Abstract: A power tool is provided including a battery receptacle disposed at a foot of a handle portion, and an integrated power module disposed at or proximate the foot of the handle portion. The integrated power module includes: a module housing having a base body and a terminal support body extending substantially perpendicularly and integrally from an end of the base body in a downward direction; a circuit board mounted within the module housing over the base body and including an inverter circuit electrically coupled to the motor; a battery terminal block supported by the terminal support body to make a connection with a removable battery pack; and conductive connectors extending from the battery terminal, through the terminal support body and the base body of the module housing, to the circuit board, to supply power from the battery pack to the inverter circuit.

Abstract: A switch assembly is provided including a plunger, an elastomer member mechanically coupled to the plunger and moveable along a movement axis, and a circuit board oriented substantially perpendicularly to the movement axis. The elastomer member includes posts of varying heights including electrically conductive material. The circuit board includes conductive tracks facing the posts and electrically coupled to a resistive divider. An actuation of the plunger causes a variable number of contact points between the conductive tracks and the posts corresponding to a travel distance of the plunger along the movement axis. The resistive divider is configured to output a variable voltage signal based on the variable number of contact points.

Abstract: A method of operating a power tool having a motor and a controller during a start-up period of the power tool, the start-up period having a plurality of intervals is provided. The method includes: initializing a current clipping threshold to a baseline value, applying the current clipping threshold to the electrical current drawn by the power tool from the battery pack during a first interval of the plurality of intervals, and gradually increasing the current clipping threshold over subsequent intervals of the plurality of intervals to control a ramp-up curve of the rotational speed of the motor.

Abstract: A control module for a high power motor includes a mounting frame made up of thermally-conductive material including a bottom wall and four side walls; a circuit board disposed within the side walls of the mounting frame; power switches configured as an inverter circuit oriented in two arrays mounted on opposite surfaces of the circuit board; an auxiliary circuit board extending substantially perpendicularly from the circuit board; capacitors mounted on the auxiliary circuit board with a long axis thereof extending parallel to the circuit board and away from the power switches; and connectors mounted between an edge of the circuit board and distal ends of the capacitors.