TomGeorge:
Hi,The Cathode end of the diode, the end with the white band goes to the positive side of the solenoid, and the other end of the diode to the negative end of the solenoid.
Tom...
Ahh alright yeah that makes sense, since it's some kind of one way vavle as far as I understood. So the grey little band should be connected like this. The black wire is ground wire.
I'm guessing I might have burned my diode, since it emitted some smoke? Should I fetch a new one?
Artonn:
Ahh alright yeah that makes sense, since it's some kind of one way vavle as far as I understood. So the grey little band should be connected like this. The black wire is ground wire.
I'm guessing I might have burned my diode, since it emitted some smoke? Should I fetch a new one?
Would 8.4V maybe be too strong for a IN4001 diode? Should I maybe have a resistor for the diode gate perhaps? So far it works now. It seems like everything is perfect now.
I think I'm going to start a new thread about the Switch that probably burned out my last Ardunio, so I can get it working.
The Cathode end of the diode, the end with the white band goes to the positive side of the solenoid, and the other end of the diode to the negative end of the solenoid.
Funny, I use them as if the band is at the end of the diode that current flows OUT (to GND) and it works. Note that current here is + charges.
Sparkfun says:
The positive side is called the anode, and the negative one is called the cathode. The diode circuit symbol, with the anode and cathode marked. Current through a diode can only flow from the anode to the cathode, which would explain why it's important for a diode to be connected in the correct direction.
From Wiki:
Faraday also introduced the words anion for a negatively charged ion, and cation for a positively charged one. In Faraday's nomenclature, cations were named because they were attracted to the cathode in a galvanic device and anions were named due to their attraction to the anode.
In the diode, and specifically in the so-called depletion region, there is diffusion of carriers (electrons and holes) from one region to the other. Since the Anode is positively doped, it will attract electrons from the cathode, and this will cause the formation of Anions in its side of the depletion region.
Cations (positive) go to the cathode.... hence over a century of confusion.
introduction-to-diodes-and-rectifiers
Oddly enough, the direction of the diode symbolâs âarrowheadâ points against the direction of electron flow. This is because the diode symbol was invented by engineers, who predominantly use conventional flow notation in their schematics, showing current as a flow of charge from the positive (+) side of the voltage source to the negative (-). This convention holds true for all semiconductor symbols possessing âarrowheads:â the arrow points in the permitted direction of conventional flow, and against the permitted direction of electron flow.
GoForSmoke:
1N400x datasheetFunny, I use them as if the band is at the end of the diode that current flows OUT (to GND) and it works. Note that current here is + charges.
As a rectifying diode yes, but as Back-EMF diode they need to conduct on the reverse polarity of the coil Back-EMF, and not conduct when the coil is being powered.
Tom... 
TomGeorge:
As a rectifying diode yes, but as Back-EMF diode they need to conduct on the reverse polarity of the coil Back-EMF, and not conduct when the coil is being powered.
Tom...
Right. You connect in reverse across the inductor because when supply current stops the inductor output sources a current surge that the diode loops back into the inductor but it can only do that when the supply power is OFF, since supply power ON keeps the diode output blocked. The diode still only conducts charge in one direction.
That's weird though in the - you connect to will be + and the + become -........but only when switched off.
Okay #GoForSmoke and #TomGeorge, this is getting technical. xD So far it seems like what I've done is correct?
Wire it like Tom says but this tech is basic hobby-level electronics that you should get into if you want to run things with Arduino pins without a "cookbook".
GoForSmoke:
Wire it like Tom says but this tech is basic hobby-level electronics that you should get into if you want to run things with Arduino pins without a "cookbook".
Thanks. Slowly doing so!