AsicBoost firmware documentation
AsicBoost firmware documentation
The full guide: installation → interface → settings → diagnostics
1Why the firmware is worth it
- Hashrate gainWhere the hashrate gain on AsicBoost firmware comes from, why 15 to 20% is the realistic target and not +50%, and what eats part of it. S19 Pro and L7.
- Energy efficiencyUndervolting, low power profiles and per chip autotuning. How to cut J/TH on an Antminer, when it beats overclocking and what you get in practice.
2Installation and compatibility
- Which miners are supportedFull list of Antminer S21, S19 and L series that the AsicBoost firmware runs on, with control board types and cooling. What is not supported and why.
- How to identify the control boardHow to tell Xilinx, Amlogic, CVITEK and BeagleBone control boards apart by the SD slot and the marking, and why firmware on CV boards drops after a power cut.
- Firmware installationHow to put custom firmware on an Antminer: checking the stock by date, writing to NAND with Toolkit, the update center in the interface, and what not to do.
- Unlocking AML boards over UARTUnlocking an Amlogic control board with stock FR 1.20 and newer: USB-UART adapter, wiring, the JP2 jumper, the setenv and saveenv commands.
- Control board boot logsHow to capture a control board boot log with a USB-UART adapter and PuTTY, what to look for in it, and how to save it to a file for support.
3Main screen
- Interface navigationThe left menu sections in AsicBoost firmware, what the main screen is made of, and the order to read the numbers when checking an ASIC.
- Buttons and quick actionsHow a mining restart differs from a full reboot, why to lock the interface, what interface optimization does and what the miner search is for.
- Status barWhat the bottom line of the firmware interface shows: operating mode, uptime, model, control board platform and build version.
- Hashrate widgetHow instant, theoretical and averaged hashrate differ in AsicBoost firmware, and what gap between them counts as normal.
- Temperature widgetChip and PCB temperature in the firmware interface, normal ranges, the 10 to 15 degree PCB offset, and how measurement differs on S19 and S21.
- Power draw widgetWhy some Antminer units show a reading taken from the power supply and others a calculation from the profile, and how to check real draw with a smart plug.
- Power and grid planningTypical consumption ranges for ASIC miners, how power ties into energy efficiency and how to size the line, the breaker and the headroom for overclocking.
- Efficiency, joules per terahashWhat J/TH is, which values count as high and low efficiency and why J/TH cannot be compared with the J/MH figures of the L series.
- Errors widgetThe error widget in AsicBoost firmware: what share of HW errors counts as normal and what to do when it grows after overclocking.
- Performance widgetWhat the performance widget shows: the selected profile, the global frequency and voltage, the power supply model and the tuned mark.
- ChartsHow to read the hashrate, temperature and fan load charts in AsicBoost firmware and what the different shapes of the curves point to.
- Pool tablePools table columns in AsicBoost firmware: Diff, Accepted, Rejected, Stale, Last share, latency and Boost status. How to read rejected shares.
- Cooling tableHow to read the fan table in AsicBoost firmware: RPM, fan duty, the OK and Error statuses, and what to do when a fan reports an error.
- Hash board tableWhat the hash board table in AsicBoost firmware shows, how to compare boards against each other, and what Chip Map and Heat Map mean.
- Logs and diagnostic reportLog categories in AsicBoost firmware, typical entries such as Restarting 2 of 3, how to collect a diagnostic report and what goes into it.
- Dev feeDev fee rates by Antminer series, the Online, Offline and Disabled statuses, and what to do when the connection to the fee pool fails.
4Mining
- PoolsHow to set up three pools in AsicBoost firmware, fill in the worker and password, how switching to a backup pool works and why you need different domains.
- CoolingCooling modes in AsicBoost firmware, the 65 °C target temperature, minimum fan count, fan speed limit and the restrictions on hydro versions.
- Performance and overclockingOverclocking profiles, per-chip autotuning of 3 to 5 hours, global frequency and voltage, the frequency hierarchy and profile switching by temperature.
- Advanced settingsRestart on low hashrate, critical temperature, start delay, domain balancing, voltage adaptation by temperature and the danger zone parameters.
5System
- General settings and backupBacking up AsicBoost firmware settings, restoring from an archive, resetting the configuration and the full return to Bitmain stock firmware.
- Security, passwords and APIChanging the web interface password, SSH control, Node and Miner keys for external systems, and what a person holding your API key can do.
- NetworkHostname, DHCP and static IP, mask and gateway, DNS setup and the built-in network test in AsicBoost firmware. What to do on a pool resolve error.
6Stability and protection
- Wear from overclockingHow overclocking affects the life of Antminer chips, what matters more than frequency, why power supply headroom decides it and how to spot an ASIC on the edge.
- Built in protectionAntivirus module against AntBuild and Night Switcher, firewall, SSH management and access control in AsicBoost firmware. Risks of unofficial builds.
- WarrantyWhether any traces are left after a rollback to stock, how Bitmain views unauthorised software and what to do before a warranty claim.
7Support
- Common faultsTemperature sensor init error, lost pool connection, restarts, a CV board rolling back to stock and other typical cases with the order of work for each.
- Diagnostic toolsHashCore Toolkit, API access, network scanners and external monitoring: which tool for which job and where to start on a small farm.
- How to contact supportWhat to attach to a support request about AsicBoost firmware: diagnostic report, interface screenshots, build version and a description of the problem.
- Contact channelsOur contact channels: Telegram for questions about firmware and hardware, YouTube with video guides, the workshop in Valencia and remote help.