Solar Panel 5.5v 90mA 0.6W Mini Solar Cell 6.5 x 6.5

[hyperdyne]

Hello. I ordered the Solar Panel 5.5v 90mA 0.6W Mini Solar Cell. It come with a diode. Does this have to be soldered to the solar panel or is it optional?
Also on the back of the solar panel there is some small square copper taps. Will these all need to be soldered together? And I'm guessing the positive is on the left and the negative is on the right?

Thanks for your help.

IMG_2290002.JPG

[andrew]

Does this have to be soldered to the solar panel or is it optional?

The diode is to stop current being driven back into the the panel as this would damage it. If you are not connecting it to anything that could do this, for example a battery, then it is ok to omit the diode. If you do wish to solder the diode to the panel then the best way to do this is to solder it to the pads either side of the diode symbol.

We have now created a post for this product which can be found here: http://forum.hobbycomponents.com/viewto ... f=6&t=1484

This should help you understand how to solder the diode and wires to the panel.

Also on the back of the solar panel there is some small square copper taps. Will these all need to be soldered together?

I'm not sure which ones you are referring to. If you mean the two circular pads on the edges of the panel these are where the cells connect through to the track on the back of the panel and should not be soldered to.