New Pace ADS200 Production Soldering Station

[Shock]

I've been waiting for some time for a quality station with the right iron, tip selection and price to come along. I've known about Pace for years as one those legendary brands, so my ears perked up when I saw they were releasing a new station and I started ticking check boxes if it met my requirements.

TL:DR The Pace ADS 200 stands as an excellent station on it's own, built as a workhorse and similar attention to quality and value shown in previous Pace designs (I've checked them out too). This new Pace station with the Accudrive technology provides increased temperature accuracy and a redesigned cool operating iron. This means precision soldering right up to high thermal mass work and no calibration is required. Read my review if you want more.

These are mine here:

[Shock]

Pace ADS200 review

Build quality. 9.5/10.
The first impression you get when pulling it out of the box is "this station is damn solid". The station is all metal construction with an aluminum chassis, cast bezel and large rubber feet. On the front it sports a large red 3 digit display with a multi color iron status indicator to the right of it. The three rubber buttons that control the station are responsive with good tactile feedback and click. On the rear of the station there is an external fuse box, an earth/ground socket, and a socket to connect the optional Instant Setback Stand. The station chassis is star grounded internally for user safety.



The iron stand is also a hefty metal construction likely to cause blunt force trauma in the event of any bench disputes. It contains both a sponge and brass wool. The brass wool receptacle can be removed from the stand if required. The sponge has a tear out section in the middle to allow an edge for dross or small components to be caught off the tip of the iron. A nice quality heat resistant pad is provided to set tips down onto if required, otherwise the provided Tip Tool makes tip swapping fast and effortless. The optional Instant Setback Stand includes a cable to signal to the station that the iron has been returned.



The TD-200 iron which is the business end of the trio, is anodized aluminum with integrated molded rubber grip. The cable is heat resistant and has good flexibility. Cable strain relief is built into the rear of the iron by a rubber washer held captive with a plastic end cap. At the other end of the cable unscrewing the plug shroud shows an expensive and solid looking 4 pin din connector with locking plastic nut. Pace advises the cable (cord) is available as a spare in the very unlikely event of failure.

According to Pace the tips have a fairly thick iron plating to extend the tip life against harsh fluxes and lead free solder. They have been manufacturing this style of cartridge tip for quite some time with emphasis on long life and ruggedness.



Features. 10/10.
This is Paces first station supporting their new Accudrive technology which gives the station close to single digit temperature accuracy and combines the features of a precision soldering iron with a high output iron delivering up to 120W. Because of this the station does not require calibrating, or entering offsets between changing tips. The station can be configured to operate between 177-454C (350-850F) and display units in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

The station is of course ESD safe, which you would expect being a production quality station, with modern electronics these days almost essential for anyone trying to eliminate mysterious failures.

The three temperature presets accessed on the front panel can be adjusted to suit your preferences. You could do this based on your tip selection or use the settings to provide incremental boosts and increase available thermal power when required. To avoid inadvertently stressing fine tips or overheating joints, the station has configurable High and Low temperature limits. When going lower than the lowest temperature the station will enter Auto Off mode and power down the iron then you can use a preset or the temperature button to bring it back up.

All stations come the with ability to enter a low temperature standby mode called Setback. When the iron has been inactive long enough to trigger Setback, the station reduces the temperature of the iron. If the station detects the iron dropping further in temperature (i.e. touching the tip to the wet sponge or joint) the station assumes you are using it again and heats back up to the set temperature.

If you have the optional Instant Setback Stand you can additionally use the stand to trigger the station in and out of a Instant Setback mode which essentially is the same thing but controlled by the stand. There is also an Auto Off mode which when triggered will power down the iron fully. These are all separate timers that can be configured in the menu and designed to save power and prolong tip life. Setback or Auto Off modes can be interrupted by pressing a button.

There is a password lockout option to prevent other users messing with these settings.



Ease of use. 10/10.
Very simple to operate, with 3 buttons on the front panel. The temperature preset selection button can be pressed in quick succession for the 3 programmable presets, the two up and down buttons (in 1 degree increments as of firmware 1.4) control temperature. The 3 digit LED display is visible from all angles and in high and low light. A single LED to the right of the display shows when the station is at maintained temperature or heating. The stations front face is angled slightly to allow natural viewing from both the bench or shelved.

The iron is extremely comfortable, easy to grip and cool to touch even with large Ultra Performance tips loaded.  The tip to work distance is minimal. Tips can be hot swapped in and out of the iron in seconds with the tip tool. Tips heat up in just a few seconds and in most cases temperature changes are a couple of seconds. The stand is not fixed to the station and can be moved close to the work if required. It has storage for a handful of tips along with the tip tool.

Value for money. 10/10.
The Pace ADS 200 goes for as little as $220 street price for the 120V model in the US, slightly cheaper if you can get a discount. Tips start from between $10 for Standard and $13 for Ultra Performance, significantly cheaper than other brand cartridge tips. Other countries may vary in price due to local taxes and importation costs.

Overall an absolute bargain for a 120W capable station. The station together with iron and stand, all top quality and designed for systematic day long abuse.

[Shock]

Faqs
Any errors or omissions please PM me (updated 2019/6/11).

Does this station work well.
Yes, it's one of the highest performing stations on the market, and now owned by many forum members. Features like calibration free, super fast tip swapping, iron comfort, tip working distance, power and recovery are especially noteworthy.

How much.
List price starts from $239 US, £220 UK, €225 Europe for the 120V or 230V standard model. Slightly more expensive for the Instant Setback model.

I can't get one locally or at the right price
The Pace ADS200 is still a fairly new. Distributors set their own price, so look around for the best deal. Visit https://paceworldwide.com/ for a list of distributors.

How powerful is the iron.
Up to 120W with the Ultra Performance tips (typical consumer entry level stations are 50-75W). Tip temperature is configurable between 177-454C which is 350-850F. Plenty of power to even solder demanding ground planes.

Where are they made.
Manufactured, assembled and shipped from the USA to local and overseas distributors. Parts are locally sourced in the USA where possible.

What is the difference with the Standard and Instant Setback model.
The Instant Setback model has a stand that connects to the station. It detects the return of the iron and begins a timer to put the iron into a low temperature state.

Do both models have a low temperature or sleep mode.
Yes the station has Setback (low temperature state) and Auto Off (sleep) built in as standard.

What can be configured on the station.
The temperature, three temperature presets, Fahrenheit or Celsius, High and Low temperature limits, Setback timer, Instant Setback timer, Setback temperature, Auto Off timer, menu lockout password.

Is the station firmware updatable.
Yes Pace provides a drop in replacement if required.

How many tips are there.
At the time of writing 62 tips in total. Expect this range to expand over time as demand for more geometries increases.

What are the differences between Standard and Ultra Performance tips.
The Ultra Performance tips have extra mass which allows maximum heat throughput.

How long do Pace tips last.
Designed for production use Pace optimizes the tips for longevity. The station has several features designed to increase tip life as well (setback, instant setback, auto off). The rest is up to the user.

Why the red LED display.
The station is intended for production use, and to simplify operation. In those situations clear and basic displays are essential, normally when soldering you should be focusing on the iron.

Is the Pace ADS200 ESD safe.
Yes the tip right through to the cable is ESD safe, the station chassis is also well grounded.

Where can I get a discount.
Tequipment.net do the 6% EEVblog discount, they should throw in free US shipping. Remember to pickup some tips.

[sn4k3]

Nice setup.
I'm interested on your review and also know somethings if you can test.

I have no doubt this station can handle huge heatsinks with the right tip, but how smaller tip for microsolder against multilayer boards or big heatsink areas like GND behave?
Sometimes i have a hard time to solder tiny legs or passive to it's pad when there are some mass, using a 0.3mm tip and the tip is already bigger than the leg and pad itself.
For now i can't see any super fine tip for this pace, there are any tip capable for 01005 passives on tight places?
It seen's they have the 0.2mm fine tip (Standard tip), i would like too see how it perform on the multilayer board 01005 passives and leg by leg operation

PACE have Standard Tips and Ultra-Performance Tips, if Ultra-Performance are better overall than Standard, there are any reason to stock the Standard's over the Ultra-Performance if we discard the price cost? (Comparing same tip size and shape)

[Shock]

Nice setup. I'm interested on your review and also know somethings if you can test.
I have no doubt this station can handle huge heatsinks with the right tip, but how smaller tip for microsolder against multilayer boards or big heatsink areas like GND behave?

Exactly I have different boards I want to try out.

Sometimes i have a hard time to solder tiny legs or passive to it's pad when there are some mass, using a 0.3mm tip and the tip is already bigger than the leg and pad itself. It seems they have the 0.2mm fine tip (Standard tip), i would like too see how it perform on the multilayer board 01005 passives and leg by leg operation.

I do have a 0.2mm standard so yeah that will be somewhere on my list. What were you working on and soldering with?

PACE have Standard Tips and Ultra-Performance Tips, if Ultra-Performance are better overall than Standard, there are any reason to stock the Standard's over the Ultra-Performance if we discard the price cost? (Comparing same tip size and shape)

I would answer that as, to the point where the station cannot supply enough power fast enough to the tip based on the thermal capacity of the target. Or something like that anyway .

I had a small standard tip dumping its guts into a heatsink and the station seemed not too upset. I don't feel comfortable telling people to go one way or the other even if it is my preference, as everyone's level of competence and access to tip selection is going to be different.

[sn4k3]

I do have a 0.2mm standard so yeah that will be somewhere on my list. What were you working on and soldering with?

Nice, also try 0.4mm std against 0.4mm heat preformance if you have them.
ERSA I-CON 2V, the 0.3mm is the new tip (heat-optimized), working on iPhone boards, androids and TVs but for example, soldering a microUSB in a phone board sometimes is hard to solder pin by pin using that tip, GND and VCC pins, even if i boost to 400ºc it seens that multilayer boards suck all heat while they can. Some are easy others don't. The way i do is saturate that pins with heat, while i can do that i prefer not to, eg. sensitive ICs or passives.
On iPhone i find hard to tin a 01005 pad, tip is huge near the pad and they suck all the heat

I would answer that as, to the point where the station cannot supply enough power fast enough to the tip based on the thermal capacity of the target. Or something like that anyway .

I had a small standard tip dumping its guts into a heatsink and the station seemed not too upset. I don't feel comfortable telling people to go one way or the other even if it is my preference, as everyone's level of competence and access to tip selection is going to be different.

Yes the point is, this days boards are more and more layers, and all that power seens more usefull than the STD tips. I guess STD tips are better when working with delicate components that don't do well with much heat? Even if have the HP tips and need more delicate work we can always drop down the temperature to be safer

[Shock]

Ok I got around to testing the 0.2mm standard special today. I chose a scrap motherboard a few years old with high density multilayer which was populated either side of my target area. The lead free solder looked like it had plenty of oxidization. Yesterday in order not to skew the test I also checked the thermal mass in a slightly different spot with a large Ultra Performance tip at low temp and it was sinking tons of heat, so I knew the smaller standard tip was going to have to work for it.

So testing out the 0.2mm standard tip (1130-0050-P1) on 0.2mm and lower pitch (visual reference from the tip) and soldering with Sn63Pb37 rosin core with no additional flux added, under magnification.

The station was able to deliver enough power to get through various joints and get reasonable reflow. I removed some components earlier so next I tried to tin some pads, which was even easier of course. I did use high temp, the main reason as you're probably aware, the mass I'm overcoming in the board/ground plane/components is far greater than the mass available in a tiny tip end. As this is a standard long conical it's also less efficient than the stouter tips and has nowhere near the mass up front of Paces Ultra Performance tips.

So these were about the most unfavorable conditions for a reflow I could give it. Aside from using lead free which may have been actually more effective with it's flux. I did check my workshop temp was at 18C. Personally in my opinion though. Preheating, cleaning if required and suitable flux is the way to get it done. The heat will pool more at the joint, there will be less surface crap to overcome and the flux will allow optimal wetting. It's far less about brute force than soldering IQ.

But anyway loving the stations, so easy to use, stow and swap tips etc. I had half a dozen tips going at one stage earlier today

1130-0050-P1 shown here:

[Shock]

Got some more tips in so decided to do a little salvaging this evening. Used the 1/4” Chisel (6.35mm) P/N 1131-0055-P1. Found a PCB with low hours with some ELNA capacitors and other misc components left on different boards.

Plenty of power there and no match for the PCB. I loaded up one side of the tip with solder and got reflow on both pins at once complete through in about 3 seconds. Then gently pulled them out, dead easy.

Am going to reform them later for something to do, and thinking about making a reforming jig to do multiple capacitors at once. I've also got some really nice Nichicon caps on another PCB, I priced a couple of them at $40 each .

[Shock]

Upgrading the firmware the easy way.

The Pace firmware replacement instructions should be used if possible, but you might find the cable length on the power switch cables (black with red lugs in image) make it hard to support the face plate on a flat surface. You may even be tempted to try and disconnect the cables. I suggest avoiding this if possible, the cables are secured tightly and there is a faster method to avoid any strain on the cables.

Disclaimer:
This is really a "for dummies" guide but even though this is a simple operation I assume you have enough dexterity to perform it. If you don't consider getting someone more skilled to assist you. Careful not to cut yourself or scratch the face plate on the sharp extruded aluminum edges, especially while extracting the PLCC. Follow at your own risk and remember ESD safety.

Instructions:
1. Grab a hand towel or cloth, something low static and thick enough to provide protection for the face plate.
2. Ensure the station is disconnected from the mains electricity and remove cables from the rear of the station.
3. Remove the 4 bezel screws in the front of the station and put the bezel aside.
4. See left image - Gently lift and rotate the face plate counter clockwise a quarter turn.

5. See right image - Place thick folded hand towel or cloth partially inside the station (up to transformer).
6. Insert face plate partially inside on top as shown so that it is fully protected from being scratched.
7. Take note of the firmware PLCC socket orientation as per Paces instructions.
8. If you have put enough padding down you can support the face plate steadily in place.

9. Use the provided PLCC extractor to remove and install the replacement as per Paces instructions.
10. Ensure the cable connections are still properly seated.
11. Gently lift the face plate and cloth out and return the face plate to its original orientation.

12. To align the bezel and face plate against the enclosure, rest the enclosure back on the cloth.
13. Do not apply downwards pressure, otherwise you risk damaging the ISB socket.
14. Hand tighten the screws initially to avoid cross threading, once everything is aligned then with screwdriver.