnights™. Must be some really killer shit they're hashin' there in The Mile High City, speaking of a khanjar vortex.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

WOW! That's 1 1/7 Fortnights™. Must be some really killer shit they're hashin' there in The Mile High City, speaking of a khanjar vortex.

If anyone has good hash, it's the Mile High City.

Until you level up to the The Two-Mile-High City.

[DebitMe]

QUESTION TIME!!!!

Why has MinerSource not migrated over their server/uploaded pictures from the recent trip to meet with BA?

Since the X-3 will be 2 units, will each of them get a 1400 Watt power supply?  Will they be 2 completely separate units that can run independently of each other?  If the power draw on each one is really that high, most people will need to run these in separate rooms of their house or blow a fuse in the US.

Will there be a way to add extra after market cooling (more fans or higher powered fans) since now we need to run these in the summer (May) and not the winter time (March)? 

Will the X-1 and X-3 be quiet enough to run at home?  With that high amount of electricity pulled, I feel like the fans will have to be working pretty hard, and thus be pretty loud.  Are you still confident that the goal of making these quiet is attainable?

These are important questions, because if they are going to be loud, and I need more power than I can pull in my house, then I, as well as others I assume, need to start looking for a place to host our miners.

[Pentax]

QUESTION TIME!!!!

Why has MinerSource not migrated over their server/uploaded pictures from the recent trip to meet with BA?

Since the X-3 will be 2 units, will each of them get a 1400 Watt power supply?  Will they be 2 completely separate units that can run independently of each other?  If the power draw on each one is really that high, most people will need to run these in separate rooms of their house or blow a fuse in the US.

Will there be a way to add extra after market cooling (more fans or higher powered fans) since now we need to run these in the summer (May) and not the winter time (March)? 

Will the X-1 and X-3 be quiet enough to run at home?  With that high amount of electricity pulled, I feel like the fans will have to be working pretty hard, and thus be pretty loud.  Are you still confident that the goal of making these quiet is attainable?

These are important questions, because if they are going to be loud, and I need more power than I can pull in my house, then I, as well as others I assume, need to start looking for a place to host our miners.

If I can add the question of whether or not there will be an option to request these with 208 V single phase or other power configuration than 120V.  I'll just wire up a dedicated circuit if that is an option.

[Pentax]

@ DebitMe. See this thread on some power discussions for these things.  I haven't been following this lately, so I'm not sure if your questions are addressed in it, but it gives some good info on power issues in general.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=355305.0;topicseen

[DebitMe]

@ DebitMe. See this thread on some power discussions for these things.  I haven't been following this lately, so I'm not sure if your questions are addressed in it, but it gives some good info on power issues in general.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=355305.0;topicseen

Thanks for the link, I will have to look through it when I get some time.  Now that I think about it, my dad is an electrical engineer, I suppose he would be able to answer some questions on limits, but it doesn't do much good without final specs info.  I just want to know what to expect so I can have a plan in place when these things arrive.

EDIT:  Also, my breaker tripped yesterday when I plugged in my vacuum into the same circuit I have 3 ants running, so I guess about 1300 to 1500 watts is my limit in that room.