EMG

Electromyography (EMG) is the study of the electricity detectable in muscle movements. The method by which the measurements are achieved involves placing two electrodes (electrical contact) over a muscle area and measuring the potential difference between the two contacts.

EMG Amplifier
After the electrodes are placed on the skin, the signal can then be amplified to a level where it can be analysed with a view to relating this data to different movements and states of the muscle.

Amplifiers: EMG Amplifier

The amplitude of the EMG signal is random in nature. It can range from 0 to 6 mV (peak to peak). The useful energy of the signal is limited to the 0 to 500 Hz frequency range, with the dominant energy being in the 50-150 Hz range. The main problem with the EMG signal is its transmission. In transmission, the key concepts are the signal power (not voltage), the signal-to-noise ratio (the ratio of energy in the EMG signal to the energy of the noise signal).

EMG amplifier INA128

The instrumentation of the EMG amplifier:

FILTERING & RECTIFICATION

physical phenomena

sensor

+ amplifier -

filtering rectification

data analysing

data acquisition

A/D conversion
LabVIEW

Rectification
Rectification is used to provide an output equal to the absolute value of the input It can be used to rectify ac signals in the millivolt range Full wave rectifier
R

R1

D1
V1 R

D2

R/2

R2

V0

R/2

R/2

Analog Filtering
Analog filtering are used to reduce selected frequency components of the signal It is useful whenever the signal of interest has a frequency content that is different than the frequency content of unwanted signals, electromagnetic pick-up, or other noise. Filters generally fall into 3 categories: - high-pass - low-pass - band-pass

Filtering Characteristics
Here is an example where the very low frequencies and very high frequencies are filtered. The range of unfiltered frequencies (the pass-band) is determined by the corner frequency. It is the frequency fo which

V = 2 V max 2

High-Pass Filter
Schematic Response Curve
R2 V1 C R1 V0

R3

Low-Pass Filter
Schematic: Response Curve

R2 V0

V1

R1

R3

Band-Pass Filter
Schematic: Response Curve:
C

R2 V0

V1 C

R1

R3

Analogue Filtering: EMG Example

Various filtering on raw, wide-band EMG signal. High-pass filtering emphasises brief peaks whereas low-pass filtering removes them.