MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter : PinOut, Features, Specifications, Interfacing, Working, Datasheet & Its Applications

The pulse oximeter is a medical device, used for measuring non-invasive blood oxygen saturation. An electrical engineer named Takuo Aoyagi invented it at Nihon Kohden in 1972. After that, the first pulse oximeter was launched in 1973. While the pulse oximetry basic principle remains the same there are continuing efforts to progress the technology like developing algorithms for noise filtering and progress accuracy within various conditions. Medical professionals use these devices in critical care settings such as emergency hospitals or rooms. This article provides the MAX30100 pulse oximeter overview, working, and applications.

What is the MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter?

The MAX30100 is a pulse oximeter that combines pulse oximetry & heart rate monitor sensors. So it includes two LEDs, a photodetector, optimized optics & low-noise analog signal processing to notice pulse-oximetry as well as heart-rate signals. This module’s operating voltage ranges from 1.8Volts and 3.3Volts power supplies.

The software can power it down with a minor standby current by keeping the power supply connected at all times. The MAX30100 pulse oximeter measures the levels of blood oxygen saturation, pulse, and heart rate strength. So it utilizes a non-invasive technique to measure the oxygen saturation levels within the blood.

How MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter Work?

The MAX30100 pulse oximeter sensor works by measuring blood oxygen saturation or SpO2 & heart rate with PPG (photoplethysmography) with infrared and RED LEDs, a photodetector & signal processing to examine light absorption throughout the finger. MAX30100 module contains a set of LEDs that generate a monochromatic red color light at 660nm wavelength & IR light at 940nm wavelength.

When the photodiode emits light, it strikes the finger, and oxygenated blood absorbs it while the remaining light reflects through the finger and strikes the detector. So the detector notices & processes the signals by providing the output. This sensor functions on the I2C serial communication protocol.

Pin Configuration:

The MAX30100 pulse oximeter pin configuration is shown below. This module includes seven pins with an enabled I2C communication protocol to communicate with the microcontroller.

• Pin-1 (VIN): It is an input voltage pin of the pulse oximeter module which can be connected to 3.3V (or) 5V output from your controller.=
• Pin-2 (SCL): It is an I2C – serial CLK pin of the module, used for I2C serial communication, which is connected to your controller’s I2C clock line.
• Pin-3 (SDA): It is an I2C – serial data pin of the module which is connected to your microcontroller’s I2C data line.
• Pin-4 (INT): It is an active low interrupt pin of the pulse oximeter module which is programmed to produce an interrupt for every pulse.
• Pin-5 (IRD): It is an infrared LED cathode & LED driver connection point It incorporates an LED driver to drive LED signals for SpO2 & HR measurements.
• Pin-6 (RD): It is a red LED cathode & LED driver connection point, used to drive the Red LED. If you don’t want to drive the red LED yourself, leave it unconnected.
• Pin-7 (GND): It is the ground pin of the module.

Features & Specifications:

The features and specifications of the MAX30100 pulse oximeter include the following.

• MAX30100 is a pulse oximeter module.
• This module includes seven pins.
• Its operating voltage ranges from 1.8V to 3.3V
• The input current is 20mA.
• This module has integrated ambient light cancellation.
• It has fast data output and a high sample rate.
• The supply current is 1200uA.
• LED current ranges from 0 mA to 50 mA.
• LED pulse width ranges from 200us to 1.6ms.
• Its power supply ranges from 3.3V to 5.5V.
• The current draw during measurements is ~600μA and 0.7μA during standby mode.
• The Red LED wavelength is 660nm.
• IR LED wavelength is 880nm.
• Temperature accuracy is ±1˚C.
• The operating temperature ranges from -40C to +85C.

Equivalent & Alternatives

Equivalent to MAX30100 pulse oximeter is MAX30102 IC. Alternatives to MAX30100 pulse oximeters are; Pulse 3+, FSH 7060, ROHM BH1792GLC, Proto Central AFE4490, etc.

MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter Interfacing with Arduino

Here how to interface the MAX30100 pulse oximeter sensor module with Arduino is shown below. The module measures heart rate and blood oxygen. The blood oxygen concentration, termed SpO2, shows readings in percentage, while the heartbeat/pulse rate shows readings in BPM.

The MAX30100 pulse oximetry & heart rate monitor sensor combines mainly two LEDs, a photodetector, optimized optics & low-noise analog signal processing to notice pulse oximetry & heart-rate signals. Here this sensor can be used with any microcontroller to measure the health parameters of the patient easily.

The required components to make this module mainly include; an Arduino UNO board, MAX30100 pulse oximeter sensor, 16×2 LCD, 10K potentiometer, breadboard, and connecting wires. The connections of this interfacing follow as follows;

• Connect the Vin pin of the MAX30100 module to the 5V (or) 3.3V pin of Arduino.
• The GND pin of the module is connected to the GND pin of the Arduino board.
• Connect the MAX30100 module’s I2C pins like SCL and SDA to Arduino’s A5 and A4 pins.

Code:

The required code for the MAX30100 pulse oximeter interfacing with Arduino is shown below. This source code is written within the C program mainly for Arduino IDE. So this code displays the value on the serial monitor.

#include <Wire.h>
#include “MAX30100_PulseOximeter.h”
#define REPORTING_PERIOD_MS 1000
PulseOximeter pox;
uint32_t tsLastReport = 0;
void onBeatDetected()
{
Serial.println(“Beat!”);
}
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.print(“Initializing pulse oximeter..”); // Initialize the PulseOximeter instance
// Failures are generally due to an improper I2C wiring, missing power supply
// or wrong target chip
if (!pox.begin()) {
Serial.println(“FAILED”);
for(;;);
} else {
Serial.println(“SUCCESS”);
}
pox.setIRLedCurrent(MAX30100_LED_CURR_7_6MA);
// Register a callback for the beat detection
pox.setOnBeatDetectedCallback(onBeatDetected);
}
void loop()
{
// Make sure to call update as fast as possible
pox.update();
if (millis() – tsLastReport > REPORTING_PERIOD_MS) {
Serial.print(“Heart rate:”);
Serial.print(pox.getHeartRate());
Serial.print(“bpm / SpO2:”);
Serial.print(pox.getSpO2());
Serial.println(“%”);
tsLastReport = millis();
}
}

Working

Once the Max30100 pulse oximeter Arduino code is uploaded then open the serial monitor to observe the values. At first, the values of the BPM and SpO2 will appear as the wrong value but soon you can monitor the right stable reading.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The advantages of the MAX30100 pulse oximeter include the following.

• This module has ultra-low power operation.
• It has low power consumption which extends battery life within wearable devices.
• This module design is small, compact, optimized & wearable-friendly.
• It has ALC or ambient light cancellation that reduces interference from ambient light for ensuring precise readings even in brightly lit surroundings.
• This module has a high SNR or signal-to-noise ratio.
• It has fast data output ability which allows efficient and quick sensor data processing.
• This module integrates all required components which simplifies the design & decreases the necessity of external components.
• It allows for the programming of LED current & pulse width by allowing measurement accuracy & power consumption optimization.
• The on-chip temperature sensor aids in balancing any reading errors that occur due to fluctuations in ambient temperature.
• It utilizes an I2C interface for simple communication through a microcontroller.

The disadvantages of the MAX30100 pulse oximeter include the following.

• Incorrect finger placing or inadequate contact leads to incorrect data.
• Motion artifacts like seizures or shivering can interfere with signal detection & interpretation which results in wrong readings.
• High-intensity lighting particularly fluorescent lights can obstruct the readings of sensors.
• This sensor’s accuracy can be influenced by skin color & width.
• Nail polish interferes with the ability of the sensor to precisely detect the levels of blood oxygen.
• Poor peripheral perfusion because of hypotension or cold can lead to an insufficient pulse wave and erroneous readings.
• Hypotensive systolic BP readings < 80 mm Hg can cause erroneous and variable pulse oximetry readings.
• The occurrence of abnormal hemoglobin levels can lead to wrong SpO2 readings.
• Too much pressure can tighten capillary blood flow which decreases the data reliability.

Applications

The applications of the MAX30100 pulse oximeter include the following.

• The pulse oximeter helps healthcare professionals review oxygen saturation levels within patients by respiratory (or) cardiovascular issues by allowing timely interventions.
• The accuracy of the sensor within readings is fundamental for recognizing hypoxemia which can avoid complications in heart failure and COPD conditions.
• It monitors vital signs continuously by providing consumers with insights into their health and well-being during the day.
• This sensor allows real-time heart rate & blood oxygen level monitoring by making it an expensive tool for individuals and athletes with heart or respiratory conditions.
• The pulse oximeter sensor’s collected data can personalize training plans & give feedback to operators on their performance.
• The educational field uses this module to show how these modules function and give insights into bio-signal processing.
• The Arduino board matches well with this module, making it a handy tool for hobbyists and students to study bio-sensing and electronics.
• Fitness trackers utilize this module for continuous heart rate and oxygen saturation monitoring by providing immediate data for improved patient care.

Please refer to this link for the MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter Datasheet.

Thus, this is an overview of the MAX30100 pulse oximeter module, pinout, features, specifications, working, and applications. This is a versatile module that has heart rate and pulse oximetry monitoring abilities which provides an efficient and compact solution for different wearable devices like medical monitoring equipment and fitness trackers. So it is well known for its low power consumption and exactness. Here is a question for you, what is MAX30102 IC?