Comments on: DIY PID Controlled Soldering Hotplate http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/ Join the resistance. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:16:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Eko Yulianto http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5633 Eko Yulianto Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:10:10 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5633 To Chris Taylor : If you want to use Triac, I recommended you to use optocoupler with zero crossing ability, place an optocoupler before triac will isolate the main power line and the phase control circuit, you can use MOC3041. To Chris Taylor :
If you want to use Triac, I recommended you to use optocoupler with zero crossing ability, place an optocoupler before triac will isolate the main power line and the phase control circuit, you can use MOC3041.

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5589 Jeff Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:11:11 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5589 Chris, The solid state relay only switches once per second. This setting is configurable in the PID controller setup. I haven't had an issue with the relay or the ability of the PID to control the temperature, so I've been happy with 1 Hz so far. If you want to get fancy and use proportional control, you could use a triac instead and continuously vary the duty cycle of the heater. This is the recommend way to control cartridge heaters for max life, but I decided that heater life wasn't going to be an issue and opted for the simpler solution instead. If you decide to implement a proportional control please share your results! Jeff Chris,

The solid state relay only switches once per second. This setting is configurable in the PID controller setup.

I haven’t had an issue with the relay or the ability of the PID to control the temperature, so I’ve been happy with 1 Hz so far.

If you want to get fancy and use proportional control, you could use a triac instead and continuously vary the duty cycle of the heater. This is the recommend way to control cartridge heaters for max life, but I decided that heater life wasn’t going to be an issue and opted for the simpler solution instead.

If you decide to implement a proportional control please share your results!
Jeff

]]> By: Chris Taylor http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5588 Chris Taylor Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:20:39 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5588 Great work with your setup! It has inspired me to try something similar with an old laboratory hot plate, fan, k-type thermocouple, and uC (so I can do temperature profiling). My one question for you is how well does the ssd relay work? Have you had trouble with them burning out? From what I have read they burn out if switched too fast (It isn't recommended to switch faster than 1Hz) and it seems like the PID controller would cause this. Is this completely off base? Thanks! Great work with your setup! It has inspired me to try something similar with an old laboratory hot plate, fan, k-type thermocouple, and uC (so I can do temperature profiling).

My one question for you is how well does the ssd relay work? Have you had trouble with them burning out? From what I have read they burn out if switched too fast (It isn’t recommended to switch faster than 1Hz) and it seems like the PID controller would cause this. Is this completely off base?

Thanks!

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5329 Jeff Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:39:06 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5329 I have never used a PT100 sensor before. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work, provided that your PID controller supports RTD sensors. Thermocouples are cheap and easy to work with, so I used them instead. I am not using a temperature profile. The hotplate stays at a constant temperature. I just place boards onto the hotplate and let them warm up, The thermal resistance and mass of the board determines the profile. Larger boards can take a long time, and boards without copper on the bottom take longer too. Not the most elegant setup, but it works great. I have never used a PT100 sensor before. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work, provided that your PID controller supports RTD sensors. Thermocouples are cheap and easy to work with, so I used them instead.

I am not using a temperature profile. The hotplate stays at a constant temperature. I just place boards onto the hotplate and let them warm up, The thermal resistance and mass of the board determines the profile. Larger boards can take a long time, and boards without copper on the bottom take longer too. Not the most elegant setup, but it works great.

]]> By: Eko Yulianto http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5322 Eko Yulianto Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:10:55 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5322 Dear Jeff, I'm confusing for the sensor, I decided to make plate with 180mm x 120mm dimension, but my friend says to me for using PT100 not Thermocouple, please give me suggestions. And can you give me the profile for soldering profile, I'm also confused for the profile Dear Jeff,
I’m confusing for the sensor, I decided to make plate with 180mm x 120mm dimension, but my friend says to me for using PT100 not Thermocouple, please give me suggestions. And can you give me the profile for soldering profile, I’m also confused for the profile

]]> By: Assembling the MakerBot CupCake Stepper Controller (or My First Reflow Solder) « Keith’s Electronics Blog http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5195 Assembling the MakerBot CupCake Stepper Controller (or My First Reflow Solder) « Keith’s Electronics Blog Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:55:39 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5195 [...] diffuses across more of the width of the block before making it to the top. Jeff got this right on his original DIY hotplate on the first [...] [...] diffuses across more of the width of the block before making it to the top. Jeff got this right on his original DIY hotplate on the first [...]

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5055 Jeff Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:03:09 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5055 Eko, You might want to check out the Arduino PID Library: http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/PIDLibrary There may be other PID projects for Arduino or the AVR as well, but that looks like a good starting point! Eko,

You might want to check out the Arduino PID Library:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/PIDLibrary

There may be other PID projects for Arduino or the AVR as well, but that looks like a good starting point!

]]> By: Eko Yulianto http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5050 Eko Yulianto Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:39:21 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5050 Thanks for your aswers, That is good suggestions since difficult find references about DIY reflow skillet or Hot Plate reflow soldering. I would like to using a microcontroller for the PID controller, because I poor for the money, if I buy a Industrial PID Controller. I am college student in mechatronic and interested in SMT, I am very grateful for your advices, I hope you give me another suggestions for my questions in the future. Pardon me for my ugly english :-) Thanks for your aswers, That is good suggestions since difficult find references about DIY reflow skillet or Hot Plate reflow soldering. I would like to using a microcontroller for the PID controller, because I poor for the money, if I buy a Industrial PID Controller. I am college student in mechatronic and interested in SMT, I am very grateful for your advices, I hope you give me another suggestions for my questions in the future.
Pardon me for my ugly english :-)

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5046 Jeff Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:59:52 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5046 Eko - It should be no problem to scale up the design. I would use two heaters instead of one, maybe 250W or 300W each. I'm not sure what spacing is optimal, but I would probably place one heater 1/4 or 1/3 of the length across the long dimension of the block, and the other heater at 3/4 or 2/3 of the length. A wider separation is probably better since the center of the hotplate will be heated by both elements, and you want to try to flatten the heat distribution across the block. The length of each heater cartridge should match the short dimension of the block. Cartridge heaters are available in all shapes and sizes so it should be no problem to find some suitable for your application! Eko – It should be no problem to scale up the design. I would use two heaters instead of one, maybe 250W or 300W each. I’m not sure what spacing is optimal, but I would probably place one heater 1/4 or 1/3 of the length across the long dimension of the block, and the other heater at 3/4 or 2/3 of the length. A wider separation is probably better since the center of the hotplate will be heated by both elements, and you want to try to flatten the heat distribution across the block. The length of each heater cartridge should match the short dimension of the block. Cartridge heaters are available in all shapes and sizes so it should be no problem to find some suitable for your application!

]]> By: Eko Yulianto http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-5034 Eko Yulianto Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:41:45 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-5034 Hey iam Eko from Indonesia! this is awesome projects, your hot plate size is 4" x 3" x 1", I think I want to make a bigger one, that can be use for euro card 160mm x 100mm, can you give me some suggestion for that! please? is like, should i use more than 1 heater, maybe 2 pieces, according to the size of the board? Hey iam Eko from Indonesia! this is awesome projects, your hot plate size is 4″ x 3″ x 1″, I think I want to make a bigger one, that can be use for euro card 160mm x 100mm, can you give me some suggestion for that! please?
is like, should i use more than 1 heater, maybe 2 pieces, according to the size of the board?

]]> By: Daily DIY Network - Science Projects Plans Guides » Blog Archive » DIY PID-controlled solder hotplate http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-4207 Daily DIY Network - Science Projects Plans Guides » Blog Archive » DIY PID-controlled solder hotplate Tue, 05 May 2009 15:01:27 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-4207 [...] a correspondent pointed me to Jeff Keyzer’s mightyOhm blog. I immediately ran across his homebrew PID-controlled soldering hotplate and improvements, and immediately knew I had to have [...] [...] a correspondent pointed me to Jeff Keyzer’s mightyOhm blog. I immediately ran across his homebrew PID-controlled soldering hotplate and improvements, and immediately knew I had to have [...]

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-2819 Jeff Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:17:22 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-2819 That is a great idea! I find that hot air rework is much better for removing parts than installing them. That is where the hot plate comes in - for single sided boards, using a hot plate is much easier with less risk of overheating the board. That is a great idea! I find that hot air rework is much better for removing parts than installing them. That is where the hot plate comes in – for single sided boards, using a hot plate is much easier with less risk of overheating the board.

]]> By: Grapsus http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-2807 Grapsus Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:29:40 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-2807 Nice hotplate! I'm also interested in SMT soldering and got a hot air rework station. A good way of practicing before soldering some valuable components is to desolder TQFP chips from some device, like an usb memory stick and try to solder it back ^^ Nice hotplate! I’m also interested in SMT soldering and got a hot air rework station. A good way of practicing before soldering some valuable components is to desolder TQFP chips from some device, like an usb memory stick and try to solder it back ^^

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-2799 Jeff Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:00:54 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-2799 Lamont - Cool! I have a hot air rework station as well and keep finding more ways to use it. You could add PID control to a skillet pretty easily, by the way... Lamont – Cool! I have a hot air rework station as well and keep finding more ways to use it.

You could add PID control to a skillet pretty easily, by the way…

]]> By: Lamont http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/01/diy-pid-controlled-soldering-hotplate/comment-page-1/#comment-2796 Lamont Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:41:07 +0000 http://mightyohm.com/blog/?p=1010#comment-2796 nice reflow skillet! I was just going to get a hotplate from a garage sale and use my infrared thermometer to measure the surface temp, but yours looks much more professional. (well, at least industrial) I just picked up an amazing stereo microscope off of craigslist and successfully used it to figure out just how badly I'd messed up the 0.65mm pitch HTSSOP parts I'd attempted to solder. That plus my hot air rework station make me an unstoppable SMT fixing machine! nice reflow skillet! I was just going to get a hotplate from a garage sale and use my infrared thermometer to measure the surface temp, but yours looks much more professional. (well, at least industrial)

I just picked up an amazing stereo microscope off of craigslist and successfully used it to figure out just how badly I’d messed up the 0.65mm pitch HTSSOP parts I’d attempted to solder. That plus my hot air rework station make me an unstoppable SMT fixing machine!

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