ANTMINER S4 Discussion and Support Thread

[dkaufman]

Making progress on the heat removal front!

I call it The Hot Blast Redirectenator.  Got it at Home Depot.  (That is foil tape, absolutely required, amazing stuff!)



And this is its Chimney:



Both the S4 and his two little brother S3's exhaust heat out through a hole in my basement wall (was for a clothes dryer exhaust).  I also have an inline fan that pulls 240 cubic feet per minute, to help push the air flow through the reducers and out the smallish 4" hole, but am not using it yet. 

As the weather gets colder of course, I will rearrange this a bit to let me pipe all that heat inside, possibly upstairs into the main living areas of the house, and then probably use the hole in the exterior wall (and perhaps the fan) to pull in cold air from outside, to lower the ambient temperature inside the closet.

I think the S4 might be able to heat this whole ~2,000 sqft house all by itself!  It's certainly made the entire downstairs half unbearably hot this past week with little to no help from Mother Nature at all...

What do you think?

-dave

[1714752180]

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[captjrc]

hello everybody,
I've paid for 2 s4 batch 1 that received last friday. Both of them were working ok with default parameters (not overclocked yet) until yesterday night that one of them was powered down and now I'm not able to power on it again. I've tried unplug the wire, changing the wires between them, but the result continue to be that this machine doesn't work.
Any suggestion please?
Thanks in advance.

I had a power unit go down last weekend. 
Contact Yoshi at Yoshi@bitmaintech.com, or call.  They are working out of Denver:

Bitmain Warranty
3700 Quebec St. #100239
Denver, Colorado 80207

Tel: 844-248-6246

They will help you get your unit fixed.

[yxt]

http://ck.kolivas.org/apps/cgminer/antminer/s4/4.6.1-141009/cgminer

or if it will just explode in a ball of flames, but there it is.

sounds like fun, I'm in
badass flying spaghetti monster

[fmarcosh]

hello everybody,
I've paid for 2 s4 batch 1 that received last friday. Both of them were working ok with default parameters (not overclocked yet) until yesterday night that one of them was powered down and now I'm not able to power on it again. I've tried unplug the wire, changing the wires between them, but the result continue to be that this machine doesn't work.
Any suggestion please?
Thanks in advance.

I had a power unit go down last weekend. 
Contact Yoshi at Yoshi@bitmaintech.com, or call.  They are working out of Denver:

Bitmain Warranty
3700 Quebec St. #100239
Denver, Colorado 80207

Tel: 844-248-6246

They will help you get your unit fixed.

Thanks captjrc

[Kexkey]

Making progress on the heat removal front!

I call it The Hot Blast Redirectenator.  Got it at Home Depot.  (That is foil tape, absolutely required, amazing stuff!)

https://i.imgur.com/68gG5bw.jpg

And this is its Chimney:

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

Both the S4 and his two little brother S3's exhaust heat out through a hole in my basement wall (was for a clothes dryer exhaust).  I also have an inline fan that pulls 240 cubic feet per minute, to help push the air flow through the reducers and out the smallish 4" hole, but am not using it yet. 

As the weather gets colder of course, I will rearrange this a bit to let me pipe all that heat inside, possibly upstairs into the main living areas of the house, and then probably use the hole in the exterior wall (and perhaps the fan) to pull in cold air from outside, to lower the ambient temperature inside the closet.

I think the S4 might be able to heat this whole ~2,000 sqft house all by itself!  It's certainly made the entire downstairs half unbearably hot this past week with little to no help from Mother Nature at all...

What do you think?

-dave

Nice. Personally, I had to install some miners outside of the house, hidden from the neighbourhood of course. Can't wait for winter to arrive... Lol! Now you gave me some ideas to connect my miners to my central heat system.

Btw, don't leave your kill-a-watt plugged in all the time, mine got really hot and broke!

[dkaufman]

Thanks, that's all anyone can ask!

Fudged my way through a cross compile, wedged shit in here and there, patched stuff, moved stuff around, can't remember what I did, but here's a binary:

http://ck.kolivas.org/apps/cgminer/antminer/s4/4.6.1-141009/cgminer

I have no idea if it really is for the right architecture, where you stick it on their filesystem or what to make it work or if it will just explode in a ball of flames, but there it is.

Awesome, Thanks!

I can report that the binary drops in and replaces the old one, matches the architecture, and runs without exploding in a ball of flames!

So I've pointed my S4, running this new binay, back at Slush's pool to see how it goes.  Probably too soon to tell, but initially it reported hashing over 2TH via the web ui (as it always does) while Slush was showing it doing only about ~450GH, poolside.

After a few minutes that climbed up to and settled around 1TH and has been sitting there.

The Web UI also reports the Diff column (of the Slush row in the Pools table) as 1.05K, but I'm not sure if that indicates a problem...

I also dug into the init script to see what comman line params it gets run with, and they are:

Code:

  /usr/bin/cgminer --bitmain-dev /dev/bitmain-asic \
    --bitmain-options 115200:32:8:7:200:0782:0725 \
    --bitmain-checkn2diff \
    --bitmain-hwerror \
    --queue 8192 \
    --api-listen \
    --default-config /config/cgminer.conf

and: root@ant:~# cat /config/cgminer.conf contains:

Code:

{
  "pools" : [
    {
      "url" : "stratum.bitcoin.cz:3333",
      "user" : "gigawatt.ant-bambam",
      "pass" : "x"
    },
    {
      "url" : "",
      "user" : "",
      "pass" : ""
    },
    {
      "url" : "",
      "user" : "",
      "pass" : ""
    }
  ],
  "api-listen" : true,
  "api-network" : true,
  "api-allow" : "W:0/0",
  "bitmain-nobeeper" : true,
  "bitmain-freq" : "7:218.75:1106",
  "bitmain-voltage" : "0725"
}

What the heck does the --bitmain-checkn2diff option do (play chicken with the diff? lol) google not so helpful here, not was the cgminer readme.

I tried adding --suggest-diff 2048 (as one google search result suggested) but that command line option was rejected by cgminer as "unrecognized" {sniff}

As always, let us not forget that:

This code is provided entirely free of charge by the programmer in his spare
time so donations would be greatly appreciated. Please consider donating to the
address below.

Con Kolivas <kernel@kolivas.org>
15qSxP1SQcUX3o4nhkfdbgyoWEFMomJ4rZ

thanks,

-dave (hoping a few hours will clear this up now)

[dkaufman]

I call it The Hot Blast Redirectenator
[...]
What do you think?

Nice. Personally, I had to install some miners outside of the house, hidden from the neighbourhood of course. Can't wait for winter to arrive... Lol! Now you gave me some ideas to connect my miners to my central heat system.

Btw, don't leave your kill-a-watt plugged in all the time, mine got really hot and broke!

Yikes!  That's good to know, thanks!

I did notice it had warmed up quite a bit when I left in connected to the S4's 1300+watts for a few hours.

Right now its been sitting between the S3's and their 868 watts for a few days and its still cool as a cucumber tho 

thanks,

-dave

[dkaufman]

I have a simple question how are these doing powerwise?  on 120 volt and on 220 volt.

are they 1400 watts for 2th on btcguild? at setting 725

I ask because I do not see a lot of info on power draw.

Mine runs well over 1300 watts but I've never seen it reach 1400.

  circuit: standard household 120v
  asic miner voltage: 0.725v
  asic clock freq: 218.5 MHz (the highest I can overclock it without getting little x's of chip errors)

hope this helps,

-dave

[-ck]

I can report that the binary drops in and replaces the old one, matches the architecture, and runs without exploding in a ball of flames!

So I've pointed my S4, running this new binay, back at Slush's pool to see how it goes.  Probably too soon to tell, but initially it reported hashing over 2TH via the web ui (as it always does) while Slush was showing it doing only about ~450GH, poolside.

After a few minutes that climbed up to and settled around 1TH and has been sitting there.

The Web UI also reports the Diff column (of the Slush row in the Pools table) as 1.05K, but I'm not sure if that indicates a problem...

I also dug into the init script to see what comman line params it gets run with, and they are:

Code:

  /usr/bin/cgminer --bitmain-dev /dev/bitmain-asic \
    --bitmain-options 115200:32:8:7:200:0782:0725 \
    --bitmain-checkn2diff \
    --bitmain-hwerror \
    --queue 8192 \
    --api-listen \
    --default-config /config/cgminer.conf

and: root@ant:~# cat /config/cgminer.conf contains:

Code:

{
  "pools" : [
    {
      "url" : "stratum.bitcoin.cz:3333",
      "user" : "gigawatt.ant-bambam",
      "pass" : "x"
    },
    {
      "url" : "",
      "user" : "",
      "pass" : ""
    },
    {
      "url" : "",
      "user" : "",
      "pass" : ""
    }
  ],
  "api-listen" : true,
  "api-network" : true,
  "api-allow" : "W:0/0",
  "bitmain-nobeeper" : true,
  "bitmain-freq" : "7:218.75:1106",
  "bitmain-voltage" : "0725"
}

What the heck does the --bitmain-checkn2diff option do (play chicken with the diff? lol) google not so helpful here, not was the cgminer readme.

I tried adding --suggest-diff 2048 (as one google search result suggested) but that command line option was rejected by cgminer as "unrecognized" {sniff}

Well, glad it works for starters. At least we know it managed to get up to higher diff which was half the problem to begin with. I doubt that getting it to diff 2k would help any further. So if it hashes lower than that then there's still some remaining issue, and likely it's the choice of a halfway diff. Checkn2diff is a hack used by the slow bitmain products to round off diff to the nearest power of 2 since they're so slow at confirming hashes. There's a chance it may not be needed with the hack I added to the driver, so try removing that command line option. As for suggest_diff, only ckpools have that implemented at the pool end anyway so I didn't bother adding it to the driver (though it's easy enough for me to do). So try without checkn2diff next.

[dogie]

hello everybody,
I've paid for 2 s4 batch 1 that received last friday. Both of them were working ok with default parameters (not overclocked yet) until yesterday night that one of them was powered down and now I'm not able to power on it again. I've tried unplug the wire, changing the wires between them, but the result continue to be that this machine doesn't work.
Any suggestion please?
Thanks in advance.

I had a power unit go down last weekend. 
Contact Yoshi at Yoshi@bitmaintech.com, or call.  They are working out of Denver:

Bitmain Warranty
3700 Quebec St. #100239
Denver, Colorado 80207

Tel: 844-248-6246

They will help you get your unit fixed.

Thanks captjrc

While you're waiting, you could try plugging in a different PSU to the controller board and to one mining board. If that seems fine, or you have a large enough PSU you could test the entire unit with it. Does sound like a PSU problem.

[generalt]

B10 is up now: https://bitmaintech.com/productDetail.htm?pid=00020140917060843699l3bEXYxL06C0

But now they're charging $135 (USD) for UPS shipping.  Such Wow not.

Wow that's the shipping price for 2 units?  I wonder if it goes up for more.  I can't imagine people buying them yet I'm sure they will manage to sell out again.

[dogie]

B10 is up now: https://bitmaintech.com/productDetail.htm?pid=00020140917060843699l3bEXYxL06C0

But now they're charging $135 (USD) for UPS shipping.  Such Wow not.

Wow that's the shipping price for 2 units?  I wonder if it goes up for more.  I can't imagine people buying them yet I'm sure they will manage to sell out again.

It will go up for more, yes. The domestic market will take more of a share due to shipping when the btc price is low.

[generalt]

It will go up for more, yes. The domestic market will take more of a share due to shipping when the btc price is low.

LOL in my tiny mind it didn't even occur to me that they sell locally in China too.  Thanks for opening my eyes I feel like such an idiot.

[dkaufman]

I can report that the binary drops in and replaces the old one, matches the architecture, and runs without exploding in a ball of flames!

So I've pointed my S4, running this new binay, back at Slush's pool to see how it goes. [not well ...] after a few minutes that climbed up to and settled around 1TH and has been sitting there.

The Web UI also reports the Diff column (of the Slush row in the Pools table) as 1.05K, but I'm not sure if that indicates a problem...

Well, glad it works for starters. At least we know it managed to get up to higher diff which was half the problem to begin with. I doubt that getting it to diff 2k would help any further. So if it hashes lower than that then there's still some remaining issue, and likely it's the choice of a halfway diff.

Halfway Diff?

What the heck does the --bitmain-checkn2diff option do (play chicken with the diff? lol) google not so helpful here, not was the cgminer readme.

Checkn2diff is a hack used by the slow bitmain products to round off diff to the nearest power of 2 since they're so slow at confirming hashes. There's a chance it may not be needed with the hack I added to the driver, so try removing that command line option. As for suggest_diff, only ckpools have that implemented at the pool end anyway so I didn't bother adding it to the driver (though it's easy enough for me to do). So try without checkn2diff next.

Ok I removed the chicken diff option, but no change, really.  I couldn't keep staring at half my hashrate being lost in slush's pool anymore so I pointed the S4 at ckpool (user gigawatt) and set the difficulty to 2250 (since its overclocked).  Finally, a pool that recognizes my hashrate!

I wonder how thw payout will compare to Slush's pool... Assuming of course that ckppool ever solves a block lol -- it's like solo mining with a few friends!

{sigh} i'm gonna go nag Slush to re-enable user diff, now.

[jsgayo]

ANTMINER of S1, S2 performance and market reactions are good.
Unfortunately, the price of BTC bad.

[bolehvpn]

Any updates on B2 dispatch?

[-ck]

Well, glad it works for starters. At least we know it managed to get up to higher diff which was half the problem to begin with. I doubt that getting it to diff 2k would help any further. So if it hashes lower than that then there's still some remaining issue, and likely it's the choice of a halfway diff.

Halfway Diff?

Checkn2diff is a hack used by the slow bitmain products to round off diff to the nearest power of 2 since they're so slow at confirming hashes. There's a chance it may not be needed with the hack I added to the driver, so try removing that command line option. As for suggest_diff, only ckpools have that implemented at the pool end anyway so I didn't bother adding it to the driver (though it's easy enough for me to do). So try without checkn2diff next.

Ok I removed the chicken diff option, but no change, really.  I couldn't keep staring at half my hashrate being lost in slush's pool anymore so I pointed the S4 at ckpool (user gigawatt) and set the difficulty to 2250 (since its overclocked).  Finally, a pool that recognizes my hashrate!

I wonder how thw payout will compare to Slush's pool... Assuming of course that ckppool ever solves a block lol -- it's like solo mining with a few friends!

{sigh} i'm gonna go nag Slush to re-enable user diff, now.

Halfway diff is what checkn2diff does. Because of lousy hardware support for diff, they just round down the diff to the nearest power of 2 or something like that. It wasn't that anyway.

Well I guess that means there's still something else wrong as well in that case. Maybe it's my secret plan to get everyone onto a ckpool pool.

EDIT: Further investigation shows a flood of:

Code:

[2014-10-10 07:22:22] BitMain: Nonce not find work(7010)         

type errors, suggesting there are more reasons for the driver falling behind while the diff is low. There's something else broken here, and it's hard to know if the overall design is broken or it's something minor,

[dkaufman]

Well, glad it works for starters. At least we know it managed to get up to higher diff which was half the problem to begin with. I doubt that getting it to diff 2k would help any further. So if it hashes lower than that then there's still some remaining issue, and likely it's the choice of a halfway diff.

Halfway Diff?

Checkn2diff is a hack used by the slow bitmain products to round off diff to the nearest power of 2 since they're so slow at confirming hashes. There's a chance it may not be needed with the hack I added to the driver, so try removing that command line option. As for suggest_diff, only ckpools have that implemented at the pool end anyway so I didn't bother adding it to the driver (though it's easy enough for me to do). So try without checkn2diff next.

Ok I removed the chicken diff option, but no change, really.  I couldn't keep staring at half my hashrate being lost in slush's pool anymore so I pointed the S4 at ckpool (user gigawatt) and set the difficulty to 2250 (since its overclocked).  Finally, a pool that recognizes my hashrate!
I wonder how thw payout will compare to Slush's pool... Assuming of course that ckppool ever solves a block lol -- it's like solo mining with a few friends!
{sigh} i'm gonna go nag Slush to re-enable user diff, now.

Halfway diff is what checkn2diff does. Because of lousy hardware support for diff, they just round down the diff to the nearest power of 2 or something like that. It wasn't that anyway.

Well I guess that means there's still something else wrong as well in that case. [..]

EDIT: Further investigation shows a flood of:

Code:

[2014-10-10 07:22:22] BitMain: Nonce not find work(7010)         

type errors, suggesting there are more reasons for the driver falling behind while the diff is low. There's something else broken here, and it's hard to know if the overall design is broken or it's something minor,

Yup yup I see that flood every time it connects to a pool that lets me set my minimum difficulty.  once the work starts they come less often but they dont go away completely i dont think.

I'm out of things to try -- If you think it would help you investigate further though I'm happy to point the S4 back at ckpool, just let me know.

I switched it to GHash.io last night (since I'm making the rounds!) and the poolside hashrate there is good (as reported by them, as with with BTC Guild, once the minimum diff is set), but their payout, like BTC Guild, is only about the same as Slush has paid out over the same hours for the 1TH that my pair of S3's are doing over there there so, about half what I'd expect if I could point the S4 at Slush's pool {double-frownie-face emoji not found}

Thanks for your help Con.

Maybe it's my secret plan to get everyone onto a ckpool pool.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinkie?




thanks,

-dave

[TracerX]

I like your style, kid--you made me lol.

[captainpugwash]

B10 is up now: https://bitmaintech.com/productDetail.htm?pid=00020140917060843699l3bEXYxL06C0

But now they're charging $135 (USD) for UPS shipping.  Such Wow not.

They are charging me £214 for my S3 delivery to the UK + the import duty + VAT @ 20%

I know I cant compete in mining BTC which I why I have stuck with the alt coins and trading them like mad to earn BTC.

I can see the end is nigh for me mining, this will be the last batch of miners for me.

With now crazy prices and DOA miners from the last batch of S3's I bought it's time to get out