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Topic: PCI-e Based FPGA Mining Cards (Read 6005 times)

legendary
Activity: 1015
Merit: 1000
April 14, 2013, 06:31:31 AM
#31
good  luck with your project Smiley .
sr. member
Activity: 262
Merit: 250
April 14, 2013, 04:57:23 AM
#30
I don't think you understand.  I'm saying the cost for just the CHIP is $4,515/chip.

That's a lot! Which Stratix V is that?

Did anybody make a chart of #cores/$ and hashrate/$ for the different FPGA's? The Stratix V must be pretty far down on that list.

sr. member
Activity: 262
Merit: 250
April 14, 2013, 04:50:34 AM
#29
Looking for group buy Stratix V boards to reduce price.

Last time I gave the Stratix V a run through Quartus the performance of Stratix IV was better than the Stratix V. I should try again with a more recent version of Quartus though.

How many cores will you fit in the Stratix V?
sr. member
Activity: 262
Merit: 250
April 14, 2013, 04:46:29 AM
#28
Why pci-e? You dont need such fast communication, and the cooling is worse than the stand alone pcbs.

Probably because a USB design requires an internal µ-controller as a master. If he uses the PCI-e, he'll use the PC as a master saving some HW design.

I'm interested in this project and may be able to help. Can we see your KiCad sketches?

You can simply use a serial port with a cheap FTDI uart to USB device next to the FPGA. The bandwidth required for mining is nada, PCIe is overkill. You can then use the FTDI driver to access it rather than writing a small PCIe driver.
sr. member
Activity: 401
Merit: 250
April 13, 2013, 10:43:09 AM
#27
... I'm really boggling at why someone would be constructing an S6-LX150 based miner right now when the 28nm FPGAs are shipping in volume now.

Buying the previous generation of silicon usually is a nice balancing point between price and performance. Sure the 7 series will be faster, but they're also significantly more expensive. Note, I'm just talking about public pricing, if you get in touch with xilinx sales they might be willing to cut you a deal if you've got enough volume which would make the 7 series more competitive.
member
Activity: 182
Merit: 10
April 13, 2013, 03:04:00 AM
#26
... I'm really boggling at why someone would be constructing an S6-LX150 based miner right now when the 28nm FPGAs are shipping in volume now.

Quote
Just to see if I can.  I'm not doing this because I'm trying to make a product or anything, I'm just a bored dev who has a mobo laying around with 6 pci-e x16 slots.
staff
Activity: 4284
Merit: 8808
April 13, 2013, 02:24:25 AM
#25
... I'm really boggling at why someone would be constructing an S6-LX150 based miner right now when the 28nm FPGAs are shipping in volume now.
newbie
Activity: 35
Merit: 0
April 13, 2013, 12:43:54 AM
#24
You need the LXT version for PCIe, just making sure you know that since you mentioned XC6SLX150 and not XC6SLX150T.

The PCIe core on the Spartan 6 is one lane only, so no need to use all 16 fingers.  You'll also need to ensure that your PCB stackup can handle 2.5 ghz pcie gen 1 speeds.  A lot of trouble to just push a few bits around Cheesy

I have 6 spartan6x150's in the mail headed my way to do some testing with.  I have the PCI-e board sketched up on KiCad, and am going to contact a PCB manufacture tomorrow about getting a few made. If all goes well, I'll post the board schematics on here for public use.

For those intrested, DigiKey is selling spartan6x150 singles for $158/chip and $170/chip (same chip, just 2 different batches), just search for "XC6SLX150".

My current board design is PCI-e x16, double wide to fit a wide heatsink and fan in.

I'm also in contact with a rep from Achronix, hoping for a low-ish estimate on their HD1000 series of FPGAs (sub $1,500/chip), but I doubt it.

Thoughts, ideas, opinions?

There are PCI - e FPGA cards are there not already?


http://www.knjn.com/FPGA-PCIe.html

There are, however, they cost $600 for a card with a single Spartan 6.  They card design I have now has 2 Spartan 6's, and is costing me about $450 to make.
member
Activity: 182
Merit: 10
April 12, 2013, 09:44:37 PM
#23
I have 6 spartan6x150's in the mail headed my way to do some testing with.  I have the PCI-e board sketched up on KiCad, and am going to contact a PCB manufacture tomorrow about getting a few made. If all goes well, I'll post the board schematics on here for public use.

For those intrested, DigiKey is selling spartan6x150 singles for $158/chip and $170/chip (same chip, just 2 different batches), just search for "XC6SLX150".

My current board design is PCI-e x16, double wide to fit a wide heatsink and fan in.

I'm also in contact with a rep from Achronix, hoping for a low-ish estimate on their HD1000 series of FPGAs (sub $1,500/chip), but I doubt it.

Thoughts, ideas, opinions?

There are PCI - e FPGA cards are there not already?


http://www.knjn.com/FPGA-PCIe.html

There are, however, they cost $600 for a card with a single Spartan 6.  They card design I have now has 2 Spartan 6's, and is costing me about $450 to make.
hero member
Activity: 924
Merit: 1000
April 12, 2013, 09:18:39 PM
#22
I have 6 spartan6x150's in the mail headed my way to do some testing with.  I have the PCI-e board sketched up on KiCad, and am going to contact a PCB manufacture tomorrow about getting a few made. If all goes well, I'll post the board schematics on here for public use.

For those intrested, DigiKey is selling spartan6x150 singles for $158/chip and $170/chip (same chip, just 2 different batches), just search for "XC6SLX150".

My current board design is PCI-e x16, double wide to fit a wide heatsink and fan in.

I'm also in contact with a rep from Achronix, hoping for a low-ish estimate on their HD1000 series of FPGAs (sub $1,500/chip), but I doubt it.

Thoughts, ideas, opinions?

There are PCI - e FPGA cards are there not already?


http://www.knjn.com/FPGA-PCIe.html
newbie
Activity: 10
Merit: 0
April 12, 2013, 09:12:34 PM
#21
I'd be interest in a board. I'll keep an eye on this thread.

A.J.
member
Activity: 182
Merit: 10
April 11, 2013, 03:16:52 AM
#20
Why pci-e? You dont need such fast communication, and the cooling is worse than the stand alone pcbs.

Probably because a USB design requires an internal µ-controller as a master. If he uses the PCI-e, he'll use the PC as a master saving some HW design.

I'm interested in this project and may be able to help. Can we see your KiCad sketches?

Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, I just passed out last night.

I'm working on a compiled library of the modules right now (Having to make them all from scratch, as I can't find any pre-made for KiCad, go figure)

I'll upload everything to github as soon as I'm done.
newbie
Activity: 42
Merit: 0
April 10, 2013, 07:46:28 PM
#19
Also very interested. Keen to see your KiCad work - maybe chuck it up on github or something? If you don't want to do that, even a screenshot would be good for now.

Are you thinking of adding (s)RAM as well?
newbie
Activity: 35
Merit: 0
April 10, 2013, 06:24:22 AM
#18
Why pci-e? You dont need such fast communication, and the cooling is worse than the stand alone pcbs.

Probably because a USB design requires an internal µ-controller as a master. If he uses the PCI-e, he'll use the PC as a master saving some HW design.

I'm interested in this project and may be able to help. Can we see your KiCad sketches?
hero member
Activity: 784
Merit: 500
April 10, 2013, 05:44:55 AM
#17
intersested as well Smiley
My 990FXA UD7 would be pleased with FPGA miners!
member
Activity: 182
Merit: 10
April 10, 2013, 04:46:40 AM
#16
Looking for group buy Stratix V boards to reduce price.

I have to ask... are you on drugs?

While the Stratix V chips are nice, and the MH/s/$ is higher for them, your looking at a $4,515/chip starting point, as opposed to the $170/chip starting point for Spartans.

We are all on drugs, we don't eat good, we don't drink good. All thing contains drugs.

The card costs $4000 for one, so more cards are bought, lower is the price. And probably the hashrate is not poor.

I don't think you understand.  I'm saying the cost for just the CHIP is $4,515/chip.  That doesn't include PCB manufacturing, additional parts, etc.  The lowest price anyone could make these for right now is around the $4,750/card range, if your looking at single chip cards.

I understand everything. I get little lower prices, so no problem I will buy and build a little rig. But It will stay powered off, because I don't have any bitstram,...


I think I'm being troll'd.
full member
Activity: 347
Merit: 100
April 10, 2013, 04:44:50 AM
#15
Looking for group buy Stratix V boards to reduce price.

I have to ask... are you on drugs?

While the Stratix V chips are nice, and the MH/s/$ is higher for them, your looking at a $4,515/chip starting point, as opposed to the $170/chip starting point for Spartans.

We are all on drugs, we don't eat good, we don't drink good. All thing contains drugs.

The card costs $4000 for one, so more cards are bought, lower is the price. And probably the hashrate is not poor.

I don't think you understand.  I'm saying the cost for just the CHIP is $4,515/chip.  That doesn't include PCB manufacturing, additional parts, etc.  The lowest price anyone could make these for right now is around the $4,750/card range, if your looking at single chip cards.

I understand everything. I get little lower prices, so no problem I will buy and build a little rig. But It will stay powered off, because I don't have any bitstram,...
member
Activity: 182
Merit: 10
April 10, 2013, 04:40:56 AM
#14
Looking for group buy Stratix V boards to reduce price.

I have to ask... are you on drugs?

While the Stratix V chips are nice, and the MH/s/$ is higher for them, your looking at a $4,515/chip starting point, as opposed to the $170/chip starting point for Spartans.

We are all on drugs, we don't eat good, we don't drink good. All thing contains drugs.

The card costs $4000 for one, so more cards are bought, lower is the price. And probably the hashrate is not poor.

I don't think you understand.  I'm saying the cost for just the CHIP is $4,515/chip.  That doesn't include PCB manufacturing, additional parts, etc.  The lowest price anyone could make these for right now is around the $4,750/card range, if your looking at single chip cards.
full member
Activity: 347
Merit: 100
April 10, 2013, 04:37:41 AM
#13
Looking for group buy Stratix V boards to reduce price.

I have to ask... are you on drugs?

While the Stratix V chips are nice, and the MH/s/$ is higher for them, your looking at a $4,515/chip starting point, as opposed to the $170/chip starting point for Spartans.

We are all on drugs, we don't eat good, we don't drink good. All thing contains drugs.

The card costs $4000 for one, so more cards are bought, lower is the price. And probably the hashrate is not poor.
member
Activity: 182
Merit: 10
April 10, 2013, 04:33:30 AM
#12
Looking for group buy Stratix V boards to reduce price.

I have to ask... are you on drugs?

While the Stratix V chips are nice, and the MH/s/$ is higher for them, your looking at a $4,515/chip starting point, as opposed to the $170/chip starting point for Spartans.
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