MAX30105 Multi Sensor
Nothing gets les pounder’s heart racing like a new toy. But how can we monitor his excitement? For that, we need the MAX30105!
Nothing gets Les Pounder’s heart racing like a new toy and now we can monitor that.
When you want to collect sensor data, chances are you’ll consider using a Raspberry Pi – largely due to its ease of use and network connectivity. But using sensors can be difficult for those new to the idea. Pimoroni released its Breakout Garden HAT board, which we reviewed in LXF243, to enable anyone to connect a sensor and quickly use it. The MAX30105 board is from the same range, but it doesn’t need the HAT board and can be directly connected to the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO pins.
But what does this sensor detect? Well, in a such a small package we have sensors for heart rate, oxygen saturation (an oximeter) and a smoke sensor which measures particulates in the atmosphere. These readings are also reasonably precise at 18-bit accuracy.
The MAX30105 comes as a simple board designed to interface with the Breakout Garden HAT, but by soldering the included male/female header pins we can easily use the board with the standard Pi GPIO. Software installation is remarkably simple thanks to a Python 3 package in the
pip package manager – this handles installation of the board and any dependencies. Pimoroni’s example scripts are available from its Github repository.
In use the MAX30105 is pleasantly easy, and within a few minutes we had a test script to monitor our pulse – we’re glad to say we averaged around 67 BPM at rest. We then tested the smoke sensor with a little solder smoke, which was easily detected. We also tested the MAX30105 with an Arduino Uno, thanks to a built-in library for the board made accessible via the Manage Libraries dialogue. The included Arduino examples are easy to understand. In fact, pairing this sensor with an Arduino MKR1000 or 1010, which feature Wi-fi, would enable real-time sensor readings to be sent to remote devices.
So who is this board for? Well, given its simplicity it would be right at home in schools and in the education
sector. It provides the ease of use and immediacy that students need to keep their interest. The mixture of sensors provides plenty of options for investigating, monitoring and recording data when used with other Python libraries. That said, the MAX30105 is not a serious medical or life-saving device, so its use in any project that depends on this functionality should be avoided. But for investigating the possibilities of using sensors such as this, the MAX30105 is an entry-level component that serves the learner well.
The MAX30105 is not a bespoke Pimoroni creation, but the form factor is designed to match the company’s Breakout Garden. The ability to use the MAX30105 with both the Raspberry Pi and Arduino is fantastic and it means that educators, or those on a budget, can use the same component across platforms. In fact, if you are skilled with I2C you could easily use the MAX30105 with other I2c-enabled devices such as the micro:bit.
In all, this is a cost-effective and feature-packed board that will spark the imagination of those eager to learn. We can now easily monitor the pulse and oxygen saturation of a test subject, and use that data in experiments and projects. All we need are a few lines of code and an idea – plus a willing, uh, volunteer.