NerdMiner setup.
How do you install your NerdMiner?
Table of contents
Did you order a NerdMiner and are you going to install everything yourself? Then read this article, where we take you from a to z through the installation process for both beginners and experts.
The NerdMiner Project is a freely accessible open-source initiative that allows you to engage in bitcoin mining using a small hardware device.
It is important to note that the hashrate of this hardware is extremely low, and it should be considered primarily as an educational resource. The probability of finding a block and receiving the block reward is very low.
The main purpose of this project and its hardware is to enhance your knowledge of bitcoin mining, while also providing an aesthetically pleasing gadget. It offers an immersive and engaging experience, making it an impressive focal point in your home, work or on the go and an excellent conversation piece.
To achieve this, the project uses the LILYGO T-Display-S3 ESP32-S3 1.9-inch LCD Display Development Board with built-in WIFI and Bluetooth capabilities. The board features a dual-core LX7 microprocessor, 16 MB flash memory, 8 MB PSRAM and runs on a 3.3V power supply.
With power consumption much lower than that of a standard LED lamp (~1.55W), the NerdMiner achieves an estimated hash rate of 55KH/s on the latest firmware.
Here are the details of power consumption:
- Device: 5V | 0.14A | 0.71 W
For more information, see the project on Github at: https://github.com/BitMaker-hub/NerdMiner_v2
Credits to BitMaker and the development team for their excellent work and continued development of this project.
Setting up the LillyGo to build a NerdMiner:
Setting up the NerdMiner the educational way:
If your device is not listed, try another cable.
A window will then appear asking you to select the device you want to connect to - select your device and click again: 'connect'.
4. Once connected, configure the files for programming. Use the "Add File" button to add four rows. Next, be sure to change the flash address on the left to match the different files, as below:
- 0x0000 - Choose Bootloader file
- 0x8000 - Select partition file
- 0x10000 - choose firmware file
- 0xe000 - choose BootApp
See image below:
5. Click on 'Program' and wait for the process to complete. Then disconnect and reconnect the power cable.
6. After a few moments, you should see the Nerdminer Wi-Fi setup screen with a QR code. This may take a minute or two if it doesn't happen immediately.
NerdMiner setup the easy way:
1. Connect your LillyGo TTGO T-Display S3 device to your computer via USB-C. Note! The USB C cable must be a data and power cable.
2. Go to https://bitmaker-hub.github.io/diyflasher/
For the best experience, use Google Chrome or Brave browser (Firefox is not compatible).
3. From the drop-down menu, select "Nerdminer (Firmware version you need)."
We recommend choosing the latest firmware.
4. Click flash, a window will appear asking you to select the device you want to connect to - select your device and click "connect". If your device is not listed, try another cable.
5. All the files detailed above, in the educational setup are flashed to your device.
After a few moments, you should see the Nerdminer Wi-Fi setup screen with a QR code. It may take a minute or two to boot up.
Configuring the NerdMiner:
Whatever method you chose above, you need to configure the device to connect to your Wi-Fi network and enter a bitcoin address where you want to receive your block reward to when your NerdMiner finds a block.
1. On your computer or cell phone, connect to the Wi-Fi network found by your Nerdminer device. This can be done by either scanning the QR code on the screen or manually searching for the Wi-Fi network and logging in with the login credentials below:
The SSID is: NerdMinerAP:
The password is: MineYourCoins
2. Open a web browser, you should be automatically redirected to a settings page. If you are not automatically redirected, manually navigate to: 192.168.4.1 in your browser.
You should see this screen:
3. Click on the option "Configure Wi-Fi" and provide the requested information on the screen. This includes selecting your Wi-Fi network, entering the Wi-Fi network password, and providing the bitcoin address for receiving mined bitcoin in case of block discovery.
We recommend a seg-white address starting with bc1q (Note; taproot addresses starting with bc1p do not currently work with the default public-pool). The pool settings are preset on public-pool.io, but you can change them to your own preference, although it is usually advisable to keep the default settings.
The fields marked with red text on the image below are the 3 fields you need to configure.
4. In the rare case that you find a valid block, you will receive the full block reward at the specified address (excluding a small fee that goes to the solo mining pool, this varies by pool but count on about 2%).
5. After you have entered all the required information, click on "save", wait a moment and then reboot your device.
6. You should now be able to see the Nerdminer's main screen. This will show you how much KH/S your NerdMiner produces (expect about 55KH/S, may vary slightly depending on firmware).
Explaining how to use the buttons to navigate:
Top button:
- Single click: Enables screen changes (functional only with firmware version 1.5 or higher).
- Press and hold for 5 seconds: Initiates a reset of your configurations and reboots the device.
- Press and hold and launch: Activates configuration mode, provides access to change current configuration via Wi-Fi or adjust/check settings.
Bottom button:
- Single click: Turn the screen on and off.
- Double click: Changes the orientation (by default, USB-C is positioned to the right).
Central button:
- Hard reset: Note: Press this button only if you plan to erase all data on your device.
Thnx Mario. Super clear explanation. It was fixed within 15minutes!
Cool to hear that it worked out so quickly Joep 🙂 .
That was exactly the starting position.
Do I understand correctly that you can also put in the btc address of bitvavo, or it wise to choose another one if so which one .
In fact, you can also use your Bitvavo bitcoin wallet address.
In contrast, my advice is to store your Bitcoin on a hardwallet and not on exchanges.
Depending on your technical knowledge, there are several options.
Personally, I favor Blockstream Jade, Bitbox or possibly trezor.