Very unofficial review of the BitaxeGamma miner. - page 4.

Skot

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Quote from: sidehack on October 28, 2024, 09:46:16 PM

But rock it does. Northbridge heatsinks are designed for chips with large packages and/or integrated heat spreaders, more like 25mm square than 8mm square. With that much area, a 2-point mount is okay because there's no leverage to rock it. A small chip in the middle might as well be a single point fulcrum. It's super easy to upset.

We're already designing an improved heatsink (more dissipative surface area on the fins) with 4-point M3 screw mounting, like what's been working on our stickminers for most of the last decade. Might have samples in the next week.

Phil, I think yours went out before I started lapping the heatsink underside. The ones we got in were not exactly smooth either, and the smoother and flatter the mating surface, the better.

I haven’t experienced this uneven heatsink issue you mentioned. It kinda seems like you got a bad batch.

Four point mount custom heatsink with a thicker base will be awesome! There really isn’t any headroom anymore with the current one.

heslo

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My Gamma just arrived and got it set up within minutes. Smooth setup and running very well. I don't have time to tinker today but plan on having a proper fiddle with it tomorrow!

sidehack

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Curmudgeonly hardware guy

But rock it does. Northbridge heatsinks are designed for chips with large packages and/or integrated heat spreaders, more like 25mm square than 8mm square. With that much area, a 2-point mount is okay because there's no leverage to rock it. A small chip in the middle might as well be a single point fulcrum. It's super easy to upset.

We're already designing an improved heatsink (more dissipative surface area on the fins) with 4-point M3 screw mounting, like what's been working on our stickminers for most of the last decade. Might have samples in the next week.

Phil, I think yours went out before I started lapping the heatsink underside. The ones we got in were not exactly smooth either, and the smoother and flatter the mating surface, the better.

Skot

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the ASIC is less than 1mm high. there isn't really much room to rock.

philipma1957

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Quote from: Skot on October 28, 2024, 06:15:57 PM

Stock heatsink is aluminum. It's actually a repurposed PC northbridge heatsink. If you look around some people have found bigger versions. There is also the Argon THRML cooler if you want to go supercharged.

The stock heatsink and fan is capable of cooling the bitaxeGamma at stock hash frequency and voltage settings. If you aren't stable at the defaults, you should speak with the seller.

Because of the increased power of the BM1370 chip in the Gamma, there isn't much headroom for overclocking with the stock heatsink.

I will be getting the parts to mod the heatsink setup. Sidehack thought it could be the heatsink. As I look at your design I see a small chip maybe 7mm square. A 40mm heatsink rests on that.

So you have a balance act because the heat sink sits on top of the small chip and only has a set of 2 fasteners.

Since the heat sink is raised off the pcb having 4 points vs 2 is better.

If it works cool if not then it has an issue I don't understand.

Skot

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Stock heatsink is aluminum. It's actually a repurposed PC northbridge heatsink. If you look around some people have found bigger versions. There is also the Argon THRML cooler if you want to go supercharged.

The stock heatsink and fan is capable of cooling the bitaxeGamma at stock hash frequency and voltage settings. If you aren't stable at the defaults, you should speak with the seller.

Because of the increased power of the BM1370 chip in the Gamma, there isn't much headroom for overclocking with the stock heatsink.

philipma1957

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Quote from: Skot on October 28, 2024, 05:52:42 PM

Quote from: NotFuzzyWarm on October 26, 2024, 02:52:45 PM

As has been pointed out in other threads, the ESP32 micro-controller used is an extraordinarily poor choice for miners. It is made for use in very simple IoT devices such as sensors, thermostats, wearables, etc. that do not need good performance. Even the maker of them clearly states that. Even the best one only has 2 cores/threads which means that at best it can process hashes and do I/O without having to interrupt the processes provided the main and I/O threads are programmed to run independently. AFAIK the one used in the BitAxe has only 1 core...

All of that out of the way, does it work? Sure - but when there is a change of work and when it talks to the WiFi things slow down a lot. Because Skot is/was an IoT developer it makes some sense that he'd pick the ESP32 just because he is familiar with it. Unfortunately he did not know that you REALLY need a REAL multi-core/threaded CPU to ensure decent performance so the various processes running do not have to interrupt each other. Even the original RasPi-1 used a more capable chip. ref https://www.elprocus.com/difference-between-esp32-vs-raspberry-pi/

FYI, while the 1st ones from Sidehack will be using the same micro he is already redesigning it to use the Pi Nano to eliminate the processing bottlenecks and also allow using USB along with hardwired LAN connections.
edit: struckout comment on redesign.

Nah, the ESP32S3 (indeed dual core) is more than enough for a handful of ASICs. It's your Cortex-A running Linux that is overkill Kiss

Well when I redesign the heatsink. I will post the design it's cheap to do it.

A question is the stock heat sink copper or colored aluminum?

I ordered both aluminum and copper plates to do the mod.

I am really hoping my idea is a big improvement as it is pretty cheap

Skot

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Quote from: NotFuzzyWarm on October 26, 2024, 02:52:45 PM

As has been pointed out in other threads, the ESP32 micro-controller used is an extraordinarily poor choice for miners. It is made for use in very simple IoT devices such as sensors, thermostats, wearables, etc. that do not need good performance. Even the maker of them clearly states that. Even the best one only has 2 cores/threads which means that at best it can process hashes and do I/O without having to interrupt the processes provided the main and I/O threads are programmed to run independently. AFAIK the one used in the BitAxe has only 1 core...

All of that out of the way, does it work? Sure - but when there is a change of work and when it talks to the WiFi things slow down a lot. Because Skot is/was an IoT developer it makes some sense that he'd pick the ESP32 just because he is familiar with it. Unfortunately he did not know that you REALLY need a REAL multi-core/threaded CPU to ensure decent performance so the various processes running do not have to interrupt each other. Even the original RasPi-1 used a more capable chip. ref https://www.elprocus.com/difference-between-esp32-vs-raspberry-pi/

FYI, while the 1st ones from Sidehack will be using the same micro he is already redesigning it to use the Pi Nano to eliminate the processing bottlenecks and also allow using USB along with hardwired LAN connections.
edit: struckout comment on redesign.

Nah, the ESP32S3 (indeed dual core) is more than enough for a handful of ASICs. It's your Cortex-A running Linux that is overkill Kiss

philipma1957

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it is definitely the heat sink

the chip is tiny and the heat sink is big. thus it wants to wobble because of the 2 connectors.

I hope to have my mod done by Friday.

I got this plate

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284945811793

it will need 4 holes drilled into it and a small notch by the reset and boot buttons.

at botor123

I will keep your fan choice in mind

botor123

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400Mxз, 66C,100%fan - your cooling is very weak. replace it with an argon fan.

heslo

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Please post pics of this when you're done! I should get mine tomorrow so looking forward to tinkering. Any luck with the failure or is it still dead?

philipma1957

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After fucking with gear really long time I realize the two pin heatsink is a bad choice.

I thought there was an intermittent short that cause the heat to fluctuate like mad.

53
65
52
67
57
75 over heat mode

I am designing a fix.

It will involve
four nylon machine screws
four nylon washers
a 50 mm copper plate
the oem heatsink

the issue that causes the roller coaster temps is the oem heat sink rocks due to the fan moving at 5000 rpm

the pcb board does have four heat sink mounting holes.

the chip is tiny and the fan will rock the oem heatsink changing temps all over the place.

if you use a copper square
you can mark where to drill it.

put the four washers on the oem pcb board run the four nylon screws under the board and through the washers

lay the 50x50x6 copper plate over the four screws.

tighten two of the screws on an angle
lay the oem heatsink with a lot of paste over the other two nylon screws

tighten it all up.

the new plate will now rock it has four screws holding it.
it has the nylon washers under it making it level

the oem heatsink is now a tiny bit smaller than the 50 mm plate thus it keeps steady contact as it has no place to rock.

I have washers
I HAVE screw and nuts
i just ordered the copper plate

this should be a fun project

philipma1957

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and it is dead. I am guessing they was a short.

temp would spike up and down.

overheat

I replace paste

temp would spike up and down

then go into over heat mode

it no longer goes into mining

I will talk to sidehack about a replacement.

philipma1957

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thoughts

1) it is cute.
2) I have to look for a better 5 volt power supply I do have a meanwell someplace.
3) it is quiet even with the Avalon nano fan

https://www.meanwell.com/upload/pdf/LRS-100/LRS-100-SPEC.PDF

I ordered the 5 volt from amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DM24C9C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?

can run 2 or 3 of these can adjust as high as 5.5 volts

note my psu is set to 5.18 volts but reads at 4.8 volts due to draw from miner.

please with it and happy it likes the nano Avalon fan for extra cooling.

this will stack

bitaxe on top
nano gift fan second
mean well psu bottom

philipma1957

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Quote from: sidehack on October 26, 2024, 03:54:04 PM

You are a little bit mistaken, edit NotfuzzyWarm ~~Phil~~. I'm working on designing an internal controller for proper GekkoScience gear, not for the Bitaxe or OSMU. You are correct though that the ESP32 is fairly inadequate.

fixed that for you,

It has settled down nicely.

overkill power supply that is also powering a second fan look at that fan and realize it has a usb a style end in that overkill power supply

the cools thing is the second fan is courtesy of Avalon (thanks DaveF)

I purchased the Avalon nano from and Avalon sent the fan as a gift so Dave sent it to me the other day.

here it is stand alone.
now you know how to use it (a secondary bitaxe cooler )

sidehack

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You are a little bit mistaken, ~~Phil~~ Fuzzy. I'm working on designing an internal controller for proper GekkoScience gear, not for the Bitaxe or OSMU. You are correct though that the ESP32 is fairly inadequate.

NotFuzzyWarm

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Evil beware: We have waffles!

As has been pointed out in other threads, the ESP32 micro-controller used is an extraordinarily poor choice for miners. It is made for use in very simple IoT devices such as sensors, thermostats, wearables, etc. that do not need good performance. Even the maker of them clearly states that. Even the best one only has 2 cores/threads which means that at best it can process hashes and do I/O without having to interrupt the processes provided the main and I/O threads are programmed to run independently. AFAIK the one used in the BitAxe has only 1 core...

All of that out of the way, does it work? Sure - but when there is a change of work and when it talks to the WiFi things slow down a lot. Because Skot is/was an IoT developer it makes some sense that he'd pick the ESP32 just because he is familiar with it. Unfortunately he did not know that you REALLY need a REAL multi-core/threaded CPU to ensure decent performance so the various processes running do not have to interrupt each other. Even the original RasPi-1 used a more capable chip. ref https://www.elprocus.com/difference-between-esp32-vs-raspberry-pi/

FYI, while the 1st ones from Sidehack will be using the same micro he is already redesigning it to use the Pi Nano to eliminate the processing bottlenecks and also allow using USB along with hardwired LAN connections.
edit: struckout comment on redesign.

sidehack

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Check your thermal paste. I don't trust these two-point heatsinks very far and it probably wiggled in transit and jacked up the paste.

philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

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philipma1957

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'The right to privacy matters'

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Topic: Very unofficial review of the BitaxeGamma miner. - page 4. (Read 1335 times)