Light Up your Costume with Noods

nOOds - Flexible LED Filament - 3V 300mm long - Red

Video of a pair of white hands coiling and playing with a 300mm long red LED filament.

Our favorite food when hacking on code or electronics is a hot bowl of noodles - and around NYC these are often called 'noods'! What we've got here are flexible LED...

$7.50

In Stock

nOOds - Flexible LED Filament - 3V 300mm long - Blue

Close-up video of a pair of white hands coiling and playing with a 300mm long blue LED filament.

Our favorite food when hacking on code or electronics is a hot bowl of noodles - and around NYC these are often called 'noods'! What we've got here are flexible LED...

$7.50

In Stock

Single nOOds Projects

All you need to light up a single nOOds is a coin cell battery. Here are a couple in the store with built-in on-off switches, and one that includes two blink modes.

1 x Single CR2032 / 20mm Coin Cell Battery Holder with Switch

Coin Cell Holder with Blink Modes

1 x 20mm Coin Cell Breakout w/On-Off Switch (CR2032)

Coin Cell holder Breakout

Multiple nOOds Projects

You can power multiple nOOds from a microcontroller and have a lot more control over your lighting effects. Use CircuitPython code to dim or sequence or blink the nOOds so they really sell your cosplay character. This is a more complicated project but the results can be spectacular.

Video of hand holding a QT Py PCB in their hand. An LED glows rainbow colors.

Adafruit QT Py RP2040

What a cutie pie! Or is it... a QT Py? This diminutive dev board comes with one of our new favorite chip, the RP2040. It's been made famous in the new

$9.95

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1 x USB C cable

USB Type A to Type C Cable - approx 1 meter / 3 ft long

1 x 220 ohm resistors

Through-Hole Resistors - 220 ohm 5% 1/4W - Pack of 25

1 x JST breakout with On/Off Switch

Switched JST-PH 2-Pin SMT Right Angle Breakout Board

1 x Battery

Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 3.7v 500mAh

1 x Battery Charger

Adafruit Micro Lipo - USB LiIon/LiPoly charger

Download the latest version of CircuitPython for your QT Py from CircuitPython.org

One nOOd

If you're using just one nOOd, the wiring is very simple. The + side goes to SW (switch) and the - end goes to Gnd.

Multiple nOOds with Software Control

This wiring diagram shows how to connect 3 nOOds to a QT Py Stemma, and includes some bells and whistles: a JST connector with on/off switch, and current-limiting 220 ohm resistors.

This is a more complicated project, but it gives you a lot of control, as well as access to a much juicier battery source than a single coin cell can provide.

nOOds Hookup

QT Py Stemma GND --> nOOds G (all 3 connected to the same pin)
QT Py Stemma SCL --> nOOds +
QT Py Stemma SDA --> nOOds -
QT Py A3 --> nOOds +

You can keep adding nOOds to the remaining GPIO pins on the QT Py for larger projects, or if you want even more nOOds, you can add on an Adafruit AW9523 GPIO Expander and LED Driver Breakout. Check out the nOOds Uberguide for more info.

JST Power Switch

QT Py G --> JST Breakout G
QT Py 5v --> JST Breakout Sw

One nOOd can be powered from a single coin cell battery. This is the easiest way to get your lights up and running. Watch the video at the head of this tutorial for a step-by-step build.

1. Identify the + and - ends of the nOOd. Use alligator clips to connect the nOOd temporarily to the wires coming from the battery holder. When the nOOd lights up, you've got it the right way round. If it doesn't work, try reversing the connections.

2. Slip some heat shrink on and solder the nOOd to the wire. You'll get the best connection if you make a bend in the nOOd connector and in the wire, and hook them together before soldering. Take a little time and get it really well connected. This will make it far less likely for your costume to break while you're out wearing it.

3. Solder the other end as well.

4. Use tape, hot glue, or E6000 to fix the nOOd into your costume. It's silicone-coated so a lot of glues won't stick to it. I used a combination of masking tape and hot glue for the goggles project, which doesn't get a lot of jostling since the goggles live permanently on the hat.

I also added a nOOd to a halloween mask using a switched coin cell breakout (+ to Sw, - to G). I used hot glue to attach the nOOd to the mask and it lasted for one night before starting to come off. I later fixed it with E6000 adhesive and it's still going strong.

Adding one nOOd is fun, but adding a handful of sequence-able and code-able nOOd is way more fun.

If this looks intimidating, or if you don't care about software control, you can get a similar effect by using multiple single nOOds each hooked up to its own coin cell battery holder. If you're ready for a Project, and not afraid of a little soldering, read on.

Identify the + and - ends of your nOOds by sight, and confirm by touching the bare metal ends to each side of a coin cell battery. Mark the nOOds with some tape so you remember which end is which.

We'll solder a red wire to the + end and black wire to the - end. To get a really good solder connection, make a bend in the nOOds connector and a bend in the wire, and hook them together before soldering. This will make it far less likely for your solder joint to break, leaving you in the dark.

Solder a red wire to the + end and a black wire to the - end of all your nOOds. The wire lengths will depend on your project. Remember that both wires need to reach back to the microcontroller.

Now let's add the resistors. I'm using 220ohm resistors. Use something in that neighborhood to keep your nOOds from burning out - the QT Py puts out 5v of current, and the nOOds prefer closer to 3v. They'll break if you feed them too much.

Bend the resistor leg into a loop and wind it around itself to give yourself a place to hook your wire. Solder a wire to each end -- it doesn't matter which end is which -- and cover the whole resistor with heat shrink.

Each red nOOd wire needs to go to its own GPIO pin, so we can light them individually from the software.

Solder one of the red wires from your nOOds to the yellow wire and one to the green wire on the Stemma connector. We'll use these two wires as GPIO pins.

Twist all the black wires from your nOOds together and solder them to the black wire on your Stemma connector. All the black wires go to G (ground).

I have a third nOOd in my project, so I'll use one of the other GPIO pins on the Stemma for the remaining red wire. Additional nOOd could be added to the rest of the available pins, and all can connect to the same G pin.

This is a great moment to stop and test your wiring. Skip ahead to the CircuitPython page and install the software, then upload your code.

Plug your QT Py in via the USB port and see if your nOOds come on.

If most but not all of them come on, check the faulty one to be sure you didn't mix up the + and - ends. If none of them come on, the trouble is probably with your software. Head back to the software page and try uploading again.

Once the nOOds are all coming on, let's add our power switch.

The JST breakout is a handy little thing with an on-off switch built in. You can plug any of our LiPoly batteries in and run your project for hours.

Solder 5V on the QT Py to the Sw pin (the one connected to the switch) and connect G to G.

CircuitPython is a derivative of MicroPython designed to simplify experimentation and education on low-cost microcontrollers. It makes it easier than ever to get prototyping by requiring no upfront desktop software downloads. Simply copy and edit files on the CIRCUITPY drive to iterate.

Set up CircuitPython Quick Start!

Follow this quick step-by-step for super-fast Python power :)

If you want to get started with your QT Py, and you have NOT soldered a chip to the back of it, download CircuitPython from the following link:

If you have soldered a GD25Q16 SPI flash chip to the bottom of your board, you must use the Haxpress version of CircuitPython for the Adafruit QT Py for the flash to work! If you have NOT soldered a SPI flash chip to your QT Py, do NOT use this download! It will not give you 2MB of flash space without a chip!

Download the latest version of CircuitPython for your QT Py Haxpress from CircuitPython.org

Click the link above and download the latest UF2 file.

Download and save it to your desktop (or wherever is handy).

Plug your QT Py into your computer using a known-good USB cable.

A lot of people end up using charge-only USB cables and it is very frustrating! So make sure you have a USB cable you know is good for data sync.

Double-click the small RST (reset) button, and you will see the NeoPixel RGB LED turn green. If it turns red, check the USB cable, try another USB port, etc.

If double-clicking doesn't work the first time, try again. Sometimes it can take a few tries to get the rhythm right!

You will see a new disk drive appear called QTPY_BOOT.

Drag the adafruit_circuitpython_etc.uf2 file to QTPY_BOOT

The red LED will flash. Then, the QTPY_BOOT drive will disappear and a new disk drive called CIRCUITPY will appear.

That's it, you're done! :)

One of the best things about CircuitPython is how simple it is to get code up and running. This section covers how to create and edit your first CircuitPython program.

To create and edit code, all you'll need is an editor. There are many options. Adafruit strongly recommends using Mu! It's designed for CircuitPython, and it's really simple and easy to use, with a built in serial console!

If you don't or can't use Mu, there are a number of other editors that work quite well. The Recommended Editors page has more details. Otherwise, make sure you do "Eject" or "Safe Remove" on Windows or "sync" on Linux after writing a file if you aren't using Mu. (This is not a problem on MacOS.)

Creating Code

Installing CircuitPython generates a code.py file on your CIRCUITPY drive. To begin your own program, open your editor, and load the code.py file from the CIRCUITPY drive.

If you are using Mu, click the Load button in the button bar, navigate to the CIRCUITPY drive, and choose code.py.

Copy and paste the following code into your editor:

import board
import digitalio
import time

led = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.LED)
led.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.5)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.5)

import board
import digitalio
import time

led = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.LED)
led.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.5)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.5)

The KB2040, QT Py and the Trinkeys do not have a built-in little red LED! There is an addressable RGB NeoPixel LED. The above example will NOT work on the KB2040, QT Py or the Trinkeys!

If you're using a KB2040, QT Py or a Trinkey, please download the NeoPixel blink example.

The NeoPixel blink example uses the onboard NeoPixel, but the time code is the same. You can use the linked NeoPixel Blink example to follow along with this guide page.

It will look like this. Note that under the while True: line, the next four lines begin with four spaces to indent them, and they're indented exactly the same amount. All the lines before that have no spaces before the text.

Save the code.py file on your CIRCUITPY drive.

The little LED should now be blinking. Once per half-second.

Congratulations, you've just run your first CircuitPython program!

On most boards you'll find a tiny red LED. On the ItsyBitsy nRF52840, you'll find a tiny blue LED. On QT Py M0, QT Py RP2040, and the Trinkey series, you will find only an RGB NeoPixel LED.

Editing Code

To edit code, open the code.py file on your CIRCUITPY drive into your editor.

Make the desired changes to your code. Save the file. That's it!

Your code changes are run as soon as the file is done saving.

There's one warning before you continue...

Don't click reset or unplug your board!

The CircuitPython code on your board detects when the files are changed or written and will automatically re-start your code. This makes coding very fast because you save, and it re-runs. If you unplug or reset the board before your computer finishes writing the file to your board, you can corrupt the drive. If this happens, you may lose the code you've written, so it's important to backup your code to your computer regularly.

There are a couple of ways to avoid filesystem corruption.

1. Use an editor that writes out the file completely when you save it.

Check out the Recommended Editors page for details on different editing options.

If you are dragging a file from your host computer onto the CIRCUITPY drive, you still need to do step 2. Eject or Sync (below) to make sure the file is completely written.

2. Eject or Sync the Drive After Writing

If you are using one of our not-recommended-editors, not all is lost! You can still make it work.

On Windows, you can Eject or Safe Remove the CIRCUITPY drive. It won't actually eject, but it will force the operating system to save your file to disk. On Linux, use the sync command in a terminal to force the write to disk.

You also need to do this if you use Windows Explorer or a Linux graphical file manager to drag a file onto CIRCUITPY.

Oh No I Did Something Wrong and Now The CIRCUITPY Drive Doesn't Show Up!!!

Don't worry! Corrupting the drive isn't the end of the world (or your board!). If this happens, follow the steps found on the Troubleshooting page of every board guide to get your board up and running again.

Back to Editing Code...

Now! Let's try editing the program you added to your board. Open your code.py file into your editor. You'll make a simple change. Change the first 0.5 to 0.1. The code should look like this:

import board
import digitalio
import time

led = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.LED)
led.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.1)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.5)

import board
import digitalio
import time

led = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.LED)
led.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.1)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.5)

Leave the rest of the code as-is. Save your file. See what happens to the LED on your board? Something changed! Do you know why?

You don't have to stop there! Let's keep going. Change the second 0.5 to 0.1 so it looks like this:

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.1)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.1)

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.1)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.1)

Now it blinks really fast! You decreased the both time that the code leaves the LED on and off!

Now try increasing both of the 0.1 to 1. Your LED will blink much more slowly because you've increased the amount of time that the LED is turned on and off.

Well done! You're doing great! You're ready to start into new examples and edit them to see what happens! These were simple changes, but major changes are done using the same process. Make your desired change, save it, and get the results. That's really all there is to it!

Naming Your Program File

CircuitPython looks for a code file on the board to run. There are four options: code.txt, code.py, main.txt and main.py. CircuitPython looks for those files, in that order, and then runs the first one it finds. While code.py is the recommended name for your code file, it is important to know that the other options exist. If your program doesn't seem to be updating as you work, make sure you haven't created another code file that's being read instead of the one you're working on.

Here are a few code samples to get you started.

Plug your computer into the QY Py via a known, good power+data USB cable. A new thumb drive named CIRCUITPY should appear.

Download the file and save it as code.py at the root of your CIRCUITPY drive to install.

All On

This code will turn all of the noods on.

# Adafruit nOOds digital control using GPIO pins.
# Uses 3 nOOds, anode (+) to GPIO pin, cathode (-) to ground.
# A current-limiting resistor (e.g. 220 Ohm) can go at either end.

import time
import board
import digitalio

# This uses 3 pins on QtPy RP2040, but any pins will do.
PINS = (board.A3, board.SDA, board.SCL) # List of pins, one per nOOd

# Convert pin number list to pin object list, initialize to OFF
pin_list = [digitalio.DigitalInOut(pin) for pin in PINS]
for pin in pin_list:
    pin.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT
    pin.value = 0

while True:              # Repeat forever...
    for pin in pin_list: # For each pin...
        pin.value = True # nOOd on

# Adafruit nOOds digital control using GPIO pins.
# Uses 3 nOOds, anode (+) to GPIO pin, cathode (-) to ground.
# A current-limiting resistor (e.g. 220 Ohm) can go at either end.

import time
import board
import digitalio

# This uses 3 pins on QtPy RP2040, but any pins will do.
PINS = (board.A3, board.SDA, board.SCL) # List of pins, one per nOOd

# Convert pin number list to pin object list, initialize to OFF
pin_list = [digitalio.DigitalInOut(pin) for pin in PINS]
for pin in pin_list:
    pin.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT
    pin.value = 0

while True:              # Repeat forever...
    for pin in pin_list: # For each pin...
        pin.value = True # nOOd on

Blink in Sequence

This code blinks each nood in sequence.

# Adafruit nOOds digital control using GPIO pins.
# Uses 3 nOOds, anode (+) to GPIO pin, cathode (-) to ground.
# A current-limiting resistor (e.g. 220 Ohm) can go at either end.

import time
import board
import digitalio

# This uses 3 pins on QtPy RP2040, but any pins will do.
PINS = (board.A3, board.SDA, board.SCL) # List of pins, one per nOOd

# Convert pin number list to pin object list, initialize to OFF
pin_list = [digitalio.DigitalInOut(pin) for pin in PINS]
for pin in pin_list:
    pin.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT
    pin.value = False

while True:               # Repeat forever...
    for pin in pin_list:  # For each pin...
        pin.value = True  # nOOd on
        time.sleep(0.5)   # Pause 1/2 sec
        pin.value = False # nOOd off

# Adafruit nOOds digital control using GPIO pins.
# Uses 3 nOOds, anode (+) to GPIO pin, cathode (-) to ground.
# A current-limiting resistor (e.g. 220 Ohm) can go at either end.

import time
import board
import digitalio

# This uses 3 pins on QtPy RP2040, but any pins will do.
PINS = (board.A3, board.SDA, board.SCL) # List of pins, one per nOOd

# Convert pin number list to pin object list, initialize to OFF
pin_list = [digitalio.DigitalInOut(pin) for pin in PINS]
for pin in pin_list:
    pin.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT
    pin.value = False

while True:               # Repeat forever...
    for pin in pin_list:  # For each pin...
        pin.value = True  # nOOd on
        time.sleep(0.5)   # Pause 1/2 sec
        pin.value = False # nOOd off

Fade in Sequence

This code provides a fade effect, sequencing each nood.