Topic: GekkoScience NewPac / Terminus R606 (BM1387) Official Support Thread - page 97. (Read 61318 times)

This is a big, duh now... but hoping this post will confirm for those starting out (like myself) that you should pay a little more for a decent hub if you want to use a lot of these stick miners.  I love shortcuts, but power for these guys isn't something to mess with.

I was super green last month and got the usb hub below thinking I could get this and throw some miners on it and be all good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GGYU46O

I have only been able to get two to run on the hub (moved them around to different ports) and had to turn down the pot, but I have two newpacs running at 325mhz getting about 98-99% of 74.1 GH/s on each.  If I move them to the stock position, then one will pull the correct voltage and the other fights, and gets reset over and over.  Where I have them set now, if I try to push to 350mhz then the same thing happens, one pulls all the voltage and the other get's hosed.

No heat issues, but I have a fan on them just in case.

When my birthday comes around in August, I'll be asking for a new hub and more newpacs (or the next iterations, if available).  Thanks for all the work and updates on everyone's adventures.

More Reading:
USB HUB THREAD https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1779423.0;all
NEWPAC Announcement THREAD https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5053711.0;all - Don't change the potentiometer!
2PAC Support THREAD https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/gekkoscience-2paccompac-bm1384-stickminer-official-support-thread-1764803 - learned a lot here too.

Unplug the miner and let it rest for an hour without power.

Confirm the potentiometer is at its default location.

https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.48600421

The chips may respond once cooled, if they haven’t fully overheated.

I don't know if it's intrinsic to 16nm or something about the 1387 architecture, but these chips are very susceptible to thermal runaway. Take a look at VH's power charts in the first post. The moderately-cooled 200MHz power draw is about the same as the 100MHz uncooled. The BM1384 2Pac worked better (more stable at least) when running a bit hot, but the BM1387 really love the cold. We had to set the stock speed down to 100MHz on the NewPac, even though it's capable of so much more, because of the heat risk.

But as sidehack said....did you have a fan on it?

I just tested this frequency just a few minutes.. i just let it run on the stock speed overdose the night : 100 And this morning was dead ...

Really hope you had a fan on it at that speed, otherwise it probably burned the chips up.

Hello Everyone !

So i received yesterday a Newpac and he was running smoothly until today :

i got this message on cgminer:


tried to lowered the frequency to 25 but nothing better ... seems the chips are dead. i never passed a frequency above 150

Nope, not without changing a lot of code in cgminer.

Your welcome!  Hope it helps others too.

YES!!  thx. this works for me.
The sticks indeed differ from each other, but now i can run em @ their own best frequency. For now i am not tuning the voltage. Seems my 1st stick was a good one

Running 1st stick @ 600 Mhz and 2nd @ 425 Mhz looks like this is max for both.

This option is what does it for me now: --gekko-serial "GS-xxxxxxxx" running two separate instances now. Wonder if cgminer is adapted so only 1 instance is needed, based on serialnumber.

Anyway thx for the help.

---

Well tried to search and knew there was a thread handling the serials, but could not find it anymore. I know it was a 2pac thread, but even could not find it.

My power is good, using a single rail 12v power supply. used it for older technobit miners in the past (these miners where pulling much more power), now dedicated to suppling the hub.

Yeah, I’m the one who asked for the serial number targeting added to the cgminer code.

Sadly, there is no current way of setting multiple frequencies to the same type of asic in once instance of cgminer. So here’s what you do:

Get your serial numbers.  You can verify them with


then open usbinfo.txt and look for the following section(s):


Take your normal cgminer launch command and modify like this to include all 2pacs you want at the same frequency:


 --gekko-2pac-detect only finds 2pac's.  The --gekko-serial will only find the serials listed in the format shown above.  Yes, that hyphen in GS- is critical.

Make another script for units you want at a different frequency:


This will find the rest of your 2pacs (no serial lookup) and run them at 200.  You would need to start this script after the first - unless you want to specify all your serials like this:


For the newpac:


You can combine these as needed as well - combining newpacs and 2pacs together, as well as compacs and terminus in the same manners.

Example:


This would run the selected 4 sticks at: 200 if it’s a compac (GSC 10000058), 250 if it’s a 2pac (GSD 10019358, GSD 10021759, GSD 10021553, GSD 10021581) or 425 if it’s a newpac (GSH 10030095) (with newpac-boost for pools that support it).  Note that the --gekko-xxxx-detect options aren't needed here, unless you also had a terminus connected and on its own cgminer instance, but they can be useful depending on your setup and how you want to group together devices.

Here are all the flags you can use:

For detecting only one type of gekkoscience asic's:

--gekko-compac-detect, --gekko-2pac-detect, --gekko-terminus-detect and --gekko-newpac-detect

For setting frequency:

--gekko-compac-freq, --gekko-2pac-freq, --gekko-terminus-freq, and --gekko-newpac-freq,

For ramping up frequency over time on 2pac & Terminus (not supported on Newpac. The Compac hardware itself supports it, but the code needed for it isn't enabled in vthoang/cgminer yet. (I sent a pull request for it though!)):

--gekko-start-freq 25 --gekko-step-freq 6 --gekko-step-delay 30

(Starts all supported units at 25MHz (minimum), and steps up 6.25MHz (6.25MHz is the minimum step) every 30 seconds until it reaches the --gekko-xxxxx-freq.)

Serial lookup:

--gekko-serial "GS-10019785,GS-10021212,GS-10033333,GS-10033334"

But anyways, Here is what I use right now (I have a troublesome 2pac (GSD 10019785) separated out for testing at the moment - I have been able to get it stable for 2 weeks now at default stock speed and stock voltage - though still with a solid white light.  It won’t take any overclocking over 125, but at least I don't have to underclock it to 25 anymore!):

First script file:


2nd script file (a mix of 1 compac, 4 2pac's and 1 newpac.):


miner_conf.json contents:


Yeah, I’m lazy and haven't set up that single 2pac for a fail-over to solo.ckpool!  Not that it’s really needed for a single stock speed 2pac though!
Also, the serial for the compac and the newpac isn't needed - since I only have one of each.  But I plan to change that in the future - at least the newpac!  

One other note: Yes, I use "--suggest-diff 1" - my mix of 6 stated above has ckpool auto-correct it to ~112, and the single stock 2pac to ~7.  (32 (the default suggested for ckpool) on the stock single 2pac will still work - you just wont see as much activity)

TL;DR:

figure out your serial numbers, and what frequency each should run at.

take all the identical ones and group them together.

combine groups of generations (compac, 2pac, newpac, etc) into one command to reduce the amount of cgminer instances (if desired)(example: [3 newpacs @ 400, 3 2pacs @ 200, 5 compacs @ 150], and a separate script with: [1 newpac @ 500, 6 2pacs @ 250, 1 compac @ 250], etc.)

profit!

+1

Even on that nice hub, keep in mind the power output will still be constrained by the power input and the shared regulators.

While the "All" option is still available near the site's page navigation, click it and search for "serial".

thx, i'll try adjust voltage just a little bit.
My 1st stick runs very very cool @ 600 Mhz, so adjusting a little bit wont be a problem.
The fans i got work well
Btw i use GS hub

THe other question i got about the serial option to make sticks run on different freq, any1 know more about that? possibble or not.

voltage setting (potentiometer) and available power (hub) has an affect to the max stable MHz.

As gt_addict mentioned, its effect varies per stick.

If you want to test voltage tuning, focus in on one stick (without anything else drawing power) and adjust 1-2 degrees at time.
Try to stay within a few degrees of its original setting.

Each time you move clockwise that it consumes more power and runs hotter, even at lower frequencies.

If unchecked, this can quickly lead to heat based damage so keep it as low as you can, or don't change it at all.

You wont need to adjust the stock voltage, it will get you up to 600Mhz, if the stick will support it, not all are built the same and some just wont make it to exactly 600Mhz. Try starting out lower, around 300 or 400Mhz, then raise the frequency by 10 or 20 and watch it for a week.
Dont worry about the HW errors, just watch your hashrate. does it match where it should or did it go down? Do this till you find the sticks top frequency. Most can get up around 575Mhz if done right.
You can check your voltage setting by referring to vh's previous post (https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.48600421) and make sure its at the stock setting.

and P.S. LOTS AND LOTS OF COOLING.

Not that im aware of. There is the serial option to differentiate the sticks but not sure if that can be used to specify a freq for individual sticks.

Yes i know i can run em on their own frequencies its @ this forum how to do that. But thats why i am in doubt, should i run different instances or adjust voltage?

Meanwhile did seach @ forum and found this: cgminer -o stratum+tcp://solo.ckpool.org:3333 -u 1JdC6Xg3ajT3rge3FgPNSYYFpmf53Vbtje -p x --gekko-compac-freq 150 --gekko-newpac-freq 175 --gekko-newpac-boost

But that is for different sticks, is it possible to use options for same sticks (newpac), but running them @different frequencies just using one line?

They arent all equal unfortunately. I have a few sticks and run them all on the speed of the fastest one for ease. You could have a different instances of cgminer open for each stick and run them all at individual frequencies.

question: got my 2nd newpac today with GS USB hub.
the 2nd gekko can't run on 600 Mhz like the 1st one. It wil stay @ 6GH/s when doing 600 Mhz.
@ 450 Mhz the 2nd stick does work normally like the 1st one, but above that its is staying behind.

Is this the point where i have to adjust the voltage of the 2nd stick? like sayd in the first pages of this thread.
Or is it not usefull to adjust voltage?
Bit in doubt here

Heatsink upgrade project going well.  Test unit with original 2Pac finally finished and going through post-upgrade stress testing.

https://i.imgur.com/3lDmkQP.jpg
You're not seeing things, it glows under UV light...

https://i.imgur.com/BIZPiWi.jpg?1
The 2 x NewPacs have been disassembled and awaiting conformal coating to dry before heatsink upgrade.  Waiting for tiny clamps from Amazon.

So far with the upgrade 40x40x20mm heatsink, she's running just slightly above room temp doing stable at 175MHZ on a lousy Anker USB hub.  Run so cool my thermometer refuses to measure temp (I'm using a human thermometer since I don't have an electronic or cooking thermometer).

Will be upgrading the NewPac with a 40x40x20 and a 60x60x10 and see how each does.

I think I need to order a few more NewPac sticks...

Thanks rockmoney, hopefully i will have time this weekend to print them and get them sized correctly. Its going to involve some fine motor skills to get the text cut out nicely with a knife lol