CFW for KSGER/Quicko STM32 Soldering Stations

[floobydust]

Do you have JBC T245 pinouts? I see mention of a Hirose RPC1-12P-6S female connector on the tool, but a Binder series 678 on the station side  so different pin# assignments as well. It's confusing.
After I will add that and uprev from 1 to 2 the T12 V2.1S schematic, with the correction on the 0R+jumper.

The original 2.1S design has some H/W errors and if those were fixed then it's a good schematic to build- if the world ever makes open-source F/W compatible with these T12 STM32 controllers.
I originally drew that schematic as I was repairing some, so not sure about putting it in a repo. I saw so many versions with mistakes galore, mostly from copycat builders.

[dreamcat4]

Do you have JBC T245 pinouts? ..It's confusing.

Hey it turns out that after 'surfing everywhere else' there is in fact some guys here on our own eevblog forum. Who have made an excellent explanation about these JBC tips. If you jump to their thread. It has been pretty well documented over there (for the tip by itself).

 

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/yet-another-controller-for-jbc-t210t245/

[totalnoob]

If a custom/PTDreamer compatible board idea is still proceeding, in Post #113 you asked for suggested features, one I have not seen that I would recommend is, for the FW have the option to select between the Hakko style and JBC style handles rather than having to re-flash, which is what I think the PTDreamer's FW requires if I have read through this thread correctly.  Perhaps you still have to have a physical switch of some sort on the board, but at least not having to re-flash the firmware every time you want to use a different handle would be a step forward, IMHO.  Just a recommendation/thought, I have not seen it discussed here and like I said, from my reading of the thread, if you want to change from one handle to another, you need to re-flash if you use PTDreamer's firmware or some version of.   

[postman]

Hello.
I have all the staff to do the flash but www.ptdreamer.com is not working.
Someone knows if the webpage changed?
Thank you!

[totalnoob]

I believe the original FW code was saved in a directory in the link belowfor backup purposes by a member here on EEVBlog, DreamCAT (though you may need to go up to a different directory level than this link puts you at):
https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/tree/master/controllers/stm32-t12-oled#v21s-original-version-green-pcb

Also look for "Lucky Thomas" on Github, going through the various threads here on EEVBlog, it seems LT has made the most recent code changes to PTDreamer's firmware, at least publicly, it's still possible others have made more recent changes that have not made them public. 

[dreamcat4]

Here TotalNoob,
Yeah the guy emailed me yesterday. Which prompted me to finally merge all the LuckyTomas flawless_testing branch on to my master branch. Did that yesterday. Along with pushing up a few other minor updates.

Mostly because then people can find my fork, to make it easier to find the newer code. 2ndly for any future updates going forwards too. So they all gets merged together in the same branch. Since LuckyTomas himself is just not possible to contact him.

BTW sorry that cross link (to other repo) you mention here now: it was something forgot to do yesterday, have it pointing to dreamcat4/master branch now. It's same code + no worries

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/commit/c0f415004fb1522f9e149b46e2e3beae909cf9c6

Also backed up the original PTDreamer blog articles. Since his website went down recently. All saved / backed up. In my docs repo. The mirrored pages were saved with 'SingleFile' extension on Firefox.

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/tree/master/research/ptdreamer

Hopefully any other specific information that people are looking for is not too hard to find. As there are quite a few different pages of stuff. It goes on and on. Lots of stuff gets dumped into the 'Research' folder if it does not have a clear and well defined category.

Please use the Docs to follow your research interests. Github issues is enabled on both the docs repo and the source code repo for the open firmware. For anybody wishing to ask questions, give feedback or have further suggestion or whatever else. You can instead contact me here on eevblog. Or by direct email. However you prefer. Here to help.

[totalnoob]

One other thing, check out the thread looking for the 3.1S software.  If you have one of the "new" 3.1S's, beware.  Others have said that KSGER is or may be encrypting/copy protecting their firmware and that you're better off flashing a new chip and desoldering the old, solder on the new, that way you have the original FW backed up on the original chip.  Not sure if KSGER is encrypting/copy protecting the firmware of the "older" versions (i.e. 2.1S and 2.01(?)), that they are still selling, so this may not apply to those, but you may not want to take a chance. 

[dreamcat4]

Yeah I said that. They have all been protecting the program flash on the chip since the very beginning. It's an integral feature of these STM32 arm cortex mcus.

On the F103 series the copy protection mechanism cannot be fully broken. So there is no easy way to dump the firmware from the chip. Not without power glitching the MCU which is both difficult and requires special equipment and expertize, time patience.

On the earlier STM32 (before F103). The F100? I believe. That was an earlier revision. And it was possible to get around the copy protection. Before ST found out and partially fixed that feature on their later chips. However those older MCUs have not been used in these STM32 OLED devices for a long time. Not since the early days. Like v1 - something. Which nobody sells anymore.

It is therefore a lot easier to just physically remove the MCU. And keep it as the physical backup of the Original Firmware / Commercial Firmware. Since replacement chips are pretty cheap and easy to get hold of. Only a couple of dollars.

People have found the original firmware online for certain versions of hardware, around versions v1-v2. However after v2 KSGER made some licensing deal with the original Chinese author of the firmware (it was not made by KSGER originally, they simply aquired the right to use it later on). So the KSGER v3 firmware is a build which has been since modified in house by KSGER. Therefore there was no 3rd party channel to get hold of any such v3 firmware and nobody has a copy of it.

Of course if somebody is wholely obsessed. Then it's entirely possible to dump these images using the black art technique of power glitching the MCU. However I am doubtful it's really worth the effort compared to simply desoldering the MCU and then keeping that safe.

Since we can always instead try modifying / improving the open source firmware (by PTDreamer). In order to extend compatibility to more different PCB designs. And that is probably the better use of time. It provides a greater benefit to the community.

[totalnoob]

I was responding to Postman to warn him about trying to flash the existing chip.  I knew you had a lot of knowledge about the copy protection, far more than I.

About the PTDreamer FW and variants, while I am not against modifying it to use with other designs, but wouldn't it make more sense to settle on a design that it works with?  One I am thinking of is where you discuss the variants of the KSGER "2.1S's" in your Github repository there was a "2.1S" version that was built cheaper than the earlier "2.1S's" but with built-in compatibility for a JBC iron, that was shown to work with either the original or a variant of PTDreamer's FW.  I would think it would make sense to base the PCB design on an adaption of that design, but use quality components, and then efforts could be concentrated on the firmware, working out the bugs, adding features, etc.  But that's assuming the STM32 chip used in that variant is still readily available and will be for some time, if that's not the case, then I can completely understand why that approach may not be possible at this point.   

[floobydust]

Do you have JBC T245 pinouts? ..It's confusing.

Hey it turns out that after 'surfing everywhere else' there is in fact some guys here on our own eevblog forum. Who have made an excellent explanation about these JBC tips. If you jump to their thread. It has been pretty well documented over there (for the tip by itself).

 

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/yet-another-controller-for-jbc-t210t245/

I just updated T12 V2.1S controller schematic Rev. 2 - added JBC pinout and fixed the JBC thermocouple breakout, my pcb has the mosfet trace on wrong side of R11, drove me nuts.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/t12-stm32-v2-1s-soldering-station-controller-schematic-etc/msg2463234/#msg2463234
I was looking today and found a handful of different JBC wand schematics and even a thread arguing about it 
Point is that board V2.1S is a good base if the H/W design bugs are fixed: Remove battery draining 10k and diodes, fix trace on JBC thermocouple option R11 or R0.

[dreamcat4]

Thanks Flooby for updating the schematic. I have uploaded a copy of it to my 'docs' repo on github. So that it is organized and easier to find allong side all of the other research materials:

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/tree/master/controllers/stm32-t12-oled#blue-pcb-ve21s-r2-ksger-version-lwfp-64

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/yet-another-controller-for-jbc-t210t245/

found a handful of different JBC wand schematics and even a thread arguing about it 

Were you referring to those wand schematics which I already found? Or are there some other ones elsewhere, which I have missed? Please see here my research folder and let me know if you have any more to add:

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/tree/master/tips-and-handles/t245-c245

Again it is for the same reason - so people have 1 central place they can find about the tips / handles. I gather it to there. There are seperate folders for T210 and the T245.

I am especially hoping for more research on the other JBC tips. For examlpe: T470, and also the "NASE Nano" (=C105 cartridge). And also the JBC Tweezers. And the Hakko Tweezers.

This is important research to gather for future. To see if it's possible to make a better controller. Thanks.

[totalnoob]

I posted this on another thread since I had indicated I would.  I am also going to post these here so that this thread can consolidate the information in one place. 

I just received my "V3.1S"  Attached are photos of the controller.  The first is intended to be a high res photo of the controller built up using 3 close-ups that are pieced together using Paint 3D.  I did this with the idea that it would remain legible at higher magnification.  It's not perfect, so you may see some inconsistencies between the "joints".  I also took a single photo of the controller.  I also took a closeup of the STM32 chip, but that may have to go in a separate post due to the size of the photos.

[totalnoob]

Just like I thought.  Here's the third photo.


Edit to add:  I just did a bit of testing, since I have not seen it mentioned anywhere else, but that's not to say that I might have missed it.  Since I had the controller and front panel off, I ran 12V power to it from a power supply (wall wart charger for something) to see if the controller would power up.  It did.  From what I understand about the JBC soldering station, the C245 handle uses 24V for power and the C210 handle uses 12V for power (which is believed why when a C210 handle is used in a C245 compatible clone, you burn up the tip) and that the "6th pin" is how the unit is able to determine which handle is plugged in (i.e. if its populated its the C210, otherwise its the C245).  If this is true, and the KSGER controller can be powered with 12V and still provide appropriate temperature control and sensing (I am not able to test that, the power supply I had was only rate at 1 amp), then it seems plausible that flashing with an offshoot of PTDreamer's FW specifically for the JBC handle, you may be able to use either handle if you have a way to switch between providing 24V or 12V to the controller.  Just some food for thought. 

[dreamcat4]

just received my "V3.1S"  Attached are photos of the controller...

 

LMAO. If you follow this link, you will see that your PCB is missing a silk-screen to say: "OLED-V3.0". This is why the KSGER versions schemes are utter garbage.

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/blob/master/controllers/stm32-t12-oled/v2.1s-and-Ve2.1S/r3/back-low-res.jpg

They just make up whatever version numbers they feel like on a whim. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

BTW i have labelled this PCB as "v2.1 r3" for "revision 3" since it is remarkably similar to the v2.1 rev2. They seem to only have make some minor changes. See for yourself:

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/blob/master/controllers/stm32-t12-oled/v2.1s-and-Ve2.1S/r2/back-low-res_mods_for_JBC-T245.jpg

So in regards to compatibility they are not the same indeed, the circuit should be mapped out. But it's not earth shatteringly different either.

[dreamcat4]

BTW thanks for the photos... will version them and include them in my git repository allongside the other ones.

Really dig what you are saying about compatibility. It's highly likely that doing some little mods onto these boards should help quite a lot. Perhaps also modifying the open firmware a bit too. To add some kind of extra tip detection feature(s).

All for extending the compatibility past the T245 to also the other jbc tips. (Not only the T210)... also the NASE ("nano"), the larger T470. And perhaps tweezers if its worth it or at all possible. Have been told that JBC tweezers are 'crap'. Because they don't come together tightly (the slop in the hinge). However they have 2 different types of tweezer. And I am not sure which one was being reffered to at the time.  In addition Hakko also has their own (different) tweezer...

Really any of these additional cartridge types would be a great addition. And even better if we can have swappable. Too bad I don't have the time set aside for any of this. Instead have determined my role to be first "gather all technical research data and infos" together in one place. That is all going up on github. So that they can be more easily searched by anybody who is insterested. This includes the "gathering" of a 100 page forum thread. To be searchable on 1 page with ctrl+f. Those Russians always at it. Can't help themselves. And have accrued more knowledge than pretty much everybody else.

[totalnoob]

BTW thanks for the photos... will version them and include them in my git repository allongside the other ones.

Really dig what you are saying about compatibility. It's highly likely that doing some little mods onto these boards should help quite a lot. Perhaps also modifying the open firmware a bit too. To add some kind of extra tip detection feature(s).

All for extending the compatibility past the T245 to also the other jbc tips. (Not only the T210)... also the NASE ("nano"), the larger T470. And perhaps tweezers if its worth it or at all possible. Have been told that JBC tweezers are 'crap'. Because they don't come together tightly (the slop in the hinge). However they have 2 different types of tweezer. And I am not sure which one was being reffered to at the time.  In addition Hakko also has their own (different) tweezer...

Really any of these additional cartridge types would be a great addition. And even better if we can have swappable. Too bad I don't have the time set aside for any of this. Instead have determined my role to be first "gather all technical research data and infos" together in one place. That is all going up on github. So that they can be more easily searched by anybody who is insterested. This includes the "gathering" of a 100 page forum thread. To be searchable on 1 page with ctrl+f. Those Russians always at it. Can't help themselves. And have accrued more knowledge than pretty much everybody else.

You are welcome for the photos, it was my dream to be immortalized for something in my life.    Anyway, yes, that is what I was trying to do.  I am not familiar with those Russian sites you are referring to, and I'd probably not understand what they said anyway, but I know that one thing that I have not seen referred to in any of the threads on the subject of these KSGER's is trying to run 12V through the control board.  I thought of it after seeing someone mention in the comments of, I think it was, one of Equalizor's videos that the reason he burnt up a C210 tip in his Jabe UD1200 was because the C210 tips were 12V and not 24V like the C245's.  I have no way of knowing, I don't own any JBC equipment, so I can only go by what others state. 

I can appreciate that you don't have time to pursue this and I do appreciate your initiative to gather all the information.  I'm not really an electronics person, I only need a soldering station for occasional use for repairing electrical connections on equipment, in this case that I used to justify finally getting a good (I hope anyway  ) soldering station and retiring my fixed soldering iron is to replace the Klixon overload on my RAS I am restoring.  It was mentions on your Github about JBC compatibility with both newer versions of the controller having "built-in" that capability (with modifications needed to use it) and mentioning that PTDreamer's FW allowed the use of JBC handles, that led me down the rabbit hole of finding out more and why a JBC handle is more desirable than the T12 handle.    But I figured, I could try to contribute what little I can, being a non-electronics person.  And while I do understand why you would like to extend the capabilities past just the C245 and C210 handles, that is where I must "tap out", at least as long as I have no real need to use anything like the C470 handle or tweezers, but I don't blame those who do use those for looking into whether they would work with these controllers. 

[totalnoob]

just received my "V3.1S"  Attached are photos of the controller...

 

LMAO. If you follow this link, you will see that your PCB is missing a silk-screen to say: "OLED-V3.0". This is why the KSGER versions schemes are utter garbage.

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/blob/master/controllers/stm32-t12-oled/v2.1s-and-Ve2.1S/r3/back-low-res.jpg

They just make up whatever version numbers they feel like on a whim. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

BTW i have labelled this PCB as "v2.1 r3" for "revision 3" since it is remarkably similar to the v2.1 rev2. They seem to only have make some minor changes. See for yourself:

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/blob/master/controllers/stm32-t12-oled/v2.1s-and-Ve2.1S/r2/back-low-res_mods_for_JBC-T245.jpg

So in regards to compatibility they are not the same indeed, the circuit should be mapped out. But it's not earth shatteringly different either.

You're right!  I never even noticed that it did not have the "OLED V3.0".          As discussed earlier in this or another thread, with other changes to the PCB, was this another "penny saving" measure? 

But I did see that you labeled it "V2.1 r3" and that you mentioned in that folder that it was referred to here as "V3.1S", which is how KSGER refers to it on their Aliexpress site.  But, yes, that means nothing, really. If you look at the board photos on one of the newer "KSGER V3.1S" threads, did that person's controller have the "OLED V3.0"?  I need to check right after I hit "Post". 

Edit:  Ok, I had forgotten the OP's screen name, but it was ACECool's thread and yes, his photos do show the "OLED V3.0" on his.  However, he has a slightly different unit than I do, I have the thicker aluminum front plate, his appears to be the thin, black, (aluminum?) front plate.  You wouldn't think that would make a difference, but perhaps the style I bought was more popular and sold out quicker and thus mine is from a second batch of "OLED V3.0"?  Purely a guess.  I bought mine from "KSGER Official Store" on Ali, I see there are three different "KSGER" stores, "KSGER Welding Tool Store" and "KSGER T12 Store"  Each one is a little different and while there a lot of overlap in products there are some differences. 

[dreamcat4]

That is even more humorous. I never realized that were multiple 'official' KSGER stores. And 3 no less. It only ever gets weirder the closer you look. At some point certain things click, but not others.

I mentioned the similarity of your PCB to the v2.1s r2 because it suggests that your v3 might be doable for the PTDreamer open firmwar (the LuckyTomas fork for v2.1s, this is now set to my master branch). Since they are so similar.

I expect the reason for this further revision will become aparrent after mapping out the differences. Perhaps KSGER realized the v2.1s rev2 had both bad opamp and bad 3v3 vrm switching converter on it. And decided to improve that aspect? Well IDK myself. But its not too hard to just look up those 2 ics part numbers and check them online.

I certainly have to replace those parts on mine.

BTW i'm sure youve noticed in my other folder there are 2 over so called 'v3x' pcbs. Neither of which is anything like yours. So that is really a big reason also why yours has been labelled as 'v2.1s r3'... just to try to avoid confusing it with the other v3 ones.

BEARING IN MIND that in this screwy world its actually the v2.x series which are more revered / trusted models. Being older and closer to the original v2.1s is a more desirable thing. Crazy i know. Oh well.

In regards to the research I collect 'any useful infos' from 'all places'. So long as it does not directly infringe on the original product (eg the actual JBC stations and their reversed schematics etc. is omitted). I do that for mostly the reason that it's not necessary. Since there are other possible schemes to power an original JBC cartridge. Its only the investigation of the cartridge itself which is really required to know and develop a product for. Something which many others have already done at this point.

I am still collecting. Not everything is up online. But I just wanted to point out (in the meantime) that there are versions of the original closed firmware that already support powering JBC C245 tips. And so your station being newer perhaps might already support that. Without requiring you to flash the open firmware first. BTW you could actually make your own handle here is an example

https://github.com/dreamcat4/t12-t245-controllers-docs/tree/master/tips-and-handles/t245-c245/diy-handle

However that is not the one i was referring to earlier. I do not have a link. Maybe look in the comments section of the mysku.ru review pages instead. Not the review at the top... look in the comments thread underneath each review. Some words dont translate well from russian. So using ctrl+f for searching can be a bit difficult. e.g. 'tip' --> might appear as 'stringer'. And so on.

Otherwise I have not remembered where the original discussion about the better t12 handle was. However I have (for sure) found it now in my aliexpress bookmarks. It is the version in the listing below identified as 'handle 5'. From the product selector images.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33004762167.html

To be clear; it is the Silver (aluminium) handle. But also with the green foam soft grip over the fingertip area (aka looks like they tried to copy the jbc green soft grip). And to be clear; i myself have not aquired that accessory myself yet. It was just recommended by some other people I came across during my research. After some remarks like 'all the other handles are junk'. Or whatever they said about it. You get the picture.

Hope it helps. I know its probably not the cheapest T12 handle out there. But probably well worth the extra cost, given how important the feeling in the hand. And how much you expect to use it.

In regards to the 12v thing. I cannot remember right now but there are probably other better ways to limit power to a c210 cartridge. Rather than lower the psu voltage, just change the maximum pwm duty cycle when the t210 is detected. That should also work. Actually i believe the reason is probably more to do with the thermocouple being entirely different. Both the thermocouple wiring and the coeffecient for the formula. Better details about those tips in this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/yet-another-controller-for-jbc-t210t245/

[totalnoob]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33004762167.html

To be clear; it is the Silver (aluminium) handle. But also with the green foam soft grip over the fingertip area (aka looks like they tried to copy the jbc green soft grip). And to be clear; i myself have not aquired that accessory myself yet. It was just recommended by some other people I came across during my research. After some remarks like 'all the other handles are junk'. Or whatever they said about it. You get the picture.

Hope it helps. I know its probably not the cheapest T12 handle out there. But probably well worth the extra cost, given how important the feeling in the hand. And how much you expect to use it.

In regards to the 12v thing. I cannot remember right now but there are probably other better ways to limit power to a c210 cartridge. Rather than lower the psu voltage, just change the maximum pwm duty cycle when the t210 is detected. That should also work. Actually i believe the reason is probably more to do with the thermocouple being entirely different. Both the thermocouple wiring and the coeffecient for the formula. Better details about those tips in this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/yet-another-controller-for-jbc-t210t245/

@ a "better" T12 handle, got it!  I don't care if is not the "cheapest" T12 handle, since I already purchased the "most expensive" and that one seems kinda janky. 

About the 12V thing, what you are proposing is a bit beyond my capabilities.  I was thinking more brute force like either having two power sources (least desirable) and switch between them when using the different handles or, I'm not sure if it can be used on the output of a PWM controller, but perhaps a 24V to 12V buck converter between the supply voltage from the controller to the handle.  Again, not sure it would work, but it would need a way to switch to bypass the 24V direct from the controller and feed the 12V from the BC instead.  Like I said, I'm not an electronics person, I'm a mechanical person. 

[vulkan35]

........

[floobydust]

The heater connector is important at the higher JBC currents (170W cold). The first pic socket looks good and the second pic with the two leafs is junk. It has cheapola plating and little contact area, they are a problem even for T12 handles where they are proven too cheap even at only 3A.

[totalnoob]

But I just wanted to point out (in the meantime) that there are versions of the original closed firmware that already support powering JBC C245 tips. And so your station being newer perhaps might already support that. Without requiring you to flash the open firmware first.

I just wanted to confirm that while playing around with it in my workshop tonight and going through the menu, the firmware does apparently support the C245 handle.  I did not have my iPhone with me in my workshop, so I could not photo the menu, but under Tips, the very first one mentioned is "C245", with the ability to select it, and below that are not only obviously the T12 tips listed by what KSGER uses as their nomenclature when you go to order tips from them (i.e. "B1", "K", "D3.2", etc.) there are others listed by numbers that do not correspond to KSGER's nomenclature for the T12 tips, that I suspect are JBC numbers.  If that is the case and those are JBC tip numbers, then  that menu is one big cluttered mess!  One area KSGER should clean up is adding submenus to the Tips menu.  It'd be nice to have a menu selection for each handle and only those tips used by that handle listed, plus a menu selection for user defined tips.

Now the question is, are there any HW modifications needed to use a C245 handle and tips or can I just take a handle, either put a compatible end on it for the KSGER or makeup a patch cord and use it?  I'm not necessarily expecting you, Dreamcat, to know, but if anyone else has tried this (Vulkan?), it'd be nice to hear.  I prefer the patch cord, so if anyone knows the source of a male that plug works with the JBC receptacle on the handle cord,  I might fab one up and get a Jabe handle and some tips. 


Edit to add photos:  (Note: not sure why the thumbnails are not lining up with the actual photo, if you click they come out right side up, at least they did for me).

[totalnoob]

I have gone through the Tip Selection menu and made up a PDF of all the pre-defined tips, 93 in all.  In the PDF I just have "94+" to define the remaining spots as "User Defined" (if I remember, there are 6 user defined tips allowed under the menu).  I have not gone through and verified which, if not all, predefined tips are T12 tips and which may be JBC or others.  I suspect many of you would know offhand.

[vulkan35]

the firmware does apparently support the C245 handle

https://youtu.be/FTg5BybMmWs

[floobydust]

With the C245 mode, what temperature sensor is being used for the CJC?
There are up to three - the (missing T12) wand thermistor, CPU temperature, or the thermistor on the controller PCB. The video shows 24C but wondering where it's getting it from.
I have seen JBC handle clones that are wired like a T12, to include a shake switch and CJC thermistor.