DIY laser question?

[choby]

hello i got a sony 16x DVD drive and it has 2 diodes in it. How do i know which one is the laser diode for my flashlight?

 

[Kenom]

easiest means I've come by is that the IR diode is the one with the optics on it (little cube style lens physically mounted on the laser diode) other than that you have to light it up with a multimeter using the diode test function. it provides enough juice to light up the chamber but not lase. you will see the red one. The ir you won't see much of anything.