Compass Mining, a bitcoin mining company, published a blog post stating that Bitmain, the company behind the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mining rig, has made changes to its design. The post advised miners to be aware of the changes, as Compass Mining identified “three issues” with two different Antminer S19 series mining devices.
Bitcoin Miner Compass Mining Identifies 3 Issues With Antminer S19 Series
Compass Mining, a bitcoin mining company, published a blog post titled “Bitmain changed its ASIC design. Miners must be prepared,” highlighting changes to Bitmain’s ASIC design. Compass believes that operators of bitcoin mining facilities should be aware of the changes, which could cause problems. For example, the company identified three issues with the Antminer S19, which produces 90 terahash per second (TH/s), and the S19 XP, which offers 140 TH/s.
Compass Mining’s William Foxley explains that the new machines lack a peripheral interface controller (PIC) on the ASICs, making it more difficult to control individual hashboards compared to those with a PIC. The devices use aluminum cladding on the side of the mining rig, which Foxley believes may contribute to overheating issues. Also, there is a “consolidation of all components on one side of the board, which increases the chances of hashboarding errors.”
Foxley explains that without a PIC, drives cannot fail on “one or two boards,” and hash boards made from aluminum plating can fail more often in hot climates like Texas than those made from printed circuit boards (PCBs). . Additionally, Compass Mining believes that non-Bitmain repair shops may face difficulties replacing damaged chips. The operations team discovered these issues in the last six months and they “significantly affect the performance of a drive.”
In conclusion, Foxley notes in the blog post that third-party firmware could address the PIC issue and allow a miner to run on one or two boards. Third-party firmware can also lower specific variables to keep the ASIC mining rig cooler. The post suggests selecting the best environmental conditions as another solution. However, regarding aluminum cladding, Compass Mining sees it as a net negative.
“We view the design decision to switch to aluminum-plated hashboards as a net negative, one that will increase ASIC failures and subhashing while increasing service and maintenance costs,” the Compass blog post concludes. “Coupled with the lack of a PIC and the increased difficulty swapping out bad chips, we encourage miners to double down on their repair kit as they incorporate next-generation units into their fleets.”
What do you think of Bitmain’s decision to change its ASIC design? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Compass Mining
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