Temperature Control of a Custom-Made Soldering Station Using the Coefficient Diagram Method

This article explores the applicability of the coefficient diagram method to design a soldering iron temperature controller. Soldering processes require precise control over temperature to ensure optimal solder joint quality and prevent damage to electronic components. Traditional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller design methods are less systematic than Coefficient Diagram Method (CDM) which only require a minimum input from the user focusing on the relationships between the expected system’s coefficients and performance criteria. By resorting to this method, an alternative temperature controller for soldering iron tips is developed, taking into account the thermal dynamics of the soldering process, including heat transfer characteristics, thermal inertia, and environmental factors. The effectiveness of the proposed temperature controller design is evaluated through experimental validation.