Meredith Scheff’ has developed a clever way to make flexible PCBs with conductive pads that can simply be sewn through with conductive thread, or soldered onto like traditional PCB pads. She has inexpensive starter kits for sale in Makers Market.
StarBoards are an easier way to make soft circuit projects. Totally flexible, StarBoards are iron-on PCB (printed circuit boards) that you can sew through with a sewing machine and conductive thread. They can also be soldered on directly with regular wire or hand stitched. Because you sew right through the pads, your connection is made with the stitch and it minimizes the need for knotting the thread.
This kit includes everything you need to finish a simple soft circuit project, or add to an existing one.
– 3 amber LED only boards
– amber LED/resistor combo board
– 9v battery snap on leads
– battery lead breakout board
– 10 feet of conductive threadThe battery leads are pre-soldered onto the board- making this kit solderless if you use it as-is.
All you have to do is iron on, stitch together, and light up!
Meredith used a StarBoard to make this cool North-Finding LED skirt:
2 thoughts on “Sew-through PCBs for soft circuit designers”
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That is a tricky technique, soldering to the fabric, so having a kit where you have already done this is a great contribution.
I will be teaching this (and showing your kit if I can get it in time) in my upcoming eTextile workshop:
http://www.adrianfreed.com/content/interactive-soft-circuits-and-etextiles-workshop-arduino-lilypad-berkeley-california