describe contacts on cellphone battery??

[C. A.]

[eliminate S-P-A-M and the 'rating' if you want to reply by email,
I'll check the newsfroup for a response, thanks.]

I have a couple `smart' batteries from an old Motorola Startac phone
I'd like to repurpose. The model number is SNN4904B, it's a Ni-MeH
battery (500 MAh) and has four contact points. I'd like to:

1. Recharge the batteries, and don't know which of the leads I should
use.

2. Use the batteries, and am similarly perplexed.

One of the leads has approx. 4V out when I put a mmeter between it and
any of the other leads. But the fact there are 3 other leads (uh) leads
me to wonder what damage I could do to the battery if I am not careful to
proceed.

I can charge it in the old cellphone ok, but I'd like to be able to do
it in situ with a trickle charger...

I should mention I don't know too much about electronics -- I have a bunch
of books though, and want to learn.

Yours,

Charles
--
Charles Abney
Bio-Stats Programmer
Polymorphism Research Laboratory, 0603
UCSD School of Medicine

 

[Dr. A.T. Squeegee]

In article <slrnbven6s.8c3.cabney@localhost.localdomain>,
cabneyxxx@SPAMucsdSPAM.edu says...

[eliminate S-P-A-M and the 'rating' if you want to reply by email,
I'll check the newsfroup for a response, thanks.]

I have a couple `smart' batteries from an old Motorola Startac phone
I'd like to repurpose. The model number is SNN4904B, it's a Ni-MeH
battery (500 MAh) and has four contact points. I'd like to:

1. Recharge the batteries, and don't know which of the leads I should
use.

2. Use the batteries, and am similarly perplexed.

<snipppety>

Strongly suggest using the approved Motorola charger for these.
You can probably find them on Ebay pretty cheap.

As for 'using' them... What for? They're pretty much designed for
the phones they're supposed to power. Considering the vast variety of
battery types that are readily and cheaply (for the most part) available
in the electronics world, forcibly adapting cellphone batteries for a
different application seems to me to be a big waste of time.

Even if it were practical, the Motorola 'smart' batteries have
electronic components in them that interact with corresponding
electronics in the charger. The format and means by which they interact
are proprietary to Motorola. They don't even issue service manuals for
the vast majority of their cellphone gear, and the chargers are no
exception. This means no schematics, and custom IC's all over the place.

If you really want to make a hobby of electronics, you may wish to
consider getting your amateur radio license. Tinkering and
experimentation is a big part of the hamateur's world (at least it is
for those who choose to do that part of it).

Happy hunting.


--
Dr. Anton Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t c&o&m
Motorola Radio Programming & Service Available -
http://www.bluefeathertech.com/rf.html
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)

 

[C. Abney]

In article <MPG.1a616a20790e7b93989bdb@192.168.42.131>, Dr A.T Squeegee wrote:

In article <slrnbven6s.8c3.cabney@localhost.localdomain>,
cabneyxxx@SPAMucsdSPAM.edu says...

I have a couple `smart' batteries from an old Motorola Startac phone
I'd like to repurpose. The model number is SNN4904B, it's a Ni-MeH
battery (500 MAh) and has four contact points. I'd like to:
[deletia]
As for 'using' them... What for? They're pretty much designed for
the phones they're supposed to power. Considering the vast variety of
battery types that are readily and cheaply (for the most part) available
in the electronics world, forcibly adapting cellphone batteries for a
different application seems to me to be a big waste of time.

I'm considering using them to power an MCU in a robotics project.

Even if it were practical, the Motorola 'smart' batteries have
electronic components in them that interact with corresponding
electronics in the charger. The format and means by which they interact
are proprietary to Motorola. They don't even issue service manuals for
the vast majority of their cellphone gear, and the chargers are no
exception. This means no schematics, and custom IC's all over the place.

All correct, it is only a big pity NOT to use them. They were very
expensive to acquire, and aren't useless even after the cellphone they
once powered IS. I scoured the 'Net for information about the chips found
in the battery pack or some info from Motorola. Zip.

They don't have nearly the power available in AA-batteries today, and
aren't that attractive. Still, it's a damn shame that they should
just be thrown out.

I've used a non-proportional font and digraphs to represent the schematic:
(sorry if this isn't an appropriate formatting technique.)

⊙ ⊙ ⊙ ⊙
| ∼ ∼ |
| ┌⊙┐ ∥ |
| | | ∼ |
| icC| | ∼ |
| └⊙┘ ∥ |
| ∼ ∼ |
| +∥ ∥ ⊙-------⊙
| --- ∼ | |
| - ∥ icB ┌⊙┐ |
< --- ∥ └⊙┘ ⊙-------⊙-⊙
R1 > - ∼ | | |
< -∥ ∥ ⊙---------------⊙ ⊙
| ∼ ∼ | icA | |
⊙-------⊙=======⊙-------⊙ ⊙_⊙

=: fat lead
-: thin lead or ic edge

labels (or values)
R1: 11.3kOhm
icA: DS5 2502 948C3
icB: HSF (couldn't get a capacitance if that's what it is)
icC: 19 (V w/superimposed inverted V) (inverted 19)

icC, on one of the batteries, is simply a piece of metal sandwiched between
two other pieces of metal, bound together with the label tape.

icB looks like it may be a (polar?) capacitor?

icA only uses two of its six pins.

--
Charles Abney
Polymorphism Research Laboratory, 0603
UCSD School of Medicine

 

[C. Abney]

Well, that didn't work at all! Ok, I think I can get rid of those digraphs.

In article <slrnbvj3o3.8c3.cabney@localhost.localdomain>, C. Abney wrote:

+ + + +
| | | |
| +-+ | |
| | | | |
| icC| | | |
| +-+ | |
| | | |
| +| | +-------+
| --- | | |
| - | icB +-+ |
--- | +-+ +-------+-+-
R1 > - | | | |
-| | +---------------+ +-
| | | | icA | |
+-------+-------+-------+ -+_+-

labels (or values)
R1: 11.3kOhm
icA: DS5 2502 948C3
icB: HSF (couldn't get a capacitance if that's what it is)
icC: 19 (V w/superimposed inverted V) (inverted 19)

icC, on one of the batteries, is simply a piece of metal sandwiched between
two other pieces of metal, bound together with the label tape.

icB looks like it may be a (polar?) capacitor?

icA only uses two of its six pins.

Also I found this (through a link in another post?):

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-17.htm

Yours,

Charles
--
Charles Abney
Polymorphism Research Laboratory, 0603
UCSD School of Medicine

 

[gothika]

On 3 Jan 2004 18:03:32 -0700, "C. A." <cabneyxxx@SPAMucsdSPAM.edu>
wrote:
I have a box full of old cell phones and use the batteries for other
things when I can.
Here's what I do.
If you have the charger stand match up the 2 charger contaccts with
the 2 mating contacts on the battery. These 2 battery contacts ar the
"discharge" contacts that you'll use to power whatever you hook up to
them. The other 2 contacts on the battery are for sensing charge rate,
ignore 'em.
A simple check with a volt meter will give you the polarity if the
battery isn't marked.
It's best to stick with the charger that comes with the cell if you
can, just rewire it to make it easy to hook up the battery for
recharge.
another thing about these batteries. They come in a modular plastic
case or sometimes are "shrink wrapped" in plastic film.
You can cut these apart to get the batteries apart for lower voltage
requirements.
On the plastic cases I use a dremel with a cutoff wheel and cut along
the welded seam to open clamshell style.
The shrinkwrapped ones can be cut with an exacto or utility knife.
Then just desolder the batteries.
You can resolder them in series for the voltage you need.
I used small cell phone batteries to make a battery cluster for my
remote controls, then put a sub-mini coaxial jack on the side of my
remote to attach the charger to.
The batteries are Nickel metal hydride so are no as vulnerable to
memory effect. So I put the remote on charge at night when it's not in
use insuring my remote will never go down when needed.
Saved a fortune on remote batteries in the past year or so.
And I always am getting more cells as businesses in my area are always
dumping their cellulars every time they change services. Just gotta
know where to dumpster dive.

[eliminate S-P-A-M and the 'rating' if you want to reply by email,
I'll check the newsfroup for a response, thanks.]

I have a couple `smart' batteries from an old Motorola Startac phone
I'd like to repurpose. The model number is SNN4904B, it's a Ni-MeH
battery (500 MAh) and has four contact points. I'd like to:

1. Recharge the batteries, and don't know which of the leads I should
use.

2. Use the batteries, and am similarly perplexed.

One of the leads has approx. 4V out when I put a mmeter between it and
any of the other leads. But the fact there are 3 other leads (uh) leads
me to wonder what damage I could do to the battery if I am not careful to
proceed.

I can charge it in the old cellphone ok, but I'd like to be able to do
it in situ with a trickle charger...

I should mention I don't know too much about electronics -- I have a bunch
of books though, and want to learn.

Yours,

Charles