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How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle

p.kaczmarek2 2319 23

TL;DR

  • A damaged railway-style electromagnetic flip-dot display with two-coloured flaps came from scrap and was shown as a decommissioned multi-segment board.
  • Each dot flips by a short current pulse to an electromagnet, latches without power, and uses diodes for row-and-column addressing.
  • The sticker date reads 05.11.2006, making the hardware almost 20 years old.
  • Many dots were missing and the connectors needed replacement, so it was not worth restoring beyond a manual lab-supply demonstration.
AI summary based on the discussion. May contain errors.
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  • Flip-dot display module with yellow and black dots forming a word, on a white background.
    Do you recognise this distinctive type of display, which used to be a common sight at railway stations? A while ago, I presented a series of ‘railway’ devices, including a GPS and an on-board computer, and today I’m continuing this theme by showing you a display I acquired from the same source following its decommissioning.
    Green PCB with dense grid of solder points and two black connectors along the bottom edge Close-up of a green PCB with many solder points, a pin connector, and a label dated 05.11.2006 Close-up of a green PCB with solder joints; text reads “MARK IV INDUSTRIES FP ELECTRONICS DIV.”
    An electromagnetic display, often referred to as a ‘flip-dot display’, as the English name suggests, consists of two-colour flip-dots that are rotated by electromagnets. Each flip-dot has two sides in different colours (usually yellow and black), and its position is changed by a short current pulse applied to the coil. After such a pulse, the dot remains in the set position even after the power is switched off, which means very low power consumption – current is only required when the displayed information is changing. This entire process is accompanied by a characteristic mechanical ‘clicking’ sound.
    Side view of a flip-dot display mechanism with copper coils and green flaps Side view of a flip-dot display module with coils and a green PCB, held in hands Close-up of a flip-dot display module showing copper-wound coils and a green PCB with pins
    My unit was already damaged and came from a scrap heap, so I decided on a slightly more destructive demonstration and also took a look right underneath the coils.
    Close-up of red electromagnet coils and diodes on a green PCB
    You can see two diodes there, which enable matrix-style polarisation control and simplify the matrix wiring. This makes it possible to address points in the array by rows and columns without running separate wires to each coil.
    Flip-dot matrix circuit diagram with coils and diodes addressed by rows and columns
    (schematic source: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questio...is-the-purpose-of-diodes-in-flip-dot-displays )
    Finally, a short video demonstration – I simply controlled the whole thing manually by connecting wires from a laboratory power supply – you can watch it with sound:




    To sum up , this was a rather old flip-dot display salvaged from a scrap heap. It arrived in such a poor condition that I simply decided it wasn’t worth trying to get it working. You can’t see it very well in the photos, but many of the dots are missing, and the connectors are also in need of replacement. The unit itself appears to be quite old; the date on the sticker reads 05.11.2006, meaning it’s nearly 20 years old. Judging by the display’s condition when I received it, this is likely just one of at least several segments. And here’s the mystery – what on earth could this display have been showing in the first photo? I don’t really have any specific ideas about that…
    Have you used this type of display, either at work or perhaps for DIY projects? Where else might you come across them?

    PS: Related ‘railway’ topics:
    A railway on-board computer from a Polish company – construction, interior and commissioning
    Railway modem module manufactured by the Polish company ISM, 868 MHz RM-2 – interior and construction
    Railway expansion module manufactured by a Polish company – construction and internal components
    Railway GPS module manufactured by a Polish company – construction and interior

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    About Author
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    p.kaczmarek2 wrote 14747 posts with rating 12848, helped 659 times. Been with us since 2014 year.
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  • #2 21915848
    willyvmm
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    COACH HOUSE
  • #3 21915866
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    So it might have been tram equipment or minibuses – that fits too.
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #4 21915944
    ArturAVS
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    I’ve set up displays like this a dozen or so times in my life. However, I’ve never had the time to really get to grips with how they work. Thanks.
  • #5 21915956
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    I’d love to see what the original drivers for this type of display look like. I wasn’t actually able to salvage one from a clearance sale. What’s in there – or was in there – an 8051?
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #6 21916110
    84jerr
    Level 6  
    Posts: 14
    >>21915956
    The controllers were based on the 8049, if I remember correctly, and the driver itself was the FP2800A.
    At least in the ones I’ve come across in certain Scania 113CLLs...
  • #7 21916265
    zgierzman
    Level 31  
    Posts: 1787
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    I once had a go at getting a display like this to work without a controller. Once I’d worked out how it worked, I discovered that there’s a manufacturer of these types of displays in Łódź , and they even do some rather spectacular things.





    By the way, I wonder what sort of noise an animation like that makes... :-)
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  • #8 21916419
    marycyś
    Level 12  
    Posts: 365
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    Could you explain in more detail exactly how it works mechanically? Where is the axis of rotation and where are the spring components?

  • Flip-flops pivot through center and stay balanced

    #9 21916424
    kris8888
    Level 41  
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    marycyś wrote:
    Explain how it works mechanically. Where is the axis of rotation and where are the spring-loaded components?

    You can sort of see this in the first photo, right at the start. There are no spring-loaded components there, and the axis of rotation runs through the centre of each flap (dividing it in half).
    Another point is that each flap must be quite well balanced to remain stable in either of its two positions once the power to the coil is cut off.
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  • Bistable pixel flips with opposite magnetic pulse

    #10 21916425
    exlibris71
    Level 18  
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    In the 1990s, I worked for a company that specialised in this type of ‘display’. The company manufactured boards and clocks based on its own ‘dots’ – patented in Poland – which operated on a similar principle, as well as on those shown above, which were imported from abroad (I can’t remember which country now; some Western patent). A pixel operates in two states; without a control signal, it remains in one of two stable positions. Each pixel consists of an electromagnet and a magnetic flap. Without a control signal, the flap remains attracted to the core by the force of the permanent magnet itself. If we induce a magnetic field in the core with the opposite polarity and stronger than the field of the flap’s magnet, the flap will be flipped into the opposite stable position. Excitation of the core is only required at the moment the flap flips. There are no ‘springs’ involved.

    Single-digit displays and seven-segment displays were manufactured. Clocks, sports scoreboards, information boards for railways and public transport, etc., were produced.

    Example of a display on a bus How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle
  • #11 21916434
    marycyś
    Level 12  
    Posts: 365
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    exlibris71 wrote:
    Each pixel consists of an electromagnet and a magnetic flap

    So I’m assuming that the electromagnet is situated slightly further away than halfway along the magnetic flap (relative to the axis of rotation)?
  • #12 21916440
    exlibris71
    Level 18  
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    In the case of those shown above, the electromagnet is U-shaped (the winding is divided into two poles, and the magnetic field is enclosed by a magnetic flap). In the Polish patent, there was a single electromagnet beneath the flap’s axis, whilst the magnet in the flap was off-centre (the flap was triangular, half the size of a square, and was swung along its diagonal).
  • #13 21916444
    kris8888
    Level 41  
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    exlibris71 wrote:
    The core only needs to be actuated when the flap is moved. There are no ‘springs’ there.

    This is a major advantage of such indicators: once the information has been set, it remains legible even after the power and control systems have been completely switched off.
    The downside, however, is that they need to be illuminated in the dark for anything to be visible.
  • #14 21916446
    ArturAVS
    Moderator  
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    kris8888 wrote:
    That’s a major advantage of such displays

    Perhaps it’s not so much an advantage as a head start. Just like displays using E Ink technology. Making them with LEDs is a piece of cake. It’s just that energy consumption in certain situations puts the latter solution at a disadvantage.
  • #15 21916450
    kloszi
    Level 21  
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    This is the Polish company R&G Mielec; I also worked there and wrote software. Unfortunately, these displays had a problem in the long run because dust built up and settled on them, meaning that after a few years the display became difficult to read. A variant of the 80C51 with more memory was used for control, and the software was written in C using the Keil compiler.

  • Contamination and magnet quality affected flip-flop pixels

    #16 21916541
    exlibris71
    Level 18  
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    >>21916450
    It was 1994; the company was called 3D (or something like that), and I worked there for a few months. Their pixels were indeed very sensitive to contamination; as far as I can remember, there were also some issues with the quality of the magnets. As for the ‘Western’ pixels, I won’t comment – I saw them in action, but they treated them more as competition and I don’t think they made their own products using them. The seven-segment displays, however, which worked on a similar principle, were very nice (and rather durable) – they imported these, as they didn’t have their own design of this type. At the PKP railway station in Bydgoszcz, a clock with such mechanisms hung for years (until the station was refurbished) – https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:D worzec_Bydgoszcz_G%C5%82%C3%B3wna_2010.jpg

  • Recovered bus flip-flop display with controller photos

    #17 21916959
    a_noob
    Level 23  
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    I have a nice set (4 display modules) from a bus that was bought by a driving school, and I’ve replaced the display with an LED one.
    How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle

    Each pixel on the display has a fixed position on the black side; the yellow is temporary and requires a continuous power supply.
    How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle

    A few additional photos showing details of the display:
    How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle

    Photos of the main controller:
    How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle Close-up of a Siemens SAB 80C535-N chip on a green PCB Close-up of a PCB with ICs and an edge connector, including FP2800A chips

    Unfortunately, I don’t have the control panel used to change the content. The first photo in my post shows the main controller with the central section covered; the metal plate covering this section has a flap, providing access to the memory chips with descriptions on the attached labels.

    The set also includes a 36W fluorescent lamp power supply, which is, of course, used to light the display:
    Teknoware TM30676 24V/36W metal ballast on a work surface, with label text and attached wires.

    I’ve never actually tried to get the whole thing up and running; I haven’t connected anything to the mains and I’ve no idea whether it’s all in working order. I’d planned to build my own control system and get a clock running on a single panel, but unfortunately I’ve found myself short of time for such things, and as a result it’s all been sitting around waiting for a few years now.

    So here’s a request for my friend @p.kaczmarek2: if you fancy it and have the time to power it up, analyse the whole thing, have a look at the memory and so on, do let me know via private message – I can send you one panel along with the controller and wiring.

  • Bistable pixels retain state without power

    #18 21917043
    exlibris71
    Level 18  
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    a_noob wrote:
    Each pixel in the display has a fixed position on the black side; the yellow is temporary and requires a continuous power supply.

    Bear in mind that they may operate on the principle of core remanence, meaning they retain their last set state even without power (I’m not sure for how long). In any case, I haven’t yet seen any with just one stable state – the fact that they don’t need to be constantly powered is one of their greatest advantages.

    Here’s a cool video showing how it works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u26N-pQY2U4 (1:40 to 2:00 – basic pixel operation)

    If you’d like to share a single module, I’d be happy to accept one for testing – just for old times’ sake; the last time I had any to do with them was over 30 years ago, so it would bring back memories of the old days :)
  • #19 21917096
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    @a_noob, thanks for the suggestion – it’s a brilliant idea. I’d be happy to get it up and running and post a more detailed thread on the forum.

    It’s the bit about ‘yellow being temporary’ that surprises me, because in my case, as you can see, the word ‘depot’ survived right up until the train was scrapped and beyond.
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  • Core remanence explains bistable display memory

    #20 21917167
    a_noob
    Level 23  
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    exlibris71 wrote:
    Bear in mind that they may operate on the principle of core remanence, meaning they retain their last-set state even when powered off (I’m not sure for how long). In any case, I haven’t yet seen any with just one stable state – the fact that they don’t need to be constantly powered is one of their biggest advantages.

    Actually, my mistake – after switching, it stays in the second state. I hadn’t checked anything on the subject; I just wrote what I thought. Apparently, all the ones I have were ‘reset’ before the last time I switched them off, which is why they’re on the black side. It’s cleverer than I thought ;)

    exlibris71 wrote:
    If you’d like to share a single module, I’d be happy to accept one for testing – just for old times’ sake; the last time I had anything to do with them was over 30 years ago, so it would bring back memories of the old days

    I’d like to keep three modules, because if I ever get round to it, I’ve got just enough plans for that many; here’s the emergency panel/spare parts donor. Unless, after analysing them, p.kaczmarek2 has no further plans for these modules, in which case you could come to an agreement on what to do with them :)

    Added after 7 [minutes]:

    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    @a_noob, thanks for the suggestion – it’s a brilliant idea. I’d be happy to get it up and running and post a more detailed thread on the forum.

    I don’t have the patience or the insight for such analyses; besides, I wouldn’t have the tools to read the memory, but I’d love to read about it in my native language :)

  • Flip-flop relay as last-resort trip indicator

    #21 21917345
    grzeskk
    Level 35  
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    Similar devices were also used in the power industry as indicators of protection trip. This was usually just a single point indicating a trip. However, the information it provided was extremely valuable. It would sometimes happen that maintenance staff would arrive at a substation to find it completely silent, with nothing working, the transformers switched off and, of course, no steady 220V supply. The first thing to check was the ODR ‘flag’ – that is, the relay which was designed to shut down absolutely everything, and which was powered by the short-circuit current precisely when the 220V supply failed. It was only this relay that saved the entire substation from burning down, because if a short-circuit in the grid wasn’t cut off, it would travel to the substation and eventually burn it down. This relay saved many substations, and that’s what this one little indicator light signalled. The relay was affectionately nicknamed the ‘Last Resort’.

  • Possible Alfa Zeta source for flip-dot displays

    #22 21917473
    84jerr
    Level 6  
    Posts: 14
    exlibris71 wrote:
    In the 1990s, I worked for a company that specialised in this type of ‘display’. The company manufactured displays and clocks based on its own ‘dots’ – patented in Poland – which operated on a similar principle, as well as on those shown above, which were imported from abroad (I can’t remember which country now; some Western patent).


    Could it be Alfa Zeta, by any chance?
    They had adverts in the 1990s in EP...

  • Request for protocol details on display control

    #23 21922960
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    I forgot to post an update here earlier, but the parcel from @a_noob has arrived – thank you very much. I’ve also got the cable. I haven’t done anything else with it yet, but I’ll try to post an analysis of the circuit board in a separate thread.
    How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle How does an electromagnetic (flip-flop) display work? Presentation, working principle and riddle
    Does anyone know any more about how it was controlled – in terms of the protocol used, etc.?
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #24 21923862
    a_noob
    Level 23  
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    I’ve also come across this thread: https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic1959186.html
    I think @Pluta Grzegorz might know something about this ;)

    Added after 3 [minutes]:

    There’s also the question of whether all this actually works, as unfortunately I don’t know.
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FAQ

TL;DR: A flip-dot display uses 2 colors per dot and 2 diodes per coil to latch characters with pulse-only power. As one poster put it, it makes a characteristic "rattling" sound during updates. This FAQ helps restorers, DIY users, and transport-tech readers understand how old railway flip-dot modules work, how to drive them, and what usually fails in scrap units. [#21915830]

Why it matters: Flip-dot modules solve a real repair problem: they keep a visible message without continuous power, but old segmented railway units often arrive incomplete, undocumented, and missing their original controllers.

Option How it is driven What the thread confirms Best use
Manual bench-supply driving Wires applied by hand from a lab power supply Demonstrated directly on the recovered module Quick testing, polarity checks
Factory controller Dedicated controller board Reported as using Intel 8049 and FP2800A in older systems Normal service operation

Key insight: The core advantage is magnetic bistability: the dot stays in its last position after the pulse ends. That is why these displays use very little power except during updates. [#21915830]

Quick Facts

  • The shown module is an old railway-style segmented flip-dot display with a sticker date of 05.11.2006, making it nearly 20 years old by the post date. [#21915830]
  • Each display element has 2 colored sides, usually yellow and black, and changes state with a short current pulse rather than continuous drive. [#21915830]
  • Under each coil, the author found 2 diodes, used for polarity control and simpler matrix wiring in a row-and-column layout. [#21915830]
  • A user identified older controller hardware as Intel 8049 with an FP2800A driver, including examples seen in Scania 113CLL vehicles. [#21916110]
  • The recovered unit was already damaged: it was missing many dots, had connectors fit only for replacement, and appeared to be only 1 of at least a few segments from a larger display. [#21915830]

What is an electromagnetic flip-dot display, and how does it differ from other railway information displays?

An electromagnetic flip-dot display is a bistable sign made of small two-color flaps that rotate by electromagnet. "Flip-dot display" is an electromagnetic display that presents symbols by flipping two-colored discs or flaps, and its key characteristic is that each element stays in position after a short drive pulse. Unlike continuously powered electronic panels, it shows information with pulse-only updates and a mechanical sound. The thread describes railway use and the common yellow-and-black color scheme. [#21915830]

How does a flip-dot display keep its state after power is removed, and why does that make its power consumption so low?

It keeps state because each dot remains mechanically and magnetically latched after a short pulse. The display needs current only when information changes, not while it holds a character. That is why the author calls its power consumption very low. In practice, the visible state stays after power removal, so a timetable or destination can remain readable between updates. [#21915830]

Why are two diodes mounted with each flip-dot coil, and how do they help with row-and-column addressing?

Two diodes let the system control coil polarity and simplify matrix addressing. The author exposed the coil area and found 2 diodes per element. He states they allow polarization control in an array arrangement, so the display can address points by row and column instead of running separate wires to every coil. That reduces wiring complexity in larger segmented boards. [#21915830]

How do you manually drive a flip-dot display from a lab power supply without the original controller?

You can test it by applying brief polarity-controlled connections directly from a lab power supply. 1. Identify the coil connections on the module. 2. Touch the supply wires briefly to send a short pulse. 3. Reverse polarity to flip the dot back. The author says he controlled the whole unit by hand this way for the video demonstration. This method is practical for diagnosis, but damaged connectors can limit safe testing. [#21915830]

What causes the characteristic rattling sound in a flip-dot display during updates?

The rattling comes from many mechanical flaps snapping between two positions during an update. Each change is triggered by a short current pulse, and the physical movement creates the sound. The author explicitly links the update process with a characteristic mechanical rattling. A later commenter also notes that larger animated boards can be spectacular and implicitly noisy because many elements switch at once. [#21915830]

What could an old segmented railway flip-dot display like the one shown originally have been displaying in service?

It most likely showed part of a larger railway message, not a complete line by itself. The author says the recovered hardware seemed to be only 1 of at least a few segments. That means the pictured panel probably formed one section of a multi-segment station or vehicle information display, such as a destination, route field, or timetable fragment. The exact original text could not be identified from the damaged scrap module alone. [#21915830]

Where else are flip-dot displays commonly found besides railway stations, and what kinds of systems used them?

The thread places them in vehicles as well as station infrastructure. One commenter says he encountered controllers for such displays in Scania 113CLL units, which shows they were used in transport information systems beyond fixed railway boards. Another commenter mentions a current manufacturer building large boards and animations, suggesting use in display installations as well as traditional passenger-information hardware. [#21916110]

What did factory controllers for older flip-dot displays typically use, such as Intel 8049 or FP2800A-based driver boards?

Older factory controllers could use an Intel 8049 microcontroller with an FP2800A driver stage. One participant recalled exactly that combination from systems he had seen. The thread presents this as practical field knowledge rather than a full schematic, but it is the only concrete controller identification given. That makes 8049 plus FP2800A the best-supported answer for the older hardware discussed here. [#21916110]

How does a flip-dot display controller built around an 8049 compare with a more modern microcontroller solution for DIY control?

An 8049-based controller is the documented older solution in the thread, while a modern DIY controller is not described there. The practical comparison is simple: the original approach uses dedicated legacy control hardware, and the thread only confirms Intel 8049 plus FP2800A in older systems. For DIY, the author instead demonstrates direct bench-supply pulsing, which avoids needing the missing factory controller but also lacks automated scanning and normal service behavior. [#21916110]

What is the FP2800A, and what role does it play in driving electromagnetic display coils?

In this thread, the FP2800A is identified as the driver used with an Intel 8049 in older flip-dot controllers. "FP2800A" is a driver component category in this context that interfaces controller logic to electromagnetic display coils, and its key characteristic is handling the coil-driving stage rather than the high-level display logic. The post does not give pinout or electrical ratings, but it clearly assigns FP2800A a coil-driving role. [#21916110]

How do you recognize damaged flip-dot modules, such as missing dots or worn connectors, and what parts are usually worth replacing?

You recognize damage by missing dots, poor connectors, and incomplete segmentation. The author says his unit was missing many dots and that the connectors were suitable only for replacement. He also judged the module too poor to restore further, even for testing beyond a destructive presentation. In a scrap unit like this, connectors are the clearest replaceable part named explicitly in the thread. [#21915830]

Why does matrix wiring with polarity control reduce the number of wires needed in a flip-dot display?

It reduces wiring because the controller can select dots through shared rows and columns instead of a dedicated pair for every coil. The thread says the 2 diodes per element make polarity control possible in an array arrangement. That lets the system address display points in row-and-column form and simplifies the harness. For old segmented transport displays, fewer wires also means easier assembly and service access. [#21915830]

What is a flip-dot board manufacturer in Lodz offering today, and how do modern flip-dot installations handle animations?

The thread identifies a Lodz manufacturer of this type of board and says it builds visually striking installations. A commenter links to the company and remarks that it does quite spectacular things. He also points to a video and wonders how much noise such animation produces. The takeaway is that modern installations still use the same flip action, but they coordinate many elements to create animated effects. [#21916265]

How much noise do larger flip-dot animations generate, and what affects how loud the display sounds in operation?

Larger animations sound louder when more dots flip at the same time. The thread does not give a dB figure, but it names the update sound as a characteristic mechanical rattling and specifically raises the question of how noisy a large animated board would be. The main factor supported here is switching density: a single manual flip clicks, while a large animation stacks many mechanical impacts into one burst. [#21916265]

Which troubleshooting steps help when reviving a nearly 20-year-old flip-dot display module from scrap?

Start with visual inspection, then pulse-test, then judge whether restoration is worth it. 1. Check for missing dots and damaged connectors. 2. Apply brief lab-supply pulses by hand to confirm flipping. 3. Decide whether the module is too incomplete to continue. In the shown case, the sticker date was 05.11.2006, many dots were missing, and the author concluded the connectors needed replacement and the module was not worth further revival. [#21915830]
AI summary based on the discussion. May contain errors.
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