Sparkfun Electronics LilyPad Arduino Manual

Guide to the LilyPad Arduino

To get started with the LilyPad Arduino, follow the directions for the Arduino NG

on your operating system (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux. Connecting the LilyPad

Arduino is a bit more complicated than a regular Arduino board (see below for

instructions and photos).

The LilyPad Arduino is more fragile and easy to break than a regular Arduino

board. Don't connect more than 5.5 volts to the + tab or reverse the power and

ground pins of your power supply, or you will very likely kill the ATmega168V on

the LilyPad Arduino. You can't remove the ATmega168V, so if you kill it, you

need a new LilyPad.

To program the LilyPad Arduino, you need to connect it to your computer. To do

this, you'll need to connect:

Power. Power should be connected to the + tab on the LilyPad

•

Arduino. This can be a regulated +5V power source (e.g. from the +5V

pin of the Mini USB Adapter or the + tab of a LilyPad power supply) or,

another 2.7-5.5V power source (e.g. a 3.7V rechargeable Lithium Ion

battery or 2 AA batteries in series).

Ground. The ground tab on the LilyPad Arduino must be connected to

•

ground of the power source.

TX/RX. These tabs are used both for uploading new sketches to the

•

board and communicating with a computer or other device.

You have a few options for connecting the board to your computer: the Mini USB

Adapter, an Arduino NG board, or your own power supply and USB/Serial

adapter.

Table of Contents

Do you have a question about the LilyPad Arduino and is the answer not in the manual?

Page 1 LilyPad. Connecting the LilyPad Arduino To program the LilyPad Arduino, you need to connect it to your computer. To do this, you'll need to connect: Power. Power should be connected to the + tab on the LilyPad •...
Page 2 Modifying the Mini USB Adapter to Connect to the LilyPad Arduino Solder alligator clips to the TX, RX, +, and - pins on the front of the Mini USB Adapter. We're using a red clip for +, black for -, green for TX and yellow for RX.
Page 3 LilyPad. You might want to cut a piece of felt to put under your LilyPad before attaching the clips. This will make them less prone to slipping. Here is a photo showing the LilyPad Arduino connected to the Mini USB adapter. And here's a close-up showing how the alligator clips attach to the LilyPad.
Page 4 Connecting the LilyPad Arduino and Arduino NG You can also use an Arduino NG to connect the LilyPad Arduino to your computer, using the Arduino NG as a power supply and USB/Serial connection. Just remove the ATmega8 or ATmega168 from the NG and then use jumper wires and alligator clips to attach the TX, RX, +, and - tabs on the LilyPad to the corresponding pins on the NG.