Weird 650nm laser pointer diode.

I am in the processes of building a 685nm laser pointer, so I bought this link to use for the host.

Naturally I had to get the original module out, so out came the pliers and hammer :gun:
But as I began to disassemble it I noticed an interesting thing, aside from having nothing in the form are regulating circuitry (Just a single SMD 180Ω resistor)
there was NO diode :huh: Note: all the pics are after I took off the housing for the lens.




It wasn't until I hooked it up to some batteries to test it out that I saw this:




Yep, that is the emitter right there. Here is a cropped picture of the emitter.



I just found this interesting. I would have thought that they would always use a "conventional" diode housing.

that's cool, are you going to update your adventure?

yep, cheapest way to do it. You know those "100 650nm red laser mini modules" you see on ebay for 5$? Same thing. Just a resistor on a PCB with the die.

Ahh. I thought that it looked like it might be one of the cheap small modules, but I wasn't sure.