Pulse Sensor Using Arduino – Complete Guide with Simulation

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 Arduino Pulse Sensor Heart Rate Monitoring System (BPM)

The Arduino Pulse Sensor Project is a beginner-friendly biomedical electronics system that measures heart rate in real time. Built using the reliable Arduino Uno and the easy-to-use Pulse Sensor, this project calculates BPM (Beats Per Minute) and displays the readings on both the Serial Monitor and a 16x2 I2C LCD.

It is ideal for students, STEM learners, and beginners exploring biomedical and IoT health monitoring systems.

 Project Overview

This heart rate monitoring system includes:

  •  Arduino Uno

  •  Pulse Sensor (PPG-based heartbeat sensor)

  •  16x2 I2C LCD Display

  •  Jumper wires

  •  Arduino IDE / Simulation platform

The project can be tested using simulation platforms like CircuitDesign.app, making it accessible without physical hardware.

 Working Principle (Photoplethysmography - PPG)

The Pulse Sensor works based on photoplethysmography (PPG):

1️⃣ An LED emits light into the skin
2️⃣ Blood flow changes light absorption
3️⃣ A light sensor detects intensity variations
4️⃣ The sensor outputs analog voltage pulses
5️⃣ Arduino processes peaks to calculate BPM

Each detected peak corresponds to one heartbeat.

 Circuit Connections

Pulse Sensor PinArduino Uno Pin
VCC5V
GNDGND
SignalA0

The analog signal is read using:

analogRead(A0);

 How the Code Works

The code uses:

  • PulseSensorPlayground library for signal processing

  • LiquidCrystal_I2C for LCD display

  • Threshold-based peak detection

 Key Functions:

✅ pulseSensor.setThreshold(535);

Defines sensitivity level for heartbeat detection.

✅ pulseSensor.sawStartOfBeat();

Detects a heartbeat peak.

✅ pulseSensor.getBeatsPerMinute();

Calculates BPM based on detected pulses.

When a beat is detected:

  • BPM is printed to Serial Monitor

  • BPM is displayed on LCD in real time

 Key Features

✔ Real-time heart rate measurement
✔ LCD + Serial Monitor display
✔ Library-based signal processing
✔ Adjustable threshold for accuracy
✔ Beginner-friendly biomedical project
✔ Simulation support (hardware-free testing)

 Educational Concepts Covered

  • Analog signal reading

  • Biomedical signal processing basics

  • Peak detection algorithm

  • I2C communication (LCD)

  • Real-time data display

  • Embedded health monitoring systems

 Simulation Using CircuitDesign.app

Using simulation, students can:

  • Generate pulse waveform signals

  • Modify threshold values

  • Observe BPM calculation

  • Test logic without hardware

  • Learn filtering and noise reduction

This makes it perfect for remote learning and STEM education.

 Applications

 Heart rate monitoring systems
 Fitness tracking devices
 IoT health monitoring systems
 Medical electronics learning
 Biomedical signal analysis projects
 Smart wearable prototypes

 Important Note

This project is for educational and prototyping purposes only.
It should not be used for professional medical diagnosis.

 Possible Upgrades

You can enhance this system with:

 ESP32 Wi-Fi health monitoring version
 Mobile app dashboard
 Cloud data logging (ThingSpeak, Firebase)
 OLED graph display of pulse waveform
 Battery-powered wearable design
 Abnormal BPM alert system

 Arduino Code:

/*
 * Arduino Sketch for Heart Pulse Sensor with LCD Display
 *
 * This code reads data from a heart pulse sensor connected to the Arduino UNO
 * and displays the pulse rate on a 16x2 I2C LCD. The sensor's signal pin is
 * connected to the A0 pin of the Arduino. The code utilizes the PulseSensor
 * library to process the sensor data and the LiquidCrystal_I2C library to
 * display the BPM on the LCD.
 */

#include <Wire.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
#include <PulseSensorPlayground.h>

// Pin where the pulse sensor is connected
const int PULSE_SENSOR_PIN = A0;

// Create an instance of the PulseSensorPlayground class
PulseSensorPlayground pulseSensor;

// Initialize the LCD with the I2C address 0x27 and 16 columns x 2 rows
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27, 16, 2);

void setup() {
  // Initialize serial communication at 9600 bits per second
  Serial.begin(9600);

  // Initialize the LCD
  lcd.begin(16,2);
  lcd.backlight();

  // Configure the pulse sensor
  pulseSensor.analogInput(PULSE_SENSOR_PIN);
  pulseSensor.setSerial(Serial);
  pulseSensor.setThreshold(535);

  // Start the pulse sensor
  if (pulseSensor.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Pulse sensor started successfully.");
    lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
    lcd.print("Pulse Sensor OK");
  } else {
    Serial.println("Pulse sensor failed to start.");
    lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
    lcd.print("Sensor Fail");
  }
}

void loop() {
  // Read the pulse sensor
  int myBPM = pulseSensor.getBeatsPerMinute();

  // If a valid BPM is detected, print it to the console and display on LCD
  if (pulseSensor.sawStartOfBeat()) {
    Serial.print("BPM: ");
    Serial.println(myBPM);
    lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
    lcd.print("BPM: ");
    lcd.print(myBPM);
    lcd.print("   "); // Clear any leftover digits
  }

  // Add a small delay to stabilize readings
  delay(10);
}

 Conclusion

The Arduino Pulse Sensor BPM Monitoring Project is an excellent introduction to:

  • Biomedical electronics

  • Embedded system programming

  • Real-time sensor data processing

  • Health-focused IoT development

It provides a strong foundation for students interested in medical electronics, IoT healthcare, and wearable technology development.

 

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