The combined sidehack-novak usb stick review thread. AKA GekkoScience BM1384 - page 10.

philipma1957

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Quote from: sidehack on June 11, 2015, 10:28:55 AM

If it enumerated as a COM port, you need to install the WinUSB driver for hotplug support and such (Zadig) which will allow cgminer to detect it natively. You'll also want to include "--au3-freq xxx" in the command line, where "xxx" is a valid operating frequency. According to the code I'm seeing (AntMiner U3 is under the Icarus driver), valid frequencies (and their associated per-chip GH/s) are:

100	5.5
125	6.88
150	8.25
175	9.63
193.75	10.66
196.88	10.83
200	11
206.25	11.34
212.5	11.69
218.75	12.03
225	12.38
237.5	13.06
243.75	13.41
250	13.75

The command line I use is "cgminer.exe -o stratum.mining.eligius.st:3334 -u 1BURGERAXHH6Yi6LRybRJK7ybEm5m5HwTr -p x --au3-volt 0 --au3-freq 150"

The --au3-volt is not really necessary, since the voltage is not software-adjustable on the Compac.

I have hit a dead end on testing. I got freq 250 to load after that cgminer crashes.
I suspect I need to get into a file and add freq beyond 250, but my skill set with code is that of cut and paste.
I need to see a screen shot to copy what to do.

Sticks work well up to freq 250 I needed to get a better fan but in an 80f room temp in the garage I can hold the sticks with my hand and while warm they will not burn me. I found a fan that moves more air and I could keep the sticks cooler by turning the fan up.
The black heatsink older stick likes 1.07 amps 4.81 volts
The gold heatsink newer stick like 1.12 amps 4.81 volts

the black one has less errors and has just over 14gh
the gold one has more errors and just under 13.8gh

so 10.534 watts for 27.8 = 0.378 watts a gh.

not surprising the watts per gh drifted up a bit due to the 250 freq.
the variation in these two sticks is about 5% but that is at top speed.
could be the newer gold one can go lower maybe a stable 100 freq my black heatsink stick was not stable at freq 100. it works as low as freq125

Still 2 sticks and close to 28gh.

philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

after some 1 stick testing at freq I moved to 2 stick testing,

full size images

http://imageshack.com/a/img673/3618/YXxKFG.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img905/876/feIAPf.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img633/9744/6Ef7U7.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img673/6385/HuAc8k.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img673/2489/tuh3vI.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img661/3984/LY7aLz.jpg

they use the usb bridge and they use 1.11amps and 4.81 volts each the gold is the new one the black is a tiny bit taller and is the older one

the hub and 2 sticks use 14 watts

early cgminer numbers are here

temp was 77f but shot is fuzzy

better temp photo

cgminer after an hour or so . 14 watts used to do 27 gh counting the 4 or 5 watts of the hub.

so 9 or 10 watts to do 27gh at the sticks

philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

Just started higher overclock tests.

fullsize links

http://imageshack.com/a/img537/1732/b0a3Um.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img537/4849/w8BWvF.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img661/2889/CaCuoh.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img540/2382/b1LPCZ.jpg

only doing 1 stick. Since I have 2 if I do something wrong I will have one more left.
note my hub can do .9 amps per usb port. so I have a bridge thus I can give a stick 1.8amps. most hubs will not do this for you. note cooling fan

this is the original model I am doing freq 250. it is doing 1.07 amps to get to 250 freq

the hub and the stick pull 8-9 watts on the kwatt

here is the bat file and the early cgminer numbers

note temp is 75c humidity is 62%

philipma1957

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Quote from: sidehack on July 02, 2015, 10:27:35 PM

Sometime soon I figure on pushing one up to 300MHz or better and see how it handles, see what the input current looks like. We did some rough comparisons today on heatsinks from some other miners and figure with moderate airflow the thing should be good up to about 6.5W chip heat, which would happen around 1.5A input current, which I should touch 300MHz before hitting that point. I think.

Unless one of y'all want to test that first. The only thing I know for sure is the buck's good for it. That's only about eight and a half amps output, pretty small potatoes for that circuit.

I may give a high power test tomorrow. I have not passed .92 amps and freq 225.

the sticks got a bit warm.

I have some very good fans and maybe I will try really blowing them out on friday.

I will use the usb bridge. that can go close to 1.8 amps at 4.8volts which is over 7 watts

sidehack

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Sometime soon I figure on pushing one up to 300MHz or better and see how it handles, see what the input current looks like. We did some rough comparisons today on heatsinks from some other miners and figure with moderate airflow the thing should be good up to about 6.5W chip heat, which would happen around 1.5A input current, which I should touch 300MHz before hitting that point. I think.

Unless one of y'all want to test that first. The only thing I know for sure is the buck's good for it. That's only about eight and a half amps output, pretty small potatoes for that circuit.

philipma1957

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Quote from: notlist3d on July 02, 2015, 09:54:24 PM

Quote from: sidehack on July 02, 2015, 04:12:29 PM

I would highly recommend you adjust the voltage down (which on that guy will mean turning the pot clockwise a little bit) if you're running it off a laptop port.

I made a few very small changes to the PCB between this and what will be the production batch - mostly cosmetic, no circuitry changes. The heatsink is anodized a different color but otherwise identical to the final product heatsink. Also we'll probably be using a pick-and-place instead of a guy with a homemade air pencil so stuff like the inductor and input caps will be a little more squared-away.

It was for quick initial test. Didn't set up the hub/fan yet. You are very right on turning voltage down with laptop port it was good for a quick test but did heat up. It in no way was optimized as far as my first testing setup.

yeah these sticks work without a fan at about .7 amps once you pass the .7amp draw which is freq 187.5 you need a fan.

I am doing .87amp on both sticks and doing freq 218.75 and I need a fan

notlist3d

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Quote from: sidehack on July 02, 2015, 04:12:29 PM

I would highly recommend you adjust the voltage down (which on that guy will mean turning the pot clockwise a little bit) if you're running it off a laptop port.

I made a few very small changes to the PCB between this and what will be the production batch - mostly cosmetic, no circuitry changes. The heatsink is anodized a different color but otherwise identical to the final product heatsink. Also we'll probably be using a pick-and-place instead of a guy with a homemade air pencil so stuff like the inductor and input caps will be a little more squared-away.

It was for quick initial test. Didn't set up the hub/fan yet. You are very right on turning voltage down with laptop port it was good for a quick test but did heat up. It in no way was optimized as far as my first testing setup.

sidehack

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I would highly recommend you adjust the voltage down (which on that guy will mean turning the pot clockwise a little bit) if you're running it off a laptop port.

I made a few very small changes to the PCB between this and what will be the production batch - mostly cosmetic, no circuitry changes. The heatsink is anodized a different color but otherwise identical to the final product heatsink. Also we'll probably be using a pick-and-place instead of a guy with a homemade air pencil so stuff like the inductor and input caps will be a little more squared-away.

TheRealSteve

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FUN > ROI

Quote from: notlist3d on July 02, 2015, 03:34:38 PM

And love the color heat sink it is a nice looking gold.

They're going for green ones in their production batch

notlist3d

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Just got it out of the mail. Will be a few day's till I have a more in-depth review/test of it. I will say first impression is very nice. I was surprised looking at it was expecting a prototype looking miner, but this looks like its ready to ship. And love the color heat sink it is a nice looking gold.

Initial test plugged it in, loaded driver, and it ran first off. So once again a very nice start to a review right there.

Looking forward to playing with it

. Again a few day's and I will have more in-depth.

philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

finally running well

the hub and 2 sticks use 13 watts.

my stud hub powered on with nothing pulls about 5 watts

so these two sticks are doing about 8 watts

philipma1957

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I ended up getting zadig loaded

I needed to turn off every app to get the failed install to really work

once every thing was off and zadig run as admin it did install

the hardest thing with the sticks is the zadig install

I then opened my cgminer 4.9.2

I have many start files for each freq tested I picked ckpool freq 218

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/661/N73SAG.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/673/XJvLCs.jpg

philipma1957

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Quote from: sidehack on July 02, 2015, 02:17:41 PM

I didn't reset the voltage on those sticks before I sent them out, so it'll probably run hotter than the first. It should be stable to 225MHz at the current setting (at which speed it draws approximately 1A)

both sticks running at 218.75

sidehack

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Curmudgeonly hardware guy

I didn't reset the voltage on those sticks before I sent them out, so it'll probably run hotter than the first. It should be stable to 225MHz at the current setting (at which speed it draws approximately 1A)

philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

The second stick came.

After 3 or 4 zadig installs the second stick took install.

I have the two sticks running at this pool:

http://solo.ckpool.org/users/1JdC6Xg3ajT3rge3FgPNSYYFpmf53Vbtje

I also run a U2 at it I will post photos in a bit.

zadig truly sucks.

But I shut down everything on the pc except zadig I ran it as an admin and after two reboots it installed the new driver.

I then ran cgminer 4.9.2 and hot plugged the sticks. they both work.

I also ordered a second usb2 meter which arrives on sat.

some photos are coming

philipma1957

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Quote from: philipma1957 on June 12, 2015, 09:58:39 AM

so moving from freq 150 to freq 175 jumped .7 watts and added 2.02gh that is pretty good .

less then .35 watts a gh.

lower right corner is adjustment pot it was like this

+ I turned it clockwise just a bit.

full size

http://imageshack.com/a/img633/1461/h1JKa4.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img537/166/bEy7uV.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img540/938/Pflb7O.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img912/9630/Ou1Of7.jpg

good clear shot

bump for pot shot

alh

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@CrazyGuy: I assume that you have not tinkered with the pot on you sample stick? You are using it the way it came "out of the box"?

Great work, and good pictures!

philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

Quote from: CrazyGuy on June 21, 2015, 04:37:11 PM

Playing around some more with the test unit today. At a frequency of 150, efficiency at the usb port is a little under .32 watts per gh with a board temp of 44.6c. I was also able to mine directly off of the usb port of a cubie, but you'll need a power adapter that can handle at least .9 amps at 5v to do the same.

"Look Ma, no burns!"

yeah I got 40-42c with the meat temp probe at freq 150

CrazyGuy

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Playing around some more with the test unit today. At a frequency of 150, efficiency at the usb port is a little under .32 watts per gh with a board temp of 44.6c. I was also able to mine directly off of the usb port of a cubie, but you'll need a power adapter that can handle at least .9 amps at 5v to do the same.

"Look Ma, no burns!"

philipma1957

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Activity: 4326

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'The right to privacy matters'

s-5 is not able to go under 10.8 volts and needs to be dialed down to that after startup.

power savings is only 10%. and a plat psu at 12 volts will drop to a gold at 10.8 volt setting

so the 10% power savings may only be 5-6%

something in the string design. A bit above my paygrade. as to the why of it.

Back to this stick.

I found an issue it does not like to go lower then freq 125.

My freq 100 setting was not very stable and a bit power hungry.

So I would say think :

freq 125 no fan and 0.305 watts per gh as the minimum.

freq 225 with fan and 0.35 watts per gh as the maximum.

   100     5.00>>>>>>>>>>>>>not very stable


125     6.88 stable no fan needed 0.305W/gh
   150     8.25
   175     9.63
   193.75     10.66
   196.88     10.83
   200     11.00
   206.25     11.34
   212.50     11.69
   218.75     12.03
225     12.38 stable fan needed 0.34 or 0.35 W/gh



all below are not tested for 2 reasons stick was getting warm at freq 225 and most people do not have a usb hub that will give 1 amp at 5 volts for multiple ports 24/7/365

237.50 13.06
   243.75     13.41
   250     13.75

I can get the freq 237.50 and above to work, but I think I will not try them so quickly.

right now I am doing freq 218.75 working very nicely.

I don't have much else to test on it.

pools used

btcguild.com >>>>>>> RIP
mmpool.org
solo.ckpool.org

Topic: The combined sidehack-novak usb stick review thread. AKA GekkoScience BM1384 - page 10. (Read 26372 times)