Getting Started with the MyoWare® 2.0 Muscle Sensor Ecosystem

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Contributors: QCPete, bboyho
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Introduction

Note: This tutorial is for the MyoWare V2.0 Muscle Sensor and its ecosystem. If you are using the previous version, please refer to the older MyoWare Muscle Sensor V1 tutorial.

Using our muscles to control things is the way that most of us are accustomed to doing it. We push buttons, pull levers, move joysticks... but what if we could take the buttons, levers and joysticks out of the equation and control it with our muscles? The MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor is an Arduino-compatible, all-in-one electromyography (EMG) sensor from Advancer Technologies that allows you to do just that! The MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor has been redesigned from the ground up with a new, easy-to-use, compact design and upgraded with the latest and greatest chipset improving sensor performance and reliability. The innovative snap connector system eliminates the need to solder connections for the MyoWare 2.0 ecosystem. It's that easy: stick on a few electrodes (not included), read the output voltage and flex some muscles! In this tutorial, we will go over the features and related shields to connect the sensor to a muscle group.

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

DEV-21265
$39.95
3
MyoWare 2.0 Link Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Link Shield

DEV-18425
$12.95

MyoWare 2.0 LED Shield

DEV-18387
MyoWare 2.0 Arduino Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Arduino Shield

DEV-18426
$9.95
MyoWare 2.0 Cable Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Cable Shield

DEV-18386
$5.95
MyoWare 2.0 Power Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Power Shield

DEV-21868
$14.95

Required Materials

To follow along with this tutorial, you will need the following materials. You may not need everything though depending on what you have. Add it to your cart, read through the guide, and adjust the cart as necessary. You'll need at least three biomedical sensor pads per muscle sensor each time you connect to a muscle group.

Minimum Parts

At a minimum, you will need the following parts to connect and power the muscle sensor. You can view the muscle signal from the ENV LED.

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

DEV-21265
$39.95
3
Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

SEN-12969
$8.95
5
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424
$8.95
1
MyoWare 2.0 Power Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Power Shield

DEV-21868
$14.95
Note: Click below for a wishlist of the minimum parts.

Displaying the Magnitude of the Muscle Signal with LED Segments

You will need the following parts to connect and power the muscle sensor. You can view the magnitude of the muscle signal from the LED segments.

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

DEV-21265
$39.95
3
Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

SEN-12969
$8.95
5

MyoWare 2.0 LED Shield

DEV-18387
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424
$8.95
1
Note: Click below for a wishlist of the minimum parts.

Connecting to an Arduino

You will need the following to connect an 5V Arduino without the need to solder any wires between boards. Connecting to an Arduino allows you to process sensor data to control a device or viewing the signal on the Arduino Serial Plotter.

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

DEV-21265
$39.95
3
SparkFun RedBoard Plus

SparkFun RedBoard Plus

DEV-18158
$21.50
6
Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

SEN-12969
$8.95
5
MyoWare 2.0 Link Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Link Shield

DEV-18425
$12.95
MyoWare 2.0 Arduino Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Arduino Shield

DEV-18426
$9.95
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424
$8.95
1
Audio Cable TRS - 1m

Audio Cable TRS - 1m

CAB-18983
$1.95
Note: Click below for a wishlist of the minimum parts.

Transmitting Wirelessly

You will need the following to transmit sensor data wirelessly through an Arduino. The Artemis is one option to wirelessly send sensor data. Of course, you will need a minimum of 2x RedBoard Artemis boards and 2x USB cables. You'll need 1x battery pack and 4x AA batteries for each RedBoard Artemis that is battery powered. To follow along with example 3, we recommend the following parts.

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor

DEV-21265
$39.95
3
Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

Disposable Surface EMG/ECG/EKG Electrode - 24mm (10 pack)

SEN-12969
$8.95
5
MyoWare 2.0 Link Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Link Shield

DEV-18425
$12.95
Battery Holder - 4xAA to Barrel Jack Connector

Battery Holder - 4xAA to Barrel Jack Connector

PRT-09835
$2.75
MyoWare 2.0 Arduino Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Arduino Shield

DEV-18426
$9.95
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424
$8.95
1
SparkFun RedBoard Artemis

SparkFun RedBoard Artemis

DEV-15444
$21.50
10
Audio Cable TRS - 1m

Audio Cable TRS - 1m

CAB-18983
$1.95
Panasonic Alkaline Battery - AA

Panasonic Alkaline Battery - AA

PRT-15201
$0.55
Note: Click below for a wishlist of the minimum parts for Example 3.

An alternative to the Artemis is the ESP32. You will need to ESP32 boards and batteries. Luckily we have the MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor Wireless Kit that provides all that you need!

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor Wireless Kit

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor Wireless Kit

KIT-25332
$119.95

Accessories

Depending on your setup, you may need the following accessories to add an extension between the hardware and muscle group.

Sensor Cable - Electrode  Pads (3 connector)

Sensor Cable - Electrode Pads (3 connector)

CAB-12970
$5.50
10
MyoWare 2.0 Cable Shield

MyoWare 2.0 Cable Shield

DEV-18386
$5.95
MyoWare 2.0 Reference Cable

MyoWare 2.0 Reference Cable

CAB-19244
$1.25

Tools

To easily disconnect the boards, we recommend using a flathead screwdriver. The following screwdriver can be used to remove the stack of boards from each other. Depending on the Arduino that you choose, we recommend getting a hobby knife, solder, and soldering iron when changing the jumper pad for the logic levels.

SparkFun Mini Screwdriver

SparkFun Mini Screwdriver

TOL-09146
$1.05
3
Solder Lead Free - 15-gram Tube

Solder Lead Free - 15-gram Tube

TOL-09163
$3.95
4
Hobby Knife

Hobby Knife

TOL-09200
$3.50
2
Soldering Iron - 30W (US, 110V)

Soldering Iron - 30W (US, 110V)

TOL-09507
$10.95
7

You Will Also Need

You will also need the following.

  • Alcohol Swab (Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton ball)
  • USB isolator circuit (optional)

Suggested Reading

If you aren’t familiar with the following concepts, we recommend checking out these tutorials before continuing. Depending on the Arduino development board that you are using, you may need to install drivers. The RedBoards use a different USB-to-serial converter compared to the Arduino Uno. Both the Arduino Uno and the RedBoard Plus use 5V for the logic levels.

Analog to Digital Conversion

The world is analog. Use analog to digital conversion to help digital devices interpret the world.

Logic Levels

Learn the difference between 3.3V and 5V devices and logic levels.

How to Install CH340 Drivers

How to install CH340 drivers (if you need them) on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

RedBoard Plus Hookup Guide

This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the RedBoard Plus. This tutorial also covers how to get started blinking an LED and using the Qwiic system.

For users interested in using a Bluetooth® connection to wirelessly transmit the sensor data, we recommend getting the RedBoard Artemis and installing the board definitions. Note that the RedBoard Artemis uses 3.3V for the logic levels.

Hookup Guide for the SparkFun RedBoard Artemis

Get started with the RedBoard Artemis - all the functionality of the SparkFun Artemis module wrapped in the familiar Uno R3 footprint

Installing Board Definitions in the Arduino IDE

How do I install a custom Arduino board/core? It's easy! This tutorial will go over how to install an Arduino board definition using the Arduino Board Manager. We will also go over manually installing third-party cores, such as the board definitions required for many of the SparkFun development boards.