The TS100 is a popular entry into the new breed of small temperature-controlled soldering irons that, at least for some of us, have started to replace the bulky soldering stations of old. Unfortunately, one downside of this particular model is the need to plug it into a fairly ungainly laptop-style power supply, which certainly hinders its otherwise portable nature. But [Dennis Schneider] has come up with a very slick solution to that problem by adding a USB-PD module to his TS100.
The idea here is very simple: just remove the original DC barrel connector, and in its place install a USB-PD trigger module. In practice it took more than a little fiddling, cutting, persuasion, and creative soldering (ironically, with a soldering station), but the end result does look quite professional.
It helps that the USB-PD module [Dennis] used was almost the exact same width as the TS100 PCB, meaning that the modified iron could go back into its original case. Though as we saw not so long ago, there’s a growing community of 3D printed replacement cases should you select a trigger module that doesn’t so neatly fit the footprint of the original board. Or if you didn’t want to modify the iron at all, you could always just make an external adapter.
Those that have some experience with these irons might be wondering what the point of modifying the TS100 to take USB-C is when we already have the TS80. As it turns out, while the TS80 is using a USB-C connector it doesn’t actually use USB-PD, so its not taking advantage of the enhanced power delivery capabilities. We know, it’s all kind of confusing.
I used the same chip to an female xt60 so I can still use the silicon cable I got from RDQ.com
Am I just weird in actually liking the DC barrel jack on a TS100 and the fact I can plug in a wide range of voltages (or a LiPo battery)?
Yes I also wondered why the guy didn’t just make an adapter cable from USB-C to barreljack, with appropriate electronics to take advantage of USB-PD. Seems like it would have been easier.
This is what I did prompted by the previous HaD article on this topic. There’s a small voltage drop with the adapter cable version, but it’s much more robust and the barrel jack rotates indefinitely, keeping the cable tangle free. Thanks to whoever originally posted this hack!
But the disadvantage of a sleeve is that it is barely enough space for the laptop and charger. Also, it is a relatively unsafe option for people who are prone to rough handling of their laptops.
You can now just buy USB-C to 2.5mm 20v adapters on Amazon! It works beautifully.