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CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

The Design of the Electromyography Sensor with the

Modifying Circuit

Xiangxin Zou*
Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E
6BT, UK
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected],
[email protected]

Abstract. The project is about using the Electromyography (EMG) sensor to display the muscle
movement and use connecting circuit to modify the signal from the EMG sensor. The modifying
circuit connected to the EMG sensor include the amplifier circuit to amplify the signal, the filter
to remove the DC offset and the high frequency noise, the rectifier for the positive swing of the
signal and the envelope detector to smooth the signal. The circuit is designed according to the
signal amplitude and the frequency spectrum and is simulated on the Multisim and have the
output. The actual circuit is built as in the simulation and the signal is from the electrode. The
output is in audiovisual and performance of the EMG sensor circuit is demonstrated by
experiment. The design of the EMG in the project uses the simple component in electronic circuit
with the desired output. The display of the EMG sensor in the project is audiovisual which
provides the user with output format both in visual and in audio that allows hearing disability
and visual disability users to use the EMG sensor.

1. Introduction
The Electromyograph (EMG) sensor with the audiovisual output of the project is the device that is
controlled by the sensor of the muscle activity [1]. The EMG sensor sense the current flowing from the
muscle to test the muscle movement and the muscle strength. The original signal the muscle generated
could not be easily interpreted and the signal and the information is provided in analysing human
biomechanics and the movement of the animal by using the EMG sensor [2]. The aim of the project is
using EMG sensor to measure and to show muscle activity movement and muscle activity strength
display using different display of audio, visual and/or motion. The aim of the project is achieved using
the circuit connected to the EMG sensor that the original signal the muscle generated is amplified with
the amplifier circuit, modify the amplified signal with the modifying circuit and the output of the circuit
is displayed in audio and visual by connecting the output of the circuit to the microcontroller. The basic
component of the EMG sensor has the instrumentation amplifier, the filter, the rectifier, the envelop
detector and the microcontroller which in the project used is the Arduino to display the output. The work
research the property of the EMG sensor circuit, modify the design of the circuit, investigate the
characteristic of different component and experiment the performance of the circuit.

Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution
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Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

2. Theory

2.1. EMG
The technique Electromyography (EMG) measure and record the muscle activity signal and the muscle
activity is recorded using the electrodes which is inserted on the muscle and detect the potential of the
action of the individual muscle units [3]. The signal of the EMG is transmitted and detected by the
electrode inserted on the muscle [4]. The range of the amplitude of the EMG signal is from sub-mV to
the few mV and the range of the frequency of the signal is from 0 to 500Hz and the range of the dominant
signal is of 50 to 150Hz [2]. The EMG signal power density spectrum range for most muscle is from 0
to 400Hz and above the power density spectrum range the EMG signal is not distinguished from the
detected noise and the from the recording system [2].

2.2. Instrumentation Amplifier

The EMG signal amplitude is detected however the EMG signal amplitude is not large enough for the
signal measurement. The instrumentation amplifier is used to amplify the EMG signal with large gain
and the instrumentation amplifier is used with large noise [5]. The different input, the large input
impedance, the defined gain and the reject common mode signal is the benefits of the instrumentation
amplifier [1].

2.3. Filter
The instrumentation amplifier amplify the few millivolts offset voltage generated in the interface of the
electrode-skin. The high-pass filter is filter the DC offset and the low-pass filter is filter the noise in the
signal. The benefit of the high-order filter is that the large rate of the roll-off gain after the bandwidth
compare with the low-order filter [6]. The second-order high-pass filter is used to attenuate the DC offset
and the second-order low-pass filter is used to attenuate the noise generated in the signal [1].

2.4. Rectifier
The signal of the EMG sensor is rectified to calculate the average value of the EMG sensor amplitude.
The signal flow direction is the same in the rectifier which uses the diode as the rectifier [7]. The EMG
signal which is rectified only has the positive swing or the negative swing. The super diode circuit has
the small conduction threshold which is close to 0V and the super diode circuit has the characteristic of
the diode [1].

2.5. Envelope detector

The signal is modulated by the envelope detector [8]. The output signal of the rectifier is smooth by the
envelope detector for the more DC signal and connect the envelope detector to the microcontroller.

3. Method

3.1. The EMG Sensor with the Audiovisual Output Design and the Simulation on the Multisim
The component in the EMG sensor is the EMG sensor electrode, the instrumentation amplifier, the filter,
the rectifier, the envelop detector, the microcontroller and the display. The modifying circuit connected
to the EMG sensor is simulated on the Multisim to measure the circuit performance. The circuit design
of the simulation on the Multisim is shown in Figure 1.

2
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

V6
5V
VSS VSS
5V 5V
XFG1
U5A

4
3
R15 C3
1 R1
2 10kΩ
25kΩ 0.0001µF
LMC660CN
R11
11

R13 U7A C1 C2 U1A R3 R4 U2A

4
3 3 3
R10
10kΩ
250Ω 20kΩ 1
0.1µF 0.1µF
1 15kΩ 15kΩ 1
R12 2 2 2
R14
LMC660CN LMC660CN LMC660CN

11

11

11
10kΩ
R2 C4
20kΩ
U6A R16 25kΩ 0.0001µF
4

3
VEE VEE
1 20kΩ XSC3
2
-5.0V -5.0V
LMC660CN Tektronix
11

P 1 2 3 4 T
G XBP1

IN OUT

V5
5V

XSC2

Tektronix
V4
R9
5V P 1 2 3 4 T
G
200Ω

R8

1000Ω VCC
5.0V
D4

1N4148
R7
U4A
4

1000Ω 3
D3
1
U3A

4
2 3
1N4148
1
LMC660CN R5
11

XSC4 2

300Ω LMC660CN

11
Tektronix
C5

P 1 2 3 4 T 7.95µF
G

R6

V3 10kΩ
5V VDD
-5.0V

VSS
5V

U8A
4

XSC1 2

LMC660CN
11

Tektronix R17 R18

P 1 2 3 4 T
1kΩ 1kΩ
G

R19

10Ω

Figure 1. The circuit design of the simulation on the Multisim

3
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

The amplifier LMC660CN/NOPB is used for the amplifier in the circuit because of the feature of the
large voltage gain and the low input offset voltage as shown on the LMC660CN/NOPB datasheet [9].
The sine wave input signal has the frequency of 100Hz, the amplitude of 500μVpp and the 0 offset
voltage.
The coin is chosen as the electrode because of the conductivity of the material and the accessibility
of the material. The compound metal is chosen as the electrode because of the conductivity of the
material [10]. The 1p coin is minted in steel and electroplated in copper and the 2p coin is made of the
material of copper-plated steel as researched [12]. By using the electrode that the surface area is large,
the signal of the electrode is large. It is researched that the 2p coin is not easy to connect tightly with
the surface the skin when the muscle activity is produced. As the measurement of the different coins
shown the electrode use the 1p coin. To build the electrode, the conductive tape is used to provide
conductivity and the circuit wire is used to connect the electrode to the circuit.
The input signal from the electrode to the circuit is amplified by the instrumentation amplifier. The
instrumentation amplifier circuit design is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The instrumentation amplifier circuit design

The electrode 1 and the electrode 2 and the reference electrode is connected to the instrumentation
amplifier and the instrumentation amplifier amplify the difference of the input signal. The
instrumentation amplifier should not amplify the signal when the inputs are the same [13]. The large
resistor value of 220Ω to 10kΩ is used in the circuit to reduce the current and to stabilize the signal.
The instrumentation amplifier gain is
𝑉 𝑉 𝑅 2𝑅
𝐴 1 275
𝑉 𝑉 𝑉 𝑅 𝑅
The simulation of the circuit on the Multisim shows that the input signal amplitude is 386.114μV
and the output signal amplitude is 98.027mV. The gain of the simulation on the Multisim is similar
to the gain calculated on the equation which is -253.88 however it is the negative gain of the simulation
on the Multisim.
The second-order filter is used to filter the DC offset and to filter the noise with the large rate. The
high-pass filter and the low-pass filter circuit design is shown in Figure 3.

4
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

Figure 3. The second-order high-pass filter and the second-order low-pass filter circuit design
The capacitor value of 1μF and the 100pF is used in the circuit and the resistor value from 15kΩ to
33kΩ is used in the circuit to filter the DC offset and to filter the noise. The operational amplifier has
the DC offset [14]. The filter cut off frequency is
𝑓 6𝐻𝑧 and 𝑓 106𝑘𝐻𝑧
The input signal amplitude of the simulation on the Multisim is 100.621mV and the output signal
amplitude of the simulation on the Multisim is 110.440mV. The corner frequency of the filter measured
on the Bode plot is 50Hz and 40kHz and the calculated corner frequency on equation is larger than the
corner frequency in the Bode plot.
The full-wave bridge rectifier circuit has the advantage that achieve larger output power [15]. The
bridge amplifier is widely available [16]. The full-wave rectifier circuit design is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. The full-wave rectifier circuit design

It can be shown in Figure 4 that the resistor value from 2.2kΩ to 10kΩ is used in the rectifier to
reduce the current and to stabilize the circuit. The input signal to the rectifier is rectified inn full wave
with the positive swing as shown in the simulation on the Multisim. The input signal amplitude of the

5
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

simulation on the Multisim is 100.713mV and the output signal amplitude of the simulation on the
Multisim is 83.092V. The output signal amplitude of the rectifier is reduced compared with the input
signal amplitude of the rectifier.
The additional amplifier is connected to the rectifier to amplify the signal because the energy loss of
the signal is rectifier. The additional amplifier circuit design is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. The additional amplifier circuit design

The resistor value from 100Ω to 2.2kΩ is used in the additional amplifier circuit. The input signal
amplitude of the simulation on the Multisim is 14.746mV and the output signal amplitude of the
simulation on the Multisim is 415.837mV. The gain of the amplifier calculated is 28.
The envelope detector is connected to the additional amplifier to smooth the additional amplifier
output signal. The envelope detector could respond to the magnitude of the resultant carrier [17]. The
envelope detector circuit design is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. The envelope detector circuit design

6
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

The microcontroller is Arduino used in the EMG sensor circuit. The microcontroller process the
output signal of the envelope detector.
The EMG sensor output is the audio display and the visual display. The LED bar contains several
individual LEDs and the large number of LEDs in the LED bar light up the large amplitude is. The large
speaker voice is the large amplitude is.

3.2. Experimental procedure

Step 1: Build the circuit of the circuit design in the Figure 1 on the breadboard.
Step 2: Power the amplifier using the DC voltage of the +9V and the DC voltage of -9V and set the
sine wave with amplitude of 1mVpp and with the frequency of 100Hz for the input signal. The amplifier
LMC660CN/NOPB in the instrumentation amplifier gets hot and smells like burnt.
Step 3: Test the instrumentation amplifier, the filter, the rectifier and the envelope detector part of
the circuit separately. The instrumentation amplifier output signal is not amplified compared with the
instrumentation amplifier output signal. However, according to the output of the part of the circuit
slightly changes is made of the value of the resistor and the value of the capacitor.
Step 4: Each amplifier is tested separately in the instrumentation amplifier and it shows that one of
the amplifiers does not work in the instrumentation amplifier. When changing the circuit design of the
simulation in the Multisim the amplifier output signal is connected to the amplifier positive input. After
the design of the circuit is changed the amplifier works well for the input signal of the amplifier,
Step 5: Then solder the coin centre and connect the EMG electrode to the EMG circuit. When
contracting the muscle on the LED bar more LEDs light up and the speaker voice is larger.

3.3. Results
The input signal of the component in the circuit is shown in channel 1 of the oscilloscope and the output
signal of the component in the circuit is shown in channel 2 of the oscilloscope.
The instrumentation amplifier input signal and the instrumentation amplifier output signal is shown
in Figure 7.

Figure 7. The instrumentation amplifier input signal and the instrumentation amplifier output signal

7
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

The input signal amplitude on the oscilloscope is 2.4122mV and the output signal amplitude on the
oscilloscope is 120.35mV.
The filter input signal and the filter output signal is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. The filter input signal and the filter output signal
The noise in the input signal of the filter on the oscilloscope of the filter and the noise is filtered in
the output signal of the filter on the oscilloscope of the filter.
The rectifier input signal and the rectifier output signal is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. The rectifier input signal and the rectifier output signal

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CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

The rectifier output signal on the oscilloscope is rectified by the rectifier with the positive swing of
the signal. However, in the rectifier output signal the voltage loss is in the negative swing rectified of
the output signal.
The additional amplifier input signal and the additional amplifier output signal is shown in Figure
10.

Figure 10. The additional amplifier input signal and the additional amplifier output signal
The additional amplifier input signal amplitude on the oscilloscope is 2.4419mV and the additional
amplifier output signal amplitude on the oscilloscope is 3.414V. The additional amplifier gain is 1398.
The envelope detector input signal and the envelope detector output signal is shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11. The envelope detector input signal and the envelope detector output signal

9
CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

The envelope detector smooth the envelope detector output signal compared with the envelope
detector input signal.
In general, the large number of the LEDs in the LED bar light up the large speaker voice frequency
and the large muscle strength. However, change the microcontroller code to make the output respond
based on the muscle activity frequency.

3.4. Discussion and problems

However, according to the experiment the EMG sensor output signal is not stable and the EMG sensor
output signal not always respond to the EMG circuit. Any circuit wire movement and wire intercontact
affects the output of the EMG sensor. The two close unconnected terminals of the circuit acts as the
antenna and the noise presented in the output signal of the circuit is generated by the circuit. The large
permeability and permittivity ratio of the wire has effect on the antenna as which the unconnected wire
perform [18]. The use of the ‘auto set’ function of the oscilloscope for testing the output signal of the
oscilloscope cause the signal on the oscilloscope not the same as the output signal and reset the
oscilloscope. The muscle activity signal is measured by the EMG electrode and the muscle activity
signal is affected by the point the EMG placed whether it is the obvious activity of the muscle.

4. Conclusion
The aim of the project which is show the muscle activity movement and muscle activity strength using
the EMG sensor with the display of audio, visual and/or motion is achieved. The EMG electrode design
use the 1p coin and the design of the instrumentation amplifier has the 200 gain to amplify the signal.
The filter design has the corner frequency of 6Hz to 106kHz filter the DC offset and filter the noise. The
filter output signal is rectified with the positive swing of the signal to calculate the mean value of the
amplitude of the signal. However, the additional amplifier is used because the voltage loss in the output
signal of the rectifier to amplify the rectifier output signal amplitude. The envelope detector connected
to the rectifier is used to process the signal smooth the rectifier output signal to the more DC signal of
the rectifier output signal. The envelope detector output signal is connected to the LED bar and is
connected to the speaker which shows the muscle activity movement and the muscle activity strength
and providing the display of visual and/or audio so that the visual problem people and the hearing
problem people could read the muscle activity movement and the muscle activity strength.
For future work, using the conductive gel to connect the EMG electrode on the electrode-skin surface
provide stable signal of the muscle activity for building the EMG electrode. The circuit designer is
benefited by the connection of the component in the EMG sensor and the reduce of the circuit wire of
the circuit in problem shooting and reduce overlapping wires of the circuit reduce the noise in the EMG
circuit. The noise generated in the circuit is reduced by using the stripboard to provide the stable EMG
sensor signal.

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CISAI 2020 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1693 (2020) 012189 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1693/1/012189

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