Hercules 20v Battery - Pinout? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2024, 03:47:41 am
content: I'm trying to power a Hercules impact driver from a different battery.I do not have access to a Hercules battery.The tool has 4 contacts, two for power, and another two unknown terminals.Without the two other terminals connected, the tool refuses to run.Does anyone know what these terminals are for? Or have a battery they can try to identify their function from?Thanks!

author: Phil1977
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2024, 11:22:21 am
content: In case no one has a functioning model of this battery:Quite often (e.g. at Makita & Dremel) the battery has a "Power good"-output telling the motor driver that everything's okay. If you connect the power-contacts to your lab supply, you could try to connecting e.g. a 1kOhm-resistor between (+) and the two unknown terminals. From my gut feeling chances are low you destroy something but chances are there that you activate the motor.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2024, 12:04:36 pm
content: I think it may be a temperature sensor, just a temperature dependent resistor. I would try putting a resistor. First between the two free terminals and if that doesn't work then between each terminal and the negative of the battery.Think one would have a temperature dependent resistor to negative and the other might be for data or battery capacity identification.

author: fzabkar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2024, 06:22:34 pm
content: I would at least start by measuring the voltage at those two pins after connecting just the battery terminals. If one terminal is sitting at 5V, say, then that could be the top end of a regulated potential divider. This would be consistent with a temperature sensor. The bottom end would be grounded, either directly or through a resistor.

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2024, 10:32:00 am
content: One pin goes to 5v when the trigger is pulled, and stays there once its released for about 2 seconds.There also looks to be a 1.5ms 0v pulse while this pin is held high.The other pin doesn't seem to measure anything.

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 10:33:45 am
content: Quote from: AmmoJammo on June 24, 2024, 10:32:00 am10k pull down on the 5v pin drops it to 3.3volts.But it still doesn't power up.Nor does grounding the other pin at the same time.

author: Phil1977
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 12:16:08 pm
content: You could buy an adapter like this:https://www.ebay.com/itm/204832576543It seems to have two input and three output pins. So it knows the secret how to activate the Hercules tool.Maybe there is more info somewhere how these adapters work.

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 12:54:41 pm
content: Where do the two contacts go? Maybe you could post a photo of the PCB,and if the contacts go there, maybe you could mark where they go?

author: fzabkar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 04:42:52 pm
content: Quote from: AmmoJammo on June 25, 2024, 10:33:45 amThere must be a 5.1K series resistor. Perhaps you could try 4K7 or less?

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2024, 07:56:11 am
content: Quote from: Phil1977 on June 25, 2024, 12:16:08 pmI haven't found one to use different batteries in the Hercules tool, and someone else did, but it didn't work in all tools.Quote from: tunk on June 25, 2024, 12:54:41 pmIt's potted.Quote from: fzabkar on June 25, 2024, 04:42:52 pm4k7 pulls it down to ~2.4volts, but it still doesn't do anything.I suspect the other pin, or even this pin, is being used for data..

author: fzabkar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2024, 11:24:10 pm
content: If that pin was a data line, and if the signal was open-collector, one could expect that the 5.1K pullup resistor would be on the receiving end. Therefore, I'm thinking that the battery is sending something to the "controller" via this pin, assuming it's not a simple thermistor.

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2024, 10:20:19 am
content: Quote from: fzabkar on June 28, 2024, 11:24:10 pmThe Ozito tools use the NTC pin for data, when the battery is on the charger...I bought an adapter to use Ozito batteries on Milwaukee tools, and this adapter pulls one of the extra pins to the battery 0v through a 10k resistor, and the other to the battery voltage through a 10k resistor...Not something I'm going to try on the Hercules!

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 04, 2024, 09:20:23 am
content: It seems like Hercules changed the way the newer tools talk to the batteries, so the adapters stopped working, and hence were pulled from sale:https://youtu.be/sdfGr3GHHMw?si=oFpk1HBI6HtltpgD