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How to use a Heart Beat Sensor

What is a Heart Rate Sensor?

Heart Rate Sensor a plug-and-play sensor that can easily incorporate live heart-rate data into projects. In the lab, we offer the one from Whadda, but this tutorial will work for Adafruit Pulse Sensor Amped as well. Know more about Pulse Sensor

Wiring

  1. + pin to 5V (Power)
  2. S pin to A0 (Signal)
  3. - pin to GND (Ground)

Library

PulseSensor Playground library will be used for this module. We have a tutorial on how to install a library here. This is by far the most reliable library for heart rate sensors.

Get Started

This example Getting_BPM_to_Monitor will print the BPM on the serial monitor.

#include <PulseSensorPlayground.h>     // Includes the PulseSensorPlayground Library.   

//  Variables
const int PulseWire = 0;       // PulseSensor PURPLE WIRE connected to ANALOG PIN 0
const int LED = LED_BUILTIN;          // The on-board Arduino LED, close to PIN 13.
int Threshold = 550;           // Determine which Signal to "count as a beat" and which to ignore.
                               // Use the "Gettting Started Project" to fine-tune Threshold Value beyond default setting.
                               // Otherwise leave the default "550" value. 
                               
PulseSensorPlayground pulseSensor;  // Creates an instance of the PulseSensorPlayground object called "pulseSensor"


void setup() {   

  Serial.begin(115200);          // For Serial Monitor

  // Configure the PulseSensor object, by assigning our variables to it. 
  pulseSensor.analogInput(PulseWire);   
  pulseSensor.blinkOnPulse(LED);       //auto-magically blink Arduino's LED with heartbeat.
  pulseSensor.setThreshold(Threshold);   

  // Double-check the "pulseSensor" object was created and "began" seeing a signal. 
   if (pulseSensor.begin()) {
    Serial.println("We created a pulseSensor Object !");  //This prints one time at Arduino power-up,  or on Arduino reset.  
  }
}



void loop() {

 

if (pulseSensor.sawStartOfBeat()) {            // Constantly test to see if "a beat happened".
int myBPM = pulseSensor.getBeatsPerMinute();  // Calls function on our pulseSensor object that returns BPM as an "int".
                                               // "myBPM" hold this BPM value now. 
 Serial.println("♥  A HeartBeat Happened ! "); // If test is "true", print a message "a heartbeat happened".
 Serial.print("BPM: ");                        // Print phrase "BPM: " 
 Serial.println(myBPM);                        // Print the value inside of myBPM. 
}

  delay(20);                    // considered best practice in a simple sketch.

}

This example GettingStartedProject will print your heart rate on the Serial Potter, you will see somthing similar to the hospital machine.

//  Variables
int PulseSensorPurplePin = 0;        // Pulse Sensor PURPLE WIRE connected to ANALOG PIN 0
int LED = LED_BUILTIN;   //  The on-board Arduion LED


int Signal;                // holds the incoming raw data. Signal value can range from 0-1024
int Threshold = 580;       // Determine which Signal to "count as a beat", and which to ingore.


// The SetUp Function:
void setup() {
  pinMode(LED,OUTPUT);         // pin that will blink to your heartbeat!
   Serial.begin(115200);       // Set's up Serial Communication at certain speed.

}

// The Main Loop Function
void loop() {

  Signal = analogRead(PulseSensorPurplePin);  // Read the PulseSensor's value.
                                              // Assign this value to the "Signal" variable.

   Serial.println("Signal " + String(Signal)); // Send "reading " followed by the Signal value to Serial Plotter.


   if(Signal > Threshold){                          // If the signal is above "550", then "turn-on" Arduino's on-Board LED.
     digitalWrite(LED,HIGH);
   } else {
     digitalWrite(LED,LOW);                //  Else, the sigal must be below "550", so "turn-off" this LED.
   }


delay(20);


}
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