Multivibrator

This theory is adequate to explain practically all oscillatory phenomena in relaxation-oscillation schemes (e.g., multivibrators, etc.) and, very often, to predict the cases in which the initial analytical oscillation becomes of a piece-wise analytic type if a certain parameter is changed. In fact, after the differential equations are formed, the critical lines T(xc,ye) = 0 are determined as well as the direction of Mandelstam s jumps. Thus the whole picture of the trajectories becomes manifest and one can form a general view of the whole situation. The reader can find numerous examples of these diagrams in Andronov and Chaikin s book4 as well as in Reference 6 (pp. 618-647). 

O. E. Rosier, A multivibrating switching network in homogeneous kinetics. Bull. Math. Biol, 37, 181-191 (1975). 

Bill, I think this is a multivibrator and not a relay at all. It was the pre-solid state method of making an AC signal out of a DC input, probably from an old telephone system or vacuum tube driver. You will note that there are no connections from the coils to any of the terminals, except through the contacts (I expect the coils are connected to their respective end contacts). So both contacts on one side will be closed to complete a circuit - when power is applied these contacts will open and the opposite pair close and it just keeps doing this at its resonate frequency. There is one thing for sure - it is not operating as a relay in any way at all. 

Circuit for van der Pol oscillator) Figure 1 shows the tetrode multivibrator circuit used in the earliest commercial radios and analyzed by van der Pol. 

A simple astable multivibrator circuit provides the pulsed voltage for the stirring coil. It operates at a pulse frequency of about 2 cycles per sec. from voltage taken from the tungsten lamp power supply. 

The basic device for counting and storage operations is the flip-flop or bistable multivibrator. The flip-flop, in its many forms, can be constructed from individual gates, but it is usually purchased as a single unit in integrated-circuit form. 

Figure 23.24. Monostable multivibrator or one-shot. From S. P. Perone and D. O. Jones, Digital Computers in Scientific Instrumentation, New York McGraw-Hill, 1973, by permission of the publisher. Copyright 91l by McGraw-Hill, Inc. 

Electronic devices (a) Multivibrator (flip-flop) (b) Bistable operation of a laser coupled to an external resonator... 

Figure 10.4 The multivibrator consists of a RC network and 2 inverters, while the frequency modulation of the signal is achieved by the variations in the load of the first inverter which is the sensor array...

Figure 10.5 The oscillating output voltage of the astable multivibrator...

Several circuits containing standard threshold switches were chosen to test the feasibility of operating amorphous semiconductor devices in a radiation environment (Ovshinsky et al (1968) Shanks et al (1970a)). Among these circuits were a relaxation oscillator, an astable multivibrator, an AND/OR gate with complementary outputs and a J-K flip-flop. All circuits... 

Ross, J. Mazur, P. Some deduction from a formal statistical mechanical theory of chemical kinetics. J. Chem. Phys., 35, 19-Rossler, O. E. (1972). A principle for chemical multivibration. J. Theor. Biol., 36, 413-17. 

This measured non-radiative rate is consistent with what can be estimated from calculation of a multivibration rate in the large molecule model of Haas and Stein... 

With a transistor, if the feedback was immediate, there would be no oscillation. Instead, the "negative" feedback would simply decrease the degree to which the transistor would turn on, so it would only go part-way on and then remain with that partial status. In fact, this does happen with certain other types of amplifier circuits (to be studied later) but not with multivibrators. However, if the feedback is delayed enough for the transistor to turn on completely before... 

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