MAX30105 Multi Sensor

Nothing gets Les Pounder’s heart racing like a new toy. But how can we monitor his excitement? For that, we need the MAX30105!

When you want to collect sensor data, chances are you’ll consider using a Raspberry Pi – largely due to its ease of use and network connectivity. But using sensors can be difficult for those new to the idea. Pimoroni released its Breakout Garden HAT board, which we reviewed in LXF243, to enable anyone to connect a sensor and quickly use it. The MAX30105 board is from the same range, but it doesn’t need the HAT board and can be directly connected to the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO pins.

But what does this sensor detect? Well, in a such a small package we have sensors for heart rate, oxygen saturation (an oximeter) and a smoke sensor which measures particulates in the atmosphere. These readings are also reasonably precise at 18-bit accuracy.