Mobitec Flipdot Display

Warning

This repository is still work in progress!

Features

• Golang / Python library to control the mobitec flipdot displays via serial with the original controller (completed).
• Replacement of the control board with an Raspberry Pi Pico (W) to control the display directly (under development).
• Documentation of the original control board (completed).

Serial libraries (original controller)

Controlling the flipdot display via the original controller is simple, effective and accessible, because very little additional hardware is required (namely just a RS-485 adapter, like this one). You can find further instructions on how to connect everything here. Mobitec's own protocol is now used for communication via the serial interface (very detailed protocol description). Basically, the controller can accept and display text in different fonts/sizes, predefined symbols and freely designable bitmaps. A list of fonts / symbols for our variations of boards can be found in fonts.md.
Capabilities / Limitations:
The controller is slow. Processing a command and updating the display takes several seconds. Animations can therefore not be displayed (< 1 FPS). However, this limitation has nothing to do with the flipdot display but with the controller.

Golang

Python

Tip

A complete list of all functions and their example use can be found in example.py.

The python library offers the following features:

• Text with all available fonts / sizes.
• Symbols
• Bitmap: basic operations (fill, invert shift); basic geometric shapes (dot, line, rectangle)

Replacement controller board

Parts / Order

Flash

Usage

Related projects

• flipdot-mobitec (Anton Christensen)
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• flipdot (Open Space Aarhus)
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• flipdot-games (Anton Berneving)
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• mobitec-rs485 (duffrohde)
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• pymobitec-flipdot (Bjarne)
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• mqtt-flipdot-driver (Chalmers Robotics)
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• maskin-flipdot (Nosen92)
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• elektronikforumet
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• buselektro
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• Rainer Radow
  • Useful knowledge about flipdots