🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1ht4krINN9kb@post.its.mcw.edu> kcb@post.its.mcw.edu (Kent C. Brodie) writes:
>
>A simple question.    Which way does the "band" on a diode go?  +/-?
>

The "band" indicates the cathode.

To forward bias a diode, connected a negative voltage wrt the anode.
(negative to the "band", positive to the other end.)

If you are using a diode as a rectifier (as in a power supply) the "band"
end will be the positive supply output.

Very old diodes and selenium rectifiers sometimes put a + on the cathode
to indicate the positive supply output. I have a few of these in my
collection to show the disbelievers.



-- 
Dave Turner	(510) 823-2001	{att,bellcore,sun,ames,decwrl}!pacbell!dmturne