what a great video, i have actually bought the cheapest of jbc solder stations for about 500 euros about 4 years ago, i would totally go for a project like that now, but back then i was pretty new to electronics, the station has served me wonderfully with almost non stop standby operation, they are truly high quality tools, with your poject you get the amazing performance without paying premium . hanks for the video, great idea.
60 years ago I had a 15 W Antex and thought it was perfect. 50 years ago I got a Weller PU4 and for 45 years, I thought it was perfect. 5 years ago I added the Weller variable temp to my collection to suplement my almost still perfect PU4. Now I watch this and realise that I have been wrong for 60 years and my needs are more than I realised. Although a soldering iron with an impedance to gnd bothers me a lot. It should be switchable or variable.
Don't know how I got here. I just clicked on a link and this page opened immediately..........I said *immediately* . Your video was educational and very entertaining. Danke Schoen!
Hello Marco Reps! Very nice! Only the original JBC soldering station has only 75 watts consumption instead of 250 watts in the European version at ~ 230 Volts AC and 50 Hz. But you will certainly find even a more economical solution for consumption!
Great project, now you have influenced me to make my own soldering iron station. I was just looking for one, but if JBC soldering irons are that much better then DIYing one will be awesome. And with DIY I would be able to make any interface I like e.g. analog knob with precise LCD temperature reading :) And thank you for good description and influence ;)
i guess you though of this already, but if not you should definitely add a feature of turning the iron to sleep mode on about 200 degrees when you rest it on the stand and turning it off completely after 10 minutes or something. plus auto start when you pick it up. its a trully great experience, not having to press any button and having the iron ready to solder in 3-10 seconds whenever you feel like using it. at the same time the tip gets higher lifetime.
Yes, great idea! Maybe that could even be done "intelligently": The controller enters an idle state (200°C? Could be variable and depending on the idle time ...) when it didn't have to send much power to the iron for a time. But when it notices that suddenly more power is needed to maintain the idle temperature (it is touching something) it goes back up to the selected temp. BUT what influences tip life anyway? Higher temperature over time or higher currents during many steep heating cycles?
this implementation sounds too complicated in my opinion, if you'd rather avoid the coding hustle you can do it as in the jbc station which just checks continuity between the metal part of the iron and the stand. Not sure about witch factors exactly contribute at the life of an irons tip but some cheapo irons can get destroyed if left running 24hours in no time, but that is no indication cause they could be very bad quality materials or temperature control. and im not talking about burning of the heater, the main problem i have faced is not be able to tin the tip of an iron.
Temperature is the main thing that affects tip life. I have never seen a tip break mechanically or electrically, it always corrodes into uselessness long before. Temperature affects the speed at which chemical reactions like corrosion happen exponentially. So time spent at 300 C is much worse than time spent at 200 C, and 200 C is much worse than room temperature.
Is the stand detected by electrical contact? Then how does it detect when it moves over to the tool side? I always thought it was done with magnets. Will check on my unit, seems intriguing. The JBC has two rest modes: sleep and hibernate. Sleep happens in stand, it keeps the temperature at ~180C. Hibernate happens after the tool has been in stand for ~30 minutes. Temperature can only be adjusted while the tool is out of the stand, I find this highly annoying.
Dude! I've thinking about a similar concept for a controller for multiple tips/handles. I love your far more simplistic approach, and I may adapt it sometime int he future. Thanks for sharing!
i think youtube doesnt like you. after watching 5 videos of you in a row, where i had to search for more videos of you instead of them getting recommended to me
totally giving away my secret tip, but mostly because I already have enough solder stations: You can find old JBC soldering stations which work just as well as the new ones for ~100 bucks on ebay sometimes.
If you have any problems, just join #kicad on Freenode, if you don't mind using IRC. ##electronics is also a good channel, a ton of people hang out there, including me(Spirit532).
My vote is to stick with Eagle. With Autodesk at the helm now it's getting better and better. I'm really looking forward to the release of version 8. I tried Kicad again recently, even took an intro class at my local hacker space. I still find it "clunky" and not for me. To each his own.
Great video ! But I think many of us are wondering, why not just rectify a good powerful transformer or even better, use a switching power supply with enough current and than switch the DC to the tip with a MOSFET, forgetting about full waves, zero-crossing and so forth, and maybe even reading the thermocouple while powering the heater ? What's the disadvantage in using DC if JBC is also using AC as I understand... Thanks!
Telephones in multivitamin juice is also good, works for a while and then shows nice corosion... Just in case you want to dip your phone in something different next time ;-)
I would love to understand the schematic. Why do you have two GND - PGND and AGND? And it seems you measure between GREEN and RED - but you also power the heater through GREEN and RED. If this cartridge is a resistor and thermo coupler in series, what color is the TC end, which the resistor end and which is the midpoint?
i bought DIY Controller Kit for HAKKO T12 Handle from aliexpress, this kit also works with similar type heater and thermocouple integrated in hotend. You need to assemble the handle and put electronics in the case and also connect power supply. The kit needs from 12v to 24v dc power. Works ok from laptop psu. Max power 70watts but depends on psu voltage. Price only about 17euro and solders realy good. way better than simple solder iron.
Great project! What’s the reason for using AC instead of DC + PWM and what are your reasons for grounding the tip? Is it because of ESD? Also what is the „fear“ of HF if using a switching mode PSU? What is the reason for that fear, you hear from time to time when dealing with which soldering station one should buy? Looking forward to see so many great videos coming 😎 Keep up the great work!
How to you think is it good to convert the main voltage to DC first then control the heater by that DC? Do you think the DC will produce the electromigration then reduce soldering tip life time?
the box full of redbull cola make me laugh... i absolutely love this drink... Nice job with JBC. I have original JBC station and is stunning. I want to try somethink similar for T12 hakko, only for fun.
Great project! I have a couple of questions: 1) Where did you order the JBC components from? 2) Why did you go with the conical tip? Isn't the small chisel tip more useful? Thanks in advance for your reply!
Marco can You give Your PID tuning parameters ? i got mine like: Kp=2 Ki=0.2 Kd=2 but with other iron, and it doest't work very well in term of first overshoot after powering up.
If you are using a JBC or something similarly powerful, I don't think you'll need PID, because the system is very responsive and doesn't need any 'planning ahead'. In the final version of this controller I am regulating proportionally only (heat for X mains cycles before checking again, where X = temperature_set - temperature_is or something like that)
It is not a serious problem - that start up overshoot(maybe it is even good, because the lag of heat transfer to end of the tip) For now i have bought a pretty cheap but very good in performance iron with ceramic heating element. Its is actually suprisingly good, comparing to cheap hakko clone. Here You have a link: www.china-zhongdi.com/products.asp?CataID=134&cataupper=&k=&Page=2 It's a iron for ZD-8917B station I have measured resistance of heater and it is about 2,7Ohm when cold and 5-6 when hot wich is giving about 120W of power. Still not JBC but not bat at all. For reading thermocouple im using max6675 and a calibration equation. Maybe i will make some movie about it.
hmm.. you've omitted input protection from the instrumentation amplifier... the specifications don't allow more than 0.3v over the VCC, which is in normal operation ~5v... so it would fry the op-amp the moment it sees that 40VAC. How did you protect it from over voltages?
With a 1M resistor from any transformer secondary to an AVR interrupt pin. That is possible because of internal clamping diodes that limit the voltage to whatever is acceptable by the µcontroller. The 1M limits the current so that the clamping diodes don't die. Optical isolation would be better, but this was the minimal approach.
What do you think about Chinese C245 and 470 tips and soldering Iron ?, I have the Aixun T3A 200W with T245 Tips since like 2 years, it work very great but the problem is the Tips dead very frequently, sometime even brand new died sometime it take time, beyond the quality of Chinese Tips i suspect the T3A to be too stressful for the Tips, i explain, the C245 Tips (2.5 ohms) are made to work on AC 24v source, witch is 17V RMS and then 115W compared with the DC 24V who is 230W, we need to remove the time of Temp sensor mesurment in the calcul but it's seem clean that the C245 tips are overexploited on DC 24v source, what do you think ? for me that can explain why Tips are so easy to break, and i suppose that even OEM JBC tips can be so survive more long on this Maybe i should reduce the voltage of Dc/Dc down to ~17v to test if the tips are more reliable, by the way 200W are not nécessary, the Power are never at 100% except when we turn on the station for the initial heat, after the Thermal transfer are never enough to assure 100% for power except if we put it in the water lol
Hi. I am from Spain you could help me with a little more information about this project. I would like to build this device. I have knowledge of electronica but very few of arduino. I'm starting with a mobile workshop and this tool would be of great help.
yes, it will work, you just have to connect the T12 tip accordingly. Look the schematic of T12 tip, it has TC not accessible directly, just move that connection
Thanks Friend, Your Tuts are good and one of best part is when we expect something funny on it :) Subscribed and thumbs up... because of nice tuts and normally friendly fast correct replay , Thanks Again
Really nice project! Thumbs up! Then comes the part two? I will build me also one, with a T245 handpice, but I can't programming (now, I will study it, when I have much, very much time). Thanks
what a great video, i have actually bought the cheapest of jbc solder stations for about 500 euros about 4 years ago, i would totally go for a project like that now, but back then i was pretty new to electronics, the station has served me wonderfully with almost non stop standby operation, they are truly high quality tools, with your poject you get the amazing performance without paying premium . hanks for the video, great idea.
60 years ago I had a 15 W Antex and thought it was perfect. 50 years ago I got a Weller PU4 and for 45 years, I thought it was perfect. 5 years ago I added the Weller variable temp to my collection to suplement my almost still perfect PU4. Now I watch this and realise that I have been wrong for 60 years and my needs are more than I realised. Although a soldering iron with an impedance to gnd bothers me a lot. It should be switchable or variable.
Hahah I love all the random humour in your video
dat weiner doe
Subscribed....and usually i dont sub to random chans...keep the amazing chan up
This
Really missing your work
Don't know how I got here. I just clicked on a link and this page opened immediately..........I said *immediately* . Your video was educational and very entertaining. Danke Schoen!
Looking forward to seeing the final results.
I subscribed at 2:25
lmao .... me too :D
wait, WTF!?
3:13 killed me too XD
Just the tip and only for a minute!
We all too...
Hello Marco Reps!
Very nice!
Only the original JBC soldering station has only 75 watts consumption instead of 250 watts in the European version at ~ 230 Volts AC and 50 Hz.
But you will certainly find even a more economical solution for consumption!
That 75w soldering station is the one wih c245 tips. The one with c470 tips also uses 250w.
Great project, now you have influenced me to make my own soldering iron station.
I was just looking for one, but if JBC soldering irons are that much better then DIYing one will be awesome.
And with DIY I would be able to make any interface I like e.g. analog knob with precise LCD temperature reading :)
And thank you for good description and influence ;)
There are super cool haptic digital buttons/knobs which are open source. Incorporating round LCD screen in the knob. Would love that.
i guess you though of this already, but if not you should definitely add a feature of turning the iron to sleep mode on about 200 degrees when you rest it on the stand and turning it off completely after 10 minutes or something. plus auto start when you pick it up. its a trully great experience, not having to press any button and having the iron ready to solder in 3-10 seconds whenever you feel like using it. at the same time the tip gets higher lifetime.
Yes, great idea! Maybe that could even be done "intelligently": The controller enters an idle state (200°C? Could be variable and depending on the idle time ...) when it didn't have to send much power to the iron for a time. But when it notices that suddenly more power is needed to maintain the idle temperature (it is touching something) it goes back up to the selected temp. BUT what influences tip life anyway? Higher temperature over time or higher currents during many steep heating cycles?
this implementation sounds too complicated in my opinion, if you'd rather avoid the coding hustle you can do it as in the jbc station which just checks continuity between the metal part of the iron and the stand. Not sure about witch factors exactly contribute at the life of an irons tip but some cheapo irons can get destroyed if left running 24hours in no time, but that is no indication cause they could be very bad quality materials or temperature control. and im not talking about burning of the heater, the main problem i have faced is not be able to tin the tip of an iron.
Marco Reps my hakko drops from 400c to 200c when I put it on the stand and heats back up in around 5 seconds, this saves the tip life
Temperature is the main thing that affects tip life. I have never seen a tip break mechanically or electrically, it always corrodes into uselessness long before. Temperature affects the speed at which chemical reactions like corrosion happen exponentially. So time spent at 300 C is much worse than time spent at 200 C, and 200 C is much worse than room temperature.
Is the stand detected by electrical contact? Then how does it detect when it moves over to the tool side? I always thought it was done with magnets. Will check on my unit, seems intriguing.
The JBC has two rest modes: sleep and hibernate. Sleep happens in stand, it keeps the temperature at ~180C. Hibernate happens after the tool has been in stand for ~30 minutes. Temperature can only be adjusted while the tool is out of the stand, I find this highly annoying.
Excellent item, the quality is definately reflected in the price of these parts
some times I dont know if i am watching a GreatScott channel or Marco Reps, they have equals german voice.
7:42 Your channel is now One of my favorites!
Dude! I've thinking about a similar concept for a controller for multiple tips/handles. I love your far more simplistic approach, and I may adapt it sometime int he future. Thanks for sharing!
I have a 12 year old JBC station that works great but its limited at 75w. I want to build this now!!
MOAR, MOAR - I want to see the finished project, it's sooo inspiring (:
i think youtube doesnt like you. after watching 5 videos of you in a row, where i had to search for more videos of you instead of them getting recommended to me
totally giving away my secret tip, but mostly because I already have enough solder stations:
You can find old JBC soldering stations which work just as well as the new ones for ~100 bucks on ebay sometimes.
Your videos are getting better and better!
Small tip: switch to KiCAD from Eagle. It's much better, and FOSS/free!
Yes, I tried KiCAD before, felt a bit clumsy then. But I'm planning to give it another chance.
If you have any problems, just join #kicad on Freenode, if you don't mind using IRC. ##electronics is also a good channel, a ton of people hang out there, including me(Spirit532).
KiCAD rocks! I've been using Eagle for ages, but their licensing limitations are too annoying, so i've tried KiCAD and i'm liking it.
My vote is to stick with Eagle. With Autodesk at the helm now it's getting better and better. I'm really looking forward to the release of version 8. I tried Kicad again recently, even took an intro class at my local hacker space. I still find it "clunky" and not for me. To each his own.
Eagle still has silly pricing and limitations.
KiCad is now a very capable professional design tool.
Great video ! But I think many of us are wondering, why not just rectify a good powerful transformer or even better, use a switching power supply with enough current and than switch the DC to the tip with a MOSFET, forgetting about full waves, zero-crossing and so forth, and maybe even reading the thermocouple while powering the heater ? What's the disadvantage in using DC if JBC is also using AC as I understand...
Thanks!
Could you please share the final schematics?
Great work, can't wait to see more
Great video as always. Keep up the great work. Think I might give this project a go.
Telephones in multivitamin juice is also good, works for a while and then shows nice corosion... Just in case you want to dip your phone in something different next time ;-)
What is multivitamin juice? I only have Red Bull Cola here :)
do you have a build list and schematics for this project ?? if so where can I find them please ? thank you
hi looking forward to play with the software... you promised a link!!
I would love to understand the schematic. Why do you have two GND - PGND and AGND? And it seems you measure between GREEN and RED - but you also power the heater through GREEN and RED. If this cartridge is a resistor and thermo coupler in series, what color is the TC end, which the resistor end and which is the midpoint?
It would be really great, if you could also adapt your project for using the less powerful jbc 245 cartridges too....
I think the 24V DC + mosfet approach would be perfect for that
Not 24 but 15v dc would be nice I guess.(24^2/2.7=210w, should have been 75w. 15^2/2.7=83.3, seems legit)
thanks for the introduction. im going to try to make my own soldering station too with chinese integrated tips
@2:25 Epic JBC Project :)
what about a part 2? I'd like to build one for me too!
i bought DIY Controller Kit for HAKKO T12 Handle from aliexpress, this kit also works with similar type heater and thermocouple integrated in hotend. You need to assemble the handle and put electronics in the case and also connect power supply. The kit needs from 12v to 24v dc power. Works ok from laptop psu. Max power 70watts but depends on psu voltage. Price only about 17euro and solders realy good. way better than simple solder iron.
where is the link to the arduino code please?
I loved the video, good job mate !!! keep going on !
Eagle 6.5 ! I remember those days!
Great project!
What’s the reason for using AC instead of DC + PWM and what are your reasons for grounding the tip? Is it because of ESD?
Also what is the „fear“ of HF if using a switching mode PSU? What is the reason for that fear, you hear from time to time when dealing with which soldering station one should buy?
Looking forward to see so many great videos coming 😎
Keep up the great work!
hey,
very nice project. i'd like to try this myself.
would you mind putting in the schematic and code, maybe the layout also, in the description?
Can you also try to do the modification for JBC TWEEZERS as well? I love JBC but prices are mad and i don't see many projects that include tweezers.
How to you think is it good to convert the main voltage to DC first then control the heater by that DC? Do you think the DC will produce the electromigration then reduce soldering tip life time?
Marco accidentally draws one kind of tip while discussing another. I accidentally press the subscribe button while laughing out loud.
love it man !
the box full of redbull cola make me laugh... i absolutely love this drink... Nice job with JBC. I have original JBC station and is stunning. I want to try somethink similar for T12 hakko, only for fun.
Great video
Marco Reps Could you share schematic with code?
Did you finish the project?
Dam Nice Work!
Love this video, looking forward to checking out some more. Subscribed!
You are a great unit Marco....New subscriber here.
Great project! I have a couple of questions: 1) Where did you order the JBC components from? 2) Why did you go with the conical tip? Isn't the small chisel tip more useful? Thanks in advance for your reply!
Did you remove the file links for this project? I dont see them anymore.
Marco can You give Your PID tuning parameters ? i got mine like: Kp=2 Ki=0.2 Kd=2 but with other iron,
and it doest't work very well in term of first overshoot after powering up.
If you are using a JBC or something similarly powerful, I don't think you'll need PID, because the system is very responsive and doesn't need any 'planning ahead'. In the final version of this controller I am regulating proportionally only (heat for X mains cycles before checking again, where X = temperature_set - temperature_is or something like that)
It is not a serious problem - that start up overshoot(maybe it is even good, because the lag of heat transfer to end of the tip)
For now i have bought a pretty cheap but very good in performance iron with ceramic heating element.
Its is actually suprisingly good, comparing to cheap hakko clone. Here You have a link:
www.china-zhongdi.com/products.asp?CataID=134&cataupper=&k=&Page=2
It's a iron for ZD-8917B station
I have measured resistance of heater and it is about 2,7Ohm when cold and 5-6 when hot wich is giving about 120W of power. Still not JBC but not bat at all.
For reading thermocouple im using max6675 and a calibration equation.
Maybe i will make some movie about it.
keep up the good work!
Very good work, many congratulations, I will copy your code to start, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
regards
hi, excelente video, why did you use the amplifiers and not the ic max31855 or max 6675?...is There a reason to choose one instead?
Are you sharing the code and schematic for this anywhere? Would be awesome!
2:25 amazing schematic!😂
Why is the triac connected to the red wire at 7.08 minutes in?
Shouldn't it be connected to the blue wire that's going to the heater?
hmm.. you've omitted input protection from the instrumentation amplifier... the specifications don't allow more than 0.3v over the VCC, which is in normal operation ~5v... so it would fry the op-amp the moment it sees that 40VAC.
How did you protect it from over voltages?
Awsome ! No way I could make something like this right now... Well mebye something very simple using arduino... but not much close...
you can pre heat your board with hot air and it won't sink much heat
damn, didnt expect to be entertained like that when i clicked haha. new to your stuff, already diggin it
Amazing. How do you measure the zero crossing of the mains valtage?
With a 1M resistor from any transformer secondary to an AVR interrupt pin. That is possible because of internal clamping diodes that limit the voltage to whatever is acceptable by the µcontroller. The 1M limits the current so that the clamping diodes don't die. Optical isolation would be better, but this was the minimal approach.
Thank you so much for replying
The termocople error when grounded can be used for sleep mode my be jbc used this way for do it.
why didn't you use unconnected side of TC as TC output, and other, common as ground?
I think you could measure and heat at the same time, right?
Could u plz tell why u placed the cold junction and how u implemented it plz would really appreciate it
I Like that Vengeful Spirit.
What do you think about Chinese C245 and 470 tips and soldering Iron ?, I have the Aixun T3A 200W with T245 Tips since like 2 years, it work very great but the problem is the Tips dead very frequently, sometime even brand new died sometime it take time, beyond the quality of Chinese Tips i suspect the T3A to be too stressful for the Tips, i explain, the C245 Tips (2.5 ohms) are made to work on AC 24v source, witch is 17V RMS and then 115W compared with the DC 24V who is 230W, we need to remove the time of Temp sensor mesurment in the calcul but it's seem clean that the C245 tips are overexploited on DC 24v source, what do you think ? for me that can explain why Tips are so easy to break, and i suppose that even OEM JBC tips can be so survive more long on this
Maybe i should reduce the voltage of Dc/Dc down to ~17v to test if the tips are more reliable, by the way 200W are not nécessary, the Power are never at 100% except when we turn on the station for the initial heat, after the Thermal transfer are never enough to assure 100% for power except if we put it in the water lol
You sir are good!
"Yeah, you better shake off those drops you idiot" HAHAHAH
keithley dmm in the background. good choice.
If you are an appreciator of the ol Keithleys, you might like some of my other videos :)
excellent and enjoyable!
One of us!
What do you think of those Metcal soldering stations with heating based on the curie point?
Do you have a guide to make a DIY station for the JBC NT105-A Nano Handle?
Hello, this project solder stadion compalibity jbc t245 pen ?
A weird question on a old ass video, what mic do you use? It sounds really clear
Back then he used a cheap chinese microphone which he later upgraded to a Rode Nt1-A.
I think he showed this in the 'Little British Monitors' video.
2:26 thought
Please how can I buy the already build soldering station which can use handle and tips of jbcor hakko micro pencil tips
How did you make the symbol for the soldering iron in eagle?
what program did u use to plot the serial data?
Love it!
I subbed from this, Hoping to see the rest. Good irons are just good, Cheers
Hi. I am from Spain you could help me with a little more information about this project. I would like to build this device. I have knowledge of electronica but very few of arduino. I'm starting with a mobile workshop and this tool would be of great help.
Update coming soon!
Awesome project, I'm also looking forward to your update!! Thanks!
Marco Reps When will be update?
hello, would this project work with hakko t12 / t15 tips? what modifications would be needed? thanks
yes, it will work, you just have to connect the T12 tip accordingly. Look the schematic of T12 tip, it has TC not accessible directly, just move that connection
is it possible to get the skitch for the sodering station thanks
awesome... this is so damn good.
good project
hi,
what about the software?
ty.
2:24 Never seen that schematic symbol before.
Can you make something for NT115-A jbc nano soldering handle ???????
The knife what bran is it?
any update?
You r the buddha of German Humour!!!
i want a station like that..how much it will cost me .. y r a genius
Hi, Which screen recorder you use ?
Cheers
ZD Soft Screen Recorder
Thanks Friend, Your Tuts are good and one of best part is when we expect something funny on it :)
Subscribed and thumbs up... because of nice tuts and normally friendly fast correct replay , Thanks Again
2:26 wtf??😂😂😂😂
IKR!
you really did put that expensive tip in water :O quick temperature change on the tip may cause it to crack
No, it will be just fine.
how expensive is the soldering station
Really nice project! Thumbs up!
Then comes the part two? I will build me also one, with a T245 handpice, but I can't programming (now, I will study it, when I have much, very much time).
Thanks
Love the project. Love the comedy even more!
Any sign of the code/schematic? Time can't be the excuse with a case of Redbull :)
There seems to be something "dubious" about 5:49 ... normally I'd not even notice but after 2:25 ... ... ... ...
Спасибо большое : )