FYP2 : Week 8

Pulse sensor interface

Objective : 

• To know how to interface between pulse sensor and Arduino Nano

• To do research background about heart rate and blood pressure

Activity: The function of pulse sensor is to get the heart rate reading from the blood circulation. There are three recommended place location for the sensor which is on fingertip, wrist and earlobe. For this project, the sensor chosen to be place on the  wrist. To try interface the pulse sensor with Arduino Nano, a coding from open source had been tried to interface between pulse sensor and Arduino Nano. The pulse sensor connected to pin A0 as it produce analog input. The VCC pin of pulse sensor was connected with 5V pin on Arduino and for Ground pin of the pulse sensor was connected to the ground pin of Arduino.

Figure 1 Connection pin between pulse sensor and Arduino

Figure 2 Heart rate reading on serial monitor

The normal heart rate is from 60 to 100 heart beat per minute (bpm). Meanwhile, the normal range of blood pressure is from 120 for systolic and 80 for diastolic.Blood pressure reading unit in melimeters mercury (mmHg). As mention from Heart.org, there could be variation in relationship between blood pressure and heart rate. When heart rate reading increases, blood pressure reading will also increase but it not rise at the same rate. So, a study had been done to get the relationship between the blood pressure. The results shown when the heart rate higher from its normal range which is 100 bpm, the blood pressure also in high blood pressure (hypertension) range while when the heart rate lower from its normal range which is 60 bpm, the blood pressure also in low blood pressure (hypotension) range.

Conclusion : The relationship between heart rate and blood pressure is the abnormal reading of heart rate produced abnormal range of blood pressure class. More details will be discuss when I starts write chapter Results and Discussion for final report.

FYP2 : Week 7

Accelerometer interface

Objective : 

• To study the interface between accelerometer and Arduino Nano

• To get accelerometer reading of fall detection

Activity: This week I had tried the first part of my project which is finding the fall acceleration of the accelerometer reading. As to get consistent of acceleration, the accelerometer must placed on a static position. So, I had planned to put it on a small breadboard as shown in Figure 1. However, my Arduino Nano pin did not fit to the breadboard hole. I decided to resolder the pin leg back. I did suck the solder ion at the pin legs. Unfortunately when i want to solder it back, it so freaking hard to solder it as the pin is very near to each other and the solder ion keep twinning the pin legs. So i had failed to resolder the pin legs back. I just directly solder the jumper wire connection to the hole. Same goes with accelerometer. I had put them on a board and place it on the wrist.

Figure 1 Accelerometer connection with Arduino Nano

Figure 2 Arduino's pin not fit into the breadboard hole

I tried to run a coding that i got from open source for accelerometer. As you know, accelerometer have 3-axis which are X, Y and Z. The Y-axis is vertical acceleration, X-axis is forward acceleration and Z-axis is side-away acceleration. From all those 3-axis, Y-axis shown the most different when fall occur. The threshold was decided to set at 700 reading of accelerometer on Y-axis. Fallwill detect when the reading more than the threshold value. More detail will be discuss when i start write my Results and Discussion for my report.

Conclusion : Only Y-axis chosen for fall detection of this project. This is because Y-axis produces the most impacted andgive biggest changes during fall incident.

FYP2 : Week 6

Troubleshoot Arduino Nano Code Burning Error

Objective : 

• To investigate the problem of Arduino Nano

• To troubleshoot the Arduino Nano

Activity: I did googled and tried few solution steps that provided from this youtube video  : YouTube 5 Most Common Arduino Nano Problem which shown fews problems and its steps of solution which are :

1. Missing serial communication drivers
2. Improper port selection
3. Improper board setting
4. Missing Boatloader
5. Static damaged

Some of the steps I had tried and did not work to my Arduino Nano. The step that working on my Arduino Nano shown that it missing or using an old boatloader. So, I had used Master-Slave way to burn the new boatloader to my Arduino Nano.

Figure 1 Connection between Master and Slave

A working Arduino UNO as the Master burned the new boatloader by using ArduinoISP. It used coding from examples> ArduinoISP and select Tools and choose setting :

Board:Arduino UNO

Programmer : Arduino as ISP

Then, choose Burn Boatloader which also under Tools. This to burn the boatloader code into Slave which was Arduino Nano. Proper steps are shown in this website under "Missing Boatloader" problem : Arduino Nano Clone Problems and Their Solutions . After I did this solution, the problem settled and I can burn any coding as usual.

Conclusion : The problem of cannot burn coding from software Arduino IDE into Arduino Nano had been found and settled down. There are many solution that have in open source in internet. So, try and eror process need to be done to troubleshoot the problem.

FYP2 : Week 5

Arduino Nano interfaces

Objective : 

• To study about microcontroller interface of Arduino Nano 

Activity: As i had bought some components last week, so this week i had started for Arduino Nano interfacing. The first step is download CH340 which to show the port of Arduino Nano as the Arduino nano mostly from China and it sometimes having problem of showing port in the Arduino software. Here I attached the link file that you can download it : CH340 Download . Then, open Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT) and the port of Arduino will be shown up as well as in the Arduino software.

Figure 1 Port number shown in device manager

Figure 2 Port number of Arduino shown in the Arduino software

Next, I had tried to burn coding from examples to test the Arduino Nano. Open the Arduino IDE software. Go to File >Examples > Basic and I had selected Blink. Then, click Upload that have right arrow symbol and wait until it finished upload. However, I cannot upload the coding as it shown error.

Conclusion : As I bought the cheap Arduino Nano, so some problems might happen. I need to troubleshoot and find solution for the error of uploading the code into the Arduino Nano.

FYP2 : Week 4

Survey and Buy Components

Objective : 

• To survey market price to of components to be use for the project

• To start buy   components for the project hardware making

Activity: Today i went to Jalan Pasar,KL which the place that have a lot of shops that sell electronic devices and components. I went there by public transport which i take LRT and stop at LRT PUDU station. You guys can check how to go there from your place by refer to this : Google Maps of Jalan Pasar, Pudu. Then, you need to walk a bit to arrive at the shop lot area. Most of this shop close on 6 PM, so better you early if you plan to walk around for survey the price of components.

I had entered a lot of electronics shop but not all of them sell electronics circuit components. Only few of the shops sell the electronics component which you need to refer either their shop have sign of Arduino's and circuit components sign. After I had surveyed few shops that sell electronic circuit components, some of the shops sell their items at high price. So, today I had bought  Arduino Nano from R.E. Spares Sdn. Bhd. which cost RM40 and accelerometer ADXL345 at MSC Supply and Service that cost RM18. Both of this shop sell their item in affordable price which really recommended for you guys to buy from there. I still not buy GSM as it quite costly as which cost around RM 60 to RM 120 from all shops I had surveyed.

Conclusion : Process to survey the price of components is quite hard as I need to walk shop by shop to find the shops that sell electronic circuit components and comparing the price. Maybe buy online could make it more easier.