2 layers44 × 19 mm Flipdot decode, the printed circuit board in 3D

Flipdot decode

KiCad designs and software for driving Hanover flipdot displays with a resolution of 13 by 28, as used in the FLIP fluid on Flipdots project

Open in PCBKit

Size: 44 × 19 mm
Copper layers: 2
Thickness: 1.6 mm
Parts: 10
Nets: 23
Pads: 62
Tracks, vias: 168, 14
Pours: 1
Routed: Yes
KiCad: KiCad 10.0 (file 20260206)
Created: 11 Sep 2026
Updated: 11 Sep 2026

Overview

Flipdot decode is an open-source printed circuit board by mitxela, from the mitxela/flipdots repository on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board of 44 × 19 mm with 10 parts on 23 nets, routed with 168 tracks and 14 vias.

It is built around the MAX485ED. Its parts include 3 connectors, 2 capacitors, 2 resistors, 2 ICs and 1 switch. It belongs with the RISC-V boards of this library.

Main components

MAX485ED
SOP-8-40℃~+85℃ 1 1 1mA 32 4.75V~5.25V 5Mbps Half-Duplex Transceiver ±8kV SOP-8 RS-485 / RS-422 ICs ROHSHTCRS-485 / RS-422 ICs

README

readme.md

Flipdot driver circuitry

KiCad designs and software for driving Hanover flipdot displays with a resolution of 13 by 28, as used in the FLIP fluid on Flipdots project

drivers-full are the main driver panels doing 13x8
drivers-half are truncated to 13x4 for the end
decode are boards with a ch32v003 to drive the shift registers
decode-sw is firmware for the ch32, plus python scripts to show test patterns and video via a USB-RS485 adapter

Parts

Qty	Value	Footprint	References
2	0.1u	Capacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608Metric	C1, C2
1	150K	Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608Metric	R2
1	470K	Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608Metric	R1
1	CH32V003FxPx	Package_SO:TSSOP-20_4.4x6.5mm_P0.65mm	U3
1	Conn_01x04_Pin	Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical	J3
1	Conn_01x05_Pin	Connector_JST:JST_ZH_B6B-ZR_1x06_P1.50mm_Vertical	J1
1	Conn_01x06_Pin	Connector_IDC:IDC-Header_2x03_P2.54mm_Vertical	J2
1	MAX485E	Package_SO:SOIC-8_3.9x4.9mm_P1.27mm	U2
1	SW_DIP_x05	Button_Switch_THT:SW_DIP_SPSTx05_Slide_9.78x14.88mm_W7.62mm_P2.54mm	SW1

Questions

How big is the Flipdot decode PCB?

It measures 44 × 19 mm and has 2 copper layers, 1.6 mm thick.

What parts does the Flipdot decode use?

10 parts, built around the MAX485ED. The full list of its parts is on this page, with links to each part's symbol and footprint where PCBKit's library has them.

Where can I download the Flipdot decode KiCad files?

From the mitxela/flipdots repository on GitHub, at the commit this page was made from: the board is decode/flipdot-decode.kicad_pcb and its schematic decode/flipdot-decode.kicad_sch. PCBKit opens the board in the browser, with nothing to install.

Can I use the Flipdot decode design in my own project?

Its repository states no licence, so its author keeps all rights: ask mitxela before reusing the design.

Category and platform

RISC-V

Project files

Show this board on your page

A live frame, for any web page

<iframe src="https://pcbkit.io/embed/boards/mitxela-flipdots-flipdot-decode" title="Flipdot decode in PCBKit" width="100%" height="480" style="border:0;border-radius:12px" allow="fullscreen" loading="lazy"></iframe>

A picture

<img src="https://pcbkit.io/embed/boards/mitxela-flipdots-flipdot-decode.jpg" alt="Flipdot decode" width="1200" height="900">

A picture that opens the board, for a README

[![Flipdot decode](https://pcbkit.io/embed/boards/mitxela-flipdots-flipdot-decode.jpg?size=s)](https://pcbkit.io/boards/mitxela-flipdots-flipdot-decode)

Source

Repository: mitxela/flipdots
Board file: decode/flipdot-decode.kicad_pcb
Commit: 4c6f014
Licence: Not stated

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