CFW for KSGER/Quicko STM32 Soldering Stations

[DavidAlfa]

Buzzer is already disabled by default!
Yep, I moved Stand code after the error/sleep detection, so It would be ignored. Fixed and updated builds.

Tugo,  the -+20°C jumps is either that tip, very slow reaction PID or something wrong with that board.
What I say about temperature is true.
Are you really measuring +-20°C changes?
I doubt it. Although it goes up and down, the temperature will be pretty stable due the thermal mass of the tip.
And that's what happens with all these firmwares, although they don't show you.
The only difference is that real measured temperature is shown here.
I dont know what capacitor are you taking about, but you can try removing it.
As you see other quicko/Ksger work correctly (ignoring the recent memory problem), only the PID needing some tweaking.
In any case it's a rare condition happening in that board,
or with that tip, which I can't magically see or debug.
You need a scope to see the waveforms.
Or at least debug it with swv, making a real time plot of the sensor data (like that picture I posted yesterday)

Right now the only thing I can think of is disabling the filter resetting, so it filters everything, no matter the difference.
But it'll add delay, causing over/undershoot for most tips.
Test this. Although I doubt it does better.

[wickated]

in quicko schematics there is snubber on opamp input. work very well since its 2stage amp.
doesnt needed on ksger board since there is emea sw filter already. also it will add some delay and other unneeded things like rising signal zero level.

tested. got some error code but fw restarted and didnt see it again. other things look ok

[DavidAlfa]

You're very wrong. Software can't do everything, specially when you have low sampling rates.
If you have only 5 samples per second, you can easily have quick changes from the tip heating.
You can't just filter everything, or the tip response wil be delayed, causing problems.
So the EMA filter is only applied for small differences, these you have during normal operation, maybe +-7ºC.
But not when you have +-20ºC jumps!  An external analog filter small filter is always nice. The delay is negligible.

Taking in count that max voltage we need there is 20mV, 5RC would be:
1nF+4K7 is 23.5uS.
10nF+4K7 is 235uS.

None adds what you would call delay, but filter nasty spikes. Also clamping the signal with a led is absolute crap.
Furtermore, the leds will produce some voltage when exposed to light.
Put a proper fast switching diode like the 1n4148.

[Tugo]

First of all thank you about everything you wrote.
I understand what you said and that is why I don't understand how this is happening.

I don't measure temperature plus minus 20, uC or how you call it real measured temperature shows that on the screen. That is why I believe there is something wrong. And since I have tips that work at 20/0.1 or tips that don't work at all, not even at 200/50, and this doesn't metter if they are Hakko or cheap tips. They work or they don't. Nothing in between.
At graph or at display I can see at lower temperature (180 to 230) plus minus 40C or at above 400C dead spot on. Higher the temperature lower plus minus C.
Fake FG 100 is giving temperatures that are way more stable but still they about plus minus 5 C or so. At stable output they are both stable. Even with this bad tip on the Ksger at any temperature set. When they sattle down they are all stable at plus minus 1 C or no more than 2.

At the moment I am packed, we are moving tomorrow morning but I will test new bin asap and let you know how it goes. I am open to any suggestions or tests. 

Capacitors... quicko has capacitor in parallel to diode before opamp. It also has a couple of small capacitors in parallel to feedback resistors or something like that. I am speaking from what I remember at schematic of your soldering station. Correct me if I am wrong. Ksger dont have any capacitors around opamp beside at power supply.

[DavidAlfa]

I have no idea why happens. And I can't do anything at it without watching the signals.
The timing is always the same, the temperature doesn't change anything.
So that's something caused by the tip itself. Maybe ksger knows some tricks to deal with them 

[wickated]

what about your strange tip - u should check clamps under tip end white cap, looks like they have sheetty connection

[DavidAlfa]

Lot of things can be done with those sheets:




I'm experimenting with independent pwm/read timers.
So the pwm could run at any frequency, the reading timer disables the pwm pin and triggers the adc.
I came to the conclusion that that maybe 50mS pulse stores too much heat in crappy tips.
By increasing the pwm frequency the average power delivery is smoother, so it might work better.

For now everything is crazy, althought the adc is reading spot-on when it should.
The runaway detection function deserves a promotion and a salary rise!

[mastershake]

no error messages with the newest firmware either. i can not test actual soldering yet though.

[Tugo]

Wickated: thank you, I will check the tip later when I will also do the from David.

I hope to get better info after I get home and put everything on the scope.

Thank you guys!

Edit: David, are Hakko tips still worst choice as cheap ones or should they be the same?

[DavidAlfa]

I don't know, never used them.
For the average hobbist the cheaps are more than enough.
Things would be different with an everyday professional use.

[Tugo]

David, I thought about working with your FW. If they should perform the same and without problems?

[DavidAlfa]

I meant cheap vs genuine tips. For serious work, JBC is the way to go. Or any other good one.
In fact this FW could work with almost any cartridge (Quick, Pace), only needing initial calibration.

It  depends on your work needs. If you use very simple soldering jobs, some wire here and there, anything would do ok.
But for precision jobs, no way. Ex. I repaired a lot of phones, specially usb connectors.
With the cheap solder station you sentenced the phone to death. For sure.
But with JBC was extremely easy. I very rarely went over 360ºC, even when working with ground planes.

[Tugo]

Do you mean you used JBC and your FW and this HW or other JBC soldering iron?

[DavidAlfa]

No, were their tools, proper equipment, a real jbc station. 6-7 years ago.

[labeanchik]

On KSGER HW2.0 dont work.
Installing firmware and black display. Dont work.
With firmware 3.x  launches but It does not work properly.
But if it is fine-tuned, it even works on version 3.0.
STM32F102C8

I still don't understand why the HW2.0 board version is in the 3.x folder?
https://github.com/deividAlfa/stm32_soldering_iron_controller/tree/master/BOARDS/KSGER/%5Bv3.x%5D/Schematic
https://github.com/deividAlfa/stm32_soldering_iron_controller/blob/master/BOARDS/KSGER/%5Bv3.x%5D/Schematic/STM32_T12_oled_v3.0.jpg
I have just such a board.

bought here :
https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/0.html?spm=a2g0s.9042647.6.2.6ec133edUymGDu&orderId=88969206563645&productId=32836043839

[DavidAlfa]

It's there because, at least at sight, it has the same conections as the 3.1.
Schematics:
v3.1
v2.0

As I replied in YouTube, recently there was a bug that broke all these boards. Did you try the latest files?
When you say it doesn't work properly, please explain better. I can't do anything otherwise
 
So first, flash the latest 3.x version. If it still doesn't work, explain what's wrong!   

Ksgers needs some tuning with the PID because I don't have any myself.
The PID values are set from my Quicko tests and other people's feedback!
It needs temperature calibration by default, because I barely have any feedback from users, so I had to put safe values which are far behind the real to avoid people burning their tips.

If you don't have thermometer, try setting this values in the first system tip.
After that, new tips will use that data by default.

Cal 250 - 1459
Cal 350 - 2215
Cal 450 - 3213

But if you have it, then run a proper calibration like shown in the vídeo.

[mastershake]

let me see if i can get you one @davidalfa i may be able to send you one of the v3.x boards. let me talk to someone and see i know someone who sells them. i have a few of the 2.1 boards here on hand not sure if that will help with the v3.x ones though

yes i can send you a ksger board. shoot me a pm with your info and ill get it out this week. lmk which one you prefer ill have him send that one.

[DavidAlfa]

Thanks for your offering, but I don't think it's necessary.
C'mon, I only need few calibration reports from Ksger users.
3-4 calibrations from different users would be enough.
It's pretty damn easy, only takes 3 minutes, if people don't want to spend a minute helping with that, well, Ksger support will stay as it is

Do you see my signature? It's been like that for weeks. Only 3-4 users submitted calibration results, mostly for Quicko.

Don't spend a single buck at that! Just relax and recover!

[StephenR0]

Well, not really.  Just a while back you were complaining that you didn't have any Ksger hardware.  Now someone is willing to give you anything you want and you say no?  I'm sure calibration reports would be good.  But having the hardware is good, too.  Take the offer.

[mastershake]

sucks i just cant solder right now. maybe i can run some quick calibrations. ive been on a soldering hold for a while now. the eye is super sensitive at the moment and they told me no solder smoke in it at all. let me see if i can have my wife hold the iron for me while i run the station. ill see when she gets home from work tomm. any specific tips you would like i have basically every single one for t12 and a number of jbc ones.

well lmk if you change your mind. all id pay for is shipping.

[wickated]

sucks i just cant solder right now. maybe i can run some quick calibrations. ive been on a soldering hold for a while now. the eye is super sensitive at the moment and they told me no solder smoke in it at all. let me see if i can have my wife hold the iron for me while i run the station. ill see when she gets home from work tomm. any specific tips you would like i have basically every single one for t12 and a number of jbc ones.

plz no. no need to hurry.

[labeanchik]

DavidAlfa

My station on firmware for 3.x boards seems to work, but due to very low calibration values for temperatures 250, 350 and 340, the station could not be calibrated.
I had to first put the values close to the real ones, and only after that I was able to pass the calibration without error. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the cartridges are not original.
There is also an error if the PWM and Delay values are set too close, provided that the cartridge is installed.
Without a cartridge installed, these values can be set as close to each other as possible.

[DavidAlfa]

Please read the GitHub readme. It's there for something!
If you had used cal Adjust menu (like it's explained there, and shown in the video where you asked for help!) you wouldn't have any problems calibrating.
Setting different settings that default is not covered.
It highly depends on the hardware, tips, power supply...you're at your own! Set the delay a little higher for now.
The pwm method is being changed for a different one, soon there will be a new release.

[tatel]

Well, not really.  Just a while back you were complaining that you didn't have any Ksger hardware.  Now someone is willing to give you anything you want and you say no?  I'm sure calibration reports would be good.  But having the hardware is good, too.  Take the offer.

+1

David, of course it's only you who can decide what you are going to do. But I really think you got into the rabbit hole when you added "official" support for Ksger. Now you are going to have lots of questions about Ksger boards anyway. Having that hardware will probably save you a lot of guessing and time.

Actually I think it would be very convenient for you to have at least one of each different "supported" models. Maybe your home isn't big enough to have one of each different Ksger models then perhaps you should drop support for some (all?) of them.

As a Quicko owner, I will be happy even if the subject of the thread changes to "CFW for Quicko Digital Soldering Station with T12/JBC handle/tips". But, again, it's up to you to decide.

[mastershake]

quite a few who are using this firmware have ksger boards. i know a few myself who follow your updates on git and they run it and update as you do. it would be a shame to cut ksger i know all my boards are ksger and i cant toss those to buy quicko boards. one reason why im happy to send one to you.