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Topic: GekkoScience 2Pac/Compac BM1384 Stickminer Official Support Thread - page 105. (Read 177410 times)

newbie
Activity: 26
Merit: 0
I can't wait to get my hands on the pod  since that will be better then what I am getting at 75watts.

Is there a thread for the pod? I have seen numerous references to it and am intrigued.
member
Activity: 178
Merit: 12
I currently have 4 at 250mhz on a 49 port with at 300watt 60amp powersupply.

With the USB fan and those running at 250mhz I am using 75watts.


That is not too shabby, I can't wait to get my hands on the pod  since that will be better then what I am getting at 75watts.

legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1859
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
Yeah, I bought several tubes all at once back in my PC hardware refurb days and kept using it, then just bought more when it ran out. Which I think is about to happen again, we've assembled about a thousand 2Pacs already and it goes faster with two chips.
legendary
Activity: 1624
Merit: 1130
Bitcoin FTW!
Also PCBs are made from fiberglass, so if there's silicon around the chips something is terribly wrong because only the chip die itself, nestled inside the IC package, is silicon.

The thermal paste is Arctic Alumina, nonconductive ceramic thermal compound.
Yay, another designer that actually uses something that's not bulk Chinese thermal paste that comes in 1kg packages Smiley Did you use the same compound on the Gekkoscience Compacs? Been wondering for a long time what goop you put on those ASICs.
newbie
Activity: 26
Merit: 0
Also PCBs are made from fiberglass, so if there's silicon around the chips something is terribly wrong because only the chip die itself, nestled inside the IC package, is silicon.

The thermal paste is Arctic Alumina, nonconductive ceramic thermal compound.

I only play an engineer on TV. Thanks for keeping me honest. Cheesy
legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1859
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
Also PCBs are made from fiberglass, so if there's silicon around the chips something is terribly wrong because only the chip die itself, nestled inside the IC package, is silicon.

The thermal paste is Arctic Alumina, nonconductive ceramic thermal compound.
newbie
Activity: 56
Merit: 0
The ASIC's are actually on the PCB side (I think). At least that was one of the takeaways I got from this post. As for the temp I just pointed a laser temp probe at (what I think are) the ASIC chips.

Interestingly, the silicon around the chips are considerably warmer than the chips themselves...  Undecided

Those are the decoupling caps on the "back" side of the board. The ASICs are "underneath" the stitched thermal vias just beside those caps, under the heatsink as was stated earlier. You can measure the core voltage at that point, doesn't mean those are the ASICs Wink
legendary
Activity: 1624
Merit: 1130
Bitcoin FTW!
How did you measure temp on the ASIC chip when they're under the heat sink? (or at least I believe that they're under the heat sink Smiley )

The ASIC's are actually on the PCB side (I think). At least that was one of the takeaways I got from this post. As for the temp I just pointed a laser temp probe at (what I think are) the ASIC chips.

Interestingly, the silicon around the chips are considerably warmer than the chips themselves...  Undecided
Still better than some other ASIC designers' designs in terms of engineering. To my knowledge the chips are below the heatsinks, I removed the heatsink and looked at the chips and saw they were right under it. Reapplied some arctic silver afterwards, not sure of temps now but it might be a tad better than what Sidehack put on.
newbie
Activity: 26
Merit: 0
How did you measure temp on the ASIC chip when they're under the heat sink? (or at least I believe that they're under the heat sink Smiley )

The ASIC's are actually on the PCB side (I think). At least that was one of the takeaways I got from this post. As for the temp I just pointed a laser temp probe at (what I think are) the ASIC chips.

Interestingly, the silicon around the chips are considerably warmer than the chips themselves...  Undecided
legendary
Activity: 3892
Merit: 4331
I've been running my 2PAC on a Raspberry Pi 3 but decided to invest in a powered USB hub. I have connected a HDD to the hub (it works fine) but cgminer is unable to find my 2PAC when it's connected to the hub. When I plug the 2PAC into the Rasp's USB ports, it's OK. How do I get cgminer to find the 2PAC plugged into the hub? Thanks!

In short: only some USB 3 powered hubs can be directly linked to rasp pi (Superbpag is one such known example where it works; USB 2 powered Plugable also works directly with pi, not sure it it is enough for 2pacs).
most USB 3 hubs would not work by themselves (it includes Anker), however, don't despair, there is a simple runaround: use non-powered simple usb hub (like USB2 Sabrent for around $6), connect it to rasp pi, then connect your powered hub to Sabrent, then it should work, providing that you push the button on Sabrent to activate the slot (it should shine blue).

TL;DR either return your USB 3 hub (non-Superbpag) and get Superbpag OR get a non-powered hub like Sabrent and use it as a bridge.
full member
Activity: 140
Merit: 100
Hi, I have mine running at 250,   I have a Temp probe in between
the board and heatsync currently its at 54.8 Celsius  is this a good temp?
What temps should it run at?

Are you keeping it in the freezer? Smiley

Mine are at 41C on the ASIC chip itself (according to my point and shoot laser probe). So I could overclock some more? I am with ppetrovic68, what is a realistic max temp?

Also, I'm thinking of building up a 3D printed cowl to sit on top of the USB hub with a case fan pulling air through the cowl. Anyone done anything similar that I can "borrow" ideas from? I have nearly the same setup as Biodom with the Superbpag 7 port hub connected to a Raspberry Pi. I think it would cool to have two of the Superbpag hubs lined up side by side with a aero cowl leading up to a 80mm case fan.

How did you measure temp on the ASIC chip when they're under the heat sink? (or at least I believe that they're under the heat sink Smiley )
legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1859
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
If it's a USB3 hub, that's a well-documented problem. Look it up.
newbie
Activity: 16
Merit: 0
I've been running my 2PAC on a Raspberry Pi 3 but decided to invest in a powered USB hub. I have connected a HDD to the hub (it works fine) but cgminer is unable to find my 2PAC when it's connected to the hub. When I plug the 2PAC into the Rasp's USB ports, it's OK. How do I get cgminer to find the 2PAC plugged into the hub? Thanks!
newbie
Activity: 26
Merit: 0
Hi, I have mine running at 250,   I have a Temp probe in between
the board and heatsync currently its at 54.8 Celsius  is this a good temp?
What temps should it run at?

Are you keeping it in the freezer? Smiley

Mine are at 41C on the ASIC chip itself (according to my point and shoot laser probe). So I could overclock some more? I am with ppetrovic68, what is a realistic max temp?

Also, I'm thinking of building up a 3D printed cowl to sit on top of the USB hub with a case fan pulling air through the cowl. Anyone done anything similar that I can "borrow" ideas from? I have nearly the same setup as Biodom with the Superbpag 7 port hub connected to a Raspberry Pi. I think it would cool to have two of the Superbpag hubs lined up side by side with a aero cowl leading up to a 80mm case fan.
full member
Activity: 140
Merit: 100

By -n I assume you were talking about -ndevs (list all devices), but you lost me with --dev... Searched high and low and could not find it. Mind pointing me in the right direction?

Typo on my end. Here is the correct parameter, --usb, used like so:

Code:
pi@raspberrypi:~/git/vthoang/cgminer $ ./cgminer -n
 [2017-03-27 06:47:38.562] USB all: found 7 devices - listing known devices
.USB dev 0: Bus 5 Device 64 ID: 10c4:ea60
  Manufacturer: 'GekkoScience'
  Product: '2Pac BM1384 Bitcoin Miner'
 [2017-03-27 06:47:38.562] 1 known USB devices

pi@raspberrypi:~/git/vthoang/cgminer $ ./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://solo.ckpool.org:3333 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr -p x --suggest-diff 32 --gekko-2pac-freq 150 --usb 5:64

Now that's completely different ball game Cheesy I know about --usb param. Unfortunately that does not help if device needs to be unplugged/plugged. It'll come up at different USB and then you need to restart cgminer and wait for diff to come down to a reasonable level...
vh
hero member
Activity: 699
Merit: 666

By -n I assume you were talking about -ndevs (list all devices), but you lost me with --dev... Searched high and low and could not find it. Mind pointing me in the right direction?

Typo on my end. Here is the correct parameter, --usb, used like so:

Code:
pi@raspberrypi:~/git/vthoang/cgminer $ ./cgminer -n
 [2017-03-27 06:47:38.562] USB all: found 7 devices - listing known devices
.USB dev 0: Bus 5 Device 64 ID: 10c4:ea60
  Manufacturer: 'GekkoScience'
  Product: '2Pac BM1384 Bitcoin Miner'
 [2017-03-27 06:47:38.562] 1 known USB devices

pi@raspberrypi:~/git/vthoang/cgminer $ ./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://solo.ckpool.org:3333 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr -p x --suggest-diff 32 --gekko-2pac-freq 150 --usb 5:64
legendary
Activity: 4256
Merit: 8551
'The right to privacy matters'
I have 4 2pacs running on ckpool says best share was 18.7 million.


What is the share size now to get a block?


475 billion
legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1859
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
What's the network difficulty?
member
Activity: 178
Merit: 12
I have 4 2pacs running on ckpool says best share was 18.7 million.


What is the share size now to get a block?
legendary
Activity: 1624
Merit: 1130
Bitcoin FTW!
Hi, I have mine running at 250,   I have a Temp probe in between
the board and heatsync currently its at 54.8 Celsius  is this a good temp?
What temps should it run at?

Are you keeping it in the freezer? Smiley

I know that you are joking, but 55C is burning hot...not F
my rule for compacs/2pacs is: if i can touch the metal with a finger for a few seconds without feeling a burn, than it is OK.
...I had students getting blisters when they "tried" a 72C water bath with their fingers thinking that it is roughly at a room temp..
Doesn't apply to the 2pacs so much, but I had block erupter USBs running just fine for a few years and they're also blisteringly hot, yet they don't seem to suffer any damage. It's sometimes okay if the miner is a little hot but make sure you have a fan on your miners going above 200.
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