ardEEG
Measure EEG with an Arduino.
ardEEG is an open-source shield that plugs onto an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi and turns it into an 8-channel biosignal recorder. A Texas Instruments ADS1299 measures EEG, EMG and ECG, and the Arduino sends the data over Wi-Fi to a Python script on your computer. It's the lowest-cost way into the PiEEG family, and a great fit for students, makers and teachers.
ardEEG is not a medical device. Run it from a small 5 V battery only, never from a computer's USB port or a wall charger while electrodes are on a person. Read Safety first.
At a glance
| Channels | 8 biosignal inputs, plus reference and bias |
| Converter | TI ADS1299, 24-bit, simultaneous sampling |
| Sample rate | 250 SPS |
| Internal noise | About 0.5 µV RMS per channel (measured, see Signals & Datasets) |
| Signals | EEG, EMG, ECG |
| Host | Arduino UNO R4 WiFi (not included) |
| Link to the computer | Wi-Fi (UDP) |
| Electrodes | Dry or wet Ag/AgCl, 2.54 mm header |
| Power | Small 5 V power bank: up to 1 A, up to 1,000 mAh |
| Software | Arduino sketch + Python script |
How it works
Electrodes 1–8 ─┐
Reference (ear) ┼─► ardEEG ──SPI──► Arduino UNO R4 ──Wi-Fi──► Python on
Bias (ear) ─────┘ (ADS1299) WiFi your computer
▲
5 V power bank ───────────┘- Measure: the ADS1299 digitises all 8 channels at the same moment, 250 times per second.
- Collect: the Arduino reads each sample over SPI when the shield signals data ready, and packs 50 samples into one packet.
- Send: the packets go over Wi-Fi (UDP) to your computer, where a Python script filters and plots them.
ardEEG or PiEEG-8?
| PiEEG-8 | ardEEG | |
|---|---|---|
| Host | Raspberry Pi 4 / 5 | Arduino UNO R4 WiFi |
| Channels | 8 | 8 |
| Link | Software runs on the Pi | Wi-Fi to your computer |
| Power | 5 V, 3 A, up to 10,000 mAh | 5 V, up to 1 A, up to 1,000 mAh |
| Software | PiEEG Server, BrainFlow, Python | Arduino sketch + Python |
| Best for | Research, full BCI setup | Education, prototyping, embedded projects |
What you can measure
| Signal | What it shows | Typical first test |
|---|---|---|
| EEG | Brain rhythms: delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma | Close your eyes and watch alpha (8–12 Hz) rise |
| EMG | Muscle activity | Chew or clench the jaw |
| ECG | Heart activity | Electrodes on the chest or wrists |
See real recordings in Signals & Datasets.
Where it's used
Read signals from the brain, process them, and control something: a robotic arm, a computer, an exoskeleton, a drone or a toy car.
Get started
Video
How to measure EEG with ardEEG (opens in a new tab)
Related
- GitHub: ardEEG (opens in a new tab): Arduino sketch, Python scripts, datasets
- Noise elimination: getting a clean signal
- PiEEG-8: the Raspberry Pi version
- Buy ardEEG (opens in a new tab)
Citation
If you use ardEEG in research, please cite:
I. Rakhmatulin. Low-Cost Shield ardEEG to Measure EEG with Arduino Uno R4 WiFi. Preprints 2024, 2024051643. DOI: 10.20944/preprints202405.1643.v1 (opens in a new tab)
Support
- Discord: discord.gg/5Ps24p47 (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub: github.com/pieeg-club (opens in a new tab)
- Email: pieeg@pieeg.com