I purchased several bulk IR surprise grab bags in a the past couple months after I read about building your own IR Sensors. I figured I could build a couple of sensors and experiment with a few. The problem is that I am very new to electronics, so I don't really know how to tell the difference between certain pieces. I figure the 3 prong pieces are ir detector/phototransistors. The 2 prong ones that look completely black, like a transistor, must be a reciever as well. (no markings, everything was packaged together).
The ones I am worried about are the 2 prong that could be an ir LED or a phototransistor. Is there a test I could do? Can't run power through a PTR and look at it with a digital camera to see if it may be a IR light emitting diode? Wiring a PTR like an LED will damage the PTR? Or A diode would put out a small signal if I try to test if it is an IR phototransistor.. So that would not work? Is there a circuit I can build to test them?
Or? Just apply voltage and salvage the leds only?
Ed
