Making a Color-Changing LilyPad Patch

Sew a patch that glows in any color. A single RGB LED holds red, green and blue elements; by fading each one with the microcontroller's PWM pins you mix millions of colors and cycle through the rainbow. The e-textile version of the classic RGB colour-mixing project.

중급

1-2 hours

안내

Sew the board and RGB LED

Sew a LilyPad Arduino onto felt. The RGB LED has four legs — bend each into a small loop so it can be sewn. Wire the common cathode (the longest leg) to -, and the red, green and blue legs to pins 5, 6 and 9. Keep the four lines from touching each other.

이 단계의 재료:

LilyPad Arduino Simple Board1 개

LED - RGB Diffused Common Cathode - 5mm1 개

Conductive Thread - 60g (Stainless Steel)1 실패

Hand Sewing Needles (Assorted, 30-Pack)1 팩

Wool Felt Sheet1 장

Connect the programmer

Plug the LilyPad FTDI onto the programming header and connect the USB cable. Open the Arduino IDE and select the LilyPad Arduino board and its serial port.

이 단계의 재료:

LilyPad FTDI Basic Breakout - 5V1 개

SparkFun Cerberus USB Cable - 1.8 meter1 개

필요한 도구:

Computer with Arduino IDE

Upload the color-mixing sketch

Paste this sketch and upload. It fades the LED through red, green, blue and the mixes using analogWrite (PWM).

lilypad_color_changing.inoarduino

// Mix colors on a common-cathode RGB LED.
// Red/Green/Blue legs on PWM pins 5, 6, 9; common cathode to - (GND).

const int RED_PIN = 5;
const int GREEN_PIN = 6;
const int BLUE_PIN = 9;

void setColor(int r, int g, int b) {
  analogWrite(RED_PIN, r);     // 0 = off, 255 = full
  analogWrite(GREEN_PIN, g);
  analogWrite(BLUE_PIN, b);
}

void setup() {
  pinMode(RED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GREEN_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(BLUE_PIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  setColor(255, 0, 0);   delay(500);  // red
  setColor(0, 255, 0);   delay(500);  // green
  setColor(0, 0, 255);   delay(500);  // blue
  setColor(255, 255, 0); delay(500);  // yellow
  setColor(0, 255, 255); delay(500);  // cyan
  setColor(255, 0, 255); delay(500);  // magenta
  setColor(255, 255, 255); delay(500);// white
}

Watch it cycle, then mix your own

The LED fades through the colors on its own. Make your own by changing the three numbers in setColor(red, green, blue) — each 0–255. Note: at the LilyPad's lower voltage blue and green look a little dimmer than red, which is normal for RGB LEDs.

Go wireless and wear it

Plug a 3.7 V LiPo into the LilyPad Arduino's JST connector and switch on — the higher voltage also makes the colors brighter. Sew the felt onto a bag or costume for a colour-changing glow.

이 단계의 재료: