The SparkFun EL Escudo Dos is an Arduino shield for controlling up to eight strands of electroluminescent (EL) wire. EL wire is flexible plastic cord that glows brightly when high-voltage AC is applied — it runs cool and draws very little current, making it ideal for costumes, displays, and signage.

The shield uses opto-isolated, zero-crossing triacs for noise-free operation and full isolation between the AC and DC sides. An integrated 1.5A adjustable linear regulator (LM317) supplies regulated DC power to an external inverter. Control is as simple as turning a digital pin on and off — no library required.

Key Features

• 8 Control Channels – Opto-isolated, zero-crossing switching for up to 8 EL wire strands
• No Library Required – Control channels like standard digital outputs
• Full AC/DC Isolation – Safe switching of high-voltage AC
• Integrated 1.5A Regulator – LM317 preset to 3.3V, adjustable via resistors or bypassable via solder jumper
• 5V and 3.3V Compatible – Works with both Arduino voltage levels

Specifications

• Channels – 8 opto-isolated outputs
• Regulator – LM317, 1.5A, preset to 3.3V (adjustable)
• Compatibility – Arduino Uno and compatible boards
• Triac – Z0103MN with MOC3063S optoisolator

Package Contents

• 1× SparkFun EL Escudo Dos Shield (without headers)

Resources

• Hookup Guide
• GitHub Repository
• Schematic (PDF)
• Eagle Design Files
• Example Code
• MOC3063S Datasheet
• Z0103MN Datasheet
• LM317 Datasheet