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A Father/Son Cryptocurrency Mining Rig Project

Alan Sguigna

February 25, 2018
8:18 pm

A few months ago, my son began to take an interest in cryptocurrency, and we decided to build an Ethereum mining rig together. But it wasn’t as easy to do as it seemed it would be at first.

Embedded API library for at-scale JTAG-based hardware-assisted debugging

Alan Sguigna

February 14, 2018
7:31 am

Out-of-band access between on-board BMCs and CPU JTAG chains is now a de facto implementation on hyperscale servers manufactured by the ODMs. This article describes the BMC firmware library within our ScanWorks Embedded Diagnostics (SED) product used to run diagnostics at-scale.

Spectre, Meltdown, and embedded MSR access

Alan Sguigna

February 5, 2018
6:52 am

In the article JTAG and run-control API in BMCs for at-scale debug, I described how embedding the Intel ITP run-control library down on a service processor provides for a rich set of target-based functions for debug forensics. How might this apply to reading MSRs, such as the ones created to address Spectre and Meltdown.

Boundary-Scan Test Using ScanWorks with Teradyne’s High Speed Subsystem

Michael Johnson

January 24, 2018
9:20 am

The MinnowBoard Chronicles Episode 30: using all 16 threads on my Ryzen?

Alan Sguigna

January 14, 2018
5:34 pm

In my last blog, I observed that running Yocto Linux builds with all 16 threads of my new AMD Ryzen 7 1700X machine would always crash. Running under VirtualBox and only using one thread always worked; but it took seven hours. Could I achieve a compromise?

The MinnowBoard Chronicles Episode 29: My new AMD Ryzen 7 CPU works, kind of

Alan Sguigna

December 25, 2017
11:46 am

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire: I beat the #&@! out of my new CPU from AMD, and the segmentation faults have gone away. But, now the new system is crashing!

JTAG and run-control API in BMCs for at-scale debug

Alan Sguigna

December 21, 2017
7:33 am

Truly at-scale debugging requires both JTAG Master and run-control functions to be embedded within server BMCs. Why is this true, and what extra capabilities become available?

JTAG Master function for embedded debug and test

Alan Sguigna

December 10, 2017
4:49 pm

In my last article, I described how the Open Compute Project (OCP) Project Olympus server designs have been put into the public domain by Microsoft Azure. Inherent in the Olympus servers is the hardware connection between the ASPEED BMC and the CPU JTAG chain. To make the most of this connection for hardware-assisted debug and test purposes, a high-performance, secure JTAG Master function is needed within the BMC.

Microsoft Project Olympus Schematics and Embedded JTAG Run-Control

Alan Sguigna

December 3, 2017
4:26 pm

As part of the Open Compute Project, Microsoft Azure is leading the charge in providing the technical information needed to democratize the server industry. Recently, they put into the public domain the full schematics and board files for an Intel Xeon Scalable Processor (Skylake-EP) server design. Reviewing the schematics provides great insight into the hardware design implementation needed to support at-scale debug via embedded JTAG run-control.

The MinnowBoard Chronicles Episode 28: Returning my AMD Ryzen 7 1700X CPU

Alan Sguigna

November 29, 2017
8:54 pm

Yes, I received an older AMD Ryzen 7 1700X CPU from Amazon. It’s RMA time!

A Father/Son Cryptocurrency Mining Rig Project

Embedded API library for at-scale JTAG-based hardware-assisted debugging

Spectre, Meltdown, and embedded MSR access

Boundary-Scan Test Using ScanWorks with Teradyne’s High Speed Subsystem

The MinnowBoard Chronicles Episode 30: using all 16 threads on my Ryzen?

The MinnowBoard Chronicles Episode 29: My new AMD Ryzen 7 CPU works, kind of

JTAG and run-control API in BMCs for at-scale debug

JTAG Master function for embedded debug and test

Microsoft Project Olympus Schematics and Embedded JTAG Run-Control

The MinnowBoard Chronicles Episode 28: Returning my AMD Ryzen 7 1700X CPU

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