Common Anode or Cathode

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jack0987

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The led segment lights with the connection shown in the picture.

Is this led common cathode or anode?
 

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Sounds like a homework problem.

You can answer that question if you know which lead of an LED is positive when it is illuminated.
 
You dont even have to hook up the battery to tell

btw- you should never hook a battery directly (without a resistor in series) to any LED as you have done. Most of the time you destroy the LED when you do. You lucked out.
 
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It is not a homework problem.
I found a bunch of these in a box and had to identify all of the pins.
I used a 1k resistor. forgot to draw it.
My guess is that it is common cathode. Is it?
 
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Since these always run on a positive supply, it is a common anode. The seven-seg decoder grounds those segments to be lit. Get the part number off it and Google it. You may find a data sheet.
 
Thank you. I just checked again but do not see any part number on the device or I would have looked up the data sheet.
I was going to run these off of a 4511 to experiment with. The parts list I have calls for a common cathode so I may not be able to use them in this case.
 
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