Soldering station on the microcontroller pic. Do-it-yourself soldering station: expensive equipment for a penny. What is a soldering station for: applications

A soldering iron is the main tool of those who are somehow connected with electronics. But most ordinary soldering irons are suitable only for soldering pans, a more or less normal soldering iron with a thermostat and replaceable tips is not cheap, and there is nothing to say about soldering stations. I propose to assemble a simple soldering station that does not differ much in functionality from serial ones.

Scheme

The microcontroller works like a thermostat: it receives data from the thermal converter and controls the transistor, which in turn turns on the heater. The set and current temperature of the soldering iron are displayed on a seven-segment display. Buttons S1-S4 are used to set the temperature in increments of 100°С and 10°С, S5-S6 - to turn the station on and off (standby mode), S7 - switches the temperature display mode: current temperature or set temperature (in this mode it can be changed ). Heater operation is indicated by LED1. In the event of a power failure, the last set temperature is stored in the non-volatile EEPROM memory, and the next time the station is turned on, it starts heating up to this temperature.

Details

The station used a network transformer for 18V 40W, any diode bridge that can withstand a current of 2A and a reverse voltage of 30V, for example KTs410. The integrated voltage regulator 7805 must be screwed to a radiator no smaller than a matchbox. Filter capacitors C1 - electrolytic for 100-500 microfarads, C2, if desired, can be removed. Indicator - any three-digit with dynamic indication and a common anode, it is better to hide it behind a light filter. Current-limiting resistors R8-R11 with a resistance of 330Ω-1kΩ. Buttons S1-S6 without latching, preferably clocked, S7 - toggle switch or button, but with latching. Resistors R1-R7 - any, with a resistance of 10kOhm-100kOhm. Transistor T1 is an N-channel MOSFET controlled by a logic level, with a permissible drain-source voltage of at least 25V and a current of at least 3A, for example: IRL3103, IRL3713, IRF3708, IRF3709, etc. ATmega8 microcontroller with any suffix and case (pin numbering on the diagram for DIP packages). Of the fuses, we only change CKSEL: we set it to the internal 8MHz generator CKSEL3 ... 0=0100, we do not touch the rest. Such a scheme does not require any configuration and works immediately (if it is assembled correctly).

soldering iron

The scheme provides for the use of soldering irons used in commercially available soldering stations, such as Lukey or AOYUE. Such soldering irons are sold as spare parts and are slightly more expensive than the previously mentioned pot soldering irons. The main difference that worries us is the type of temperature sensor, it can be a thermistor or a thermocouple. We need the first one. This type of converter is suitable for soldering irons inside which there is a ceramic heating element HAKKO 003 (HAKKO A1321). An example of such a soldering iron is used in Lukey 868, 852D +, 936 soldering stations, etc. Such a soldering iron is more expensive, but is considered to be of better quality.

Finally

Lukey soldering irons have a PS / 2 connector for connecting the station, for AOYUE it looks like an old Soviet connector for connecting a tape recorder. On the Internet you can find their pinout, or you can just cut off the connector and solder directly to the board. To find out which wire is which, you can measure the resistance: the heater will have about 3 ohms, and the thermistor will have about 50 ohms (at room temperature).
Almost all modern soldering irons for soldering stations have the ability to ground the tip, use it to protect soldered parts from static discharges.

And here's what happened

Everything was soldered with EPSN with a copper wire wound around the tip. I did not think about miniaturization then.

The insides were photographed two years ago when it was first made, so attentive readers may notice a relay (replaced by a transistor) and a thermocouple converter (red resistors and a trimmer in the lower left corner). Tell in:

Imported professional soldering stations have a wide range of service functions, but are very expensive and inaccessible to most radio amateurs. Therefore, radio amateurs themselves develop soldering iron control schemes. Basically, these are the simplest power regulators based on thyristors, and most often for a voltage of 220 V. Meanwhile, a 220 V soldering iron (especially an old one) is not only an electrical and fire hazardous tool, it can become an "executioner" for modern radio components. In addition, the thyristor power controller is a strong source of radio interference.
To increase fire safety, regulators are equipped with timers that turn off the soldering iron after a certain period of time.

For electrical safety, low voltage soldering irons are used - from 6 to 42 V, which, moreover, are safe for radio components.
As practice shows, 5-6 steps of power adjustment are enough for normal operation. The advent of microcontrollers allows you to significantly expand the functions of a homemade soldering station.

Permanent control over the position of the soldering iron (lies on the stand lever or removed from it);
- the presence of timers for heating and disconnecting the soldering iron from the network;
- LED scale of output power;
- sound alarm to attract attention;
- five steps of output power (60, 70,80,90, 100%);
- automatic transition to standby mode during long stops in work,
- automatic disconnection from the network after a certain idle time.

All control functions of the soldering station are performed by the pic16f84a microcontroller (Fig. 1). When you press the "bcl." (sb1) button, voltage is applied to the primary winding of the transformer T1. Power from the midpoint of the secondary winding T1 through the rectifier vd2-vd3-r1 and the stabilizer vd1-c1-da1-c5 is supplied to the dd1 microcontroller. The microcontroller is initialized and turns on relay K1 through the transistor switch vt1, which blocks the power button with contacts K1.1. At the same time, the vd5 LED turns on, signaling the power on. At the initial moment, no voltage is applied to the soldering iron, since a high level is set at pin 12 dd1, which opens the vt2 transistor, which bypasses r10 and turns off the da2 regulator. LEDs vd7 vd12 do not light up. The microcontroller program checks if the soldering iron is on the station arm. A flag is attached to the end of the lever, which opens the light channel of the vu1 optocoupler - when the soldering iron is removed, and closes - when the soldering iron is placed on the lever. If the soldering iron is not on the lever, a series of sound signals "sos" (Morse code) follows. During this time, put the soldering iron on the lever, otherwise the microcontroller will turn off relay K1 and completely de-energize the station with contacts k1.1

If, when turned on, the soldering iron is on the lever, then the vu1 optocoupler is closed, and the high level is at pin 17 dd1, a sound greeting follows and the 100% power mode is turned on to warm up the soldering iron. Transistors vt2 vt7 are closed, and the output voltage of the stabilizer da2 is maximum. It is determined by the resistance r10. During warm-up, the vd12 indicator is on. After 2 minutes, a short beep warns that the rated power has been switched on (in this case 70%). At the same time, a high level from pin 8 dd1 turns on the vd9 LED and opens the vt5 key, which connects the resistor r20 in parallel with the resistor r10. Their equivalent resistance determines the output voltage da2, corresponding to 70% of the power of the soldering iron. Buttons sb2 and sb3 can switch 6 power levels in a circle. The output voltage of the stabilizer da2 at each stage is obtained by connecting additional resistors r16, r19, r20, r22, r25 in parallel to r10, switched by transistor switches vt2 vt7

When the soldering iron is removed from the lever, the microcontroller turns on a watchdog timer that warns the user every minute with a short beep that the soldering iron is not on the lever. When the soldering iron is placed on the lever, the watchdog timer is reset.

If the soldering iron is not removed from the lever for a long time, after 5 minutes an audible warning follows, and after another 5 minutes the microcontroller puts the soldering iron into standby mode (slightly warmed up). The soldering iron can be in standby mode for 20 minutes, after which a sound signal follows, and the station is disconnected from the network.

When you remove the soldering iron from the lever when it was in standby mode, it automatically turns on full power for 1 minute to warm up. The standby timer is reset. When the "Off" button (sb4) is pressed, the end of operation signal sounds and the station turns off.

Details.
In this design, a home-made soldering iron (24 V / 30 W) is used. Integral voltage regulators da1 and da2 are interchangeable with domestic KR142EN5A and KR142EN12, respectively. Transformer T1 - 220/30 V with output from the midpoint. You can apply T1 without outputting the midpoint and power the stabilizer da1 from a 30 V source through a larger quenching resistor r1 and a zener diode vd1. Diodes vd2, vd3 are not installed in this case. Relay K1 - small-sized, imported, for a voltage of 24 V. Transistors in the keys - any with a permissible reverse voltage of at least 40.. 50 V. It is possible to use transistor assemblies. Capsule bf1 - electromagnetic, type sd160701 from tdk, from an old computer, with a coil resistance of 60 ohms. If a low-resistance emitter is used, it should be switched on through a transistor amplifier. Optocoupler vu1 with an open optical channel - from an old fax machine It is possible to use a diode-transistor optocoupler from disk drives or from a "mouse" LEDs - any, with a different glow color.

The circuit is assembled on two single-sided printed circuit boards. The first one is 65x90 mm in size (Fig. 2) - the processor board, the second - 50x90 mm (Fig. 3) is the regulator board. On the processor board, the buttons and LEDs are soldered on the side of the printed conductors (Fig. 4). Relay, 5 V stabilizer and sound capsule are also installed on the processor board Fuse fu1, diode bridge, filter capacitors, regulator da2, switches vt2...vt7 with corresponding resistors r15. r25 are installed on the regulator board. The da2 microcircuit is soldered to the board from the side of the printed conductors and attached to a ribbed heatsink with dimensions of 60x90x40mm. The microcontroller dd1 is installed on the socket for easy removal in case of possible modification of the program. The boards are interconnected by a ribbon cable. The appearance of the assembled device is shown in Fig.5.

Setting.
Depending on the input voltage da1, the quenching resistor r1 is calculated so that the voltage at the stabilizer input is 8 ... 10 V. The current consumed by da1 with bf1 on is about 60 mA Resistors r16, r19, r20, r22, r25 are replaced in turn when setting a chain of series-connected constant resistor with a resistance of 1 kOhm and a variable 20 kOhm. The corresponding mode is turned on and the voltage at the output da2 is set with a variable resistor, which is necessary to obtain the installed power of the soldering iron. In "stand by" mode, the soldering iron should be slightly warm. When programming the microcontroller, you can set other timer delays, multiples of 1 minute, the equivalent of a 16-bit number.

The addresses of the delay constants are given in Table 1, the addresses of the cells for switching on the mode after the soldering iron has warmed up - in Table 2. The control program of the microcontroller in Assembler is presented in Table 3, and the firmware map - in Table 4. A few words about the modernization of the station In it, you can use the block on the KR1182PM1 microcircuit to control the heating of a network soldering iron (220 V / 100 W) Changing the program is not required The microcircuit of the power regulator is connected to the station via optocoupler switches The described device can be successfully applied to other devices iron, curling iron, etc.)

Good afternoon, Dear Readers! Today we will talk about assembling a soldering station. So let's go!
It all started with the fact that I stumbled upon this transformer:

It is 26 volts, 50 watts.
As soon as I saw it, a brilliant idea immediately came to my mind: to assemble a soldering station based on this transformer. On Ali, I found this one. In terms of parameters, it is ideal - the operating voltage is 24 volts, and the current consumption is 2 amperes. I ordered it, a month later it came in shockproof packaging. In the picture, the sting burned a little, because I already connected the soldering iron to the transformer. I purchased the connector on the market, immediately with a connector for four wires.

But connecting the soldering iron directly to the transformer is too simple, uninteresting, and the tip will deteriorate so quickly. Therefore, I immediately began to think about the soldering iron temperature control unit.
At first, I thought over the algorithm: the microcircuit will compare the value from the variable resistor with the value on the thermistor, and, based on this, it will either supply current all the time (heating the soldering iron), or supply it in “packs” (temperature retention), or not supply it at all (when the soldering iron is not in use). For these purposes, the lm358 chip is perfect - two operational amplifiers in one package.

Soldering Station Regulator Diagram

Well, let's go directly to the scheme itself:

Parts list:

DD1 - lm358;
DD2 - TL431;
VS1 - BT131-600;
VS2 - BT136-600E;
VD1 - 1N4007;
R1, R2, R9, R10, R13 - 100 ohms;
R3, R6, R8 - 10 kOhm;
R4 - 5.1 kOhm;
R5 - 500 kOhm (tuning, multi-turn);
R7 - 510 Ohm;
R11 - 4.7 kOhm;
R12 - 51 kOhm;
R14 - 240 kOhm;
R15 - 33 kOhm;
R16 - 2 kOhm (tuner);
R17 - 1 kOhm;
R18 - 100 kOhm (variable);
C1, C2 - 1000uF 25v;
C3 - 47uF 50v;
C4 - 0.22uF;
HL1 - green LED;
F1, SA1 - 1A 250v.

Making a soldering station

At the input of the circuit there is a half-wave rectifier (VD1) and a current-quenching resistor.

Next, a voltage stabilization unit is assembled on DD2, R2, R3, R4, C2. This block lowers the voltage from 26 to 12 volts needed to power the microcircuit.

Then comes the control unit itself on the DD1 chip.

And the final block is the power part. From the output of the microcircuit, through the indicator LED, the signal goes to the triac VS1, which controls the more powerful VS2.

We also need a few wires with connectors. This is not necessary (the wires can also be soldered directly), but just right for Feng Shui.

For a printed circuit board, we need a textolite with dimensions of 6x3 cm.

We transfer the pattern to the board using the laser-ironing method. To do this, print out this file, cut it out. If something is not transferred, we finish it with varnish.

(downloads: 262)

Next, we throw the board into a solution of hydrogen peroxide and citric acid (3: 1 ratio) + a pinch of table salt (it is a catalyst for a chemical reaction).

When the excess copper dissolves, we take out the board, rinse it with running water

Then remove the toner and varnish with acetone, drill holes

And that's it! The printed circuit board is ready!
It remains to tin the tracks and solder the components correctly. Solder, focusing on this picture:

The following places must be connected with jumpers:

Yes, we have collected the fee. Now it would be necessary to place all this in the case. The base will be a square of plywood measuring 12.6x12.6 cm.

The transformer will be in the middle, fixed with screws on small wooden blocks, the board will “live” nearby, bolted to the base through the corner.
This circuit can also be powered by 12V, which makes it versatile. To do this, it is necessary to exclude DD2, R2, R3, R4 and C2 from the general scheme. Also, the thermistor in the circuit should be replaced with a constant resistor of 100 ohms.
This concludes my article. Good luck with your replay!
P.S. If the soldering iron does not start, check every connection on the board!

The article discusses a self-made microcontroller control unit for a soldering station, which includes a low-voltage soldering iron and an industrial-made soldering gun. The unit can also be used as a two-channel general purpose temperature meter with thermocouples as its sensors and as a single-channel temperature controller.

In amateur radio practice, very often there is a need for a convenient miniature soldering iron for working with small radio components, which has a low supply voltage, adjustable tip temperature and the possibility of grounding it. The latter greatly reduces the risk of damage to electronic components by static electricity.

Many descriptions of the designs of soldering irons and soldering dryers (hereinafter referred to as dryers) have been published in the literature, but the independent manufacture of most of them requires special equipment, suitable materials and a significant investment of time. However, today it is possible to purchase ready-made, easy-to-use soldering irons and hair dryers with interchangeable nozzles for a small price.

There are two common options for the design of soldering irons, which differ in the way the tip is heated and its temperature is measured. In the first version, the heater covers the soldering rod (as in classic electric soldering irons). The temperature is measured using a thermocouple pressed against its shank, opposite the tip. In this design, the heating coil is reliably protected from mechanical stress and damage. But the readings of the temperature sensor, remote at a considerable distance from the actual place of soldering, have a noticeable inertia. It takes some time for the heat removal from the tip (sting) to reduce the temperature of the shank. In practice, this disadvantage is compensated by a certain temperature margin of the rod and its large heat capacity, which ensures fast heating of the soldering point. The control system fixes the decrease in temperature only during prolonged continuous soldering and returns it to the set value, increasing the power given to the heater.

The second variant differs in that the heater is located inside the rod, the temperature sensor is pressed against the nearest point of the heater to the soldering point. This ensures a faster response to changes in tip temperature during the soldering process. Such soldering irons usually use a fragile ceramic heater, which is easily damaged when the soldering iron is dropped on a hard surface or in the event of other strong mechanical loads, or internal mechanical stresses arising from uneven heat removal (for example, when working with a non-standard tip).

Another working tool of a modern soldering station is a hair dryer. With its help, the necessary sections of the printed circuit board are contactlessly heated to the melting temperature of the solder by an air flow of a given force and temperature. The hair dryer is also convenient for group soldering of passive electronic components. They are preliminarily laid out on a printed circuit board, covering the soldering points with a layer of solder paste. During the soldering process, these components self-center on the pads of the board due to the surface tension forces of the molten solder.

The hair dryer gained great popularity among repairmen, since it can be used to quickly solder and solder multi-pin microcircuits with a fine lead pitch. The hair dryer is also very convenient for heating heat-shrinkable tubes and for blowing hard-to-reach areas of structures with warm or cold air.

Previously, soldering dryers were powered by a compressor, which was located in a separate housing and supplied air through a hose to the dryer handle, in which a heater and a temperature sensor were installed. The need for a remote compressor and its high price hindered the spread of such hair dryers in the workplace of radio amateurs. With the advent of hair dryers with built-in fans, it has become possible to do away with bulky compressors.

On fig. 1 shows a photograph of a disassembled soldering iron from a Solomon SL-10/30 soldering station with a temperature sensor installed according to the first of the options described above, and a hair dryer from a Lukey 852D + FAN soldering station with a built-in fan. It was to work with them that the proposed control unit was developed.

A nichrome heater and a temperature sensor are installed in the metal casing of the front of the hair dryer. By design, the heater is similar to those used in hair dryers. The heater supply voltage is 220 V, power is about 250 W. In the extended part of the handle of the hair dryer there is a centrifugal fan with a supply voltage of 24 V (current consumption 120 mA). I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the outer diameter of the metal part of the nozzle of this hair dryer is 25 mm, unlike the popular "compressor" ones with an outer nozzle diameter of 22 mm. As a result, it requires special nozzles, while others require an adapter to install. A self-made nozzle with a round outlet of small diameter, shown in fig. 2, the author made from an old oxide capacitor K50-3 20 uF at 350 V and a car clamp.

Given that a soldering iron and a hairdryer are usually not used at the same time, it was decided to simplify the block being developed by combining the controls for these tools and using the same indicators to display their temperature and operating mode.

Main technical characteristics

Supply voltage and frequency, V (Hz) ............... 220 (50)

Soldering iron heater supply voltage, V.............24

Soldering iron heater power, W .......... 48

Maximum temperature

Soldering iron, oC......................420

Hair dryer heater supply voltage, V .............. 220

Hair dryer heater power, W.......................250

Maximum temperature

Air flow, оС......................480

Display resolution

Temperatures, оС......................1

The scheme of the soldering station control unit with a soldering iron and a hair dryer connected to it is shown in fig. 3. The button in the hair dryer, indicated in the diagram SB2, is not used. The control unit is built on the basis of the PIC16F887 (DD1) microcontroller, which has a ten-bit ADC and is configured to work from the built-in clock generator with a frequency of 8 MHz. The X4 connector is provided for programming the microcontroller. Ceramic capacitors C14 and C15 are installed as close as possible to the power pins of the microcontroller. To supply sound signals, a sound emitter with a built-in generator HA1 is designed, which is controlled by signals from pin 40 (RB7) of the microcontroller through an electronic key on a transistor VT3.

The temperature is measured using thermocouples BK1 and BK2, installed respectively inside the hot air gun and soldering iron. Op-amps DA1.1 and DA1.2 amplify their thermo-EMF. Cold junctions of thermocouples are physically located in the handles of the soldering iron and hair dryer; compensation for changes in their temperature is not provided. In practice, the absence of such compensation does not cause noticeable inconvenience, since soldering is usually carried out in rooms with a little changing temperature.

As the exemplary voltage of the ADC of the microcontroller, its supply voltage (5 V) was used. This did not lead to a noticeable error. The ADC external reference voltage input pin is left free and, if desired, can be used to connect an external reference voltage source of increased stability, for example, MCP1541 (4.096 V) or MCP1525 (2.5 V) microcircuits. When changing the reference voltage, an appropriate adjustment of the gains of the op-amp DA1.1 and DA1.2 will be required. These coefficients are set using resistors R4, R8 for DA1.1 and R6, R9 for DA1.2. They should be selected so that at the maximum temperature the voltage at the output of the op amp does not exceed the value of the ADC reference voltage.

In the event of breaks in the thermocouple circuits (including when disconnected from the X2 and X3 connectors in the soldering iron or hair dryer), +12 V is supplied to the non-inverting inputs of the op-amp through resistors R2 and R3. The R5C1 and R7C2 circuits are filters that suppress high-frequency interference. Resistors R10 and R11, together with protective diodes inside the microcontroller, protect the ADC inputs from overload.

The soldering iron heater power control is organized using the PWM microcontroller hardware module. It generates variable duty cycle pulses at pin 17 (RC2). Using a powerful key on a field-effect transistor VT1, they turn the heater on and off, changing the average power it consumes. The average value of the voltage supplied to the fan of the hair dryer is changed using PWM implemented in software. The pulses from pin 16 (RC1) of the microcontroller are fed to the fan motor M1 through a key on a field-effect transistor VT2.

The hair dryer heater power is adjusted by periodically skipping a certain number of mains voltage periods. The control signal is generated by the microcontroller at pin 10 (RE2) and enters the heater power circuit through a dinistor optocoupler U1, equipped with a switching-on synchronization unit with the moment of zero crossing of the voltage applied to its output circuit, and a triac VS1. The HL1 LED is designed to visually control the operation of the hair dryer heater.

The block uses a four-digit seven-element LED indicator HG1 - RL-F5610GDAW / D15 with common cathodes of the elements of each category. The anodes of the elements are connected to port D of the microcontroller DD1 through current-limiting resistors R24-R31, which are selected so that the total current through all pins of port D does not exceed 90 mA when any sign is displayed. The common cathodes of the indicator discharges switch the keys on transistors VT5-VT8 according to the signals generated at the pins RC4-RC7 of the microcontroller.

The HL4-HL11 LEDs are included in the general dynamic indication system as elements of an additional fifth digit, switched on by the VT9 transistor according to a signal at the RC3 output of the microcontroller. The HL4 LED serves to indicate the inclusion of the hair dryer, and HL5 is a reserve one, it is supposed to be used when improving the unit. LEDs HL6-HL11 form a discrete scale, turning on one at a time and showing the currently set power level of the soldering iron heater (or hair dryer, if it is turned on) in steps of 1/6 full power. Higher power corresponds to an LED with a lower position number.

As U2 - a converter of mains AC voltage 220 V to DC 24 V - a ready-made switching power supply PS-65-24 with a power of 65 W was used. The oxide capacitor C5 is located next to it, and already from this capacitor there are separate wires to each 24 V voltage consumer. To obtain a 12 V voltage from it, a pulsed DC-to-DC voltage converter on the MC33063 (DA2) chip is used, similar to those described in and. The voltage divider R17R19 is selected so that a voltage of 12 V is maintained at the output of the converter. Its presence is indicated by the glow of the HL2 LED. Further, the integrated linear regulator DA3 brings the voltage to 5 V, which is necessary to power the microcontroller DD1.

Mains voltage 220 V is supplied to the power supply unit U2 by pressing the button SB1. The microcontroller program, after initialization, sets a high logic level at its output RE0 (pin 8), which opens the transistor VT4. Capacitor C9 ensures that at the moment the transistor opens, the full voltage of 12 V is supplied to the relay winding and its reliable operation. Upon completion of the charging of the capacitor, the current through the winding decreases to a value limited by resistor R23, which only ensures that the relay armature is kept in the triggered state. The HL3 LED indicates that voltage is applied to the relay coil.

The triggered relay K1 with its contacts K1.1 bypasses the button SB1. Now it can be released, the power supply of the control unit will remain on until the VT4 transistor is closed by the microcontroller.

After the power is turned on, the indicator HG1 briefly shows the inscription with the program version number and an audible signal sounds. The mode of operation with a soldering iron is switched on, which smoothly warms up to the temperature set in previous sessions and recorded in the EEPROM of the microcontroller. The current temperature value is displayed on the HG1 indicator, and the level of power supplied to the soldering iron is displayed using the HL6-HL11 LEDs.

To avoid thermal shock, before reaching a temperature of 100 °C, the power level is limited to 40% of the maximum, and in the range of 100 ... 300 °C - up to 80%. This increases the time to reach operating temperature, but prolongs the life of the soldering iron. When the set temperature is reached, it stabilizes at this level. By turning the encoder knob S1, the temperature can be changed.

When you press the SB3 button, the HL4 LED turns on, the soldering iron is switched to a gentle mode (its temperature drops to 150 ° C), the hair dryer fan turns on, and then its heater. The temperature of the air flow from the hair dryer rises according to an algorithm similar to heating the soldering iron. The desired temperature is set by turning the encoder knob S1. After pressing this knob once, you can adjust the airflow intensity by turning it.

By pressing the SB3 button again, the heater of the hair dryer is turned off, and the soldering iron is switched to operating mode. The fan of the hair dryer will continue to operate until the temperature of the air flow drops to 60 ° C. After that, it will be turned off automatically.

With successive clicks on the encoder button, the HG1 indicator displays the names of the following parameters in turn:

AIR - air flow intensity of the hair dryer (only when it is turned on);

StA0 - coefficient A0 for a soldering iron;

StA1 - coefficient A1 for a soldering iron;

FtA0 - A0 coefficient for a hair dryer;

FtA1 - coefficient A1 for hair dryer.

The coefficients A0 and A1 are used by the microcontroller program to determine the temperature of the soldering iron tip or the air flow supplied by the hair dryer according to the number N obtained as a result of the ADC operation, which linearly depends on the thermoelectric power of the corresponding thermocouple. The temperature T (in degrees Celsius) is calculated by the formula

When the encoder knob is rotated, the value of the selected parameter changes and is displayed on the indicator in a flashing form instead of its name. If within a few seconds the knob is not rotated or pressed, the indicator will return the current value of the temperature of the soldering iron or the air flow from the hair dryer.

When you press the SB5 button, the microcontroller saves the current parameter values in non-volatile memory, turns off the heaters of the soldering iron and hair dryer. If the hair dryer was active at that moment, the blowing of the heater with cold air continues until the flow temperature at its outlet drops to 60 °C, after which the microcontroller sets a low voltage level at the RE0 output. Transistor VT4 closes, and relay K1 opens its contacts, disconnecting the control unit from the mains.

Button SB4 - reserve. It can be used to improve and expand the functionality of the block.

Instead of the PS-65-24 (U2) power supply for the soldering station control unit, any other switching or transformer power supply unit can be used, which provides a stabilized 24 V DC voltage at a load current of at least 2 A. If you use a unit as U2, having, in addition to the +24 V voltage output, another +12 V voltage with a permissible load of at least 300 mA, the buck converter on the MC33063AP1 chip can be excluded from the device. If this converter is used, the MC33063AP1 chip in it can be replaced by the MC34063AP1.

Relay K1, optocoupler U1 and triac VS1 are located on a separate printed circuit board. This is necessary to maximize the removal of low-voltage circuits from those that are energized with 220 V.

A WJ112-1A relay with a 12 V winding was used. Instead, another one with contacts designed for switching an alternating voltage of at least 250 V at a current not less than that consumed by the control unit and the hair dryer heater is suitable. If a relay with a nominal coil voltage of 24 V is selected, it must be powered from a source of this voltage.

Instead of the MOC3063 optocoupler, you can use any dinistor one that can directly control a triac with a permissible voltage of at least 600 V. In order not to increase the level of interference generated in the network, it is advisable to choose an optocoupler with a node for controlling the transition of the voltage applied to its output through zero.

The BT138X-600 triac in an insulated plastic case can be replaced with a similar BT138-600 in a conventional TO-220 case with a metal flange or another one that can withstand a voltage of at least 600 V in the off state, and a current of at least 6 A in the on state. The triac works in the control unit without a heat sink.

The buttons SB1, SB3-SB5 are of the DS-502 type, but they can be replaced by others that are convenient for installation. The SB1 button must be designed for an alternating voltage between open contacts of at least 250 V and withstand the inrush current of the switching power supply U2. Be sure to make sure that the selected unit has a thermistor that limits the inrush current. In its absence, be sure to install in series with the SB1 button or in the power supply itself a thermistor with a cold resistance of 5 ... 10 Ohm (for example, SCK-052 or SCK-101).

The encoder used is ED1212S-24C24-30F - with mechanical contacts giving 12 pulses per revolution and a built-in button. Another one can be used, including an optical encoder with the corresponding power supply units and output pulse generation.

The RL-F5610GDAW/D15 indicator can be replaced by any other LED with common cathodes of elements of each category, for example KEM-5641.

A commercially available Z-1 housing is used for the control unit. Its front panel has been replaced with a transparent, cut-out polycarbonate sheet. On the reverse side, a transparent film for inkjet printing is pressed against it, on which the design of the front panel is printed.

This panel has SB1, SB3-SB5 buttons and sockets for connecting a soldering iron (X2 - five-pin DIN 41524 or ONTS-VG-4-5 / 16-R, also known as SG-5) and a hair dryer (X3 - eight-pin DIN 45326 or ONTS-VG-5-8/16-R). A description of these connectors can be found in . Behind the transparent panel is a board with an HG1 indicator and LEDs. The appearance of the block together with a soldering iron and a hair dryer is shown in fig. 4.

If the soldering station control unit is assembled correctly and the microcontroller is programmed, it starts working immediately, you only need to set the coefficients A0 and A1 for the soldering iron and hair dryer. To do this, immediately after power is applied using the encoder, the temperature on the HG1 indicator is set below room temperature. Then, by pressing the encoder button, the setting of the coefficient A0 for the soldering iron is selected and, by changing it, the indicator shows the current temperature in the room. Then, proceeding to the setting of the coefficient A1, by turning the encoder knob, its value of 1.0 is obtained on the indicator.

After that, a thermocouple or other sensor of an exemplary temperature meter is fixed on the tip of the soldering iron. It is desirable to isolate the sting with an external sensor attached to it from the environment with some material that does not conduct heat well, while observing fire safety requirements. Using the encoder, set some not very high temperature (for example, 100 ° C) on the HG1 indicator and wait for the reference thermometer readings to stabilize. If it shows a temperature above the set value, the value of the coefficient A1 should be reduced, otherwise it should be increased. By selecting this coefficient, they ensure that the difference between the measured exemplary thermometer and the set temperature does not exceed 5 °C.

The tip temperature should not be allowed to rise above 300 ... 400 ° C (according to a standard thermometer). If this happens, you should check the voltage at the output of the op-amp DA1.2 and, if necessary, select its gain so that at the maximum possible temperature of the soldering iron, the output voltage of the op-amp does not exceed the reference voltage of the ADC of the microcontroller. Finally, it is recommended to set the tip temperature at which most soldering is supposed to be done and reselect the A1 factor.

Similarly, the coefficients A0 and A1 for the hair dryer are selected. In this case, the intensity of the air flow is set to medium and the temperature sensor of the exemplary thermometer is placed at a distance of 1 cm from the nozzle of the hair dryer. After the selection of all coefficients, the soldering station is ready for operation.

With the described control unit, you can use any soldering iron with a built-in thermocouple and a low-voltage heating element. The hair dryer must be with a heating element for a voltage of 220 V and also with a built-in thermocouple. You should also make sure that the fan of the hair dryer is designed to operate on 24 V voltage. 3 are not standardized and may be different.

Sometimes there are soldering irons and hair dryers with thermistors as temperature sensors. It is impossible to use them with the described control unit without making significant changes to its measuring path (nodes on the DA1 chip) and adjusting the microcontroller program.

An alternative application of the considered design can be a two-channel temperature meter for any objects with sensors in the form of thermocouples and a single-channel temperature controller. If temperature control is not required, then after setting the coefficients A0 and A1, the encoder can be removed.

The microcontroller program of the control unit can be downloaded

Literature

1. PS-65 series 65W Single Output Switching Power Supply. - http://www.meanwell.com/search/ps-65/ps-65-spec.pdf.

2. MC34063A, MC33063A, SC34063A,SC33063A, NCV33063A 1.5A, Step-Up/Down/ Inverting Switching Regulators. - http://www.onsemi.com/pub_link/Collateral/MC3 4063A-D.PDF.

3. Biryukov S. Voltage converters on the chip KR1156EU5. - Radio, 2001, No. 11, p. 38-42.

4. DIN connector. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connector%20DIN.

Publication date: 31.10.2013

Readers' opinions

Sergey / 11/19/2014 - 18:58
How can I contact the author of this article!?
Sergey / 05.11.2014 - 18:34
what program to open the program please tell me
Vladimir / 27.09.2014 - 17:40
There is a simpler and cheaper scheme, open source (from the guys from MVTU).

The level of miniaturization of electronic components has led to the fact that with a soldering iron, even the most sophisticated, it is not always possible to solder or dismantle. In many tasks, a soldering dryer helps out.
This is when he is ... And when he is not? So I thought about purchasing / making a soldering dryer. But buying ready-made is not our method. So I decided to assemble my own. Moreover, more than once, he promised to talk about the soldering gun controller on the STM32. For those who are interested in what came out of this, please cat(Large review, lots of photos).

Like the last time I assembled it, I bought all the main components on TaoVao. I buy on Tao myself, without intermediaries, I deliver to Ukraine through a forwarder (carrier, probably more familiar) MistExpress and its Chinese branch meest China. This carrier delivers to Ukraine, Russia and Uzbekistan. Shipping rates can be found on the website.
Links to components, prices in stores and taking into account delivery in China to the MistExpress warehouse will be indicated in the course of the text.
Since this review is, as it were, a continuation of the previous one, soldering station on STM32 controller and some constructive points are similar, then I will sometimes refer to it.

To assemble the soldering iron we need:
- controller with controls and indications
- power unit
- frame
- blow dryer handle
- stand for hair dryer handle
Related products will also come in handy: nozzles for the nozzle of the hair dryer, a silicone mat for the desktop.

Soldering iron controller with controls and power supply
In this development of Chinese engineering, the controller of the hair dryer and the power supply are located on the same board (we will call it for ease of description - controller board and power supply), and the controls and indications are placed on a separate board.
The kit was purchased. The price at the time of purchase was $27.74. Including delivery to the carrier's warehouse - $ 29.49. In the kit, there are also 2 cables for connecting the control and indication board to the controller board and power supply unit.

This controller provides the following options:
1. Operating temperature range 100÷550℃.
2. Automatic cold junction temperature compensation in the range of 9÷99℃.
3. Switching to standby mode when the handle of the soldering iron is placed on the stand with automatic blowing of the heating element and lowering its temperature to 90 ℃.
4. Saving presets of the set temperature (5 values).
5. Screen saver mode with splash screen.
6. Interface language: Simplified Chinese, English.

Control and indication board v.1.0

The board contains an OLED 0.96 "display on the SSD1306 controller, connection to the controller board and power supply unit via the I2C bus and an EC11 encoder.
Dimensions 61x30mm.

Controller board and PSU v1.1

Dimensions 107x58mm.

Almost everything that is necessary for the operation of the soldering iron is located on this board.

Let's consider it in more detail

Power supply.

The power supply is a classic flyback impulse based on the PWM controller TNY278GN () (TinySwitch-III family, Power Integrations).
Schematic from the datasheet, the real one is slightly different.

Sorry for the quality of the photographs of radio elements, the markings on some had to be read using a directed beam of light and a magnifying glass, which, alas, is not surprising for Chinese mass production.
Let's briefly consider the main components of the power supply unit (the designations of the radio elements on the board are indicated in brackets):
there is a fuse (F1) and an NTC thermistor (R21) at the input

diode bridge (D7) DB107S for 1A 1000V ()

after the diode bridge, a high-voltage electrolytic capacitor (C27) of a small capacity 6.8mkFx450V manufactured by Chang (China consumer goods) with an ambient temperature range of -25÷105 ℃ is installed
followed by the input noise filter (L3)
and another high-voltage electrolytic capacitor (C28) with a capacity of 33mkFx450V from Nihoncon (China consumer goods) with an ambient temperature range of -25÷105 ℃.

Further PWM (U7) TNY278GN with almost standard piping

at the output of the pulse transformer, a Schottky diode (D3) SMD marking P428 and an output CLC filter are installed, consisting of an electrolytic capacitor (C20) with a capacity of 470mkFx35V, a choke (L1) 3.3mkH and another electrolytic capacitor (C21) with a capacity of 100mkFx35V. Both electrolytes are from ZH (WANDIANTONG) with an ambient temperature range of -25÷105 ℃. Capacitor C21 is shunted by ceramic capacitor C22.

between the high-voltage and low-voltage parts of the power supply unit, an interblock capacitor (C18) 2.2nF is installed, in contrast to the "folk" power supply unit, correct, with characteristic Y1.

the differences from the circuit in the datasheet are the cascade for stabilizing the given 24v, here the output is a precision adjustable zener diode (U8) TL431 () + optocoupler (U6) NEC 2501 ().

Classic UPS…
Now consider hair dryer controller .

The "heart" of the board is the controller (U1) STM32F103CBT6 ()

The stabilized power supply of the microcontroller and its strapping provide IC (U2) 2954am3-3.3 () output voltage of 3.3 volts

and IC (U3) XC31PPS0036AM (SMD marking A36W) linear voltage regulator, 3.6V ± 5%, 50mA.

The fan turbine speed is controlled by a MOSFET in a planar package (Q2) TPC8107 ()

The power part that controls the heater of the hair dryer includes:
IC with power keys (U9) ULN2003A (), located on the back of the board

optocoupler with triac output and switching at any time (U5) MOC3020M ()

triac (SCR) BTA20-600B on the radiator ()

also to the power part can be attributed measuring current transformer (TU1) ZMPT107 ()

There is also an EEPROM (U4) ATMLH427, connection to the controller via the I2C bus

Since the developer of the soldering gun controller is the same, it is not surprising that the element base is similar.

An external examination of the boards left a double impression - the boards themselves are of high quality, with silk-screen printing, the flux is washed off on a four, but some SMD elements are crooked, obviously soldered by hand, and even during transportation, the ferrite core of the inductor in the PSU output filter was slightly damaged - had to be replaced with.

Frame
For a soldering dryer was ordered. The price at the time of purchase was $11.17. Including delivery to the carrier's warehouse - $ 12.38.
The kit includes:
- two identical U-shaped segments of duralumin profile

profile dimensions 150x88x19mm

profile section

The profile halves are not painted, but anodized.
- Front Panel. It is made of duralumin, there are decorative chamfers, as well as recesses for the encoder knob and tinted glass, all the necessary holes have already been drilled in it. The panel is not painted, has a natural color of duralumin. The inscriptions are of good quality.

Front panel dimensions: 94x42x5mm. Along the perimeter, it protrudes slightly beyond the body.

- back panel. Also made of duralumin, it has a milled hole for a power cord connector with a fuse and a power switch. The color of the panel is black, the coating is anodized.

Dimensions: 88x38x2mm.

- tinted glass has a "smoky tint", pasted over with protective paper.
Dimensions 38x22x3mm.

- encoder handle
- fixing screws: 4pcs. decorative hexagon sockets for fastening the front panel and 4 pcs. with black countersinks for attaching the rear panel.

In the same store where the case was bought, it was purchased with a fuse and a power switch.
The price at the time of purchase was $0.47. Since the connector was bought in the same store as the case, they have a common shipping cost to the carrier's warehouse.

I will not paint the connector in detail, if anyone is interested they can look, it is the same.

Soldering gun handle.
I did not like the soldering iron handle offered in the store with the controller. Fixing attachments such as bayonet IMHO is not reliable, they can fall off at the most inopportune moment (tested in practice), so I decided to buy a hair dryer handle separately.
This was ordered

Parameters declared by the store:

Output power: 700W±10%
Temperature range: 100÷500℃
Nozzles with a clamp in the form of a clamp with a bore diameter of 22mm are suitable.
Everything seems to be fine, but the trial inclusions brought disappointment - a large discrepancy between the set temperature and the actual one at the nozzle outlet, almost 150 ℃.
After conducting a series of trial connections of hair dryer handles from other soldering stations, Yura, aka, came to rather unpleasant conclusions: this soldering iron controller is rigidly “sharpened” for a specific model of the hair dryer handle, or rather the resistance of the heating element. The hot air gun handle from the Lukey-702 soldering station with a heater resistance of 70 ohms showed the best correspondence between the set temperature and the actual one at the nozzle outlet, the difference was practically 0.
Controller Output: temperature stabilization is "tied" to the current flowing through the heating element (using a measuring current transformer (TU1) ZMPT107).
Conclusion on the handle of the hair dryer: for this controller not suitable, heating element resistance

86 ohm. The design features of the heating element and the large difference between its resistance and the required 70 Ohm did not allow to adjust the resistance to a given value.
Had to order another hair dryer handle.
I did not want to buy a soldering iron handle from the Lukey-702 soldering station. It has already been purchased and gathering dust in a drawer with a collar. Therefore, a hair dryer handle was purchased from a soldering station.

The price at the time of purchase was $8.76. Including delivery to the carrier's warehouse - $ 10.07.
Brief characteristics:
Working voltage: 220V AC ± 10% 50Hz
Output power: 650W
Hot air temperature range: 100÷480℃
Air consumption 120 l/min (max.)
The seat under nozzles with a diameter of 22 mm.

Consider the handle of the hair dryer in more detail

The handle of the hair dryer is made of plastic, such as polystyrene, black.
"Classic" shape for handles with a turbine inside the body

In this photo, the air intake holes are clearly visible.

The sleeve of the heating element has a pronounced nozzle. The nozzle has a seat for nozzles with a flange, its outer diameter is 21.5 mm, there is also a divider that should twist the air flow

Let's take a look at what's inside the handle of the hair dryer.
To disassemble the handle body, you need to unscrew 2 screws

and remove the protective cover of the heating element sleeve

Gently disassemble the halves of the handle and ripen the insides of the face

there is a connection board under the turbine

Well, a photo of all the components separately:
turbine 24V centrifugal type, at the outlet there is a sealing rubber ring

reed switch for determining the moment of placing the handle of the hair dryer on the stand

heating element - nichrome spiral on a ceramic frame

when mounted in a sleeve, the heating element is pre-wrapped with thermal insulation - several layers of mica

a thermocouple is located at the very edge of the heating element

switching of the components of the hair dryer handle and the wire to the soldering station is carried out using a connecting board

The board has conductive tracks on both sides, which are interconnected using metallized holes.
On the conductive tracks there are inscriptions indicating what and where to solder.
The wire for connecting the handle to the soldering station is 8-core, the cores differ in color. The length of the wire is 95 cm, the wire is flexible, unfortunately not heat-resistant, the soldering iron melts the insulation. In the future, I think I will have to replace it with something heat-resistant.

When working with a soldering dryer, you need a special stand for its handle.
And if in the case of a soldering iron, the stand can be any (), the main thing is that it would be convenient to use it. Then any hair dryer handle will not work ...
Was purchased on Tao. The price at the time of purchase was $1.71. Taking into account the delivery to the carrier's warehouse, you get $ 2.88.
Included: stand itself with L-bracket and 2 M3 screws

The stand is made of plastic, such as polystyrene, black and is a U-shaped bed into which the handle of the soldering dryer is missed

If the stand is fixed not horizontally, but at a slight angle, then so that the handle of the hair dryer does not slip out, there is a thickening on it (the role of which is played by the protective cover of the heater sleeve), and there is a chamfer on the stand itself

The position of the handle of the hair dryer on the stand, in which the protective casing of the heater sleeve rests against the chamfer of the stand, is the main position. It is in this position that 2 powerful magnets located in the side walls of the stand interact with the reed switch in the handle of the hair dryer.
The magnets are strong enough, the screws "stick" very well

from falling out, the magnets are fixed with glue

The stand bracket is a steel corner, attached to the stand with 4 self-tapping screws (seen in the picture above). There are 2 oval-shaped holes in the bracket for attaching the stand to a vertical surface.

How and where to mount your stand has not yet figured out ...

All the main components are considered, it's time to move on to the assembly.
Let's start with front panel .
As with the soldering iron controller, the front panel needs work.
It is necessary to drill a small hole for the encoder stop, glue the tinted glass and install the GX16-8 connector for the wire to the hair dryer handle.
If there were no problems with the hole and glass, then the installation of the connector required “serious” plumbing interventions.
The hole originally designed for the GX12-5 connector and having a diameter of 12mm must be drilled to 16mm. And it is also necessary to grind the hex nut of the GX16-8 connector along the outer edge to a ring with an outer diameter of 28-29mm and, for ease of fixation, make 2 washed down.

What happened in the end

Frame also did not escape refinement. Legs () have been installed. Also, strips of insulating material were glued to the inner surfaces of the case halves (in my opinion, celluloid is used in the PSU of computers, between the board and the PSU case) to electrically insulate the case from the components of the controller board. For better fixation, I used thin double-sided tape.

I didn’t make racks for fixing the board in the case, but sawed out “ears” from textolite (link to)

soldered M3 nuts on them

I fixed the “ears” on the controller board and the PSU, adjusted the entire structure to the width of the case and installed it in the grooves, like the PSU in my

Housing assembled.

Finished with plumbing work, proceed to soldering.
I will give a diagram of connecting the controller board to the periphery (link to)

Nothing complicated, the main thing is to unsolder and connect everything correctly

There were no mating parts for the controller board and power supply connectors in the kit, I found something in the “gash”, bought something on the radio market.
The PWR connector is used to logically turn on the soldering iron controller if this controller is used as part of a soldering station together with a soldering iron

Since my soldering iron will be a separate device, I simply installed a jumper (jumpers from IDE generation HDDs or motherboards work well).

Now let's finish hair dryer handle .
An 8-wire cable is used to connect the hair dryer handle.
Wiring diagram (in the original, not so, redone)

added thermistor

soldered with one contact to the reed switch (they have a common GND contact), seated in heat shrink and fixed with hot glue, reconnected the wires on the connecting board

I will give the pinout of the GX16-8 connector (my version, someone may have their own)
1 - red - minus turbine engine
2 - white - hair dryer heater
3 - gray - hair dryer heater
4 - green - NTC thermistor
5 - blue - + thermocouples
6 - yellow - reed switch
7 - brown - plus turbine engine
8 - black - GND
We assemble the hair dryer handle, connect the connector to the controller, apply power and cross our fingers, turn it on - it works!

Now consider the work of a soldering dryer.
We install the handle of the hair dryer on the stand and supply power. The turbine of the hair dryer will turn on for 2-3 seconds, an image will appear on the screen - the soldering iron has started and switched to standby mode.

First, let's deal with controls and menus.
The soldering iron is controlled using the encoder handle and the reed switch in the handle. Different combinations of encoder control are available: knob rotation ±, knob button press, knob press+rotation ±.
So what do we see on the screen:

- in the upper left corner the operating mode and the set temperature for the current mode are displayed
- in the upper right corner, the percentage of power supply power that is supplied to the heating element of the soldering dryer at a given time is displayed
- on the left in the center of the screen we see the current temperature on the heating element of the soldering dryer
- to the right of the current temperature, the operating time of the soldering iron in operating mode is displayed
- in the lower left corner, the airflow speed is displayed as a percentage of the maximum
- in the lower right corner, the sign of the thermometer and the temperature of the temperature sensor used to compensate for the temperature of the cold junction are displayed.
Switching the soldering iron modes is controlled by a reed switch in the handle:
- when removing the hair dryer handle from the stand - operating mode (on the screen in the upper left corner SET)
- when installing the hair dryer handle on the stand - standby mode (on the screen in the upper left corner SBY)

When turning the encoder knob ±, we switch to the temperature setting mode, turning the knob ± changes the value, the available values are 100÷550 ℃.

By pressing the encoder button, we switch to the air flow rate setting mode, turning the knob ± changes the value, the available values are 20÷100%.

When you press the encoder button and turn its knob clockwise, you get to the preset selection menu

Rotate the encoder knob ± to select one of the five (G1÷G5) presets, pressing the encoder button applies the selected parameters.
To save a preset, you must first set the desired temperature and airflow rate, then go to the preset menu, select "SAVE" and press the encoder button, a menu for selecting the required memory cell will open. Rotate the encoder knob ± to select one of the five (G1÷G5) presets and press the encoder button to save the selected parameters. Menu item "QUIT" - exit to the main screen.
Pressing the encoder button and turning its knob counterclockwise does not bring any changes in the operation of the soldering iron.

A long press on the encoder knob (more than 2 seconds) allows you to get into the settings menu setup menu. A total of 10 menu items are available. The transition between the points is carried out by rotating the ± knob of the encoder, entering a specific point - by pressing the button of the knob.

Consider the settings menu items

01 Stepping- step of changing the temperature and air flow values

- TempStep - temperature change step when turning the encoder knob (1÷50℃)
- FlowStep - step of changing the speed of the air flow when the encoder knob is rotated (1÷20%)
02. Cold end- cold joint compensation

In this menu item, the temperature correction of the heating element is set depending on the ambient temperature:
- Mode - type of temperature sensor used: CPU - thermometer inside the microcontroller / NTC - remote sensor in the soldering iron handle
- Temp - cold end temperature value (-9÷99℃)
03. Buzzer- boozer (tweeter)

This menu item sets the buzzer status: ON - enabled / OFF - disabled.
04.OpPrefer- choice of preferences

In this menu item, it is configured which parameter is preferable to change when rotating the encoder knob
- TempFirst - temperature first
- FlowFirst - airflow speed first
05.Screen Saver- screen saver

This menu item sets:
- Switch - turn on the screen saver: ON - enabled / OFF - disabled
- DlyTime - time interval after which the screen saver starts (1÷60 minutes)
When the screen saver is displayed, a picture is formed indicating the current operating mode (Standby) and the temperature of the heating element.
06.Password- password protection for entering the settings menu.

This menu item contains:
- Switch - protection switch: ON - enabled / OFF - disabled.
- LockTime - time before locking the settings menu (1÷60 minutes).
- Password - the password itself. Consists of four digits, set bit by bit.
07 Language- choice of language.

This menu item selects the system language: Simplified Chinese or English.
08.Sys info- information about the system.

In this menu item, the screen displays:
- SW Version:1.04 - firmware version.
- Power: 240V/49Hz - power supply parameters: voltage 240V, frequency 49Hz
08. Init- reset the parameters of the soldering iron to the factory settings.

From this menu item, the soldering iron firmware is restarted, it is initialized. After a successful launch, you are prompted to select the system language and start working with the station.
10. Exit- Exit the settings menu.
As you can see, there are no options for calibrating the operating temperature or correcting the temperature and airflow rate when using a hair dryer with or without nozzles in the menu. It's a shame...

Dealt with management.
Now consider the work of a soldering dryer .
When lifting the handle of the soldering iron from the stand, it switches to the operating mode.

The turbine starts at a speed that provides a given speed of the air flow and its temperature begins to rise. The set temperature is reached in 10-20 seconds, while slight runs are observed both up and down with an amplitude of up to 10℃. The moment when the current value is equal to the set value is accompanied by a buzzer signal, also to the right of the current temperature - the timer starts counting the operating time in this mode. When you change the temperature with the encoder knob or change the preset, the timer is reset (I still don’t understand why it is needed, if anyone knows what this timer is for, tell me, I’ll add it to the review).
When installing the soldering iron handle on the stand, it switches to standby mode, the turbine speed automatically increases to 100% and the heating element is quickly cooled to 90℃, after which the turbine turns off. After the turbine stops, the temperature rises slightly to ~100℃ and starts to slowly drop.

Taking readings and testing

Initially, I calcined the coil at a temperature of 500℃ for 5-10 minutes.
To take evidence, I built a stand from improvised means

Readings were taken with an external thermocouple at a distance of ~5 mm from the brazed hot air nozzle exit.
During testing, I changed the temperature in steps of 50℃. At each measurement, I waited until the temperature on the thermocouple of the soldering iron handle coincided with the set temperature.
Also, in the course of taking readings, he changed the speed of the air flow (100% -75% -50%)
Measurement results in the table

As you can see from the table, the real readings, although slightly, differ from those installed in the soldering gun controller, calibration by 2-3 points would not hurt. It would also not hurt to correct the temperature when changing the speed of the air flow, but, unfortunately, this controller (its software part) is not implemented.
A little lower I will talk about a set of nozzles for a soldering gun, and here I will present a table with temperature measurements for some of them. Readings were taken with an external thermocouple at a distance of ~5 mm from the nozzle exit of the brazed hair dryer nozzle.

When measuring, the air flow rate was maximum - 100%. Measurement results in the table

As can be seen from the table, the smaller the nozzle diameter, the higher the error of the actually measured temperature.
Correction of temperature from the nozzle diameter and nozzle type would also not hurt, but, unfortunately, this controller (its software part) is not implemented.

Additional accessories, which is desirable but not required.
Nozzles for soldering iron nose.
As noted above, a set of 8 pieces were purchased for a soldering dryer. The price at the time of purchase was $2.16. Including delivery to the carrier's warehouse - $ 3.32.

The set includes nozzles with the following outlet nozzle diameters: 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm.
Nozzle inner diameter 22mm

The wall thickness of the nozzle itself is 0.8mm

Nozzle tube wall thickness 0.6mm

Nozzle height 45mm

The material from which the nozzles are made is steel. Nozzles are nickel plated
Fixing on the handle of the hair dryer is carried out using a clamp and a screw with an M3 thread.

Silicone rug on a desktop.
When using a soldering dryer, it is desirable to cover the working surface of the table with some heat-resistant material. Silicone mats provide good heat resistance. Search on Tao led to
The proposed range made me think: what to choose? I wanted to set the table to the maximum, have cells for any small things, the ability to place additional equipment and tools

But the beloved amphibian reminded me that this is not a first-order purchase, be more modest in your desires. As a result, a rug was purchased with a size of 350x250x5mm. Photos from the store

The price at the time of purchase was $2.91. Taking into account the delivery to the carrier's warehouse, you get $ 3.93.
The mat is quite heavy - 0.25 kg. Keep this in mind when buying on Tao, when shipping, weight matters.
This mat is suitable for both soldering with a soldering gun and a soldering iron, it has a large area and it is the thickest one in the store.
The operation of this rug for 3 months convinced me of the correctness of the choice. I recommend.

Now about the costs.
The cost of components (at the time of purchase) in the TaoVao store / including delivery to the MistExpress warehouse:
- controller $27.74 / $29.49
- body assembly $11.17 / $12.38
- power cord connector $0.47 / $0.47
- hair dryer handle $8.76 / $10.07
- stand for hair dryer handle $1.72 / $2.88
Total $49.86 / $55.29 + shipping.
Cost of additional accessories:
- nozzles 2.16$ / 3.32$
- silicone mat $2.91 / $3.93

Weight of assembled soldering iron with handle and stand

made up 0.652 kg.
Considering that, according to MistExpress tariffs, delivery by air is $8 per 1kg, plus consolidation of $1 per 1kg plus $1 for processing the package, we get the cost of delivery of this soldering dryer ~$7.

Finally, subjective conclusions.
The considered soldering iron controller left a double impression - on the one hand, the hardware is very well developed, although the PSU has some simplifications compared to the datasheet (they do not affect the work at all), the STM32 controller and its strapping pleased. There is everything you need, even more ... But there is no software part, from the word at all ... The basic functionality is there, but there are no raisins, as in a soldering station on the STM32 controller. Everything is simple and primitive. It seems that the developer started the project, developed a schematic diagram, and abandoned it when writing the program ... It is quite possible that this was the case, since this developer had another project - a soldering iron and hair dryer controller on STM32.
As a result:
pros:
- basic functionality, but I would like more, especially lacking calibration
- simple, convenient control
- informative display
- 5 presets
- small dimensions and weight
minuses:
- hard binding to a specific model of the soldering gun handle
- lack of calibration
- no correction of temperature and airflow rate when installing nozzles
- the price, not many will want to give 50$ for a "regular blow dryer".
Whether to buy this controller or not is up to you.

I express my special gratitude to fellow countryman Yura, aka, for ideological inspiration, moral and technical support.

Thank you all for your attention, I look forward to constructive criticism and comments.

P.S. If someone from Ukraine has a need buy something on taowao, knock on the PM, I will help.
P.P.S. If someone "fumbles" in writing programs for STM32 and there is a desire to "pick" the firmware - knock on the PM ...
We take the firmware for anyone interested +84 Add to favorites Liked the review +73 +201