Speaking of the number of pads vs. the number of actual leads on the chip, check out this actual die photo of an Avalon chip: http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/avalon-bitcoin-mining-unit-rig
As you can see, the number of pads is completely different from the number of pins on the package. There are something like almost 400 pad (I didn't count all of them). Bitsyncom could have added more pins, without changing the chip design if they thought they needed more power, they could have gone from 48 to 200, and it wouldn't have meant a single change for the die itself.
It could simply meant they wanted more "power balls" or perhaps they wanted to add some redundancy on the data lines. The chip could have thousands of pads for all we know.
There could be 10s of companies doing exactly that. In fact, Yifu actually mentioned some VC backed projects that were looking to do ASICs for personal mining use. Hopefully none of them are up and running before my KnC pays for itself
As you can see, the number of pads is completely different from the number of pins on the package. There are something like almost 400 pad (I didn't count all of them). Bitsyncom could have added more pins, without changing the chip design if they thought they needed more power, they could have gone from 48 to 200, and it wouldn't have meant a single change for the die itself.
It could simply meant they wanted more "power balls" or perhaps they wanted to add some redundancy on the data lines. The chip could have thousands of pads for all we know.
KNCminer were a serious business, they would have used venture capital to order the wafers etc. not taken a penny in pre-order money off people, and stormed onto the market with all guns blazing after not having warned the competiton they were coming. Hopefully they will do that with future products.
There could be 10s of companies doing exactly that. In fact, Yifu actually mentioned some VC backed projects that were looking to do ASICs for personal mining use. Hopefully none of them are up and running before my KnC pays for itself