Design of Human Cardiac Signal Simulator

CaturSuharinto1, Anwar Budianto2, Nugroho Tri Sanyoto3

1
STTN-BATAN BabarsaristPO Box 6101 YKBB Yogyakarta 55281
2
STTN-BATAN BabarsaristPO Box 6101 YKBB Yogyakarta 55281
3
STTN-BATAN BabarsaristPO Box 6101 YKBB Yogyakarta 55281

Abstract-Cardiac signal simulator is a device that generate electric signal looks like cardiac bioelectric signal
that scanned on human skin. Cardiac signal simulator used as an object (input signal) of ECG recorder in order
functional test or a device to support ECG recorder user training. Normal human cardiac signal displayed on the
ECGSIM software. Potential value that displayed on ECGSIM software can be extracted manually and assembled
as a flash program of microcontroller, so this microcontroller will generate some digital code by each parallel
port. This digital code then converted as analog signal by DAC. The cardiac signal simulator output is an analog
signal that identical with each leads according to recording method of bipolar, unipolar and precordial of ECG.
These analog signal was tested using a standard ECG recorder and is proven to generate an electrical signal in
accordance with the characteristics of the human cardiac signal displayed on ECGSIM software.

Keywords—ECG; Simulator; Cardiac; DAC; Microcontroller.

ECG recorder. Cardiac signal simulator is an
I. PREFACE equipment that generate analog signal that has similar
Diagnostic medical equipment have an important specification and consistent pattern.
role to detect human physiologist malfunction. ECG
machine is a standard diagnostic equipment thatrecord
human cardiac bioelectric signals. In general,the ECG
machine has theability
toproduce12ECGrecordingspattern
ofcardiacsignalsfrom9pointmeasurements onthe
surface ofhuman skin. [1],[2]
ECG pattern, basically not a pure human cardiac
signal.ECGsignalisthe result ofthe
amplificationofsomecardiacbioelectricsignalsthatscann (b)
(a)
edon surface ofthe skin using adifferential
amplifier.ECG patternis obtained by applying the three
standard scanning methods there are bipolar, unipolar
and precordial. There are 9 measurement points on the
surface of human skin, consist of right arm, left arm,
left leg and 6 point on the surface of human chest.
Figure 1 shows the cardiac bioelectric recording
method. [1]
(c)
Bipolar method generate 3 ECG recording, consist of
lead I, lead II and lead III. Unipolar method also Figure 1. Recording method (a) Bipolar; (b) Unipolar;
generate 3 ECG recording, consist of aVR, aVL and (c) Precordial.[2],[3]
aVF. Precordial method generate 6 ECG recording,
consist of V1 to V6 pattern.Some ECG machine write Nowadays, human cardiac simulator is very
the ECG pattern on the ECG paper.[1] expensive, because it’s made by foreign medical
Every human’s heart, has difference cardiac signal equipment industry. Besides expensive, dependence of
each other. Amplitude, BPM and signal pattern are the simulator’s spare parts also occur. Any malfunction on
difference. Thisdifferencecausesdifficulties to get this simulator will takes a long time to repair.
standard ECG signal, in order to study or calibrate the

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 Because ofvery important, it needs to build a low
cost human cardiac signal simulator to meet the needs
the hospital and health faculty. This human cardiac
simulator can generate analog signal that looks like
cardiac signal that appears on the ECGSIM software
but it may set the BPM 30 to 120 and choose an
irregular signalon it.
II. METHOD
A. Hardware Design
ECGSIM is an interactive simulation program that
enables one to study the relationship between the
electric activity of the heart and the resulting potentials
on the thorax.ECGSIM is also used as a research tool
for those that are interested to test any hypothesis they
may have regarding the manifestation of cardiac
malfunctioning in the electrocardiographic wave forms
on the thorax. Using measurement tools, user can
Every AT89S52 microcontroller have 4 parallel
ports. Every port can be programmed as input/output
(I/O) to generate digital condition on any 8 bits pin.
ECG recording requires 9 measurement points on
standard recording method, so itsmay requires 3
microcontroller to generate 9 analog signal. To setting
the BPM, adding one more microcontrolleras user
interface is necessary to connect it with push button
and LCD monitor as Figure 3. The total number of
microcontroller are 4 pieces.
IC AT89S52
as Signal Generator
1,2,3
LCD

Digital Code at Parallel Ports

measure the amplitude of cardiac signal on the
ECGSIM monitor as Figure 2.[4] IC AT89S52
AT89S52
as Signal Generator
Using this tools, amplitude measurement for each as User Interface
4,5,6
signal becomes easier. If this amplitude data saved as
a database and assembled as a flash program,
microcontroller can generate this amplitude data
digitally on their parallel ports.[5],[6] Push Button
IC AT89S52
as Signal Generator
7,8,9

Figure 3. IC AT89S52 Wiring Connecting of

UserInterfaceand Signal Generator

Figure 2. Amplitude Signal Measurement for

ECGSIM Software.6

Figure 4. AT 89S52, DAC and I/V Converter circuit

2
 On the program of AT89S52 microcontroller’s IC, shown on ECGSIM software, the maximal amplitude
the code that including digital code (binary) of cardiac of cardiac signal are 1,3 mV, this signal measured at
signal injected. This code then drive the parallel port of V5. The minimal voltage of cardiac signal show at V2,
microcontroller to change the logic condition each pin. -3,2 mV. The range from maximal and minimal signal
The DAC will convert the digital code that generate by are 4,5 mV. To meet the value, attenuator must divide
microcontroller to analog signal. Figure 4 show the the maximal value of DAC output equal to 1/91837.
circuit of microcontroller and DAC.
DAC 0808 is monolithic 8 bit DAC IC’s. Needs 9 B. Software design
number of DAC 0808 to convert digital code from Figure 6a.show the flow chart of microcontroller as
parallel port of each AT89S52 microcontroller to user interface. BPM value can be read at 16x2 LCD
generate 9 analog cardiac signalthat similar with monitor. BPM Value decoded from 02to 92represent the
human cardiac signal. The circuit of AT89S52 IC’s and 30 to 120 BPM. The 102 decode the irregular pattern.
DAC show at Figure 5. Biner code generate by port.0 of AT89S52 IC’s as user
Output of DAC 0808 is electrical current, need a interface that give information to another AT89S52
converter to convert as electric voltage. Current to IC’s as signal generator to control the delay of signal
voltage (I/V convert) is the appropriate circuit. Using generation that indicate BPM.
attenuator circuit to divide the voltage so meet the
characteristic amplitude of human cardiac signal.
Figure 5 show the block diagram of human cardiac Start Start
signal generator. The AT89S52 IC’s connected to
DAC. Each 3 port of microcontroller will connected to
3 DAC. The electrical current output of DAC will
converted to analog voltage by I/V converter. The Show the initial BPM
Logic condition of
output of DAC can calculate by Equation (1) and Port.0 controlling
value
the BPM
Equation (2). Equation (3) can calculate the operation
of electrical current (Iin) to electrical voltage (Vout) by
LM741 IC’s usingfeed back resistor R3.
Drive parallel port
1,2,3 to generate
BPM setting
I/V converter digital condition
DAC 0808
IC LM 741
Attenuator selected
corresponding with
signal database
Bioelectric signal

I/V converter
IC AT89S52
As signal generator
DAC 0808 IC LM 741 Attenuator BPMvalue increase
Stop
or decrease

(b)
I/V converter
DAC 0808 Attenuator Show the target
IC LM 741
BPM value

Figure 5. The Block Diagram of Human Cardiac Signal

Generator
Drive port.0 depend
of BPM setting

𝐴1 𝐴2 𝐴3 𝐴4 𝐴5 𝐴6 𝐴7 𝐴8
𝐼𝑜 = 𝐾 2
+ 4
+ 8
+ 16 + 31 + 64 + 128 + 256 (1)
Stop
𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑓
𝐾 = 𝑅2 (2)
(a)
𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 𝐼𝑖𝑛 𝑥 𝑅3(3)

Figure 6. Flow chart (a) Microcontroller program as

The output of I/V converter with DAC at maximal user interface; (b) Microcontroller program as signal
condition of digital input (A1-A8) FF8 are 4,98V. As generator.

3
 Leads ECGSIM standard
Testing result
Figure 6b. represent the flow chart of signal
microcontroller as signal generator. Binary output of
microcontroller as signal generator connected to port.0
that controlling the BPM. The amplitude of signal that I
generated depended of signal database that saved on
the flash program.

C. The Result II
The result of design of human cardiac simulator are
an equipment that generate electric signal that meet the
spesification with human bioelectric cardiac signal, so
if the output of simulator connected to the ECG will III
produce recording paper that looks like human ECG
signal. Utilize Innomedtm12 leads 3 channel ECG to
test the human cardiac simulator signal. Testing consist
of BPM suitability and the pattern of recorded ECG aVR
signal output from simulator. This human cardiac
signal simulator testing show at Figure 7.
Testing the signal pattern of simulator implemented
with recording the signal output of cardiac signal aVL
simulator using ECG recorder. Recording result consist
of 3 standard method there are, bipolar consist of lead
I, lead II and lead III, unipolar there are aVR, aVL and
aVF, precordial methode consist of V1, V2, V3, V4, aVF
V5 and V6. Figure 8 showing recording result of
human cardiac simulator and compare it with ECGSIM
standard signal pattern. Figure 9 show the result of
human cardiac signal simulator with irregular pattern. V1
Testing the BPM output of human cardiac simulator
using ECG recorder can be show at Figure 10. All of
BPM each signal has show the same value with the
setting exept 110 BPM that shown 111 BPM output V2
value.

ECG Innomedtm V3
(Testing tools)

V4

V5

Human cardiac signal

simulator V6
(HasilRancangBangun)

Figure7. Testing Human Cardiac Simulator Using ECG

Figure 8. Pattern Result of Human Cardiac Simulator
Recorder
Record by ECG Recorder

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 III. CONCLUTION
The output signal of human cardiac simulator has been
recorded and compared with ECGSIM output signal.
All of 3 recording method taken to produce 12 ECG
pattern. The comparison tell that the pattern has meet
the specification of ECGSIM signal. The BPM has
been measured and indicate that the output BPM same
as the BPM setting. The human cardiac simulator also
generating irregular signal as an abnormal signal.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Das, Sangita., Rajarshi, Gupta., Mitra,

Mudhuchhanda., “Development of an Analog ECG
Simulator using Standalone Embedded System”,
International Journal of Electrical, Electronic and
Computer Engineer, University of Calcuta, India,
2012.

[2] Berbari, E. J., "Principles of Electrocardiography",

Second Edition : “The Biomedical Engineering
Handbook”,Joseph D Bronzino, Indiana
Figure 9. Recording Irregular BPM Pattern Result of University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, 2000,
Human Cardiac Simulator pp.13.1-13.11.
Setting Value of BPM
120 [3] Bronzino, Joseph, D., "Biomedical Engineering
Handbook", Third edition : Medical Devices and
110 System, Taylor & Francis group, University of
100 California, California, 2006, pp.24.1-24.10.

90 [4] Flukebiomedical, “PS410 ECG Simulator User

80 Manual”,
Tersedia:assets.Fluke.com/manuals/ps410__umeng
70 0100.pdf,[10 September 2014].
60
[5]MCS Electronics, “BASCOM8051 Help
50 Reference”, Tersedia:
40 http://www.mcselec.com/support-center/ [25 Januari
2014].
30
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 [6] Van Oosterom., Oostendrop, Thom., Van Dam,
BPM result of ECG
Peter., “ECGSIM”, Tersedia:
Http://www.ECGSIM.org /index.php[1 Juli 2013].
Figure 10. BPM testing of Human Cardiac Simulator