HashFast and Uniquify roll out verification chip for TSMC's 28HPM process
This high-performance design was developed to provide an increase in the available hashing capacity for Bitcoin network transaction verification operations (also known as Bitcoin "mining"). The design simulation met or exceeded the design targets, performing more than 400 billion double-SHA256 hashing operations per second (GHash/s), while consuming less than 0.6 W/GHash/s at nominal clock rate.
A Leap Forward in Technological, Performance of Bitcoin Microprocessors
The GN chip will be fabricated at TSMC's 28nm GIGAFAB foundry in Taiwan. HashFast has already increased the initial planned production volume of the GN chip to address strong pre-order demand.
Key features of the design include a modular architecture, a fault-tolerant physical layout to allow for maximum silicon yield, and an ability to be overclocked for greater performance and underclocked for greater efficiency. Its use of on-die thermal controls allows operation at its maximum performance given the capacity of the cooling system deployed with it.
Since announcing Golden Nonce, HashFast has been producing Bitcoin network verification equipment. The GN chip provides increased hashing performance, while lowering power requirements and addressing thermal issues of earlier Bitcoin mining ASICs.
HashFast began taking public orders in August for the Baby Jet mining systems, the first product to house this processor. Once the initial batch of GN chips is produced and tested, Baby Jet will begin shipping in volume.
"The rapid development and tape out of the GN chip is another testimony to the power of our Perseus design management system," says Josh Lee, Uniquify's founder and chief executive officer (CEO). "With Perseus, we were able to go from first RTL code to final tape out in under three months, an exceptional performance for any ASIC design program, let alone a sophisticated 28nm design such as Hashfast's GN chip."
Eduardo deCastro, founder and CEO of Hashfast, agrees and notes, "Working with a mature design team has been a key advantage. We've been able to leverage our team's decades of experience to quickly explore and evaluate multiple options, and deliver at record speed. Another critical advantage was the choice of Uniquify and TSMC for design and manufacturing. Both are at the top of their fields, have worked together on multiple projects, and are true innovators."
"We are pleased to be working with Uniquify and HashFast to enable this new ASIC design," adds Brad Paulsen, TSMC Senior Vice President, North America. "This application is a good fit with TSMC's 28HPM process technology and we wish them much success with the GN product."
Headquartered in San Jose, California, HashFast Technologies is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer specialised in the production of high-performance ASICs at aggressive performance nodes for the network verification of digital currency transactions.
Headquartered in San Jose, California, Uniquify is a system-on-chip (SoC) design, integration and manufacturing services supplier, and developer and provider of high-performance semiconductor IP. Its "ideas2silicon" services range from spec development and front-end design through physical design and delivery of packaged, tested chips.
Uniquify's headquarters and primary design centre is in San Jose with additional design teams in Pune, India, and Seoul, Korea. With more than 100 employees, Uniquify offers 65-, 40- and 28-nm SoC design expertise, integration and manufacturing services and high-performance IP to semiconductor and system companies worldwide.
