Just the bit where we opened the tin for the first time... The full video is here:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vjT_fFUFLs If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_JRbmgz2ks

This is the PCB from a Ferrex 40V angle grinder from Aldi. I did the mechanical teardown in another video, so now it's time for its control PCB. One slight correction to make. The battery thermistor input is pulled up to the positive rail and not the zero volt rail. It appears to be used for actual thermistor monitoring as well as control. This PCB has two main functions. It gives a ramped soft start to the tool and also detects the control signal from the 20/40V battery to indicate when it is low on charge or overheating. I don't think the battery itself has any ability to switch power off to the tool. It will be explored in its own video. The bulk of the circuitry is for internal voltage regulation and MOSFET driving, with other simpler sections detecting the switch being turned on or off to facilitate doing another soft start reliably with each switch operation. Reverse engineering this was made a lot harder by the way the PCB is soldered to the battery blades in situ and the fact that a section of it was covered in an unusually resinous silicone-like coating that was very hard to remove cleanly. Mid-play video-adverts are annoying in technical videos, so I don't enable them. If you appreciate that and enjoy my content then you can help support the channel with a contribution of a dollar or two a month on Patreon. That also lets you critique the (advert free) videos before they are released, gives a more direct means of communication with me and also gives access to the regular relaxed Patreon live streams. https://www.patreon.com/bigclive #ElectronicsCreators ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlUrQWefEjg

I've looked at a few of these before and they all seem to have some weird circuitry twist. This one initially looked almost identical to the blue Aldi unit, but the circuitry has some weird bits that are actually quite clever. What's not clever is the current the LEDs are being run at. With a freshly charged battery the current draw was:- High (2 LEDs lit) 3.8A - 11W Medium (1 LED lit) 3A - 9W Low (other LED lit) 1.6A - 4.8W When the zero-ohm links are removed and replaced with one of the 1 ohm resistors the current drops to:- Both LEDs lit:- 1.75A - 5.25W One LED lit:- 1A - 3W The light output is still very useful, but the light runs much cooler and has a considerably higher run time on a charge. That makes it better suited as a rechargeable light source during these turbulent times. Supporting the channel with a dollar or two on Patreon helps keep it independent of YouTube's quirks, avoids intrusive mid-video adverts, gives early access, bonus footage and regular quiet Patreon live streams. https://www.patreon.com/bigclive #ElectronicsCreators ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nQC8Dl92uQ

Fibre optic flowers with the traditional halogen lamp and motorised colour wheel used to be very common, but had lost popularity over the years. The newer version with an LED light source is likely to give them a new lease of life. This was filmed while I was travelling, so it's even boomier than normal due to the boxy room I was in. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPcD3znA2A