[mark_in_manc]

Hi folks

More slightly embarrassing basic questions, I'm afraid.

When tracing a circuit and coming across a diode; if it's in a glass package and kind of amber-coloured - how can one tell whether it's a Zener or not? I certainly have Zener devices in that kind of package, and I think (but I'm not sure) 'normal' diodes too. My amazing-Chinese-component-identificator looks at a known Zener and calls it a diode, so this is no help - I wonder if I have to go so far as to set the unknown device on a breadboard with a series resistor and up the reverse-bias it until something happens...or not.

Thanks
Mark