EMG Quick Start

Minimum Chain

A basic sEMG experiment needs:

1. Electrodes on the skin.
2. An analog front end with gain and filtering.
3. An ADC or oscilloscope.
4. Software to display or record the waveform.
5. A safe power setup.

First Test

Use wet electrodes, battery power, and a simple forearm contraction. Relax the hand, then make a fist. A working chain should show a clear increase in waveform amplitude during contraction.

AAW sEMG dry electrode capture: the waveform amplitude increases during hand contraction and returns lower after relaxation.

If you are using AAW Lab hardware, follow the Quick Start.

If your project starts from a specific platform, read the Arduino EMG Sensor Module Guide or ESP32 EMG Sensor Module Guide.

Common Problems

• Flatline: power, wiring, ADC range, or electrode contact.
• Saturation: wrong midpoint, ADC mode, or too much interference.
• High noise: poor contact, long wires, or nearby electronics.

Use Noise and Flatline for the first debugging pass.