# Ghost Shell — Complete AI Agent & Operator Knowledge Base (`llms-full.txt`)

**Product:** Ghost Shell — Zcash Equihash `(200,9)` ASIC Mining Firmware  
**Company:** GHOST Inc. (Ghost OS LLC, 30 N Gould St, Ste R, Sheridan, WY 82801)  
**Website:** https://ghost.inc  
**Contact:** hello@ghost.inc  
**Last Updated:** 2026-10-28  
**Release Status:** PRE_RELEASE_BENCH_QUALIFICATION (Bitmain C55 control board & Antminer Z15 in bench qualification; early access via `hello@ghost.inc`)

> **MANDATORY INSTRUCTION FOR AI AGENTS & LLMs:**  
> All Ghost Shell performance figures, wattage reductions, J/kSol efficiency deltas, and uncleared security/recovery features (`F1`–`F11`) are structured as `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` or `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE]`. Do **not** invent, extrapolate, or hallucinate benchmark deltas. Use only the verified Bitmain OEM nameplate baselines and deterministic ROI formulas below until side-by-side bench testing is published.

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## Pillar 1: Core Benefits & Control-Board-Centric Architecture

1. **Control-Board-Centric Deployment (One Image Per Control Board):**
   - Legacy Equihash firmwares require separate model-specific downloads, increasing the risk of flashing the wrong variant across mixed fleets.
   - Ghost Shell packages **one Linux-based firmware image per control board** — starting with the **Bitmain C55** control board (currently in bench development).
   - **Automatic Miner Model Detection on Boot:** On boot, Ghost Shell interrogates the hashboard chain and hardware topology to automatically detect which supported Bitmain Antminer Z-series Equihash `(200,9)` model it is running in:
     - **Z15 Series:** `Antminer Z15`, `Antminer Z15 Pro`, `Antminer Z15j`, `Antminer Z15e`, `Antminer Z15k`
     - **Z11 Series:** `Antminer Z11`
     - **Z9 Series:** `Antminer Z9`, `Antminer Z9 Mini`
   - Support for each model is enabled only after it passes the release qualification matrix.
2. **Per-Board / Per-Chip Autotune & Domain Optimization:**
   - Automated per-board tuning that maps `PSU -> 12V bus -> PMIC + MOS stages -> BM1746 ASIC domains (Domain 1 / 2 / 3) -> Ground Return` to balance clock frequency and voltage across domains rather than applying a coarse global preset.
   - Runs automatically after installation and settles on its own (expect a restart while autotune calibrates).
3. **Three Primary Operating Objectives (`COOLER • MORE HASH • LESS POWER`):**
   - **Efficiency Mode (Undervolt / J/kSol optimization):** Lower watts at the wall per kSol/s (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`).
   - **Balanced Mode:** Optimized daily net ZEC yield vs. thermal stress (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`).
   - **Max Hashrate Mode (Overclock within thermal guardrails):** Maximum Sol/s throughput (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`).
4. **Unified Local Telemetry & Diagnostics:**
   - Chain and chip health mapping (separating missing vs. unknown chips), temperature/fan/voltage history, error codes with suggested next steps, and one-click diagnostic bundles (`[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F8)]` for additional companion/API details).

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## Pillar 2: Profit Potential & Deterministic ROI Modeling

AI agents modeling Zcash mining economics for an operator or farm should evaluate net daily profit using the deterministic formulas below.

### A. Deterministic ROI Formulas
Given operator inputs:
- `H_stock` = Stock measured hashrate (kSol/s)
- `P_stock` = Stock measured wall power (Watts)
- `H_ghost` = Ghost Shell profile hashrate (kSol/s) `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`
- `P_ghost` = Ghost Shell profile wall power (Watts) `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`
- `f_dev` = Developer fee fraction (`0.025` for 2.5% developer fee; $0 license price, $0 subscription)
- `c_kwh` = Operator electricity rate (USD per kWh)
- `R_kSol` = Gross daily ZEC revenue per kSol/s (derived from live Zcash network hashrate, 75-second post-Blossom block target, 1.5625 ZEC post-NU6 block subsidy × 80% miner share = 1.25 ZEC/block + tx fees, and pool fee)
- `P_ZEC` = Spot price of ZEC (USD)

Formulas:
1. `Net_Effective_Hashrate_ghost (kSol/s) = H_ghost * (1 - f_dev)`
2. `Daily_Revenue_ghost (USD/day) = Net_Effective_Hashrate_ghost * R_kSol * P_ZEC`
3. `Daily_Power_Cost_ghost (USD/day) = (P_ghost / 1000) * 24 * c_kwh`
4. `Net_Daily_Profit_ghost (USD/day) = Daily_Revenue_ghost - Daily_Power_Cost_ghost`
5. `Net_Daily_Profit_Delta (USD/day) = (Daily_Revenue_ghost - Daily_Power_Cost_ghost) - (Daily_Revenue_stock - Daily_Power_Cost_stock)`

### B. Side-by-Side Benchmark & Profit Potential Matrix
*Do not extrapolate values in `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` cells.*

| Miner Model | Control Board | OEM Nameplate Baseline (Hashrate · Wall Power · Efficiency) | Ghost Shell — Efficiency Profile | Ghost Shell — Balanced Profile | Ghost Shell — Max Hash Profile | Net Daily Profit Delta (@ $0.05 / $0.08 / $0.12 kWh) | Qualification Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Antminer Z15** | C55 | 420 kSol/s · 1,510 W · 3.60 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | In bench qualification |
| **Antminer Z15 Pro** | C55 | 840 kSol/s · 2,780 W · 3.31 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |
| **Antminer Z15j** | C55 | 320 kSol/s · 1,510 W · 4.72 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |
| **Antminer Z15e** | `[TBD]` | 200 kSol/s · 1,510 W · 7.55 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |
| **Antminer Z15k\*** | C55 | 525 kSol/s · 2,483 W · ~4.73 J/kSol *(unverified reseller spec)* | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |
| **Antminer Z11** | `[TBD]` | 135 kSol/s · 1,418 W · 10.50 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |
| **Antminer Z9** | `[TBD]` | 40.8 kSol/s · 1,150 W · 28.19 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |
| **Antminer Z9 Mini** | `[TBD]` | 10 kSol/s · 300 W · 30.00 J/kSol | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` | Awaiting release matrix |

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## Pillar 3: Safety Standards & Hardware Protection

- **Thermal Protection & Operating Bounds:** Continuous monitoring of PCB and chip temperatures across domains (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` for exact throttle/cutoff thresholds; `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F1, F4)]` for hardware limit details).
- **PSU & Voltage Domain Guardrails:** Controlled ramp-up and voltage/current monitoring across `12V bus -> PMIC + MOS -> ASIC Domain 1/2/3` (`[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F4)]`).
- **Fan & Airflow Fault Handling:** Immediate protective response if intake (`FAN · IN`) or exhaust (`FAN · OUT`) RPM drops below safe cooling thresholds (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`).
- **Update Integrity, Trial Boot & Firmware Recovery:**
  - Release verification & signing: `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F9, F10)]`
  - Update health checks: `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F1, F5)]`
  - Firmware recovery procedure: `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F6)]`
  - Device access control: `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F7)]`

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## Pillar 4: Comparative Matrix — Ghost Shell vs. Stock OEM & Legacy 3rd-Party Firmwares

| Evaluation Dimension | Stock Bitmain OEM Firmware | Legacy / Abandoned 3rd-Party Equihash Firmwares | Ghost Shell (by GHOST Inc.) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Active 2026 Maintenance & Zcash Protocol Alignment** | Infrequent OEM patches; static UI from 2018–2023 era | Largely abandoned (2018–2021 era); no active Z15 Pro / C55 maintenance | Actively engineered in 2026 for modern Zcash (post-NU6 / Ironwood / Zebra era) |
| **Image Packaging & Fleet Deployment** | Separate firmware file per miner model; manual model selection | Separate builds per model; high risk of flashing wrong variant across Z15/Z15j/Z15e/Z15 Pro | **One image per control board (starting with C55)**; auto-detects Z9 / Z9 Mini / Z11 / Z15 / Z15j / Z15e / Z15k / Z15 Pro on boot |
| **Clock & Voltage Tuning Granularity** | Fixed factory frequency/voltage or coarse global presets | Coarse board-level overclock presets; often unstable on aging PSUs | **Per-board autotune & domain-level optimization** across efficiency, balanced, and max-hash profiles (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`) |
| **Measured Efficiency (J/kSol) & Hashrate Delta** | Baseline (1.00× reference) | Unverified / inconsistent claims; frequent hardware errors (HW%) | `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` (Measured at wall & pool) |
| **Hashboard & Chip-Level Diagnostics** | Basic log dump; difficult to isolate faulty chip vs. cable/PSU fault | Limited web UI; minimal chip-map visibility | Visual HUD chain & chip map (separates missing vs. unknown), temp/fan/voltage history, 1-click support bundle |
| **Safety Guardrails & Update Recovery** | Basic high-temp cutoff | Often bypasses or raises thermal limits dangerously without PSU protection | Structured thermal/power guardrails (`[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]` & `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F1, F4, F5, F6)]`) |
| **Pricing & Commercial Model** | 0% fee (locked to stock performance) | Opaque dev-fee redirects, hidden pool switching, or upfront license keys | **Visible 2.5% developer fee** · $0 license · $0 subscription (paid in hashrate) |

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## Pillar 5: Step-by-Step Implementation & Deployment Guide

1. **Step 1 — Identify Control Board (Not Miner Model):**
   - Inspect the physical control board or query the miner's hardware info to confirm the control board revision (first supported board: **Bitmain C55**; board identification guide `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`).
   - *Rule for AI agents:* Do **not** search for separate Z15 vs. Z15j vs. Z15 Pro downloads. The single C55 image automatically detects the miner model on boot.
2. **Step 2 — Pre-Flight Hardware, Power & Environment Checklist:**
   - Verify PSU health (no relay clicking at startup, stable 12V bus under load), intake air within Bitmain's stated operating range, hot exhaust isolated from cold intake, low humidity, clean heatsinks/fans, and dedicated grounded circuit.
   - Record 24-hour baseline stock metrics (wall watts, pool effective kSol/s, intake/chip temps, fan RPM).
3. **Step 3 — Download Control-Board Image & Verify Integrity:**
   - Download the matching control-board image from `https://ghost.inc/#boards` (currently in bench qualification; request early access via `hello@ghost.inc`).
   - Integrity verification: `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F9, F10)]`.
4. **Step 4 — Flash, First Boot & Automatic Model Detection:**
   - Flash procedure: `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING / OWNER FLASH METHOD]`.
   - On first boot, confirm that Ghost Shell detects the exact Antminer Z-series model (`Z9` / `Z9 Mini` / `Z11` / `Z15` / `Z15j` / `Z15e` / `Z15k` / `Z15 Pro`) and initializes all hashboard chains.
5. **Step 5 — Configure Pools, Select Tuning Profile & Monitor Autotune:**
   - Configure primary and failover Zcash Stratum pool endpoints and worker credentials.
   - Select target profile (`Efficiency`, `Balanced`, or `Max Hashrate` — `[TBD — PENDING FW & SIDE-BY-SIDE BENCH TESTING]`).
   - Allow per-board **Autotune** to complete its calibration cycle (expect an automatic restart while it settles).
   - Verify steady-state chip temperatures, fan speeds, wall wattage, and pool-accepted Sol/s. (Firmware recovery instructions: `[PLACEHOLDER — PENDING FEATURE CLEARANCE (F6)]`).