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Topic: Hacking the S7 - improving efficiency through minor hardware manipulation (Read 26493 times)

legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1859
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
So in June my people convinced me to change webhosts and get a better managed email frontend. This jacked up some of the website stuff. I'm in the process of migrating back because the recommended outfit is not good. That's why the file link is dead. It'll come back someday, hopefully early next year.

It's cool to see people are still interested in this project.
sr. member
Activity: 446
Merit: 347
newbie
Activity: 1
Merit: 0
Hello all!


Any chance that the files needed for this mod are floating around somewhere? The link posted a few years ago at gekkoscience is dead now : (


I'd really like to do some tinkering with an S7 I just picked up.

Any help would be appreciated!

Happy holidays!


-woof
newbie
Activity: 4
Merit: 0
BUMP

Does anyone happen to still have the hex files lying around? Sidehack's link earlier in the thread is dead. Would be much appreciated
legendary
Activity: 3808
Merit: 1723
Up to 300% + 200 FS deposit bonuses
Quote
With a 750W power draw, I don't think it would be possible to make it that quiet.
But I guess everybody has different noise levels and they are all relative.
The UV/UC s7's get very quiet. Given 70F ambient it is quieter than the central AC. Still audible at a distance but not distracting in the least.

I guess the difference can be the hashboards.

If I recall the S3 hashboard had exposed chips, while the S7 had individual heatsinks on each chip.

So I guess the S7 needed a little less airflow since the heatsinks did a good job of absorbing most of the heat, while the S3 needed much more air.

Really temped to pick up a couple of these and just mod them for old time sakes. Been a while since I've had an Antminer and they are dirt cheap right now.

Maybe point it in ckpool solo and hope it hits a block one day.
legendary
Activity: 3752
Merit: 2667
Evil beware: We have waffles!
Quote
With a 750W power draw, I don't think it would be possible to make it that quiet.
But I guess everybody has different noise levels and they are all relative.
The UV/UC s7's get very quiet. Given 70F ambient it is quieter than the central AC. Still audible at a distance but not distracting in the least.
legendary
Activity: 3808
Merit: 1723
Up to 300% + 200 FS deposit bonuses
Depending on the condition of the chips and resulting speed/voltage the miner will be stable at, with 3 boards mine were running at ~ 3.5 to 3.9THs with fans at 20-25%, power draw was around 750W. Result is more than quiet enough for the office or home.

Really surprised you got it to be quiet enough for an office with a 750W power draw.

I remember with my old Antminer S3, to get it quiet enough for a bedroom I had to undervolt and underclock so it pulled 300Watts and I was able to get away with using 2 computer case fans (from a KnCMiner Jupiter actually).

With a 750W power draw, I don't think it would be possible to make it that quiet.

But I guess everybody has different noise levels and they are all relative.
legendary
Activity: 3752
Merit: 2667
Evil beware: We have waffles!
how much energy does the miner consume? Huh
...
Perhaps try READING the post right above yours?
legendary
Activity: 3752
Merit: 2667
Evil beware: We have waffles!
Depending on the condition of the chips and resulting speed/voltage the miner will be stable at, with 3 boards mine were running at ~ 3.5 to 3.9THs with fans at 20-25%, power draw was around 750W. Result is more than quiet enough for the office or home.
jr. member
Activity: 78
Merit: 7
It's true. All the software is free and you can get a PICKit clone for like $20.

I have one on order, looks like it'll arrive Friday so hoping that will be my fun for the weekend.

Had another S7 hashboard die, just won't show all the asics...so the last two boards I have are running in one machine. If I can update both of those, hoping to get them as low as 2.5Th at 600W...in which case I should actually be able to run it in the house!
legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1859
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
It's true. All the software is free and you can get a PICKit clone for like $20.
full member
Activity: 294
Merit: 129
Sidehack, or others... anyone offer (or willing to do) this as a paid service, for those of us that don't have the knowledge/comfort to do so ourselves?

Its really not worth the time or effort to ship it, have it done, send it back and all that nonsense. Plus when you dont like how it runs and you start to complain, nobody wants to deal with that.

Just man up and do it yourself, it costs almost nothing for a PIC programmer and then like 15 minutes of your time to actually do it.
jr. member
Activity: 78
Merit: 7
Sidehack, or others... anyone offer (or willing to do) this as a paid service, for those of us that don't have the knowledge/comfort to do so ourselves?
jr. member
Activity: 97
Merit: 5
I let each board run solo on my S7 for a day or so each. I fired up the third board for a solo run last night and it immediately showed all 3 boards with "oooo"s and 48 chips.

I switch the ribbon cable out for one of the other boards - same result

I re-flashed it with different hex files, starting from 620 up to 690 - same result

Changed power supply from apw3++ 1300 to an EVGA 750 - same result

I have run out of ideas at this point and would greatly appreciate the help.


Thank you


edit: added additional info
jr. member
Activity: 97
Merit: 5
Maybe for a short time until the s7's throttle down.
Good thing is, the APW3++ is seriously de-rated. I've ran a few at 1,350-1,400w fed from 110v for several days with no issues other than the fans running at full speed. Still quieter than the hair dryer like sound from HP DP1200w supplies.

Several companies distribute the APW's, I use Blockforge.com in the US

Thank you, will look into them.
legendary
Activity: 3752
Merit: 2667
Evil beware: We have waffles!
Quote
Would i need 1300w since i have lowered the mv with thee hex files?
Maybe for a short time until the s7's throttle down.
Good thing is, the APW3++ is seriously de-rated. I've ran a few at 1,350-1,400w fed from 110v for several days with no issues other than the fans running at full speed. Still quieter than the hair dryer like sound from HP DP1200w supplies.

Several companies distribute the APW's, I use Blockforge.com in the US
jr. member
Activity: 97
Merit: 5
I've been becoming rather fond of Bitmain's APW3++ series. They are rated up to 1,200W @ 110v (1,600W @ 240v) and are quiet even when moderately loaded. Their one quirk is that if it ever shuts down from overload it takes several minutes before it will restart despite being only slightly warm .

Would i need 1300w since i have lowered the mv with thee hex files?
I figured 800w max for ramp up then it would settle to 630-640w.
jr. member
Activity: 78
Merit: 7
I do not have the equipment (or experience for comfort) to do this, but I do have an S7 (45 asic) gathering dust.

Is anyone out there offering this (re)programming as a paid service?

legendary
Activity: 3752
Merit: 2667
Evil beware: We have waffles!

Any suggestions on a PSU, preferably a quieter one than the 1300w server PSU?
I've been becoming rather fond of Bitmain's APW3++ series. They are rated up to 1,200W @ 110v (1,600W @ 240v) and are quiet even when moderately loaded. Their one quirk is that if it ever shuts down from overload it takes several minutes before it will restart despite being only slightly warm .
jr. member
Activity: 97
Merit: 5
Having issues with programming my S7 (45 Asic) boards.

I am using the MPLAB IPE v3.35

The Low voltage checkbox has to be checked as well or it will not connect for me.

The target id keeps coming up as (0x0) and says its invalid. If I select ok it connects but still has the target ID error.

I can read and export original firmware

When I try to Program the board with any of the Hex files, I get the following:

"2018-06-21 22:57:42 -0500 - Programming...

The following memory area(s) will be programmed:
program memory: start address = 0x0, end address = 0xaf
configuration memory

Device Erased...

Programming...
program memory
Address: 0 Expected Value: 2805 Received Value: 0
Failed to program device
2018-06-21 22:57:45 -0500 - Programming failed

Pass Count: 0"

I would appreciate any help on this matter.

Resolved this by unchecking the LVP box and increasing the VDD power to 4.65
At 4.65 it connected successfully and produced the correct Target ID

I now have them running 640,630,630 respectfully at 600Mhz and kill a watt is showing a 634w average at 110v.
This cut the cost to run by about half but I fear the continued drop in the value of BTC is the next obstacle in the near future.

Any suggestions on a PSU, preferably a quieter one than the 1300w server PSU?
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