Viability of Different Microcontrollers for an

Active Ankle-Foot Orthosis: A Case Study

Keizer John Dumadaug1​ ​, Sirah Micah Elumba2​ ,​ John Kaizen Enguerra3​ ​,

Nicole Marie Marcos4​ ​, Hanny Peñarubia5​
Department of Computer Engineering, University of San Carlos - Talamban Campus
Cebu City, Philippines
kdumadaug@gmail.com​ , sirahelumba@gmail.com​2​ , kaizen.enguerra@gmail.com3​
1​

, nicolemariemarcos@gmail.com4​ ​ , penarubiahanny@gmail.com5​

Abstract - ​This study focuses on the comparison of
three different microcontrollers. The difference and
similarities of the microcontrollers specifications are
analysed to determine which one is the most viable
option for a microcontrolled ankle-foot orthosis design.
more stereotype applications, the microcontroller
however targets more particular applications.
II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

What microcontroller is the most efficient in

I. INTRODUCTION
cost, quality and specifications that can best
accommodate an active ankle-foot orthosis?
When designing a system to be low cost, one must
consider all materials and components costs and
availability. In this particular case, when designing a
low-cost micro-controlled ankle-foot orthosis, the III. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
most important component is arguably the
microcontroller itself, with the sensors that determine A. Goals
when actuation must occur following right after.
The study aimed to compare microcontrollers
When designing a system with an MCU, there are according to their specifications, cost and availability
many options for a microcontroller with various and to determine which microcontroller can be a
prices and specifications, narrowing it down to one is good fit to implement an active ankle-foot orthosis
one of the integral parts of designing the prototype.
micro-controlled ankle-foot orthosis.

A. What is a microcontroller? B. Objectives

A microcontroller or commonly known as MCU, is
the most fundamental and compact computer. It is
running on a single chip, has a CPU, memories
(RAM and ROM), and has Input and Output ports for
peripherals like, video, audio, cameras and USB.
Different from the microprocessor, in which it caters
These were the objectives of the study:
● To determine the specifications of each
microcontroller and identify if all sensors
and components are present for an
ankle-foot orthosis
● To determine the important factors of a
microcontroller for the system.
 ● Compare the prices of each microcontroller
and determine which microcontroller has the
best value to functionality ratio
● To list all GPIOs present in each
microcontroller
● To determine the main programming
language used by each microcontroller
● To check the availability of the
microcontroller in the Philippines
● To clearly define the requirements and
important characteristics of a The requirement for a built-in accelerometer is a
microcontroller for use in an active
ankle-foot orthosis
IV. CHOOSING THE RIGHT
MICROCONTROLLER
put in place to make sure that the MCU picked would
be the best fit for the operation of an active ankle-foot
orthosis. The CPU should have processing power that
is able to suffice the speed which is essential for the
real-time response of the control system to sensor
data. The power efficiency of the MCU, considering
the MCU will be wireless and knowing it is a
trade-off between the processing performance. We
weighed in whether we should sacrifice power
efficiency against obtaining more processing power.
bonus, but is not a deciding factor when comparing
between MCUs. It will also depend on the price and
the availability and if both outweighs the inclusion of
it, that would be taken into consideration. Having
enough GPIO ports is also a big part in the decision
process for the system will need enough ports to
support components needed for the ankle-foot
orthosis. .

A total of three microcontrollers are picked according After quantifying the given data, the microcontrollers
to these requirements: are then compared to the microcontrollers from
related studies, until the most viable one is found.
● The specifications (CPU, GPIO ports, and
voltage) are in line for a portable ankle-foot
orthosis implementation, in that: Adafruit
FRDM Arduino
○ The CPU is powerful enough to MCU Feather
KL25Z UNO
carry out the complex instructions M0
needed in response to sensor data
○ The GPIO ports are sufficient for Price 797 1,320 1,299
both prototyping and final use; in
32- bit
that at least 3 input/output devices 8- bit 32-bit
ARM®
can be connected, namely: 2 limit CPU ATmega32 ATSAMD21
Cortex
switches for plantar 8 G18
M0+
flexion/dorsiflexion and one
actuation motor [1] Built-in
Yes No No
Accelerometer
● The cost
GPIO 66 ports 21 ports 21 ports
● The availability to be purchased in the
Philippines Supports
● The complexity or simplicity of the Stepper-Motor Yes Yes Yes
programming language for the MCU Drivers
● An attached accelerometer
Programming
C/C++ C++ CircuitPython
Language
Narrowing down the limitless selection of MCUs to
those fitting the required criteria for a control system
of an active ankle-foot orthosis will allow for a more
focused comparison.The specifications needed are
All the data gathered have been taken into
consideration and analysis by comparing their
individual specifications, availability and cost.
V. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
The study is purely research-based. All data
collected were taken from various related studies
and sources. No surveys, questionnaires, or
interviews were conducted.
Compliant Actuator for an Active Ankle Foot
Orthosis.” 2017 International Conference on
Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), 2017,
doi:10.1109/icorr.2017.8009260.
[2]Kanthi, M. Embedded control system for active
Ankle foot orthosis. Diss. Manipal Institute of
Technology, Manipal, 2013.
[3]What is a microcontroller
Retrieved October 23, 2019
[4]Koon, J. Key factors to consider when choosing a
microcontroller. April 29, 2019

Due to the subjective nature of some of the

comparison points, the study cannot quantify all
data points, and rather will be discussed in full detail
to form a full conclusion.

The study takes into account the complexity of

the programming languages used in each
microcontroller, to avoid delays in implementation
during the project.

VI. CONCLUSION

From the data gathered, the microcontrollers

used in other studies were also the Arduino UNO and
the Adafruit Feather M0. All three MCUs are below
two thousand pesos which is within the low cost price
range of the study. The MCU with the highest
number of GPIOs is the KL25Z with 66 ports. From
the three MCUs only one has an 8 bit CPU, the
Arduino UNO, which costs more than all other
MCUs. Only the KL25Z has a built in accelerometer.
Considering the low price, availability, popular
programming language, and built-in accelerometer,
the KL25Z stands out to be the ideal MCU for an
active ankle-foot orthosis.

REFERENCES

[1] Moltedo, Marta, et al. “Design and Experimental

Evaluation of a Lightweight, High-Torque and