PROJECTS: Flip-Dot Display
When power is disconnected the magnetic
field remains in place to hold all discs in their
positions, making flip-dots extremely energy
efficient when not updating frequently. This is
quite similar to early magnet storage drives,
which were the inspiration for the flip-dot’s
inventor.
Each disc’s coil polarization can be flipped in
as little as 450μs (microseconds) making 30fps
animation possible with the right control board.
WHERE TO BUY?
Flip-dot displays can be tricky to acquire but there
are a few options.
AlfaZeta flipdots.com
These are the panels I use for my installations.
AlfaZeta have created a modern flip-dot matrix
and control board to enable high-framerate
playback, all with a simple serial data protocol.
My code for drawing and animating on flip-dot
displays is all written with this protocol in mind.
Breakfast breakfaststudio.com
A Brooklyn-based artist studio that makes some
of the most beautiful flip-dot art installations.
They build custom panels but don’t sell to the
public; however they are clearing out a limited
number of used AlfaZeta panels. Check on eBay
at ebay.com/usr/breakfastny.
Flipo flipo.io
A Kickstarter campaign (bit.ly/Flip-disc-
Kickstarter) set to launch in 2023 for Arduino-
based flip-disc indicators and displays of various
sizes, by a maker from Poland.
Decommissioned Flip-dots
eBay and other auction sites often list
secondhand, decommissioned flip-dot displays
taken from old buses and airport/road signage.
This can be the cheapest way to obtain a flip-dot
display but the condition and age, documentation,
and whether or not it includes a control driver
board could make it a challenging but fun build
that requires some amount of hacking and
reverse engineering.
DIY Components
A few companies still manufacture flip-dot
Uncolored side
With a positive impulse on RESET the disc turns to the uncolored face.
Uncolored side
Colored side
Colored side
Magnetic
disc
Magnetic
disc
Rotation
axis
Rotation
axis
Coil
Coil
SET
RESET
S
S S S
S S+
-
R
R R R
R R-
+
How Flip-Dots Work
Adapted from Elettronica Digitale (eldisrl.com)
70 makezine.com
M85_068-73_Flip-Dot_F1.indd 70M85_068-73_Flip-Dot_F1.indd 70 4/11/23 10:07 AM4/11/23 10:07 AM
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.