ANTMINER S4 Discussion and Support Thread

[Prelude]

In anybody willing to share how far you can under-clock the s4?

Impossible to under clock properly because of the broken firmware. All you can do is lower frequency without being able to lower the voltage. Voltage is where the real power savings will come from, along with reduced heat.

[Prelude]

For the damaged fans, please email  support @ bitmain . zendesk . com  with your order ID

The small pin/clipper we will try to get the spec for you.

Are you blind or just trying to piss me off on purpose? Answer my damn question that I have directly addressed to you multiple times please instead of cherry picking who you provide support to.

When will the broken firmware be fixed? We need voltage control!!!!

[vabchgent]

the new S4 firmware looks like it is taking the Frequency to voltage change without a restart tested with a WEMo at the wall. Voltage went from 1400+ at 220 0725v to around 1300 at 187.5 setting FREQ voltage at 0686  

The 20150129 firmware? Frequency works but not voltage. Give it a try, measure at this wall at the same frequency but change the voltage.

Why would the wattage at the wall go from 1400W to 1300W by changing From 0725 to 0686. Are you saying that the wattage change is just from the frequency change and the voltage is still the same. Trust me I am trying to figure this one out myself. Thanks  

[Prelude]

the new S4 firmware looks like it is taking the Frequency to voltage change without a restart tested with a WEMo at the wall. Voltage went from 1400+ at 220 0725v to around 1300 at 187.5 setting FREQ voltage at 0686  

The 20150129 firmware? Frequency works but not voltage. Give it a try, measure at this wall at the same frequency but change the voltage.

Why would the wattage at the wall go from 1400W to 1300W by changing From 0725 to 0686. Are you saying that the wattage change is just from the frequency change and the voltage is still the same. Trust me I am trying to figure this one out myself. Thanks  

Yes, the wattage drop you saw is just from frequency.

You went from 225MHz (220 isn't an option) 0725v to 187.5MHz 0686 correct? With a 100w drop?

Try 187.5 0725, you'll see the same power draw.

[vabchgent]

the new S4 firmware looks like it is taking the Frequency to voltage change without a restart tested with a WEMo at the wall. Voltage went from 1400+ at 220 0725v to around 1300 at 187.5 setting FREQ voltage at 0686  

The 20150129 firmware? Frequency works but not voltage. Give it a try, measure at this wall at the same frequency but change the voltage.

Why would the wattage at the wall go from 1400W to 1300W by changing From 0725 to 0686. Are you saying that the wattage change is just from the frequency change and the voltage is still the same. Trust me I am trying to figure this one out myself. Thanks  

Yes, the wattage drop you saw is just from frequency.

You went from 225MHz (220 isn't an option) 0725v to 187.5MHz 0686 correct? With a 100w drop?

Try 187.5 0725, you'll see the same power draw.

Makes sense Thanks

[Prelude]

Bitmain, have you forsaken us?

[MyRig]

@Prelude,

Requests were in to the programmers and engineers.  Unfortunately, we wrench monkeys can't write the firmware.  Please be patient!

Thank you

[Prelude]

@Prelude,

Requests were in to the programmers and engineers.  Unfortunately, we wrench monkeys can't write the firmware.  Please be patient!

Thank you

Great to hear! All I (and many others I'm sure) wanted was word from Bitmain that they acknowledge the issue and plan on fixing it. Communication is key! Thank you. 

[abracadabra]

Well, I'm happy to report that my attempt at repairing the fans was a success.  I had quite a few fans that needed repair. I was never a big "fan" of buying fans.  Even in the old GPU days, I'd find tricks to repair the fans instead of buying new ones.

I ordered 3mm retaining rings from McMaster-Carr
http://www.mcmaster.com/#98541a111/=wdsnjk
$5.00 for a bag of 100 pieces

Also ordered the requisite pliers
http://www.mcmaster.com/#58225a21/=wdso3i
$16.98

Remove the sticker on the fan to expose the bearing and most likely a bunch of dried up grease and the old retaining ring that wore off. I found a few that look like the ring completely disintegrated because I was unable to find any evidence of an old one.



Remove the fan blade, remove the bearings, and carefully remove the spring from the shaft. Don't lose the spring
If the old retaining ring is still under the sticker and it didn't disintegrate you'll be able to see the wear that happened.  Here's a pic of a new retaining ring alongside a worn one.



I had to do some trimming of the retaining ring pliers since it didn't fit into the bearing area.  Used a dremel to carefully remove some material so that the fingers of the retaining ring pliers would reach into the hole.

Here's the pliers with one side done:


and then both sides:


I used denatured alcohol to clean everything well (the fan housing, area where the bearings sit, the bearings and the fan shaft).  Liberally dabbed some lithium grease on the first bearing that sits on the spring.  Don't place any grease on the other bearing until you have it seated and the ring installed.  Then hit it with some grease.  If the ring is not placed correctly, the fan will not spin frictionless. You'll feel and hear the shaft grinding.  If there's any grinding, the most likely culprit is that the ring isn't installed on the shaft groove properly. I used some gorilla duct tape to seal the end.

I averaged about 7 minutes per fan.

[Cyper_BLC]

@Prelude,

Requests were in to the programmers and engineers.  Unfortunately, we wrench monkeys can't write the firmware.  Please be patient!

Thank you

Great to hear! All I (and many others I'm sure) wanted was word from Bitmain that they acknowledge the issue and plan on fixing it. Communication is key! Thank you. 

nice but not enought... i have said and show that a lot at long time ago, now C2 and S6 is coming pufff lazy bitmain peoples.

[MyRig]

Thank you for the DIY S4 Fan repair guide. 

Well, I'm happy to report that my attempt at repairing the fans was a success.  I had quite a few fans that needed repair. I was never a big "fan" of buying fans.  Even in the old GPU days, I'd find tricks to repair the fans instead of buying new ones.

I ordered 3mm retaining rings from McMaster-Carr
http://www.mcmaster.com/#98541a111/=wdsnjk
$5.00 for a bag of 100 pieces

Also ordered the requisite pliers
http://www.mcmaster.com/#58225a21/=wdso3i
$16.98

Remove the sticker on the fan to expose the bearing and most likely a bunch of dried up grease and the old retaining ring that wore off. I found a few that look like the ring completely disintegrated because I was unable to find any evidence of an old one.



Remove the fan blade, remove the bearings, and carefully remove the spring from the shaft. Don't lose the spring
If the old retaining ring is still under the sticker and it didn't disintegrate you'll be able to see the wear that happened.  Here's a pic of a new retaining ring alongside a worn one.



I had to do some trimming of the retaining ring pliers since it didn't fit into the bearing area.  Used a dremel to carefully remove some material so that the fingers of the retaining ring pliers would reach into the hole.

Here's the pliers with one side done:


and then both sides:


I used denatured alcohol to clean everything well (the fan housing, area where the bearings sit, the bearings and the fan shaft).  Liberally dabbed some lithium grease on the first bearing that sits on the spring.  Don't place any grease on the other bearing until you have it seated and the ring installed.  Then hit it with some grease.  If the ring is not placed correctly, the fan will not spin frictionless. You'll feel and hear the shaft grinding.  If there's any grinding, the most likely culprit is that the ring isn't installed on the shaft groove properly. I used some gorilla duct tape to seal the end.

I averaged about 7 minutes per fan.

[Kexkey]

Well, I'm happy to report that my attempt at repairing the fans was a success.  I had quite a few fans that needed repair. I was never a big "fan" of buying fans.  Even in the old GPU days, I'd find tricks to repair the fans instead of buying new ones.

I ordered 3mm retaining rings from McMaster-Carr
http://www.mcmaster.com/#98541a111/=wdsnjk
$5.00 for a bag of 100 pieces

Also ordered the requisite pliers
http://www.mcmaster.com/#58225a21/=wdso3i
$16.98

Remove the sticker on the fan to expose the bearing and most likely a bunch of dried up grease and the old retaining ring that wore off. I found a few that look like the ring completely disintegrated because I was unable to find any evidence of an old one.

https://i.imgur.com/d9Yyssd.jpg

Remove the fan blade, remove the bearings, and carefully remove the spring from the shaft. Don't lose the spring
If the old retaining ring is still under the sticker and it didn't disintegrate you'll be able to see the wear that happened.  Here's a pic of a new retaining ring alongside a worn one.

https://i.imgur.com/yIGNf5v.jpg

I had to do some trimming of the retaining ring pliers since it didn't fit into the bearing area.  Used a dremel to carefully remove some material so that the fingers of the retaining ring pliers would reach into the hole.

Here's the pliers with one side done:
https://i.imgur.com/rSmp7uf.jpg

and then both sides:
https://i.imgur.com/lQcM1U6.jpg

I used denatured alcohol to clean everything well (the fan housing, area where the bearings sit, the bearings and the fan shaft).  Liberally dabbed some lithium grease on the first bearing that sits on the spring.  Don't place any grease on the other bearing until you have it seated and the ring installed.  Then hit it with some grease.  If the ring is not placed correctly, the fan will not spin frictionless. You'll feel and hear the shaft grinding.  If there's any grinding, the most likely culprit is that the ring isn't installed on the shaft groove properly. I used some gorilla duct tape to seal the end.

I averaged about 7 minutes per fan.

Thanks for the info!  I got problems with 3 or 4 fans up to now and my guess is I will have some more defect ones in the near future.

Now I have another dead S4 PSU.    I think it's the 4th one I am having problems with!  Last one, it took Bitmain 1 month to replace.  Hoping to have more luck with this one.  If you have DIY instructions to repair the PSU, let us know!  

EDIT: Removed images

[abracadabra]

Thanks for the info!  I got problems with 3 or 4 fans up to now and my guess is I will have some more defect ones in the near future.

Now I have another dead S4 PSU.    I think it's the 4th one I am having problems with!  Last one, it took Bitmain 1 month to replace.  Hoping to have more luck with this one.  If you have DIY instructions to repair the PSU, let us know!  

No dead PSUs on any of my S4 units so far.  I have one that seems to flake out after a few days though and needs a power cycle.  When I do end up with a PSU issue, I'll look into it and see what needs to be repaired. I haven't even looked inside one.  Hopefully the components are easily repairable/replaceable using a soldering iron.  I'd hate to have to haul out the hot air rework station.

[vabchgent]

Thanks for the info!  I got problems with 3 or 4 fans up to now and my guess is I will have some more defect ones in the near future.

Now I have another dead S4 PSU.    I think it's the 4th one I am having problems with!  Last one, it took Bitmain 1 month to replace.  Hoping to have more luck with this one.  If you have DIY instructions to repair the PSU, let us know!  

No dead PSUs on any of my S4 units so far.  I have one that seems to flake out after a few days though and needs a power cycle.  When I do end up with a PSU issue, I'll look into it and see what needs to be repaired. I haven't even looked inside one.  Hopefully the components are easily repairable/replaceable using a soldering iron.  I'd hate to have to haul out the hot air rework station.

Watch your hands in there the capacitors can hold a lethal dose of energy for a while.

Thanks for the fan guide.

[WW3]

I recently bought several antminer s4's from zoomhash and have them set up, however I need to underclock a few to be able to run them in the same room. The power breaker trips with the last ones running and I can't run them anywhere else, so they are currently just sitting in the room. Does anyone have a bit of information on how to underclock them, or a chart detailing the hashing to power rate?

Thank you for the help.
WW3

[MyRig]

FOR S4 PSU ISSUES:

If you own Antminer S4 with expired warranty/non-qualifying unit and experiencing the dead S4 PSU with the following LED ERROR STATUS, we may be able to provide the service for  you

Please include the $25 USD Money Order per returning S4 PSU with a PRINTED RETURN ADDRESS.  This DOES NOT GUARANTEE the RESTORED PSU, however, highly likely we can send you the replacement PSU.

If the PSU is damaged to the point that it will not power on any ERROR LED, this service will not work for you.

MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO: "BITMAIN"

Bitmain Warranty
3700 Quebec Street
Unit 100-239
Denver, Colorado 80207

Tel; 844-248-6246


Applies to the non-working PSU showing these LED conditions

[MyRig]

FOR S4 FAN ISSUES:

If your S4 is out-of-warranty and has a damaged fan, the fan specification is below.  We are looking into providing the spare fans for sale for USA and EU customers, but currently the fans are not available for sale.

Mean while, here is the fan spec for you.


Dimension: 120*120*38mm
Voltage: 12V
Start voltage: ≧8V (Power ON/OFF)
Power consumption: 1600RPM 1.68W / 4000RPM 25.8W
Rated current: DutyCycle 100% @ 2.15A
Air Flow: 4000RPM @ 178.3CFM (Max be 239CFM)
Noise: 4000RPM @ 56.7 dB-A (Measured in a Non-EchoChamber)
Life Expectancy: 40,000 hrs @ 25℃  (May degrade faster at higher temperature)
Connector: 2510-4P

[abracadabra]

FOR S4 FAN ISSUES:

If your S4 is out-of-warranty and has a damaged fan, the fan specification is below.  We are looking into providing the spare fans for sale for USA and EU customers, but currently the fans are not available for sale.

Mean while, here is the fan spec for you.


Dimension: 120*120*38mm
Voltage: 12V
Start voltage: ≧8V (Power ON/OFF)
Power consumption: 1600RPM 1.68W / 4000RPM 25.8W
Rated current: DutyCycle 100% @ 2.15A
Air Flow: 4000RPM @ 178.3CFM (Max be 239CFM)
Noise: 4000RPM @ 56.7 dB-A (Measured in a Non-EchoChamber)
Life Expectancy: 40,000 hrs @ 25℃  (May degrade faster at higher temperature)
Connector: 2510-4P

Any idea on a static pressure spec? 

[Prelude]

@Prelude,

Requests were in to the programmers and engineers.  Unfortunately, we wrench monkeys can't write the firmware.  Please be patient!

Thank you

Great to hear! All I (and many others I'm sure) wanted was word from Bitmain that they acknowledge the issue and plan on fixing it. Communication is key! Thank you. 

BitmainWarranty,

There is also an issue with p2pool in the latest firmware which didn't exist in the Oct. 16th firmware. Do you know if that's being looked into also?

Any ETA on a new firmware version?

[MyRig]

unknown ETA, will notify the engineers.  We would love to see the update as well!

@Prelude,

Requests were in to the programmers and engineers.  Unfortunately, we wrench monkeys can't write the firmware.  Please be patient!

Thank you

Great to hear! All I (and many others I'm sure) wanted was word from Bitmain that they acknowledge the issue and plan on fixing it. Communication is key! Thank you. 

BitmainWarranty,

There is also an issue with p2pool in the latest firmware which didn't exist in the Oct. 16th firmware. Do you know if that's being looked into also?

Any ETA on a new firmware version?