The description that the TP-LINK is "drawing too much power" is actually incorrect.
The USB hub chip does not overheat because the TP-LINK draws too much power. The TP-LINK is powered via a 5V line that does not even come from the USB hub chip.
Instead, the hub chip overheats because of a flaw in the control unit v1.5 design which I found while poring over the schematics: they accidentally feed 5V to one of the pins of the chip instead of 3.3V. This overvoltage is what causes the chip to overheat. I pinged Yifu who confirmed it, and I filed a bug quoting his response: https://github.com/BitSyncom/avalon-ref/issues/5
Removing the fuse F1 merely cuts voltage to this pin. It leaves the USB type B port (which powers the TP-LINK) completely unaffected.
Topic: Avalon ASIC users thread - page 174. (Read 438387 times)
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#V1.5
Thanks for the update! One question regarding this line in WikiQuote
Remove the F1(Fuse) for fix the USB-HUB chip overheat, if you are batch2 user and your received Avalon between Apr 26 2013 ~ May 31 2013, your FPGA contoller board still have F1 mounted. you need do this by yourself.
How to do this at home properly?You cant/shouldnt just rip it off. You'll need to have a soldering iron to do it properly. Heat up the solder and then pull it off once it's free.
Note: I don't know of anyone who has done the F1 fuse removal as of yet. Xiangfu said all new controllers shipped will have this done. I'm scared to do it heh.
Thanks for the update! One question regarding this line in Wiki
Quote
Remove the F1(Fuse) for fix the USB-HUB chip overheat, if you are batch2 user and your received Avalon between Apr 26 2013 ~ May 31 2013, your FPGA contoller board still have F1 mounted. you need do this by yourself.
How to do this at home properly?
Hi
This is the last serial firmware released (Version: 20130519)
Please read the ChangeLog before reflash, here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#20130519
How to reflash: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#How_to_reflash
If you have any problem on Avalon, please read this page first: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon.
There are 2 sections you may want to read:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#About_.5Busb_1-1:_clear_tt_1_.288030.29_error_-71.5D
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#V1.5
Please donate some BTC to the developers, those people make your Avalon as 7x24 golden miner.
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#Donation
Best Regards
Xiangfu
This is the last serial firmware released (Version: 20130519)
Please read the ChangeLog before reflash, here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#20130519
How to reflash: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#How_to_reflash
If you have any problem on Avalon, please read this page first: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon.
There are 2 sections you may want to read:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#About_.5Busb_1-1:_clear_tt_1_.288030.29_error_-71.5D
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#V1.5
Please donate some BTC to the developers, those people make your Avalon as 7x24 golden miner.
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Avalon#Donation
Best Regards
Xiangfu
Woot, My cgminer has now been running for 6h 41m 50s without even so much as a cgminer restart.
Senseless: Sorry for your troubles and these neophyte questions, trying to understand... you are recommending using the ethernet port, but not the wifi?
You suggest that perhaps the TPLink adapter drawing enough power to run both ethernet and wifi, concurrently, might have damaged the chip?
To use ethernet port, is there anything involved besides setting a static IP, other than 192.168.0.100; so you know how to access the web interface?
You suggest that perhaps the TPLink adapter drawing enough power to run both ethernet and wifi, concurrently, might have damaged the chip?
To use ethernet port, is there anything involved besides setting a static IP, other than 192.168.0.100; so you know how to access the web interface?
Correct, just disable the Wifi but leave ethernet in-tact. Wifi is really the only thing you can disable to reduce power.
Yes, that is my current thought that the damage from my chip resulted from the tp-link drawing to much power.
There is nothing else to it other than what you describe.
Woot, My cgminer has now been running for 6h 41m 50s without even so much as a cgminer restart.
Senseless: Sorry for your troubles and these neophyte questions, trying to understand... you are recommending using the ethernet port, but not the wifi?
You suggest that perhaps the TPLink adapter drawing enough power to run both ethernet and wifi, concurrently, might have damaged the chip?
To use ethernet port, is there anything involved besides setting a static IP, other than 192.168.0.100; so you know how to access the web interface?
You suggest that perhaps the TPLink adapter drawing enough power to run both ethernet and wifi, concurrently, might have damaged the chip?
To use ethernet port, is there anything involved besides setting a static IP, other than 192.168.0.100; so you know how to access the web interface?
Correct, just disable the Wifi but leave ethernet in-tact. Wifi is really the only thing you can disable to reduce power.
Yes, that is my current thought that the damage from my chip resulted from the tp-link drawing to much power.
There is nothing else to it other than what you describe.
Senseless: Sorry for your troubles and these neophyte questions, trying to understand... you are recommending using the ethernet port, but not the wifi?
You suggest that perhaps the TPLink adapter drawing enough power to run both ethernet and wifi, concurrently, might have damaged the chip?
To use ethernet port, is there anything involved besides setting a static IP, other than 192.168.0.100; so you know how to access the web interface?
You suggest that perhaps the TPLink adapter drawing enough power to run both ethernet and wifi, concurrently, might have damaged the chip?
To use ethernet port, is there anything involved besides setting a static IP, other than 192.168.0.100; so you know how to access the web interface?
Think I found the problem and the reason my chip fried. Good news is it wasn't damaged (still works fine).
The TP-Link is powered via USB. I reduced the power usage of the tp-link by turning off the wireless modem. The unit has been running for 2 hours now without so much as a fan hiccup. No more -71 or -32 errors in the logs.
I would recommend everyone do the same on the v1.5 controller, disable and delete the wlan interface.
The TP-Link is powered via USB. I reduced the power usage of the tp-link by turning off the wireless modem. The unit has been running for 2 hours now without so much as a fan hiccup. No more -71 or -32 errors in the logs.
I would recommend everyone do the same on the v1.5 controller, disable and delete the wlan interface.
21C atm, unit is sitting on a table humidity is very low
...
I dont think the chip damage is whats causing the instability in my system. Talked with another person who has the same cycling issue with no chip damage. The following crontab script on the miner is a stop gap measure to keep it mining and correct the issue. By cycling the disconnect/connect of the USB controller to the tp-link i can reset my hashes to max.
*/10 * * * * echo "1-1.1" > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/unbind ; sleep 2 ; echo "1-1.1" > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/bind ; /usr/bin/cgminer-monitor
The chip on the left also does not seem to be in such a good condition.
Based on the way that 2 pin header melted it looks like the FTDI chip is putting out a lot of heat. The PCB has the ground pad and vias on the PCB top for that chip though. No thermal pad on the bottom. I wonder if you helped dissipate the heat from that chip if it would help...
Unit just started cycling again. Reported sick, then the unit came back at a whopping 14-30Mh/s fans reving up and down.
The FTDI chip isn't warm at all. I'm thinking that usb-a goes to the FTDI and the USB-b goes to whatever chip was destroyed on my board. Unfortunately I don't have a "normal" usb cable to test that theory. I'll give that a try tomorrow.
http://www.mysenselesslife.com/avalon/DSCN5215.JPG
Just curious, what are your ambient conditions around your unit?
21C atm, unit is sitting on a table humidity is very low
...
I dont think the chip damage is whats causing the instability in my system. Talked with another person who has the same cycling issue with no chip damage. The following crontab script on the miner is a stop gap measure to keep it mining and correct the issue. By cycling the disconnect/connect of the USB controller to the tp-link i can reset my hashes to max.
*/10 * * * * echo "1-1.1" > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/unbind ; sleep 2 ; echo "1-1.1" > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/bind ; /usr/bin/cgminer-monitor
Based on the way that 2 pin header melted it looks like the FTDI chip is putting out a lot of heat. The PCB has the ground pad and vias on the PCB top for that chip though. No thermal pad on the bottom. I wonder if you helped dissipate the heat from that chip if it would help...
Unit just started cycling again. Reported sick, then the unit came back at a whopping 14-30Mh/s fans reving up and down.
The FTDI chip isn't warm at all. I'm thinking that usb-a goes to the FTDI and the USB-b goes to whatever chip was destroyed on my board. Unfortunately I don't have a "normal" usb cable to test that theory. I'll give that a try tomorrow.
http://www.mysenselesslife.com/avalon/DSCN5215.JPG
Just curious, what are your ambient conditions around your unit?
Based on the way that 2 pin header melted it looks like the FTDI chip is putting out a lot of heat. The PCB has the ground pad and vias on the PCB top for that chip though. No thermal pad on the bottom. I wonder if you helped dissipate the heat from that chip if it would help...
Unit just started cycling again. Reported sick, then the unit came back at a whopping 14-30Mh/s fans reving up and down.
The FTDI chip isn't warm at all. I'm thinking that usb-a goes to the FTDI and the USB-b goes to whatever chip was destroyed on my board. Unfortunately I don't have a "normal" usb cable to test that theory. I'll give that a try tomorrow.
Image of my heat sink job:
http://www.mysenselesslife.com/avalon/DSCN5215.JPG
Based on the way that 2 pin header melted it looks like the FTDI chip is putting out a lot of heat. The PCB has the ground pad and vias on the PCB top for that chip though. No thermal pad on the bottom. I wonder if you helped dissipate the heat from that chip if it would help...
Curious to see how the heatsink on top works out. It's probably not how you think it will, but hopefully it helps. That USB chip is not designed to dissipate heat upwards -- It's designed like the ASIC chips to push heat through the board down. Unfortunately, the PCB is not designed to handle that..
Def not going to be as effective; but if it's possible to get some heat out of it, it might just run stable.
Edit:
Just managed to slice a piece of heat sink off small enough to put on it. Been running for 5m and the sink is definitely above ambient. The hash rate seems a little more stable. The sink isn't HOT but it is taking some heat out of the chip.
Are you using some sort of thermal paste/adhesive between the sink and the chip?
Yes, its a thermal tape stuff (it was on the back of the sink i just scraped a bit off and reapplied after i was done butchering it.
Curious to see how the heatsink on top works out. It's probably not how you think it will, but hopefully it helps. That USB chip is not designed to dissipate heat upwards -- It's designed like the ASIC chips to push heat through the board down. Unfortunately, the PCB is not designed to handle that..
Def not going to be as effective; but if it's possible to get some heat out of it, it might just run stable.
Edit:
Just managed to slice a piece of heat sink off small enough to put on it. Been running for 5m and the sink is definitely above ambient. The hash rate seems a little more stable. The sink isn't HOT but it is taking some heat out of the chip.
Are you using some sort of thermal paste/adhesive between the sink and the chip?
Yes, its a thermal tape stuff (it was on the back of the sink i just scraped a bit off and reapplied after i was done butchering it.
Edit: Hit and passed the 15m mark.
Curious to see how the heatsink on top works out. It's probably not how you think it will, but hopefully it helps. That USB chip is not designed to dissipate heat upwards -- It's designed like the ASIC chips to push heat through the board down. Unfortunately, the PCB is not designed to handle that..
Def not going to be as effective; but if it's possible to get some heat out of it, it might just run stable.
Edit:
Just managed to slice a piece of heat sink off small enough to put on it. Been running for 5m and the sink is definitely above ambient. The hash rate seems a little more stable. The sink isn't HOT but it is taking some heat out of the chip.
Are you using some sort of thermal paste/adhesive between the sink and the chip?
Curious to see how the heatsink on top works out. It's probably not how you think it will, but hopefully it helps. That USB chip is not designed to dissipate heat upwards -- It's designed like the ASIC chips to push heat through the board down. Unfortunately, the PCB is not designed to handle that..
Def not going to be as effective; but if it's possible to get some heat out of it, it might just run stable.
Edit:
Just managed to slice a piece of heat sink off small enough to put on it. Been running for 5m and the sink is definitely above ambient. The hash rate seems a little more stable. The sink isn't HOT but it is taking some heat out of the chip.
Curious to see how the heatsink on top works out. It's probably not how you think it will, but hopefully it helps. That USB chip is not designed to dissipate heat upwards -- It's designed like the ASIC chips to push heat through the board down. Unfortunately, the PCB is not designed to handle that..
Quote
I've uploaded a much clearer photo which shows damage which I was not even able to see with the naked eye. Very concerning.
Oh my... Could anybody else check his "being in work" B#2 unit for this issue? Is this B#2 or B#1 unit?
B#2
I noticed that the B#2 controller has a second USB header on there as well. I'm not sure if that goes to a different comm chip (not the same as the first header?)?
http://www.mysenselesslife.com/avalon/DSCN5212.JPG
Edit:
I've uploaded a much clearer photo which shows damage which I was not even able to see with the naked eye. Very concerning.
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