Can I use any SD card for my CPAP machine?

[Jimmycrackhorn]

Hi, I left my card in a different state that's 5 hours away, and I realize I don't have one for my machine. I have an appointment with a new Doctor Who is the head of the Michigan State sleep program, and I really want to have my data so he can try and take a look at what the hell's going on with my machine.

Can I just go to like Microcenter and grab an SD card there? I'm assuming they would have something that works. The doctors are trying to tell me that I have to go to get my DME and get a special SD card, but I don't see a difference. It's just a memory card right?

[Pugsy]

Any generic SD card will work.
I got a cheap one at WalMart and it works fine.
It does NOT have to be brand specific to your machine....that's a load of bullshit they are telling you.

[Jimmycrackhorn]

Thanks guys

[Pugsy]

could it depend how they formatted it
NTFS versus FAT32 or other file system?

No...doesn't make any difference about formatting...put any blank card into the cpap machine and the cpap machine will do its on formatting.
A person doesn't have to take a new card and format it with their computer and then put it in the cpap machine...unnecessary work...the machine will fix the card however it wants it.
OP has a Respironics machine...they don't care about the card or even contents of the card.

my old pc could not read the sd card from the resmed

That was most likely a problem with the PC...ResMed SD cards aren't anything special. Now maybe the SD card itself got damaged...that can happen but if the machine accepted the card just fine and your PC didn't...it wasn't the fault of the card.

I have bought several cards from WalMart for various machines...one had the card missing when shipped to me...one fell in the floor and the dog ate it...one I simply lost for 3 months and later found in the couch. I get the cheapest card I can find which is usually the Sandisk brand. I have never had one not work in my machines right out of the package...I have never ever formatted any card with the computer. I stick them in the cpap machine and the machine does all the working formatting things to however it wants things.
Now people can manually format them if they wish but it is extra work and I don't tend to want to do extra work when it's not needed.

[Guest]

and many people dont even know about formatting at all

THAT is WHY the machines (not all - but most of them) do exactly THAT for you!

if you can't read YOUR card you are simply unworthy of looking at the data - nothing special about that.

[Pugsy]

Hmmm....I have owned both brands (ResMed and Respironics) and various models over the years that all use SD cards.
I have NEVER used my computer to format any SD card....Never, ever and I have never had my 4 different computers in the last 8 years have a problem reading data from any SD card from any cpap machine. I lost count as to the number of machines...but well over a dozen...heck, right now I have 4 in my possession.

The cpap machine will do whatever it thinks it needs to do (maybe it needs nothing...but when I insert a new blank card into a machine I get a "preparing SD card" message). Now what it does to "prepare" it...beats me but I have never ever had a problem with any of my computers or my machines.

The only issue ever pertained to the S9 models and Windows 8.xx and higher...and that was because the S9 didn't like the SD card containing anything it wasn't expecting.
The AirSense/AirCurve machines simply don't care. I am using Windows 10 now and I never lock the SD card.

Now if someone wants to go to the extra work to format a SD card...hey, it's your time...go for it but it is NOT needed. The machines will do whatever they do so that they are happy with the SD card and will write to it.

If a computer won't read a SD card but the machine will write to the SD card...hey, the problem is with the computer or maybe it's an ID10 error.
There is simply no reason to complicate things...with formatting and all that crap. It simply isn't needed.
But again...if that is what you want to do and believe and don't want to listen to someone who has had well over 12 machines that use SD cards and has used WalMart SD cards without doing anything special and is actually fairly computer literate...hey, it's your time you are wasting...not mine.
Go for it.

[Guest]

just wait for ThatGuyTyh-ish to chime in.

[Pugsy]

just wait for ThatGuyTyh-ish to chime in.

Sigh

I have pretty much said all I am going to say in this thread. Not much to add and I know when to quit banging my head against the wall...at least in this thread.

People can believe me or not believe me....I really don't care. It's not like I have only ever used one machine like some people.

Mainly I said all I said for newbies who might read this thread and wonder...it wasn't to try to get mr alphabet boy to change his mind. I know that is totally a totally futile endeavor.

Right now I currently own
S9 Adapt
PR S1 BiPap Auto 60 series
AirCurve 10 ST
AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her

Every one of these machines will do exactly what I said they will do. I kinda speak from a lot of experience here and I am not a computer dummy either.
I think some people would argue with the statement "the sun rises in the East and sets in the West" just so they can argue.

[Guest]

in most cases a user never has to format anything

but there is a reason they have formatting programs
sometimes you do need to do it even if it is rare

no you don't! ... unless you bought crap.

but I guess with all your PS-problems IT-stuff was never meant for you?
maybe it is beat if you do not worry so much about the machine and let it do its job. Have some faith in your doctors (you did choose them wisely, didn't you?) - they really know what they are doing.
If your DME or your doctos asks you to give him the SD-Card, just do as told. They are professionals, they know what to do. If you don't have an SD-Card installed in your machine it is probably for the best.

[WearyOne]

just wait for ThatGuyTyh-ish to chime in.

Sigh

I have pretty much said all I am going to say in this thread. Not much to add and I know when to quit banging my head against the wall...at least in this thread.

People can believe me or not believe me....I really don't care. It's not like I have only ever used one machine like some people.

Mainly I said all I said for newbies who might read this thread and wonder...it wasn't to try to get mr alphabet boy to change his mind. I know that is totally a totally futile endeavor.

Right now I currently own
S9 Adapt
PR S1 BiPap Auto 60 series
AirCurve 10 ST
AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her

Every one of these machines will do exactly what I said they will do. I kinda speak from a lot of experience here and I am not a computer dummy either.
I think some people would argue with the statement "the sun rises in the East and sets in the West" just so they can argue.

Here ya go, Pugsy! And yep, some people just love to argue just for the sake of arguing.

[ThatGuyTyh]

just wait for ThatGuyTyh-ish to chime in.

Ok, I guess? The fact of the matter is, yes there are different formats for memory but when it comes to SD cards this is a non-issue. I've only seen formating be an issue with SD cards when it has already been used with a device that required a specific formating, the format was changed and then when trying to use the SD card with another device it doesn't work because it's a different format than expected. But I completely agree that within the context of the OP's question, that information isn't pertinent. You can definitely go to any store, buy any SD card and it will work without the need for formating. General rule of thumb.