BASIC

FEATURED

 

The basic mode was created so the etextile beginner can create a tiny, quick project that doesn't cost a lot. In this mode, Sparkle connects to up to 20 plain LEDs, uses a lot less energy, and can be powered by a tiny CR1216 battery.

As a result, it's missing a lot of features (such as sensing and reacting to the environment, movement, motors, playing music, etc.) You can always activate the more featured mode later, once you've gotten comfortable with Sparkle, and are ready to take the next step.

 

Movie credits: MechaRoboshop
 
 
 

 
 

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To use it, connect Sparkle with conductive thread, conductive paint, or regular wire. 3 volts only.
Alternate the LED directions: the two closest to Sparkle have their + side up, and the two outer ones have their + side down.
This helps reduce the number of connections you need to make, and turns on each LED at different times.
The LED boards have 100 ohm resistors built in, but you can use other LEDs, up to 20, in any color combination.
 

 

surface mount use with conductive paint and paper-based projects	LED board the default flat and easy to sew	LED sequin tiny and elagant need sewing expertise	5mm LED large and easy to find more visible from a distance

 
 
 
 

LED sequins are perfect for those special projects that require tiny, tasteful components. Although there is a layer of epoxy to hold them together, they are a bit fragile and should be handled with care when sewing. The brass bead is positive, and the silver bead is negative.

 
 
 

Power consumption
60mA	all 20 lights lit
20mA	all 5 lights lit
5ma	1 light on
5mA	no lights on while running
50uA	during sleep

 
 

 

The featured mode is for the etextile enthusiast who wants to add sensors, motors, and other devices to make more interactive projects.
 

Movie credits: MechaRoboshop
 
 

The components are all smart: sensors, lights, motors, etc. have a tiny microcontroller that allows them to communicate with Sparkle, so you can interact with the different sensors and actuators without writing special code to deal with each one.

 

 

 
This system uses the same pair of wires to connect all the pieces, which reduces the chances of short circuits - very important for a 3-dimensional medium like clothing.

 
As a result, these sensors work only with lightboards, not with regular LEDs, and you can use only compatible components (most likely from our store). Furthermore, this mode uses up more energy, so you'd need a large CR2032 battery or 2 AA batteries in series. 3 volts only.

You can use one sensor AND one touch switch in your projects, but not two sensors at the same time.

 
 
 

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There is a growing collection of sensors:  
 
 
 

The custom sensor senses resistance, so you can connect (e.g.) resistive fabric to the two holes to make a pressure sensor, or stretch sensor. Its built in resistance is 100 kilo-ohms.

The accelerometer normally measures movement, but if you connect these two holes, it will detect 1 of 6 orientations. Tutorial coming soon.

With this switch, Sparkle can react to your touch. You can also connect the hole on the side to a patch of conductive cloth to create a larger touch pad.

Because sensors need to communicate with Sparkle, we have to use lightboards  instead of plain LEDs or sequins. Each one has an ID (1-5), marked by the number of strokes or dots it has. Connect up to 20 in any color combination.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

Using Sparkle with sensors and lightboards.  
 
The first way to make Sparkle do something different is to attach a touch switch, and choose a (SPECIAL) action from the right side of the programming interface.
 
 

 

 
 
 

This can also be done by writing:  
 
(always
  (if (touched)
    (twinkle 2)
    (center 2)(wait 1)(out2)))

 
Get more in-depth programming information.

 

 
The second way to use sensors is to have Sparkle turn on lights in response to sensor input.
The interface has two parts: the slider on the left controls its sensitivity, and the buttons on the right tell it how to respond.  
 
 
 

Detect a wide range, like completely dark to very bright.	Detect a small range, like changes in room temperature.	Set a high threshold, so Sparkle responds only when it gets really loud.

Turn on only one light at a time.	Turn on multiple lights, like a sound meter.	Turn off the lights as the sensor gets louder.
Light up to match the current sensor value.	Light up briefly only when there is change in sensor value.

 
You could also write something like this complete program:
 
(always
  (if (> sensor 5)
    (twinkle 2)
    (center 5)))
 
This basically tells Sparkle to do the twinkle action when the sensor level rises above 5, but glow its center light slowly (over 5 seconds). It doesn't matter if it's a sound sensor, light sensor, or accelerometer; the lights will flash when the level of sound, light, or motion rises above a certain threshold (the minimum is 1 and the maximum is 10).

 
Get more in-depth programming information.