Hello, I am working on a project where I will have conductive paint run from my hand up my arm to a board that senses touch. When I am touched it turns on EL Wire.

My problem is that I am not sure how to gate the power of the EL Wire. The boards I've seen only take 5v power and I don't believe the signal output can be boosted with an inverter enough to power the EL Wire. So the easiest solution, I believe? Is to have some kind of gate controller in line between the inverter and the EL Wire that blocks current unless the board says otherwise. This wouldn't be an on/off switch, rather a "hold on with signal" "hold off with no signal".

What should I be looking for or trying to build? If this doesn't quite make sense please ask and I will do my best to help clarify.

 

Explain it better, what is an EL wire?

 

From what I have read you need at least 50vac to power EL wire. Sparkfun sells a 3 volt DC to 110vac inverter for EL wire that will power up to 9 meters of wire. Is this about what you are talking about?
SG

 

Flexible EL Wire Neon Light 3 Meters

 

That level of voltage can give you an uncomfortable shock, or possibly worse. My suggestion is hidden wires and a remote control of some type. The only EL materials that I have played with required a higher voltage, closer to 150 volts peak. One shock from that small supply, which ran on 12 volts, and I was VERY CAREFUL from that point on. At the current thos EL devices draw you can use very fine wire, like #36, very easy to hide and very hard to see.