New Aixun T320 - Any opinions on it? (with inside pics)

[Rahbek]

So when I wanted to order an Aixun T3A a about 2 weeks ago, I noticed the T320 being added to the vendors inventory the same day.
Obviously I couldn't help myself and threw a little extra money at it and payed about ~150€ for the newer model.
At the time the only information I could find was an annoucement on the Aixun Website. Since this has barely changed since since then (there's now a short YouTube video by Aixun) I figured some of you might appreciate a few quick snaps of the insides of it.

As far as things Inoticed regarding build quality:
1) The molding for the plastics seems honestly like a shockingly good 10/10 for me.
2) There was however quite a bit of thin stringing/spider-webbing my the glue used on the inside that i removed before taking the pictures. I guess the glueing job was rather rushed. Beyond that it seemed quite solid.

I am however rather new to electronics, so I can't speak much for the actual components/board and the like - I'd be happy about any comments on that by someone more experienced. I didn't wanna take it apart entirely so you only get pictures of the boards in situ. Hope that's enough for a quick first impression. Otherwise let me know!

Link to the pictures on Imgur: https://imgur.com/a/O5wz1yl
Quick Coin Test: https://youtu.be/MJoKvbq-rU8

PS: The station came with 3 Aixun soldering Tips (extraordinary nice packaging for that too: nicely molded silicion bottom half and build in magnifier on the top half)
I wonder though how large the difference is compared to genuine JBC tips - anyone has some insights here? So far I avoided ordering those as getting a decent selection of 2-4 tips comes at 60-120€ locally here.

[ndarjo21]

Is the tip grounded to earth?

[Rahbek]

My Multimeter beeps yes

[vever001]

Thanks for this!
I was about to buy a T3A myself and then noticed this new T320 (as well as the AxxSolder project) so I decided to hold off, hoping to see some reviews.

I noticed many posts of users claiming that the Aixun tips are garbage (working for 30 mins then trashed). I don't know how much of that is true... but I assume they are probably not as good as genuine JBC ones.
I also noticed some users saying that the latest firmwares for the T3A/B made it incompatible to use genuine JBC tips which would be kind of a deal breaker. Is that true?
And is it the also the case with this new T320? or are JBC tips working?

Cheers

[ndarjo21]

Worth to try perhaps just try soldering in a coin like Steve or SDG electronics did in his video. Lol. Just to make sure the soldering station and or the tip can do the job properly

[ndarjo21]

And also callibrate the tips will give us good info, did it overshooting or not when in use? Like t3a problem right now.

[electronic_eel]

What kind of connector does the T320 station use to connect the handpiece to the station?

The T3A seems to use some random Chinese connector and not the Hirose RPC1 series connector that JBC uses. So you can't connect regular JBC handpieces. Did they change that with the T320?

[thm_w]

You can see the connector in the video here:


Probably a clone RPC1. T3A uses a standard GX-12 5 style connectors.

[Rahbek]

Thanks for this!
I was about to buy a T3A myself and then noticed this new T320 (as well as the AxxSolder project) so I decided to hold off, hoping to see some reviews.

You're welcome - that was kinda my situation so I figured other's might have the same questions I had with near 0 information out there. The AxxSolder project I wasn't even aware off. Looks intriguing.

I noticed many posts of users claiming that the Aixun tips are garbage (working for 30 mins then trashed). I don't know how much of that is true... but I assume they are probably not as good as genuine JBC ones.
I also noticed some users saying that the latest firmwares for the T3A/B made it incompatible to use genuine JBC tips which would be kind of a deal breaker. Is that true?
And is it the also the case with this new T320? or are JBC tips working?

Sadly I read that after ordering as that likely would've been a deal breaker for me as well. I ordered one genuine JBC tip for now and gonna report back when it arrives around end of the week (supposedly friday).
The Aixun tips so far - for the little soldering I did - were fine I guess except not the right shape for what i was doing. Maybe a total of 3-4h of soldering mostly through-hole components. So I wouldn't say I gave them any proper challenge yet, but they did last longer than the 30min for sure

Worth to try perhaps just try soldering in a coin like Steve or SDG electronics did in his video. Lol. Just to make sure the soldering station and or the tip can do the job properly

Kinda new to soldering so what's the setup for that test? I don't have any boards like SDG uses in his tests. Do I just have to put the tip on any coin and then try to melt some solder onto it or is there more to it that I am missing? Any preferred temp settings or such? I'm also using lead-free solder if that matters for the setup - he uses 60/40 I believe. If you walk me through it I can do it as soon as I have a free moment. For now only with the Aixun tips though and hopefully with a more suitably shaped JBC tip by end of the week.

And also callibrate the tips will give us good info, did it overshooting or not when in use? Like t3a problem right now.

I wasn't paying attention to the station while soldering honestly - kinda forgot I'll check next time. Also don't have a soldering thermometer - just using it out of the box atm without any additional calibration.

What kind of connector does the T320 station use to connect the handpiece to the station?

As thm_w says it looks like a RPC1 - wether it's a just a clone in looks or function as well I don't know. I attached a close up picture to the imgur link in my first post.
If there's an easy way for me to test compatibility without having a genuine JBC Handle on hand let me know.

[ndarjo21]

Perhaps if you have tm-902c or temperature feature in your digital multimeter you can check it.
What i think about coin test is, can the tip/station deliver thermal into the coin so solder can flow into it. With low temperature perhaps about 300C-330C. If it need higher temperature set in the station and the tip, the tip will have shorter life as far as i know.
Maybe you also can make video about the interface of the unit, i mean did it have preset temperature etc.

[electronic_eel]

As thm_w says it looks like a RPC1 - wether it's a just a clone in looks or function as well I don't know. I attached a close up picture to the imgur link in my first post.

Thanks. Yes, that looks like RPC1.

If there's an easy way for me to test compatibility without having a genuine JBC Handle on hand let me know.

You could order a RPC1 socket or plug on your next order at some distributor and then test compatibility. Basic measurements like diameter won't be enough to say if it is a proper fit.

But I'm not sure if it is worth the effort. I think it would be better to wait for someone that already has genuine JBC gear to order and test one of these stations and report back.

[hasbihal]

As thm_w says it looks like a RPC1 - wether it's a just a clone in looks or function as well I don't know. I attached a close up picture to the imgur link in my first post.
If there's an easy way for me to test compatibility without having a genuine JBC Handle on hand let me know.

If you live close to me, I can bring a genuine handle and some tips. I'm curious about tis model aswell, would be nice if I could get my hands on it before purchasing. I also am interested in the T420 model which I can purchase for ~200€.

BTW, AIXUN just announced a new station; the T413.

[Raziel92]

Thanks for this!
I was about to buy a T3A myself and then noticed this new T320 (as well as the AxxSolder project) so I decided to hold off, hoping to see some reviews.

I noticed many posts of users claiming that the Aixun tips are garbage (working for 30 mins then trashed). I don't know how much of that is true... but I assume they are probably not as good as genuine JBC ones.
I also noticed some users saying that the latest firmwares for the T3A/B made it incompatible to use genuine JBC tips which would be kind of a deal breaker. Is that true?
And is it the also the case with this new T320? or are JBC tips working?

Cheers

Im using t420d since december last year, used for professional use, 8-10 hours per day, 5-6days for week.

I have "killed" 2 c210 "k" tips, sleep time 5min, standby temperature 120, soldering temperature between 380 and 420

For the price of 5 euro per tip its not that bad i think

[ndarjo21]

Mate. Why you use so hot temperature for your tip?
Btw, what tips brand did you use?

[Raziel92]

I'v had original Aixun tips, now I bought oem jbc for test
Will see how long it will last, aixun 5 euro on Alli, jbc 36 euro on ebay

[ndarjo21]

Mate, did this station (T320) also have problem with overshooting temps and grounded board?

and how about t420d?

the problem look like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7jLpHgR7fI&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eevblog.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

[Rahbek]

Perhaps if you have tm-902c or temperature feature in your digital multimeter you can check it.
What i think about coin test is, can the tip/station deliver thermal into the coin so solder can flow into it. With low temperature perhaps about 300C-330C. If it need higher temperature set in the station and the tip, the tip will have shorter life as far as i know.
Maybe you also can make video about the interface of the unit, i mean did it have preset temperature etc.

I'm afraid I don't - i cheaped out when buying my Fluke a few years back and settled for the 117. Regretting that a little So atm I don't have any temp measuring/calibration methods available.
As for the interface: it's pretty standard compared to the other Aixun units. I added pictures to the link in the first post again.

I have some goods news however: the JBC tip i ordered arrived today and it works fine as far as I can tell. My understanding from the T3A thread was that the sleep detection was broken? Did i miss something else about it?
I also did a coin test similar to the guy in the video linked by ndarjo21 - and of course I mean JBC not JCB in the video...



Hope this helps and if i missed something or you want me to do a different test let me know and I try too if it's within my possibilities right now

Mate, did this station (T320) also have problem with overshooting temps and grounded board?

I don't have a thermometer atm for testing actual temps but I'll look into getting one and I can do a grounded test next time I have something to solder on a board if I remember to
I also still need to check if there is any firmware updates and see what that changes.

[BB3553AM]

Hello,

I think this unit is a good bet, I've actually bought it at this link: https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005006142169686.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.6923378dJa4Fjf&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

This price point is still reasonable before It will inevitably rise.

[ndarjo21]

Thanks very much mate. Hope it will be a good buy.
This station have wifi right?

New firmware btw https://www.aixuntech.com/newsinfo/aixun-t320-releases-v103-version/

Btw, more upcoming release aixun soldering station, t405, t435

[BB3553AM]

Hello Rahbek,

I think it has wifi, but is it really used for firmware update only ?

[ndarjo21]

Hello Rahbek,

I think it has wifi, but is it really used for firmware update only ?

I think it didnt have usb port, which make me feel unease to update the firmware if it really didnt have usb port. Lol

[BB3553AM]

Hello Rahbek,

I think it has wifi, but is it really used for firmware update only ?

I think it didnt have usb port, which make me feel unease to update the firmware if it really didnt have usb port. Lol

I can understand that and this is not really what I expected to be honest...

ok now this becomes real gambling with this unit , because if the usb update happens to crash it could be a real problem indeed...

[ndarjo21]

Maybe wait few months to look into upcoming release. It use linear transformer like t420d i think

[Rahbek]

Hello Rahbek,

I think it has wifi, but is it really used for firmware update only ?

I think it didnt have usb port, which make me feel unease to update the firmware if it really didnt have usb port. Lol

Hello Rahbek,

I think it has wifi, but is it really used for firmware update only ?

It has a USB-C connector on the back as you can see on the imgur pictures.
The way it appears they seem to still be adding features to the firmware post release that have been advertised on the initial aixun website anouncement for the unit. V1.0 that it shipped with had no wifi related features at all. They advertised soldering profiles similar to their hotair station. Supposedly wifi will be used for updates and for downloading(?) or syncing such profiles from your pc.
My issue is I have a Mac and their software seems to be coming only as .exe files. gotta find a way to circumvent that..

[ndarjo21]

Dont upgrade firmware if it work properly. Lol

[ndarjo21]

https://youtube.com/shorts/ADtSVHFjDd8?si=bNCzHKuCXycVOrRh

What actually happen in this video? Any clue?

[thm_w]

https://youtube.com/shorts/ADtSVHFjDd8?si=bNCzHKuCXycVOrRh

What actually happen in this video? Any clue?

Its some kind of shortcut button, you use the iron to press it. Not really a useful feature, IMO.

[ndarjo21]

I thought it overshooting lol

[Pooya]

who's charging the phone on top of the soldering station?

[bolvan123]

Hello, I received my AiXun T320 yesterday. Very good soldering station, runs with all accessory tips. I immediately updated the firmware from 1.02 to 1.04.

[ndarjo21]

do you have thermometer? is this device overshooting or have large ΔT in set temperature?

[McCarthy]

Gotta bump this. One of you guys please check for overshooting. If this station behaves, it would be a real winner.

[mpn78]

SDG Electronics just released review of this station. Here is link to the review video.
https://youtu.be/-ug7rLdOWto?si=uepDQmUpKJnbXjay

This unit is now on Black Friday sale on AliExpress and costs about 118€ with free shipping.

[ndarjo21]

It have same behavior with t3a when meet ground plane. Based on steve video. Hope it have small delta T. Maybe we should check with linear transformer soldering station

[Rokunin]

Is this better performance than the T3A?

[ndarjo21]

Have same performance as Steve say. Perhaps better enclosure and tip support

[joechina]

There is a review from @SteveyG

[coppice]

I just received a T320. It seemed to be working nicely until I updated the firmware from 1.05 to 1.06. Now the menus include Russian as well as English and Traditional Chinese, but they only seem to work correctly in Chinese. They are all messed up when I select English. Is this just happening to me or to everyone?

[StueyB]

Just received my T320 today and it won't even update beyond 1.05. If I select 1.07 and then update, the app reports back that I'm already at the current version even though the display on the T320 still says v1. 05

[coppice]

Just received my T320 today and it won't even update beyond 1.05. If I select 1.07 and then update, the app reports back that I'm already at the current version even though the display on the T320 still says v1. 05

I updated from 1.05 to 1.06 a few days ago using the Windows app, and had problems with the English menus after that, as I reported above. I configured the iron to connect to the internet. I just turned on the iron, went to the system info screen, and it said 1.07 was available. I selected update. It downloaded the code by itself, without using the Windows app, and updated itself. Now its running 1.07, and the menus seem to have been fixed. I guess I will find out soon what else has been fixed or broken.

[Gediminas]

Just received my T320 today and it won't even update beyond 1.05. If I select 1.07 and then update, the app reports back that I'm already at the current version even though the display on the T320 still says v1. 05

I updated from 1.05 to 1.06 a few days ago using the Windows app, and had problems with the English menus after that, as I reported above. I configured the iron to connect to the internet. I just turned on the iron, went to the system info screen, and it said 1.07 was available. I selected update. It downloaded the code by itself, without using the Windows app, and updated itself. Now its running 1.07, and the menus seem to have been fixed. I guess I will find out soon what else has been fixed or broken.

Please, let us know if 1.07 or later firmware has any issues. I will get my unit soon and now I am not sure if I want to update firmware to the latest???

[mastershake]

go to program files x86 look for the aixun folder, delete the downloads folder unplug the unit from usb give it a second or two plug back in and try again usually that fixes that issue. also make sure you have the newest aixun update software not the older style one.

[micbanand]

software wouldnt see my T320 r1 on 1.01.
I did try all combinations of cables. all ports, reinstall and so on. Nothing!
Finally, when I put my usb c pd hub inbetween Bingo!!!
Just to pass the info on to the next one, before pulling all your hair off
now on 1.07 all seems fine!

[RaySoft]

You need to connect it up to a computer with their software to setup the WiFi connection.
My unit came with v1.01 and I could not connect it with my laptop (Win11 Enterprise (64bit)), but tried to connect it another computer (Win10 Professional (32bit)) and that worked. I then got it updated to v1.06. Before disconnecting, I connected the unit to my home network. After that I could update the firmware to v1.07 directly from the unit a few days later. 1.07 seems like a stable bugfree firware.

[RaySoft]

I received mine yesterday.  I updated from version 1.00 to 1.07. This revision seems stable.  I decided all I needed was ESD protection at the iron tip so I installed a 4 Mohm resistor in series with the green/yellow striped ground wire directly from the power socket before it plugs into the power supply.  I just spliced the resistor into the wire and covered it with heat shrink.  There is a thin black wire from the power supply connector to the rear panel that also grounds the tip of the soldering iron.  Everything works and there is no temperature rise when the tip is grounded to neutral.

Hi JNorton! Could you take some pictures of your solution please? And do you have the partnumber of the resistor used? What's the wattage on the part ect.?

[coppice]

You need to connect it up to a computer with their software to setup the WiFi connection.
My unit came with v1.01 and I could not connect it with my laptop (Win11 Enterprise (64bit)), but tried to connect it another computer (Win10 Professional (32bit)) and that worked. I then got it updated to v1.06. Before disconnecting, I connected the unit to my home network. After that I could update the firmware to v1.07 directly from the unit a few days later. 1.07 seems like a stable bugfree firware.

If you don't have a USB-C cable handy, and your computer has BTLE, you can pair it with the iron, and use the AiXun app to set up the wifi.

So far 1.07 is looking OK for me, but I haven't used it much.

[JNorton]

I received mine yesterday.  I updated from version 1.00 to 1.07. This revision seems stable.  I decided all I needed was ESD protection at the iron tip so I installed a 4 Mohm resistor in series with the green/yellow striped ground wire directly from the power socket before it plugs into the power supply.  I just spliced the resistor into the wire and covered it with heat shrink.  There is a thin black wire from the power supply connector to the rear panel that also grounds the tip of the soldering iron.  Everything works and there is no temperature rise when the tip is grounded to neutral.

Hi JNorton! Could you take some pictures of your solution please? And do you have the partnumber of the resistor used? What's the wattage on the part ect.?

In replying to another post inquiring about leakge current to ground I also took measurements on this modification.  DO NOT DO THIS.  This resulted in 47VAC on the tip @ 0.9mA.

[davidlukerice]

Just got this from AliExpress and it's not able to boot. It looks like it starts to, then crashes and says to "Shut Down". Anyone else experience this?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N0E-Pqwd-Yc

Edit:
Connecting to the Aixun PC app still works via usb c. My unit currently has v1.02 installed and there's a v1.09 that fixes the "shutdown detection exception" which looks promising.
Every time I try to update the firmware (I've tried all available versions), though, it'll go through the updating process on the unit, then restart back into v1.02 (at least that's what the app's saying).

[coppice]

Just got this from AliExpress and it's not able to boot. It looks like it starts to, then crashes and says to "Shut Down". Anyone else experience this?

Edit:
Connecting to the Aixun PC app still works via usb c. My unit currently has v1.02 installed and there's a v1.09 that fixes the "shutdown detection exception" which looks promising.
Every time I try to update the firmware (I've tried all available versions), though, it'll go through the updating process on the unit, then restart back into v1.02 (at least that's what the app's saying).

Did you try restarting the app? I seem to remember my first update was through the app, and it didn't show the new version, because the app hadn't re-read the version from the iron after the update. The iron showed the correct new version, and after restarting the app it also said the correct version. After my first update I had wifi configured in the iron, and it has done a couple of further updates by downloading for itself. It just updated to 1.09 and that seems to be working OK so far.

[davidlukerice]

Yeah, I went through all the normal troubleshooting options, different ports, different cables, usbc to usbc, usba to usbc, trying to setup wifi, restarting the app and pc and iron, &c.

But my main PC uses windows 11. Reading through other comments it looks like that could be an issue, so dug up an old laptop still on windows 8, downloaded the aixun app, and 1.09 installed first try
Which also looks to have fixed the shut down issue and the iron is working now.

... so tl;dr, can confirm the aixun app is still borked on windows 11.

[coppice]

Yeah, I went through all the normal troubleshooting options, different ports, different cables, usbc to usbc, usba to usbc, trying to setup wifi, restarting the app and pc and iron, &c.

But my main PC uses windows 11. Reading through other comments it looks like that could be an issue, so dug up an old laptop still on windows 8, downloaded the aixun app, and 1.09 installed first try
Which also looks to have fixed the shut down issue and the iron is working now.

... so tl;dr, can confirm the aixun app is still borked on windows 11.

I used a Windows 11 machine to set up my iron. I had no issues.

[Worf_RB]

Happy user of T3B with C210 iron . Upgrade to this station or the T420D? I'm doing mainly for the C245 iron.

[GnomeZA]

Happy user of T3B with C210 iron . Upgrade to this station or the T420D? I'm doing mainly for the C245 iron.

The T320 looks like it has all the same problems the T3A has
Especially the problem when you ground the tip in some situations that the temperature goes ballistic
So I don't quite see the point of it.
It also looks like it is using the same power supply as the T3A

So to me I'd either buy T3A (cheaper) or T420 or T420D because it supports more handles and has the transformer instead of switch mode power supply.

[JNorton]

I have not experienced the temperature variation to ground with mine, nor have I experienced a whine in the handle  I bought mine specifically to solder the 6-layer board in the QRP Labs QMX Qrp transceiver.  I used a 1.2mm tip and it soldered the board with no problem. I'm using software V1.07.  Overall I'm happy with it.

[kPATm]

I've been looking at getting a T3B but Im seriously considering getting this instead. The only thing thats stopping me is that it doesn't support T115 handles. I will be using the station for mostly Nintendo Switch Mods. Are the T210 tips much bigger than the T115s?

[GnomeZA]

I have not experienced the temperature variation to ground with mine, nor have I experienced a whine in the handle  I bought mine specifically to solder the 6-layer board in the QRP Labs QMX Qrp transceiver.  I used a 1.2mm tip and it soldered the board with no problem. I'm using software V1.07.  Overall I'm happy with it.

Ah ok, bad assumption on my part then.
I just saw the completely unrealistic temperature of 700℃ and assumed that is the grounding bug (same behaviour as with the grounding bug).
@Tony359 did say it was hard to replicate.

I haven't actually done a deep dive on the circuit of the T3A but I suspect the reason it has that bug is because they are using the earth pin as the positive pin for the TC.  They have to do that because the other TC pin is shared with the heater.  And if you use a DC supply your only option is to use that pin as your shared DC ground, forcing your earth pin to have a non-zero DC voltage.

With an AC supply you wouldn't have that problem;  Alternatively, you could in theory have an isolated DC supply just for your TC circuit (ie. DC->DC converter or similar for your measurement circuit communicating over opto couplers), so that it isn't referenced to your DC heater supply.  I fully expect the reason JBC doesn't do that is because it is much more complex than just running your heater from AC which is completely acceptable way to run it.

What I'm getting at is, if your earth pin has a DC voltage imposed on it, especially a incredible low DC voltage like a TC, adding parallel paths can lead to trouble.
Which I don't think you can just remove with software.
In my mind you have to have your earth pin at DC/AC 0 volts or you'll keep having weird behaviour like this.

As such I'm not convinced this is solved at all for the T320, or I'd very much love to see how they were able to solve it because I'm clearly misunderstanding what is causing the problem

[GnomeZA]

I've been looking at getting a T3B but Im seriously considering getting this instead. The only thing thats stopping me is that it doesn't support T115 handles. I will be using the station for mostly Nintendo Switch Mods. Are the T210 tips much bigger than the T115s?

I got the T420 (not the D).  Just so I could use the T115, I already had the T3A with the T245. (but now driving both hand pieces with the T420).  I've actually been very happy with that iron and have almost never run into a situation in which it is difficult to solder something.

But as you hint at, I've done some work on SMD circuits where the hand piece is just too bulky and sometimes even the heater tip was just too large.

I got the T115, got a NT115 JBC handle (did the same for T245, I want the "authentic JBC" experience as far as possible) and then a couple of fine JBC tips.
For example this 0.1mm tip


It is literally the size of a needle you'd use in sewing (just as sharp too).  I've now tested it on a couple of very small components and although it is incredible fine and pointy so I can get in there no problem, it does struggle with heat a bit.  I probably need more experience with it.

I also got a chisel tip and it does better but it is still a very different experience from T245:


I've not used T210 at all, but I'm still happy I went with the T115 instead because I don't really see the point.  I was already able to do practically everything with T245, sometimes it was a bit more annoying to do it, but I got it done.  So to me the next smaller iron really had to tackle those VERY hard to do jobs and I couldn't convince myself the T210 is going to do that as well as the T115.
The T115 overall is actually very small and pictures will not give you an accurate representation.
I saw it on videos and still didn't comprehend fully until I held one.

It is fair to say I'll be using T245 95% of the time unless the work calls for very tiny work.

I can't justify spending a bunch of money on T210 to work with that but I suspect I'd still be frustrated by the lack of power compared to what I've gotten accustomed to with the T245 (absolute beast with a chisel tip).

[JNorton]

Quote from: JNorton on Today at 04:44:27 am
I have not experienced the temperature variation to ground with mine, nor have I experienced a whine in the handle  I bought mine specifically to solder the 6-layer board in the QRP Labs QMX Qrp transceiver.  I used a 1.2mm tip and it soldered the board with no problem. I'm using software V1.07.  Overall I'm happy with it.

Ah ok, bad assumption on my part then.
I just saw the completely unrealistic temperature of 700℃ and assumed that is the grounding bug (same behaviour as with the grounding bug).
@Tony359 did say it was hard to replicate.

The temperature is in Fahrenheit.    I've attached a picture showing the tip connected to ground with no temperature rise.  I don't have an explanation for it as your theory seems completely plausible. I've also shown a T115 handle in comparison to the T245 and the much smaller T210 handle.

[GnomeZA]

The temperature is in Fahrenheit.    I've attached a picture showing the tip connected to ground with no temperature rise.  I don't have an explanation for it as your theory seems completely plausible. I've also shown a T115 handle in comparison to the T245 and the much smaller T210 handle.

I see in SDG's video he was able to show that the iron does indeed jump when connected to mains earth at the back of the station VS when he doesn't touch mains earth.
I hadn't seen the video before but he has basically come to the same conclusion about the TC and heater not floating in respect to each other so you have this strange behaviour.
They've attempted to fix it in firmware but you can't really patch out a fundamental hardware problem.

[JNorton]

I previously connected the tip to the ground terminal in the T320 opened case.  This time I used the earth terminal of a socket on my bench.  My unit has no temperature rise.  What I do know is this thing is a beast soldering 6 layer boards when zero problems.  It is also easy to service compared to the T3A.  Buy what you want.

[JNorton]

After I burnt my finger trying to shut off the T320 I installed a new rocker switch on the top of the unit.  There is plenty of room.

[JNorton]

I am not a happy camper.  The T320 has started to lose its memory settings.  I turned it on two days ago to see the initial display screen asking for what language to use, Chinese or English.  I reset my preferences shrugging it off.  This morning the same initial screen greeted me.  Now of course I wish I hadn't put in the rocker switch on the top of the unit.  I'll continue to use the soldering station as it still works but losing memory preferences is a disappointment, to say the least.  There have been no power surges to account for this.

[coppice]

I am not a happy camper.  The T320 has started to lose its memory settings.  I turned it on two days ago to see the initial display screen asking for what language to use, Chinese or English.  I reset my preferences shrugging it off.  This morning the same initial screen greeted me.  Now of course I wish I hadn't put in the rocker switch on the top of the unit.  I'll continue to use the soldering station as it still works but losing memory preferences is a disappointment, to say the least.  There have been no power surges to account for this.

Had it done a firmware update? I had to reset the configuration after one of the firmware updates.

[JNorton]

I did the upgrade to V1.07 right after I purchased it.  I'll try a reset although each time it loses its memory it is right back to a factory reset state.  I've had Quicko and Ksger T12 soldering stations with zero problems.   I only purchased the Aixun because it offered the additional power of the JBC cartridges.

[coppice]

I did the upgrade to V1.07 right after I purchased it.  I'll try a reset although each time it loses its memory it is right back to a factory reset state.  I've had Quicko and Ksger T12 soldering stations with zero problems.   I only purchased the Aixun because it offered the additional power of the JBC cartridges.

Isn't V1.07 the one where the introduced Russian, and made a horrible mess of it? I would update again.

[JNorton]

Upgraded to V1.10.  Will let everyone know if this solves the issue with the T320 losing its preferences.

[bastler59]

I did the upgrade to V1.07 right after I purchased it.  I'll try a reset although each time it loses its memory it is right back to a factory reset state. 

"loses its memory" = temperature on M1 to M3, standby temperature and time are gone?
Does it happen directly after you switch the station off and then on again?

[JNorton]

Everything is lost.  The opening screen is the same as you would see after purchasing the unit as new.  It does not happen after each power shutdown.  I am a hobbyist.  It is turned off when I take a break sometimes several times a day.  The first time it lost its users' preferences was after it had not been used for several days.  The next time in a day or so, which seems to be the current pattern.  As I have cut into the top to install a rocker switch I'll just learn to live with it.  I posted this to see if others were having the same problem. 

[bastler59]

Thanks for information.
This erratic behavoir reminds me of a video cassette recorder long time ago. It used a gold cap instead of a battery, so time until memory was gone depended on how long gold cap had time to charge.

But today user values should be stored in a eeprom, so a device shouldn't have amnesia.

Hope my T320 will arrive today, so I will have a look, if it also lose memory ...


[Update]
My T320 just arrived 1 hour ago.
Now I understand, why JNorton adds an addition switch. It is really stupid to place ON/OFF-switch below the open parking position for the handle. 

My solder station has version 1.07 from 06.12.2023 - so losing memory is the Nikolaus-bug?

[JNorton]

I did not connect to WiFi to upgrade the T320.  I strongly believe that anything with a microprocessor does not need to be connected to my home network.  However, I could have left the option to connect to WiFi active without providing connection information.  Perhaps these repeated failed connection attempts caused the reset.  I made sure to set the WiFi connection to off.  Yesterday the iron worked perfectly.  I hope this is the cause as I really like this iron.

[bastler59]

The "earth error" ...

I use the cable Aixun put into the box, banana jack into socket at back side and alligator clamp at a steel plate.

Standby temperature ist set to 120 °C and working temperatur to 325 °C. So here what happens:


This is the moment, when I take handle out of parking position


This is the moment, when I place solder tip on grounded plate


Now I take solder tip off grounded plate

So when solder is grounded, power goes up, but temperature goes down.
Temperature is only going up, when I take the tip off the grounded plate.

I thought other user observe a higher temperature, when tip is grounded?

BTW: can I trust the display of T320?

[JNorton]

I have observed the same behavior with mine, no temperature rise when the tip is grounded.  I used the earth ground on a 120v duplex outlet. What was observed with the T3A is the temperature keeps going up.  You can also use the thermocouple that comes with a lot of meters to look at the temperature of the tip for a double check.  What is puzzling to me is that the video of the T320 on YouTube by SDG Electronics also shows the temperature rise when the tip is grounded.

[bastler59]

What is puzzling to me is that the video of the T320 on YouTube by SDG Electronics also shows the temperature rise when the tip is grounded.

I have in mind a Youtube-video from Tony359 (from Great Britain) about the T3A. With an old firmware he shows that display is flickering and temperature makes a big overshoot. With a newer firmware display stays "quiet", but solder station stll makes an overshoot. So Aixun simply hide the misfunction from user. That the reason why I asked, if I can trust the display of the station.

But you are right. Also SGS shows something in video. From 27:15 min you can see, that by grounding the tip temperature is going down and release the tip temperature makes an overshoot.

In between I have to revise my observation: I switch my station from graphic mode back to normal mode. Set temperature on M1 is 275 °C.

first try: By grounding the tip, temperature is going down to 248 °C, rises up to 279 °C and then down to 275 °C. This all happens in 4 seconds. I have to make a video with my smartphone to really recognize it. When I release the tip, temperature rises to 305 °C and needs 10 sec to go down to 275 °C.

second try: This time temperature is only going down to 255 °C and afterwards rises up to 288 °C and then down again - all in 5 sec.  Releasing tip from ground temperature rises to 302 °C and then goes down again.

Resolution of graphic mode is not good enough to see this temperature changing.
1. Is a overshoot of 13 °C or 4% really a problem? As far as I know, thermocouple is close to heating wire. The effect at the tip may be smaller.
2. The larger temperature change when pulling up the tip I judge as irrelevant. The tip has no connecting to a component anymore, so nothing can be damaged.

[bastler59]

I pulled off power cord and measured resistance between:
a) solder tip and middle pin of IEC C13 socket
b) solder tip and banana socket on backside of solder station

It is nearly zero Ohm.  So  when station is on, this connection is open?

[bastler59]

You can also use the thermocouple that comes with a lot of meters to look at the temperature of the tip for a double check. 

I have a Hakko 191 (may be it's an original, because it is branded as Hakko) and a FG-100 (a chinese clone).

Companies, who produce PT100/PT1000 and thermocouple sensors write on their homepages, that a thermocouple has a faster response that a PT100/PT1000. 

My solder thermometers act very slow! Especially on the last 10 degrees until they stop counting up. So I can't image, that thermocouple sensor is fast enough to recognize an overshoot with a duration of 4 seconds.

[JNorton]

I pulled off power cord and measured resistance between:
a) solder tip and middle pin of IEC C13 socket
b) solder tip and banana socket on backside of solder station

It is nearly zero Ohm.  So  when station is on, this connection is open?

Zero ohms so the connection is closed.  It does not open when the station is on.  The temperature drift you are seeing will make no difference in soldering.  What Tony experienced was a continued rise in temperature, it did not stop climbing.  He has since stated the station is experiencing more problems during normal use.  Stop overthinking this and just enjoy using your station.  Just my opinion.

My station has not experienced any memory loss since I upgraded to V1.10 and turned off the WiFi.  I thoroughly enjoy using it.

[bastler59]

Stop overthinking this and just enjoy using your station.  Just my opinion.

For explanation:
During the last years I used a Daytools LS-981 with 60W, smallest tip 0.4mm, next one 1.0mm. For THT parts ok, SMD with pitch less than 1.27 mm difficult.

I ordered a Yihua 982 at Amazon. It came with a handle for C210 tips. The original conic style tip is about 0.3 mm. Yes I can solder with that tip components with 0.8 mm pitch pin by pin (not drag soldering). But I'm not satified with larger handle for C245 tips. The Yihua only takes 40 ~ 75 W from grid, never maximum 120 W.

That's the reason, why I ordered also the Aixun T320.
And the Yihua I can give back until next week.
May be you can understand, why I test the Aixun T320 so rigorous.

Zero ohms so the connection is closed.  It does not open when the station is on.  The temperature drift you are seeing will make no difference in soldering.

Today I made another test:
With a C245-755 (a large tip 4,0 x 0,8 mm) I was soldering on a steel plate at 325 °C, so the station had to provide a lot of power.  The T320 was able to get the tin liquid. During this time I connected the plate to ground.

The temperature made a larger drop down to 280 °C, so the amount seems to depend on the power flow. I guess, the coefficents of PID-regulator are not fixed. As long as the steel plate was connected to ground, I didn't see a temperature rise over the set temperature. That's a good news.  An overshoot  happened after releasing ground connection and it was up to 500 °C.

Here is the voltage between the tip and ground socket on backside of station:


And I also can measure a current: normally between 180 and 230 mA. During soldering on the steel plate up to 1.0 A.   

My station has not experienced any memory loss since I upgraded to V1.10 and turned off the WiFi.  I thoroughly enjoy using it.

Hmm ... I got mine with V1.07, but don't switch on WiFi. If I want to make a update, I can take the solder station in my hand and go to the computer. Station has an USB-socket. And I'm a fan of "never change a running system".

Can WiFi be the reason for memory loss?

[JNorton]

I'm curious how long the temperature overshoot lasted, that could affect how long the tips last.  I redid grounding my tip today and did not see a temperature rise when the tip was not grounded.  I used the graphing function. The graphic update speed seems good as you can see the tip temperature immediately dip when the tip is placed on a wetted sponge.  I'll try soldering on a grounded plate to see what my results are.  I very rarely solder on grounded components.  It sounds as though your needs are much more stringent than mine, you solder much smaller components.  I'm interested to see what else your testing reveals.

[bastler59]

@JNorton:
I'm engineer, but retired. Soldering is simply a hobby to make my own circuits.
So normally these are with SMD-components, sometimes (for photovoltaic) a PCB may have 70µm/2oz cooper and soldering needs more power for 30A-connectors. I don't repair electronic devices like Tony359 and until now my PCBs are not mulitlayer with ground planes etc.

I like the concept of all these JBC clones, that I can change between C210 and C245 handles/tips and have different power.

The grounded banana socket is for ESD wirstbands? These wristbands have a 1 MΩ inside - like my digital oszilloscope. So when I wear a wristband and hold solder wire in one hand and move it to the solder tip, I make a ground connection and there are voltage spikes of 1 V to 1,5 V. Of course no noteworthy current can flow. And components will not be damaged by such a small voltage.

The voltage of a thermocouple is in the range of 10 µV/°C. 120 W for heating means 24 V and 5 A. That may  disturb temperature reading from soldering catridge to station and can be a reason to shut heating off for some µs/ms. Does Aixun disconnect ground level from solder tip for this?

JBC mains arguments in advertisment are a longer lifespan of solder tips, because temperature is reduced in standby and a short heatup in 2 sec much better that competitors. All chinese clones try to do the same. This short heatup is the main evil. A regulator can't be fast and have no overshoot at the same time. But it should be only a short overshoot, not a thermal runaway.


From my visual impression I can tell you, that the 500 °C-overshoot was visible on display for a moment. I guess max. 0,5 sec or shorter.

I want to trace the temperature progress, but I need some time to find a solution. A soldering thermometer with one refresh per sec is too slow. Manufactors  of PT100/PT1000 and thermocouples tells you, that sensors have fast response. But no one publish values for τ63 or τ99. So my approach will be a thermocouple in pearl-size  hoping for a small thermal-capacity. A MAX31855 can readout values in 70 ms (max. 100 ms). So I have to test, how fast a thermocouple can follow temperature rise.

[bastler59]

Now for something different ...

Aixun offers a program. So I want to try.

To start the program you have to register. First field called mail is for a user name. A mailadress you have to type in in third field to receive a verify-code. The password must contain only characters and digits, special characters like "+" are not allowed. If you try it, you will get a "server error".

Program opens nearly full-size and covers taskbar. It is not possible to resize the
program window. It's possible to move it a little bit upwards. So if you want to change skin, you see the half of a popup window and can't change it. But the white skin ... bright green characters on white background looks awful.

With station off I see "UVP Current:5V, Unlock:20V" on display.
With station on I get no connection. 

May be station must be connected and switched on before starting program?   
With this I had luck. After waiting 4 sec my station appears in the first screen.

Time zone is GMT+8  for China.  I can change "Automatic CAL" to manual, but there is no way to change time.  By the way: version 1.10 should have a "Optimize temperature control".

On second screen I still see "unconnected". Loks like I can record values from solder station. But a voltage between 0 and 5 V and a current between 0 and 5 A???


My verdict: a really masterpiece of chinese art of programming.

[JNorton]

Interesting program, I cannot connect to it either.    I have been trying with the equipment I have to measure dynamic (fast updating) tip temperature.  I was trying to use an Omega OS532E infrared sensor, but I could not focus on the tip.  I also have a Brymen BM869s with a type K thermocouple which takes too long to stabilize.  With 1 M ohm in series to ground 0.03 uA DC, really negligable.  I'm sorry not to be of more help.

[bastler59]

Thermocouple will arrive next Wednesday.

So I checked the Yihua 982:
No voltage neither a current between tip and ground.
If station is off, resistance between tip and ground is nearly zero.

I guess: there is nothing special inside an original JBC solder station, that chinese competitors can't do. Lack of experience at Aixun? They are founded 5 years ago, Yihua is on market 23 years.  Or problems with a patent?

[GnomeZA]

I guess: there is nothing special inside an original JBC solder station, that chinese competitors can't do. Lack of experience at Aixun? They are founded 5 years ago, Yihua is on market 23 years.  Or problems with a patent?

JBC power the heater from an isolated AC supply, which is what Aixun is doing with the 420D.
The JBC cartridges only have 3 pins.
Think about it and you'll realise that your power for the heater needs to be floating in reference to earth and the thermocouple.

[bastler59]

The switch controller in Aixun T320 that produce 24V and other voltages is also isolated from grid of course. Otherwise it would be a violation of electrical regulations.

[GnomeZA]

The switch controller in Aixun T320 that produce 24V and other voltages is also isolated of course. Otherwise it would be a violation of electrical regulations.

I think you misunderstand what I mean by isolation.
The thermocouple and the cartridge power are referenced to each other.
They share a common ground.  On Aixun T3A they even tie the ground to earth (might be the case for T320).

On the JBC stations and the Aixun T420D, the cartridge power supply is floating in respect to the thermocouple & control board supply.

On a JBC station & Aixun T420D they are powering the heater using AC from a mains frequency transformer (24v AC).
On the Aixun T3A/T320 they are power the heater cartridge from a switch mode power supply (24v DC).

On the JBC station and Aixun T420, they have an entirely independent winding for the control board, using a mains frequency transformer (additional 15v AC winding on T420D for example)
On the Aixun T3A/T320 the control board is powered from the same DC supply used to power the heater. (24v DC used by heater)

Look at the T245 pin-out.  A Thermocouple has micro-volts output between its two terminals.  And the heater and thermocouple share a pin.  That means you are forced to use the rear most pin as your 0VDC, if your supplies aren't isolated.  So there is a positive or negative DC voltage on the earth pin right at the tip of the iron.  And when you create parallel ground planes, that current will go places.  If your thermocouple and heater supply aren't referenced to each other your earth pin can be at 0v AC/DC eliminating this problem.

[legodude]

I burned myself the first time I turned my T320 off. A little while with FreeCAD and I whipped up this finger protector.

Get it here: https://www.printables.com/model/741099-aixun-t320-soldering-station-finger-protector


mike

[bastler59]

I used an power meter and a microcontroller to record the power consumption from grid.
I recorded 4 values each second. My T320 is cofigured to 120 °C in standby and 325 °C as soldering temperature.



A: Here power consumption goes up after booting - 75 W
B: Here I take handle out of holder - 173 W
C: I'm soldering on a pretinned steel plate with a C245-755 - 92 W max.
D: Placing handle back to holder, T320 takes no power for a while.
    Then station needs about 4 W to keep tip on 120 °C.

[bastler59]

Here is another diagramm ...



E: I hold the handle in my hand and connect a grounded wire to the tip.
    Effect is not really strong.

F: Again I'm soldering on the steel plate. Then I connect the grounded wire to the plate.
    In the moment of connection power goes up to 115 W, releasing the ground connection,
    there are peaks up to 175 W (I repeated it several times). Duration about 2 sec each.

[Eltax1693]

I replaced the capacitors [no-name] in the power supply and reduced the ESR with 50%.

X2 400V 120UF 30x18mm Pitch: 8mm
X4  35V 1000UF 20x10mm Pitch: 5mm
X1  50V   22UF 11x5mm Pitch: 2mm

[CaptainBucko]

I replaced the capacitors [no-name] in the power supply and reduced the ESR with 50%.

Why did you do this?

[Eltax1693]

My device is on 24/7. Want to extend lifespan.

[Eltax1693]

Firmware 1.22 is available.

[McCarthy]

So what's the bottom line on this station? Good to go, or not?

[JNorton]

I Like mine.  In my case soldering on earthed ground isn't a problem.  It provides plenty of heat for 6-layer boards and point-to-point tube wiring. With the smaller T210 handle, SMC projects are no problem.  I would buy it again.

[ddv2005]

Hello,

I got my T320 today and..it is TERRIBLE! Temperature significantly drops and tip just stuck on pins, connected to the ground plane because of temperature drops (280C setting for 183C solder paste). Also I tried to melt 217C (actual temperature to melt is 210C) solder paste with 225C setting (15C above actual melt temperature) and it start  melts small amounts of paste but then just hardens even on tip.
I tried to use older firmware but all firmware bellow 1.09 give me "Power Off" message. Has anyone tested the T320 with firmware 1.11? How stable is your temperature?

[bastler59]

I got my T320 today and..it is TERRIBLE! Temperature significantly drops and tip just stuck on pins, connected to the ground plane because of temperature drops (280C setting for 183C solder paste).

The heating and also temperature sensing should be inside the "barrel" of the solder cartridge. So depending on the shape and size of the tip, temperature may be lower there. You can use a solder thermometer to check it and add a correction value. Original parts are more expensive than your solder station and clones ... it's your decision, if you trust them.

I tried to use older firmware but all firmware bellow 1.09 give me "Power Off" message. Has anyone tested the T320 with firmware 1.11? How stable is your temperature?

I'm using 1.09, nothing to complain. And I don't need to solder on grounded areas.

[JNorton]

Hello,

I got my T320 today and..it is TERRIBLE! Temperature significantly drops and tip just stuck on pins, connected to the ground plane because of temperature drops (280C setting for 183C solder paste). Also I tried to melt 217C (actual temperature to melt is 210C) solder paste with 225C setting (15C above actual melt temperature) and it start  melts small amounts of paste but then just hardens even on tip.
I tried to use older firmware but all firmware bellow 1.09 give me "Power Off" message. Has anyone tested the T320 with firmware 1.11? How stable is your temperature?

I've shown my tip attached to the line ground with no significant temperature difference.  I do not solder on a grounded plane and I don't know anyone who does.  My anti-static mat is grounded through a 1-megohm resistor.  My tube equipment is connected through an isolation transformer but I unplug it before working on it.  I'm using genuine JBL tips.
if you are dissatisfied with the irons performance try to return it.   I'm sorry to hear of your experience.

[ddv2005]

I do not solder on a grounded plane and I don't know anyone who does.  My anti-static mat is grounded through a 1-megohm resistor.

I do not mean that the plane is real grounded,  I mean any large copper area that usually is ground plane on PCB. And I feel that tip sticking on pin connected to big copper area.

I have downgraded firmware to 1.09 and now it is much better.

 P.S. I have T3A and never had any issues and when I compare T320 to T3A I see that T3A much more stable than T320 on 1.11

[bastler59]

Spare handles:

I see handles that are advertised as for "T3A" or "T3B and T420D" - but I don't see handles for T320. I remember, that Aixum uses different plugs. Which one is the right for T320?

And: the plug of my T320 is made of plastic. I see handles, where the inner part of the plug  is made of plastic but with a bold nut for locking. Does those plugs also fit into the station? I guess not, because the plastic plug has a different locking mechanism.

[JNorton]

It is only compatible with the T210 And T245 handles.

[coppice]

Spare handles:

I see handles that are advertised as for "T3A" or "T3B and T420D" - but I don't see handles for T320. I remember, that Aixum uses different plugs. Which one is the right for T320?

And: the plug of my T320 is made of plastic. I see handles, where the inner part of the plug  is made of plastic but with a bold nut for locking. Does those plugs also fit into the station? I guess not, because the plastic plug has a different locking mechanism.

Some of the AliEexpress pages claiming the displayed handles are for the T3A and T3B show a mix of handles with a ring lock plug, and handles with the button release plug the T320 uses.

[bastler59]

Some of the AliEexpress pages claiming the displayed handles are for the T3A and T3B show a mix of handles with a ring lock plug, and handles with the button release plug the T320 uses.

Right, that's the problem. A lot of dealers copy together pictures and descriptions without knowing what they are selling. I looked at eBay and found the right handles.

[paulhdietz]

Just adding my experience. Bought one of these T320 units with the T245 handle and 3 tips. It was quite the joy to use. But it went totally dead after ~2 weeks. Power supply was dead. No obvious component failures. The design is very serviceable, so I contacted the seller (Bresunfix) to get a new power supply board and they asked me to take a video of it not working (here: ) and make it public so you all can enjoy it. They said they would elevate the issue and contact me within 3 days. When I heard nothing, I again contacted them. They were very apologetic and said again that they would get back to me in 3 days. Again nothing. Did it one last time, and again nothing. I then tried contacting Aixun directly to get a new power supply board. ZERO response. Finally, because it was a "Choice" purchase, I was able to return it through AliExpress at their expense. They have received it, but said they need to process it before they can refund my money. So that's where things stand.

While it was working, I ordered some chisel tips which I vastly prefer. Now I have tips, but no iron. Given the generally positive reviews, I think I will order another (with "Choice") and hope for a better result.

[JNorton]

Here's hoping you have better luck.  It's been my experience that electronics usually suffer infant mortality if they fail.  I really like mine.

[paulhdietz]

Here's hoping you have better luck.  It's been my experience that electronics usually suffer infant mortality if they fail.  I really like mine.

Looking inside, I thought the build quality was actually really good. Even though the post-sales support was super polite but ultimately terrible, the Choice service came through with an immediate return authorization. So I'm trying again. Placed the new order today, this time with both handles and 6 tips. Keeping my fingers crossed.

UPDATE: My order was automagically cancelled! It said there was a delivery exception, which made no sense since it canceled shortly after I placed the order. I wonder if I got blacklisted by the seller for returning an item?