Kitronik
Electro-Fashion: Igloo, PICAXE wearable module
This wearable module is ideal for all of your e-textiles project needs including adding the endless possibilities of programming to your wearable projects!Vi...
This wearable module is ideal for all of your e-textiles project needs including adding the endless possibilities of programming to your wearable projects!
Video:
Please note: other Kitronik products are included in this video.
This PICAXE wearable module offers an easy introduction to the world of wearables. The board can be used to read inputs such as switches and sensors. You can also control outputs like LEDs, buzzers to add another dimension to your next wearable project!
It is packed full of features and like all of our Electro-Fashion PCBs is double sided and has large connection points for the conductive thread making the connection very reliable. You can use Miniature Crocodile Clip Leads for prototyping
On-board there is a PICAXE 14M2 programmable IC, a dimmable white LED, a momentary push switch, a 3.5mm stereo socket for ease of programming, and a JST connector for attaching a battery pack. It can be powered either by the JST connector, or the clearly marked '+' and '-' connections via conductive thread, from a power source between 3V and 5.5V.
There are three different ways you can connect a portable power supply to the Igloo including using a 2xAAA Battery Cage with JST Connector, a Sewable Coin Cell Holder or an E-Textiles Polymer Lithium Ion Battery (3.7V, 110mAh). You could also use a Polymer Lithium Ion Battery with a JST Connector as an alternative (Please note: The Igloo does not have a built-in charging circuit).
There are also 6 sewable I/O pins, making this a really versatile control board. Pins C0, C1, B5, B4, B3, B2 (the on-board LED) have Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and Pins C0, C4, B5, B4, B3 have built in Analogue-to-Digital Conversion (ADC).
Pull-down resistors have been included on the board for pins C0, C1 and C4 so that you can easily use those pins with switches from our Electro-Fashion range.
The board can be programmed via the official PICAXE software in BASIC or flowcharts or in Blockly to make programming accessible even to complete beginners. PICAXE also have their own stand-alone Blockly software that works with Igloo. Just download the free software from our PICAXE section of our website and connect the board to a PC via a PICAXE USB download cable.
Features:
- Built in PICAXE 14M2 programmable IC.
- On-board dimmable white LED.
- On-board switch.
- 6 sewable I/O pins.
- JST connector and sewable '+' and '-' pads.
- 3.5mm stereo jack for programming.
- Low profile and compact size.
Contents:
- 1 x Electro-Fashion: Igloo, PICAXE wearable module.
Dimensions:
- Length: 40mm.
- Width: 40mm.
- Height: 7mm.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- ADC
- An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.
- conductive thread
- Thread made with metal or other conductive fibres so it can carry electricity while being sewn into fabric. It matters for wearable and textile projects because it can replace wire, but it has more resistance than normal hookup wire.
- e-textiles
- Electronic textiles are fabrics or clothing that include electrical parts such as conductive thread, sensors, LEDs, or small controllers. This matters because parts for e-textiles need to survive bending, sewing, and sometimes washing.
- 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.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
- Thread
- A low-power wireless mesh networking standard designed for smart home and IoT devices. It matters because Thread devices can relay messages through each other, helping build reliable networks for sensors and controllers.
Find this product in
STEM & Education
Wearables & E-textiles
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
