Any smartcard reader?

HappyHoser · Post by **HappyHoser** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:04 pm

Just curious, somewhere in the posts I remember it being mentioned that my encore specifically required the mako reader. It seems to me that the usb device itself should have native support in winxp and the smartcard protocol shouldn't be proprietary to my encore. Anybody had success with another reader? I think if I dig deep enough I may locate somrthing at work.

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:27 pm

I don't know where you work, but I work at a campus computer store. And we don't have a card reader like the one needed. And I don't know of ANY computer store that would carry them. The reader is a USB device, that's true. But the driver necessary for it is no native to WindowsXP. This is probably due to the device itself being very specialized and the cards involved are not standard "user fare". Good luck trying to find one at work. I bought mine from 2factors.com. It should be here in a week to 10 days I think. For $30 I can focus my attention on other things.

HappyHoser · Post by **HappyHoser** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:34 pm

Smartcard is used in various point of sale functions among other things, if you search ebay on smartcard you will likely find them for as little as five bucks. And they don't come from China! Cherry is a common brand and they are German made. It is a simple text device similar to a keyboard wedge so under later os's shouldn't need driver support. It may need an interface to my encore but that is a slightly different question.

kmoffat · Post by **kmoffat** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:37 pm

What about software to read the results?

HappyHoser · Post by **HappyHoser** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:41 pm

See the posts regarding "My Encore".

Wulfman- · Post by **Wulfman-** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 9:09 pm

HappyHoser wrote:Just curious, somewhere in the posts I remember it being mentioned that my encore specifically required the mako reader.

Noooooo......it's the Encore Pro software that requires the MAKO/Infineer reader. The MyEncore software requires the downloaded data from the Encore Pro software.
And the card reader IS proprietary to Encore Pro.

Den

HappyHoser · Post by **HappyHoser** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:41 pm

Well, I've been sticking my foot in mouth so far... I actually meant Encore Pro not Derek's software. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is what would make a particular brand of reader proprietary, smartcard not being a Respironics creation and all... I was hoping someone had already tackled this question.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:57 pm

Happy Hoser - though it has the same name, this particular "SmartCard" is not like any other brand of SmartCard out there - the contacts are about dime size, square, and on a very certain position on the card. No other kind of card reader can read it, sorry.

This very topic WAS addressed recently, though I can't remember the thread.

HappyHoser · Post by **HappyHoser** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 11:44 pm

Thanks CollegeGirl, I'm probably not communicating well here - I am familiar with the card and I'm not confusing it with the retail camera memory type compactflash card etc... Smartcard has been kicking around for quite a while but has never really been in the consumer end of things. The generic "smartcard" has been available in a couple different packages including the one you are describing as well as one still used in the Dish Network receiver that's probably in your living room, albeit with a different "contact" arrangement (don't pull it out with the power on, it utilizes the card a little differently than an apap). There are readers of various makes and styles out there at the electronics wholesalers so I think I'm going to have to plunk down the bucks and forge ahead. I'm a bit doubtful that there is anything particularly special about the Respironics hardware other than they are able to buy it cheap in large quantities. I am in electronics by trade and I think we can save some more by shopping around a little!

winken blinken and nod · Post by **winken blinken and nod** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:21 am

I've been doing some research on this issue and here's what I've come up with:

It appears that the Respironics Auto uses the Schlumberger Multiflex card. When I went searching for the readers that would read this card I found the Infineer, the Mako dt3500, and the Reflex USB V.2 and V.3. The Reflex readers are made by a company affiliated with Schlumberger and are purported to read most of the major card types. I looked on eBay and found the Reflex USB V.2 for cheap and ordered a couple. The drivers are readily available from the Reflex site.

I'll let everybody know how it goes when I try to use it.

Here are the links for the Reflex readers for anyone who wants to have a look

http://www.reflexreaders.com/Products/r ... sbnew.html

http://www.reflexreaders.com/Products/reflex_usbv2.html

Wish me luck,

W,B & N

sthnreb · Post by **sthnreb** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 9:52 am

Since you can download the software for free from Respironics and the Mako card reader is $30.80 shipping included, I think that is reasonable enough? I paid $200 for it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:21 pm

Compatibility isn't enough. Respironics uses software to ensure that you're using the reader that they sell you.

I tried downloading drivers from the Mako website and installing the reader with those but it doesn't work with the Encore Pro software. When you install the drivers using the drivers disc from Respironics it installs the drivers plus some extra software. (I verified that the driver files themselves are identical)

I'm going to see if I can figure out what the extra software is and isolate it because I'd like to use a different card reader. The Mako drivers are not XP certified and are making my computer crash.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:32 pm

More discussions about the card reader are at:

LINKS to Encore Pro, "MyEncore", smart card reader

HappyHoser · Post by **HappyHoser** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:41 pm

Thanks RG!

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:02 pm

Guest,
Just so you know, I have XP and am using the twofactors card reader, and it hasn't made my computer crash once. But I followed the instructions posted here on the forum to a T, and I think that included installing the drivers that came with Encore Pro, and not the drivers that came with the card reader.

Machine

Additional Comments: Resmed AirCurve 10 VAuto BiLevel with HumidAir

Mask	Humidifier

Mask	Humidifier

Mask	Humidifier

Mask	Humidifier