KSGER T12 Station v3.1 - software source? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Acecool
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2020, 10:00:26 am
content: Does anyone know where the KSGER source is located?There are quite a few bugs I'd like to fix - I've soldered up a header for my STLink V2, and now I just need to get the pinout from the STMicro site to change the boot-mode and create a header for that - then make a rectangular hole in the station so that I can use a 5p female dupont connector in that hole so I can just plug straight into the station without having to take the lid off to adjust it. I should be able to shunt / jumper the boot pin to ground, if I recall correctly, to change the mode so I can use a 5p dupont connector ( 4 already used... 3.3v, ground, IO, clock ) and the fifth could be the mode with a simple toggle in-line so I can change boot mode without having to have it set automatically but also so I can without having to shunt 2 pins inside the station.I don't even know if they have a though-hole for the pins... on older versions, there are 2 holes next to the 4 labeled ( C for clock, D for Switched IO, VCC for 3.3v, and GND for ground ) which may be the 2 used to shunt. But on the latest, it doesn't seem to be there so.... hopefully I don't have to short 2 pins on the chip, hopefully it is 1 to ground as I don't have a 6p dupont..Current bugs I want to address...- When calibrating, the station will go into standby / sleep even if the user is moving the iron.- Calibrating by waiting until the temperature settles and selecting actual temperature makes the accuracy even worse than default on KSGER tips ( Hakko tips don't seem to require ANY calibration and have been incredibly accurate... ie: 200 is 200.. 350 is 350.. 480 is 479 or so ).- Hakko tips aren't added as selectable tips unless you know the equivalent value.... I would change how tips are added so that multiple tips could be added too ( ie: you get a list of tips, ie: D24 / IN-502 or whatever / 2.4D and when you add it, it adds an entry underneath that tip in the tip menu with 3 options... ticked, X'd, or blank. ticked means using, blank means added but not visible, X'd means it will be removed when you leave the menu -- this way if you have a KSGER D24 and Hakko D24 which is slightly different, then both can be added.... ) I also plan on adding a method where you can select the brand of the tip when you select it so that on the tip selection you'll see Hakko 2.4D or Hakko D24 / IN-502 or whatever it is. and KSGER D24 for that one by cleaning up the tip selection.- Improve heat stability. On some tips, too much power is applied and it overshoots the temperature by a large amount, and the station doesn't seem to compensate... it just pings to 10 or 15C over on certain tips and doesn't correct ... ie: it doesn't properly approach... even after calibration which could be an issue with the calibration system as it is right now.- Fix English language issues so that it is easier to understand exactly what something does.Features:+ When you unplug a tip and plug a different one back in ( something which should take longer than 1 second ) you aren't asked which tip you plugged in with the option to select nothing ( timeout ) which would just leave the current tip selected... 1 second min for this to show so that intermittent connection problems won't trigger tip changed menu. I see this as a bug because how frequently do you go from one identical tip to another aside from when you are replacing a bad tip? This is more QOL than bug.+ The deal with the tips so you can have more than one kind of tip from different brands, or even multiple of the same ( with a different number applied to each consecutive tip so if you have 8 Hakko identical tips and you want to set them all up right away you can... I personally won't do this and I don't even need to calibrate them because they are basically flawless. But having that option wouldn't be a bad idea - plus because there are differences between brands, being able to choose the exact tip you are using would be nice.+ Improve default calibration profiles - Each brand / tip should follow a known graph pattern when you calibrate... using this you should be able to accurately know where each temperature is based on what is returned by the thermometer. Each brand should follow a certain curve pretty well, then each tip will have adjustments based on profile, etc... I don't have 1 of every tip, but I am trying to build my collection - I have enough that I can see if this curve exists within KSGER, and Hakko is super accurate already so I can just map that.+ Improve calibration system, general changes - a way to select type of calibration you want to do would be nice... ie: Select actual temperature by using rotary encoder to select the temperature the tip is at while the station is trying to meet a certain temp. And another mode which lets you use the rotary encoder to adjust the power level so that you are actually selecting the power level / thermometer setting required in order to get to the temperature the station wants to get to ( I like this one better because instead of having to guess how to get to this important level - ie: the melting point of x solder, y solder, etc... you are selecting it outright )... so A) Current method and B) Rotate right for more heat and it stays at the right temp, left to reduce heat - which should be the thermometer value and it tries to match that with more or less heat to reach a certain temp... then when the temp is stable you go forward and you know exactly what you need to get to that temp - I like this method better because it ensures you know those important values.Depending on how it is coded, it should be straight forward to do a lot of these. For the calibration mode I can just add a menu item - Start X, Start Y. Recover should be changed to RESET. For adding tips, worst case I'll just add the individual IDs so Hakko IN-XXX tips will be added but I'd rather combine as I've described if the tips are more identical than not. I do want to also add the shape / profile to the system to allow it to more accurately figure out how much heat to apply - but I'd have to see what it does now and see if it is even worth doing.

author: prollie
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 20, 2020, 02:43:25 pm
content: I have been digging around and unable to find anything to "fix" (adjust) this. So if you would consider adding an adjustable, temperature *universal offset* (for all tips),, to your laundry list, that would be awesome.I've checked all my 12 ish tips (both original Hakko's and off-brand ones) with a proper, service-calibrated tip thermometer, they're all within the same 8-10°C range (+/- 4-5°C, with Hakko originals closer to +/- 1°C). Both the handle and cpu temp sensors are giving fairly accurate readings. Yet the station says every single tip is exactly 90°C hotter than they actually are.The temp adjustment for "cold end" cannot go anywhere near that far - and I really don't wanna use that for correcting a huge baseline error, when the sensors (and displayed readout) for cold end are actually correct within 1-3°C, and adjusting that down to say it's -9°C only gets me under halfway there anyway.Having been unable to find a way to correct this erronious +90°C baseline offset on tip temps, this forces me to have to go through the long, tedious calibrating with every single new tip I get/use, and get their curves out of wack, when the tips themselves are from near to dead accurate (verified with genuine hakko station, calibrated tip temp instrument and a different borrowed Ksger T12/STM32 station).

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2020, 03:52:01 pm
content: Here are a couple of threads on the subject of improving the KSGER. The second thread, toward the end, has a link to a Github repository of the various KSGER versions and to a custom firmware. The firmware has only been proven/ported to work on older HW versions, however, it may be possible to port the PTDreamer's custom firmware over to the "3.1S" hardware. I, personally, don't have the knowledge to do so.One thing pointed out is that it sounds like KSGER has locked the firmware and the only way to back it up is to get a new STM32 chip, desolder the old, and solder in a new one with the firmware you want. But there are others with more experience and knowledge than I and if they chime in, they can (and Ithoroughly encourage) correct anything that I may have misstated.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/stm32-oled-digital-soldering-station-for-t12-handle/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ksger-t12-stm32-v3-1s-soldering-station/

author: Acecool
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 01:59:23 pm
content: There is a PID thing in the menu, and those have different numbers. In the calibration menu, it seems one or more of these values could be tied into the the value returned by the thermometer... it could be these are used to universally change the temperature.I'll give it a shot to see if these do change it - since I have a thermometer and will be able to quickly check.Typically, with the STM32 chip, there is a pin you can short, or 2 pins to shunt together which should change the boot mode. One mode is normal running, and this can block you from properly connecting to it. Let me test this real quick with my usb adapter on a smaller STM32 chip... So trying in both modes.Getting different messages so it may be the case... STM32 chips are usually pretty inexpensive. The ones for my previous build were under $2 each if I recall correctly, but the ones on the KSGER station have a lot more pins. Probably under $10... If that is a cost necessary to update the software and make something more user-friendly, then I'm fine with it.However, there must be a way to use the current chip. The absolute worst case I can imagine is having to use a new chip... but a more likely situation is the chip has to be completely wiped. Now, it could be that the boot mode pin( s ) are set up in such a way that I have to cut traces on the board - which would also be fine and would be a non-issue... It would mean that they would be programming the chips prior to placing them on the PCB - which is doable and there are trays specifically used to make contact with all of the pins for testing, etc...Once I get to the software bits, there should be no issue with setting up a global adjustment - although I don't think it would be ideal.... Maybe a global adjustment per brand, as the Hakko tips have all been spot on, the KSGER tips have been off... and the Quicko one was also off... So if I did the branding system for tips and the multiple tips per model - then setting up a global adjustment per brand may be better because if you do that for all tips, but Hakko is fine, then the Hakko is now off... So maybe a quick selection menu to do this... Although I think the best solution would be to fix the calibration system and make a faster way to calibrate... Honestly going from a high temp to low seems a bit weird to me - the 2 different modes I talked about may be a good way to speed it up making it less tedious... then the system to add multiple tips and id which brand will make it so you can calibrate easily... then the auto tip selection menu opening when you switch tips would be nice...I'm able to connect to one of my devices - the others I'm encountering issues so I'll have to look into that. I'll grab the pin-out for the chip though which is the easiest part... it is the STM32 F103 RBT6I'll take a look at the github, etc... thank you :-)As for changes between hardware, if I can get a schematic of the hardware I can see which hardware pins have changed. It is unlikely it is massively different though. But if anyone can take photos of the front board and the STM32 chip - that would tell me if they used the same or swapped between versions. I do know of a few changes where they used the GX12 connector to a lead, and connected that to the board - and for 3.1 the connector is soldered to the board which does help with keeping the board straight ( if it was soldered straight - I desoldered mine and straightened it while I was fixing the error / heatup issue along with no ground, no rotary encoder mechanical tabs used, no ground plane used for the mechanical anchor points for the rotary encoder, and a few other things )... Software is where I shine though.Now, I do know that ST Micro does have a security system; or at least for the chips supplied to the US Military there is the option to lock the chips so it may not be possible to wipe and start clean if this is done... I don't know why they would do that, and still have the STM32 programming header pins available to the user - maybe they will remove it on a newer version and it was an old board they used... not sure...However, there must be some way to wipe the chip so it can be re-used, as the security measure may just be there to protect downloading the software as a hex file which can be uploaded to another chip... ie: taking a missile software and cloning it to other chips without having to recompile, etc... so the protection may only be that... but I'll have to look more into it... but being able to completely wipe the chip should be an option. Additionally, even if the chip is locked - I know of a workaround, but I don't have the equipment to pull that technique off, and I would still just be left with cloning when I want to edit so I will have to start with some code..Maybe I'll buy the 2.1 model, or the small one with the DC 24v 3 or 4 amp brick since the only thing inside is that board, lcd, etc.. That way I don't have to worry about bricking my in-use station. The units are cheap enough and the station only can be had for around $25 USD for an older version. And on at least one of them there is an extra 2 pin header slot next to the 4 pin ( CLK, DIO, GND, VCC ) programming header which could be to change the boot mode for download / upload.I really hope I don't have to reprogram any of the new features - but if I do end up having to then that will take more time and I really just want to fix the bugs, etc... so I am trying to contact KSGER and see if they will release the source to me. If we have to come to some agreement, that's fine... and I would love to see a programming port on these devices... or maybe even a card reader and micro SD card with software which could be loaded without having to do anything special... and if it gets bricked, then have a built in reset mode. Something like that would be amazing and would probably help sell a lot of units because being able to modify the software would be a major win for everyone involved. It would only make the stations better.So, @prollie - I'll try this, but you should too... Long press the rotary encoder, and in the menu, one of the first options is a PID 3 value system... This is likely a way to adjust the power applied, and the temperature sensor data, etc... for the global adjustment. It would make no sense for them to not include such a system as they can easily have a calibrated handle and tip, and basically modify the values for each unit based off of the values provided by that unit, compared to what the station is providing.Look in the tip calibration menu ( press and left ---- press and right for tip selection ) and when you calibrate a tip it gives you a value ( PID or P or something ) which is likely the temperature it is measuring and not the power as when my device went into standby during the calibration of a large spade tip 1400 series, that slowly went down with the temperature, but power would just drop... also based on temp it goes up / down during the entire calibration cycle... this is likely what you are looking for.However, if it isn't then having a global solution may still be beneficial and I will add that, and then one for the brand, then in calibration... or I'll figure something simpler out.

author: Acecool
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 02:50:22 pm
content: I was able to connect... derp move on my end...CTRL + B or Target > Option Bytes....Read Out Protection is at the top. It was set to enabled. I set to disabled, clicked ok and then it read the chip without me telling it to read it... and it looks like it wiped it. Awesome.-------However, it may have completely blanked my chip. I didn't connect to it and after changing read out bytes and hitting ok, it auto read and everything is FF FF FF FF.... I really hope I didn't wipe my station especially as I never selected write, etc..And yep... KSGER no longer shows up on screen.. nothing shows up on screen... Looks like I have no choice now... Although I'm not sure why the hell it wiped the chip when I didn't select it, unless that is part of the protection.

author: Acecool
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2020, 03:16:02 pm
content: I will likely have to purchase another unit; but what I will likely end up doing is desoldering the chip off my current unit, and the new unit... then using a breakout board of some sort and adding thickness to the current board... then attach a socket so I can put a chip in and quick-swap them. This way I can work with the station when I need it, and when I am coding I can swap the chip - this way I can also get baseline measurements so when I copy the hardware design to paper ( software ) that I can add notes for each pin out, and what it appears to be controlling in the software, and what it seems to be doing in reality.This will help me build up a good idea of what everything is doing so that I can create software from scratch if I need to, or if I can start from that older github content and extend it.My plan, though, is to build a library as I normally do and a mapper based on the chip and hardware and the display. This way the same version of software can be used for people running different chips, different displays, and so on.Eventually, if I make good enough software, I may ask for some help designing a quality station in terms of hardware and set it up so it can use Hakko, JBC, misc... attachments without doing anything to the hardware itself. Just plug and play - or get an attachment and plug and go.I have a long list of features I am currently designing such as educationally determining which tip is being used based off of heat dissipation, calibration, last time used ( if still warm... ie: if you are swapping between 2 tips and the other tip is hot but not hot enough to be the current tip then it can only be the last one in the unit unless you have another station - but then you can also choose the automatically displaying tip selection menu to auto select, or just auto highlight, or just nothing... or even prevent it from showing up to begin with )... if you only have 2 tips and the temps are wildly different well.... it'd be pretty obvious. If you have every tip, then it could be based on the life-graph of the tip, current heat compared to last time used and the shape of it so we know how it dissipates heat, resistance of device with life graph, and more --- if I make my own hardware then there will be a way to identify tips easily and tools too so that there is no legwork involved other than getting the id involved )...Also, if I make my own hardware I will have an SD card slot for extra memory, and a network port so multiple stations can be hooked up together and share information, calibration info, etc... also for configuration purposes so you can change config on a local website for each device.On a side note: I'm in talks with STMicro because their software should really warn you that it will wipe the data. Nowhere did the software tell me it was going to erase my data by changing a setting in the software on my pc. Nowhere did it tell me it was even going to connect to the device, edit it, write to it etc.. and this is just virus-like behavior. The software even told me to change the setting in order to be able to connect / read... So this definitely needs to change and now I have to buy a new unit most likely... Even though, according to United States Copyright Law, I have a right, as does anyone else in the States, to create a backup of software so if anything happens, the software can be reinstalled. There are many reasons why this is considered - the header slots are on the board and you don't even have to solder pins to the board to use it. The software is integral to the functionality of the device. The software version and hardware version being separate could lead someone to believe that they may release software updates. etc.. etc.. etc..In regards to the software --- If you have any feature requests for features - please leave them in this thread...I have a very long list of features, plus all of the original features you'd expect in a soldering station and what exists in a soldering station along with:+ A global way to adjust temperature calibration... so if everything is 10 or more degrees off, then you can edit all by 10 degrees so they are less off, or the average so some are above and some are below and some are good... Note: This should be possible in the KSGER system under the PID menu, but I can't confirm at the moment....In addition to this requested feature, I will also add one per brand, and obviously per tip. Hakko branded tips were absolutely flawless in temp until 480C in which case it was 479C on my thermometer. Not bad though... While KSGER was upwards of 50C + off, and calibrating made it worse. Not calibrating wasn't terrible, and calibrating the KSGER tips using the Hakko tips actually improved the KSGER accuracy... still not perfect, and still around 20C off, but better than 50 to 80C...I'll likely post the list of features at some point, but there are pages upon pages upon pages of features listed with design information... so I'll create an actual list of features and then post that.I do plan on making the software available - likely for free.. I may ask for a donation but I will likely not require it. I have no income and I can't sign up for disability because the website is broken and it keeps deleting the data I take the time to enter. I like these sites because I can type, take a break, come back, continue typing, etc.. but there you can click save and then it just deletes your information.

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2020, 05:25:10 pm
content: Thanks for "taking one for the team", sorry it happened.However, for features request, I would ask for a way to switch between degrees F and C instead of just having it in degrees C. I know this only affects us in the Colonies, but most of us think in those terms on a daily basis and it takes some effort to get wrapped around it, especially now that I'm older, in college it was nothing switching back and forth. And as I mentioned in the CFW thread, if you intend to make your HW/FW compatible with the existing KSGER enclosure, the ability to switch between JBC and Hakko in the software. It may still need a physical switch to switch between modes, or perhaps have a second connector, but at least having the ability to switch between the two without having to re-flash the FW would be a nice addition (I think the PTDreamer's FW requires you to either flash it to Hakko compatible or JBC compatible, I don't think it accounts for both, but I don't know).One thing, I'm not sure what you intend to do with your new HW design, but earlier versions of the existing controller have been shown to be able to work with JBC C245 tips, with some modifications, and the use of PTDreamer's FW. You might want to look at the CFW thread for link's to DreamCAT's Github. He has a lot of information on the various controller versions (some of which appear to come equipped to handle a JBC soldering iron with some re-wiring of the connector?) and which ones appear to be compatible with PTDreamer's FW and which ones are not tested/proven. Just a thought, but it may prove to be better to make a "better" version (i.e. using good components, vs. the cheapest available on the original) of an older or current controller design from KSGER and concentrate on the FW.

author: Acecool
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2020, 07:01:31 pm
content: Well, It will motivate me to get another chip, to solder a socket base onto the board or run some wires with a breakout and then I can swap between chips so I can use it and also work on it.I personally use C in the States - but I do know a lot who prefer Fahrenheit because it gives them more precision / more units to adjust which can help keep the tips healthy longer so I see that as a vital QOL function. I didn't add that to my previous design - partly because I thought it was already possible to do and I am going to be duplicating the primary functionality and adding a lot of QOL functionality.What version hardware are you using? Also, what chip are you running? If you can take a photo of the back of the board - that'll help to see if the same versions are identical - I would think there may be some differences based on availability of chips, etc..As for using JBC vs Hakko vs vs vs... With rewiring, they should have the same things - ie: Temp sensor, power, and so on... so the wires could be in the wrong spot and it may be something else... however, you could probably do the exact same thing with a small adapter. Ie: Original 5 pin ( if different wiring isn't needed like which is necessary with the heat wand as that requires 110 / 220 v - but I could also just have a large adapter box and a power board on the unit itself - possibly )... That would re-arrange the wires...Once I am done with the design, etc.. I'll check the pins for these different irons and see what actually needs to be done to get it to work then I can write up a simple guide if someone wants it - ie: GX12-5 to x connector for Hakko or JBC if the wires are the same... hell even if there are fewer wires needed ( JBC may be 3, at least I saw that on one video - can't recall if that included the ground or not because it shares the temp and something else, also meaning it has to poll once, and while polling the temp it can't do something else - someones Youtube video explained that bit )... Based on how the hardware is set up, I can do some stuff in the software to detect what the iron is so it can perform the proper logic - however it will probably come to an adapter... but that will all come after this.The reason it will be after is because I'm not going to change the hardware by default. There are a few things which are important to do on the units such as grounding the case, using the mechanical anchor points on the rotary encoder, etc.. but I don't want to release this and require everyone to run and do a ton of hardware changes for it to work. I want this to be plug and play for the most part. The other handles will be an afterthought on this project, for the most part.However - depending how well this goes and if people like my software, then I may end up making my own station. If I do that then I can easily extend the library and also create the hardware in such a way that when you plug a tool in, it will know what type of tool you are plugging in ( Or will make an educated guess with an option for you to change it ). Based on that, it will decide what each pin will do. In this case, I'll probably use a high quality XLR connection with 8 pins or 10 or something. That way I can do a lot, plus one pin can go through and be used as an ID pin. So I can make an adapter from say JBC to my unit and it will have an identifier code transmitted somehow when plugged in and it will just be a hard adapter, or a short 6" wire to the JBC or Hakko plug and it will use the pins necessary for that tool in the proper configuration. And I intend to make that so anyone can make the cables / adapters, or they can have them made so it is a hard adapter - short and small which just plugs in and changes male to female... So on that I am doing a lot of thinking in how I will incorporate that as I want one station which can be used with pretty much any tool. Tweezers, hot air pencil, hot air wand, soldering irons, soldering guns, desoldering wands, desoldering guns, etc... and if you need a small adapter for a branded one, whatever. if I do end up making and selling the unit then I'd probably just include all of the adapters together.I also have plans for the one I'm designing - hardware and all - to include an ethernet port. This is so multiple units can be daisy chained together so they can share calibration info, and so a server will run and you can set up the devices on a local website. I do want to keep the stations super small and I want people to be able to combine one to many stations together... or maybe I'll make it so a single station with a large screen can be used to use 3 devices at once....There is a ton to design for that aspect; but right now I'm mainly just doing the software aspect and with that it will be usable for the hardware I design because of how I am going to implement the design when it comes to coding.Also, the JBC soldering iron handle is under $100 USB If I recall correctly... A Hakko one if it is just the iron should also be inexpensive. I've been wanting to get some Hakko desoldering gun tip cartridges and quick change station and swap that over on my station... but that'll come after this.Basically, the plan for the hardware is this: I set up a library in code and keep things simple, as I always do. I break the code down into small chunks and I do what needs to be done in lots of functions, objects if that's accessible to me - another STM project I edited used non object oriented language so... but this way, even if there is no object oriented available ( which I'm pretty confident is able to be used as you can use quite a few different languages and some may require a bit more overhead... these chips seem to have a lot more storage too so I shouldn't run out of space ).....so that library is all of the base stuff, like basic navigation, ability to move stuff around for UI, language system, and so on. Then, I set up a simple script which uses that library which is the main logic behind everything and the library just gets plugged in. Then I have another for global values, enumeration, etc.. which links the pinouts, to various other things and set up arrays, and so on. This way if a different chip is used, or if a different pin is used for a different version, instead of having to edit the library, or the main code - I can simply edit the wrapper which controls which pins go to which function. The way I am thinking of it, will let me use the same code regardless of hardware version, etc... and I only have to update the rules in the wrapper, ie pins to what functionality, etc..This way more people can use it, and it can also be used for future projects without having to recode everything or without having to do a massive amount of work. I am still in the design phase and I will look at which languages I am able to use and that will narrow down how I will implement it after the design phase. but the design phase right now is at the beginning - ie: getting the list of features, designing how it should all function and work. From there I go into languages available so I know how to transcribe the design into code. Then coding, then testing..

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2020, 01:19:53 am
content: To answer your question about the HW I have, I will let you know and I intended on taking a photos, once I receive it from Aliexpress. It's close, only a couple of states away. But I probably will not actually get it into my hands until next week at the earliest because I had it sent to my work to avoid "imperial entanglements" with the Chief Financial Officer of the House.And with the Covid situation, I am only going into work physically once a week.Also, the Hakko vs. JBC, others with far more knowledge than I have mapped out things and in some variants there is a built-in, unpopulated area that can be soldered to in order to convert the unit over to be used with a JBC handle. However, there are other modifications that may need to be done, such as in one variant, a resistor has to be removed for use with the JBC, but is needed for the Hakko(?), therefore some way to bypass the resistor would need to be used if that particular design was used as the basis. DreamCAT has his Github repository where he goes over some of this at a high level that I can understand.Edit: Just finished reading through your entire last post and I must say you are ambitious in your ideas of a completely different soldering station. I am hoping for an updated controller that uses the basic KSGER as the base and just replace the OEM with the new one and you get the functionality of being able to use either the Hakko or the JBC (even if that were to require drilling a new hole to add another connector).Also, to update the HW, I likely will receive the same as you as I ordered the "3.1S" as well. I would not think the controller board would bethatmuch different with two units being ordered this close together, but we'll see.

author: Acecool
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 08:42:08 am
content: I knew the KSGER could be modified to also serve as a desoldering station because of the pump controls, but I wasn't aware that they designed it to be easily modifiable for JBC or Hakko. Maybe that's a side effect of their design, and similarities with other stations?A station isn't brain surgery. A lot of functionality is in the software and hardware interface, others just in software. This is why I don't know how much of the tip detection I can do in the current form. I'll need to see exactly what I can do and detect - if I can only detect the temperature sensor which is selected, and send power in, and detect the state of the activity switch then I'll have to use a software hack - basically... when a tip is calibrated, and this will be tied into the calibration system... you set the tip and after calibration I'll likely build a map. So if you plug it in at x temp, I'll have a simple curved graph which should be like a fingerprint for that specific tip as every tip, even identical ones, will have variances.I will see what I can do with the KSGER station and custom software - and I should be able to achieve most of what I want to do albeit I'll likely have to use some hacks or raw software checks I would otherwise be unhappy with. This is why I would like to eventually make a station which has all of the hardware features built in which I would need access to in the software to allow for less code to run, analyze, etc...If you do get the same hardware - the motherboard is black with OLED-V3.0 on it. It has the GX12-5 ( 5 pin 12mm or so ) connector soldered to the board with perforations next to it and a connector above that for power ( 24v I think and ground ). To the left is a pin location fit for a header 2.54mm pitch which grabs from both connectors. There is also a 24V+ label above the box, and a hole next to that which could be power and GND hold under all of them. It also has the small battery onboard.I ran that GND using a solid core patch cable wire to the threads of the GX12-5 so that ground would go to the threads, and it can also go to the case this way if the hole isn't completely covered. I would recommend drilling a hole at the back of the case where the power comes in and using a thick wire to go from ground to the case. The 8 screws are conductive and the threads of the case should be conductive enough when tight to ensure the entire case is grounded if you do this. The rotary encoder has 2 issues - 1: The mechanical socket isn't soldered, or it wasn't for me. I bent the tabs over and soldered those. 2: The mechanical socket doesn't go to ground - so the top left pin of the 5 pins of the rotary encoder + 2 mechanical - the set of 2 at the top, then 2 mechanical in the middle, and 3 at the bottom are for the rotary encoder.... If you connect the ground pin from the rotary encoder which is connected to the ground plane to the mechanical bond socket - either 1 - I used the one on the edge of the board because I didn't have to go over a resistor or around the one in the center of all of this, or avoid anything else - straight shot down basically... then the threads, etc.. of the rotary encoder will be grounded and will also help ground the case.I have only done these mods on the front, I have yet to drill the hole - but the entire case is grounded. I still plan on drilling the hole so if there is an issue there is a more direct path for the fuse to blow.Another mod I did, was to tape some of the golden electrical tape stuff and tape down the LCD ribbon wire as part of it was sticking up - the black pull tab.and I also desoldered everything because the board was crooked. Well, the 5 pin main connector and I added a nut from another connector I had as a spacer between the case and the rotary encoder on the inside. This moved the screen back a bit, but it isn't crooked anymore.I'll attach photos. The unpinned header marked C, D, GND and VCC is for reading / writing to the chip. They are: SWCLK, SWDIO, Ground, 3.3V Power - I use green, blue, black, and red to denote these pins on every other project. I also have a white cable connected to my ST Link V2 for the reset signal. Also, because this is in a different order than my other projects, I made a simple 4p to 4p wire to plug in. I did want to use angled pins to start, but those actually hit the top of the case and the powered pin is actually powered when in normal use so I left them straight. I will probably make a hole in the case somewhere and put the connector through it and have it flush with the case in such a way that I can easily plug into it - I'll need to buy some nail polish to color the output though or maybe get a silk-screening kit to make it look nice on the front...The photos show the modifications on the front. The ground to rotary encoder, the 2 mechanical points for the rotary encoder, the 4 pin header for STM chips, the tape, and the ground to the other connector. -- I used my old iron for these welds, so I'm not happy with them really and I haven't cleaned the board up yet from the core rosin; also, the LCD header wasn't cleaned up by the original folks, along with a few other spots. I didn't mark the nut on the rotary encoder - but if you can see it it is sandwiched between the front plate and the rotary encoder. That isn't there by default.These simple mods help add a path to ground to the casing, and to various spots where it didn't exist, as well as the mechanical attachment points so the encoder isn't relying only on the data pins even though, because it is attached to the front case - the mechanical points shouldn't really matter... because they can be used to go to ground they aren't a bad mod to do.I had to edit the previous post with the other image as editing it to remove data, technically, ie: make the red lines, increased the file size because I used paint.

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 11:57:52 am
content: Wow, thanks for that. You're controller looks about the same as the one in the "original" KSGER V3.1S thread. The person who bought that one had the black PCB, too, with the "3.0 OLED" written on it. So, now I'm pretty confident that mine will look like yours and his. But then who knows when the first batch will run out and they order a new one and if that one will contain more changes.On some of the older PCB's (looking at Aliexpress, where KSGER's official store sells just the controller, albeit the "newest" controller only, is the V2.1s, it looks similar to those pictured in DC's repository on Github), per Dreamcat's Github repository (see the CFW thread) showing the "evolution" of the KSGER soldering station controller, the JBC specific change is that lowest through hole on the output connector side where there are 6 through holes in case someone wants to cut off that "break away" area on the far right side (i.e. the part the 24V has a convenient connector and where the output connector pins are soldered to) and instead use those points to solder the output connector pins to through wires (like the older, pre-V2.1S versions were, from what I came across). I assume that the path for that 6th hole is not connected to any of the output connector pins, but would need to be connected to one of the pins. On the older PCB's there's 5 of those through holes that correspond to the 5 connector pins, at some point, they changed and added a 6th at some evolutionary point in the V2.1S period. I think it is supposed to connect to the temperature sensor pin, which would mean the T12 temperature sensor would have to be de-soldered from the pin or a switch of some sort put in. But that is my guess based on the circuit diagrams DC has posted on his repository, Dreamcat would have a better idea since he has been fleshing this out for quite some time. Also, DC seems to have found some other changes that I had mentioned earlier in that the R0 or R11 resistor would need to be removed, depending on the PCB (not sure there are any corresponding "R" components on this 3.0 OLED board, the ones used for discussion of removal were older ones), but again you'd have to refer to the diagrams he has and the photos of the PCB's they correspond to and trace out that circuit in this newer board.Based on the information I have come across, KSGER made this change to add JBC functionality after PTDreamer informed them of his custom firmware that allowed the user to use either the T12 or JBC handles, however, as mentioned earlier, I believe the user had to decide prior to flashing the firmware which handle they were going to use and comment out the section of the firmware they were not using (i.e. comment out the T12 specific area if they were going to use a JBC handle or vice-versa). I may be wrong, on that, but that is what I understand is going on from reading through the information DC has. Because this functionality has been there for some time, I am a bit surprised that KSGER has not taken advantage of it and come out with a system that could use both or offer a JBC compatible station alongside their existing T12 units.

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2020, 01:44:13 pm
content: Following up with photos. I took one photo of the entire controller, then I took 3 closer up and spliced them using Paint 3D, that one is not perfect, but may show more detail when zoomed in, and I took one of the chip.

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2020, 02:01:23 pm
content: I could not get this one on the same reply because it would exceed the limit.

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2020, 02:01:15 am
content: Ace,It was pointed out to me in another thread that mine did not have "OLED V3.0" screen printed on the PCB like yours does, otherwise it seems similar (I have not done an indepth comparison). I purchased mine from Aliexpress through "KSGER Official Store", where did you purchase yours from? I'm curious as to why the difference. The only other thing I can think of, assuming we purchased from the same store, is perhaps the one I purchased, which has the thick aluminum front where yours looks like the thin, black metal front (aluminum?), may have been more popular and sold out the initial lot quicker and I got a "second run" (or later) which the "OLED V3.0" was omitted.Or perhaps the "KSGER Official Store" is not really the official store.