Topic: X6500 Custom FPGA Miner - page 53. (Read 219954 times)

through hole capacitors ..... 

People who were waiting for this board might be interested in this instead: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/minimalist-spartan6-lx150-board-45532

Alright, the boards are in, still waiting on some parts to arrive.

http://fillwithcoolblogname.blogspot.com/2011/09/boards-are-in.html

Will let you guys know how it turns out. The boards are looking fantastic.

I like your profile pic, Mucus, and I really like these ideas you're coming up with! For my own FPGA boards, I'm liking that internal 5.25" drive bay idea! Making the enclosure work outside the computer is a great idea, too, when people end up with more boards than will fit inside their case.

As li_gangyi said, the JTAG connectors should never need to be used. The USB interface can be used for development (it is JTAG over USB). If someone really wants direct access to the JTAG headers, they'll probably just keep the board sitting on the desk.

The heat issue is going to be very important, especially as people push the FPGAs to higher and higher clock rates. Some fan inside the enclosure is definitely required, with the air blowing across the heatsinks. If we get horizontal air flow, venting above and below the board can actually be a bad thing. It's better for the enclosure to basically become a little wind tunnel. Another option is to mount a larger fan (80 mm) directly above the board (to the inside of the lid) and blow air down on the heatsinks. The venting would then be out the sides.

Great work! I'm excited to see the first sketches.

Well, you're right it's probably not really necessary but might be a nice to have for people who would like to actively develop the miner.
I probably will make 2 a version with and without a frontpanel, so that the version without the header is basically a frame (probably all people who use it for strict mining need)

On the heat issue: I am working on a hexagonal grid top/bottom wall for the enclosure so that optimal convection and rigidness is provided, lets say the concept already looks awesome
I will also provide mounting options for fans where ever possible so that heat will be no issue but from what I figured so far it probably won't be necessary.
The full cases will also work as a standalone unit outside the PC and they will be stackable! It will have hexagonal feet with will fit into the hex pattern on top of the enclosure.

Electric: why would you need the jtag connector? The board has jtag for debug purposes only, everything should be handled via USB during real world usage.

Not too sure if you can mount 2 boards in a bay without needing a high CFM fan to push air to cool the FPGAs. Maybe it'd be possible if we can find some custom or weird heatsink that has 2 flat sides and then mount the top board upside down onto the same heatsink, and then put 2 fans to blow air across, if you get what I'm thinking.

So I've begun designing the cases.

The plan is to make them fit in a 5 3/4 inch drive bay. A few questions have popped up...
At first I cannot construct a 3 1/2 inch case since the connectors would be sideways.

Second the obvious thing would be to make them suitable for 2 boards. This however brings up some questions:
With only one board the xilinx jtag connector could be accessible from the front panel but with 2 boards there would some wiring needed to bring out the second connector.

The other option would be to make the cases only suitable for one board which would make them cheaper but there would be (also with 2 boards on the back one) some fiddling required connecting the board. Basically people would need to let the cables stand out of the drivebay connect the board and then put in the enclosure and mount it inside the pc.
Not really an issue but I thought I'd mention it.

Can I get some feedback from the people who have ordered the board what their preference would be?
If there is enough demand I can also offer several different versions since I use parametric modelling and 3d printing

I am also sorry to hear you are leaving the project newMeat1. FWIW I commend you on your PR skills and having the patience to deal with all of our little apprehensions. I for one, consider it a pleasure doing business with you and wish you the best of success in your future endeavors. I can't help feeling that an amicable resolution might have been possible, as the time-line and cost/complexity of the project have not, so far, caused any unrest among the customers. But the details of the dispute are none of my business.

I know we have to have a little patience for an emergent technology and that our wonderful little toys will arrive in due course. It's not like waiting in line at M^cFGPA fast miner outlet, for your order to be processed. But I get to be one of the first handful of people to enjoy the benefits of a new technology, which IMHO will revolutionize bitcoin mining forever.

Some things are worth waiting for. I honestly suspect this project will lead to the future of bitcoin, entering into the ASIC market and ensure the future viability of bitcoin as a stable currency. I prefer to take a long term view of things, as I suspect many others who are investigating FPGA technology do also.

I'm just pleased to hear things are moving along at the present rate and that the whole project is looking like becoming a success. It's a big thumbs up from me, to you guys (including you newMeat1), for your persistence, in putting the future of bitcoin mining (and the bitcoin economy) on a new footing. 

Here's a drawing showing the board dimensions and the locations of the mounting holes and connectors.



I should have wrote it on the drawing, but the total height of the board including heatsinks will be about 22 mm.

I have the feeling that if these are in an enclosure, you'll definitely need some airflow. The air should be blowing across the fins of the heatsinks, so left to right or right to left in the drawing.

I'm interested to see what you come up with!

By the way, I'm posting this publicly so that everyone can begin planning how they will mount/enclose these, whether or not they decide to go with an official ElectricMucus enclosure.

Don't worry, molecular! Your discount still stands. The break-up was mutual, and we think everyone will be happier now.

Thanks for that, Pipesnake, I hope our transparency is appreciated!

I hope the 10% early-mover lifetime advantage remains

BTW: my x5000 is sweetly mining along.

EDIT: it's sad to see newMeat1 leave the project. I hope the feelings involved are not too hard. Maybe it's best for the project in the end.

But Apple stores are literally transparent hehehehehehe

No other company offers complete transparency like these guys.

As he said, nothing will change with this project except for newMeat's involvement with it. The group has just been reduced to me, li_gangyi, and fpgaminer. The promises about price, specs, and ETA still stand.

Me being around wouldn't have changed things from here on out. I just help with design and PR-- now we (or they) are in the assembly stage.

Sounds like my work.  I start with a patience level of about 0 cuz I owned my own company with zero employees for 8 years so everything got done instantly (by me).  If people drag their asses on stuff and get all scared and hesitate and second guess, I'd bail too.  That and if they didn't want to cut costs.

Btw here's 2 question I haven't seen come up yet:

Is it properly recognized as a device in XP 32-bit through Windows 7 64 bit? (and what kind of device?)

and does the current mining client currently recognize it as a device?  In other words, you can actually mine with it.

If the answer is no to either, congrats, you're getting 0 more preorders if the answer is yes to both, I probably just helped u

So you are abbandoning the ship ... what about the people that already paid and are waiting for the cards ?
Not very professional attitude, I think.

Well, with a little luck and lots of hard work from the remaining team members, you will still probably get your boards in early November. I was pushing them too hard to cut costs and make progress... and they didn't like that very much

Can you elaborate? Is there something we should know?

Cool, that was exactly what I've had in mind. I think the best option is a 2 part case where the board is screwed onto the bottom and the bottom mounted to the top of the enclosure. (Either by screws or snap fit)

If the board is passive it could be designed so that the heatsinks stand out and slits on the side of the case to ensure air convection.
PM me with the stats and I will get right on it