This article was taken from the November 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Circuitry is technical, but it can also be artistic. "You can build circuits straight on to paper, even in a spiral notebook," says Jie Qi, a member of the
High-Low Tech Group at the Media Lab. Here she explains how to draw your connections.
1. Gather your kit You'll need LEDs for surface-mount technology -- the small components you see on circuit boards -- to lie flat against your page. And get a power supply too: "Coin cell-batteries are great because they're flat and provide just the right amount of power for LEDs without overpowering them," says Qi. Last, find some conductive copper tape.
2. Sketch your circuit "Trace the footprints of your components directly on to the paper [in pencil], then connect the dots between these footprints to draw in all the connections in the circuit." To light the LEDs, connect them by drawing lines from the + end to the + end of your power supply, and the -- ends of the LEDs with the -- end of the cell.
3. Connect with Copper tape "Now you're ready to turn your pencil sketch into an actual functioning circuit." Tape the conductive copper tape over the lines connecting the components. If the tape is too wide, cut it thinner with scissors. Soft copper tape can be curved by folding. "But don't fold too many times or it will break."
4. Make paper switches Place the two ends of the switch (the traces that will be connected and disconnected) next to each other in parallel. Use a third piece of conductive copper to bridge these traces. "Between the parallel traces and the bridge, place a paper space with a hole large enough to expose the two parallel traces when someone presses the button."
5. Place the components Once you've finished laying down the circuit connections and switches, place the components over the copper traces. "For LED circuits, you can simply tape the LEDs on to the copper traces to make the connection," explains Qi. "For more complex circuits with many connections, solder your components to the copper traces."
6. Add some power All you need now is power. "You can create a simple battery holder by folding a corner of your paper and using a binder clip to secure the
battery in place." There's a tutorial at hlt.media.mit.edu/?p=1149 and one for a creating a separate battery pouch at web.media.mit.edu/~jieqi/?p=50
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
