3

LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus

REVIEW

he LilyPad is based on the Arduino

platform, but in a form that makes it

easier to incorporate into wearable

projects. As well as the main

microcontroller, there’s a broad range

of input and output add-ons under the

LilyPad brand that are all designed to look good and to

work with conductive thread.

The ProtoSnap Plus kit includes the LilyPad USB

Plus microcontroller board (which includes six white

LEDs in a bar graph, and one RGB LED), a light

sensor, a button, a slide switch, eight sewable LEDs

and a buzzer. All these parts come on a single PCB

where they’re connected via traces and can be used

with no wiring or soldering. However, the individual

parts can be snapped out so they can be rearranged

before being sewn into a circuit.

Alongside this PCB, you get a micro USB cable,

a 110 mAh LiPo battery, two bobbins of conductive

thread, and a selection of needles. With this kit

you have everything you need to create your own

wearable electronics. The LilyPad can even function

as a battery charger (through the USB power supply),

so it does have everything you need in this kit.

By shipping the various components on a single

PCB, it makes it easy to get started – you don’t have

to fiddle around with connectors before testing out

your code. Once you’ve got your code working, you

can snap the components out and sew them into your

wearable project.

The integrated on/off switch might sound like an

unusual thing to praise on a bit of electronics, but it’s

useful for ensuring that you don’t burn through the

battery on your wearables before getting to the party

(or wherever you’re going).

The microcontroller gives you ten GPIOs, with

seven of these taking analogue input and four with

PWM output. This gives you enough pins to drive all

the included hardware with an additional two available

for other bits and pieces.

The LilyPad can be made to work with most 3.3

volt electronics, but there’s a series of peripheral

T

LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus

Above

The 6 ft (183 cm) USB

cable makes it easy

to plug in, even when

sewn into an outfit

$49.95 sparkfun.com

boards that are designed to work well with sewable

circuits including accelerometers, temperature

sensors, an Xbee module, an MP3 player, a BlueTooth

board, a reed switch, protoboard, and plenty of

flashing lights. They all come on the iconic purple

PCBs and look great when sewn into fabric.

The LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus doesn’t have an

overwhelming number of features, but what it does

have is well thought-out and works well. It makes a

fantastic introduction to sewable circuits.

By Ben Everard @ben_everard

A great

introduction

to wearable

electronics with

everything you

need to get

started, but more

forms of input

would make

more complex

projects possible

9 / 10

VERDICT

By shipping the various

components on a single

PCB, it makes it easy to

get started – you don’t

have to fiddle around with

connectors before testing

out your code

”

”

WEARABLE TECH