Turn everyday objects into high-tech prototypes suitable for education and more

Mouser has announced that it has signed a global distribution agreement with Adafruit. Adafruit was founded in 2005 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineer Limor 'Ladyada' Fried. The company offers unique and fun DIY electronics, kits, and open-source hardware that turn everyday objects into high-tech prototypes suitable for education and advanced production concepts. Mouser will offer same-day shipping on the Adafruit product line, including the FLORA and GEMMA wearable electronic platforms. These small but powerful boards incorporate programming based on the Arduino integrated development environment (IDE) through USB interface to give designers and entry-level makers alike the ability to easily create prototypes of wearable devices. The FLORA board includes 14 sewing tap pads for attachment and electrical connections on a 1.75 inch. diameter body, and the even smaller GEMMA board puts its six sewing tap pads on a 1.1 inch. diameter body. Mouser will also stock the Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 breakout board, a tiny WiFi microcontroller based on the ESP8266 80MHz microcontroller. This breadboard-friendly module makes adding WiFi to projects easy with onboard WiFi antenna, I/O pins, and level shifting. “Mouser is excited about this new partnership with Adafruit,” said Russell Rasor, Mouser vice president of supplier management. “With the growing popularity of the Maker and DIY movement, Adafruit will be a welcome addition to our lineup for open-source products. Customers across the globe now have access to an expanded offering of innovative products designed by experts with a passion for electronics education and inspiring the next generation of engineers.” Limor 'Ladyada' Fried, Adafruit founder and engineer, added: “Mouser’s global reach enables us to extend our customer base to offer powerful and easy-to-use products to people of all skill levels,” said. “Known for their best-in-class distribution, renowned service and exceptional customer reach, Mouser is a valued strategic partner for us. We look forward to much success.”