Adafruit
Adafruit Prop-Maker Starter Kit - Make your own Lightsaber!
The Adafruit Prop-Maker Starter Kit contains the electronics you need to build a 3D-printed NeoPixel lightsaber with motion-activated lighting and full sound...
The Adafruit Prop-Maker Starter Kit contains the electronics you need to build a 3D-printed NeoPixel lightsaber with motion-activated lighting and full sound effects. The kit pairs the Feather M4 Express with the Prop-Maker FeatherWing, giving you an accelerometer for swing and hit detection, a Class D amplifier for sound, and high-current NeoPixel driving — all in a compact, battery-powered package.
The on-board LIS3DH accelerometer detects swings and impacts to trigger super-bright NeoPixel animations and sound effects in real time. Programme it with CircuitPython for easy customisation of colours, animations, and audio clips.
Kit Contents
- 1× Adafruit Prop-Maker FeatherWing
- 1× Adafruit Feather M4 Express
- 1× Short Headers Kit for Feather (12-pin + 16-pin female)
- 1× Short Headers Kit for Feather (12-pin + 16-pin male)
- 1× Rugged Metal Pushbutton – 16 mm 6V RGB Momentary
- 1× Red 16 mm Panel Mount Momentary Pushbutton
- 1× Speaker – 40 mm diameter, 4Ω 3W
- 1× Multi-Colour Heat Shrink Pack (3/32" + 1/8" + 3/16" diameters)
- 1× Lithium-Ion Cylindrical Battery – 3.7V 2,200 mAh
- 1× Breadboard-Friendly SPDT Slide Switch
- 1× STEMMA JST PH 3-Pin to Male Header Cable – 200 mm
- 2× 1.25 mm Pitch 4-Pin Cable Pair – 40 cm (Molex PicoBlade compatible)
- 3× 1.25 mm Pitch 2-Pin Cable Pair – 40 cm (Molex PicoBlade compatible)
What You'll Also Need
- NeoPixel LED strip (144 LEDs/metre recommended for best visual effect; check the guide for required length)
- 3D printer and filament for the hilt
- Soldering iron and solder
- USB cable for programming
- Basic hand tools
Ideal For
- Custom lightsaber builds with motion-reactive lighting and sound
- Cosplay props and convention accessories
- Learning CircuitPython with a fun, hands-on project
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- CircuitPython
- A beginner-friendly version of Python designed to run directly on microcontroller boards. If a product supports CircuitPython, you can often program it by copying code files onto the board rather than setting up a more complex toolchain.
- FeatherWing
- A FeatherWing is an add-on board made to plug into the Feather microcontroller board layout. Knowing a product is a FeatherWing helps you check whether it will physically and electrically fit your Feather-style mainboard.
- Headers
- Rows of metal pins used to plug a module into a breadboard or connect it with jumper wires. Pre-soldered headers make the module easier to use straight away without needing to solder the pins yourself.
- JST PH
- A small keyed plug-and-socket connector with 2 mm pin spacing, often used for low-power electronics connections. You need the correct JST PH cable, and its current rating limits how much power should be passed through it.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- LIS3DH
- A specific low-power 3-axis accelerometer chip made by STMicroelectronics. Knowing the chip part number helps you find the correct datasheet, libraries, wiring details, and limits such as its safe voltage range.
- NeoPixel
- A type of addressable LED system where colour data is sent along a single digital data line from one LED or controller to the next. Compatibility matters because the timing and signal format must match for the lights or driver board to respond correctly.
- RGB
- Short for red, green and blue, usually referring to an LED that can mix those three colours. It matters because controlling an RGB LED teaches how separate outputs combine to create different colours.
- STEMMA
- A plug-and-cable connection system used on some maker electronics boards to make wiring simpler. If a product uses STEMMA, you need the matching cable or connector type to plug it in without soldering.
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