diff --git a/src/ad8232/ad8232.cxx b/src/ad8232/ad8232.cxx
index de8d650e..88934acb 100644
--- a/src/ad8232/ad8232.cxx
+++ b/src/ad8232/ad8232.cxx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <iostream>
-
+#include "upm_string_parser.hpp"
 #include "ad8232.hpp"
 
 using namespace upm;
@@ -34,11 +34,31 @@ AD8232::AD8232(int loPlus, int loMinus, int output, float aref) :
 {
   m_gpioLOPlus.dir(mraa::DIR_IN);
   m_gpioLOMinus.dir(mraa::DIR_IN);
-  
+
   m_aref = aref;
   m_ares = (1 << m_aioOUT.getBit());
 }
 
+AD8232::AD8232(std::string initStr) : mraaIo(initStr), m_gpioLOPlus(mraaIo.gpios[0]),
+  m_gpioLOMinus(mraaIo.gpios[1]), m_aioOUT(mraaIo.aios[0])
+{
+  std::vector<std::string> upmTokens;
+
+  if(mraaIo.getLeftoverStr() != "")
+  {
+    upmTokens = UpmStringParser::parse(mraaIo.getLeftoverStr());
+  }
+
+  for (std::string tok : upmTokens)
+  {
+    if(tok.substr(0,5) == "volt:")
+    {
+      m_aref = std::stof(tok.substr(5));
+    }
+  }
+  m_ares = (1 << m_aioOUT.getBit());
+}
+
 AD8232::~AD8232()
 {
 }
diff --git a/src/ad8232/ad8232.hpp b/src/ad8232/ad8232.hpp
index 59eb7687..a90d9da7 100644
--- a/src/ad8232/ad8232.hpp
+++ b/src/ad8232/ad8232.hpp
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 #include <sys/time.h>
 
 #include <mraa/gpio.hpp>
-
 #include <mraa/aio.hpp>
+#include <mraa/initio.hpp>
 
 #define AD8232_DEFAULT_AREF  3.3
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ namespace upm {
    * the intent to send that data, via serial or network port, somewhere to
    * another piece of software running on a computer that plots the data for
    * you, like an EKG.
-   * 
+   *
    * Processing (https://www.processing.org/) is software
    * that should work, using information from the SparkFun* website.
    *
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@ namespace upm {
      */
     AD8232(int loPlus, int loMinus, int output, float aref=AD8232_DEFAULT_AREF);
 
+    /**
+     * Instantiates AD8232 sensor object based on a given string.
+     *
+     * @param initStr string containing specific information for AD8232 sensor initialization.
+     */
+    AD8232(std::string initStr);
+
     /**
      * AD8232 destructor
      */
@@ -98,6 +105,7 @@ namespace upm {
     int value();
 
   private:
+    mraa::MraaIo mraaIo;
     mraa::Gpio m_gpioLOPlus;
     mraa::Gpio m_gpioLOMinus;
     mraa::Aio m_aioOUT;