Modular Wearable Tracker

Wearable sensors are valuable in health and fitness research and are becoming more prominent in the daily lives of many individuals. These can include PPG, EKG, EMG, skin temperature, skin conductivity, and many other sensors. These could not all fit on one wearable tracker, such as a Fitbit or Garmin wrist tracker. I attempt to develop a modular wearable tracker that allows for switching between different sensor modules, to allow for efficient use in health monitoring and research where multiple sensor types may be needed.  

​​

I designed a PCB in Altium for this tracker controlled by a STM32 processor with connectors to support connection to various sensor modules. My focus was to practice PCB design in a tight layout making sure to apply best practices for signal integrity, ESD, and EMC. See schematic file for details. 

​

I faced many challenges in the layout of this PCB. It was difficult to manage keeping cost low, parts small, and meeting my desired requirements for general functionality and sensors while keeping to a set reference size (comparable to that of the Apple Watch). I had to rip-up and retry layout multiple times and swap out components before I ultimately completed a layout which fit within the desired board size. 

​

I manufactured these boards through JLCPCB. I am currently in the process of board bring up and will proceed to the embedded programming when I have more time.