Akwukwaegbu, Isdore OnyemaEzugwu, Ernest OzoemelaAgubor, Cosmas NkemmdirimOpara, Raymond OkechukwuOlubiwe, MattewObichere, Jude-Kennedy Chibuzo2026-06-052026-06-052021Akwukwaegbu, I. O., Ezugwu, E. O., Agubor, C. N., Opara, R. O., Olubiwe, M. & Obichere, J. C. (2021). Performance comparison of the designed microcontroller heartbeat monitor and clinical stethoscope medical insturments based on statistical approach. International Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology, 12(5), 207-226p-0976-6545e-0976-655310.34218/IJEET.12.5.2021.020https://repository.futo.edu.ng/handle/20.500.14562/2823This article contains tables and figuresHeart related diseases are becoming more rampant, which if not properly checked and controlled, will continue to contribute a greater percentage of death rates among the younger generations. Controlling this deadly disease will be initiated by monitoring individual heartbeat rate regularly by a new low cost invented microcontroller based heartbeat medical measuring and monitoring instrument developed using electronic engineering techniques. The developed device uses electric microphone to detect the heartbeat and convert it to alternating current (ac) signal in millivolts, which is later amplified by a non inverting amplifier. A Schmitt trigger (555 timer) coverts the amplified ac signal into a square wave (one pulse is represented by one square). These square waves are used to count the number of squares for 60 seconds and display the result on the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The developed device is packaged in a plastic casing with adequate spacing provided to accommodate all components. The mean and standard deviation measured heart beat results obtained using the developed device and conventional clinical stethoscope range from 70.63 to 82.37 beat per minute(bpm) and 69.65 to 81.63 beat per minute(bpm) respectively. The result obtained using the developed device when compared to those obtained from the manual test involving counting of heartbeat fall satisfactorily within the acceptable range of 60 to 120 beat per minute(bpm). This developed device is useful for families, hospitals, clinics, community medical centres and for other medical purposes.enAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 InternationalMicrocontroller heartbeat monitorconventional clinical stethoscope medical instrumentelectronic engineering techniqueselectric microphonenon inverting amplifierschmitt trigger (555 timer)liquid crystal display (LCD)Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringArticle