Introduction: LED Running Jacket

This jacket was made to help runners to be more visible when running in low-light conditions. The red LEDs are stay on until turned off, the white LEDS blink when running (or when other motion is detected).

Step 1: You Can Make This Jacket If You Know:

  • How to solder
  • How to rip a seam
  • How to sew a zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine, or can sew one by hand
  • How to copy block code
  • How to sew an object onto fabric (like sewing a button)
  • The difference between the positive end and negative end on LEDs

Step 2: Materials

Step 3: Measure, Cut, and Rip

  1. Measure the length of the seem on the bottom of the jacket (mine was 21 inches)
  2. Divide the length of the seem into 7 segments (one more than the number of lights, mine was 3-inch segments)
  3. From one side of the seam (it doesn't matter which side) make a mark at the end of each segment length 6 times (again, mine were 3-inch segments, yours may be different).

    The last segment should reach the other side of the seam... DO NOT MAKE A MARK at the end of the 7th segment. This last segment is just used to create an make the LED's equally spaced.
  4. Make small circular holes (twice the size of the led light) at each of the marks.
  5. Use the seam ripper to dismantle the hem on the bottom jacket

Step 4: Cut, Strip, and Solder White LED Lines

  1. Cut the 24 gauge wire into 8 segments 2 inches longer than the 7 segments from the previous step (my 7 segments were 3 inches long each, so I cut the wires into eight 4.5 inch segments). The extra length is so that when the jacket stretches the wires won't get disconnected from the LEDs
  2. Get out the 4 white LEDs
  3. Set two of the wire segments aside for the next step (you should have 6)
  4. Strip each end of each segment of wire so that about a quarter inch of wire is bare (far left picture)
  5. Use the soldering clamps to hold the WHITE LED, take one end of the wire and wrap it around one end of the LED (make note if is the positive side or the negative side) (middle left picture)
  6. Solder the wire to the LED. Remember to leave a hole (don't fill up the hole with solder) so that you can sew it to the jacket. (middle right picture)
  7. Continue until wires are connecting the 4 white LEDs like in the diagram (far right picture).

    NOTE:     When two wires connect to the same location on one LED, twist the bare ends of the wire together and act as if were one wire and then procede to steps 5 and 6

    NOTE:     You will not connect the snaps to the LEDs yet, so don't worry that the LEDs are not connected to the snaps in the diagram yet

Step 5: Cut, Strip, and Solder Red LED Lines

  1. Get out the two RED LEDs
  2. Using the two wire segments that you set aside in the previous step
  3. Strip each end of each segment of wire so that about a quarter inch of wire is bare (far left picture)
  4. Use the soldering clamps to hold the RED LED, take one end of the wire and wrap it around one end of the LED (make note if is the positive side or the negative side) (middle left picture)
  5. Solder the wire to the LED. Remember to leave a hole (don't fill up the hole with solder) so that you can sew it to the jacket. (middle right picture) Continue until wires are connecting the 4 white LEDs like in the diagram (far right picture).

    NOTE: When two wires connect to the same location on one LED, twist the bare ends of the wire together and act as if were one wire and then procede to steps 5 and 6

    NOTE:     You will not connect the snaps to the LEDs yet, so don't worry that the LEDs are not connected to the snaps in the diagram yet

Step 6: Figuring Out Where to Put Your Circuit Playground

  1. Now you need to decide where you want to put your circuit playground. As you can see from the picture above (left picture), I put mine inside the inside pocket of the jacket. Once you decide where to put it, cut the appropriate holes in the fabric to feed the wires into the chosen location.
  2. Once you've chosen the location, cut 4 lengths of wire about 18 inches long (It's ok if they look/feel extra long you can trim them down later.
  3. Stip the ends like in previous steps (right picture)

Step 7: More Soldering

  1. Using 1 of the 18 inch lengths of wire (from the previous step) Solder one end to the the positive (+) terminal on one end of the END WHITE LEDs (meaning there are four soldered with wires between them, pick on that is on the end, it doesn't matter which side you pick).
  2. Next solder the another 1 of the 18-inch wires to the negative (-) terminal on the same WHITE LED (meaning if you picked the right side LED for step 7.1, now solder a different 18-inch wire to the negative side)
  3. Next another 1 of the 18 inch lengths of wire (from the previous step) Solder one end to the the positive (+) terminal on one end of the END RED LEDs (meaning there are four soldered with wires between them, pick on that is on the end, it doesn't matter which side you pick).
  4. Next solder the last 18-inch wire to the negative (-) terminal on the same RED LED (meaning if you picked the right side LED for step 7.3, now solder a different 18-inch wire to the negative side)

Step 8: Attach Long Wires to Snaps

  1. Thread all 4 18-inch wires through the holes you made in STEP 5 so that they end up where you will be placing your circuit playground
  2. Cut 1-inch off the bottom of the fabric scrap
  3. Identify the two 18-inch wires that are connected to the white and red negative (-) terminals.
  4. Take these two wires, twist them together
  5. Wrap these two wires around the back of the snap (the part that has 4 prongs)
  6. Place the top and back of the snap on either side of the 1-inch piece of fabric at the top position (see both pictures above)
  7. Use the grips that come with the snaps to connect the front and back (you clamp them together)
  8. Next, identify the wire that is connected to the positive (+) terminal on the RED LED, wrap this wire to the back of the snap.
  9. Position the top and bottom of this snap on either side of the 1-inch piece of fabric at the middle position (see right picture)
  10. Use the grips that come with the snaps to connect the front and back (you clamp them together)
  11. Next, identify the wire that is connected to the positive (+) terminal on the WHITE LED, wrap this wire to the back of the snap.
  12. Position the top and bottom of this snap on either side of the 1-inch piece of fabric at the bottom position (see left picture)
  13. Use the grips that come with the snaps to connect the front and back (you clamp them together)

Step 9: Program Circuit Playground Express

  1. Plug the micro-USB into the computer and circuit playground express
  2. Click on this link https://makecode.adafruit.com/
  3. Click on the create new project button
  4. Copy the code from the image above (you'll have to find the blocks yourself)
  5. Save the code, and follow the website prompts to upload the code to your circuit playground

Step 10: Cut, Strip, Solder, Snap

  1. Cut 3 lengths of wire, 5 inches each
  2. Strip both ends of each wire
  3. Wrap one wire on pin A6, and solder
  4. Wrap one wire on pin A2, and solder
  5. Wrap the last wire on any GND pin, and solder
  6. Take the wire connected to pin A6 and wrap this wire to the back of the snap (the part that has 4 prongs).
  7. Position the top and bottom of this snap on either side of the 1-inch piece of fabric at the bottom position (see left picture)
  8. Use the grips that come with the snaps to connect the front and back (you clamp them together)
  9. Take the wire connected to the pin A2 and wrap this wire to the back of the snap (the part that has 4 prongs).
  10. Position the top and bottom of this snap on either side of the 1-inch piece of fabric at the middle position (see right picture)
  11. Use the grips that come with the snaps to connect the front and back (you clamp them together)
  12. Take the wire connected the GND pin and wrap it around the back of the snap (the part that has 4 prongs).
  13. Place the top and back of the snap on either side of the 1-inch piece of fabric at the top position (see both pictures above)
  14. Use the grips that come with the snaps to connect the front and back (you clamp them together)

Step 11: Sew LEDs and HEM

  1. Sew the LEDs into the hem of the jacket by hand (sew it like a button) so that the LED light is at the center of each hole (left picture).
  2. From either side the LEDs should be in a pattern of:

    WhiteRed White White Red White
  3. Once the LEDs are sewn in, sew the bottom hem up with a zig-zag stitch (either by hand or with a machine) (right picture)

    NOTE: Be careful to keep the wires above and out of the hem.

Step 12: Connect the Snaps, Connect the Battery, Push the Button and Go Running

  1. Put the jacket on
  2. Now connect the snaps
  3. Connect the battery
  4. Push the "A" button
  5. Go running