Hi,
I want to have a personal project over the summer where I create a robotic hand that can close when I close my hand, so I have been looking for an EMG sensor, but this is my first time ever looking into this kind of field, so I am a little lost. If I purchased just the Myowear 2 muscle sensor and not the entire kit, would I be able to connect it to an arduino nano with a wired connection, and does it come with the cables to do so? I was also wondering if it came with the snap connector cable required to attach a reference electrode that I see in the complete kit’s photos? I planned on trying to create my own reusable electrodes using either washers or coins, as I don’t want to keep having to spend money on disposable electrodes, and I don’t think I will need a super precise signal for just the opening and closing of a hand. Does this sound feasible, and if not, are there some not too expensive reusable electrodes I could buy? Sorry for all the confusion, this is my first time ever working with electrical components like this, so I am a little lost. One last question, I am fairly sure the sensor is just powered by connecting it to the arduino, but is that true? Thank you for all your help.
IMO you very likely will want to use electrodes…coins interact with skin/sweat differently, have oxidation layers that can cause issues, the units are tuned for the noise floor with electrodes, etc…although if you experiment and find success feel free to share results
The sensor sold by itself comes bare, no REF cable…this can be an electrode soldered to a wire if that’s easier?
You’d wire VIN to 5v on the Nano, GND to ground, ENV goes to an ADC input pin on the Nano
Go through the hookup guide here Getting Started with the MyoWare® 2.0 Muscle Sensor Ecosystem - SparkFun Learn that’ll show you a bit more about how to get it goin’
Thank you so much for all of your help. If I do not have the tools to solder wires at home, is there some way you might recommend I attach them so I can plug it into the arduino nano in the way you described? I read that sometimes alligator clip jumper wires can be used to attach wires instead of having to solder, but I’m not sure if it is applicable here or not. Thank you so much again.
Alligator clips can work for testing but are generally not stable connections…this is even moreso with wearables/things that will be moving :-/
You might be able to find a soldering kit second-hand or similar, the most basic ones are pretty reasonably priced these days. You also might be able to enlist the help of a friend/family member or a local electronics/phone repair to help
