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Polar relays
Latching relays - under construction

A polar relay, also known as a latching or bistable relay, is a special type of (electromechanical) electrically operated switch (relay). It maintains either contact position indefinitely without power applied to the coil(s). It can be pulse-operated, which has the advantage that it only consumes power when the relay is being switched. Polar relays can be used for a variety of applications, and are usually found in vintage teletypewriters, telegraph equipment and cipher machines.

Polar relays on this website
Original Trls-43a polar relay
T.rls.63a polar relay (A)
T-rls-46a polar relay (B) - left angle view
Nomenclature
The name polar relay comes from polarised relay and refers to a relay of which the sensitivity has been improved by placing the armature between the poles of a permanent magnet [1]. A latching relay is a relay that maintains either contact position indefinitely without power applied to the coil(s). Classic polar relays, such as the ones used in vintage telegraph equipment, can be seen as a combination of both relay types. In literature they are known under various names, including:

  • Polar relay
  • Polarized relay
  • Latching relay
  • Latch
  • Telegraph relay
  • Bistable relay
  • Impulse relay
  • Keep relay
  • Stay relay
In many cases, the contacts of the switch are named after the MARK (M) and SPACE (S) signals, as defined in the telegraphy standard. In German litarature, these signals are known as ZEICHEN (Z) and TRENNUNG (T) respectively. The COMMON (C) contact is known in German as ALLGEMEIN (A).




Operation
Most polar relays have a minimum of two coils, one for each of its two possible states. In the dia­gram below they are denoted M (mark) and S (space). Driving coil M (Im) manipulates the relay's armature to the left, and closes contact (m). The C-shaped core of the relay is pre-magnetised, so that the arma­ture sticks in the last state once the current through the coil is removed. Briefly driving a cur­rent through coil (S), moves the armature to the right and closes contact (s).

Polar relay with two coils
Move the mouse over the image to see the alternate state

Instead of using two separate coils, the above can also be realised with a single coil, or with two series-connected coils with a centre contact. In that case, all we have to do, is reverse the current through the coil(s) to force the armature to its alternate position.

Trls-64a polar relay with seven coils

To complicate things, some polar relays have more than two individual coil windings. A good example is the Siemens T.rls.64a T.Bv.3402/1, that is used in the Siemens T-56 TCD. It has 7 individual windings (w1-w7), two of which are connected in series (w6, w7). The diagram above shows the Trls-64a. In reality, the seven individual windings are wound onto a single spool.

The extra windings can be used for al kinds of features, but one of the most interesting appli­ca­tions is the use as a hybrid, or fork circuit. In a teleprinter connection device (TCD), a hybrid is used for echo cancellation. In the case of the Siemens T-56 TCD, five of the seven coils are used for this purpose. Hybrids are further discussed below.


Symbols
Below are a couple of examples of symbols that are used in circuit diagrams. The basic symbol of a polar relay is based on that of a regular relay with a diagonal line representing each individual coil winding. The double arrow symbolises the two stable states of the relay. Although single-coil polar relays exist, in most cases they internally have two coils that may be connected in series.

Examples of symbols used in circuit diagrams

In all cases it is important to observe the numbering of the coil wires, as they indicate the win­ding direction. In addition, dots may be added to show the default current direction and contact position. More complex polar relays, with more than two coil windings can be drawn as a single symbol, such as the four-coil one shown in the leftmost example below, or as separate coil pairs as shown on the right. Note that they are sometimes scattered throughout the circuit diagram.

Examples of symbols used in circuit diagrams


Usage
Polar relays are suitable for a variety of applications. They can be used as a latch when converting serial to parallel data, or as a receiving magnet (RM) in telegraphic equipment. But they can also be used as part of an echo-cancelling hybrid, or fork circuit. Here are some popular examples:

Receiving magnet
Polar relays are often used as the receive magnet (RM) of a teleprinter or a TCD. The circuit diagram below shows a simplified receiver path of the 4-wire double-current telex subscriber line. It is commonly shown as a single-coil polar relay, although in reality it is often contains two series-connected coils. Reversing the current through the RM alters the state of the contacts.

Receiving path of a 4-wire double-current subscriber line


Digital latch
In early teleprinters, polar relays were used to electronically convert the serial bits of a baudot character to parallel data, so that it could be printed on paper. The bits are first stored in capacitors, after which the energy from the capacitors is used to create a pulse that sets the desired state of each of the five polar relays. The first teleprinter that had this feature was the Siemens T-36, soon followed by the Siemens T-52 cipher machine (Geheimschreiber).

Reception path of the T-36 teleprinter

The simplified circuit diagram below shows how this works. At the left is the input. As the data is received in serial form, a timing unit decides when each bit is sampled. In early tele­prin­ters this was a rotating commutator, whilst in later machines the timing was achieved elec­troni­cally. The timing unit is started upon reception of the start bit. In the example, we have 6 timing elements, numbered t1 to t6. At t1, the first bit is sampled. Its value is stored temporarily in capa­ci­tor C1. At t2, the second bit is sampled, and so on, until all five bits are held in capacitors C1-C5.

5-bit latch (serial to parallel converter)

As t6, the 5 switches marked t6 are closed, and the charges are transferred from capacitors C1-C5 to the polar relays (Y1-Y5). At this point, switches y1-y5 represent the bit pattern of the re­ceived character. This is then used to translate the bit pattern to a character that can be printed.

Hybrid circuit
One of the most fascinating applications of a polar relay, is the use as a hybrid, or fork circuit. In telegraphy, hybrids are used to eliminate the echo on long haul subscriber lines. They are ne­ces­sary, as otherwise the echo interferes with the transmitted cha­rac­ter, causing the wrong cha­racter to be printed on paper. In this application, a polar relay with multiple coils is used, al­lowing diffe­rent parts of the circuit to contribute to its operation. A hybrid is an integral part of a tele­printer connection device (TCD). As its operation is complex, it is explained on a separate page.

 More about hybrids




Repair
A polar relay is an extremely sensitive device, and is difficult to maintain, repair and align. The distance between its contacts is no more than 0.04 mm (!), which as barely visible by the human eye. Opening a polar relay is therefore not encouraged and alignment is only recommended if you known exactly what you are doing. It is better to replace it by a known good one if possible.

T-109 relay tester
In the ultimate case that you decide to repair and/or adjust the relay yourself, it is recommen­ded to use a suitable relay tester, such as the Siemens 9.T.mse.109a (T-109) shown in the image on the right. It was released in 1961 and has sockets for the popular Siemens relay types.

 Siemens R-109 relay tester

  



Siemens polar relays
Siemens polar relays, also known as telegraph relays, are commonly found in German vintage tele­graph equipment, such as teleprinters and teleprinter connection devices (TCD). Note that there are many models, versions and variants. If you are looking for a specific relay, the fact that the shape and model number match, does not mean that you are dealing with the same relay. The full identification of a relay consists of a model number and a version number, in this format [2]:


The model number is always prefixed with 'T.rls.' which stands for Telegrafenrelais (telegraph relay). It is followed by the model number (in this case '63') and a suffix (e.g. 'a'). The model number (e.g. '63') consists of two parts: a series identification (e.g.'6') and a type (e.g. '3'). In addition to the model number, there is also a version number. It is prefixed with 'T.Bv.' which stands for Telegrafen-Bauvorschrift (telegraph assembly specification). It consists of two parts (here: '3302' and '36) separated by a '/'. The part after the '/' specifies the coil configuration.


Model
The table below shows the various types of switches that are available. The bistable relays are shown with a yellow coil. The other relays are monostable, but may optionally have a neutral centre position. All relays are available in single-pole (SP) and double-pole (DP) variants.

TypeSwitchDescription
43 Old type bistable relay (German: Flachrelais)
63 Bistable transmission relay with high contact pressure
64 Bistable reception relay with high sensitivity
65Monostable SPDTCO relay (default off, neutral centre position)
66Bistable DPDT relay (double switch)
67Monostable SPST relay (regular relay)
68Monostable DPDTCO relay (default off)
69Monostable DPDT relay (regular double relay)
Suffix
The table below shows the meaning of the suffix of the 6-series relays (i.e. T.rls.63, 64, etc). It consists of one or two lower-case letters. The suffix may be followed by an extra numeric suffix (usually a subscript), e.g. T.rls.63a1. The meaning of this subscript is currently unknown. The most common suffix is 'a'. The meaning of the suffix on old style relays is currently unknown.

   Connector Maximum switch ratings
SuffixContactsArmaturePinsTypeVsIsPs
aPlatinum AFriction spring16Plug50-80V10-500mA30 W
bPlatinum AFriction spring16Solder50-80V10-500mA30 W
cPlatinum ARigid16Plug50-80V10-500mA30 W
dPlatinum ARigid16Solder50-80V10-500mA30 W
ePlatinum BFriction spring16Plug60-200V0.5-2A100 W
fPlatinum BFriction spring16Solder60-200V0.5-2A100 W
gPlatinum BRigid16Plug60-200V0.5-2A100 W
hPlatinum BRigid16Solder60-200V0.5-2A100 W
pSilverFriction spring16Plug6-220V1mA-5A30 W
qSilverFriction spring16Solder6-220V1mA-5A30 W
uSilverRigid16Plug6-220V1mA-5A30 W
vSilverRigid16Solder6-220V1mA-5A30 W
wPlatinum AFriction spring  8 1Plug50-80V10-500mA30 W
xPlatinum ARigid  8 1Plug50-80V10-500mA30 W
abGold CFriction spring16PlugµV-12VµA-10mA1 W
bbGold CFriction spring16SolderµV-12VµA-10mA1 W
cbGold CRigid16PlugµV-12VµA-10mA1 W
dbGold CRigid16SolderµV-12VµA-10mA1 W
agGold DFriction spring16PlugµV-100VµA-100mA10 W
bgGold DFriction spring16SolderµV-100VµA-100mA10 W
cgGold DRigid16PlugµV-100VµA-100mA10 W
dgGold DRigid16SolderµV-100VµA-100mA10 W
wpSilverFriction spring  8 1Plug6-220V1mA-5A1 W
  1. Fits the old 8-pin banana socket of 4-series relays like the T.rls.43a.
T.rls.43   T.rls.39
Old style telegraph relay

Trls-43a is a polar relay that was used by the German manufacturer Siemens in telegraphy equip­ment like the T-36 teletypewriter (telex) (1931). Five such relays were used to store a 5-bit serial data word before it was printed. Before the T-36, this was done mechanically. It was also used in the Siemens T-52 cipher machine (Geheimschreiber), which had a T-36 chassis at its core. In German technical literature, they are also known as Gepolte Relais or Flachrelais (flat relay).

The image on the right shows a typical Trls-43a relay of which the protective bakelite cover has been removed. At the right is the 8-pin plug that mates with a socket inside the machine. At the center are the two coils; one for each state. At the left are the armature and the contacts.

The core of the coils (the outer ring) is mildly pre-magnetised, so that the wiper contact is held in position once the current to the coils it cut off. In practice, there were many problems with this relay, as it became unpredictable over time and had to be re-adjusted repeatedly.
  

The reliability issues plagued the T-36 teleprinter, as a result of which Siemens returned to mechanical serial-to-parallel convertors for its successor: the T-37. It also caused problems with the T-52 Geheimschreiber, in which Trls-43a relays were also used as latches. Note that there are different versions of this relay. As far as we know, the Trls-43a is used in the following devices:

Today, the surviving T-36 and T-52 machines all have problems with this relay, caused by loss of pre-magnetisation of the core and contact bouncing. Although they can be re-adjusted with the right equipment and a lot of patience, their alignment will be lost after days or sometimes even hours. For this reason, Crypto Museum has developed a solid state replacement for the Trls-43a.

 Solid state version of the Trls-43a

Versions
Below is an overview of the currently known versions of the T.rls.43. The specified current (Ic) is the typical current that should be running through the two (series connected) coils when testing the relay at a switching frequency of 25 Hz. The rightmost column shows examples of its use.

RelayDIcCoil resistance in ΩExamples
T.rls.T.Bv.mmmAIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIRemark
39b24/155????      T-36
39b24/266????      T-36
43a4/3020.1???              
43a4/3080.1?800800      T-52
Note that is most cases, the T.Bv. number is not printed on the relay itself. As a result, it may be difficult to determine which version of the relay is used in the equipment. If you find new old stock T.rls.43a relays in their original packaging, the T.Bv. number is usually printed on the box.

If you come across a device in which one of these relays is used, and that is not listed here, please let us know. Also, if you come across other polar relays, we'd like to hear from you.


Specifications
  • Model
    T.tls.43a
  • Manufacturer
    Siemens
  • Years
    1930
  • Coils
    2
  • Contacts
    8 (7 used)
  • Resistance
    see table
  • Frequency
    150 Hz
  • Distance
    0.1 mm
  • Dimensions
    90 (108) × 55 × 20 mm
    (without bakelite cover)
  • Weight
    170 g
Connections
Below is the pinout when looking into the socket. Note that in some equipment the socket has a bridge between pins 1 and 2. This means that, in that case, the two coils are series connected.

 1Bridge to 2w1b
 2Bridge to 1w2a
 3Unusedn.c.
 4Allgemein (A)Common (C)
 5Coil (with 1)w1a
 6Coil (with 2)w2b
 7Zeichen (Z)MARK (M)
 8Trennung (T)SPACE (S)

Trls-43a on this website
Siemens T-36 teletypewriter
The Siemens T-52 'Geheimschreiber'
Solid state reproduction of the Trls-43a relay
T.rls.63
New style transmit relay

The Trls-63a was developed in the 1950s as a transmit relay, and is much more reliable than the Trls-43a featured above. It is housed in a dustproof transparent plastic enclosure. At the bottom are two guide pins and 16 flat contacts, some of which are unused. At the top is a metal bracket. This type also known as Telegrafenrelais (telegraph relay) or Kleinpolrelais (small polar relay).

There are many different types of this relay, as shown in the table. They have between two and eight coils, each with different coil resistances. The first two coils are wired to pins 1,4 and 5,8 respectively, and are often connected in series.

A special variant of this relay – T.rls.63w – was offered as a replacement for the older T.rls.43a (and similar). Instead of the 16 flat contacts and two guide pins, it has eight 4 mm banana plugs at the bottom, arranged in the same pattern as the old style relays. This allows them to be used as a direct replacement for the T.rls.43a.
  

This relay is suitable for switching frequencies up to 100 Hz. This is less than the 150 Hz of the older T.rls.43a, but still sufficient for application in telegraph equipment. Furthermore, as the contact spacing of these relays is smaller (0.04 mm instead of 0.1 mm) and the plastic enclosure is dustproof, this family of relays is much more reliable that its predecessors. They were used in a variety of equipment, including teleprinters, cipher machines and teleprinter connection devices.

Versions
Below is an overview of the currently known versions of the T.rls.63. The specified current (Ic) is the typical current that should be running through the two primary coils (connected in series) when testing the relay at a switching frequency of 25 Hz. These relays have between 2 and 7 coils, of which the DC resistance is specified below. The rightmost column shows examples of equipment in which a specific version is used. At the bottom are some rarely seen variants.

RelayDIcCoil resistance in ΩExamples
T.rls.T.Bv.mmmAIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIRemark
63a3302/10.111212012012012026262k    
63a3302/40.1157203k8780            
63a3302/50.111.369k9k              
63a3302/110.111.776k26k2400            
63a3302/180.1115105105105105          
63a3302/190.117.5210210              
63a3302/210.114.681k1k3k            
63a3302/280.1112771k6              
63a3302/300.1117.44646              
63a3302/330.111.824k94k9              
63a3302/360.11157070      T-56
63a3302/37????              
63a3302/500.1134.34646              
63a3302/550.116.25900900900900900900      
63a3302/570.11121101101101101k9        
63a3302/600.111570705050          
63a3302/630.11157070600            
63a3319/630.05157070600            
63a3302/810.11157070380            
63a3302/890.1164707401k6            
63a3302/1390.117.57070              
63a3314/110.081.776k26k2400            
63ag3307/20??3.8315              
63ag3302/55??900900900900900900      
If you come across a device in which one of these relays is used, and that is not listed here, please let us know. Also, if you come across other polar relays, we'd like to hear from you.


Specifications
  • Model
    T.tls.63a
  • Manufacturer
    Siemens
  • Years
    1950
  • Coils
    2-7
  • Contacts
    16
  • Resistance
    see table
  • Current
    15 mA
  • Frequency
    100 Hz
  • Distance
    0.04 mm
  • Dimensions
    83 (96) × 39 × 28 mm
  • Weight
    170 g
Connections
Below is the pinout of the T.rls.63a when looking into the socket. Note that the 16 pins are num­bered 1-13, plus the letters Z, A and T. The lettered contacts are connected to the SPDT switch.

 1Coil (with 4)w1a
 4Coil (with 1)w1b
 5Coil (with 8)w2a
 8Coil (with 5)w2b
 ZZeichenMARK (M)
 AAllgemeinCommon (C)
 TTrennungSPACE (S)

Equipment in which the Trls-63a is used
Siemens T-56 Fernschreib-Endsatz (teleprinter terminating unit) with signalling
T.rls.64
New style receive relay

Trls-64 was developed in the 1950s as a receive relay. It is the companion of the T.rls.63 and it a lot more reliable that its predecessors T.rls.43 and T.rls.54. It is housed in the same dustproof transparent plastic enclosure as the T.rls.63a transmit relay featured above. In German literature this relay is also known as Telegrafenrelais (telegraph relay) or Kleinpolrelais (small polar relay).

There are many different versions of this relay, as shown in the table. Although most versions have two coils (of which the coil resistance can be different), some versions have up to 8 coils. When known, the coil resistances are shown in the table. The two primary coils are always present and are connected to pins 1,4 and 5,8 respectively. When tested in a relay tester like the T-109, only the two primary coils are used.

In the T-56 teleprinter connection device, The 7-coil T.rls.64a — T.Bv.3402/1 version, is used as an echo-cancelling hybrid, also known as a fork.
  

This relay is suitable for switching frequencies up to 100 Hz. This is less than the 150 Hz of the older T.rls.43a, but still sufficient for application in telegraph equipment. Furthermore, as the contact spacing of these relays is smaller (0.04 mm instead of 0.1 mm) and the plastic enclosure is dustproof, this family of relays is much more reliable that its predecessors. They were used in a variety of equipment, including teleprinters, cipher machines and teleprinter connection devices.

Versions
Below is an overview of the currently known versions of the T.rls.64. The specified current (Ic) is the typical current that should be running through the two primary coils (connected in series) when testing the relay at a switching frequency of 25 Hz. These relays have between 2 and 8 coils, of which the DC resistance is specified below. The rightmost column shows examples of equipment in which a specific version is used. At the bottom are some rarely seen variants.

RelayDIcCoil resistance in ΩExamples
T.rls.T.Bv.mmmAIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIRemark
64a3402/10.042.812012012012026262k T-56
64a3402/40.041.167203k8780            
64a3402/50.041.329k9k              
64a3402/70.041.526704k9              
64a3422/70.041.526704k9      T-109
64a3402/90.041.4475475              
64a3402/14??                  
64a3402/160.041.215k85k85k8            
64a3402/210.041.11k1k3k            
64a3402/24??                  
64a3402/350.040.463k2k5              
64a3402/390.045.2215k800140            
64a3402/400.042.81101101101101k9        
64a3402/460.040.46k56k5230240          
64a3402/560.045.6150150150150280280280280  
64a3402/590.042.962622k2            
64a3402/650.041.1609001k8            
64a3402/670.042.812012012012055552k2    
64a3402/730.041.11k21k23k1            
64a3402/890.041.44707401k6            
64ad3428/1??12012012012026262k    
If you come across a device in which one of these relays is used, and that is not listed here, please let us know. Also, if you come across other polar relays, we'd like to hear from you.


Specifications
  • Model
    T.tls.64a
  • Manufacturer
    Siemens
  • Years
    1950
  • Coils
    2-8
  • Contacts
    16 (7-16 used)
  • Resistance
    see table
  • Current
    2.8 mA
  • Frequency
    100 Hz
  • Distance
    0.04 mm
  • Dimensions
    83 (96) × 39 × 28 mm
  • Weight
    170 g
Connections
Below is the pinout of the T.rls.64a when looking into the socket. Note that the 16 pins are num­bered 1-13, plus the letters Z, A and T. The lettered contacts are connected to the SPDT switch. The two primary coils are always present and are always connected to pins 1,4 and 5,8 respec­tively. The use of the remaining pins depends on the configuration of the selected relay.

 1Coil (with 4)w1a
 2?  
 3?  
 4Coil (with 1)w1b
 5Coil (with 8)w2a
 6?  
 7?  
 8Coil (with 5)w2b
 9?  
 10?  
 11?  
 12?  
 13?  
 ZZeichenMARK (M)
 AAllgemeinCommon (C)
 TTrennungSPACE (S)
Equipment in which the Trls-64a is used
Siemens T-56 Fernschreib-Endsatz (teleprinter terminating unit) with signalling
Other models
The other relay types (model 65 onwards) are rarely used in telegraph equipment, and are there­fore not further described on this page. For completeness however, the known models and ver­sions are listed in the table below. The sepcified current (Ic) is the typical current that should be running through the two (series connected) coils when testing the relay at a switching frequency of 25 Hz. The rightmost column shows examples of equipment in which this relay type is used.

RelayDIcCoil resistance in ΩExamples
T.rls.T.Bv.mmmAIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIRemark
66a3602/54??25015k      1
66a3603/54??25015k      1
67a3704/96??                  
68c3807/114??7k7k      2
92b??                    
If you come across a device in which one of these relays is used, and that is not listed here, please let us know. Also, if you come across other polar relays, we'd like to hear from you.

  1. Double-Pole Double-Throw switch (DPDT) (i.e. double switch).
  2. This relay has a neutral centre position.
Literature
  1. Dr.-Ing. Fritz Schiweck, Fernschreibtechnik
    Lehrbücher der Feinwerktechnik, Band 9.
    CFW Leipzig (Germany), 1942.
Documentation
  1. T-Relais 63 und 64 - Prüf- und Einstellvorschriften
    Test and calibration procedures (German).
    DK 621.318.562.08. Deutsche Bundespost, May 1972.

  2. Prüfvorschriften fur Telegraphenrelais (incomplete)
    Siemens & Halske, undated.

  3. Relays T rls 63a, 64a and 67c - Supervisory regulation (Swedish)
    Försvarets Materielverk, Teknisk Order MT 857-176. 26 April 1976.

  4. Die gepolten Relais T rls 63...69
    Reprinted from Postleitfaden Band 6 - Fernmeldetechnischen Atlas.
    Rel 3101. Siemens & Halske. Undated (but pre-1966).
References
  1. Wikipedia, Relay
    Visited 12 September 2024.

  2. Wolfram Zucker, Kleinpolrelais von Siemens
    26 June 2019. Visited 26 September 2024.
Further information
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Thursday 12 September 2024. Last changed: Tuesday, 08 October 2024 - 07:01 CET.
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