bITalino SENS-EDA-NC User manual

Electrodermal Activity (EDA) Sensor User Manual

Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
User Manual
PLUX –Wireless Biosignals, S.A.
Av. 5 de Outubro, n. 70 –2.
1050-059 Lisbon, Portugal
[email protected]
http://BITalino.com/
v.1.0
© 2020 PLUX
This information is provided "as is," and we make no express or implied warranties whatsoever with respect to functionality, operability, use, fitness for a
particular purpose, or infringement of rights. We expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect, consequential, incidental or special
damages, including, without limitation, lost revenues, lost profits, losses resulting from business interruption or loss of data, regardless of the form of action or
legal theory under which the liability may be asserted, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
ATTENTION
Please read this datasheet before
using your BITalino sensor
The information contained in this document has been carefully checked and were made every effort
to ensure its quality. PLUX reserves the right to make changes and improvements to this manual and
products referenced at any time without notice.
The word Bluetooth and its logo are trademarks of Bluetooth SIG Inc. and any use of such marks is
under license. Other trademarks are the property of their respective own.
Please check your systems and sensors after receiving and before using it the first time to confirm if it
contains all the ordered sensors, accessories and other components. Contact our support via e-mail at
[email protected] if there are any variations from your original order.
For regulatory information, please see the Regulatory Disclaimer at the end of this document.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. General Information............................................................................................................. 4
1.1. General Description ........................................................................................................... 4
1.2. Typical Unfiltered Sensor Output........................................................................................ 4
1.3. Sensor Specifications ......................................................................................................... 4
1.4. Features ............................................................................................................................ 5
1.5. Applications....................................................................................................................... 5
1.6. Transfer Function (Conversion Formula)............................................................................. 5
1.7. Electrode Connections & Sleeve Color Meanings................................................................. 6
1.8. Physical Characteristics...................................................................................................... 7
2. Application Notes..................................................................................................................... 8
2.1. Electrode Placement/Sensor Placement ............................................................................. 8
3. Using the EDA Sensor with BITalino & OpenSignals.................................................................... 9
3.1. Connecting the sensor to BITalino Systems (BT).................................................................. 9
3.1.1. BITalino (r)evolution Board................................................................................................... 9
3.1.2. BITalino (r)evolution Plugged .............................................................................................. 9
3.1.3. BITalino (r)evolution Freestyle ........................................................................................... 10
3.1.4. BITalino (r)evolution Core (assembled).............................................................................. 10
3.2. Configuring the Sensor in OpenSignals.............................................................................. 11
3.2.1. OpenSignals (r)evolution (Windows, macOS, Linux) .......................................................... 11
4. Scientific Publications Using the EDA Sensor............................................................................ 13
5. Safety & Maintenance ............................................................................................................ 14
5.1. Safety Instructions........................................................................................................... 14
5.2. Transportation and Storage.............................................................................................. 15
5.3. Cleaning .......................................................................................................................... 15
6. Ordering Guides, Regulatory & Legal Information.................................................................... 16
6.1. Ordering Guide................................................................................................................ 16
6.2. Guarantee of Quality & Warranty..................................................................................... 16
6.3. Warranty Voidance.......................................................................................................... 16
6.4. Contact & Support ........................................................................................................... 16
6.5. Regulatory Disclaimer...................................................................................................... 17

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1. General Information
1.1. General Description
The BITalino EDA sensor is capable of accurately measuring the electrical properties of the skin which
changes. These changes are caused by alterations in sweat secretion and sweat gland activity as a
result of changing sympathetic nervous system activity. The low-noise signal conditioning and
amplification circuit design provide optimal performance in the detection of even the most feeble
electrodermal skin response events
Together with our available EDA Analysis our OpenSignals (r)evolution software, one can easily extract
overall statistics, basic spectral analysis, and extract typical event-related phasic features from the
acquired sensor data.
Figure 1: BITalino EDA sensor (standard version).
1.2. Typical Unfiltered Sensor Output
Figure 2 shows a typical unfiltered EDA sensor output acquired while being in a relaxed state. The raw
digital sensor values received from the BITalino device ranged between 0 and 2n-1 (n=sampling
resolution) were converted into the original unit of measurement of this sensor () using the transfer
function found in section Transfer Function (Conversion Formula).
Figure 2: Typical unfiltered sensor output (while being in a relaxed state).
1.3. Sensor Specifications
> Bandwidth:
0-2.8Hz
> Range:
0-25 (@VCC = 3.3V)
> Input Voltage Range:
> Measurement:
1.8-5.5V
continuous
> Consumption:
> Current:
±0.1mA
DC

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1.4. Features
>Skin resistance measurement
>Small form factor
>Pre-conditioned analog output
>High signal-to noise ratio
>Raw data output
>Easy-to-use
1.5. Applications
> Life sciences studies
> Sympathetic nervous system monitoring
> Human-Computer Interaction
> Affective computing
> Psychophysiology
> Biomedical device prototyping
> Arousal detection
> Emotional cartography
> Physiology studies
> Relaxation biofeedback
1.6. Transfer Function (Conversion Formula)
The analog sensor signals acquired with BITalino devices are converted into digital values ranged
between 0 and 2n-1 (n=sampling resolution, usually 6-bit or 10-bit) and streamed in the raw digital
format.
In most applications, the original physical unit of the acquired EDA signal is preferred or required. The
raw digital sensor samples can be converted back into microsiemens (mV) using the following
formulas:
󰇛󰇜

 

(1)
󰇛󰇜 󰇛󰇜   
(2)
Valid sensor range: [0, 25]
with: 󰇛󰇜EDA signal in microsiemens 󰇛󰇜
󰇛󰇜EDA signal in siemens ()
 Value samples from the sensor/channel (digital value)
Sampling resolution (default: 10-bit resolution (n=10), although 6-bit
may also be found)
 Operating voltage (3.3V when used with BITalino)

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1.7. Electrode Connections & Sleeve Color Meanings
The BITalino EDA sensor can be connected to electrode cables and open wire cables with different
connection types, see Table 1.
Table 1: Possible connection types for the EDA sensor
Connection
Type
Self-assemble (none) /
DiY (Molex Sherlock)
UC-E6
Assembled
Electrode
Cable
2-lead
Self-assemble / DiY
(10cm / 30cm)
2-lead (UC-E6)
(10cm / 30cm)
Assembled 2 x 1-lead
(10cm)
Open wires
Cable
Self assemble + DiY /
UC-E6 / legacy (RJ)
(10cm / 30cm / 100cm)
UC-E6
(10cm / 30cm / 100cm)
Assembled 1 x UC-E6
(100cm)
The sleeve color meaning for the 2-lead electrode cable for the UC-E6 sensor connection version are
described in Table 2.
Table 2: Sleeve color meanings for UC-E6 connection.
See section 2 Application Notes for more information on where to place the electrodes and to connect
electrodes cables for EDA acquisitions.
Sleeve Color
Red
Black
Electrode Cable (2-lead)
+
-
UC-E6 RJ DiY 3 DiY 4

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1.8. Physical Characteristics
The BITalino EDA sensor comes in a size of 12mm x 27mm (see Fig. 4).
Figure 3: Physical characteristics of the standard EDA sensor.

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2. Application Notes
The BITalino EDA sensor is designed to acquire the change of skin activity such as sweat with two
measuring electrodes. One example is the placement of the electrodes on the anterior side of the hand
on two adjacent fingers of interest (see Fig. 4). The electrodes are then connected to the sensor cable
of the EDA sensor.
2.1. Electrode Placement/Sensor Placement
Figure 4: Example EDA placement I on the index and middle finger.
Possible electrode positions are listed in Table 1. The positive and the negative measuring electrodes
can be positioned in either way.
Table 3: EDA electrode positioning.
Positive Electrode (+)
(red sleeve)
Negative Electrode (-)
(black sleeve)
I
Finger location 1
Finger location 2
II
Finger location 2
Finger location 1
An example signal acquisition with the assembled version on the inside of the hand on two different
locations is illustrated in Figure5.
Figure 5: Example electrode placement of the assembled version on the anterior side of the hand on the index and middle
finger (left) and below the thumb (right).

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3. Using the EDA Sensor with BITalino & OpenSignals
The connection of BITalino EDA sensors is demonstrated with the three main Boards with Bluetooth
(BT) connection. Notice, that the connection is the same for the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) boards.
3.1. Connecting the sensor to BITalino Systems (BT)
3.1.1. BITalino (r)evolution Board
The BITalino EDA sensor comes already connected to the BITalino (r)evolution Board.
Figure 6: EDA compatible BITalino (r)evolution Board pre-connected to an EMG sensor with UC_E6 connector on one side.
3.1.2. BITalino (r)evolution Plugged
The BITalino EMG sensor (UC-E6 sockets) is compatible with all 6 analog input channels of the BITalino
(r)evolution Plugged with a sensor cable with UC-E6 connectors.
Figure 7: BITalino (r)evolution Plugged with possible connection ports (marked in green) for the EMG sensor (UC-E6).
A6
A5
A4
A3
A2
A1

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3.1.3. BITalino (r)evolution Freestyle
The BITalino EDA sensor (no connections or Molex Sherlock plugs) is compatible with the BITalino
(r)evolution Freestyle.
Figure 8: BITalino (r)evolution Freestyle with the possible connection ports (marked in green) for the EDA sensor (without
connections) using the Molex Sherlock plugs and sockets or self-mounted cables.
3.1.4. BITalino (r)evolution Core (assembled)
Figure 9: BITalino (r)evolution Core (assembled) and the connection ports for the EDA sensor (assembled) marked in green.
The BITalino EDA sensor (assembled) is compatible with all 6 analog input channels of the BITalino
(r)evolution Core (assembled) with a pre-connected sensor cable.

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3.2. Configuring the Sensor in OpenSignals
3.2.1. OpenSignals (r)evolution (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Open the OpenSignals (r)evolution device manager to access and configure your BITalino device.
Figure 10: Access the OpenSignals (r)evolution device manager.
Select the device you intend to use for acquisition by clicking on ENABLE button on the device panel in
the OpenSignals device manager. The device is activated for acquisition if the ENABLE button is blue.
Figure 11: Enabling the device for acquisition.

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Click on the BITalino logo to access the available settings. Select the channel your sensor is connected
to and select the EDA from the dropdown menu highlighted in the next screenshot.
Figure 12: Set the channel type of the channel you have your EDA sensor connected to, to EDA.
Activate the channel for acquisition by clicking on the circle next to the channel type (must be blue). If
not done before, follow the instruction available in section 2 Application Notes to learn how to apply
the sensors and 3.1 Connecting the sensor to BITalino Systems to learn how to connect your device to
your BITalino device. Click on the record button in the OpenSignals main interface whenever you’re
ready for your acquisition.
Figure 13: Start the acquisition whenever you’re ready.

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4. Scientific Publications Using the EDA Sensor
The following scientific is only a small selection extracted from the list of available publications using
BITalino. Please visit the following website to access the entire up-to-date list:
https://bitalino.com/en/community/publications
Publications
Hugo Plácido da Silva, André Lourenço, Ana Fred and Raúl Martins, "BIT: Biosignal Igniter Toolkit", in
Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, vol. 115, no. 1, pp. 20-32, 2014
Roberta Bortolla, Marco Cavicchioli, Joaquim Soler Rivaldi, Juan Carlos Pascual Mateos, Paul F. M. J.
Verschure and Cesare Maffei, "Hypersensitivity or hyperreactivity? An experimental investigation in
Borderline Personality Disorder", in Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, vol. 1, no. 8, pp. 1-
17, 2020
Ali Rizwan, Najah Ali, Ahmed Zoha, Metin Ozturk, Akram Alomaniy, Muhammad Imran and Qammer
Abbasi, "Non-Invasive Hydration Level Estimation in Human Body Using Galvanic Skin Response", in
IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 9, no. 20, pp. 4891 - 4900, 2020
Claudia Quaresma, Madalena Gomes, Heitor Cardoso, Nuno Ferreira, Ricardo Vigário, Carla Quintão
and Micaela Fonseca, "GNEUROPATHY: Validation Process at Clinical Environment", in In Proc. of the
12th Int'l Joint Conf. on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC), pp. 275-279,
2019
Anastasija Rastovic, Maud Pélissier and Emmanuel Ferragne, "The perception of swear words by
French learners of English: an experiment involving electrodermal activity", in Anglophonia, no. 27,
2019
Joana Pinto, Ana Fred and Hugo Plácido da Silva, "Biosignal-Based Multimodal Emotion Recognition in
a Valence-Arousal Affective Framework Applied to Immersive Video Visualization", in In Proc. of the
IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Annual Int’l Conf. (EMBC), 2019
Amir Hasanbasic, Mustafa Spahic, Dino Bosnjic, Haris H adzic, Vedad Mesic and Omar Jahic,
"Recognition of stress levels among students with wearable sensors", in In Proc. of the Int'l Symposium
INFOTEH-JAHORINA (INFOTEH), pp. 1-4, 2019
Roberta Bortolla, Marco Cavicchioli, Marco Cavicchioli, Marco Galli and Cesare Maffei, "A
comprehensive evaluation of emotional responsiveness in borderline personality disorder: a support
for hypersensitivity hypothesis", in Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, vol. 8,
no. 6, pp. 1-16, 2019
Carmen Camara, Honorio Martin, Pedro Peris-Lopez and Muawya Aldalaien, "Design and Analysis of a
True Random Number Generator Based on GSR Signals for Body Sensor Networks", in Sensors, vol. 9,
no. 19, pp. 2033, 2019
Diana Batista, Hugo Plácido da Silva, Ana Fred, Carlos Moreira, Margarida Reis and Hugo Ferreira,
"Benchmarking of the BITalino biomedical toolkit against an established gold standard", in IET
Healthcare Technology Letters, pp. 1-5, 2019

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5. Safety & Maintenance
5.1. Safety Instructions
Please read the following safety instructions before using your BITalino system with the EDA sensor to
prevent any damages or problems with the user, test persons and/or BITalino devices. Violations of
these instructions can lead to inferior signal quality and/or damages to the BITalino system and user.
!
The user should always keep the device and its accessories dry.
!
The user must turn off the BITalino device and contact Technical Support if the system or
accessories reach uncomfortable temperatures.
!
The user should not use the BITalino device in noisy environments (environments with
microwaves and other similar equipment). Doing so will lead to noise increase in the acquired
signals and Bluetooth connectivity issues.
!
The user must not use the device near the fire or in potentially explosive atmospheres, such as
atmospheres with flammable gas.
!
The user should only use the detection surfaces or other approved accessories purchased from
PLUX or by a PLUX agent.
!
The user should inspect the sensors on a regular basis to ensure that they remain in good
working order.
!
The user should stop using the BITalino device if experience any kind of discomfort or skin
irritation.
!
Do not use the system on persons with allergies to silver.
!
The user should dispose detection surfaces after using the BITalino device. Detection sur- faces
are single-user and disposable. Reusable electrodes should be reused by the same user. Do not
use reusable electrodes on several users.
!
The user must not place the device in the microwave.
!
The user must not insert objects into the holes of the device.
!
The user should not open the BITalino device or its accessories. The repair of the same should
be only done by properly authorized PLUX personnel.
!
The user should make sure the cables do not obstruct the passage of people.
!
The user should use the sensor cables with extreme caution to avoid risk of strangulation.
!
The user should keep a safe distance between the BITalino device and other devices to ensure
their proper functioning.
!
The user should only send the device to repair to qualified PLUX personnel.

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!
The user should not immerse the sensors or the BITalino device, nor clean with liquid or
abrasives.
!
The user should handle the BITalino device with caution and not expose the device or
accessories to high accelerations and vibrations.
!
BITalino devices should not be used in patients with implanted electronic devices of any kind,
including pace-makers, electronic infusion pumps, stimulators, defibrillators or similar.
!
Do not apply electrodes over damaged or irritated skin.
!
Do not use your device while charging its internal battery.
5.2. Transportation and Storage
Please follow these recommendations to ensure safe transportation and storage of your BITalino
equipment and sensors to prevent any damaging of your system.
The BITalino equipment and sensors should be stored in the original box in a dry place when those are
not being used.
•Relative humidity: up to 95% with no condensation
•Ambient temperature: 10°C to 30°C
•Atmospheric pressure between 500hPa and 1060hPa
Whenever the equipment needs to be transported, it should be placed in the original box, since this
was designed and tested to ensure the equipment and accessories are securely stored.
Take care while handling the transportation of the system and avoid dropping it, since the device is
not shock-proof and should not be placed under stress or sudden acceleration.
5.3. Cleaning
Please follow these cleaning instructions to prevent any damage of the system or the user because of
conducting cleaning methods that may cause any damage.
•The BITalino and sensors should be visually checked before each use and cleaning process to
ensure that no mechanical damage occurred.
•The BITalino equipment and sensors (including the cables) should be cleaned with a slightly
damp cloth or suitable absorbent paper, ensuring no liquid enters the equipment of sensors.
Do not use detergent or any type of cleaning liquid as these may damage your equipment
and/or sensor.
•Do not clean or re-use detection surfaces (electrodes). They are only suitable for single use,
and should be disposed of after usage except indicated otherwise.

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6. Ordering Guides, Regulatory & Legal Information
6.1. Ordering Guide
Please follow the following ordering guide when submitting orders of EDA sensors to
[email protected]. If no specification is provided, the standard version of the sensor will be delivered.
Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
SKU Reference
PLUX Code
UPC
SENS-EDA-NC /
SENS-EDA-UCE6) /
BUNDLE-EDA-UCE6
810121207 /
810121208 /
810121252
641945958904/
641945958782/
785614264955
Description
Electrodermal Activity (EDA) / Electrodermal Activity (EDA) UC-E6 / Assembled Electrodermal
Activity (EDA) Sensor
Electrodes & Accessories
For a full list of available and compatible electrodes, please visit the BITalino store.
6.2. Guarantee of Quality & Warranty
BITalino sensors have three months quality guarantee from the date of purchase. PLUX guarantees
that the system, sensors and accessories will be free from material or manufacturing defects for the
mentioned time periods following date of purchase.
If PLUX receives notification of any such defects within the guarantee period, it will repair or substitute
with the same unit\model, any products with proven defects at no cost to the client. During the repair
period PLUX promises to provide a temporary replacement under the same specification. Repairs will
be carried out at PLUX’s premises after the equipment has been received.
6.3. Warranty Voidance
Usage of the device that is not in accordance with the handling instructions indicated in the manual,
or use with accessories other than those manufactured by PLUX will invalidate the warranty of your
devices.
Be careful when connecting your BITalino devices, sensors and/or accessories to any third party device
including the usage of the 3rd party connection components that are available for BITalino systems as
the usage of these components will void the electrical warranty of your BITalino device and sensors
and, if not indicated otherwise, the warranty of the 3rd party system you’re connecting to the device.
Check the electrical specifications of both systems you want to connect to prevent any damage of the
user(s) or the systems.
In the case of warranty voidance, the same applies that we expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever
for any direct, indirect, consequential, incidental or special damages, including, without limitation, lost
revenues, lost profits, losses resulting from business interruption or loss of data, regardless of the form
of action or legal theory under which the liability may be asserted, even if advised of the possibility of
such damages.
6.4. Contact & Support
Contact us if you are experiencing any problems that cannot be solved with the information given in
the BITalino documentation.

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Please send us an e-mail with precise information about the error occurrence, device configuration,
and, if possible, screenshots of the problem to [email protected].
6.5. Regulatory Disclaimer
BITalino products are intended for use in life science education and research applications; they are
not medical devices nor are they intended for medical diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or
prevention of disease. we expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect,
consequential, incidental or special damages, including, without limitation, lost revenues, lost profits,
losses resulting from business interruption or loss of data, regardless of the form of action or legal
theory under which the liability may be asserted, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

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PLUX Wireless Biosignals S.A.
email: [email protected]
web: http://www.plux.info
Headquarters
Zona Industrial das Corredouras, Lt. 14 –1°
2630-369 Arruda dos Vinhos
Portugal
tel.: [phone]
fax: [phone]
Lisbon Office
Av. 5 de Outubro, n° 79 –2°
1050-059 Lisboa
Portugal
tel.: [phone]
fax: [phone]