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Component identification
A while back a bought a bag from a thrift shop that had all sorts of components in it. I figured for 50 cents it wouldn't be so bad especially because it had a bread board in it. I can figure out what everything is but this....I thought it was a photoresistor so i tried putting it in a circuit like one, but no luck. Light does not seem to affect if...What is it??
Discussions
Best Answer 5 years ago
Actually it looks more like a photodiode. See if when a light or laser is shined on it, if it produces any current.
5 years ago
It is silicon a photo detector diode, used to measure the back scatter light from cucumbers in fact two three Op-Amp gain stages measure RED & GREEN reflected light which gives a numerical ratio of how ripe the vegetable is.
5 years ago
It is obviously an optical component, although it looks a bit strange, and not like a standard LDR, even though it is in the same package style. I would say it would make a pretty useless solar cell, and The dye looks to be some sort of infrared sensitive thing.
My guess is that it is a specialized phototransistor.
Answer 5 years ago
""I would say it would make a pretty useless solar cell""
Yhea definetly. The one I saw was only meant to trickle charge something like a Super cap or a small Li-po
5 years ago
could be a tiny solar cell, maybe a Reflectance sensor? Looks like it should use light somehow.
Hook up a volt meter to it and see if it produces a charge or changes resistance when in and out of the light
Answer 5 years ago
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9962
I remember seeing this a while back
5 years ago
At first glance, I'd have said it's a LDR (Light Dependant Resistor), But at a closer look, it may be some kind of solar cell as Wired_Mist said.
Make resistance and voltage measurement in both directions (i.e. flip the probes) and both lit (both a flash light at the device under test) and dark (cover it up). That would give enough data to identify the part.