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Miner assembly

Follow this step-by-step guide to assemble your Proto-MDK. It is recommended you stage your work materials and clear a table or desk of any clutter. Assembling in a clutter-free area will make installation smoother and prevent damage to components.

Note: This guide is provided as a courtesy to MDK Beta participants. Block Inc. is not responsible or liable for the use of these instructions.

    Enclosure

  1. Orient the chassis Rotate the chassis so the rear (with the three large open slots at the top) is facing you, as shown. Note, the sharp edges of the chassis may scratch surfaces.
    Chassis assembly correct position Rear of the chassis
    Chassis assembly wrong position Front of the chassis
    Required materials 1 x chassis
  2. Locate the hashboard slots Locate slots 2, 6, and 10 as shown below.
    Hashboard slots annotated image
  3. Insert the hashboards Insert a hashboard into each designated slot with the baffle (flat surface) facing left and the heatsinks (fins) facing right. For proper alignment, ensure the top edge of the hashboard is inserted into the first slot of each top partition. Be careful not to damage the board edges or components.
    Proper hashboard orientation image Proper hashboard orientation
    Required materials 3 X hashboards
  4. Attach the power supply unit (PSU) to the chassis Slide the PSU into the slots of the chassis. The upper tabs of the PSU will slide into the lower slot of the chassis. The lower tabs of the PSU will slide into the upper slots of the chassis.
    Image of PSU tabs and Chassis slots PSU tabs (left), chassis slots (right)
    Required materials 1 × power supply unit
  5. Fasten the PSU to the chassis Use one (1) M3 × 0.5mm x 8mm screw and torque to 0.45 N·m.
    First M3 by 0.5 millimeter by 8 millimeteter screw inserted in middle of PSU and chassis connection
    Required materials 1 × M3 × 0.5mm x 8mm
  6. Install the busbars Install busbars onto to the PSU and hashboards using ten (10) M4 x 0.7mm x 10mm long screws. For proper alignment, ensure the hashboards are fully inserted. Partially tighten the screws with your fingers. You’ll completely tighten the screws after installing the fans.
    Busbar postion Busbar position
    Busbar screw installation Screw installation
    Required materials 2 × busbar • 10 × M4 × 0.7mm x 8mm
  7. Access the front of the chassis Rotate the chassis so the front (no open slots at the top) faces you, as shown.
    Front of chassis with PSU attached Front of the chassis

    8. Controller board

  8. Install the controller board Slide the controller board into the rails on top of the chassis. The Ethernet port and LEDs should face the front of the chassis and the USB-A connectors should face the rear of the chassis.
    Top fron of the chassis Chassis rails for the controller board
    Controller board inserted onto chassis Slide controller board back until full stop
    Required materials 1 x controller board

    9. Before proceeding, document the controller board's 12-digit MAC address found on the controller board package and 16-digit serial number found on the label near the microSD port.

    Firmware

  9. Download and install the Proto-MDK firmware

    10. Beta participants will receive an early release of firmware pre flashed onto a microSD card. The Proto team will contact users in August to update to the latest version.

    Firmware upload and miner discovery

  10. Install the microSD card

    Insert the microSD card it into the controller board microSD card slot (connector accessibility may be limited after the faceplate is installed).


    You will need to locate your Proto-MDK IP address or hostname on your network to access the system/UI. To do so, insert your Ethernet cable into the ferrite core, and connect the controller board over Ethernet port (J3) to your network (router or switch) LAN port. Note, a network interface cable with a ferrite core must be used for RF interference suppression. Properly shielded and grounded cables and connectors must be used for connections to a host computer (and/or peripheral) in order to meet emission limits.


    Next, connect your power cable female connector to the PSU and the male connector to a 200 - 240V AC outlet. Your miner will power on. Confirm that the LEDs flash from red to green. The green LED will confirm the firmware upload was successful. To locate your miner's IP address or hostname, use a network discovery tool of your choice. We recommend Nmap, a free cross-platform tool you can download here. Once downloaded and enabled, you can identify your Proto-MDK on your network by:

    • Recommended: miner hostname (proto-miner-xyx)
    • 12-digit MAC address found on the controller board
      • from terminal, run arp -a to find the IPv4 address associated to your MDK mac address

    Populate the IP address or hostname into a browser search bar and hit enter. You will be taken to your Proto-MDK dashboard. When the firmware upload is complete, and miner discovery is successful — disconnect the power cable and Ethernet cable and continue with assembly.

    Micro SD inserted into controller board microSD card slot located to the left of Ethernet port
    Top view of Micro SD inserted into controller board Ensure the microSD card is fully inserted into the card slot
    Required materials 1 x 16GB (minimum) microSD card
  11. Install the faceplate Fasten the faceplate to the chassis using two (2) M3 x 0.5mm x 6mm screws.
    Front of controller board with faceplate attached Faceplate fastener locations
    Required materials 1 × faceplate • 2 × M3 x 0.5mm x 6mm
  12. Connect the controller board to the hashboard Plug three (3) USB-A to USB-C cables from the controller board into the hashboard connectors as shown. You can safely use any of the four available USB-A slots.
    Controller board attached to hasboards via usb c and usb a cables
    Required materials 3 × USB-A to USB-C, 15cm
  13. Install extension cable Connect one (1) 6pin to 6pin extension cable from the controller board to the PSU. Avoid applying excessive pressure to prevent damaging surrounding components. Note, the 6pin connector is orientation specific with the tab facing the PSU.
    6 pin to 6 pin connector Extension cable (6pin to 6pin)
    Top view of 6 pin to 6 pin connection to PSU and controller board Proper cable routing
    Required materials 1 × 6pin to 6pin cable
  14. Install the voltage regulating cable Connect one (1) 6pin to 4pin voltage regulating cable from the controller board to the PSU, as shown. The 6pin tab should be inserted into the controller board, and the 4pin connector to the PSU. Note, the 4pin connector is orientation specific with the tab facing the PSU.
    6 pin to 4 pin cable Voltage regulating cable (6pin to 4pin)
    Proper cable routing Proper cable routing

    15. Fans

  15. Assemble the rear fan module Assemble the rear fan module, which includes the rear chassis mesh plate, two fans and two fan grills. Orient the mesh plate so the horizontal slot is at the top. Place the two fans with the fan grills onto the mesh plate and orient the fans so that the cables (which can be bound in parallel) are on the left. Connect the fans to the mesh plate using eight (8) M4 × 0.7mm x 42 mm long screws.
    Rear fan components Rear fan components
    An assembled rear fan Fan screw locations — rear fan label should be facing you
    Assembled rear fan facing away from chassis Ensure that the the lower arrow is facing away from the chassis
  16. Attach the rear fan to the chassis Attach the rear fans to the chassis using four (4) M3 × 0.5mm x 8mm long screws.
    Front of chassis with PSU attached Rear fan attached to chassis
    Required materials 4 × M3 x 0.5mm x 8mm
  17. Connect the rear fans to the controller board Route the rear fan cables through the channel beneath the busbars and plug the fan connectors into ports 3 and 4 as shown.
    Front of chassis with PSU attached Proper cable routing
  18. Assemble the front fan Assemble the front fan, which includes the front chassis mesh plate, two fans and two fan grills. Place the two fans with the fan grills onto the mesh plate and orient the fans so that the cables (which can be bound in parallel) are on the right. Connect the fans to the mesh plate using eight (8) M4 × 0.7mm x 42 mm long screws.
    Front fan components Front fan components
    An assembled front fan Fan screw locations — front fan label should be facing away from you
    Front fan installed onto chassis Ensure that the lower arrow is facing toward the chassis
    Required materials 8 × M4 x 0.7mm x 42mm
  19. Line up the front fan module Ensure fan mesh grill center divider slots line up with the vertical hashboards. If not, rotate fan mesh 180 degrees or double check the hashboards are in the correct slots. Depending on your chassis version, the center divider may be too long. You may contact a chassis supplier and request an S19j Pro fan mesh, or trim the length with a cutting tool.
    Front fan mesh divider slots Align these slots to ensure a proper fit
    Improper bent front fan mesh divider Avoid bending the center divider which can result in restricted airflow
  20. Attach the front fan module Attach front fan to the chassis using four (4) M 3× 0.5mm x 8mm long screws.
    First M3 by 0.5 millimeter by 8 millimeteter screw inserted in middle of PSU and chassis connection
    Required materials 4 × M3 × 0.5mm x 8mm
  21. Route fan cables Route the front fan cables through the front faceplate as shown. Use tape to bind fan wires, as needed.
    Front fan cables inserted through faceplate Cable routed through faceplate
    Top view of controller board with front fan calbes running through controller board faceplate Proper cable routing
  22. Torque busbar screws and check electrical connections Torque all ten (10) M4 × 0.7mm × 8mm long screws to 1 N·m. Check all cable connections to ensure they're fully seated.
    Busbar screw installation
    Top view of controller board with front fan calbes running through controller board faceplate

    23. Top cover

  23. Install the top cover Install the top cover as shown. The tab on the rear should engage fully with the chassis slot. The circular enclosure tab should be flush with the cover housing. If it is not, loosen or tighten the screw beneath the tab as needed.
    Side view of controller board without cover
    Side view of controller board with cover
    Rear view of controller board with cover
    Required materials 1 × top cover
  24. Connect the PSU cover to the chassis Connect the PSU cover to the chassis using two (2) M3 × 0.5mm x 8mm long screws.
    Final screw installation rear view Final screws installation (rear view)
    Required materials 2 × M3 x 0.5mm x 8mm

Your Proto-MDK assembly is complete
Before you continue, check for missing screws or any damage that may have occurred during assembly as it may affect your miner’s performance. If you encountered damage to any of the Proto supplied components (e.g. controller board, hashboards, microSD card — contact support at mining.support@block.xyz ).