Identify your miner model and controller
Identifying your miner is very simple. Check the label on top of your miner (red arrow). If the label is missing, look for the serial number label (green arrow). There you will also find the model identification. Once identified, proceed to the next step.
Use your ASIC's original firmware to check the controller
On the original firmware dashboard, click on Miner Log (red arrow) to open the hardware logs.
Open the CLOG tab, press Ctrl+F or F3 on your keyboard to open the browser search, and search for one of the following terms one at a time:
Do not test all terms at once; check them one by one.
Confirm by hardware. Check if the board has an SD card reader. This feature varies depending on the controller.
Xilinx (ZYNQ): SD card reader facing outward.
BeagleBone Black: hidden SD slot, nothing exposed.
Amlogic: no SD; uses Micro-OTG next to the RJ45 port.
Cevitek: SD card reader facing outward (more shielded controller).
Installation methods: The official VNISH allows installation via MicroSD (Xilinx/Cevitek), Micro-OTG (Amlogic), and NAND on all controllers. That said, we will choose installation via NAND for all controllers and models available on the market.
Why choose NAND installation?
The NAND method is a safe installation option using a tool provided by Vnish called
HashCore ToolKit, which allows us to inject the firmware file directly into the controller's NAND memory,
without having to physically manipulate the hardware.
On the Vnish / NerdolaMiner partner site, download the firmware for your specific model after following all the previous instructions. Select the firmware based on the model, correct controller, and the NAND installation method.
Tip: Always click the first icon in the list to download the actual firmware file.
Make sure your PC/laptop is on the same network as your miners and that you already know the IP range of your machines. To install Vnish on your miner, first create a folder on your computer in Local Disk C, named “NerdolaVnish”. When downloading the firmware, save it in this folder!
Download and install the HashCore ToolKit on your computer so we can proceed with the installation. The software is very complete and also works as a tool to manage your miners.
After downloading, install the software and launch it. On the software screen, click on “new group”.
In the Range 1 field, fill it in according to the IP range of your miner on your local network. Usually you fill in 192.168.0.1 - 0.255 OR 192.168.1.1 - 1.255. If it's none of these ranges, check the IP address range your machine is on. Examples below:
The toolkit will create the group with the available machines within the IP range we registered, as shown in the image below:
Select the checkbox next to the machine's name corresponding to the installation. After selecting, click “All commands” and then “install firmware”.
Click the “select” button and choose the folder we created on local disk C:/ named “NerdolaVnish”. After selecting the folder, in “Firmware Build Name” type “NerdolaMiner” and in “Firmware Version” enter the current version (1.2.6).
No need to change other fields. Just click on “Install Firmware”, then click “Yes” in the next window, and wait for the process to finish. You can monitor progress by clicking on “operations” at the top of the screen. When complete, a green success message will appear on the right side.
After that, open an incognito tab in your browser, enter the IP of the machine where you installed the firmware, and access the new interface already running VNISH. Click in the upper right corner on “Unlock” — the default access password is “admin”.
