As part of thinking about robustness and durability in our e-textile tailor shop, I’m revisiting some of the ways we’ve been making permanent and detachable connections between hard and soft components of e-textile circuits.

Permanent

Solder wick loops on protoboard:

Vinycut copper tape on Kapton film with Kapton tape solder mask:

Using foam to improve sewn connections:

Surface-mount on leather patch and LED button:

Copper plated on leather button and solder applied so that the traces won’t crack when flexed:

Chained breakouts:

Sewing to prtoboard

Making life easier but not necessary more reliable:
>> http://www.plusea.at/?p=3965

Detachable

Soldering snaps to circuitboard and sewing the others:

Snap through hole pressing against copper:

Velcro breakout for knit sensors:

Foam also good for improving clipped connection:

Press-fit