The pics with Henrietta are taken with my 5DMk2, though I scale them down for the web of course.
We actually agonized a lot over the plastic issue and went through scenario after scenario due to specifically that fact. There a bunch of vias on the bottom of the board, and we were originally going to cool it from the bottom instead of the top, but simulation after simulation showed it was more effective from the top, so that's what we went with. But the vias are still there for a bit of extra oomph when the clock rate is bumped up.
There's a pic of the back of the board on the BFL forums.
Topic: ACTUAL Butterfly Labs PCB pics! - page 9. (Read 40283 times)
On topic: I like the formfactor very much on these PCBs. Easy to cool.
It is the same form factor as the current FPGA Singles. The ASICs themselves appear to have a plastic top; not the most efficient thermal interface to a top-mounted metal heatsink. Although 7W/chip isn't huge, the combination of 8 of them in close proximity generates a lot of concentrated heat. Transferring 60W from plastic chips to a metal heatsink can be a challenge.
Also, mounting a monolithic heatsink across 8 separate chips poses another challenge: if those chips are not coplanar, the contact between the heatsink and some of the chips will not be 'perfect'; the gap will be taken up by the thermal transfer compound which would further restrict thermal conductivity.
The good news is that the SC Single uses less power than the FPGA Single, which will mitigate the situation a bit. Plus, the 8 ASIC chips, though plastic, have an overall larger surface area then the 2 metal-top FPGAs in the old Singles. More surface area makes it easier to transfer heat.
So all in all I don't think cooling these will be an issue; I'm sure BFL has already thought of all this and they have plenty of experience with the FPGA Singles. The SC board is 92mmx92mm, so it seems clear from the mounting holes that BFL will continue to use a standard 92mm fan for cooling.
Wallpaper
Nice one
.On topic: I like the formfactor very much on these PCBs. Easy to cool.
Updated wallpaper 
I wonder what the ARM place holder is for ? how could an ARM chip benefit the board ?
Add a network jack and some ram and you'd be able to have a low power standalone miner --- maybe?
That would work if the board had place holders for those additional things, but it does not so it would need a board re-design, which makes it pointless placing an ARM holder on the current board.
Has anyone seen the back side of the board? High speed DDR is often soldered right behind the processor..
And..
Something like this...
I wonder what the ARM place holder is for ? how could an ARM chip benefit the board ?
Add a network jack and some ram and you'd be able to have a low power standalone miner --- maybe?
That would work if the board had place holders for those additional things, but it does not so it would need a board re-design, which makes it pointless placing an ARM holder on the current board.
what are the chances they could rework the bitstream on the Altera to drive an Ethernet or WiFi shield attached to one or both of those minirig-sc ports?
It does seem interesting to have that ARM label there in what seems to be a very logically thought out board otherwise.
Quote from: BFL_Josh
Henrietta the flying pig makes a cameo along with a Jalapeno, a Minirig SC card and a bare board (waiting on chips!).
Quote from: bobitza
The jala will be the board with no capacitors and just 1 chip; the little will be the board with 4 chips and the single will be the board with 8 chips?
Quote from: BFL_Josh
Yep, pretty much.
So do you suppose they intend to use that reflow oven to add the needed chips to those boards?
Courtesy of: www.butterflylabs.com
Perfect! Thanks for the pics Puerto.
I wonder what the ARM place holder is for ? how could an ARM chip benefit the board ?
Add a network jack and some ram and you'd be able to have a low power standalone miner --- maybe?
Maybe one board, the one with ARM MCU soldered, will act as main controller or super controller in mining rig with all the other boards daisy chained.
Thanks Puerto
can someone re-up the new pics? I cannot view them on the BFL forum as I havn't signed up
Courtesy of: www.butterflylabs.com
I wonder what the ARM place holder is for ? how could an ARM chip benefit the board ?
Add a network jack and some ram and you'd be able to have a low power standalone miner --- maybe?
That would work if the board had place holders for those additional things, but it does not so it would need a board re-design, which makes it pointless placing an ARM holder on the current board.
can someone re-up the new pics? I cannot view them on the BFL forum as I havn't signed up
I wonder what the ARM place holder is for ? how could an ARM chip benefit the board ?
Add a network jack and some ram and you'd be able to have a low power standalone miner --- maybe?
You thieved it from BFL's own forum, you thief
https://forums.butterflylabs.com/showthread.php/190-More-board-pics
I wonder what the ARM place holder is for ? how could an ARM chip benefit the board ?
I am happy and alot more confident now that we are gonna start getting our orders in the next couple weeks and it hasn't all just been a massive scam.
Next couple weeks huh? I hope you're right, but I fear you're way off, especially with the new announcement of shipping dates being November/December.
Looks nice.
Waiting for my jalapeño.
Waiting for my jalapeño.
any live demonstrations of the chip working or mining at this time?
Not likely
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