Electronic textile resistor design and fabric resistivity characterization

Electronic components formed from electrically conductive textiles require a clear characterization of properties, such as electrical resistance, to enable the design and manufacture of safe and reliable electronic textile devices. The low dimensional stability of some electroactive fabrics can present challenges to electronic characterization. In this study, an electrical resistor was formed within a fabric by sewing a highly conductive metallic coated thread into less conductive fabric. A knitted fabric treated with polypyrrole was used to explore the effect of stitch parameters on the quality of the intra-fabric connection. A 1.5—2 mm straight stitch was identified as a reliable method for intra-fabric connection. A range of fabrics with different structures was sewn in this way and the electrical resistance characterization was compared with two other methods. The interaction of materials and processing for electronic textile characterization, component design, and manufacture is discussed.