Horse Movement Monitoring Overview


Project Overview
This design is a chest-mounted wearable module for monitoring body movement using a Bosch BHI160B 6-axis sensor over I²C. Key elements include:
  • Power & Decoupling
    • 3.3 V input via the +3V3 net portal
    • Three decoupling caps: C1, C2 on VDD, and C3 on the internal VREG
  • Sensor
    • U1: BHI160B 6-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyroscope)
  • I²C & AUX Interfaces
    • Main I²C (SDA/SCL) exposed on the 4-pin connector J1
    • Sensor-hub AUX SDA/SCL exposed on the 6-pin header J2
    • Pull-ups: R1 & R2 on AUX lines
  • Address Selection
    • Address-select network using R3 & R4 on the SEL_ADR pin

Limitations for Chest-Mounted Equine Monitoring
  • Lack of On-Board Power Source
    Requires an external 3.3 V supply—no integrated battery or regulator is provided.
  • No Wireless or Data Logging
    All data must be read via wired I²C; there’s no microcontroller, flash memory, or radio on-board.
  • Mechanical & Environmental Protection
    No enclosure, waterproofing, or shock-proofing; raw PCB may not withstand sweat, mud, or impact during riding/galloping.
  • Orientation & Mounting Sensitivity
    Without a defined housing or alignment jig, sensor orientation may vary, complicating consistent motion analysis.
  • Accelerometer Range & Bandwidth
    The BHI160B’s built-in ±16 g range and its sampling rate may not capture very high-impact events without saturation or aliasing.
  • No Input/ESD Protection
    I/O lines are exposed directly—no TVS diodes or series protection, risking damage from static or voltage spikes.
  • Thermal & Calibration Drift
    No temperature sensor or compensation network; prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions could introduce measurement drift.
  • No Filtering Beyond Decoupling
    High-frequency noise on I²C lines or sensor outputs may require additional RC or ferrite filtering for cleaner data.
Select LiPo charger
Add ESD protection
Include data logging
Add wireless module
Choose microcontroller

Schematic of Wearable Accelerometer BHI160B Template
C3
Capacitance
0.47uF
C2
Capacitance
0.1uF
C1
Capacitance
0.1uF
R3
Resistance
DNP Ω
U1
R4
Resistance
0 Ω
R2
Resistance
4.7kΩ
R1
Resistance
4.7kΩ

Wearable Accelerometer BHI160B Template