Experience next-level of health monitoring with AS7030B and PIC18F57Q43

ECG/GSR Click is based on the AS7030B, a vital sign sensor based on Photoplethysmography (PPG) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) operations from AMS-AG. These two popular methods are suitable for heart rate monitoring (HRM) and heart rate variability (HRV), which measure the pulse rate by sampling light modulated by blood vessels that expand and contract as blood pulses through them. The ECG is the reference for any measurement of the bio-potential generated by the heart. This vital sign sensor features a low-noise analog front end, a single device integrated optical solution, and a synchronous demodulator. It consists of two 527nm green LEDs and one 940nm IR LED. The built-in infrared emitter and dedicated photodiode enable easy integration of the proximity function. Besides the HRM and SpO2, the AS7030B

is also anoptical measurement system for GSR (galvanic skin resistivity) and skin temperature obtained via an external temperature sensor connected to an onboard header labeled NTC. ECG/GSR Click communicates with MCU using the standard I2C 2-Wire interface that supports Standard-Mode (100 kHz) and Fast-Mode (400 kHz) operations. Also, it uses two additional pins, the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, used as an interrupt, and the EN pin, routed on the CS pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, used to put the AS7030B into Normal operation mode or in a Shutdown. The AS7030B does not require a specific Power-Up sequence but requires a supply voltage of 3.8V to work correctly. Therefore, the Click board™ uses a low dropout linear regulator AP7331 from Diodes Incorporated, providing a 3.8V out of 5V mikroBUS™

rail.This Click board™ consists of two input channels routed to the 3.5mm jack connectors labeled as ECG and GSR, to which a 1m long ECG/EMG cable connects the electrodes to the appropriate Click board™ securely. The two electrode holders consist of a metal piece with a dent in the middle that perfectly fits the rivets on the electrodes. The contact with the measurement Click board™ remains good and secure while mounting the cable's electrodes is simple and easy. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the VCC SEL jumper. This way, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs can use the communication lines properly. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing easy-to-use functions and an example code that can be used, as a reference, for further development.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.