6. Principles of Operation
LC Oscillator generates 5kHz signal
Filters trim frequencies above and below desired signal
High-pass filters double as amplifier stages to boost gain
Constant Amplifier boosts gain significantly
Comparator generates a square wave when signal
exceeds reference value
7. Frequency Sweep
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
Gain
kHz
Gain vs Frequency
Filter A (band pass)
Net Gain (dB)
Filter B (high pass)
10. Circuit Sensitivity
Huge gain in target band
Comparator Reference only 0.5V above Neutral
Reference
Result: Comparator can trip with an input of just 36
microvolts above Neutral Reference
Original Designer compensated with stronger filtering on
power supply
Reducing the final gain stage or raising the Comparator
Reference would have also worked.
22. Interesting Notes
Voltage dividers cannot be separated from the amplifiers
Circuit more sensitive to noise than anticipated
Band-pass filter does not contribute gain
23. CONCLUSION
• The implementation of a heart monitor involves low cost amplifier and
filter components which can be find everywhere.