Design of a Programmable Electrocardiogram Generator Using a Microcontroller and the CPLD Technology

This paper reports on the complete design and development of a programmable electrocardiogram (ECG) generator which can be used for the testing, calibration and maintenance of electrocardiograph equipment. A new mathematical model, based on three coupled ordinary differential equations, was then used to precisely locate the positions of the onset, termination, angle, and the duration of individual components in the ECG. Generator facilities are provided for the user to adjust the signal amplitude, heart rate, QRS-complex slopes, P- and T-waves. The heart rate can be adjusted in increments of 1 BPM, from 20 to 176 BPM, while the amplitude of the ECG signal can be set from 0.1 to 400 mV with a 0.1-mV resolution.