How Powerful are IR Diodes from DVD & BluRay Sleds?

This question seems to come up every once in a while. The answer is not very much. After
going through a dozen or so different 5.6mm 780nm diodes from various sleds, not one of
them made it to 250mW. Only one of them came close, but LEDed around 230mW. The
majority died before even reaching 200mW. The ROHM diodes seem particularly weak.
Throw anything with an R on it into your Reject pile. Interestingly, I believe I had a 5mW
diode from a DVD player do 130mW before it finally gave up the ghost.

So in all, it was a very interesting session, but definitely not something for a noob. Just leave
the IR diodes alone. There isn't anything special about them at all and plenty of potential for
eye damage.

This will make a good thread to link back to when some noob inevitably will ask "Duh, whats da other lazer in the cd drive".

This would be good to send to some manufacturers.

upaa27 said:

This would be good to send to some manufacturers.

Click to expand...

...what? Ive been known to be wrong from time to time, but I'm pretty sure the manufacturers know the specifications of what they are manufacturing..

maybe the physical "manufacturers" who assemble the product might not know... (that's all that I could think of )

Updated the OP with some pictures