Starcat
Bio Sensing
MacroFab, Inc.

HackEEG

8-32 channel TI ADS1299 Arduino shield for EEG, EMG, and EKG bio-signals acquisition

$36,285 raised

of $8,455 goal

429% Funded! Order Below

Available for pre-order.

$495 - $2,090

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If you want to digitize brainwaves and electroencephalograph (EEG) data, while interfacing with other Arduino hardware and software, this is the Arduino shield for you!

HackEEG is an affordable, high-performance, fully open source TI ADS1299 Arduino shield ideally suited for digitizing biosignals like EEG, EMG, and EKG. If you want to read your brainwaves, do brain-computer interfacing, or build high-performance lab instruments for neuroscience or biology, HackEEG is for you! We’ve spent the last few years partnering with major research institutions and pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe and now we want to bring HackEEG to you!

HackEEG shield - angled

This shield is a field-proven, high-performance, open-source lab instrument. All hardware, drivers, and Python client software are completely open source and easily modified. HackEEG is ideally suited for neuroscience biosignals applications – EEG, EKG, EMG, and more.

Features and Specifications

High-performance

HackEEG allows you to access the entire range of the TI ADS1299 EEG system-on-a-chip‘s features and performance. The Arduino drivers and Python client software allow complete access to the ADS1299 registers, and can read 8 channels of 24-bit ADC data at the maximum rate of the chip, 16,000 samples per second.

On-board instrumentation power supplies can be configured for 2.5 V to -2.5 V or 5 V to 0 V. Single-ended and differential modes are both possible with P and N inputs available on the HackEEG’s electrode connector.

HackEEG, subject, and technician

8, 16, 24, or 32 channels

Up to four boards can be stacked on one Arduino Due for 8, 16, 24, or 32 channels.

Hackable

Since this is an Arduino shield, you can stack it with existing shields, or add hardware of your own design. For example, we have users who added analog preamplifiers and custom image digitization synchronization hardware on their own custom shields.

All the software is completely open, so if you want to change it or add to it, you can! The HackEEG Arduino driver is text-mode, and has a JSON Lines protocol, so if you want to write client software in another language, you can. There is also a compact binary format that uses MessagePack that is used just for data streaming. Libraries for both JSON Lines and MessagePack data formats are available in many computer languages like C#, Javascript, C++, Ruby, Haskell, and others.

Lab Instrument

This is an actual lab instrument being used to do science in many research and pharmaceutical labs. It has high-resolution, high-bandwidth data acquisition capabilities with very low noise characteristics; even though it’s only $495.00, HackEEG matches the performance capabilities of closed-source amplifiers costing many thousands of dollars, and it can’t be beat for openness and programmability.

HackEEG has a wired interface so can be used directly connected to a laptop or desktop computer to do high-speed capture of biosignals. With the addition of a Raspberry Pi 4, it can send data wirelessly via Wi-Fi.

Lab Streaming Layer

HackEEG’s Python client software can stream data via the standard neuroscience software communication protocol Lab Streaming Layer either on a single laptop computer or via Wi-Fi. This means you can stream HackEEG directly to your favorite neuroscience software or Matlab running on your laptop or remote computers, record data streams, and integrate HackEEG data with other data streams.

HackEEG connected to a Raspberry Pi 4 sending Lab Streaming Layer data over WiFi

OpenBCI Compatible

Using our fork of OpenBCI, you can stream HackEEG to OpenBCI and visualize it there. (We hope to get our changes merged to mainline.)

OpenBCI Lab Streaming Layer datasource selection:

OpenBCI Lab Streaming Layer source selection

OpenBCI showing HackEEG data being streamed by Lab Streaming Layer:

OpenBCI showing HackEEG Lab Streaming Layer data

Field-proven

HackEEG is being successfully used for neuroscience research by these organizations:

Comparisons

HackEEGOpenBCI Cyton+DaisyEmotiv EPOC FlexCompumedics Neuroscan Grael LT
Open Source?Hardware + Software Hardware + SoftwareNoNo
EEG Channels8, 16, 24, 32 8, 163232
ADC resolution24 bits 24 bits22 bits22 bits
Samples per second4,000 (32 channels) - 16,000 (8 channels) 125 (Bluetooth); 1000 (WiFi)1252,048
Hardware Price$495-$2,090 $500 - $950$2,100$5,000
Software Price$0 $0$384-$3192/year$5,000/year
Can stack with other Arduino shields?Yes NoNoNo
InterfacesUSB 2.0 HS, WiFi (via Raspberry Pi 4) Bluetooth, WiFiBluetoothEthernet
API accessYes Yes$0-$99/month$100/month
Raw EEG data accessYes Yes$55-$99/month$100/month
Use as lab instrument?Yes via Bluetooth or WiFiNoNo
Lab Streaming LayerYes YesNoNo
Python APIYes YesNoNo
FDA approvedNo NoNoYes

Support and Documentation

All hardware, drivers, and software are open source and available on GitHub:

Notes

In some of the photos, the HackEEG DIN 42-802 electrode connector board has nine connectors: eight inputs, one ground. The production connector board will have ten DIN 42-802 connectors: eight inputs, one reference, one ground. The videos were shot with a variant of the connector board that had the reference electrode connector placed on the back of the board.

Important Warnings

Although HackEEG has some of the features of a medical device, it does NOT have any certifications (FDA, CE, IEC, etc.) and is NOT officially approved for medical or diagnostic use. It is your responsibility to ensure your safety when using the device. Furthermore, you should never power the device from a non-isolated power source.

This is not a device made for consumer home use. The internal electronics are exposed during normal operation to facilitate easy access by developers and professionals. As such, you must be aware of the hazards of operating exposed electronics, and are familiar with standard anti-static procedures for handling bare electrical components, or be prepared to make your own case.

There is no patient isolation circuitry on the device, so you will need to be sure to operate the HackEEG and all connected devices from battery power.

In the Press


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Produced by Starcat in Seattle, WA.

Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.

HackEEG 8-Channel Basic Kit

Includes one HackEEG, a ribbon cable, and an electrode connector.

$495 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

HackEEG 8-channel Starter Kit

Includes one HackEEG board, a ribbon cable, and a connector board with ten DIN 42-802 touch-proof electrode connectors (eight inputs, one reference, one ground).

$560 Free US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

HackEEG 8-channel Deluxe Kit

Includes one HackEEG, a ribbon cable, an electrode connector, Arduino Due, ten silver chloride EEG electrodes, two ounces of Ten20 conductive paste, and four ounces of NuPrep prep gel.

$645 Free US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

HackEEG 32-channel Deluxe Kit

Includes 4 x HackEEG, 4 x ribbon cable, 4 x electrode connector, 1 x Arduino Due, 40 x silver chloride EEG electrode, 4 x two ounces Ten20 conductive paste, 4 x four ounces NuPrep prep gel.

$2,090 Free US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

About the Team

Starcat

Seattle, WA  ·   starcat.io

Electronics R&D company specializing in open source hardware and high-performance biosignals acquisition equipment.

Adam Feuer
 adamfeuer

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