--- title: "Collecting Data for Motor Unit Decomposition" slug: "collecting-data-for-motor-unit-decomposition" description: "Learn how to set up and collect high-quality EMG data for motor unit decomposition using the Trigno System with essential guidelines and tips." tags: ["NeuroMap", "Trigno Galileo"] updated: 2026-08-10T08:57:41Z published: 2026-08-10T08:57:41Z canonical: "support.delsys.com/collecting-data-for-motor-unit-decomposition" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.delsys.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Collecting Data for Motor Unit Decomposition ## **Overview** This article outlines the setup and data collection requirements for motor unit decomposition using the Trigno System. It covers sensor requirements; skin preparation and sensor placement; trial length and format; and muscle contraction recommendations necessary to ensure successful motor unit decomposition. Following these guidelines will help you capture high-quality EMG data in order to maximize motor unit yield. > [!CAUTION] > Important > > - Not all EMG data can be decomposed into motor units. Read this article to learn how to collect data that is compatible with our decomposition algorithm. --- ## **System Requirements** | **Material/Tool** | **Description** | | --- | --- | | **Software** | Trigno Discover 1.6.2+; EMGworks Acquisition 4.7.0+ | | **Hardware: System** | Trigno Centro; Trigno Lite; Trigno Research Base Station | | **Firmware: System** | Trigno Centro: 06-05-00 \| 04-01 + Trigno Lite: 02-02 + Trigno Research Base Station: Digital: 2919 \| 1506 \| 0806 \| 2008 \| 0000 Analog: 2919\| 1506 \| 0806 \| 2008\| 0901 | | **Hardware: Sensors** | Trigno Galileo Sensor Only | | **Firmware: Sensors** | Trigno Galileo Sensor: 40-49 | | **Operating System** | Windows 11 | | **PC Specifications** | - USB 2.0 Port - 3.0 GHz processor clock speed, quad-core - 16 GB system memory - 500 GB hard disk storage | --- ## **Step-by-Step Instructions** ### **Step 1: Sensor Requirements for Motor Unit Decomposition** The only sensor that is compatible with NeuroMap for motor unit decomposition is the Trigno Galileo Sensor. To record valid data for motor unit decomposition, the Trigno Galileo Sensor must be configured with the following settings: > [!CAUTION] > Important > > - Only data from Trigno Galileo sensors can be decomposed > - At least 1 Trigno Galileo sensor is required for decomposition 1. Configuring your Trigno Galileo sensor 1. Refer to our article [Trigno Discover Getting Started Series: Trial Set-Up](https://www.notion.so/Trigno-Discover-Getting-Started-Series-Trial-Set-Up-26ab5c6dad38808ea7ccf2cde7eb52a5?pvs=21) for more information on how to configure your sensor 2. The following sensor configuration settings are required for decomposition 1. EMG Sampling Frequency: 2000 Hz or 2222 Hz 2. EMG Range: 11 mV 3. EMG Bandwidth: 20–450 Hz 2. Compatible Sensor Modes: 1. EMG Only 2. EMG & IMU 3. EMG & Orientation 3. If the sensor configuration is compatible with NeuroMap, a compatible indicator appears ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0adedc1d-5225-43a1-9673-53a5c8c15600/Images/Documentation/image(379).png) Trigno Discover NeuroMap compatible indicator ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0adedc1d-5225-43a1-9673-53a5c8c15600/Images/Documentation/image(380).png) EMGworks NeuroMap compatible indicator 4. If the sensor configuration is not compatible with NeuroMap, a warning will appear ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0adedc1d-5225-43a1-9673-53a5c8c15600/Images/Documentation/image(381).png) Trigno Discover NeuroMap incompatible warning ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0adedc1d-5225-43a1-9673-53a5c8c15600/Images/Documentation/image(382).png) EMGworks NeuroMap incompatible warning > [!CAUTION] > Important > > - Data must be collected in Trigno Discover or EMGworks in order to be compatible with NeuroMap for motor unit decomposition. ### **Step 2: Advanced Skin Preparation and Sensor Placement** > [!CAUTION] > Important > > - High-quality EMG signal is crucial for accurate motor unit decomposition. Thorough skin preparation and sensor placement are strongly recommended and will directly influence the motor unit yield. #### **Skin Preparation** 1. Full skin preparation must be done at the EMG sensor head site and at the reference site. This would typically include: - Shaving the location to remove any excess hair - Light abrasion of the skin at the chosen location - Clean the location with a 70% isopropyl wipe #### **Sensor Placement** 1. Place the EMG sensor head on the belly of the muscle. 2. Place the reference on a nearby location. Ensure that the four reference contacts are well-adhered and that the sensor lead has some slack. The reference does not have to be placed on a bony landmark. 3. Allow sensors to fully adhere to the skin before beginning data collection. Once the skin has been prepared and the sensor has been placed, check the signal quality to ensure baseline noise is low. > [!WARNING] > Recommendation > > - A low baseline noise level (< 0.03 mV) is recommended to achieve high-quality decomposition results. ### Step 3: Trial Length and Format 1. Trial length is recommended to be between 30 seconds to 5 minutes. This is to give the algorithm enough data to get an accurate and reliable yield, but not too much data as that will cause elongated decomposition processing time. 2. Motor unit decomposition takes approximately 1 minute per second of data for each sensor (i.e. a 30-second trial may take ~30 minutes to decompose from a single sensor). A trial length of 5 minutes is our recommended maximum duration to avoid elongated processing times. 3. Data must be exported in .HPF format. NeuroMap can only decompose raw, unedited .hpf files. > [!NOTE] > Information > > - Motor unit decomposition takes approximately one minute per second of data for each sensor (i.e. a 30-second trial with 2 sensors would take ~1 hour to decompose) --- ### Summary Checklist Before collecting data for decomposition using the Trigno system, ensure: - [ ] You are using Trigno Galileo sensors - [ ] EMG sampling frequency is 2000 Hz or 2222 Hz - [ ] EMG range is 11 mV with 20–450 Hz bandwidth - [ ] Data is collected in EMGworks or Trigno Discover - [ ] Skin prep (shave, abrade, and clean) is done at the EMG and reference sites - [ ] Your signal has a low baseline noise level (< 0.03 mV) - [ ] Trial length is between 30 seconds and 5 minutes long - [ ] Data files are exported in .HPF format By following these guidelines, the data will be suitable for decomposition in NeuroMap and the output motor unit data and accuracy will be maximized for accuracy. For further guidance on using NeuroMap (See [Installing Neuromap and Decomposing Data](/v1/docs/installing-neuromap-and-decomposing-data)) For further guidance on interpreting decomposition results (See [Analyzing Decomposed Data](/v1/docs/analyzing-decomposed-data-in-neuromap-explorer)) --- DOC-664-1-0 Our flagship data acquisition software, compatible with all of our Trigno Systems and Avanti-Style sensors. EMGworks is our legacy software package and includes Acquisition and Analysis Software. The latest flagship Trigno system. Can stream data from up to 32 sensors, has built-in triggering capabilities, and has analog inputs. A low-profile, portable, and budget-friendly Trigno system. Trigno Lite allows for data streaming from up to 4 sensors. Our older Trigno system. The Base Station contains 16 built-in charging slots and is compatible with our Trigger Module. There are two types of base stations: Analog Bases and Digital Bases. The NeuroMap application is used to decompose EMG data into its constituent motor units. Delsys high-performance binary data file. This file type is required for analysis in EMGworks Analysis. ## Related - [Installing NeuroMap and Decomposing Data](/installing-neuromap-and-decomposing-data.md) - [Analyzing Decomposed Data in NeuroMap Explorer](/analyzing-decomposed-data-in-neuromap-explorer.md)