How to Start

From the box to live EEG on your computer, in seven steps.

Gather the parts

You need the ardEEG, an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi, a small 5 V power bank, a USB-C cable, 8 electrodes with two ear clips, a cap, and a computer on Wi-Fi. See What's in the Box.

Find your computer's IP address

The Arduino sends data to your computer's address on the Wi-Fi network.

System	How
Windows	`ipconfig` in a terminal → IPv4 Address of the Wi-Fi adapter
macOS	System Settings → Wi-Fi → Details → IP address
Linux	`ip addr` → the address of the Wi-Fi interface

It looks like 192.168.1.241. Note it down.

Upload the Arduino sketch

Install the Arduino IDE (opens in a new tab) and the Arduino UNO R4 Boards package (Tools → Board → Boards Manager).
Open 1.Send_data_via_wifi.ino (opens in a new tab).

Enter your Wi-Fi name and password:

char ssid[] = "Wifi Name";
char pass[] = "password";

Enter your computer's IP address in this line:
```
udp.beginPacket("192.168.1.241", 13900);
```
Plug the Arduino into the computer with USB-C, choose Arduino UNO R4 WiFi and its port, and click Upload.
Unplug the USB cable.

Mount the shield

Line up the ardEEG with the Arduino's headers and press it down evenly until all pins are seated. Do this with the Arduino unpowered.

Connect the electrodes

Connector	Electrode	Where it goes
Channels 1–8	8 EEG electrodes in the cap	Scalp positions of the 10-20 system
Reference	Ear-clip electrode	One earlobe
Bias	Ear-clip electrode	The other earlobe

Wiring of channels 1–8, reference and bias

Details and a suggested montage: Electrodes & Pinout.

Power on from the battery and run Python

Plug the power bank into the Arduino. It joins your Wi-Fi and starts sending.
On the computer, install the libraries and run the receiver:

pip install matplotlib scipy
git clone https://github.com/Ildaron/ardEEG.git
cd ardEEG/software/python

Open 1.Alpha_real_time.py, set UDP_IP to your computer's IP (the same address as in the sketch), then run it:

python 1.Alpha_real_time.py

A window opens with 8 live graphs.

🚫

The ardEEG has no isolation. While electrodes are on a person, the Arduino must run from the power bank only, never plugged into the computer.

Check the signal

The receiver script shows the 8–12 Hz (alpha) band. Sit still and relax the face, then:

Test	What you should see
Sit still for 30 seconds	All 8 channels settle to a small, steady signal
Close your eyes for 10 seconds	The alpha signal grows, then shrinks when the eyes open
Chew or blink	Large bursts (best seen with a 1–40 Hz filter)

Alpha with eyes closed and open, recorded with ardEEG

Next steps

Change the filter, save data, check the speed: see Software.
No data or noisy? See Troubleshooting and Noise elimination.

What's in the Box Electrodes & Pinout