ive got a diode that looks exactly like this diode that someone here posted a pic of , its a 4 pin diode that i harvested out of a dvd burner i cant remember the model. whats the wiring config for this diode?

The link doesn't work for me.

could be IR/RED combo
idk link doesnt work

What? Where do you come up with your facts?! Please know what you are talking about before posting.

As TTerbo said, It might be a red IR combo, or even a red bluray combo, if you are lucky!

actually, you dont...
nearly all IR diodes have 2/3 pins, not 4.

stuart

rofl, I wish I could negative rep you again for that one, but I have already done so for previous shenanigans of yours.

i got him for ya'

stuart

Without photos, all replies are speculating.

We need photos to be able to help!

[EDIT: There are quite a few IR containing diodes with 4 and more pins]

M

yes but they are IR/RED or IR/RED/BLU-RAY combos or diodes out of laptop DVD-RW drives arent they?

stuart

Usually, and they are not usually cheap either.

well the PHR sled has a RED/IR combo diode and the PS3 KES-400 sled has a RED/IR/BLU-RAY also has a combo diode, and they are cheap...

stuart

Where are you getting the KES for cheap? I can only find them at around $40, and I don't consider that cheap considering the power they put out

Sorry gents but I don't agree with either of these comments. They may not be dedicated IR diodes alone but I have seen plenty of multi pin diodes containing IR at least, in many cheap PC sleds. Often they are posted by newcomers harvesting their first diode asking for pinouts etc. They are usually useless to us as they are rarely a nice TO18 package and have no real power whether red or IR. They often come with a type of defraction grating optic attached too. I've got one knocking about somewhere.

4 pins is pretty specific and narrows down the options but we don't even know if it's round, square, oblong or what so we are just as much in the dark as they are.

Still, we can't help the OP without any photos so we wait for their input.

M

i fixed the link sorrry bout that

you can try doing a search for flat red diode. From there, you could try PM'ing the person who posted that pic.

Try testing it with a multimeter in diode mode, then hook it up at low current to a driver (~50mA) and look (carefully!) at the colour of the output.

^ What Charlie says...

I personally am not familiar with that diode. It can certainly be ruled out as a PHR IR/Red, (although it is likely to have IR and Red emitters.), diode and it doesn't look to me like it's a 5.6mm diode either, and if that's the case, will not fit into any module without custom fitting, and let's face it... This diode ain't worth the trouble of doing that.

It'll be difficult to heatsink because of this too, and mounting a lens, yada, yada, yada...

In short, not much you can do with this diode except do as Charlie suggests and practice your soldering and powering of laser diodes. It's never a waste of time doing these things as you're preparing for the time you have a, 'proper', LD. If you can get hold of any other free drives, (try your local PC repair shop, I've found them to be itching to rid themselves of ROHS compliant specialist hazardous waste!), then keep opening them up and you're likely to find the right shape diode eventually. You're looking for a diode that looks like the pic below. They are mounted in a small heatsink, (it will likely look very similar to what you have there before you remove the heatsink), but you should be able to see the round back of the diode and break, or cut it out, (the round flange measures 5.6mm in the correct type of diode). It'll then fit into a module which will remove some heat, allow you to mount a lens in front and practice diode installation!

Sorry that it isn't a, 'super-diode', you've found there useful none-the-less.

Here's the pic...

Good luck,

M