Reference

Coded magnet glossary

The words you meet when reading about programmable magnets - maxel, correlation code, Barker code, multipole - defined in plain language.

Coded magnet aka correlated / programmable: A magnet whose North and South poles are arranged in a designed pattern (a code) instead of one plain North and one plain South, so its force can be programmed to attract, repel, hold, align, or latch.
Maxel magnetic pixel: A single magnetic element - one coded cell of North or South, typically 1-4 mm - that acts like a pixel of the overall pattern. Many maxels arranged in a code make up one coded magnet.
Correlation code the pattern: The sequence of North/South cells written across a magnet's face. Borrowed from radar and RF, a good correlation code gives a sharp force spike when two matching magnets align and near-zero force when they are shifted.
Barker code example sequence: A short binary sequence (such as + + + − − + −, the Barker-7) prized in signal processing because it has very low off-peak autocorrelation - ideal for making a magnet grab hard in one position and let go everywhere else.
Autocorrelation match strength vs offset: A measure of how strongly a code matches a shifted copy of itself. Coded magnets use codes with a tall central peak (aligned = strong attract) and small side values (shifted = weak or repel).
Multipole magnet many poles, one face: A magnet with many North and South poles on a single face rather than the usual two. Coded magnets are a designed kind of multipole magnet.
Correlated magnetics the field: The technology, developed by Larry Fullerton beginning in 2008, of programming magnetic behavior by applying correlation codes to the poles of a magnet.
Polymagnet the brand: The commercial brand under which coded magnets are made and sold by Correlated Magnetics Research. See where to buy.
Phase / offset how far it is shifted: The amount one magnet's code is slid or rotated relative to its partner. Zero offset is aligned (peak force); shifting the offset sweeps the pair through attract, cancel, and repel.
Latch & release hold then let go: A behavior in which a coded pair holds firmly when aligned but releases with almost no effort after a small twist or slide drops the correlation to zero.
Spring / hold-at-a-distance contactless spring: A behavior in which layered attract-and-repel codes settle the pair at a fixed gap, so it floats at a set spacing and pushes back like a spring without touching.
Self-align snaps into registration: A behavior in which the code's correlation peak pulls an off-center or rotated part into one exact orientation and position.