IoT12

Schematic, PCB files, firmware and 3d models for creating the IoT12 solder iron temperature controller for T12 compatible tips.

IoT12

Schematic, PCB files, firmware and 3d models for creating the IoT12 solder iron temperature controller for T12 compatible tips.

IoT12

IoT12 is a portmanteau: IoT because the controller talks WiFi, T12 for the tip. It is a soldering iron controller you build from three PCBs, firmware and a 3D-printed case. I made it because the closed commercial stations annoyed me - every layer here is open and hackable, and the ESP32 exposes the iron over the network.

The build

  • Three PCBs. Control Board, Power Supply, Display Adapter.
  • KiCad schematics, ATOOMNETKICAD library.
  • Firmware for ESP32 and SAMD21.
  • 3D-printed case, FreeCAD source and STLs.

How the iron stays hot

The T12 tip is the heater and the thermocouple at once. The Control Board pulses +24 V through it, then reads the tiny voltage the tip produces when the power is off - that is the temperature. A SAMD21 runs that loop. The NTC on the handle gives a second temperature, the tilt sensor detects shake-to-wake. The ESP32 does the WiFi, the display and the speaker. Power comes from a dedicated supply board delivering +24 V and +5 V.