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Soldering station on STC for tips like Hakko T12. Homemade soldering station based on Hakko T12 Adjustable soldering iron with T12 tip

Reading local reviews, I have repeatedly thought about buying a soldering iron with a T12 tip. For a long time I wanted something portable on the one hand, powerful enough on the other hand, and, of course, maintaining the temperature normally.
I have a relatively large number of soldering irons, bought at different times and for different tasks:
There are very ancient EPSN-40 and a 90W Moskabel, a slightly newer EMP-100 (hatchet), a completely new Chinese TLW 500W. The last two are especially good at retaining temperature (even when soldering copper pipes), but soldering microcircuits with them is not very convenient :). An attempt to use the ZD-80 (pistol with a button) did not work out - neither power nor normal temperature maintenance. Other "electronic" trifles such as Antex cs18 / xs25 are suitable only for very small things, and they have no built-in adjustment. About 15 years ago I used den-on "ovskim ss-8200, but the stings there are very tiny, the temperature sensor is far away and the temperature gradient is huge - despite the declared 80W, there won't be even a third on the sting.
As a stationary option, I've been using Lukey 868 for 10 years (it's practically 702, only a ceramic heater and some other little things). But there is no portability in it, you can’t take it with you in your pocket or small bag.
Because at the time of purchase, I was not yet sure “do I need it”, the minimum was taken a budget option with a K-tip and a handle that is as similar as possible to the usual soldering iron from Lukey. It is possible that for some it does not seem very convenient, but for me it is more important that the handles of both soldering irons used are habitually and equally in the hand.
Further review can be divided into two parts - "how to make a device out of spare parts" and an attempt to analyze "how this device and controller firmware work."
Unfortunately, the seller removed this particular SKU, so I can only give a link to a snapshot of the product from the order log. However, there is no problem to find a similar product.

Part 1 - construction

After a mock test of performance, the question arose about the choice of design.
There was an almost suitable power supply (24v 65W), almost 1: 1 high with a control board, a little narrower than it and about 100mm long. Considering that this power supply fed some kind of dead (not his fault!) connected and not cheap lucent piece of iron, and its output rectifier has two diode assemblies for a total of 40A, I decided that it is not much worse than the one common here Chinese on 6A. At the same time, it will not roll.
Test check on a time-tested load dummy (PEV-100, unscrewed by about 8 ohms)


showed that the PSU practically does not heat up - in 5 minutes of operation, the key transistor, despite its insulated case, heated up to 40 degrees (slightly warm), the diodes are warmer (but it doesn’t burn the hand, it’s quite comfortable to hold), and the voltage is still 24 volts with pennies. Emissions increased to hundreds of millivolts, but for this voltage and this application, this is quite normal. Actually, I stopped the experiment because of the load resistor - about 50W stood out on its smaller half and the temperature exceeded a hundred.
As a result, the minimum dimensions were determined (PSU + control board), the next step was the case.
Since one of the requirements was portability, up to the ability to shove it into your pockets, the option with ready-made cases disappeared. The available universal plastic cases were not at all suitable in size, the Chinese aluminum cases under T12 for jacket pockets are also too big, and I didn’t want to wait another month. The option with a "printed" case did not pass - neither strength nor heat resistance. Having estimated the possibilities and remembering the pioneer youth, I decided to make it from the ancient one-sided foil fiberglass, lying around since the times of the USSR. Thick foil (a micrometer on a carefully smoothed piece showed 0.2mm!) still did not allow etching tracks thinner than a millimeter due to lateral etching, but for the body - that's it.
But laziness, coupled with an unwillingness to dust, categorically did not approve of sawing with a hacksaw or cutter. After assessing the available technological capabilities, I decided to try the option of sawing textolite on an electric tile cutter. As it turned out - a highly convenient option. The disk cuts fiberglass without any effort, the edge is almost perfect (you can’t even compare with a cutter, hacksaw or jigsaw), the width along the length of the cut is also the same. And, importantly, all the dust remains in the water. It is clear that if you need to saw off one small piece, then unfolding the tile cutter is too long. But even for this small body, it was necessary to cut a meter.
Next, a case with two compartments was soldered - one for the power supply, the second for the control board. Initially, I didn't plan the separation. But, as in welding, plates soldered into a corner tend to reduce the angle when they cool, and an additional membrane is very useful.
The front panel is bent from aluminum in the shape of the letter P. The upper and lower bends are threaded for fixing in the case.
The result is this (I am still “playing” with the device, so the painting is still very rough, from the remnants of an old spray can and without polishing):

The overall dimensions of the body itself are 73 (width) x 120 (length) x 29 (height). The width and height cannot be made smaller, because the control board measures 69 x 25, and finding a shorter power supply is also not easy.
At the back there is a connector for a standard electrical wire and a switch:


Unfortunately, the black microswitch was not in the trash, it will be necessary to order it. On the other hand, white is more noticeable. But I specifically set the connector as standard - this allows in most cases not to take an additional wire with me. Unlike the option with a laptop outlet.
Bottom view:

The black rubber insulator was left over from the original power supply. It is quite thick (a little less than a millimeter), heat-resistant and very difficult to cut (hence the rough cutout for the plastic spacer - it almost didn't fit). Feels like asbestos impregnated with rubber.
To the left of the power supply is the rectifier radiator, to the right is the key transistor. In the original PSU, the radiator was a thin strip of aluminum. I decided to "aggravate" just in case. Both heatsinks are isolated from the electronics, so they can freely adhere to the copper surfaces of the case.
An additional heatsink for the control board is mounted on the membrane, contact with d-pak cases is provided by a thermal pad. There are not many benefits, but everything is better than air. To eliminate the short circuit, I had to bite off the protruding contacts of the "aviation" connector a little.
For clarity, a soldering iron next to the case:

Result:
1) The soldering iron works approximately as stated and fits perfectly in the pockets of the jacket.
2) Recycled in the old trash and no longer lying around: a power supply, a piece of fiberglass 40 years old, a can of nitro enamel made in 1987, a microswitch and a small piece of aluminum.

Of course, from the point of view of economic feasibility, it is much easier to buy a ready-made case. Although the materials were practically free, but “time is money”. It’s just that the task “make it cheaper” did not appear on my list of tasks at all.

Part 2 - Operation Notes

As you can see, in the first part, I did not mention at all how it all works. It seemed to me appropriate not to confuse the description of my personal design (rather "collective-farm self-made" in my opinion) and the functioning of the controller, which is identical or similar to many.

As a preliminary warning, I would like to say:
1) Different controllers have slightly different circuitry. Even externally identical boards can have slightly different components. Because I only have one particular device of mine, I can't guarantee a match with others in any way.
2) The controller firmware that I analyzed is not the only one available. It is common, but you may have a different firmware that functions in a different way.
3) I do not at all claim to be a pioneer. Many points have already been previously covered by other reviewers.
4) Then there will be a lot of boring letters and not a single funny picture. If a internal organization not interested - stop here.

Design overview

Further calculations will be largely related to the controller circuitry. To understand its operation, the exact scheme is not necessary, it is enough to consider the main components:
1) STC15F204EA microcontroller. Nothing particularly outstanding chip of the 8051 family, noticeably faster than the original (original 35 years ago, yes). It is powered by 5V, has a 10-bit ADC with a switch, 2x512 bytes nvram, 4K program memory.
2) Stabilizer for + 5V, consisting of 7805 and a powerful resistor to reduce heat dissipation (?) by 7805, with a resistance of 120-330 ohms (different on different boards). The solution is extremely low-cost and heat-generating.
3) Power transistor STD10PF06 with strapping. Works in key mode at low frequency. Nothing outstanding, old man.
4) Thermocouple voltage amplifier. The trimmer adjusts its gain. It has protection at the input (from 24V) and is connected to one of the inputs of the ADC MK.
5) Source reference voltage on TL431. Connected to one of the inputs of the ADC MK.
6) Board temperature sensor. Also connected to the ADC.
7) Indicator. Connected to MK, works in dynamic indication mode. I suspect that one of the main consumers + 5V
8) Control knob. Rotation regulates the temperature (and other parameters). The button line in many models is not soldered or cut. If connected, it allows you to configure additional parameters.

As you can see, all functioning is determined by the microcontroller. Why the Chinese put just this one - I don’t know, it’s not very cheap (about $ 1, if you take a few pieces) and back to back in terms of resources. In a typical Chinese firmware, literally a dozen bytes of program memory remain free. The firmware itself is written in C or something similar (obvious tails of the library are visible there).

Functioning of the controller firmware

I don't have the source code, but IDA hasn't gone away :). The mechanism of operation is quite simple.
At initial startup, the firmware:
1) initializes the device
2) loads parameters from nvram
3) Checks if the button is pressed, if it is pressed, it waits for release and starts the p / p settings of advanced parameters (Pxx) There are many parameters, if there is no understanding, then it is better not to touch them. I can lay out the layout, but I'm afraid to provoke problems.
4) Displays "SEA", waits and starts the main work loop

There are several modes of operation:
1) Normal, normal temperature maintenance
2) Partial energy saving, temperature 200 degrees
3) Complete shutdown
4) Setting mode P10(temperature setting step) and P4(thermocouple op amp gain)
5) Alternate control mode

After starting, mode 1 works.
With a short press of the button, the transition to mode 5 is made. There you can turn the knob to the left and go to mode 2 or to the right - increase the temperature by 10 degrees.
A long press switches to mode 4.

In previous reviews, there was a lot of debate about how to properly install the vibration sensor. According to the firmware I have, I can say unequivocally - no difference. The transition to the partial power saving mode is performed in the absence of changes the state of the vibration sensor, the absence of significant changes in the temperature of the tip and the absence of signals from the handle - all this for 3 minutes. The vibration sensor is closed or open - it does not matter at all, the firmware analyzes only changes in the state. The second part of the criterion is also interesting - if you are soldering, then the tip temperature will inevitably float. And if a deviation of more than 5 degrees from the set value is fixed, there will be no exit to the energy saving mode.
If the power saving mode lasts longer than the specified one, the soldering iron will turn off completely, the indicator will show zeros.
Exit from energy-saving modes - by vibration or by the control knob. There is no return from full energy saving to partial.

The MK is engaged in maintaining the temperature in one of the timer interrupts (two of them are involved, the second is engaged in the display and other things. Why this is done is not clear - the interrupt interval and other settings are the same, it was quite possible to do with a single interrupt). The control cycle consists of 200 timer interrupts. At the 200th interruption, the heating is necessarily turned off (- as much as 0.5% of the power!), A delay is performed, after which the voltages are measured from the thermocouple, temperature sensor and reference voltage from TL431. Further, all this is converted into temperature using formulas and coefficients (partially specified in nvram).
Here I will allow myself a small digression. Why a temperature sensor in such a configuration is not entirely clear. When properly organized, it should give a temperature correction at the cold junction of the thermocouple. But in this design, it measures the temperature of the board, which has nothing to do with the required one. You either need to transfer it to the pen, as close as possible to the T12 cartridge (and another question is where the cold junction of the thermocouple is located in the cartridge), or throw it away altogether. Perhaps I don’t understand something, but it seems that the Chinese developers stupidly torn the compensation scheme from some other device, completely not understanding the principles of operation.

After measuring the temperature, the difference between the set temperature and the current temperature is calculated. Depending on whether it is large or small, two formulas work - one large, with a bunch of coefficients and accumulation of deltas (those who wish can read about the construction of PID controllers), the second is simpler - with large differences, you need to either heat it as much as possible or turn it off completely (depending on from the sign). The PWM variable can have a value from 0 (disabled) to 200 (fully enabled) - according to the number of interrupts in the control loop.
When I just turned on the device (and had not yet got into the firmware), I was interested in one moment - there was no jitter by ± degrees. Those. The temperature either keeps stable, or twitches immediately by 5-10 degrees. After analyzing the firmware, it turned out that it was apparently always trembling. But if the deviation from the set temperature is less than 2 degrees, the firmware shows not the measured, but the set temperature. This is neither good nor bad - the trembling low bit is also very annoying - just something to keep in mind.

Concluding the conversation about the firmware, I want to note a few more points.
1) I have not worked with thermocouples for 20 years already. Maybe during this time they have become linear;), but earlier, for any accurate measurements and if possible, the non-linearity correction function was always introduced - by a formula or a table. Here it is not from the word at all. Only zero offset and slope can be adjusted. Maybe all cartridges use high-linear thermocouples. Either the individual spread in different cartridges is greater than the possible group non-linearity. I would like to hope for the first option, but experience hints at the second ...
2) For some reason I don't understand, inside the firmware the temperature is set as a fixed point number with a resolution of 0.1 degrees. It is quite obvious that due to the previous remark, 10-bit ADC, incorrect cold end correction, unshielded wire, etc. the real accuracy of measurements and 1 degree will not be in any way. Those. It looks like it was ripped off again from some other device. And the complexity of calculations has slightly increased (repeatedly you have to divide / multiply by ten 16-bit numbers).
3) There are contact pads Rx/TX/gnd/+5v on the board. As I understand it, the Chinese had special firmware and a special Chinese program that allows you to directly receive data from all three ADC channels and adjust the PID parameters. But there is nothing of this in the standard firmware, the outputs are intended solely for uploading the firmware to the controller. The fill program is available, works through a simple serial port, only TTL levels are needed.
4) The points on the indicator have their own functionality - the left one indicates mode 5, the middle one - the presence of vibration, the right one - the type of displayed temperature (set or current).
5) 512 bytes are allotted for recording the selected temperature. The entry itself was done correctly - each change is written to the next free cell. As soon as the end is reached, the block is completely erased, and the entry is made in the first cell. When enabled, the furthest recorded value is taken. This allows you to increase the resource by a couple of hundred times.
Owner, remember - by turning the temperature knob, you are wasting an irreplaceable resource of the built-in nvram!
6) For other settings, the second nvram block is used

Everything is with the firmware, if you have any additional questions - ask.

Power

One of the important characteristics of a soldering iron is the maximum power of the heater. You can evaluate it as follows:
1) We have a voltage of 24V
2) We have a T12 sting. The cold tip resistance I measured is just over 8 ohms. I got 8.4, but I do not presume to claim that the measurement error is less than 0.1 Ohm. Let's assume that the real resistance is no less than 8.3 Ohm.
3) The resistance of the STD10PF06 key in the open state (according to the datasheet) - no more than 0.2 Ohm, typical - 0.18
4) Additionally, you need to take into account the resistance of 3 meters of wire (2x1.5) and connector.

The resulting cold circuit resistance is at least 8.7 ohms, which gives a current limit of 2.76A. Taking into account the drop on the key, wires and connector, the voltage on the heater itself will be about 23V, which will give a power of about 64 watts. Moreover, this is the maximum power in a cold state and without taking into account the duty cycle. But do not get too upset - 64 watts is quite a lot. And given the design of the sting, it is enough for most cases. Checking the performance in the constant heating mode, I placed the tip of the sting in a mug of water - the water around the sting boiled and soared very cheerfully.

But here's an attempt to save money using a power supply from a laptop has a very dubious efficiency - an outwardly insignificant decrease in voltage leads to a loss of a third of the power: instead of 64 W, about 40 W will remain. Is this $6 savings worth it?

If, on the contrary, you try to squeeze the declared 70W out of the soldering iron, there are two ways:
1) Slightly increase the voltage of the PSU. It is enough to increase by only 1V.
2) Reduce the circuit resistance.
Almost the only option to slightly reduce the resistance of the circuit is to replace the key transistor. Unfortunately, almost all p-channel transistors in the package used and for the required voltage (I would not risk setting it to 30V - the margin will be minimal) have similar Rdson. And so it would be doubly wonderful - at the same time, the controller board would be heated less. Now, in the maximum heating mode, about a watt is released on the key transistor.

Temperature accuracy/stability

In addition to power, temperature stability is equally important. Moreover, for me personally, stability is even more important than accuracy, because if the value on the indicator can be selected empirically - I usually do this (and it’s not very important that at an exhibition of 300 degrees it’s really on the sting - 290), then instability cannot be overcome in this way . However, according to the sensations, the temperature stability on the T12 is noticeably better than on the stings of the 900 series.

What makes sense to redo in the controller

1) The controller is getting hot. Not fatal, but more than desired. Moreover, it is mainly not even the power unit that heats it, but the 5V stabilizer. Measurements showed that the current at 5V is about 30 mA. 19V drop at 30mA gives approximately 0.6W of continuous heating. Of these, about 0.1W is allocated on the resistor (120Ω) and another 0.5W on the stabilizer itself. The consumption of the rest of the circuit can be ignored - only 0.15W, of which a significant part is spent on the indicator. But the board is small and there is simply nowhere to put a step-down - if only on a separate scarf.

2) A power switch with a large (relatively large!) resistance. The use of a 0.05 ohm switch would remove all heating problems and add about a watt of power to the cartridge heater. But the case would no longer be 2 mm dpak, but at least a size larger. Or even change the control to the n-channel.

3) Transferring ntc to the handle. But then it makes sense to transfer the microcontroller, the power switch and the reference voltage there.

4) Extension of firmware functionality (several sets of PID parameters for different tips, etc.). Theoretically possible, but personally it’s easier (and cheaper!) for me to re-blind on some younger stm32 than to trample into existing memory.

As a result, we have a wonderful situation - you can redo a lot of things, but almost any alteration requires you to throw out the old board and make a new one. Or don't touch it, which is what I'm leaning towards for now.

Conclusion

Does it make sense to switch to T12? Don't know. For now, I'm only working with the T12-K tip. For me, it is one of the most versatile - and the polygon heats up well, and you can solder / desolder the comb of leads with an ersatz wave, and you can warm up a separate lead with a sharp end.
On the other hand, the existing controller and the lack of automatic identification of a particular type of tip complicates the work with the T12. Well, what prevented Hakko from putting some sort of identifying resistor/diode/chip inside the cartridge? It would be ideal if the controller had several slots for individual settings sting (at least 4 pieces) and when changing the sting, he automatically loaded the necessary ones. And in the existing system, you can do as much as possible manual selection sting. Estimating the amount of work, you understand that the game is not worth the candle. Yes, and the cost of cartridges is commensurate with the whole soldering station (if you do not take China for $5). Yes, of course, you can experimentally display a table of temperature corrections and stick a plate on the lid. But with the PID coefficients (on which stability directly depends), this cannot be done. From sting to sting, they must be different.

If we discard thoughts-dreams, then the following comes out:
1) If there is no soldering station, but you want to, it's better to forget about 900 and take T12.
2) If you need cheap and accurate soldering modes are not much needed - it's better to take a simple soldering iron with power control.
3) If Soldering Station already on the 900s, then T12-K is enough - versatility and portability turned out to be on top.

Personally, I am satisfied with the purchase, but I do not plan to replace all the existing 900th stings with T12 yet.

This is my first review, so I apologize in advance for possible roughness.


Hello to all readers of my blog. I post articles infrequently. Now there is little time, and it often takes more than one evening to write articles. I want to say something else. Many people write to me that I'm an asshole, and the Chinese send me goods for reviews. So, everything that you see on my blog and on the YouTube channel (except for the suntec stabilizer) was purchased by me personally, and is in no way a gift from the supplier, for a fake review. So I'll ask the trolls to pass by.
Today we will talk about the Quicko T12-952 soldering station. It is already clear from the model that this soldering station works on replaceable T12 tip cartridges. Why did I decide to buy this "soldering iron" ???!!! I have had an adjustable soldering iron for many years, more than five years to be exact. An article was written about him in 2013. Later, a soldering station was purchased. It has exactly the same soldering iron as in. After some time, I got pretty tired of the soldering iron from these soldering irons, and recently I bought myself a soldering station with T12 tips. I wanted to buy an induction soldering station first, but the toad strangled me. Previously, there were Quick 202 soldering irons on sale on Ali, but they disappeared from the sale, and replaced them with Quick 203, reviews of which, in turn, are not very good. Simply put, people from 203 models spits. Yes, and for induction soldering stations, the price is at least 5-6 thousand + a set of tips 1-1.5 thousand. Here is such a background. And we'll start with unpacking. The parcel came in a box, enclosed in a package, and pasted over with Quicko branded tape. I was surprised that it was not printed at customs.


I did not take a picture of the box itself, it was also pasted over with Quicko branded tape. You can see it in the video review. The kit includes the controller itself with a power supply in one case, a soldering iron with a GX12-4pin connector and one “K” type tip (hatchet). I ordered the second sting right away, because of the considerations that I don’t like to solder with an ax (here, whoever likes it). It also comes with four self-adhesive rubber feet. But I glued larger ones from D-Link switches. The stings are not marked as HAKKO, but as Quicko. Made in China.

The unit itself, in which the power supply and the control controller are mounted. I took it apart and I was very surprised. The case is made very high quality. I was just delighted. I haven't seen such Chinese corps for a long time. Here even the language does not turn to say that this is a Chinese craft.

This "soldering iron" was ordered with a soldering iron handle like that of and so that there was no noticeable transition from one soldering iron to another. If desired, you can freely replace the soldering iron handle, it is not expensive. The device is exactly the same as the previously listed soldering iron stations. The only thing is the upper sleeve, which is worn on the sting, is shorter. Everything else is the same.


The inside of the soldering iron. It is made in the form of a tektolite scarf with contacts. The board has a tilt sensor. He, by the way, quite noisy, if trotted. At first I thought that something had fallen off in the soldering iron, but then it turned out that it was just a sensor. The soldering is done qualitatively and neatly. At the end of the board, at the place of soldering, the cable is fastened with a tie.

I would like a little about the display. Here it is installed a little unevenly, and the window for the display is slightly larger than the display itself. And if you look at an angle, it turns out that it is clearly visible. But these are all trifles. The display is single color. You will see this further.

We open the case. Everything looks very good. There is a protective piece of plastic on the top and bottom covers. It's nice to see.

Controller. The board is small and runs MK. The board also has a beeper that beeps disgustingly.

Power supply board. AT in general terms collected well. There are some comments, but these are all trifles. The soldering is good, the board is washed from the flux. Everything is clean.

VENT input capacitors are 22 uF at 400 V. When disassembling old computer PSUs, I often come across such capacitors, but at the moment they are Chinese garbage (we don’t take the originals into account, now it’s easier to run into a fake than the original). Yes, the capacity is too small. For the future, it is necessary to put more, especially since the markup on the board is indicated for large capacitors. I don't have anything to replace now, so let's leave it that way for now. I'll definitely replace it later.


As a power transistor, "pumping" the primary winding of the transformer, it was used from Silan Microelectronics. I'll add some more schematics here. Diodes of the diode bridge are installed of SMD type with M7 marking. This is . The diode is designed for a current of 1A with a voltage of 1000 V. For good, it would be nice to replace it, but when operating in a pulsed mode, it will withstand a larger current.


On the PSU device, I will not write much. The output part is assembled on a diode assembly designed for 10A and 200 V. It is installed with a margin. The output capacitors are from VENT and some Yungli brand. It's the first time I've seen such a miracle. In general, it is desirable to replace these capacitors with normal expensive caps. So it will be calmer. I'll do that later too. At the moment I want to drive the soldering station as it is.

But this surprised me. In general, it may be good that it is soldered, but it would be better if it were soldered instead of a connector. A more acceptable option than soldering onto the connector pins.

Station without a connected soldering iron. Writes that ERROR. The same will happen if you do not insert a removable sting cartridge.


Now let's do it all over again, only with the soldering iron connected. As soon as we turn it on, we are greeted by an inscription saying that this is a T12 “soldering iron”.


If everything is fine with the electronics and the sting, then the inscriptions normal during operation will appear on the display


Let's now move on to the settings. To get to the settings menu, press the encoder and hold for a while. the menu appears. I'll tell you right away. To exit the menu and save the settings, just press and hold the encoder. Moving between menu items is done by rotating the encoder.

The first menu item is CALIBRATION(calibration). As I understand it, we set the soldering iron to 350 degrees, and measure the temperature. By changing the ratio RATIO, by default 100%, change in one direction or another to decrease or increase the temperature. We do 1%. Changed, waited, measured. If not satisfied, repeat again. After the manipulations, click on the encoder and exit the menu. In my case, it was necessary to reduce by 1%. The temperature rise was 10 degrees. In general, it was possible not to touch anything. It is easier to select the required temperature in the course of soldering.

Next function AUTO SLEEP. Auto sleep function. It is defined by a range from 1 to 99 minutes and there is also an OFF mode - which disables this function. This functionality works as follows. When we do not touch the soldering iron and the tilt sensor, which was discussed many lines above, does not work, the station, after the set time has elapsed, switches to the temperature reduction mode to 150 degrees and also reduces power consumption. If you press or turn the encoder, as well as shake the soldering iron, the station quickly gains the required temperature. Oh yeah, I have 5 minutes set for convenience.


The next function AUTO POWEROFF. Here, as in the previous menu, the range is from 1 to 99 minutes, with the OFF position which completely disables this function. It works as follows. As soon as the timer expires AUTO SLEEP the timer starts AUTO POWEROFF and the temperature drops to 50 degrees. In theory, the soldering station should then turn off completely, but in my case it does not turn off. The feature is very useful. I have had more than once cases when I forgot to turn off mine, and it warmed me for a day. Not only will this function save energy, but it will also save you from fire. A necessary and very practical feature!
I want to say more right now. When testing, I noticed such a thing that if the function AUTO SLEEP set to OFF, which stops the function AUTO POWEROFF. Tried many options. One function depends on another. I have tried setting the timer to AUTO SLEEP 1 min. and on AUTO POWEROFF, but the power off start only works after two minutes have elapsed. It turns out that the timer of the first function is fulfilled, and then the timer of the second function starts to go. In general, a bug.

Let's start with BOOST DURATION. This function has a range of 10 to 99 seconds. in increments of 1 s. The default is 30 s. I left it like that. This function allows you to increase the temperature of the tip for the time set in this function. This functionality is necessary when heating heat-intensive elements or large heat-intensive polygons. We press the encoder knob once briefly and the booster turns on, which raises the temperature.

Another review of the pen, but with a built-in controller.
Many well-known and inexpensive T12-based DIY soldering station kits have one thing in common - they require a different soldering iron to assemble. Some people, just because of this, completely abandoned the idea of ​​having stations on T12, and the “toad” somehow did not allow paying for already assembled stations. An interesting pen with a built-in controller was found in the open spaces of taobao. It does not require assembly, but is ready to work out of the box. You just need to insert a sting and a laptop power supply.

Appearance

The upper part of the pen has a transparent case through which the internal board is visible. A smooth rubber overlay is put on the place of the grip.



The base of the handle, where the sting is placed, is made of aluminum alloy (as it is written in the seller's lot).

If you expose the place that is covered by the rubber pad, you can see that the metal part is screwed into the plastic body of the pen, but I could not unscrew it.

There is a socket at the top of the handle. 5.5/2.1mm, although laptop power supplies 5.5/2.5mm

The rated power of the soldering iron depends on the supply voltage. According to this picture from the seller, at 19V, the voltage that most laptop PSUs give out, a maximum of 45W can be available.

The handle has a temperature adjustment wheel. Its most extreme positions rest in the range of 200-400C



The middle pin, which touches the body of the tip, is apparently just hanging in the air, although at a minimum, it should go through a 1 MΩ resistor to ground.

Of the main elements used here, a two-channel operational amplifier, stabilizer

P-channel mosfet, to the left of it are two trimmers, to the right of the output is an SMD electrolytic capacitor 25V 10uF

Dimensions and weight
The width of the main part of the handle - 16.1 mm
The width of the handle in place with a rubber pad - 18.2mm
The length of the whole handle - 140.5 mm
External diameter at the inlet - 10.7mm
The inner diameter of the inlet - 5.7mm(sting diameter - 5.4mm - there will be a slight backlash)
Handle weight - 37 grams





Comparison with FX9501 handle

Departure of the sting at the blue handle FX9501 - 4 cm, which makes it very convenient for soldering small electronics, but with access to narrow alleys between highly elevated elements like radiators on motherboards, it was inconvenient. In the monitored handle, the departure is already almost 2 times more - 7.5cm, - therefore, it turns out to be more universal for different conditions.







Hand View Comparison: Viewable vs. FX9501



Operation indication

A two-color red-green LED in the handle is responsible for notifying the status of the soldering iron.

Immediately after power-up and while the temperature is being set, the red LED flashes quickly:

While maintaining the temperature, the red diode blinks less frequently, the wattmeter readings periodically fluctuate between 8.5-16W. The slider here is set to 300g.

If the wheel is turned in the direction of decreasing temperature (counterclockwise), the red LED will stop flashing, the green one will remain on:

Tests

Correspondence of temperatures to the indicated values ​​on the adjusting dial
Power supply - laptop PSU 19V, 3.42A. Sting - BC (M) 3 9 Ohm.
From the tests it can be seen that the actual temperature is up to the established 300g. goes into plus by 70-80 degrees, then with the rotation of the wheel in the direction of increasing temperature, the difference decreases.

200g (wheel) - 269g (thermocouple)

250g (wheel) - 329g (thermocouple)

300g (wheel) - 367g (thermocouple)

350g (wheel) - 410g (thermocouple)

400gr. (wheel) - 430gr. (thermocouple)

Immersion of the stinger in water
In a calm state, the consumption of a soldering iron is 8-15W



When immersed in water, consumption increases to 48W

Other

Heating rate
From the power supply 19V heating up to 300gr. happens in 14-15 seconds.

Heating in the area of ​​the rubber lining
I did not notice a strong heating, the maximum is a slight heat. BP 19V

Tip scrollability and backlash
It is already harder to rotate the tip in this pen than in the new FX9501 pen, but there is play due to the fact that the entrance hole is slightly wider than the tip. However, the electrical tape pasted here can help out here:

So you can achieve almost perfect fixation of the sting. You can also glue it with a blue tape, because. this place practically does not heat up, but it is too thick and shrinks when the sting is inserted inside, so I chose a heat-resistant tape because of the thinness.

Quick blade change
Due to the larger overhang, the sting is already done with bare hands without any tweezers and potholders

Power supply from batteries
Hastily assembled 3 18650 lithium batteries in series. I didn’t charge it. Voltage amounted to 11.66V. The soldering iron works at this voltage.



Then I still charged two batteries, a total of 8.4V. Oddly enough, but small things can be completely soldered.

A bag
In Rosegal's 1-cent handbag from the auction of unprecedented generosity, the pen fits perfectly

findings

how hiking option for field work - not bad. The handle is compact and lightweight. Doesn't take up much space in a bag. You can power it from a laptop power supply, a car network or a battery assembly. Well, and most importantly - does not require another soldering iron for assembly. Of course, there are also disadvantages and I will note them: tip backlash, plug backlash in the soldering iron power socket, non-grounded body of the tip, temperature discrepancies indicated on the wheel with real temperatures, but the latter is not so important, because thermal stabilization is more important parameter. In the minuses, I would also write down the complexity of disassembling the handle and its difficult to find at the current moment on popular sites.

The soldering iron was purchased as part of a combined package (1.5kg) through an intermediary, the total price with a $10/50 coupon was $40 + shipping with fees of ~$26.

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review is published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

I plan to buy +29 Add to favorites Liked the review +48 +67

There have already been enough reviews about soldering stations and the controllers for soldering stations. But the handles for the HAKKO T12 stings were somehow deprived of attention. About them
they usually mention, as if in passing, such as there is such or such.
So I decided to fill this gap a little.

For HAKKO T12 soldering tips, there are two handle options developed by the manufacturer:
- FX-9501

- FM-2028


There is also an option to adapt the handle of the 900th series of HAKKO soldering stations for use with T12 tips


as you can see from the photo, a standard plastic handle and an additional insert are used. I hope you know them, many even use them ;-). I will not talk about the pros and cons of these pens, they are known ...
There are also exclusive handles.


Beautiful, but very expensive.
In the open spaces of TaoVao, I discovered and purchased another exclusive pen


You can buy it in a well-known store in Tao 100MHz. The store sells exclusive goods of the author's performance.
The pen is sold at a price of 85.00 yuan ($13.24) + 7 yuan express delivery in China.
I have not seen such a pen on Ali, but on ebay available for sale . True price "Little" higher.
As usual, the order arrived as part of a large package from Tao.


Whether there is any special packaging for this pen, I do not know. My pen arrived in a regular zip package.


The package contained: the pen itself, carefully wrapped in tissue paper


black rubber cuff with logo D-ACME , rubber "tail" for the cable, 4 silicone o-rings, 2 pieces of heat shrink with a diameter of 3mm and 5mm, as well as sensors (mercury and thermistor) in a separate small zip bag.

The handle is machined from aluminium, sandblasted and
surface anodizing. Logo engraved on the side
shop 100MHZ .


The handle consists of two parts connected by a thread. If you unwind the handle, you can find another structural element inside - a block of contacts.


The contact block is similar to the one from the FX-9501 handle


Only in this design, the contact block is not inserted into the handle, but screwed.
A plastic centering ring was also found inside the handle.


Detailed photos with dimensions


Photo with T12 sting


As you can see from the photo, the T12 tip is maximally recessed in the handle (almost the same as in the FX-9501 handle) - that’s it for small work. The tip itself is not fixed in a pile, it is inserted and removed quite easily (although it does not dangle), which means, as in the FX-9501 handle, it will rotate along the axis.

Appearance considered, it's time to move on to practice.
We will connect the handle to the soldering station.
To connect the handle, you need a 5-core silicone wire


and GX12-5 connector


The wire was bought on TaoVao in a store at a price of 6 yuan ($ 0.93) for 1.5 m + 10 yuan express delivery in China.
The GX12-5 connector was also bought on Tao, in the same store, at a price of 3 yuan ($ 0.46) + 10 yuan express delivery in China. But since everything was bought in one store and in one order, express delivery in China is the same for the entire order.

Do not pay special attention to the seemingly expensive express delivery in China. This is the cost of shipping not one lot, but the entire purchase from one store. And if you take into account that the shops on Tao specialize in goods of a certain theme, then buying one product, you will definitely buy something else. As a result, the cost of delivery is evenly distributed, as a small increase in the cost of all purchased goods.

Let's start assembling
To connect the pen, you need to know the pinout of the GX12-5 connector in the soldering station.
We find it in the above mentioned review.
Connector GX12-5

Pinout:
1 - on the board contact S, blue wire, position sensor (SW200 or mercury)
2 - on the board contact N, white wire, NTC thermistor
3 - on the board pin E, green wire, tip grounding and common for the thermistor and position sensor
4 - on the board contact G, black wire, T12 -
5 - on the board contact +, red wire, T12 +
For clarity, I will also give a connection diagram


According to the diagram, the left contact of the thermistor is connected to the negative contact of the soldering tip, in my soldering station it is connected to the green wire. In this case, it is not important printed circuit board pins E and G are connected.

We unsolder the connector, do not forget to isolate the contacts with heat shrink, and assemble

Before soldering the wires to the contact block, do not forget to put the back of the handle and the “tail” on the wire. As it turns out, this is not so easy to do. The inner hole of the "tail" is 5mm, exactly the diameter of the silicone wire. Couldn't get the wire through. A drop of silicone oil PMS-100 helped

Everything went like clockwork ;-)


Now you can solder the wires to the contact block. But first, let's place sensors between the contacts

Sensors should be placed as close as possible to the base of the contact block, as there is very little space inside the handle


The "tail" with a small inner hole did shit ...
Pulling the wire out of the back of the handle on the thermistor broke off one contact.
I had to go to the radio market and buy a new thermistor. To double
do not step on the same rake, I bought MF58-103J3950 at 10kOhm


its conclusions are more rigid and more convenient for volumetric installation


The culprit of the problems had to be squandered a little from the inside.
Solder the wires again


and collect the pen.
Ready


We insert the sting


and connect to soldering station


The station shows the temperature of the tip and the temperature sensor, the handle is ready for use.
A few minutes of work with this pen and I don’t want to pick up the old one ;-)
Lightweight and comfortable (no more than a marker in weight and dimensions)


For comparison, the photo next to the handle of the 900th series adapted for T12 stings


As you can see, the tip extension is not very large, much less than that of the 900-series handle with an adapter. The hand is much closer to the place of soldering, it is much more convenient to solder small radioelements.

Observant, those who carefully looked at the photos of the delivery set, probably paid attention to 4 silicone o-rings. I turned them in my hands for a long time and thought what they are used for? There is no mention of them on the store page.
The only place they can be used is under the centering ring.


I wrote a letter to the seller with a request to clarify the purpose of these rings. In the meantime, I installed one below the centering ring - the sting became more tightly “sit in the handle”. But this did not save the sting from turning along the axis.
So without waiting for an answer from the Chinese, he began to carefully examine the drawing with the internal section of the handle. I was interested in the groove inside the handle


It was in this groove, in the end, that I installed the rubber ring

The sting sits tightly in the handle, but still has, although not great, the ability to rotate along the axis.

Summarize.

My subjective pros:
- high-quality performance, the handle is more like a gift or collection option than a tool for everyday work
- thoughtful design
- fits comfortably in the hand
- a small removal of the sting from the handle itself

Minuses:
- the sting does not have a rigid fixation in the handle and, when soldering radio components, can rotate along the axis
- the price, after all, $ 13 is not enough money for a "simple handle" for a soldering iron.

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