Monday 4 March 2013

Week 6


After a few weeks searching for the best electrodes, Alhamdulillah, finally I have found the best electrodes or EMG sensors. Surface EMG Sensor from Delsys are fulfill the criteria that we want to this project.

Through my reading, I understanding of the design of the Delsys Surface EMG Sensors is crucial for the proper use. The first concept to consider is that the sensors rely on differential amplification. This means that the signal is detected at two sites, the signals are subtracted, and the difference is amplified. As a result, any signal that is “common” to both detection sites will be removed, and signals that are different at the two sites will be amplified. Most noise is “common” to both detection sites and is removed. The desired surface EMG signal is different at the two sites and is amplified. In the double differential model, the signal is detected at three sites and the subtraction procedure is performed twice to allow even greater focus on
the desired muscle and to eliminate crosstalk.

The second concept to consider is the fixed parallel bar arrangement of the skin contacts. Muscle fibers run longitudinally in a muscle. As a result, the electrical activity of the muscle also propagates predominantly along the length of the muscle. Each Delsys EMG Sensor has an arrow on top that should be aligned along the length of the muscle so that the parallel bar detection sites transect the muscle fibers. The parallel bar arrangement, in contrast to circular contacts, ensures that a maximum number of muscle fibers are monitored in a given location. The fixed distance between the contacts ensures that measurements are reproducible since changes in the distance between detection surfaces would affect the detected signal.

Figure 1 : Electrode



Week 5


For this project, Sir recommended me to use PIC16F877A. Using USB ICSP PIC Programmer V2010 (UIC00B) and Enhanced 40 pins PIC Start-Up Kit (SK40C)


Figure 1 : PIC16F877A



Figure 2 : PIC16F877A Data Sheet

Figure 3 : UIC00B

UIC00B is designed to program popular Flash PIC Microcontroller which includes most of the PIC family. Besides 8bit, it can also program 16bit and 32bit PIC MCU. On board ICSP (In Circuit Serial Programming) connector offers flexible methods to load program.USB port is commonly available and widely used on Laptop and Desktop PC, thus is very convenient to use UIC00B. It offers reliable, high speed programming and free windows interface software.

Figure 4 : SK40C

SK40C  is a 40pin PIC microcontroller starter kit designed to offer a easy-to-start solution for PIC microcontroller user. This board comes with basic element for user to begin project development. 


Figure 5 : Example of Tutorial for PIC16F877


For PIC16F877A, UIC00B and SK40C, I need to install MPLAB IDE and PICkit software, to run the program. Then, I to try the SK40C 16F877A sample program, LED Blinking.I had learned that with the correct code, we can run the program. 

From the last meeting, Sir have explain about the program. First, we need to write a program in MPLAB IDE using C language. But for my first try, I used the sample program. Next, I run the program and verified. If the program is fail, we need to check the program and do some correction. If the program is successful, then we can import the program to PICkit software. Connect the UIC00B and SK40C. Before we import the hex file, we need to check the communication, whether the connection with the device are correct. If the connection with the device are right, then we can import the program. Next, run the program. Tadaaa..!! The LED BLINKING. Yeyyy..!!! 

Figure 6 : LED BLINKING


For the next task, I need to try the PIC by using LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Sir give a task to make a program that related to my project using the similar program. Examples, when we push the switch button (SW1), the LCD will show "RIGHT". When we push the switch button (SW2), the LCD will show "LEFT".