LED polarity

[jhaneyzz]

I've screwed this up several times assuming that the square pad is "always" ground... (hint,,, It's not)

 

[jhaneyzz]

AH! I get it, "Cathode" is "K" because "Cathode" starts with a letter that --sounds like-- "K"

 

[Audandash]

I always forgot which one was the anode and cathode until i came up with a way to remember it. Cathode makes me think of cats. I am personally not a big fan of cats (dog person) so the cathode is always the short leg of the led. Haven't put an led in wrong since, lol.

 

[KR Sound]

When you remember the correct polarities you get an A+

 

[BuddytheReow]

When you remember the correct polarities you get an A+

Or, the big one goes in the a-hole

 

[DeadAirMD]

Or, the big one goes in the a-hole

Absolutely 100% beyond impossible to ever forget the proper orientation, ever again. Nice!

 

[KR Sound]

Or, the big one goes in the a-hole

Classic. /thread.

 

[Cybercow]

Lysdexia is one of the crosses I bear. As a result, I have to use a meter 98% of the time to know which leg of an LED is there anode and which is the cathode.
The struggle real.

 

[chris.knudson]

Or, the big one goes in the a-hole

Ironically, I was installing an LED last night, trying to remember which leg was which, and I remembered this. Form now on, I will always remember the big one goes in the A-hole. Thanks for that @BuddytheReow.

 

[MBFX]

Or, the big one goes in the a-hole

Well shit, I'll never forget it now

 

[BuddytheReow]

I still tell myself that every time I install a LED

 

[GizzWizzKing]

This has been the only thing that has helped. What's the trick for anode cathode?

 

[benny_profane]

This has been the only thing that has helped. What's the trick for anode cathode?

Panic — Positive is Anode, Negative is Cathode.

 

[PapaBear]

Every LED I install I say to myself Long Leg in the A-hole, I must have developed that from hearing Buddy's.

 

[Nostradoomus]

Ha! I do the “cats = cathode” thing too.

 

[chris.knudson]

Ok, so thanks to @BuddytheReow, I'll never forget which leg of the LED goes in the A hole, but I'm wondering if anybody has a trick to remember which leg of the DC power jack is positive and which one is switched for the battery connection -- I have to look that one up every time.

 

[GizzWizzKing]

which leg of the DC power jack is positive and which one is switched for the battery connection -

Do you use the battery snap in your builds? If not then you can connect them both and it doesn't matter. I'm not a battery fan though.

 

[Nic]

I'm wondering if anybody has a trick to remember which leg of the DC power jack is positive and which one is switched for the battery connection

I always start by the center pin, the big bent tab going down (the flat side is horizontal. That one is your negative. Then going up, you will have the one that is at he left that is your positive and the top one is the switch.

Here is a nice clear picture I found, just not oriented the way I look at it.
Edit: so this way would go left to right instead of bottom up.

 

[Robert]

Ok, so thanks to @BuddytheReow, I'll never forget which leg of the LED goes in the A hole, but I'm wondering if anybody has a trick to remember which leg of the DC power jack is positive and which one is switched for the battery connection -- I have to look that one up every time.

Admittedly not quite as memorable as sticking it in your A hole, but the battery + is on top, like coppertop batteries.

 

[chris.knudson]

Do you use the battery snap in your builds? If not then you can connect them both and it doesn't matter. I'm not a battery fan though.

No, I don't use the battery snap, And sometimes I do connect the positive to both, but I was just wondering if there was an easy way to remember which was which.