Summary of Crypto Miner
This project, Crypto Miner, monitors cryptocurrency mining rig temperatures and hash rates while enabling remote power resets via Alexa. An Arduino MKR1000 collects sensor data using the OneWire protocol and sends it to a Raspberry Pi running an Express web server and RethinkDB. The system features a real-time dashboard and an integrated Alexa skill for voice queries and rig management, ensuring optimal uptime through automated restart capabilities.
Parts used in the Crypto Miner:
- Arduino MKR1000
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
- Temperature probe (ds18b20)
- Resistor 4.75k ohm
- Amazon Alexa Echo Dot
- Relay Module (Generic)
- Water cooled 290x GPUs
- ATX power supply
Monitor your crypto mining hardware temperatures and hash rates with the ability to restart the rig remotely as well as Alexa integration.
Things used in this project
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Story
Crypto Miner
Crypto Miner is a companion system that runs alongside your cryptocurrency mining rig. The system allows you to monitor the temperatures of your hardware, hashing rate and also gives you the ability to reset the power supply on the rig. All these features are integrated with Alexa for voice interaction.
The temperatures are monitored using an Arduino MKR1000 with five temperature probes. This setup runs a sketch that posts the readings of each probe to a local server running on a Raspberry Pi.
I have an Express web server running on the pi which receives readings from the sensors and saves them to a RethinkDB instance. The web server acts as an API to provide data to the Alexa skill for voice interface. The user may also visit a dashboard running on the Pi that is also exposed.
The dashboard provides the user with their rig information like name and current hash rate. It also provides a real time graph of the latest readings.
Dashboard
The user can click through on any of the readings to see the full history for each of the temperatures.
Full History of Radiator Temps
Zoomed in
The user can also click through on the hash rate to see hash rate history, as well.
Full hash rate history
Zoomed hash rate history
Alexa
This hardware has a companion Alexa skill called Crypto Miner. You can use Crypto Miner to get your rigs current hash rate and temperatures.
- Alexa, ask Crypto Miner, what is the hash rate of Gill?
Where Gill is the name of your mining rig.
You can also ask for temperatures based on name.
- Alexa, ask Crypto Miner, what is the temperature of the radiator?
- Alexa, ask Crypto Miner, what is the temperature of the video cards?
- Alexa, ask Crypto Miner, what is the temperature of the case?
You may also restart the rig by name.
- Alexa, ask Crypto Miner to reset rig Gill.
Demo
Demo of Crypto Miner
High Level Flow
I’m using the Arduino MKR1000 to post all the sensor data to the Raspberry Pi which saves the readings to a RethinkDB instance. I have an Alexa skill running on the AWS lambda service that Alexa will use to request data from the mining rigs. The skill sends a call to the Pi and it returns the latest readings or hash rates. The Pi also acts as a web server to deliver a dashboard with a web socket connection to keep the data streaming in.
Mining Rig Hardware
My mining rig consists of two water cooled 290x GPUs which are currently mining Ethereum. I have a temperature probe taped to the backplate of each of the graphics cards, one near the PSU inside the case, one on the exhaust of the radiator and one probe for room temperature. The probes are all wired directly to the same pin on the MKR1000 and use OneWire protocol.
3D printer case for MKR1000
mining ring
Temperature probe for radiator
MKR1000 on top of rig with room temperature probe
Probes on GPU and SPURestarting Rig
One of the most important aspects of mining is uptime. You always want your rig mining at full throttle. Crypto Miner can you help make sure you always know when your miner is not performing optimally and you can take action.
The system has a relay connected to PS-On pin of the ATX power supply. This pin must be kept low for the power supply to be powered on. In the event that the mining rig GPUs drop below a certain temperature, I know one of the cards is not longer mining and I can reset the system by pulling that pin high with the relay. This will shut down the system and then I can pull the pin back low to restart the machine. The rig has an autostart policy so it will just start mining on boot.
Expandability
This system is designed to be expandable by adding more MKR1000s with the desired temperature probes for each additional rig. This system could provide data from multiple rigs even if they are distributed across the globe. Each device would just need internet which is already necessary for the mining rigs to function properly.
Custom parts and enclosures
MKR1000 case
Schematics
Temperature probes schematic
Code
Source : Crypto Miner
- How does the system monitor hardware temperatures?
The Arduino MKR1000 uses five temperature probes wired via the OneWire protocol to post readings to a local server. - Can I reset my mining rig remotely using voice commands?
Yes, users can ask Alexa to reset a specific rig by name, which triggers a relay to cycle the power supply. - What software runs on the Raspberry Pi?
An Express web server runs on the Pi to receive sensor data, save it to RethinkDB, and act as an API for the Alexa skill. - Does the dashboard provide real-time data visualization?
Yes, the dashboard includes a real-time graph of latest readings connected via a web socket. - How is the mining rig restarted when performance drops?
A relay pulls the PS-On pin high to shut down the system and then low again to restart it based on an autostart policy. - Can this system support multiple distributed mining rigs?
Yes, the system is expandable by adding more MKR1000s with probes for each additional rig across different locations. - What protocol do the temperature sensors use?
All five probes are wired directly to the same pin on the MKR1000 and utilize the OneWire protocol. - Where is the Alexa skill hosted?
The Alexa skill runs on the AWS Lambda service to request data from the mining rigs.
