HealthyPi 6 is a multi-modal biosignal research platform that brings professional-grade capabilities to academic labs, educational institutions, and digital health innovators at an accessible price point. It combines research-quality ECG, PPG, respiration, and temperature monitoring with extensive modular expansion, all in a portable, open-source platform.

The tri-core processor architecture enables sophisticated signal processing and machine learning directly on the device without requiring cloud connectivity or desktop computers, while the built-in 4-inch touchscreen display allows real-time signal visualization and standalone operation, so you can monitor and analyze your data anywhere, anytime.

Whether you’re conducting cardiovascular research, teaching biomedical engineering, prototyping wearable devices, studying sleep and circadian rhythms, monitoring athletes during competition, researching meditation and mindfulness, or developing brain-computer interfaces, HealthyPi 6 provides the foundation.

Multi-Modal Integration: One Platform, Multiple Biosignals

HealthyPi 6 integrates essential biosignals with room to expand for whatever your research requires.

Built-In Core Signals

• 3-Channel/5-lead ECG: Research-grade electrocardiography with configurable leads, 8 kHz sampling, >110 dB CMRR, and medical-grade isolation.
• Photoplethysmography (PPG): Dual-wavelength optical sensing for heart rate, SpO2, and pulse wave analysis.
• Respiration Monitoring: Impedance pneumography derived from ECG electrodes.
• Temperature Sensing: Precision digital skin temperature measurement.
• Motion Sensing: 9-axis IMU for artifact detection and activity classification.

Expandable via HealthyLink Ports

Add what your research needs: EEG modules (2-8 channels), EMG amplifiers, GSR sensors, additional analog inputs, trigger inputs for synchronization. Want more processing power? Connect co-processor or AI accelerator modules for even more advanced processing.

What This Enables (Examples)

• Cardiac stress test: Capture simultaneous ECG, respiration, and heart rate variability from PPG in one recording.
• Sleep research: Add the EEG module for complete polysomnography.
• Rehabilitation studies: Track ECG + EMG + motion without juggling multiple devices and hoping their timestamps align.
• Educational institutions: Teach the entire biosignal curriculum (from basic ECG interpretation to advanced EEG spectral analysis) with one platform. Equip teaching labs with professional-grade tools at a fraction of the traditional cost.
• Digital health prototyping: Rapidly iterate wearable designs by combining multiple biosignals and edge processing in one open platform. Reduce time-to-market by avoiding custom hardware development.

Portable Research Platform: Desktop Capabilities, Field Deployment

Traditional research-grade biosignal systems (BIOPAC and ADInstruments) are excellent instruments. They are also 10-pound desktop boxes requiring AC power, Ethernet tethers, and dedicated lab space. This works well for controlled lab environments but is less practical for field studies, home monitoring, naturalistic observations, or anywhere beyond the lab bench.
HealthyPi 6 can run completely standalone. It records high-quality data to onboard storage (128MB Flash + microSD) while performing real-time analysis. No computer required.

HealthyPi 6 uses a tri-core architecture (STM32H757 dual-core + ESP32-C6, all running Zephyr RTOS) to handle real-time signal processing and edge machine learning without desktop tethering constraints. Each core runs an independent Zephyr application. Network failures or custom code issues never disrupt signal acquisition. Your data stays clean even when experiments go wrong. The built-in 4-inch capacitive touchscreen enables real-time signal visualization and standalone operation without requiring a computer or mobile device. Signal quality matches professional systems (24-bit resolution, >35dB SNR, >110dB CMRR) in a battery-powered, WiFi 6-enabled device that fits in your palm.

HealthyPi 6 delivers research-grade signal quality in a truly portable form factor:

• Connectivity: WiFi 6 (40+ meter range), Bluetooth Low Energy, and USB-C for wired connections.
• Portable Power: Rechargeable LiPo battery with 48+ hours of operation and advanced power management for multi-day recordings, depending on usage.
• Edge Processing: Tri-core architecture (STM32H757 dual-core at 480MHz/240MHz + ESP32-C6) with independent Zephyr applications enabling real-time filtering, ECG detection, HRV calculation, artifact detection, and feature extraction on-device.
• Professional Grade Isolation: Medical-grade IEC 60601-1 Type BF isolation for safe use in clinical and research settings.
• Professional Grade Software: When you need desktop-class analysis, HealthyPi Studio provides visualization, automated analysis, and export to standard research formats (CSV, EDF). HealthyPi Studio is a cross-platform desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Where This Matters (Examples)

• Monitor athletes during actual activities instead of lab treadmills
• Study wildlife physiology in natural habitats
• Run clinical-grade sleep studies at home instead of hospital labs
• Deploy diagnostic monitoring in areas without reliable infrastructure
• Conduct EEG studies in classrooms, workplaces, and real-world environments

The portability changes what research questions you can actually ask.

Open Source: Full Hardware and Firmware Transparency

HealthyPi 6 is completely open source: hardware, firmware, and software. You get the schematics, the code, and the freedom to modify anything you need. No vendor lock-in. No surprise subscription fees. No cloud dependencies you didn’t ask for. You control your data and your research.

What’s Available

Hardware

• PCB schematics (KiCad format)
• Bill of materials
• 3D models (STEP/STL/Autodesk Fusion formats)
• License: CERN Open Hardware License v2

Firmware

• Zephyr RTOS source code and device drivers
• Signal processing libraries
• Real-time analysis algorithms
• License: Apache 2.0

Software

• HealthyPi Studio (Flutter desktop/web)
• Mobile apps (iOS/Android)
• License: MIT

Why This Matters

• For Validation: Review the exact algorithms for R-peak detection and filtering. This is essential when you publish methodology.
• For Customization: Modify sampling rates and filter parameters without waiting for vendor updates or paying for "pro" features.
• For Integration: Build HealthyPi 6 into larger experimental setups with eye trackers, stimulation devices, or behavioral cameras. The hardware and protocols are fully documented.
• For Education: Students can examine biosignal acquisition from ADC configuration through artifact rejection. This is impossible with black-box proprietary systems.
• For Long-Term Research: No vendor lock-in. Even if Protocentral disappears tomorrow, the designs and code live on. Your research infrastructure does not depend on a single company's survival.

Specifications

Biosignal Acquisition

Processing & Connectivity

• Processors: STM32H757 dual-core (Cortex-M7 @ 480 MHz + Cortex-M4 @ 240 MHz) + ESP32-C6 dual-core RISC-V @ 160 MHz, all running Zephyr RTOS with AMP for independent applications
• Memory: 32 MB SDRAM, 128 MB Flash, microSD expandable (SDIO)
• Wireless: WiFi 6 (802.11ax) 40m+ range, BLE 5.2
• Wired: USB-C high-speed, HealthyLink with 4-wire SPI, CAN-FD, USART
• Power: Rechargeable LiPo battery, 48+ hours operation, USB-C charging

User Interface

• Display: 4-inch (800x480) full-color IPS TFT LCD with capacitive touch, dedicated 533 Mbps MIPI DSI
• Standalone Operation: Real-time waveform display, heart rate, SpO2, respiration, temperature monitoring directly on device—no computer or mobile app required

Software

• Firmware: Open-source Zephyr RTOS with real-time filtering (highpass, lowpass, bandpass, notch), ECG R-peak detection, HRV calculation, artifact detection, and edge ML framework support
• HealthyPi Studio: Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) analysis software with real-time visualization, recording, signal processing, ECG analysis, and export to binary, CSV, EDF+, or JSON formats. Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) support for synchronized multi-device experiments.

Physical

• Size: 125mm × 80mm × 25mm | Weight: ~200g | Enclosure: IP54-rated 3D-printed ABS plastic
• Expandability: HealthyLink high-speed Qwiic/I2C ports support EEG modules (2-8 channels), EMG amplifiers, GSR sensors, 11 analog inputs (16-bit ADC), digital I/O, and co-processor/AI accelerator modules

Included Accessories

• HealthyPi 6 device
• USB-C cable
• Built-in rechargeable battery
• ECG electrode cables (5-lead)
• PPG fingertip probe
• Body temperature probe
• HealthyLink breakout board (GPIO, SPI, I2C, UART, CAN-FD)

Comparisons: HealthyPi 6 vs. Market Leaders

Support & Documentation

Open Source Files

Complete hardware documentation includes PCB schematics in KiCad format, bill of materials, and 3D mechanical models under CERN Open Hardware License v2. Full Zephyr RTOS application source code is provided with device drivers, plus signal processing libraries and real-time analysis algorithms under Apache 2.0 license. HealthyPi Studio desktop software and iOS/Android mobile apps are available under MIT license. Comprehensive technical documentation covers hardware integration, firmware API reference, and troubleshooting guides.

All repositories and documentation will be publicly available after the campaign ends.

Manufacturing Plan

Protocentral Electronics operates its own production and testing facilities. We partner with experienced contract manufacturers in India and China that specialize in medical-grade electronics assembly. Our manufacturing approach balances quality, scalability, and cost-effectiveness while maintaining strict quality control.

We will manufacture up to 250 units in-house at our Bengaluru facility for design validation, testing, and initial campaign fulfillment. For volumes beyond this, we will scale with our existing manufacturing partners to maintain quality and cost-effectiveness.

Critical components, including microcontrollers, analog frontend, and power ICs, are sourced exclusively from authorized distributors (Mouser, Digikey, Arrow) to ensure authenticity and reliability. Batteries are UN38.3 shipping-compliant and feature IEC 62133 safety-certified LiPo cells with integrated battery management ICs.

Fulfilment and Logistics

As and when we complete our production runs, we will ship all units to Mouser Electronics’ global distribution centers, which is Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner. Mouser will handle international fulfillment, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery to backers worldwide. This approach leverages Mouser’s established logistics network to ensure timely and reliable delivery.

Risks & Challenges

Coordinating three processors (STM32H757 dual-core M7/M4 plus ESP32-C6) is inherently complex, but we’ve solved the critical challenges. Espressif’s esp_hosted proved unreliable in testing, so we developed a custom Zephyr-based solution with core inter-processor communication now complete and validated across all three cores. Uniform Zephyr implementation significantly reduces complexity with custom protocols optimized for low-latency, high-reliability data transfer. HealthyPi Move taught us that uncontrolled feature additions can double timelines, so this campaign focuses on delivering the core HealthyPi 6 platform as specified, on time and on budget, with advanced modules (EEG, EMG) structured as stretch goals or post-campaign offerings.

Semiconductor supply chains remain unpredictable, but we have confirmed availability for critical components (STM32H757, ADS1294R, AFE4400) and identified pin-compatible alternatives (STM32H747, ADS1298) that have been tested, with PCB design accepting alternative parts with minimal rework. Protocentral has successfully delivered four crowdfunding campaigns on Crowd Supply (HealthyPi 3, 4, 5, and HealthyPi Move), shipping 700+ units to researchers worldwide, with established manufacturing relationships and validated fulfillment processes that de-risk this campaign.

Important Note

HealthyPi 6 ships as a research and educational device. It is not a medical device for clinical use. While it meets medical-grade isolation standards (IEC 60601-1 Type BF) for safety, it is not FDA-cleared or CE-marked as a medical device for diagnosis or treatment.