PC-based instrumentation for electrodermal activity measurement

Abstract

A PC-based EDA measuring system is presented. The system is composed of a laptop with a PCMCIA DAQ-card running LabVIEW® software, a small front-end with a dual op-amp IC and a few passive components, and three skin-surface electrodes. The electrode system gives a monopolar measurement below the measuring electrode regardless of the electrode sizes, unless very small. Usage of the system is demonstrated by measurements from a mental stress experiment on 17 volunteers. There was a significant correlation (R=0.51, p<0.001) between the self-assessed stress-level and the EDA response frequency. The system allows easy on-site customization in software of measuring parameters, signal-quality monitoring and non-linearity detection in real time. We believe that the most suited use for the system is for stationary experimental purposes where this flexibility is desired. The system is easy to reproduce by engineers interested in doing EDA research