Beginner's FPGA bitcoin mining device

[netsider]

I've been recently getting more and more interested in bitcoin mining. Not really for profit, but just because it's interesting. The fact that I'm earning virtual currency is just a perk, really. However, I'd like the cost of the power and some of the hardware to be covered by the bitcoins I generate, at least. I just want to break even, and I know there are calculators and you can just do it with PC's with video cards, but FPGA's have peaked my interest because it seems they have potential to do a lot of things, not just bitcoin mining. I've seen some that are almost like small computers and have just as many outputs. I just figured that maybe starting with building a mining device (USB preferebly, unless there's a reason to go another route) would be the best idea. I'm a NEWBIE when it comes to even basic electronics... but I can learn anything. I only have a very basic understanding of electronics, besides computer hardware. However... these devices seem to be almost "alien" compared to the inside of a computer, or computer hardware in general. There are beginner's guides... and DIY kits.. but is there anyway I can do this completely from scratch so that I can learn it the hard way (but not extremely hard)? I can barely solder, but my father can help me a little bit, and he's pretty good at it. He knows electronics more than I do, as I see him soldering stuff into his stereo equipment all the time. When I showed him bitcoin miners and the FPGA's... he really didn't understand or recognize any of it... so thats kinda why I'm here. There's so many different kits, and ways of doing it, but what do I actually do FIRST? All of the tutorials (and I dont blame them) are almost too hard for me to understand. Can somebody point me in the direction of the easiest, but most informative, tutorial or something? I don't just want step by step directions, I want to understand how it works... and sometimes I really am not that resourceful when it comes to finding things, TBH. Basically... just where is a good point to start, without throwing me too much into the deep end (cost wise, and difficulty wise). Sorry for the long post.... just trying to explain myself fully (another problem of mine). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[netsider]

Also, a lot of the kits are expensive, and ready to run miner's don't teach me anything. Can I just buy a board, and buy each individual part and put it together, or something? Not trying to spend too much money on something I really don't know I'll be into, even though I find it interesting right now. Basically, I just want to experiment and not have it cost me too much. I do have a lot of spare time, just not money (lol). I'm sure some of you guys are in the same boat. Learning anything with hardware can be costly.

 

[warmon6]

If you can, try to break down this (as most people call it) "wall of text" into a few paragraphs.

It's really hard to read with everything clumped up together.

 

[netsider]

I'll try to simplify... and if you wonder anything, it's somewhere above LOL (sorry). Newbie to electronics, but not computer hardware/software. Want to learn how to make my own (low cost, especially if I can mess things up easily) FPGA for bitcoin mining. I have no idea where to start because most guides are geared towards people with at least some background in electronics. I want to learn how to build these, without having to learn too much about electronics before I can even start building one. I just figured there may be a good tutorial someone knows of, that is "for dummies"... and I can use that as a stepping stone to learn a little bit about basic electronics along the way. I don't really know, what I need to know... as you can probably tell. Put it this way... if your wife told you she would build you a bitcoin FPGA if you gave her instructions... thats the tutorial I need. I'll learn the rest from there on.

 

[Tobit]

Can I just buy a board, and buy each individual part and put it together, or something?

All of the board only kits I've seen use Surface Mount Technology. They are very difficult to solder especially if you've never done any soldering before. Passive components such as capacitors and resistors aren't too bad but the microprocessor and other IC's will be very challenging to solder. I've done a fair amount of through-hole and SMT soldering over the years (amateur radio) but don't think I'd want to try soldering some of the microprocessors I've seen on these boards.

 

[Monkey God]

if your wife told you she would build you a bitcoin FPGA if you gave her instructions... thats the tutorial I need. I'll learn the rest from there on.

Just buy one. Christ.

 

[lilfiend]

Read more on bitcointalk, I remember seeing a few threads about the skillet method for home soldering fpga's.

Most of the information is fiarly difficult to find but if you read the full threads and not just the first post/page you should be able to get a fairly rough idea on what you are doing, From there you should be able to post more specific questions and get better answers.

With how little knowledge you have you should start with learning at the least, how to read electronic diagrams and what ohms and volts and amps do and what actual components do, like transistors, resistors, capacitors, mosfets, all of it.

If it sounds like too much then you don't actually want to learn how to make fpga's, you want to learn how to assemble them, and maybe change a couple bits. Best bet for that is to buy a kit then source out all the individual parts and buy them yourself directly from the manufacturer.

 

[Kardonxt]

If you want to do this for funsies then great but with the upcoming reward drop and butterfly labs asic miners on the horizon there is pretty much no chance you will break even. Just wanted to make sure you were aware before embarking on your journey.