Simple online algorithm for detecting cow’s ECG beat-to-beat interval using a microcontroller

Abstract

This paper describes an online algorithm for detecting cow’s beat-to-beat interval on a small embedded microcontroller. The target device is an ECG implant which only provides limited calculation power and insufficient storage memory for long term complete ECG data logging. No common computationally efficient method for detecting the human R-wave was found successful for cattle ECG data with the used measurement configuration. Our algorithm detects a cow’s S-wave, which is the most distinguishable part of the QRS-complex. The offset and amplitude adaptive algorithm utilizes only arithmetic operations and logic conditions.