Topic: OK, i confirmed the model of FPGA they are using in BFL single. - page 5. (Read 16714 times)
I see this as both good a bad news. The bad news is that they probably only have a limited quantity of this chip available. Either they will have to raise the price, or redesign their product using a Spartan or something else more modern.
Is the same chip 
) at 50$ and 2k$
) at 50$ and 2k$ i also check the price of this chip.
on digikey, it's about 2000-3000USD,
http://www.digikey.cn/product-search/zh/integrated-circuits-ics/embedded-fpgas-field-programmable-gate-array/2556262?k=EP3SL150
but this old chip is about 200-300USD in China market for a new one, and about 50-60 USD for a used one. i discussed with my supplier about the strange price, they said because nearly no one use this stuff, so the price is like a " markdown sale", so there are no large quantity of this chip in the market, maybe only a few hundreds (both new and used one).
all above is only personal viewpoint, I shall not accept any responsibility.
So which one is in the single ? the 2000-3000 or 200-300 USD chip ?
Interesting find. But people need to remember. Its not just what chip is used, but the software driving through it
Just wondering what part is broken if you can still determine the chip they used.
Or did you solder the chip off so you can do tests?
Or did you solder the chip off so you can do tests?
that broken one still in operate (but not normally), so the FPGAs still can be probed.
Just wondering what part is broken if you can still determine the chip they used.
Or did you solder the chip off so you can do tests?
Or did you solder the chip off so you can do tests?
Well this is good news , others my develop cheaper FPGA boards using these chips.
Others will not. Chip costs over 2k$ in small quantities. Not to mention that is worthless without bitstream. BFL don't publish bitstream, and that one in Singles is propably encrypted.notice that it's really illegal if use their bitsteam.
Well this is good news , others my develop cheaper FPGA boards using these chips.
Others will not. Chip costs over 2k$ in small quantities. Not to mention that is worthless without bitstream. BFL don't publish bitstream, and that one in Singles is propably encrypted. 
It would be cool to see a open sourced bfl clone. Possibly for even cheaper.
hope you can deal with the huge power consume. (40A pre core)
Well this is good news , others my develop cheaper FPGA boards using these chips.
I'm not surprised...
Good work, how about Lancelot?
Good work, how about Lancelot?
please don't lead this topic to off topic....
i will announce Lancelot at another thread.
I'm not surprised...
Good work, how about Lancelot?
Good work, how about Lancelot?
first, an Anonymous send me a broken BFL single for free. thank you!
i disassemble the box and start a JTAG probing on JTAG2.
the board act the same as this post:
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.870733
but by the component size (29X29mm, 780pin), Flash memory size (64Mbit), i nearly to be certain it's a altera atratix3 FPGA. 99% possibility is a EP3SL150F780.
so i scraped the VIA under the chip, probe the JTAG pins, and finally find they bread the TDO line by remove the R36 resister.
by soldering the 0R resister back, I can detect the FPGAs by the JTAG normally.
so now is the result:
it's a EP3SL150.
you can check the ID cords here:
http://www.altera.com/literature/hb/stx3/stx3_siii51013.pdf
page 16.
ADD:
i also check the price of this chip.
on digikey, it's about 2000-3000USD,
http://www.digikey.cn/product-search/zh/integrated-circuits-ics/embedded-fpgas-field-programmable-gate-array/2556262?k=EP3SL150
but this old chip is about 200-300USD in China market for a new one, and about 50-60 USD for a used one. i discussed with my supplier about the strange price, they said because nearly no one use this stuff, so the price is like a " markdown sale", so there are no large quantity of this chip in the market, maybe only a few hundreds (both new and used one).
all above is only personal viewpoint, I shall not accept any responsibility.
i disassemble the box and start a JTAG probing on JTAG2.
the board act the same as this post:
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.870733
but by the component size (29X29mm, 780pin), Flash memory size (64Mbit), i nearly to be certain it's a altera atratix3 FPGA. 99% possibility is a EP3SL150F780.
so i scraped the VIA under the chip, probe the JTAG pins, and finally find they bread the TDO line by remove the R36 resister.
by soldering the 0R resister back, I can detect the FPGAs by the JTAG normally.
so now is the result:
Code:
Device IDCODE : 00010010000100000010000011011101
it's a EP3SL150.
you can check the ID cords here:
http://www.altera.com/literature/hb/stx3/stx3_siii51013.pdf
page 16.
ADD:
i also check the price of this chip.
on digikey, it's about 2000-3000USD,
http://www.digikey.cn/product-search/zh/integrated-circuits-ics/embedded-fpgas-field-programmable-gate-array/2556262?k=EP3SL150
but this old chip is about 200-300USD in China market for a new one, and about 50-60 USD for a used one. i discussed with my supplier about the strange price, they said because nearly no one use this stuff, so the price is like a " markdown sale", so there are no large quantity of this chip in the market, maybe only a few hundreds (both new and used one).
all above is only personal viewpoint, I shall not accept any responsibility.
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