KSGER Hot air station. Is any one else seeing this? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: sacentre
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2021, 11:38:18 am
content: I recently bought a replacement set of PCBs for my KSGER Hot Air station. Here's the link to the product.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33034917082.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.3e2c7c5dqpYaSk&algo_pvid=4169eaa6-9fe2-4924-8af4-6df8aea8aa5b&algo_exp_id=4169eaa6-9fe2-4924-8af4-6df8aea8aa5b-22&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2267381296310%22%7DThe SW is the latest (2019) 1.02 version. Apart from "Tues" being spelt "Thes", the RTC doesn't keep time. It gains about 30 min in 24 hours no matter how I adjust the "RTC Adj" setting in the menu. I don't really need a clock display and the gun works fine otherwise. I just wondered if they are all like this or if I just had another (slightly) faulty board.Trevor

author: ygi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2021, 07:41:12 pm
content: Could be populated on the screen side but I don't see an external crystal on that board. If it relies on the STM32's internal clock to keep the time, it's no surprise the accuracy would suck. On the other hand, if there's a crystal under the screen, it might be damaged or just a low quality part.

author: sacentre
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2021, 10:42:32 am
content: You're correct: there's no external clock crystal. That said, I've built several digital clocks from kits that use the same or similar STM chip also with no external clocking and they keep time surprisingly well like a couple of seconds drift in a month. I was trying to see if there was anything to be gained from ordering another replacement board.

author: mastershake
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2021, 04:28:02 pm
content: there are two different style boards for these. the one you have is the newer style there is another style board out there i dont know how this one works as i dont have this one here. their latest version they sell is 1.04 i do not know the differences the two i have are 1.02 and 1.03https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847424634.html?mark=ple&dp=8bd7f7375a5973ce506ad98db99eedaf&af=701906&cv=1068989&afref=https%3A%2F%2Fen.aliradar.com%2F&mall_affr=pr3&utm_source=admitad&utm_medium=cpa&utm_campaign=701906&utm_content=1068989&dp=8bd7f7375a5973ce506ad98db99eedaf&af=701906&cv=1068989&afref=https%3A%2F%2Fen.aliradar.com%2F&mall_affr=pr3&utm_source=admitad&utm_medium=cpa&utm_campaign=701906&utm_content=1068989&aff_fcid=3b6195dc571a4e92a19e182e8ffcddba-1636993940442-08274-_ePNSNV&aff_fsk=_ePNSNV&aff_platform=portals-tool&sk=_ePNSNV&aff_trace_key=3b6195dc571a4e92a19e182e8ffcddba-1636993940442-08274-_ePNSNV&terminal_id=6ec2e69baf1f4d17b23b4edc70eddfcc

author: ygi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2021, 06:26:54 pm
content: Well, here's a pic taken from the link above that says you need to install a crystal to use the clock (see 7.):So my guess is they realized how bad the drift was on first version and disabled it then came up with a DIY workaround for V2 in case you still want the pointless clock. That's ksger for you, cutting more corners and increasing prices with every revision

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 15, 2021, 06:31:15 pm
content: Soldering/hot air station with a real-time clock? NOBODY needs that, a waste of coin-cell battery. Unless that is where user settings are stored.It's possible OP's controller board has the wrong tuning fork crystal (not for STM32) or the battery voltage is low. One KSGER soldering iron controller had a resistor that drained the RTC battery dead in a few weeks. Another possibility is a bad PCB layout with the crystal's traces picking up noise.I would guess the battery is near dead or the crystal's load capacitance is wrong, there might be even F/W config for the crystal that is incorrect.

author: sacentre
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 04:38:43 am
content: Quote from: mastershake on November 15, 2021, 04:28:02 pm

author: sacentre
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 04:41:49 am
content: Quote from: ygi on November 15, 2021, 06:26:54 pmThanks ygiThose instructions were taken from the link in my OP? I must have missed that. Where exactly is it?

author: mastershake
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 05:02:02 am
content: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32860654416.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.2.1d5eb506tk8yAVright in the pics and i asked they confirmed 1.04. so there is 1.02, 1.03, and 1.04. if you look the newest one uses blue colored boards

author: sacentre
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 05:17:36 am
content: Yes, I see but that's for the complete unit, right? I don't think they've got around to selling spare boards with the v1.04 firmware yet. Maybe I'm sill missing something.

author: mastershake
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 05:23:27 am
content: not sure. i know some who ordered the 1.03 and got 1.02 etc so think they ship kind of whatever for the hot air boards

author: ygi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 11:11:27 am
content: Quote from: sacentre on November 16, 2021, 04:41:49 amYou did not miss it, I took it from the first AE link mastershake provided.

author: sacentre
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2021, 11:29:31 am
content: Quote from: ygi on November 16, 2021, 11:11:27 amActually, I was completely incorrect when I replied to you about there being no external crystal (I am losing it big time!). It's right there behind the LCD as can be seen in the photo. Sorry about that. I also checked the backup battery and this reads 3.1 volts.. So I guess the crystal is faulty or there's some other problem on the board.