<p>The very basic idea of an FPGA is that it can be loaded with a specific firmware (a layout of logical gates, in essence). That page contains the firmware you'd need to load onto a Xilinx FPGA (A Spartan 6) in order to use it as a mining device. ZTEX refers to a suite of the FPGA, and various IO controllers (USB, etc.).</p>

<p>Roughly speaking, the steps you'd need to follow would be:</p>

<ol>
<li>Buy device</li>
<li>Plug in device to your computer</li>
<li>Load firmware onto device from your computer</li>
<li>Run a piece of software on your computer that interfaces with the firmware now loaded on the FPGA</li>
<li>Profit (in a couple years)</li>
</ol>

<p>To answer your questions: yes, the device would need to be plugged in to a computer using the method in your link, and yes, you can "chain" them - i.e. have more than one plugged in. I've greatly oversimplified steps 3 &amp; 4, by the way.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-08T22:13:05.057Z
Oversimplified is such a great description - I'm using Modular Python Bitcoin Miner with a Mining_proxy software program.  IT works...but I'd like to discover how KNCminer converted their FPGAs to clock around a gigahash each and not ncecessarily 400 Mh
Frankenmint
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-09T23:03:04.227Z
Which FPGA would you use for mining?
hhh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-10T14:46:30.017Z
FPGA mining for bitcoin was never popular, and has not been economically viable since around the time this was written (2012). Hypothetically you'd want something recent (e.g. Stratix 10).
Rooke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-01T15:52:37.070Z
2012-07-05T13:35:23.370Z
2012-07-05T13:35:23.370Z
Rooke
<p>I'm not entirely sure how FPGA's work... </p>

<p>Do I simply buy a <a href="http://www.ztex.de/usb-fpga-1/usb-fpga-1.15y.e.html" rel="nofollow">ZTEX</a> and it mines, or do I need to plug it into a computer via USB? </p>

<p>Can I chain them?</p>

<p>I'm so confused.</p>

<mining-hardware><fpga>
How do I mine with FPGAs?
Shamoon
# How do I mine with FPGAs?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-01)

I'm not entirely sure how FPGA's work...

Do I simply buy a [ZTEX](http://www.ztex.de/usb-fpga-1/usb-fpga-1.15y.e.html) and it mines, or do I need to plug it into a computer via USB?

Can I chain them?

I'm so confused.

**Tags:** mining-hardware, fpga


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-05-01. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

The very basic idea of an FPGA is that it can be loaded with a specific firmware (a layout of logical gates, in essence). That page contains the firmware you'd need to load onto a Xilinx FPGA (A Spartan 6) in order to use it as a mining device. ZTEX refers to a suite of the FPGA, and various IO controllers (USB, etc.).

Roughly speaking, the steps you'd need to follow would be:

1. Buy device
2. Plug in device to your computer
3. Load firmware onto device from your computer
4. Run a piece of software on your computer that interfaces with the firmware now loaded on the FPGA
5. Profit (in a couple years)

To answer your questions: yes, the device would need to be plugged in to a computer using the method in your link, and yes, you can "chain" them - i.e. have more than one plugged in. I've greatly oversimplified steps 3 & 4, by the way.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Oversimplified is such a great description - I'm using Modular Python Bitcoin Miner with a Mining_proxy software program.  IT works...but I'd like to discover how KNCminer converted their FPGAs to clock around a gigahash each and not ncecessarily 400 Mh  
> **username_3**: Which FPGA would you use for mining?  
> **username_1**: FPGA mining for bitcoin was never popular, and has not been economically viable since around the time this was written (2012). Hypothetically you'd want something recent (e.g. Stratix 10).  

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