LED's

[rda]

Hi there, excuse my ignorance, but I cannot for the life of me remember the
polarity of LED's. Is it the long or shorter of the legs that is the +ve.


Thanks!


--
rda

 

[UncleWobbly]

I never could remember this... has the body got a flat on the lower edge?
this is the cathode (-)
....
having just quickly grabbed one and checked, the short leg is next to the
flat so the short leg is -ve


"rda" <rossallanNoSpAmPlEaSe@totalise.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gxdSb.964$yo6.9624598@news-text.cableinet.net...

Hi there, excuse my ignorance, but I cannot for the life of me remember
the
polarity of LED's. Is it the long or shorter of the legs that is the +ve.


Thanks!


--
rda

 

[Activeviii]

if you go to the maplins web site and look at the leds in there you will see
all the diagrams you need
hope this helps.
Phil

"UncleWobbly" <hendy@talk21.com> wrote in message
news:40196a54$0$18376$fa0fcedb@lovejoy.zen.co.uk...

I never could remember this... has the body got a flat on the lower edge?
this is the cathode (-)
...
having just quickly grabbed one and checked, the short leg is next to the
flat so the short leg is -ve


"rda" <rossallanNoSpAmPlEaSe@totalise.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gxdSb.964$yo6.9624598@news-text.cableinet.net...
Hi there, excuse my ignorance, but I cannot for the life of me remember
the
polarity of LED's. Is it the long or shorter of the legs that is the
+ve.


Thanks!


--
rda

 

[Thrashbarg]

Another method is to hold the LED up to the light and look at the terminals
within the LED. The bigger piece is the cathode, the smaller is the anode.I
use this when the legs have been cut.

rda <rossallanNoSpAmPlEaSe@totalise.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gxdSb.964$yo6.9624598@news-text.cableinet.net...

Hi there, excuse my ignorance, but I cannot for the life of me remember
the
polarity of LED's. Is it the long or shorter of the legs that is the +ve.


Thanks!


--
rda

 

[Form@C]

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 19:53:48 +0000, rda wrote:

Hi there, excuse my ignorance, but I cannot for the life of me remember
the polarity of LED's. Is it the long or shorter of the legs that is the
+ve.

Look through the LED. The big bit is a cup, with the active bit in the
bottom of it.

The Kup is the Kathode...


--
Mick
http://www.nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini information
Also at http://www.mixtel.co.uk where the collection started.
Currently deserting M$ for linux...

 

[nemo]

Form@C <mick@mixtel.co.uk> wrote in message
newsan.2004.02.13.23.02.27.485982@mixtel.co.uk...

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 19:53:48 +0000, rda wrote:

Hi there, excuse my ignorance, but I cannot for the life of me remember
the polarity of LED's. Is it the long or shorter of the legs that is the
+ve.


Look through the LED. The big bit is a cup, with the active bit in the
bottom of it.

The Kup is the Kathode...


--
Mick
http://www.nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini information
Also at http://www.mixtel.co.uk where the collection started.
Currently deserting M$ for linux...

A good Mnemo-nic way of remembering it! )

BTW - providing you've got a ballast resistor in series, you can find the
correct polarity by trial and error without damaging the LED. I keep a PP3
9V battery with a 560Ohm resistor soldered to it on my bench for precisely
this purpose. Being a skinflint, I often use recycled LEDs stripped from off
of PCBs with both leads the same length.

Nemo