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Ken Mifune
2002.02.01, 09:37 PM
A friend of mine gave me a small container of various LEDs.
Since they're not in their original packages, is there a way to test them for what voltage rating they have?

W-tone
2002.02.04, 05:53 PM
Most digital volt meters/multimeters have a feature that allows you to measure the "treshold voltage" (unsure of the correct english term) of a diode.
That works also for a LED. Usually reds are ~1.5V and whites ~3V .
Hope this helps.

W-t

Wedginator
2002.02.04, 05:59 PM
i've bought many LEDs b4 and here are some exact voltage ratings:

White:3.6V
Yellow:2.1V
Green:1.6V
Red:1.2V
Blue:3.6V
Orange: Same as Yellows
I'm pretty sure these are correct. I copied them directly off my LED light packages.

minizhobbyshop
2002.02.04, 07:55 PM
Just turn the dial on the multimeter to the diode symbol (the triangle with the bar) and you can measure the forward voltage of the diode. But it's not really necessary to know Vf, since you probably don't care if you are driving the LED with 10mA or 15mA anyway. Connect a resistor in series and it will limit the current.

Ken Mifune
2002.02.05, 08:16 AM
Thanks guys