SparkFun Qwiic Flex Glove Controller

The SparkFun Qwiic Flex Glove Controller is a groundbreaking product that enhances the durability and application of flex sensors in wearable technology. This innovative controller board isolates the weak points in each flex sensor, making it ideal for permanent applications such as gloves. It allows you to manipulate lighting, sound, and other effects, making it the perfect addition to your wearable and e-textile projects. The controller communicates exclusively via I²C, utilizing the convenient Qwiic system. For those who prefer breadboards, 2.54mm spaced pins are also provided.

The Qwiic Flex Glove Controller is equipped with an on-board ADS1015 ADC to I²C chip. This means you can get multiple analog inputs without having to use the microcontroller’s ADC pins. If you want to equip gloves with sensors on eight fingers (excluding thumbs), you will need four Qwiic Flex Glove Controllers. With two gloves equipped with these boards, you can even start creating your own VR glove controllers! If you have four controllers on the same I²C bus, you can use all the addresses available to the ADS1015.

The I²C address of the Flex Glove is 0x48 and can be selected to 0x49, 0x4A, 0x4B. If you plan to use more than one Flex Glove sensor on a single bus, a multiplexer/Mux is required.

The SparkFun Qwiic Connect System is an ecosystem of I²C sensors, actuators, shields, and cables that simplifies prototyping and reduces errors. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector, reducing the required PCB space. Additionally, the polarized connections ensure you can’t hook it up incorrectly.

The Qwiic Flex Glove Controller operates at a voltage of 2.0V - 5.5V and temperatures between -40°C - 125°C. It offers a resolution of 12 bit and a sample rate of 128Hz - 3.3kHz. It consumes a typical current of 150µA and has an I²C Address of 0x48 (default), 0x49, 0x4A, 0x4B. The board also features two sewing holes and two Qwiic connectors.