Topic: Overt AsicBoost Released today? - page 3. (Read 1730 times)

@2112
Interesting...

Regarding BM's AB, everything I'd read is/was saying that it was a hardware implementation in the chips but able to be switched on/off. Considering it was never put to use, the ability to simulate (fake) AB by reprogramming the FPGA makes more sense as oppose to wasting die space on unused circuitry.

Intel's patent application definitely is a hardware implementation probably destined to become a Foundry IP block for use by whoever wants to pay the royalty.

As for Halong's  'open' version...
A) To me it is a blatant attempt to hijack other mfgr's IP by saying, "Sure. You can use our 1 patent for 'free' -- provided you open access to all of your IP and lift all vendor NDA's as well.

B) Their miners only work with a pool that implements the stratum AB switches. While writing/testing the T1's driver -ck has been emphatic on that. When he forced the firmware to connect to a non-AB pool only 1/4 of the hash's produced are valid. Now if they manage to convince most of the pools to support the new stratum code to use AB then yes the Halongitosis patent does become a rather large carrot to dangle even if it is a very malodorous one-- assuming the T1 miners eventually live up to their promised specs. So far the jury remains out on that point.

C) My feeling is that not only Intel but also Bitmain, Canaan, Bitfury et al will all pursue their own implementation of covert AB. Hell, with Samsung getting into the ASIC miner chip biz it would even make sense for them to also come up with a Foundry IP block for AB to drop into whoever wants it in their chips.

If I ever get ASIC samples and data from those guys (it's been discussed a bit), I'll drop you a line and figure out what to look for.

This is both true and false.

It is all true if you really believe that the particular chip really implements the AB.

On the other hand is it possible to write a firmware that drives the regular non-AB mining chips in such a way that they appear to produce results that look like made with the AB.

But the only way to actually verify the existence and support for AB is via reverse-engineering of the firmware or attaching the logic analyzer to the signals sent to the mining chips.

Edit: As far as reverse-engineering the firmware, the cost and complexity depends on the MCU. I believe the recent hardware has been using Xilinx Zynq chips which is a dual core ARM chip paired with the Artix FPGA logic slices. Reverse-engineering the FPGA programming bit-streams is nothing like disassembling the microprocessor's instruction ROMs, it is several orders of magnitude more cumbersome and expensive. In particular there are no tools available publicly for that task.

On the other hand writing a firmware that fakes the AB (provided that you have the source for non-AB firmware) is fairly trivial exercise.

Just looked and that message usually means that the post or even entire thread thread was deleted by mods. It was probably in the Halong Dragon miner thread and the mods there have been rather free about removing disparaging posts and specifically any with the word 'Bitmain" in it....

Beyond that, both Biteme and Halonitosis's versions of AB rely on physical circuits inside of the ASIC chips. The chips themselves need to be changed. It is not just a change in firmware.

Thanks NotFuzzyWarm! I always like your posts on here.
The thread seems to be off limits to me now?

ref my post https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/--3218166
IF Bitmain were to revise the physical logic inside the chips to use the Halongitosis's overt vs BM's covert AB protocols then yes they would be required to open all of their IP to the public. Don't see that happening.

If the Bitmain does that, does it have to sign away the patent rights?

I had the same thought... one firmware update release, and we are all back on a level playing field again (at least all of us Bitmain owners).  More likely, Bitmain will just create a new S9, using old stock with new firmware, and sell it as their V11 - advertising the 20% improvement in hashrate/watt.  Only trick would be to keep all S9 miners from reflashing using the V11 firmware...

When can I get the patch for my Bitmain miners?  LOL

asicboost.com
I am seeing a few news sites picking this up, but nothing I personally trust.
Anyone have more information on it?

From what I can tell, covert asicboost is now invalid, but overt asicboost works, but only for companies that give away their patents.
Not sure if it's related to the huge price drop, or if that's from the Whales dumping in Japan and at the Auction