ASIC chip
Also called: chip, hashing chip, BM1368
An ASIC chip is an integrated circuit designed for a single calculation, such as Bitcoin's SHA-256. Dozens are mounted on each hashboard.
ASIC stands for Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. Unlike a computer's processor or a graphics card, an ASIC mining chip can only do one thing: compute a specific algorithm as fast as possible while using as little energy as possible. A SHA-256 chip can therefore only mine cryptocurrencies that use this algorithm, such as Bitcoin.
Each manufacturer gives its chips a model number. At Bitmain, the names BM1362, BM1366, BM1368 and BM1370 refer to successive generations. From one generation to the next, the process node shrinks and power consumption per terahash falls: that is what explains the efficiency gap between an older and a newer miner model. The chips are mounted by the dozen on each hashboard and work in parallel.
On a product page, the chip model is rarely listed, but the efficiency in J/TH reflects it directly: within the same series, a newer version often uses a more efficient chip. For repairs, the model number matters: a replacement chip must be identical to the ones on the board, otherwise the hashboard will not work properly.
Our exploded view of the Antminer Hydro shows where the chips sit inside the machine. The HappyMining firmware sets the frequency and voltage of each chip through autotune.