SparkFun's Toaster Oven Reflow Control Board Gives You a Starting Point for Your Own Conversions
"The Toaster Oven Reflow Control Board is not intended to be a final product," the company warns — and you'll need to write your own code.
SparkFun has launched a board designed to turn a toaster oven into a highly-flexible solder reflow station — but, it warns, it is "not intended to be a final product."
Reflow ovens are a great tool for anyone working with surface-mount soldering, but they're often surprisingly pricey. There's no surprise, then, to see hackers turning considerably cheaper toaster ovens into temperature-controlled timer-enabled reflow ovens — and, sometimes, the odd waffle maker.
Now, anyone looking to upgrade a toaster oven of their own has a starting point. "Designed exclusively with SparkFun's À la Carte custom board designer," the company writes of its latest board design, "the Toaster Oven Reflow Control Board is just that – a single, fully populated board for DIY temperature measurement and load control."
The board offers control for up two heating coils rated at 5A/120VAC, two temperature inputs for K-type thermocouples, and includes an on-board encoder with button to drive a user interface that can be displayed on a 16x2 character-based LCD. Its microcontroller, meanwhile, is an Artemis module — which means it comes complete with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support for wireless control and monitoring.
Anyone expecting all that to work out-of-the-box, though, may be disappointed: SparkFun is clear the board is a starting point only. "The Toaster Oven Reflow Control Board is not intended to be a final product," the company says, "and that's what we think is beautiful about it! Including a Qwiic connector to easily add additional sensors or other components will help make this project fit your DIY monitoring and reflow needs."
The software side is also a work-in-progress: A sample sketch is included to demonstrate the hardware, but it does not turn the board into a functional reflow controller. "Knowledge of programming with the Arduino IDE is highly recommended for purchasers of this board," the company warns.
The SparkFun Toaster Oven Reflow Control Board is now available on the company's store, priced at $69.95 — and with an order limit of one per customer. The company also sells compatible thermocouples for $4.95 each — but you'll have to provide your own toaster oven.