The firmware tests the engine (and chip if you have multiple chips) performance at startup and adjusts the speed accordingly based on how "correct" the answers are from each engine. It is not unusual for the existing Jals out there to be somewhere between 27 and 30 units when run at the higher speeds. 30 is the most that can be activated on 2+ chip units. When run at their lowest speed as 5GH units, most of the engines seem to work making all 30 start at 189MHz ~5.7GH. I posted firmware which relaxes the test dramatically making it far more likely to activate all 30 engines at speed setting "7" which is 274MHz, so 30 engines at 274 ~8.2 GH. I can't comment on the binned versus unbinned policy for chips by BFL but it looks like earlier units were unbinned making them potentially full speed, while later ones were chosen to reach the guaranteed speed as a minimum.
Unfortunately some of the hardware errors are currently counted towards the hashrate so you cannot simply look at the hashrate and determine whether you're creating all good work. I'm planning on rectifying that next cgminer version.
Can you be so kind to please post the code to the modified firmware, since I want to test my Jally at speeds "9" and using all engines. Unfortunately some of the hardware errors are currently counted towards the hashrate so you cannot simply look at the hashrate and determine whether you're creating all good work. I'm planning on rectifying that next cgminer version.
