Anyone recognize this LED from the 1990's?

[davekra]

I was bored last night so I took apart a compact-vhs camcorder from 1990 that had been sitting in our closet.
I found this interesting RGB LED that was used as the filming light on the front of the thing.
I expect it's somewhat high-power but since the camera wasn't working before I took it apart I couldn't measure any voltages or see it in action.

There are 10 leads and no numbers.
It doesn't ohm out like individual LED's and I'm hesitant to apply too much voltage to it.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
davidk

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9712632...ream/lightbox/

[bshanahan14rulz]

I'd be more inclined to think it's a sensor of some sort, I don't recognize it as an LED. Don't even know if they had blue LEDs back then. I think real blue LEDs didn't start showing up until the early 90s.

[IMSabbel]

There was no such thing as an RGB led in 1990.

Also, they would not look red, green and blue if they were.

Most likely this are three photodiodes with a color filter on each, to meassure color balance or something,

[domnic0724]

hello

Good luck for you to find out if its 90's

[pavithra_uk]

I think its photodiode / color sensor (3 photo diodes with 3 color filters to measure white balance or any lighting...)

[EricB]

If it was a light source, then it was probably some sort of fluorescent technology. I know, back in the 90's, when I was eagerly waiting for RGB LED technology to come out, you started seeing these other RGB technologies in places, such as scanners.

Funny how RGB LED is so ubiquitous now, it seems almost like they were here all along.

[SemiMan]

It's an RGB sensor, not an LED or light source.

Semiman

[rock_007]

This don't seem to be an LED Light this is some other kind of Lighting Stuff, Led were not so popular in early 90's

[bshanahan14rulz]

Can we get some more people in here to say that it isn't an LED? I'm still not sure... ;-)

[davekra]

Sorry I posted and ran. I went on an unexpected "vacation" for work.

So, what you're saying is that it could be an LED? ;-)

Bummer it's not...but I guess you're right about the blue LED not being common in the early 90's. I don't know when they were created but if they were there I guess they wouldn't be found in a lower end camcorder.

Thanks a lot guys. I've gotten a lot of great info and ideas from these forums by copious lurking.

davidk