How would you run a string design? If you want to avoid DC/DC altogether you'd need 8-9 chips to get the 5V down to 0.55V or so. I'm not sure how you'd get away from DC/DC on a USB miner.
I'm not a EC designer so I can't answer now, If it is possible and how, especially because I'm not work with any string able chips beside BF.
I was working with Intron and C-scape, they make first string design on BF chips - OSM.
Next they propose me to produce extended version of Bi•Fury - Hex•Fury and that was first ever dongle USB Miner with string design, on 6 BF chips.
(I'm not sure but I'm think that design of NF6 is familiar).
But I want to produce product especially for "miner wannabe" market(like Bi•Fury), that why I stick to USB dongle design, taking max from USB spec draw.
This kind market customers don't want use special DIY hubs for power it and etc.
Since BF I don't see any chips for simple, low cost USB device that can give this kind of customers some scratch's of BTC form there "miner fun game".
But producers going down with power draw (Yes I aware about high current) so I'm still searching, asking etc.
Finalizing this "My story" speech I have proposition for all You EC designers:
If You can deliver some kind of design on any producer chip that suit market needs I describe, I can take all production operations(finance-production-sell) on me
[Interested in co-op? drop me a PM]
USB 2.0 will deliver 0.5A on 5V = 2.5 W
USB 3.0 will deliver 0.9-1A on 5V = 4.5-5.0 W (especially in PC, not all notebook/laptop USB 3.0 will deliver 1A)
Just be careful about assuming 3.0 can do high numbers. Even if a single port can, it doesn't mean the array of ports / other electronics or even the PSU can take many many maxed out 3.0 ports. If you tell a consumer that it will work fine on USB 3.0, they'll assume that if one works then they can put 6 in.
Even the 'big' PSUs like the CX750M only have 25A on the 5V rail, of which a proportion will be taken up with other components.
Yes I'm aware of all this this dogie, since Bi•Fury I had 1k+ working USB ports under control for testing devices.
Many HUBs models, OS and hardware setups(mobo, PSU etc.) that can get stable max form Bi•Fury.
That why I know that this kind of information You mention above, need to be placed in product describe for customer awareness.
[FC sorry for little off topic here, and still waiting for more information about test
]