1N34A orientation

[bassmeister]

I got a bag of 1N34As from Hawaii today  :wink: . Could someone tell me how it should be orientated, i.e. which end is the cathode/anode?

[Pedal love]

The side with the line is cathode.pl

[petemoore]

Thanks Pedal Love, I'd always just used the lines on the part and schematic to figure that out, now I can understand the typed word better again.

[Pedal love]

Thanks Pedal Love, I'd always just used the lines on the part and schematic to figure that out, now I can understand the typed word better again.

YOU'RE WELCOME

[aron]

Well there is the DIY FAQ which even has a picture (Gasp!)  :wink:

[bassmeister]

Well, it might seem like a simple question, but everything isn't as obvious as it seems to be. Think about the first time you encountered an axial capacitor with a line in one end and a cavity in the other end. Which side is negative?

The end that looks like a burnt fuse (on the diode) SHOULD be the cathode, I reckoned. But, there is no line marking as the FAQ refers to (all Si diodes I've encountered so far has it though). Better to ask than to guess was my conclusion.

[aron]

That's weird. I posted a reply.

Anyway, obviously I read this incorrectly but yes, the diode does have a marking and in absence of any marking, you do need to measure with your multimeter.

And YES most certainly I do remember being confused about these things and that's why I did the FAQ.