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LilyPad Button Board
We designed this board to give the user a low profile button without any sharp edges. Button closes when you push it and opens when you release (momentary push button).
LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available. They're even washable!
Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.
- 8x16mm
- Thin 0.8mm PCB
- Schematic
- Eagle Files
- Hookup Guide
- GitHub (Design Files)
LilyPad Button Board Product Help and Resources
Heating Pad Hand Warmer Blanket
January 21, 2013
DIY Project Idea: Create a custom hand warmer blanket using heating pads.
Light-Up Valentine Cards
January 27, 2015
Light up your love with paper circuits - no soldering required!
LED Robot Pop Up Card
August 19, 2015
Craft a paper circuit pop up card with a cycling RGB LED, battery, and copper tape.
LED Butterfly Pop Up Card
August 19, 2015
Craft an illuminated butterfly pop up card with copper tape, two LEDs, and a battery.
Light-Up Plush
December 16, 2016
Craft a light-up plush with LilyPad LEDs controlled by pressing a button and sliding a switch in the creature's hands.
LilyPad Buttons and Switches
July 23, 2018
Learn about the button and switch offerings in the LilyPad line and how to use them.
Resources and Going Further
Check out the activity guide's Arduino code and examples using a LilyPad Simple Board with the LilyPad Button Board:
Core Skill: DIY
Whether it's for assembling a kit, hacking an enclosure, or creating your own parts; the DIY skill is all about knowing how to use tools and the techniques associated with them.
Skill Level: Noob - Basic assembly is required. You may need to provide your own basic tools like a screwdriver, hammer or scissors. Power tools or custom parts are not required. Instructions will be included and easy to follow. Sewing may be required, but only with included patterns.
See all skill levels
Comments
Looking for answers to technical questions?
We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5
Based on 10 ratings:
Great Project!
Used these to create light up pop ups with my middle school students. Easy directions and successful outcome!
Perfect for some novice fun!
We used these for some light-up Valentine Cards, used the tutorial from the tutorial sections. All the participants had a blast, especially when they got their LED's to light up by pressing their LilyPad Button!
Mahalo! (Thank you!)
Please make more enjoyable craft projects that we can share in our library!
Awesome for paper circuits!
I've used these LilyPad button boards with 2nd through 6th graders. We use them to make paper circuit greeting cards with copper tape and LEDs. They are a huge success with all age groups!
Easy and reliable
I love the LilyPad Button, and that's saying something, since I'm a total novice to this whole circuitry thing. Very easy to install, and it's been completely reliable. Would definitely recommend!
Great little button.
It's small, easily incorporated into your projects and it works, enough said.
Works great for paper circuits
Bought a bunch for an elementary school technology club project. They work great with copper tape for paper circuits, and the low profile makes them perfect to use in greeting cards. Kids had a blast!
Used it to control greeting card LED's. Works great.
Very simple to install using copper tape. Reasonable pricing. Great little gadget.
Lilypad
Awesome! Works perfectly. Just so darn cute too!
Its great
The Lilypads seem to work great, but I didnt get to finish the project because the students werent getting their LEDs lit. I had to go home and troubleshoot. Come to find - several of the batteries that was also in my order did not work - 5 of the 15. So that was a big disappointment!
I'm very sorry to hear that! Please contact our technical support team and we can help you sort this out.
About how much pressure is required to close the circuit?
A fair amount. You would not be able to press it if, say, it was on a loose piece of fabric with nothing behind it and you couldn't get any other resistance behind it. Akin to popping a piece of bubble wrap.
I wish that was in the description. I need that too
Is it washable?
We usually wash these surface mount buttons in a PCB washer using de-ionized water. It would be best to clean it with water that does not have minerals. Just make sure to dry the board and the switch as much as possible before before powering up the circuit.
I would recommend against it, just due to the type of button - but see the comment further down suggesting that you should be able to hand-wash this. It's really not so much a problem of washing as it is of drying anyway :)
Do these require resistors to work like other buttons and switches? Sorry I'm an absolute newbie to Arduino in general.
If you are hooking this up to other LilyPad products, then no. If you are planning on using this in a different system than that, it will likely be dependent on your system specifically.
So as long as it's within the lilypad system, I don't need a resistor? Excellent.
Thanks!
Where are the connection points?
The two crescent shapes on the edges, plus the plated holes, are the connection points :)
The LilyPad line of products are primarily used for e-sewing, where conductive thread is wrapped through the hole several times making an electrical connection without the need for soldering.
CRAFT Video: LilyPad Arduino 101
so..... I mean how wet can this thing get? Its got metal parts so the button should cease to function and corrode if left out in the elements, right?
Yes, eventually this will stop working if left out in the elements for a long period of time. However, etextiles are designed so they can be hand washed if need. Of course, make sure you don't have any current flowing through this when it's wet. Electricity + water = fried components.
application for using it:
http://sites.google.com/site/clothingcircuits/home/day-4---intro-to-the-lilypad