2018-7-14 10:22 |
Squirrels Research Labs has announced the launch of a cryptocurrency mining accelerator, Acorn — a new hardware component that improves efficiency and effectiveness of cryptocurrency mining.
Acorn works in sync with GPUs to offload work that typically creates bottlenecks in mining. It performs the work much faster, resulting in an increase in overall mining efficiency.
Acorn requires the use of the free, multi-algorithm SQRL mining software, SQRL Miner. SQRL Miner combines the best parts of other mining software in one place and allows for quick-glance operation monitoring. While it’s designed to work specifically with Acorn and Acorn-accelerated CPU and GPU hardware, it can be used without Acorn hardware.
According to Squirrels president David Stanfill, the Acorn hardware was created to increase the effectiveness of existing GPU mining operations without adding a significant cost.
“We want Acorn to be useful for anyone mining with GPUs,” Stanfill said. “We’ve created shared bitstreams, open specifications and open APIs. We’re already seeing a thriving community, and we’re excited for what that will bring as it continues to flourish.
“Acorn is only the beginning of many firsts to come from SQRL. We already have other products in development and are beginning to see demand.” Stanfill said.
Initially, three models of Acorn will be available: CLE-101, CLE-215 and CLE-215+. Each model uses high-performance FPGA chips from Xilinx Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX) in an M.2 slot to perform the least GPU-efficient parts of cryptocurrency mining.
All Squirrels Research Labs Acorn models work with memory-intensive algorithms like Ethash and CryptoNight V1. The 215 and 215+ models work with both memory-intensive and core-intensive algorithms like LyraREv2 and X16r. Acorn CLE-215+ utilizes 30 percent more FPGA performance for the most efficient power-to-hash-rate ratio.
The three models are priced to show a quick return on investment for GPU miners at $199.99, $299.99 and $329.99 USD respectively. Preorders begin Friday, July 13, with shipments beginning in August.
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