Well that threw me.

Built up a pcb with a couple of leds in it.
Red led came on fine not the green one.
Went through pcb looking for open circuit but it was fine.
Then just out interest I turned the led around and it came on.
Seem to have bought some leds with short lead the positive one.
First time I have seen that in 40 years in electronics !
I have had a couple of one legged capacitors before though.
 
Built up a pcb with a couple of leds in it.
Red led came on fine not the green one.
Went through pcb looking for open circuit but it was fine.
Then just out interest I turned the led around and it came on.
Seem to have bought some leds with short lead the positive one.
First time I have seen that in 40 years in electronics !
I have had a couple of one legged capacitors before though.
Has happen to me before with the BLUE ones..
And this within the same LOT
 
Built up a pcb with a couple of leds in it.
Red led came on fine not the green one.
Went through pcb looking for open circuit but it was fine.
Then just out interest I turned the led around and it came on.
Seem to have bought some leds with short lead the positive one.
First time I have seen that in 40 years in electronics !
I have had a couple of one legged capacitors before though.
I have bought 1N4002 and 1N5402 with the white band at the wrong end.

Otherwise working perfectly well.

Just curious: what about the flattened plastic side showing cathode?
Was it also wrong?

Since I often pre clip to size or bend LED legs, I trust it better than just leg length, go figure.
 
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Built up a pcb with a couple of leds in it.
Red led came on fine not the green one.
Went through pcb looking for open circuit but it was fine.
Then just out interest I turned the led around and it came on.
Seem to have bought some leds with short lead the positive one.
First time I have seen that in 40 years in electronics !
I have had a couple of one legged capacitors before though.

Lead length is not, nor ever has been, a polarity indicator on an LED. That's the purpose of the flat on the body. (Think about it - once soldered to a board how could you use lead length to check polarity?).

Having leads of different lengths is a convenience for hand-assembly only. Many manufacturers have settled on the same de-facto standard for this, but not all it appears - the ratio is at least 90%--10%, so many people infer its a polarity indicator until they encounter the exceptions.
 
Lead length is not, nor ever has been, a polarity indicator on an LED. That's the purpose of the flat on the body. (Think about it - once soldered to a board how could you use lead length to check polarity?).

Having leads of different lengths is a convenience for hand-assembly only. Many manufacturers have settled on the same de-facto standard for this, but not all it appears - the ratio is at least 90%--10%, so many people infer its a polarity indicator until they encounter the exceptions.

I have been in electronics for 40 years and never had an LED with short lead the positive one. I remember it like electrolytics where long lead goes to positive.
 
I have been in electronics for 40 years and never had an LED with short lead the positive one. I remember it like electrolytics where long lead goes to positive.
HP doesn't make LED's anymore. Those had a datasheet. Also some consistency.
These generic LED's I'm buying, even from farnell, no datasheet & I can't tell if the design current is 10 ma or 20. A bag of LED's from parts-express with resistors "for 5 v or 12 v", came with resistor values for 20 ma. Farnell didn't sell round ones anymore, and no red for SS amp bias. Cutting 2 rectangular holes in a faceplate is a P*** with a needle file.
 
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The day I was buying my speaker protector project, newark US had red+green 3 lead LED in rectangular package, and yellow LED in a different rectangular package. No red at all. I don't buy things every day, it takes $9 to get a box from newark or digikey and $15 to get a box from mouser. Under $?? order there is a handling fee. That is why I bought a 100 multicolor led assortment from part-express later, they came in a $7 box already filled with other stuff.
What newark has today may vary. I bought 1/8 stereo phone recept to 1/4" stereo plug adapters from newark 18 months ago. the burglar carried them and all other parts off to the copper scrap yard. I tried to buy replacements from newark this month, they would have to be flown in from UK. Takes 5 weeks sometimes and a separate $9 box every time some back order comes in. I bought adapters from digikey, I got 1/4" stereo phone receptacles to 1/8" stereo phone plugs. Little problem of no description of sex and no picture. ^&#^*(! I still can't listen to my replacement repaired PV8 mixer on earphones. I can't stop in at Fry's, nearest one is Chicago 180 miles away.
 
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