Anyone who uses a RAID controller with a battery backup module will eventually need to replace the battery. My Adaptec 5405 RAID controller served for about four years before the utility indicated that the battery needed replacing. The problem was that when I checked the prices, I found that this battery module costs around $140! However, looking at the battery size and markings, I figured it shouldn’t be too difficult to solder in a mobile phone battery worth about $3.
First, to verify that the problem was actually in the battery and not in the controller board, I desoldered it and probed all four pins with a voltmeter, looking for the power output. Only one pin was marked with a (+) sign, but I found no voltage on any of the connections.
The charge controller itself is usually mounted on a large flexible PCB ribbon attached to the side of the battery. This ribbon wraps around the Li-Ion cell, probably for better temperature control. The markings on this ribbon are clear: the “B−” and “B+” terminals connect directly to the battery, while “P−” and “P+” are the output terminals that supply power to the controller board. We disconnect the contacts from the battery and unfold the ribbon.
For the replacement, I bought a Samsung 1200mAh 3.7V battery. It turned out to be slightly larger than the original, which I initially thought might be a problem, but it wasn’t important since we could mount it however we wanted. Next, I had to open the plastic case and extract the battery cell itself, discarding the standard charge controller board that was glued to it.
Once extracted, the battery cell dimensions turned out to be identical to the original! This is why I showed that earlier photo—it’s a 100% fit. The only minor issue is that the original battery had its negative and positive terminals on opposite sides of the case, while the mobile battery has both terminals on the same end (where the charge controller board was attached).
The solution was simple. Tracing the path on the flexible ribbon from the B+ contact, we can see it’s directly connected to P+, and the mobile battery terminal can stretch just enough to reach it! We solder the terminals and wrap them up. Then we measure the voltage between P− and P+, confirming it’s there (I got 3.95V). Finally, we solder the battery cell back onto the module board with all four contacts.
We install it, power it on, and are pleased to see the green LED next to the battery light up.
Finally, we confirm that the Adaptec storage manager utility shows everything is normal and the battery is charging properly.
So you removed the charging controller of the Samsung battery, correct? And did you then connect the Samsung battery to the Adaptec charge controller?
Yes.
Hello, i read your post. I find this relay good. I must also replace the akku from my Adaptec 5805.
One question: can i use also this Akku?
https://www.conrad.de/de/spezial-akku-18650-stecker-li-ion-esotec-solardekoleuchten-akku-37-v-1800-mah-1364780.html
When i read the post right: i must connect only B+ and B- with the Akku?
Yes, that’s right
Hi. This article is absolutely great! Thanks very much for taking the time to write it up. I have an Adaptec 5405 with an ABM-800 that needs the battery replacing. I have disassembled the battery now.
I do have a concern, and i wonder if anyone has an idea on this. The flexible PCB wrapped around the battery is the safety circuitry – i guess thermal and short circuit protection. It would be much easier & safer if we could find a type of battery which we could attach to the 4 connectors with its own circuitry in place. I notice that the Adaptec ABM-800T has the same battery controller PCB, but the battery is connected by 4-wires and placed remotely. Mobile phone batteries seem to just have 3-wires (+ and – and a thermistor sensor). Any suggestions?
I can’t find the same Samsung battery as used here, and the newer ones look like they are wider and flatter (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Y S5360, EB454357VU). For the time being I’m going to try an “NP60” 3.7 1200mAh camera battery which looks more like the shape of the one used in this article and which I can buy cheaply. I will try using a bit of Kapton tape & Silicone Self-Fusing tape to wrap the circuit tightly to the new battery cell.
Best Regards
So.. in case anyone is looking to do the same, the NP-60 battery is just the right size and works absolutely fine! However, the replacement process is not for a novice. You need to be familiar with electronics and good at soldering.
I used Kapton and silicone tapes to seal it all back up. All good.
Next i would like to setup the MaxCache SSD but I see Adaptec made it such that only their “keyed” Intel SSDs work on the 5-series models other than those with a “Q” prefix. I dont see either the Q models or the MaxCache SSDs for sale so I’m wondering if there is some way to update the firmware or SSD to convince it to work with a standard Intel SSD (on 5405 or 5805 model).
What happened to the text of his article? Words seem scrambled:
“There have already signed all the sanity – perfectly clear conclusions “B-“ and “B +” to go directly to the battery, and the “P -“, “P +”, with which the output voltage has obviously goes to the board itself. Contact us to break away from the battery, and the film unfolds.”
Contact us to break away? “Signed all the sanity?”
sorry, that was an automatic translation, corrected to:
“We tear off the contacts from the battery, and unfold the film.”
It’s these batteries, Bought one to swap my old swollen battery out as it stopped charging
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-BATTERY-FOR-SAMSUNG-SPH-M330-SPH-M340-SPH-M350-SEEK/192055337621?hash=item2cb763e295:g:vcwAAOxy0x1TT7Lx