AntMiner U3 User Guide

Contents

• 1. The First Glance
• 2. Accessories and Connection
• 3. Install Driver
• 4. Core Voltage & Operating Frequency Adjustments

1. The First Glance

The AntMiner U3 is the third generation of USB miner. It utilizes 4 of BITMAIN's latest generation BM 1382 chips, housed in a high-quality, domed case. Setup consists of plugging in the USB and power cables and running Antminer CGMiner.

Description of the AntMiner U3 hardware: A compact, cylindrical mining unit featuring a prominent cooling fan on its top, enclosed within a protective metal cage. The unit is mounted on a circuit board base.

2. Accessories and Connection

2.1 Accessories

The accessories included with the AntMiner U3 are:

• 12V AC/DC power brick (6A capacity; AC power line not included)
• USB connection cable

2.2 Connection

Follow these steps for connecting the AntMiner U3:

1. Plug one side of the 12V AC/DC power brick into the U3, and the other side into the AC input.
2. Connect the U3 to your computer via the USB line.

Note: The connection order must be step (a) first, followed by step (b). Failure to follow this order may cause issues.

To prevent interruption of USB power supply, ensure your computer is not in standby or sleep mode. Otherwise, CGMiner may not detect the miner, potentially leading to operational errors.

3. Install Driver

To ensure proper functionality, you need to install the necessary drivers.

CGMiner for Antminer-U3

• Download CGMiner: cgminer-run-windows-20150107.rar
• Open sourced code for CGMiner: bitmaintech/cgminer

CP2102 Driver

• CP2102 Driver download: Silicon Labs USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers

Zadig

• Zadig utility download: zadig.akeo.ie

Installation Steps:

1. Install the CP210x_VCP driver.
2. Connect the Antminer-U3 to your computer.
3. Open the Zadig application and navigate to "Options" > "List All Devices".
4. Select "CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller" from the device list.
5. Click the "Replace Driver" button.

The process involves selecting the correct USB device in Zadig and installing the WinUSB driver. Screenshots in the original document illustrate these steps for Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8, showing the Zadig interface and the successful driver installation confirmation.

Running CGMiner

Once drivers are installed, you can run CGMiner with specific parameters. An example command is:

cgminer.exe --bmsc-options 115200:0.54 -o 50.31.149.57:3333 -u antminer -p 123 --bmsc-voltage 0830 --bmsc-freq 0982 --startdiff 6

Example pools for mining:

• p2p.antpool.com:25
• solo.antpool.com:3333

4. Core Voltage & Operating Frequency Adjustments

Core voltage and operating frequency can be adjusted using software settings.

Core Voltage Adjustment

Core voltage can be modified by setting a specific figure, such as "0800". The voltage ranges from 0.725V to 0.85V, with a default of 0.75V. The minimum increment is 0.005V. Higher voltages can support higher frequencies. For instance, at 0.75V, the U3 can operate at frequencies up to 225MHz.

The following chart details the relationship between the inserted value and the corresponding voltage:

Operating Frequency Adjustment

Operating frequency can be adjusted by setting a specific figure, such as "0882". For example, a command might include --bmsc-freq 1286.

The following chart details the relationship between the inserted value, operating frequency, and preferred timeout:

Notes:

• "115200" refers to the "Baud Rate".
• "0.65" indicates "timeout". These values adjust with the set frequency to guarantee speed.
• --startdiff 6 is used to help miners with lower hash rates achieve proper difficulty more quickly.
• Core Voltage can be adjusted by setting the figure "0830".
• Operating frequency can be adjusted by setting the figure "0982".