STM32 Based soldering station for JBC cartridges, 9-24 VDC and USB-PD power
STM32 Based soldering station for JBC cartridges, 9-24 VDC and USB-PD power
Interested in purchasing an AxxSolder 3.2?
On my website 5Dimensions you can purchase assembled and tested AxxSolder 3.2 boards with connectors and hardware.
AxxSolder is a STM32 based soldering iron controller for JBC C115, C210 and C245 style cartridges.
Two different versions are designed around the same PCB and software - one soldering station based on the JBC ADS stand and one portable version. The AxxSolder hardware takes a DC input source of 9-24V OR a USB-C Power Delivery source. The recommended power supply is a Meanwell LRS-150-24 which can power all compatible JBC irons at full power. If a 65W, 20V USB-PD supply is used then NT115 and T210 handles can be powered at full power and T245 at limited power. The power limiting is automatic and AxxSolder reads the power capability of the USB-PD source during the negotiating phase and reduces the output power accordingly.
The software is written for the STM32G431CBT6 and implements a PID controller for temperature regulation, TFT display driver, sleep functions for when the handle is at rest and various user settings to name a few.
Enclosures for both station and portable versions are 3D printed and design files are available under /CAD. A video showing the AxxSolder station can be found under DEMO. A bill of materials (BOM) with individual component prices can be found under /bom.
Please use Discord for build related and general questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5uLvEM9wpY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTZFAHj0sKs
The schematic for AxxSolder is shown below. Both station and portable versions use the same PCB and software. The MCU is a STM32G431CBT6.
The PCBs are designed in KiCad and manufactured by PCBWay. PCBWay has sponsored this project with PCBs and stencils. The support and quality from PCBWay is great and therefore PCBWay is the recommended PCB supplier for this project. As some components have a rather fine pitch (0,5 mm as of the LQFP-48 package of the STM32) and some packages are "no lead" with a bottom thermal pad e.g. the WSON-8 package of the OPA2387 it is recommended to use a stencil to apply solder paste and then reflow the board using either a reflow oven or hot-plate. The boards on the image below were reflowed on a hot-plate (a homemade AxxPlate). A microscope is also recommended and helpful during assembly. Printed Circuit Boards with assembled components are shown in the image below.
A 3D view (front and back) of the AxxSolder PCB is generated with KiCad and shown below.
The preferred setup is to pair AxxSolder with the JBC ADS stand. This makes a very nice, compact and powerful soldering station. The JBC ADS stand is paired with a custom 3D printed enclosure for AxxSolder and the PCB is mounted with two mounting brackets. All 3D printed parts are available under /CAD.
The JBC ADS stand comes with a silicone cable fitted with two Binder 99-0621-00-07 connectors. In order to use this cable a Binder 99-0624-00-07 is mounted into the AxxSolder enclosure and wired as the image below:
By default, the stand separates the two signals coming from the "tool rest position" and the "tip change position" and does NOT have two separate connections for tip sensing 1 and 2 as is needed if NT115, T210 and T245 handles should all be automatically detected. Therefore, a modification is done to the PCB inside the JBC ADS stand in order to combine the "tool rest position" and the "tip change position" sense into one connection and separate the two tip sense connections. This is shown in the image above. The stand is held together with two PH0 screws from the side.
NOTE: This modification of the stand is only needed if you want to be able to use NT115, T210 and T245 with your JBC ADS stand. If you know that you will only be using T210 and/or T245 you can change the user setting: Detect NT115 to "NO" in the settings in order for T210 and T245 to be automatically detected with a un-modified JBC ADS stand.
The JBC ADS stand is an expensive piece and thankfully there are many alternatives online for the one who wants to save some money. The community on the AxxSolder Discord channel has created many enclosures for alternative stands such as the GEEBOON SDC02, and some of the AiXun stands. Some of the models are available under Alternative stands .
It is often nice to have a compact and portable soldering iron controller for when you are away from your comfortable desk. A neat powerful package with the same capabilities as your main soldering station. This is why AxxSolder Portable was designed. The only difference between AxxSolder station and Portable is the enclosure.
As AxxSolder accepts an input of 9-24 V it is compatible with a range of battery options. The author usually use a battery pack consisting of 12 Samsung INR18650 35E in a 3S4P configuration which works very well.
The portable version has an aluminium tab on the enclosure connected to the same input on the PCB as the "handle rest" on the station version. This allows the user to rest the iron onto the aluminium tab and automatically enter sleep mode.
The connections from the handle to the PCB through the Hirose RPC1-12RB-6P(71) connector is shown below. The Stand_sense in the portable version is connected to the aluminium plate which tells the AxxSolder to go into sleep mode when in contact with the soldering iron.
⚠️ WARNING: Do NOT use power supplies where the DC output is referenced to mains earth (PELV). Due to the internal construction of C245 tips, using a PELV supply can cause a short circuit through the soldering tip. This applies to both DC barrel jack and USB-C power.
In order to be able to ground the tip of the soldering iron the user MUST use a power supply with a floating output (SELV) and connect protective earth to the ground terminal on AxxSolder. No other devices should share this DC power other than AxxSolder itself. A well-suited power supply with floating output (SELV) is the Meanwell LRS-150-24. It is rated for 156 W at 24 V. By using this kind of power supply, AxxSolder can be connected directly its DC output and to mains earth thus keeping the tip of the soldering iron at earth ground potential. There is a 1A fuse after the earth terminal in parallel with a 1M resistor on the AxxSolder.
A printable cover protecting the terminals of the for LRS-150-24 can be found under /CAD.
Another suitable power supply is the Meanwell XLG-150-24 which has a slightly different form factor and is fully enclosed.
Most USB-C chargers have floating outputs and work fine. However, some chargers connect the USB-C shell to mains earth — these must not be used as they create the same problem as a PELV DC supply.
In order for AxxSolder to know which type of handle (NT115, T210, T245) is attached specific pins inside the handle connector must be connected (bridged with a jumper wire). By default, the original JBC handle T245 has NO bridged pins while inside the connector of the original JBC T210 the pins 5 and 6 are bridged with a jumper wire. The original NT115 handle from JBC has a different connector and must be modified accordingly. All the necessary connections are shown in the image below.
When powering on AxxSolder for the first time after doing these connec
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