5. E-textiles

This week we are learning about the relation between textiles and electronics with an introduction to soft circuit and smart fabrics. It was a challenge for me as I haven't tried embeding electronics on a garment and I didn't know many things about electronics! Liza Stark presented a lectured that help us a lot to understand about creating a circuit, conductive materials, switches etc.

We had to create two switches:

1) a break digital (0/off or 1/on) results

2) sensor resistance manipulation with analog (range of value) results.

More information on the lecture notes here

Research

Conductive Materials - Fabrics: Copper, eeontex conductive fabric, ESD foam...

• Threads and yarns: Elitex, Karl Grimm, Bekinox, Adafruit Stainless Steel, Silverspun yarn...

• Inks and tapes: CuPro- Cote by Less EMF, copper tape, bare conductive, copper foil sheet, conductive fabric tape, circuit scribe... Great Source of information about conductive materials Kobakant

Liza Stark

a useful tutorial to understand better the electricity and sensors by Emma Pareschi

Digital Sensor

Digital sensors are a vital component in the world of modern technology and data acquisition. At its core, a digital sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity (such as temperature, pressure, light, or humidity) and then quantizes that measurement into a digital form. In other words, it takes analog physical data and converts it into discrete digital values, often in the form of binary code (0s and 1s).

Key Characteristics

1. Discrete Output

Digital sensors: These values are typically represented in binary code, making them suitable for processing by digital systems, microcontrollers, and computers.

1. Accuracy and Precision: Digital sensors reliable and consistent measurements, which is crucial in applications where data integrity is paramount.

2. Digital Signal Processing: perform tasks such as calibration, filtering, and data compression, making them versatile and adaptable to various applications.

3. Communication Interfaces Digital sensors often feature communication interfaces like I2C, SPI, or UART, allowing them to easily connect with other digital devices or microcontrollers. This facilitates data transfer and integration into larger systems.

4. Compatibility with Microcontrollers Digital sensors are well-suited for use with microcontrollers and digital systems. They can directly interface with these devices, simplifying the integration process.

5. Enhanced Features Digital sensors often offer additional features such as data logging, real-time clock functionality, and compatibility with graphical user interfaces, making them ideal for complex applications.

Overall, digital sensors are favored for their precision, accuracy, and adaptability in a wide range of applications.

Materials: Conductive tape, neoprene, non-conductive foam

In class, we made some tests on creating digital sensors

Citlali taught us to use the XIAO - ESP32C3 to digital and analog read and write.

The XIAO is a mini computer that we then used to talk to the components and connect the inputs to outputs with a way for us to read it as well. - Code

int buttonState; 

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(D7,INPUT); // Enable the internal pull-up resistor
}

void loop() {
  buttonState=digitalRead(D7);
  Serial.println(buttonState);

}

References & Inspiration

Moodboard

For this assignment, I wanted to create accessories that work as sensors

Workflow

I wanted to create something simple and easy in order to understand better how both sensors work.

following the example of Shemakes Interactive Monsters I created my own design

Materials

• Velostat (most common used) – carbon-impregnated black polyethylene film. Conductivity with this material is not affected by humidity or ageing
• Conductive tape
• LED RGB
• COIN Battery
• Eeontex Polysense

Analog Sensor

An analog sensor is a type of sensor that measures a physical quantity or phenomenon and provides an output signal that is directly proportional to the quantity being measured. It produces continuous and analog output signals that represent the precise value of the measured parameter without any discretization or digital conversion.

Key Characteristics

1. Continuous Output Analog sensors provide an output signal that varies continuously with changes in the measured parameter. For example, a temperature sensor might output a voltage or current signal that varies smoothly as the temperature changes.

2. Voltage or Current Output The magnitude of the signal corresponds to the magnitude of the measured parameter. Influenced by environmental factors.

3. Limited Precision Analog sensors have limitations in precision and accuracy compared to their digital counterparts. Influenced by factors such as noise and environmental conditions.

4. Direct Connection Analog sensors are often directly connected to analog measurement devices or analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) if digital data is required. An ADC converts the analog signal into a digital format for further processing and analysis.

5. Applications Analog sensors are commonly used in applications where continuous and real-time monitoring of physical quantities is required. Examples of analog sensors include thermocouples, strain gauges, and pressure transducers.

following the example of Kobakant

I wanted to create a Time Sensing Bracelet

centered image with credits/reference

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