896 mh/s firmware release - Butterfly Labs

[BFL]

Along with the beta release of our maintenance and diagnostics tool (EasyMiner), we're making an experimental firmware available for running your Singles at a faster than stock 896 mh/s.

Please be advised that this firmware may not work on all units and it will increase your operating temperature which could bring your unit into a throttle situation depending on the ambient temperature of your operating environment.  The degree of effectiveness will depend on the natural variations in each chip being used.  Many of you will find that you can operate at this speed just fine.  

We've also provided several slower firmwares to allow you to operate your units in a warmer environment without throttling.  (A decrease of just 8 mh/s can drop temperature sensitivity as much as 3C).  In most cases, running just a hair slower results in faster overall speeds compared to frequent throttling.

To experiment with these firmwares, you'll need to use the EasyMiner tool which is now available on our website along with all the new speed files.

http://www.butterflylabs.com/drivers/

Kind regards,
BFL


Update:

   a)  We've now added additional faster firmwares for customer experimentation.
   b)  EasyMiner has been upgraded to 1.1   (minor improvements & two bug fixes)

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[enmaku]

Does this experimental firmware void or otherwise affect warranty support?

[BFL]

Does this experimental firmware void or otherwise affect warranty support?

Warranty support covers use of any available firmware.

[wknight]

Nice release. Any chance for future Mac support?

[bitcoindaddy]

Along with the beta release of our maintenance and diagnostics tool (EasyMiner), we're making an experimental firmware available for running your Singles at a faster than stock 864 mh/s.
BFL

I think you mean faster than stock 832 Mh/s

[Inspector 2211]

Along with the beta release of our maintenance and diagnostics tool (EasyMiner), we're making an experimental firmware available for running your Singles at a faster than stock 864 mh/s.
BFL

I think you mean faster than stock 832 Mh/s

No, the BFL spokesperson said it correctly, if a little bit confusingly - I'm adding parentheses for clarity:
we're making an experimental firmware available for running your Singles at a (faster than stock) 864 mh/s

[Cablez]

Flashed one cool one of mine and it is now 857 up from 816.  Temps still around 56 degrees.   Very nice work BFL.

[ice_chill]

Flashed one cool one of mine and it is now 857 up from 816.  Temps still around 56 degrees.   Very nice work BFL.

Works out at about $40 per year more, so if you have 10 Singles than a nice $400.

[rjk]

Hm, I guess pool mining is still disabled in this version.

[bulanula]

Hm, I guess pool mining is still disabled in this version.

you mean p2pool probably !

[Gomeler]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

[rjk]

Hm, I guess pool mining is still disabled in this version.

you mean p2pool probably !

No, I mean the inbuilt connection to eclipse. This version can only be used to upload firmware, not mine on eclipse. Presumably that is slated for future release.

[kano]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

Their speed changes are just adjusting the clock, not the actual sha256 'code'.

Anyone got the tools to generate the source code from the EasyMiner executable and post a link here?
It's .NET v2.0.50727 (and VB in there)
I notice in the binary it detects throttling and was mainly wondering if that was done via simply noticing it's slow to process the nonce range or if there is some way to directly detect the clock/throttle.
No doubt there would be more commands to the BFL than the current VERY SHORT list of: ZGX, ZDX, ZLX and ZFX

[rjk]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

Their speed changes are just adjusting the clock, not the actual sha256 'code'.

Anyone got the tools to generate the source code from the EasyMiner executable and post a link here?
It's .NET v2.0.50727 (and VB in there)
I notice in the binary it detects throttling and was mainly wondering if that was done via simply noticing it's slow to process the nonce range or if there is some way to directly detect the clock/throttle.
No doubt there would be more commands to the BFL than the current VERY SHORT list of: ZGX, ZDX, ZLX and ZFX

Didn't they also just mention ZMX to blink the front LED?

[Gomeler]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

Their speed changes are just adjusting the clock, not the actual sha256 'code'.

Anyone got the tools to generate the source code from the EasyMiner executable and post a link here?
It's .NET v2.0.50727 (and VB in there)
I notice in the binary it detects throttling and was mainly wondering if that was done via simply noticing it's slow to process the nonce range or if there is some way to directly detect the clock/throttle.
No doubt there would be more commands to the BFL than the current VERY SHORT list of: ZGX, ZDX, ZLX and ZFX

I gathered that, but it is worth asking if they'd open source their bitstream so the community could potentially spur their project along. I imagine if they are using Spartan6 cores for the Mini Rig they'll be using or at least starting with the open source Spartan6 bitstreams..

[rjk]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

Their speed changes are just adjusting the clock, not the actual sha256 'code'.

Anyone got the tools to generate the source code from the EasyMiner executable and post a link here?
It's .NET v2.0.50727 (and VB in there)
I notice in the binary it detects throttling and was mainly wondering if that was done via simply noticing it's slow to process the nonce range or if there is some way to directly detect the clock/throttle.
No doubt there would be more commands to the BFL than the current VERY SHORT list of: ZGX, ZDX, ZLX and ZFX

I gathered that, but it is worth asking if they'd open source their bitstream so the community could potentially spur their project along. I imagine if they are using Spartan6 cores for the Mini Rig they'll be using or at least starting with the open source Spartan6 bitstreams..

Since when do the mini-rigs use Spartan 6 chips? That was idiotic speculation from earlier. The mini-rig modules still only have 2 chips, and a total hashrate of greater than 2x Spartan 6.

[fizzisist]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

Their speed changes are just adjusting the clock, not the actual sha256 'code'.

Anyone got the tools to generate the source code from the EasyMiner executable and post a link here?
It's .NET v2.0.50727 (and VB in there)
I notice in the binary it detects throttling and was mainly wondering if that was done via simply noticing it's slow to process the nonce range or if there is some way to directly detect the clock/throttle.
No doubt there would be more commands to the BFL than the current VERY SHORT list of: ZGX, ZDX, ZLX and ZFX

I gathered that, but it is worth asking if they'd open source their bitstream so the community could potentially spur their project along. I imagine if they are using Spartan6 cores for the Mini Rig they'll be using or at least starting with the open source Spartan6 bitstreams..

Since when do the mini-rigs use Spartan 6 chips? That was idiotic speculation from earlier. The mini-rig modules still only have 2 chips, and a total hashrate of greater than 2x Spartan 6.

Hey, it could still be Spartan 6, but they ran a simulation that said they could get 700 MH/s out of each chip. But, they didn't believe the power numbers from the simulation (once bitten, twice shy), so they took the power/performance numbers that people get for the Spartan 6 at 200 MH/s.

In all seriousness, it seems most likely to me that they found a source for another chip like this one (read: used), but 45 nm technology, and they predict they will get those performance specs. At least now the power numbers are more reasonable. It's just the price that doesn't make sense otherwise.

You're right, though, I wouldn't speculate that BFL will suddenly go open source with the release of the mini rig, since it's definitely not a Spartan 6.

[rjk]

Could be that the Stratix III was just a prototype for a Hardcopy sASIC, and they decided that they could sell some EOL chips while building a "new" chip on a dead process. Hmm. I wonder if the Mini-rig is fully reprogrammable in the same manner as the single...

[Gomeler]

Nice to see you guys offering more speed to existing customers. Any chance you guys would open up your development to the community? This might yield additional speed increases and increase the value of the product you are selling.

Their speed changes are just adjusting the clock, not the actual sha256 'code'.

Anyone got the tools to generate the source code from the EasyMiner executable and post a link here?
It's .NET v2.0.50727 (and VB in there)
I notice in the binary it detects throttling and was mainly wondering if that was done via simply noticing it's slow to process the nonce range or if there is some way to directly detect the clock/throttle.
No doubt there would be more commands to the BFL than the current VERY SHORT list of: ZGX, ZDX, ZLX and ZFX

I gathered that, but it is worth asking if they'd open source their bitstream so the community could potentially spur their project along. I imagine if they are using Spartan6 cores for the Mini Rig they'll be using or at least starting with the open source Spartan6 bitstreams..

Since when do the mini-rigs use Spartan 6 chips? That was idiotic speculation from earlier. The mini-rig modules still only have 2 chips, and a total hashrate of greater than 2x Spartan 6.

I said if, not it is. No need to get uppity.

[kano]

Well - looks like the command to upload the bitstream is 'ZAX' ... however more information is highly likely required to do the upload