Topic: The Chili – 30+GH/s BFL based Bitcoin Miner Assembly - page 13. (Read 137902 times)

MrTeal,

Flash utility shows that my chips are running at ~half the speed:

DEVICE: Chili SC
MANUFACTURER: MrTeal and ChipGeek
FIRMWARE: 1.2.14e
CHIP PARALLELIZATION: NO
QUEUE DEPTH:40
PROCESSOR 0: 16 engines @ 134 MHz -- MAP: FFFF
PROCESSOR 1: 16 engines @ 175 MHz -- MAP: FFFF
PROCESSOR 2: 16 engines @ 176 MHz -- MAP: FFFF
PROCESSOR 3: 16 engines @ 193 MHz -- MAP: FFFF
PROCESSOR 5: 15 engines @ 155 MHz -- MAP: EFFF
PROCESSOR 6: 16 engines @ 177 MHz -- MAP: FFFF
PROCESSOR 7: 16 engines @ 76 MHz -- MAP: FFFF
THEORETICAL MAX: 17.21 GH/s
ENGINES: 111
FREQUENCY: 155 MHz
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE: 0
TOTAL THERMAL CYCLES: 0
XLINK MODE: MASTER
XLINK PRESENT: NO
OK


What could be the reason?  This is on Lucko's version of your board (I got them today, this one is first one I tried).
Should the frequency be around 300MHz?

Just out of curiosity. I have been running the single chili off a single pcie 6 pin coming from the PSU would that be a problem? I can try and find a dual 4 pin molex to 6 pin pcie adapter if needed. Anyone think this might be an issue? Still up and running since my last post. But i am sure by the time i wake up tomorrow it will be down. It has not stayed up more then 12-16 hours yet. I would ideally like to run both chilis off 1 500 wat supply if I can. Doesnt matter if its on the pcies themselves or if I need to get adapters. Please let me know. Thx!

Check the voltages on the PSU while it's running. It's a group regulated design, so if you're pulling enough current on the 12V line without a load on the 5V line it's possible it's shutting off due to overvoltage on the 5V line.

Weird. I'm running a single and a chili on a Corsair CX500 no problems. Make sure the side vent isn't covered, but that unit should easily handle the load.

C

It's a corsair cx500.  I just cam home on my lunch break and was able to get it to turn on. I'm sure it will stay on for a couple hours but can go down at any thime. Then I will be unable to get the psu to turn on again for a long time. Thx again.

I used normal Radio shack thermal grease on my chips, Runs at 38/35gh with a sedion water block, which isn't bad. I really should take it off and try artic silver type stuff but I'm lame.

As for replacing the FTDI, might be a cold joint, replacing the FTDI chip on one of my jallies was a pain in the *rear*. I used leaded solder balls on the reflow, put 1-2 .45mm balls on each pad and used my Aoyue with 400c, very very low flow rate to keep from blowing things off nearby. And a pre-heater under the board set to 350F for about 10 minutes before starting.

I've found it to be best to think of the air coming out of the Aoyue as forming a "bubble" of heat off the end as opposed to a stream. Low air flows allow the hot air to transfer into the joint as opposed to going around the joint.

C

I don't use the pads. I have 8 miners all using thermal compound on the ASIC chips. I use thermal adhesive on the heatsinks under the FETS.

I was using a hot-air station at 400.  The current behavior is after is after I re-went around each side for 30 seconds and also reinstalled a nearby small brown smd cap that got blown off by the airstream (not sure if it happened then or the first time around when I originally replaced the FTDI).  My hands are way to imprecise (and my eyes too) for hand-soldering the teeny-tiny legs!  I could add a bit of flux and try again, but I'll check the usb area first.

BTW, I definitely appreciate all the responses as I work on this board - you've got to be the most responsive and helpful developer/vendor I've run across here - kudos and thanks!

Yes, that's really interesting. I'd agree it might be a loose connection or a soldering issue if it crashes when you bump the table. Possibly a cold solder joint on the FTDI chip? The grounds especially are difficult to solder effectively as they wick heat away very quickly especially if you're using a fine tip. I would go over the leads again, and if possible heat the whole board up before you do that.

It seems to reset now (no more comms errors, just bfgminer crashing/stopping though it's solid with other units (chili and other USB miners)).  But it does so randomly, between a few minutes to several hours (even up to 12 hrs as the longest so far).  No raise/lower in GH/s, getting a solid 34-35 GH/s depending on pool and no noticeable change right before crashing.

Are there some test points I can measure while it's hashing that could help now that it's no longer got comms errors but instead leads to bfgminer crashes?

BTW, I can "make" it crash bfgminer by bumping the table it's on or moving it.  Must be a loose connection somewhere?  (maybe USB port/cable?  Will try a different cable tonight).

We were worried about that at the start, but after building them it turns out to not be much of a problem as long as you can support behind the chips with a backplate. I run mine with paste and they work great.

Just use the switch on the back.
I have never heard of anything like you're talking about.
What are the model numbers of the PSUs you're using? I have an older Corsair unit that won't running mining hardware unless I put a load on the 5V rail.

I just cut the green wire and crimped it to a black wire. Yes it ruined a $50 power supply for resale, but I value that more than dumping a day's worth of mining due to a paperclip. :-)

C

I've used thermal compound and thermal pads with mixed results. I think you can only get away with using just thermal compound if you've got a solid backplate. Otherwise the board may flex to the point where some chips aren't getting any contact. That is obviously less than ideal regardless of paste/pad but the thickness of the pad often times allows for contact where paste alone wouldn't.

On my air cooled chili I'm using a pad and on my water cooled chili I'm just using the paste that came on it. Both run ~37.

I turn mine off using the power switch. I have the paperclip taped in pretty tight so it wont fall out.

It doesn't sound like this is a chili issue but rather a PS issue.

Yes paper clipping it. As I said everything runs fine for a while and then the PSU just turns off. Have not actually sat beside to see it happen as it will run fine for a 6-10 hours at a time no problems. Then it will be off , and I will be unable to get the power supply to turn back on for quite a few hours.

Edit: As a side note. What is the best way I should be powering off the power supply using the paperclip method? Just flip the switch or shold i be removing the paperclip then powering down? thx!

I am only using thermal paste-goo-stuff. I run 6 chilis and get results of 33-38 GH/S on them depending on if I have bottom cooling or not. I had very little luck with pads.

I run 3 chilis on a 1000 watt PSU.

If your PSU's wont turn on with the chili's disconnected then the PSU has a problem of some kind. PSUs are pretty simple. Are you jumpering them correctly to get them to turn on? Using a paperclip?

Has anyone of you tried to use just the thermal compound instead of thermal pads?
Something like AC MX-4?

Or is the thermal pad absolutely necessary because the chips might have slightly different height?

I've recently purchased a couple used chilis , and am having a very tough time keeping them mining constantly. They will run fine for a couple hours or so then power supply will turn off and will not turn back on for quite some time. At 1st I had 2 chilis on an older 450watt thermaltake. Ended up blowing that supply. I think from turning it on and off a few times trying to get orientation and configuration correct. I then moved over to a 500 watt Corsair supply brand new out of the box. Both were up and running when i went to bed and when I got up the PSU was off and I was unable to get it to come back on for several hours.

Next I tryed with only 1 chili hooked up thinking maybe they draw way more power then what I was lead to believe. Nope same issue. After that I thought maybe to much heat. So I outfitted the bottom of the board with heatsinks and added more cooling. Board would run below 70c after hours of running. But again would fail and PSU would not power back on for numerous hours.

I have yet a 3rd PSU on the way to re-test everything. But does anyone have any ideas on whats happening? Whats really confusing me is that the PSU takes so long to be able to be turned back on again. The fan will not come back on until several hours have passed with it being un plugged. Its almost like the PSU is having to dump current stored up or something. Very odd.  The boards once they have power dont seem to miss a beat. But something is causing the power supply to be knocked out?

When the miners are running they do a good job hash @ round 33/34 and are magnitudes quieter then the BFL single I have. Any help would be appreciated in this matter. The seller I got these boards from has a no refund policy obviously. So thanx in advance!