Temperature-Controlled Soldering Iron

One reason why commercial soldering stations are expensive is that, in

general, they require the use of soldering irons with inbuilt temperature
sensors, such as thermocouples. This circuit eliminates the need for a
special sensor because it senses the temperature of a soldering iron heating
element directly from its resistance. Thus this circuit will, in principle,
work with any iron with a resistance which varies predictably and in the
right direction with temperature (ie, positive temperature coefficient).

A soldering iron thats ideally suited for use with this controller is
available from Dick Smith Electronics (Cat T-2100). This circuit runs
from a 12V battery or a mains-operated DC source. It works as follows: a
DC-DC converter (IC1, Q1, D1, Q2, T1, D2, L1, etc) steps up the 12V DC
input to about 16V. The higher voltage boosts the power to the iron and
reduces warm-up time. This output voltage is applied to a resistance
bridge in which the heating element of the iron forms one leg.

Circuit diagram:

Temperature-Controlled Soldering Iron Circuit Diagram

The other components of the bridge include resistors R7-R9 and pots
VR2-VR4. When the iron reaches a preset temperature, as set by VR4, the
output of IC2a goes high, sending a signal to switching regulator IC1. This
forces the output of the converter to a relatively low voltage. A bi-colour
LED indicates that the iron has reached the preset temperature by
changing from red to green. The iron now begins to cool until it drops
below the preset temperature, at which point the output voltage from the
DC-DC converter goes high again and the cycle repeats.

A degree of hysteresis built into the circuit makes the LED flicker between
red and green while the iron is maintained at its preset temperature.
Calibrate the circuit as follows: while the iron is still relatively cold,
monitor the input voltage and current and adjust VR1 so that the input
power (Volts x Amps) is about 50W. When you have done that, set VR4
to maximum and adjust VR2 so that the LED flickers between red and
green when the iron has reached the desired maximum temperature.

Finally, set VR4 to mid-position and adjust VR3 so that the LED flickers
when the iron reaches the desired mid-range operating temperature. As an
example, you might choose to set the maximum temperature to about
400C and the mid-range operating temperature to about 350C. The
overall temperature range, in that case, should be approximately 280C to
400C. Check that the calibration is correct and repeat the adjustment
procedure if necessary. Use a temperature probe, preferably one designed
especially for soldering irons, rather than guesswork, when making the
adjustment.

Note:

VR4 should have a logarithmic taper to compensate for non-linearity in
the temperature-resistance characteristic of the soldering iron.