Very odd Diode from CD burner and reader...

[Hiemal]

I got the weirdest diode out of an old CD writer/reader drive...

I tested all of the leads with the cathode to the case pin... they all have anywhere from .6 voltage drop to 1.7 volt drop...

As I was testing them, I had my iPhone video camera looking at the diode, for any signs of IR activity.

Nothing throughout the testing revealed any sort of light, yet I was still getting voltage drops...

Any idea what this weird thing is?

 

[LaZeRz]

That looks like a diode coupled with a photodiode for regulating the output. Not much you can do with it.

 

[BShanahan14rulz]

I always thought that the diffraction optic on the front was neat to look at. But yeah, useless to us. I believe the two pins on the outside will be the ones that go to the diode.

These diodes greatly simplify the construction of the drive, and you'll notice that the drive will have at least one fewer part, and a much simpler optic layout.

 

[Michiel87]

Hy i got some of the same and i believe the 2 outer pins (the one that is attached with the base of the laser diode is the - and the direct oposite one is the plus) the 2 pins on the short side of the laser diode.
Sorry for my messed up explenation (DUTCH).
I got 2 red one's that i think take around 4 volts,??? i think