BioAmp EXG Pill
Based on published sources · Not tested by us ·
License: CERN-OHL-S-2.0, MIT, CC-BY-4.0 · Details by part
Overview
Open-hardware biopotential analog front-end board (2.54 × 1.00 cm) for ECG, EMG, EOG and EEG acquisition with a 5 V microcontroller ADC; a sensor component with EMG servo and claw-control example sketches, not a robot. [S001] [S006]
The BioAmp EXG Pill is a 2.54 × 1.00 cm analog front-end board from Upside Down Labs for recording ECG, EMG, EOG and EEG signals with any 5 V microcontroller that has an ADC, or with a dedicated ADC such as the ADS1115. [S001] It is a sensor component, not a robot: it has no actuators or onboard processor. It appears in this catalog because the repository includes EMG examples that drive actuators, which makes it a candidate input for muscle-controlled grippers or hand experiments. [S001] [S006]
Specifications
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Sensor component: a biopotential amplifier board with no actuators; example sketches drive an external hobby servo. Classification note; the board is not a robot. Editorial assessment [S001] [S006] · Checked 2026-10-05 |
| Intended users | Makers, students and researchers building EMG-driven servo, gripper or human-interface experiments around a microcontroller Editorial assessment [S001] [S006] [S007] · Checked 2026-10-05 |
| Assembly | Surface-mount PCB; KiCad project, interactive BOM and STEP models are published, and assembled boards are sold through Crowd Supply. From file inventory and vendor listing; no board fabricated here. Editorial assessment [S005] [S010] · Checked 2026-10-05 |
| Calibration | Not known |
| Operating system | Not known |
| Computer needed | No host PC required for the servo examples; a 5 V microcontroller with an ADC runs the sketches. Derived from sketch structure; serial plotting optional. Editorial assessment [S001] [S006] · Checked 2026-10-05 |
3D preview
Preview not available yet. The reviewed sources did not establish a supported 3D payload for a hosted preview. The design may be supplied as drawings, an external CAD document or a separate download.
Model sources
The reviewed sources did not establish a supported 3D payload for a hosted preview. The design may be supplied as drawings, an external CAD document or a separate download.
Assembly and use
What it does for a robotics builder
The README lists 15 example sketches, including EMG band-pass filtering, envelope detection "for robotics and biomedical applications", servo control and a servo claw controller. [S001] The ClawController sketch samples the board at 500 Hz, filters the signal, computes an envelope and maps it to a servo angle between 90 and 180 degrees on pin 9. The repository also ships STL files for a small printed claw. [S005] [S006] The EMG documentation shows the same servo-controller and LED bar-graph examples. [S007]
To reproduce that route you also need a 5 V board such as an Arduino UNO or Nano, electrodes and cables, a hobby servo and power. [S001] [S006] The thresholds in the sketch are fixed constants, so expect to tune them for your own signal; no signal quality or control performance was measured here.
Upstream states the board "is not a certified medical device" and should not be treated like one. [S008] This catalog makes no safety, electrical-isolation or medical-suitability assessment.
Configuration and files
This entry covers the main-branch snapshot dated 2024-08-23; no stable release was found. The KiCad title block reads revision 1.0, dated 2023-04-27, and describes a quad op-amp design. [S002] [S004] The pinned archive contains the KiCad schematic and PCB, a schematic PDF, an interactive BOM and STEP models. The README says production Gerber files are in a hardware/gerbers folder, but no Gerber files were found in the archive, so plan to generate fabrication outputs from the KiCad files. [S001] [S005]
The OSHWA certification IN000026, dated April 16, 2021, lists version 0.7, not the rev 1.0 files reviewed here. [S009]
Licenses
LICENSE.md separates the layers: MIT for software, CERN-OHL-S v2 (strongly reciprocal) for hardware and CC BY 4.0 for documentation. [S003] Under the strongly reciprocal hardware license, distributed modified designs stay under the same terms. The example sketches carry Upside Down Labs MIT headers. [S006]
Cost
The preserved Crowd Supply page lists an EXG Explorer Pack at USD 69 (two boards, 15 gel electrodes, headers, clips and two electrode cables) and a Neuroscience Ninja Pack at USD 249 (eight boards and accessories), with USD 8 US or USD 18 worldwide shipping, both shown in stock on 2026-10-05. The page does not state which board revision ships, and these packs exclude the microcontroller, servo and power. [S010]
What remains unknown
Gerber outputs, the shipped revision and certification of rev 1.0 are unresolved. No board was fabricated, connected to electrodes or tested for this entry.
Cost
| Version | Price |
|---|---|
| EXG Explorer Pack (two BioAmp EXG Pill boards with electrodes and cables) | USD 69.00 [S010] Vendor price |
Crowd Supply listing; US and worldwide shipping rates stated · Checked 2026-10-05
| Included | Two BioAmp EXG Pill boards; 15 gel electrodes; Four angled and four straight 3-pin headers; Six alligator clips; Two 1.5 mm electrode cables |
|---|---|
| Not included | Microcontroller or ADC board; Servo, claw or other actuator; Power source and computer; Destination taxes and duties not established |
| Stock | Listed as in stock on 2026-10-05. |
| Delivery and tax | Listed shipping USD 8 (US) or USD 18 (worldwide); taxes not established. |
Price details
Vendor pack price on the preserved Crowd Supply page; board revision shipped in the pack is not stated there.
Crowd Supply listing; US and worldwide shipping rates stated · Checked 2026-10-05 · Quantity 1
A 5 V microcontroller, electrodes beyond the included 15, and any actuator for control experiments.
| Version | Price |
|---|---|
| Neuroscience Ninja Pack (eight BioAmp EXG Pill boards with electrodes and cables) | USD 249.00 [S010] Vendor price |
Crowd Supply listing; US and worldwide shipping rates stated · Checked 2026-10-05
| Included | Eight BioAmp EXG Pill boards; 100 gel electrodes; 16 angled and 16 straight 3-pin headers; 24 alligator clips; Eight 1.5 mm electrode cables |
|---|---|
| Not included | Microcontroller or ADC boards; Actuators; Power source and computer; Destination taxes and duties not established |
| Stock | Listed as in stock on 2026-10-05. |
| Delivery and tax | Listed shipping USD 8 (US) or USD 18 (worldwide); taxes not established. |
Price details
Vendor pack price on the preserved Crowd Supply page; eight boards, not a single-board price.
Crowd Supply listing; US and worldwide shipping rates stated · Checked 2026-10-05 · Quantity 1
Microcontrollers and any actuators.
Source files and licenses
Complete electronics, example firmware and documentation are published under stated per-layer licenses. Included as a sensor component (category other) because upstream documents EMG-driven servo and claw control; it is not a robot and inclusion implies no medical suitability.
| Layer | Availability / license |
|---|---|
| electronics | available · CERN-OHL-S-2.0 KiCad schematic and PCB, schematic PDF, interactive BOM and STEP model preserved. README refers to Gerber files that were not found in the pinned archive. [S001] [S003] [S004] [S005] |
| firmware | available · MIT Arduino example sketches for the host microcontroller carry Upside Down Labs MIT headers. EXG-Visualizer has its own MIT LICENSE dated 2018 without a named holder; its provenance was not traced. [S001] [S003] [S006] |
| documentation | available · CC-BY-4.0 Documentation licensed CC BY 4.0 in LICENSE.md; some doc sections are placeholders. [S001] [S003] [S007] |
PCB component without a mechanical assembly; board STEP models and the example claw STL files are accessories, assessed under electronics and firmware.
No separate host-PC application in the reviewed repository; the software folder contains microcontroller sketches assessed under firmware.
Sensor hardware; no learned model.
No dataset is part of the release.
References
Links identify the documentation and revisions used in this profile. Access dates record when each source was retrieved.
- S001 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
BioAmp EXG Pill README
Accessed 2026-10-05 · README.md at main commit snapshotSource notes
Board purpose, size, 5 V MCU requirement, example sketch list, KiCad hardware statement and layer licenses.
- S002 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
Repository revision and acquisition metadata
Accessed 2026-10-05 · 86bb1f45575054b4b9af78517c24ad682c3a65b6 (default-branch snapshot; no stable release); GitHub API metadataSource notes
Commit date 2024-08-23; archive verified; dated popularity counts.
- S003 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
BioAmp EXG Pill license file
Accessed 2026-10-05 · LICENSE.md sections Software, Hardware, DocumentationSource notes
MIT for software, CERN-OHL-S v2 for hardware, CC BY 4.0 for documentation.
- S004 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
KiCad schematic title block
Accessed 2026-10-05 · hardware/BioAmp-EXG-Pill.kicad_sch title_block and amplifier symbol valueSource notes
Design revision 1.0 dated 2023-04-27; TL074 quad op-amp based amplifier.
- S005 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
Pinned archive file inventory
Accessed 2026-10-05 · Complete archive filename inventory; selected hardware and example pathsSource notes
KiCad project, schematic PDF, interactive BOM and STEP models present; no gerbers directory found.
- S006 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
ClawController example sketch
Accessed 2026-10-05 · software/ClawController/ClawController.inoSource notes
EMG envelope mapped to a hobby-servo angle at 500 Hz sampling; MIT header.
- S007 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
Electromyography documentation page
Accessed 2026-10-05 · docs/electromyography.mdSource notes
EMG recording, filter and envelope sketches; servo-controller and LED bar-graph examples.
- S008 · Upside Down Labs / project contributors
Electrocardiography documentation page
Accessed 2026-10-05 · docs/electrocardiography.mdSource notes
States that the board is not a certified medical device.
- S009 · Open Source Hardware Association
OSHWA certification IN000026
Accessed 2026-10-05 · Certification listing pageSource notes
Certification dated April 16, 2021 for version 0.7; licenses CERN (hardware), MIT (software), CC BY (documentation).
- S010 · Crowd Supply (seller); produced by Upside Down Labs
Crowd Supply product page
Accessed 2026-10-05 · Product page purchasing options as retrieved 2026-10-05Source notes
EXG Explorer Pack USD 69 and Neuroscience Ninja Pack USD 249 with listed contents; USD 8 US / USD 18 worldwide shipping; in stock at retrieval.
Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.7.0-draft.5
Change history
2026-10-05 — Initial intake from the Growbotics comparison lead; verified against the upstream repository, OSHWA listing and Crowd Supply page.