Topic: How would you get started on create a custom firmware for a Antminer S19 (Read 248 times)

I am aware of that, I was not talking about Braiins but rather another firmware that I am sure Kano would want to block, but I managed to mine to Kano.is using that firmware, which is why I am asking if he is sure that his "blocking" is actually working and whether it has been tested or not.

Braiins is allowed because as Kano has said it is a clean(ish) re-write that used cgminer as a reference but is nonetheless not just hacked cgminer code.

Everything else is more than anything just patched Bitmain's (illict) cgminer code to add features (and charge for it) and then adding insult to injury refused to make their recompiled code public eg firmware such as Vanish and its ilk is verbotten.

That is an interesting observation, Braiins Pool previously known as Slush allows all SHA256 miners with all different firmware versions to mine to their pool, which is pretty standard just like all the other pools, I would personally do the same if I had a mining pool. Now Artemis3 being Braiins's representative shouldn't be going around telling other pools what should and what should not, I can do it since I am not affiliated with any pools or firwamre.

On a side but related note, what firmware do you actually block? I have tested one which you are most likely blocking and it mined just fine on your pool, not saying your claim is invalid, maybe your code is broken? , and please, don't start with all the personal attacks I am asking a simple question with no hidden agenda.

Bitmain definitely knows what they're doing & if someone can optimize anything on that board - it's them. They're not obliged to tell you anything & can use whatever software/hardware they want, & then you can do what you want with it.

That aside, there's a lot of info/documentation on their asic chips lately. Tons of folks are soldering them to their own PCB's. We're already seeing many projects with one or two asics on small pcb's controlled by some small mcu or via serial by a pc, next they're going to put 5 on a board, next 10, then you're going to have full fledged open source s19 type machines. It won't change anything though - The vast majority of the cost of a sha256d miner is in the asic development/wafer printing - even if you hand crafted a shad256d miner asic by asic, resistor by resistor, etc, custom controller board, etc with your own soldering iron - the cost would be similar to MSRP for a s19, for example. Bitmain is selling those machines for very, very close to their production cost. Just in case you're thinking it's cheaper to build your own miners.

To answer your question though, how much to hack a fan control? That's more of a reverse engineering job than development, reversing costs are generally much cheaper than programming. I'd say not as much as you'd think, plenty of forums with lots of talented reversers who'd probably work with you for a few thousand US. If you want a custom pcb controller board with tested, quality software, you'd need to start adding 0's to the price.

Five things:
1) You are replying to something I wrote more than 2 months ago

2) When have I been passive about the license violation?
I'm the only one who is active about it.
As I have stated before a number of times in the past, the catch is the GPL doesn't apply in China ...

3) Yes Bitmain violate the license, as I keep saying about all the miners.
'Technically' even you do since you used the opensource code to help write your miner in a different language then close sourced it

4) It took me about an hour to work out the version rolling plus everything else in the work protocol of the s19
(but someone else also took time to dump the data for me)

5) You allow all cgminer license violations on your pool.
I block all the ones I know about who also make false claims about not violating the license and have never released any code.

So you figured that independently by yourself. But that doesn't remove the fact that Bitmain is infringing cgminer and they must release the source with the modifications that made possible to use those chips, so that you "upstream" can decide to add support to those.

Exactly how many months/years you have wasted figuring those chips, when it was your right to know this information from the beginning? Bitmain or any other asic manufacturer is not allowed to publicly redistribute modified cgminer without releasing the code. They have been pirating cgminer for years, and yet your attitude with them is passive.

Selling asic miners with modded cgminer constitutes redistribution, and refusing to provide the source code activates the termination clause 8 of the GPL. Just because you decided to be passive, doesn't remove these facts, and anyone can sue them for this, especially in the US.

Of course there is also the fact that there are companies running gear with that pirated software... But you allow that pirated software in your pool, go figure.

Well ... it's not that hard

The S19 does block version rolling to generate work internally, so I/O to the chips is much lower than e.g. the BM1397

First you would use an S17+ control board because it's unlocked and available for modification of firmware.

Next you would become a Linux God who can compile code and create shell scripts.

Then, you would tear apart a test jig to understand how to send commands to the  hashboard and receive the nonce.

Once you have the nonce you have to know how to send that to your pool for credit. Somewhere around the second or third step you're going to figure out how to fiddle with little things like frequency and voltage too get your desired effects.


That's just a high level, back of the envelope, look at the top of the iceberg.

Easy: you start by requesting Bitmain the modifications done to cgminer that made it possible to work with those chips, which they are obligated to provide. Good luck...

No one would do that and there is no guide here on how to create custom firmware for this unit and I'm sure no one will share a guide.

If your problem is the fan and power control there are some modded firmware that you can find on the forum with that features.
Sample Braiins OS you can find their official thread from this link below

- https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/braiins-os-braiins-os-custom-asic-firmware-optimize-performance-efficiency-5036844

Hi

I've been hunting for people to help me create custom firmware for the Antminer S19 and what costs would be involved, i just don't feel the Antminer S19 Firmware is very optimised in the Fan control and Power Control

Thanks