Topic: HashFast announces specs for new ASIC: 400GH/s - page 518. (Read 880479 times)

YES...  for me that will be just utilizing the some of the MANY motherboards and SeaSonics i have sitting in the farm doing nothing right now...  I will be mining primecoin with the mobo and using cgminer to control the modules.

I think the only thing I will have to get is heatsinks.

You likely won't need to increase the number of power supplies.  Granted we haven't seen the final hardware but everything about HF statements is that they are going for "off the shelf" for everything but the "mining module".   I see no reason why you couldn't make a custom build with a large power supply (say 1600W) that connects 5 mining modules to a single host.

We are all assumming a rPi can't handle 3+ modules but lets continue to assume that is true.  There are other options.   A beagleboard runs about $50 (Beagle Bone Black) and can be viewed as a "super" Pi.  It is a step above the rPi in capabilities.  Has roughly 3x the processing power, more IO capabilities, newer ARM architecture.  If (and I stress this is just an IF) a single rPi can't handle more than 3 modules I would guesstimate that a BBB would be capable of 2x to 3x that.

For systems beyond 5 total modules IMHO it likely is better to go with a more powerful host connected to multiple mining rigs.  Put 3 or 4 modules per chassis and then connect multiple chassis to a single "powerful" (i.e. low power PC) controller.

The nice thing about using off the shelf parts is it will be possible for users who want to, to come up with innovative solutions.

Well if it does work this way the advantage is ease of deployment for smaller scale systems.  For larger systems using a hub likely makes more sense.  Seems likely either would work if the host to module interface is just plain USB.  For larger systems it reduces the number of hubs.

The sierra has 3 modules per rack.  The rack is 2U high.  In theory 20 Sierras could fit in a single datacenter rack.  Thats 60 modules.   Optimally all of them will be connected to a single host to ease administration and management.  So you could run 3 USB drops to each chassis but that is a waste and since nobody makes 60 port USB hubs you are looking at multiple hubs anyways.   Another option would be to put a single 4 port hub inside each Sierra but you no have the same single point of failure.  Instead you daisy chain the 3 modules inside the Sierra together.  Then one usb drop per rack gives you connectivity for all the modules.  20 sierras + single PC/server + 20 port usb hub = 24 TH/s.

Since there is a realistic limit on how many modules can be used in a self contained (1 host, 1 chassis, 1 power supply) system I don't see daisy chain OPTION as being anything but good news.  I mean if the modules use 250W @ ~1VDC and the modules DC to DC supply is 90% efficient we are looking at ~280W @ 12VDC per mining board.   Thats 1400W for 5 modules plus the power for host, fans, and pump.  Cooling and powering 1400W in a single chassis will be a challenge.  It is unlikely one will want to try for more than that.  Beyond 5 modules it starts making sense to look into multiple "dumb" chassis connected to a mining server.

Of course IF they can be daisy chained then they certainly can be used with hubs as well.

Remember we aren't talking about USB Block Eruptor scale here.

Each module is 400 GH/s nominal.   If (and this is just an if) you are limited to only 5 daisy chained that is "only" 2 TH/s per root hub.  If you are using a PC as your host they often have more than one root hub.  In windows the device manager will show the number of root hubs.  My PC has 4 which is pretty common.  That would be 4x the daisy chain length. 

If you need more then use a hub.  Even if you are limited to less than 127 remember we are talking about 400 GH/s nominal.   If you are limited to say 60 units effectively per host (not a rPi but a real entry level PC/server) that is "only" 24 TH/s.  That is going to fill an entire server rack.  I think people looking to deploy multiples of 24 TH/s can afford one host per rack of mining hardware.

Anyway who would be stupid enough to add point of failures this way?

Depending on how they implemented the daisy chaining, you might not get even close to 127. The traditional way would be to have the first module plug into the USB port, with the module itself being one device and the "output" to the next device being a hub. There are limits to hub depth though (usually 5), so you might not be able to chain more than a few HF modules together.

Even if you can daisy chain them the maximum number of USB devices a computer can support is 127 which sounds like a lot but many physical devices have multiple logical USB devices within them so if the things can be daisy chained they will count for at least 2 USB devices each one for the actual ASIC miner and another for the hub device that provides the chaining port.  So for someone like you that expects to have like 50+ of the things I wouldn't expect to chain them all and have it just work.

you don't have to believe me but...

just talked to Simon.

don't go out and buy a bunch of Raspis.  you may need far less than even i anticipated.

Frankly I don't really care that much, those rPi are so cheap and small that I don't mind adding one for each module

It's just the cable mess that increases with all those power supplies...

Thanks for reporting on the specifications of the power supply.

What are the specifications of liquid cooling equipment?

Not saying this is or isn't true but, you are the only person that has claimed this will be possible.  There haven't been any postings from HF accounts in this thread at least claiming they will work this way.

I really appreciate this, thank you. It's good to see an ASIC company that recognizes, that their first customers took the greatest risks and paid the most.

I've read in this thread that there is a 10 day.

How did you see that when I'm on your ignore list? You don't recall organizing ignore-raid on anyone who dared to say anything realistic about KnC on their thread? I got my yellow tag because of people like you.

wait, what lol? me a knc shill?
rofl. please post my best knc cheerleading and I will temporarily unignore you.

Seeing how few KnC units blowup I have to ask: where does it say anything about the warranty on HasFast products?

I bought 2 units, but forgot to look it up and can't find any info on warranty.

We are not screaming for actual photos because we are not KnC FUD-spreaders like you and Puppet. Anyone can click on the "last posts" in the profiles of both of you and see that you are heavily shilling for KnC in their thread, and came here to spread FUD. Unlike KnC who are assembling their products in empty warehouse, HashFast has contracted the factory which will assemble and deliver all 500 batch #1 machines in half a day. Since they have 1200 units capacity a day, they will be probably be over with batch #2 on the first day of production before going home for dinner. Have KnC assembled their batch #1 now, two weeks later? I thought so. Since HF stated it will take 5 days from receiving chips to production day, it makes no sense to ask for pictures of chips since they aren't any, they should be in HF headquarters on 26-27th October for delivery to be in October. Asking for photos before that date makes no sense.

So this will be interesting.

Because I'm already repackaging my BJ's as sierras because of space considerations, you will be able to use me as an experiment to work these issues out such as what a Raspi may or may not be able to handle. Sounds like 3 modules right now or one per Sierra. I'll run that by engineering.

Well, there is an inconsistency in what they've written as there is 2 versus 3 modules in a BJ versus a Sierra.

Amy has assured me that the Sierra can be run by a Raspi. If not, use an old laptop.