ANTMINER U3 Discussion and Support Thread

[Mikestang]

It looks to me like Minera only runs on Linux, is that correct?

I ordered two more of these little UFOs to put on my desk, they're pretty fun little miners!

[Mikestang]

In the last 16 hours I have encountered the situation presented below twice.  Hash drops down to 10-20gh and the error message keeps popping up.  Both times I caught this happening I was able to correct it by simply unplugging the usb cable and plugging it right back in.  Any idea what is causing this?  Using cgminer.

[dogie]

It looks to me like Minera only runs on Linux, is that correct?

I ordered two more of these little UFOs to put on my desk, they're pretty fun little miners!

Minera is primarily used on Pis, correct.

[dogie]

In the last 16 hours I have encountered the situation presented below twice.  Hash drops down to 10-20gh and the error message keeps popping up.  Both times I caught this happening I was able to correct it by simply unplugging the usb cable and plugging it right back in.  Any idea what is causing this?  Using cgminer.

Two equally likely things causing this, intermittent power or less likely intermittent 'data'. Some have had success replacing the USB cable, while others by replacing the PSU. If you're not on a powered hub then its also worth trying that as there's a not insignificant amount of 5V draw.

[Mikestang]

In the last 16 hours I have encountered the situation presented below twice.  Hash drops down to 10-20gh and the error message keeps popping up.  Both times I caught this happening I was able to correct it by simply unplugging the usb cable and plugging it right back in.  Any idea what is causing this?  Using cgminer.

Two equally likely things causing this, intermittent power or less likely intermittent 'data'. Some have had success replacing the USB cable, while others by replacing the PSU. If you're not on a powered hub then its also worth trying that as there's a not insignificant amount of 5V draw.

I'm using my own USB cable, the one that it came with was junk and made the unit zombie.  I'm going to be powering it from an atx psu here shortly, so I guess that will take care of it.  In the mean time I'll plug it into my powered USB hub, thank you!

[Mikestang]

I'm powering my U3 with a pci-e to (3)-12v barrel plug, going to be adding two more so thus the extra plugs.  I played around with overclocking, stepping up in the smallest available increment to an eventual 800volt 250freq, it was running stable and cool at about 58-60gh.  I let it run over night, but in the morning it was ZOMBIE.  I had to pull the usb and power and let it sit for a while, then replug it in and zadig again.  It's running stable again at stock volt/freq about 46-52gh.  Guess this one doesn't want to be oc'd.

[Visvas]

I'm currently running stable actually  , giving me an average of 63Gh/s, with the following options. --bmsc-voltage 0830  --bmsc-freq 0982
Using the cgminer version from bitmain, february dated and a cleaned up U3 with a new power supply and new usb cable.

Note that this is just with a single unit attached. With another at the same time both units are really unstable. The other working unit i have is unstable alone as well though...

Going to try a raspberry setup with the other units now, just got it delivered, but  minera takes forever to download.

[Mikestang]

I'm currently running stable actually  , giving me an average of 63Gh/s, with the following options. --bmsc-voltage 0830  --bmsc-freq 0982

How long have you been running stable with such a high voltage?

[Mikestang]

I had my U3 plugged into a powered USB 3.0 hub plugged into a 2.0 port on my computer, it didn't like this, lots of LIBUSB errors.  Now running in a powered 2.0 hub, seems to be happy for ~24 hours (knock on wood).  Using a new power cable, too.  This one is a molex 4-pin to barrel plug and has thicker wires than the pci-e to barrel plug I was using (2.5mm vs ~2.1mm).

[Visvas]

I'm currently running stable actually  , giving me an average of 63Gh/s, with the following options. --bmsc-voltage 0830  --bmsc-freq 0982

How long have you been running stable with such a high voltage?

A couple of days. testing out different options/tunings in a not so structured manner;)
reducing volt to 800 and keeping freq and --bmsc-options 115200:0.54, see what i'll average on then.

Got my second unit up and running on Minera on a new Pi 2 now as well. Always had issues with that one, only giving me around 42Gh and a bit unstable.
But minera seems to handle it quite well, had some fall outs untill i enabled auto restart/reset. So far quiet happy with minera, expect i havent been able to get any of the parameters for tuning to work. Picked up the U3 like nothing at least.

[Mikestang]

Would be interested to see if anyone can get more than 2 to work together for more than a few hours.

Per my post two up (#630) my setup for a single U3 has been perfectly stable for like a week.  I've been running it slightly overclocked, 775v and 237.5freq and it's been performing like a champ at about 58-60gh.

I bought two more U3s, however, I cannot get more than one of my 3 to run at the same time (I have so far only tried to get 2 going at the same time).  I'm using cgminer 4.9.0 (4.9.1 won't see a U3 on my computer for some reason) with stock volt and freq while I try to get more than one going concurrently.  I've tried launching cgminer with 2 plugged in at the same time and I get constant LIBUSB from both devices.  If I unplug one the other runs just fine.  If I launch cgminer with just one running it hums along perfectly, then I'll hotplug the second one in and instantly the LIBUSB errors start.  I've tried with them both plugged into my powered USB 2.0 hub, and tried with one in the hub and the other in a separate USB port on my computer, but same results.

Is there something special that needs to be done to get multiple units running at the same time?  Any of the three work by themselves.  Thanks for suggestions.

Now running in a powered 2.0 hub, seems to be happy for ~24 hours (knock on wood).  Using a new power cable, too.  This one is a molex 4-pin to barrel plug and has thicker wires than the pci-e to barrel plug I was using (2.5mm vs ~2.1mm).

[Visvas]

I bought two more U3s, however, I cannot get more than one of my 3 to run at the same time

Is there something special that needs to be done to get multiple units running at the same time?  Any of the three work by themselves.  Thanks for suggestions.

Never been able to have more than one running "stable'ish" at a time on a windows computer. I can them both up and running if i only have one plugged in as I start cgminer, let it start and then hotplug the next one. But they wont run for as long then. Tried all combinations of usb ports, hubs, cables etc.
Seems to be an issue on Minera as well, but it handles the reset itself, at least sometimes.

[Phosphorous]

I managed to get 2 working but cannot get 3 (Windows 7, CGminer 4.9.0). I cleaned the extra thermal paste from all 3 and it did help to use a different USB cable. But gave up on getting 3 to work.

[Mikestang]

Would be interested to see if anyone can get more than 2 to work together for more than a few hours.

Per my post two up (#630) my setup for a single U3 has been perfectly stable for like a week.  I've been running it slightly overclocked, 775v and 237.5freq and it's been performing like a champ at about 58-60gh.

I bought two more U3s, however, I cannot get more than one of my 3 to run at the same time (I have so far only tried to get 2 going at the same time).  I'm using cgminer 4.9.0 (4.9.1 won't see a U3 on my computer for some reason) with stock volt and freq while I try to get more than one going concurrently.  I've tried launching cgminer with 2 plugged in at the same time and I get constant LIBUSB from both devices.  If I unplug one the other runs just fine.  If I launch cgminer with just one running it hums along perfectly, then I'll hotplug the second one in and instantly the LIBUSB errors start.  I've tried with them both plugged into my powered USB 2.0 hub, and tried with one in the hub and the other in a separate USB port on my computer, but same results.

Is there something special that needs to be done to get multiple units running at the same time?  Any of the three work by themselves.  Thanks for suggestions.

Now running in a powered 2.0 hub, seems to be happy for ~24 hours (knock on wood).  Using a new power cable, too.  This one is a molex 4-pin to barrel plug and has thicker wires than the pci-e to barrel plug I was using (2.5mm vs ~2.1mm).

I have since purchased a Multi TT USB 2.0 hub, but still cannot get more than one miner running at the same time.  I hooked the USB hub up to my power supply, plugged in one U3 and it worked just fine.  Plugged in the second and ERROR.  Quit and restarted with them both plugged, more ERROR.  They both hash together at about 30gh each (down from 59 alone), but with constants errors as below.  So what else could it be?  (I unplugged one USB toward the bottom, I think that's what the last 3 lines are starting to show)


Bitmain must have anticipated more than one of these being run from the same computer, what could be a resolution to this issue?

[Phosphorous]

Did you clean the excess thermal paste and replace the USB cables?

I agree though, this is certainly not a product they anticipated for users to buy multiples of to run together.

[Mikestang]

I have not cleaned the thermal paste, yet.  I have some new AS ceramique2 ready to go, just haven't felt motivated enough to do it yet.

[TheRealSteve]

If you have two AntMiner U3's where they both work fine on their own, I cannot imagine how thermal management would have anything to do with them not working fine when both are plugged in - unless both were put into an enclosed box together significantly raising each other's temps.  Given the thermal mass involved, even that scenario seems unlikely to throw errors practically immediately.

The list of potential causes already mentioned in this thread seem more likely.  Given that the very first post practically advertises that multiple should work together*, perhaps a list of recommended power supply + recommended hub + recommended drivers + recommened cgminer build + getting started steps** should be included.

* which to me suggests they very much anticipated for users to buy multiples of to run together:

Scalable: Multiple U3 miners can be maintained by one controller running cgminer due to its USB port.
Hassle free: Setup consists of plugging in the USB and power cables and running Antminer CGMiner.

** Should they be connected in this order, or in this order or in a different order altogether?  Does it even matter?

[MyRig]

One common cause for the U3 to stop mining on your computer is SCREEN SAVER, or Auto POWER SAVER.  Please try to disable the screen saver and the power saver on the computer you are mining with U3 and the cgminer.

Also, some USB3 ports may have some unstable power.

If it still doesn't work...  Let us know.

[Mikestang]

One common cause for the U3 to stop mining on your computer is SCREEN SAVER, or Auto POWER SAVER.  Please try to disable the screen saver and the power saver on the computer you are mining with U3 and the cgminer.

Also, some USB3 ports may have some unstable power.

If it still doesn't work...  Let us know.

I do not use a screen saver, I do not use any power saving modes, my computer does not sleep, I've disabled Windows from shutting off power to my USB ports.  Believe me, I have done everything, above and beyond, to get two to work together, but it's not happening.  It must be some fault with the units themselves, some sort of identical identification so my computer thinks they're both the same device or something; any other suggestions are welcomed.

If you have two AntMiner U3's where they both work fine on their own, I cannot imagine how thermal management would have anything to do with them not working fine when both are plugged in - unless both were put into an enclosed box together significantly raising each other's temps.  Given the thermal mass involved, even that scenario seems unlikely to throw errors practically immediately.

The list of potential causes already mentioned in this thread seem more likely.

I agree, they're no hotter running together or by themselves.  I have exhausted the list of potential causes I believe, we need to come up with a new cause.

[MyRig]

Another that can think of would be try using the Externally powered USB hub.

Multiple U3 use, if you are powering up both together, you can unplug one then plug it back in to see if it gets recognized.

If none works, was this the new Cage Style or the Silver Metal cover version?  Also, when did you purchase it?