Topic: Klondike - 16 chip ASIC Open Source Board - Preliminary - page 119. (Read 435369 times)

Awesome, So it's pretty damned easy and safe to flash these suckers. Only risk it seems is if your power goes out while flashing. Safe enough for me! I'll be getting one these for sure next month at 22$

Range anywhere from $17 - $50 on Aliexpress for the TL-WR703N shipping may or may not be included.


http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=TL-WR703N+&catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20130605201139

These are everywhere in China. I saw a hundred different vendors selling them in Shanghai a few months ago. I don't remember what they wanted for them. It's not easy to haggle anymore as it used to be. They all know each other and stick to their prices.

I haven't done it with this one yet but typically it's just a matter of using a router option to load a new firmware update where you substitute the alternate file. See OpenWrt docs, as it appears to be a typical case.
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wr703n

I was planning on getting one for my RT-16 anyways, so that's not a issue for me. Question is, How easy/hard is it to flash these little buggers with OpenWRT? I know that you can just wondering how hard it is.

I usually just buy them off Ebay. I've got 3-4 of them used for various things. They're quite versatile. They're also the basis for the Avalon miners as well, running a modified firmware specific to their machine.

You'll need to use a powered hub with it for the purpose. One of it's design flaws is it doesn't work with Low/Full Speed devices (USB 1.1) but only High Speed (USB 2.0). You probably want a hub to supply multiple K1s power anyway but in this case it also acts as adapter for USB versions.

Great updates today Bkk! Also thanks for the info about the TL-WR703N guys.
I had no clue about it, seems like a great mini-router to have.
I might get one next month just for some K1 mining so I don't have to bother having my USB ports tied up on my RT-16.

This mob has it with DD-Wrt pre-installed.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TP-Link-ENGLISH-FIRMWARE-TL-WR703N-Mini-Portable-Wireless-Router-150N-G-B-DD-WRT-/271001356356

I have ordered a TL-WR703N thanks!

on amazon for ≃24$

aliexpress.com for all things chinese.

Where would you recommend getting the TL-WR703N from ?
 

Wow super cool update, your timing is impeccable.  I was just getting cold feet at the meteoric rise in difficulty.  I should know better.

Funny you should mention it, I bought an extra WR703 as well, on the off chance that somebody finds a way to make that work. Shouldn't be difficult for a skilled programmer, but I'm a break/fix kinda guy. Never had much going for me in the 'creativity' department. 

If it doesn't work out, I have plenty of uses for these things, so it won't go to waste.

Excellent news on a lot of fronts
It would be great if you found the time to get with the MinePeon folks and got them setup with a driver!

I love it when people do that kind of thing. The funny thing is that all the Chinese sellers don't seem to know why so many people buy this unit. They sell them and apologize that the interface is in Chinese and provide a Chinglish manual. If they would just pre-install OpenWrt they could sell them for $5 more and everyone would be happy with the superior firmware in English ready to run.

Anyway, USB testing went very well this afternoon. I got it to immediately show up in lsusb and a udev rule gives it a symlink name, /dev/Klondike. I used gtkterm to communicate with the firmware and tested some  rudimentary cmds for fan PWM and temperature readback that worked fine. I was able to view the PWM output via Logic Analyser, and held up a desk fan to make the temperature readings vary a little. Tomorrow I'll burn the actual Klondike firmware and start using the actual protocol to view status and set config values. I should be able to get actual ASIC data push captures too as that has already been tested by chaoztc, so I know it works.

I also came across the Microchip Demo Project for usblib interfacing. I may look at switching it from CDC serial to that instead as it seems like it may give a bit more flexibility.

Oh! And just got an email that the first K16 boards have shipped today.

peon is an arch linux distro...
I have to admit I am thinking of moving away since by default peon is still on a cgminer 2 version :/

Thx for the link will keep a note of it

http://squonk42.github.io/TL-WR703N/  <--- if you need Reverse-Engineering work on the TL-WR703N 150M 802.11n Wi-Fi Router. Imagine that mashup? K16 meets TL-WR703N?

Sorry to continue the sidetrack, but u can use my binaries : https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/debian-packages-for-cgminer-216117
compiling is not that big a pain... just takes looong time... maybe like 5 or 10 mins.. installation from the .deb is quick. but maynot be compatible with minepeon in case it does some other patchwork... have never used minepeon.