Electromagnetic relays and solenoid actuators are commercial devices that
generally exhibit bistable behavior. In fact, this is the reason why they are
extensively used to switch between two possible configurations in electrical,
pneumatic, or hydraulic circuits, among others. Although the state of the art
is extensive on modeling, estimation, and control of these electromechanical
systems, there are very few works that focus on analysis aspects. In this
paper, we present an equilibrium and stability analysis whose main goal is to
provide insight into such bistable behavior. The study is based on a hybrid
dynamical model of the system also presented in the paper. This model is used
to obtain analytic expressions that relate the physical parameters to the
switching conditions. The results are extensively discussed and possible
practical applications are also proposed. Finally, experimental results with a
real device are used for validation of the theoretical analysis and also for
illustrating one of the possible practical uses