Are all of the BFL power bricks complete shit?

[yochdog]

just wondering if anyone else is wondering this......

[1715347862]

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[xDGDZEx]

The answer...yes

Had two fail out of a batch of 8. Got two replacements, and within a week a third started to turn on and off intermittently. Got myself a Seasonic PSU after that.

[imsaguy]

Even judging by how hot they get.. it makes you feel like something's just not right. 

[yochdog]

I am afraid I am gonna burn down my fucking house. 

Any good advice on where to buy a good replacement?  I have mine spread out, so doing a PSU is not exactly efficient.....

[MXRider]

Is there a good guide for using an ATX PSU with singles. Cablez is selling ready wires but I think they are too expensive.

[dave3]

The two I've got are still working fine (knock on wood).  They do run hot, but they don't seem to be any hotter than my laptop power brick.  I am running them on 220V, though.  Not sure if that makes a difference.

[Garr255]

I have some metal between my bricks until I get them set up with a proper PSU. I tried melting solder with them with no success, so hey, there's that

[Unacceptable]

Is there a good guide for using an ATX PSU with singles. Cablez is selling ready wires but I think they are too expensive.

You'll spend as much in time & parts + research, as buying your cables........................if not more.

[SamHa1n]

If you have more than 1 fpga board that are 12V fed...you need to get a modular psu like ones provided by corsair. The research would consist of google for which wires to use. The parts would consist of a bag of screw terminal 12v barrel connectors ($5). Bare minimum tools required, your teeth and a butter knife, possibly a multi meter to make sure your not getting trolled as to +/- of your modular psu wire sets. We are talking more time to flash a cainsmore card than to set up a power supply that can potentially feed all of your fpga's, increase efficiency, and decrease heat load.

[yochdog]

Guys, I know I could use a PSU, but like I said, I have these things spread out EVERYWHERE......They are not consolodated. 

I am looking for a quality replacement power brick......wondering if anyone has a good source. 

[SamHa1n]

I have these things spread out EVERYWHERE......They are not consolodated. 

I think you are seeking the answer to the wrong problem then. But, regardless.... amazon has a lot of cheap brand name high amp power bricks for monitors, printers, and laptops.

[yochdog]

I have these things spread out EVERYWHERE......They are not consolodated. 

I think you are seeking the answer to the wrong problem then. But, regardless.... amazon has a lot of cheap brand name high amp power bricks for monitors, printers, and laptops.

help me out then....what is the correct problem? 

[coretechs]

Mean Well makes high-quality external power-brick adapters:
http://www.meanwell.com/search/GS120/default.htm

[yochdog]

Mean Well makes high-quality external power-brick adapters:
http://www.meanwell.com/search/GS120/default.htm

Sweet dude.....thanks!

[crazyates]

Mean Well makes high-quality external power-brick adapters:
http://www.meanwell.com/search/GS120/default.htm

Sweet dude.....thanks!

Those little things are 87% effecient? Not bad.

[rjk]

I know they are Mean Wells and everything, but what's the actual efficiency of the stock brick? I'm betting it isn't too far different from 87%, and Inaba tested one with a clamp meter somwhere, just can't find the post atm. All I am saying is, the MW is rated LESS (102 watts instead of 120) than the stock brick, and so it might get just as hot.

Mine gets hot, but if you put it in the exhaust stream of the Single, it keeps cool. I don't think it's going to catch anything on fire.

[yochdog]

I know they are Mean Wells and everything, but what's the actual efficiency of the stock brick? I'm betting it isn't too far different from 87%, and Inaba tested one with a clamp meter somwhere, just can't find the post atm. All I am saying is, the MW is rated LESS (102 watts instead of 120) than the stock brick, and so it might get just as hot.

Mine gets hot, but if you put it in the exhaust stream of the Single, it keeps cool. I don't think it's going to catch anything on fire.

The one in question gets so hot it shuts down.....the single will only mine for about 10 minutes. 

The damn thing is bulging even! 

I am just gonna run down to the local electronic store and try to find a replacement. 

[rjk]

I know they are Mean Wells and everything, but what's the actual efficiency of the stock brick? I'm betting it isn't too far different from 87%, and Inaba tested one with a clamp meter somwhere, just can't find the post atm. All I am saying is, the MW is rated LESS (102 watts instead of 120) than the stock brick, and so it might get just as hot.

Mine gets hot, but if you put it in the exhaust stream of the Single, it keeps cool. I don't think it's going to catch anything on fire.

The one in question gets so hot it shuts down.....the single will only mine for about 10 minutes. 

The damn thing is bulging even! 

I am just gonna run down to the local electronic store and try to find a replacement. 

OK well yeah, that's bad.

[bitcoindaddy]

The power supplies on the new SC (ASIC) Singles are supposed to be built in. I hope BFL doesn't spec some piece of crap for those since they will be much harder to circumvent.

[rjk]

The power supplies on the new SC (ASIC) Singles are supposed to be built in. I hope BFL doesn't spec some piece of crap for those since they will be much harder to circumvent.

Where did you hear that from? Just interested, especially seeing as we don't even have any pics or renders yet.

[bitcoindaddy]

The power supplies on the new SC (ASIC) Singles are supposed to be built in. I hope BFL doesn't spec some piece of crap for those since they will be much harder to circumvent.

Where did you hear that from? Just interested, especially seeing as we don't even have any pics or renders yet.

It says it on the order form for the mid-priced Single:
http://www.butterflylabs.com/order-form-bitforce-sc-single/

"Product includes: Fully assembled enclosure, USB Cable, internal power supply & driver software (including BTC block mining application)."

We can work around an external power supply, but if an internal one goes bad.... BFL will have a lot of returns and angry customers.

[rjk]

The power supplies on the new SC (ASIC) Singles are supposed to be built in. I hope BFL doesn't spec some piece of crap for those since they will be much harder to circumvent.

Where did you hear that from? Just interested, especially seeing as we don't even have any pics or renders yet.

It says it on the order form for the mid-priced Single:
http://www.butterflylabs.com/order-form-bitforce-sc-single/

"Product includes: Fully assembled enclosure, USB Cable, internal power supply & driver software (including BTC block mining application)."

We can work around an external power supply, but if an internal one goes bad.... BFL will have a lot of returns and angry customers.

Ah, I didn't notice that. True.

[nedbert9]

The power supplies on the new SC (ASIC) Singles are supposed to be built in. I hope BFL doesn't spec some piece of crap for those since they will be much harder to circumvent.

Where did you hear that from? Just interested, especially seeing as we don't even have any pics or renders yet.

It says it on the order form for the mid-priced Single:
http://www.butterflylabs.com/order-form-bitforce-sc-single/

"Product includes: Fully assembled enclosure, USB Cable, internal power supply & driver software (including BTC block mining application)."

We can work around an external power supply, but if an internal one goes bad.... BFL will have a lot of returns and angry customers.

+10

I worry about this.  

[P_Shep]

Re: Are all of the BFL power bricks complete shit?

I don't know, I've never used mine.
Wonder how much they'll go for on Ebay...?

I worry about this.

I also don't particularly want to have multiple power sockets. I like my ATX PSU powered setup.

[jothan]

While BFL states that the singles use 80 W of power, using a computer PSU and measuring with a Kill-A-Watt, I get about 50 watts per single and that does not compensate for the DreamPlug and the USB hubs that drive the singles.

So, not only are the default bricks huge and crap, but they are only 62.5 % efficient power-wise.

[mrb]

I know they are Mean Wells and everything, but what's the actual efficiency of the stock brick? I'm betting it isn't too far different from 87%, and Inaba tested one with a clamp meter somwhere, just can't find the post atm. All I am saying is, the MW is rated LESS (102 watts instead of 120) than the stock brick, and so it might get just as hot.

AFAIK I am the only one to have published clamp meter measurements. I measured the BFL power adapters to be 81% efficient: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=90972.msg1003140#msg1003140

(Again, jothan, your numbers an incorrect. Accurate measurements can't be done at the wall, you need a clamp meter or similar.)

[rjk]

I know they are Mean Wells and everything, but what's the actual efficiency of the stock brick? I'm betting it isn't too far different from 87%, and Inaba tested one with a clamp meter somwhere, just can't find the post atm. All I am saying is, the MW is rated LESS (102 watts instead of 120) than the stock brick, and so it might get just as hot.

AFAIK I am the only one to have published clamp meter measurements. I measured the BFL power adapters to be 81% efficient: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=90972.msg1003140#msg1003140

(Again, jothan, your numbers an incorrect. Accurate measurements can't be done at the wall, you need a clamp meter or similar.)

Here it is, I found it: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=67819.msg796852#msg796852

Ok, got the numbers:

1.7A @ Idle
5.9A @ At 100% mining

So we're looking at around 70w of actual usage on a quality PSU instead of a power brick.  Not terrible.

(That was DC measurements on a stock brick, I believe)

[mrb]

Thanks rjk, assuming Inaba measured one of the rev 3 Singles with a 80mm fan at the bottom (not all rev 3 have this fan), then he confirms my numbers within ±4% (I measure 5.7A under load).

[rjk]

Thanks rjk, assuming Inaba measured one of the rev 3 Singles with a 80mm fan at the bottom (not all rev 3 have this fan), then he confirms my numbers within ±4% (I measure 5.7A under load).

At that point, it probably would have been a Rev2 with the additional fan. They might pull more if they run at a higher temp due to additional leakage. Also, they all seem to have their own personality, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were some that pulled 5.5A and others that pulled 6A that were otherwise identical.

[JWU42]

Two of my Six power bricks died yesterday 

[imsaguy]

Two of my Six power bricks died yesterday 

Surely there's more to your story

[smracer]

I have 42 bricks running without problem.  Are you guys leaving these bricks in the sunlight?

[JWU42]

Negative - they are even actively cooled...

I had 6 plugged into a power strip.  I turned off the power strip and when i turned it back on 2 of the 6 made a pop sound and now 1 of my singles (that was plugged into the offending unit) is not working (will not "show up" when plugged into USB).

[rjk]

Negative - they are even actively cooled...

I had 6 plugged into a power strip.  I turned off the power strip and when i turned it back on 2 of the 6 made a pop sound and now 1 of my singles (that was plugged into the offending unit) is not working (will not "show up" when plugged into USB).

Time to put the claims of a fast RMA process to the test!

[JWU42]

Negative - they are even actively cooled...

I had 6 plugged into a power strip.  I turned off the power strip and when i turned it back on 2 of the 6 made a pop sound and now 1 of my singles (that was plugged into the offending unit) is not working (will not "show up" when plugged into USB).

Time to put the claims of a fast RMA process to the test!

Mini-Rig should ship tomorrow - hoping they can "throw these in"