Arduino Lilypad Controlled NeoPixel Earrings

Don’t you want to have such a nice and cool earring when you go out at night or for parties? I would like to have it, that’s why I made Arduino Lilypad Controlled Neopixel Earrings. These earrings don’t just light up. They have several different animations and colors.

Required Materials

• Arduino Lilypad (x1)
• NeoPixel Ring – 12: (x1)
• USB Serial Converter(x1)
• 3.7V Lipo Battery (x1)
• USB Mini-B Cable (x1)
• JST 2-Pin Battery Connector Plug Female – Male (x1)
• Female/Female Jumper Wires (x6)
• Earring Hooks

Circuit Diagram

We will start the project by loading code into Lilypad first. In order to program the card, we need a Female/Female Jumper Cable and a USB Serial Converter. After installing the code, we will not have any work with USB Serial.

Make the connection between Lilypad and the USB Serial Converter, as in the picture.

Then, connect the Lilypad with your computer using Micro USB.

Programming the Arduino Lilypad

Open the Arduino software. Under Tools-Boards, select the Lilypad main board. You need to make sure that the correct board is selected.
Select your port number. It might be a different port for you.

Upload the code to Lilypad main board.

You can copy the Neopixel code from Adafruit’s Github page. Here is the link: NeopixelEarring.

Create a new project in the Arduino IDE. Copy the whole code and paste the code you copied here. Then click the “Upload” button and upload the code to Lilypad.

**If you don’t work with Adafruit libraries before, you might need to add up the Adafruit libraries.

The code loading process is over, no more work with USB Serial Converter.

Neopixel and Lilypad Connection

It’s time to make the Lilypad and Neopixel connection.

First, we are wiring our cables to the GND, 5V and Input inputs on the Neopixel. Then we will combine this with Lilypad.
The earring will be like this: We’ll make connections to the Neopixel ring with Lilypad on it. After soldering, the wires will leave some space between Lilypad and Neopixel. So you do not have to worry about the connections.

The NeoPixel-Lilypad connection looks like this:

The Neopixel Ring’s Data In pin will be soldered to the Lilypad’s D6 pin, GND’s to the (-) and 5V’s to the (+) of the Lilypad.

Lipo Battery and Arduino Lilypad Connection

I used these because I had these Lipo batteries. But, smaller Lipo batteries are available. You can also apply a smaller Lipo batteries to the process described below.

In this section, we will perform a small operation of the Lipo battery

Cut off the tip of Lipo battery. JST 2-Pin Battery Connector Plug Male’s red wire to the Lipo battery’s red wire, soldering the black wire to the Lipo’s black wire.

JST Lipo Battery Connector Plug Female’s red wire to the Lilypad’s (+), soldering the black wire to the Lilypad’s (-)

The final state will look like the picture above. If you connect the LilyPad to the Lipo Battery, Neopixels will start giving light for the LilyPad is powered. Because we loaded the code in the first place.

Seam Neopixel With Lilypad

I sew NeoPixel and Lilypad together using needles and rope from 3 different places. There are enough holes in both. You can get out of there from anywhere.

Then, stick the Lipo Battery with a double-sided tape on the back of the Lilypad.

Finally, you can cover up the connections with the electrical tape or silicon.

Tighten Earring Clips

It’s all set. Finally, let’s put the Earring Clip on one of Lilypad’s holes.

And our earrings is ready ! We’re ready for the party. Neopixel are working great !

Good fun with your earrings.

I expect your comments for the project. You can comment your questions.

Project submitted by Hilal Gungor

Output Video

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