Olimex OpenEEG: Difference between revisions
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=== Hardware === | === Hardware === | ||
The | [[File:Olimex.jpg|thumb|The Olimex EEG device<ref name="bakerdh" />]] | ||
Next, you will need '''electrodes'''. There are two options: | The main component that has to be acquired is the '''EEG-SMT device'''<ref name="eegsmt" />, which can be ordered directly from the Olimex website. Next, you will need '''electrodes'''. There are two options: | ||
* 5 passive electrodes (EEG-PE)<ref name="eegpe" /> | * 5 passive electrodes (EEG-PE)<ref name="eegpe" /> | ||
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== Hardware Setup == | == Hardware Setup == | ||
[[File: | [[File:AE PE.webp|thumb|Active vs passive electrodes]] | ||
Plug in the electrodes into the main device: plug PE (passive electrode) to the DRL socket, and plug the rest of the electrodes to the other four sockets. | |||
== Software Setup == | == Software Setup == | ||
Revision as of 04:16, 21 June 2025
The Olimex EEG-SMT[1] is a compact, USB-powered EEG device designed for monitoring brain activity. When used with compatible software, it can record data during sleep and help visualize sleep architecture, which is an especially useful feature for those adapting to a polyphasic sleep schedule.
Signal quality depends on several factors, including electrode placement, electrical interference, and the user's environment. While results may vary, many users have successfully used this device to monitor sleep stages.
Generally, sleep stages follow a distinct pattern, as illustrated in the figure on the right. For more details, see section Sleep Stage Identification.
Components
Hardware
The main component that has to be acquired is the EEG-SMT device[1], which can be ordered directly from the Olimex website. Next, you will need electrodes. There are two options:
The second option is slightly more expensive but is the recommended choice. Active electrodes provide better performance under imperfect conditions and require no skin preparation.[5]
Finally, you will need to purchase a USB A to B cable. [6] It is recommended to get a long cable, such as 1.8 meters, since you will be sleeping with the EEG connected to a laptop (in the default setup). The cable should be long enough to allow comfortable movement.
Lastly, you will need a way to secure the electrodes to your head while sleeping, which can be done using an elastic headband or other methods. The hardware setup section provides more details.
The standard way to set up an Olimex EEG for sleep recording is to connect it to a laptop during sleep. This method is the most widely tested by the community, so if you're unsure where to start, it's the recommended option. However, bringing a laptop to bed each night may be inconvenient. In that case, it's also possible to use a Raspberry Pi[7] or a PinePhone, though these setups require DIY work and are not covered in this guide. If you manage to get one of these alternative setups working, please consider joining the Discord server and sharing your configuration. Your contribution would be much appreciated.
Software
The software setup can be done on both Windows and Linux, and potentially on macOS (though this has not been tested).
The first component you'll need is a program to record sleep sessions. The recommended options are OpenViBE[8] or SleePi[7] for Raspberry Pi. Once your recordings are complete and saved, you’ll need to load them into another program to mark the sleep stages. SleepEEGTools is the recommended choice for this task.
Additionally, you can use DatPlot to view the raw EEG data, for example, to visualize REM movements or detect K-complexes.
Hardware Setup
Plug in the electrodes into the main device: plug PE (passive electrode) to the DRL socket, and plug the rest of the electrodes to the other four sockets.
Software Setup
Sleep Stage Identification
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Low Cost Open Source EEG Device Completely Assembled USB Interface". Olimex. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "A first look at the Olimex EEG-SMT". Daniel's Visionarium. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "Low cost open source EEG device passive electrodes with 1m shielded cable to be used for the DRL connection". Olimex. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "Low cost open source EEG device active electrodes with 1m shielded cable". Olimex. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "OpenEEG". Olimex. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "USB A to B cable 1.8m". Olimex. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "SleePi". Github. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "Software for Brain Computer Interfaces and Real Time Neurosciences". OpenViBE. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
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