This is a follow up to a previous post on a way to get temperature control for a plug-in soldering iron without a temperature sensor. Instead of using a sensor to control the temperature, this unit sends power to the soldering iron in precisely timed pulses in a way that mimics the timing of how a temperature controlled soldering station does.
Pulse timer controller for plug-in soldering irons
Watching the LED of a high quality soldering station blink on and off while the soldering iron was maintaining stable temperature gave me the idea. It looked like it was going on and off with regularity in a rhythm. I thought, why not use a timer circuit to do something similar for a regular plug-in soldering iron? (more…)
PCB Smoke 