Need help re S8 datacard

Having finally got round to using a Resmed S8 Vantage (and being delighted with it) I am in the throes of accessing the data.

Am very very familiar with S7 & Vpap III data extraction (very) but am not familiar with the oddities of extracting data from an S8.

What I am hoping one of our regulars (Slinky? - DreamStalker?) can clarify are :-

1) If I insert my datacard & it loads the data from the machine & saves 7 nights data (have been using it for 8 nights also, is it just 5 or just 7 nights that are saved) to the card, can I leave that card in & have it accumulate more nights or does the datacard only hold 5/7 nights data ? i.e. if I remove that card & insert another, can I save the next 5/7 nights data.

Reason I ask is that I don't yet have the S8 datacard reader or Autoscan 5.7 or ResScan software (that replaces AutosScan).

2) Is it smarter to buy Autoscan 5.7 or the new ResScan software ?


3) What is the best way to access the machine data, by datacard or by usb/serial cable (reason I ask is that datacard reader is cheaper than the USB or Serial approach)


Thanks in advance

DSM

Am thinking it will be Slinky & Dreamstalker that will be 1st to my rescue

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed

Hi Doug -

I believe the way it works is that it stores 5 days of "nightly" data.

It overwrites the "nightly" data for any days more than 5 old should you download after 5 days ... so I used to download twice a week.

It continues to store the 95% daily average data for up to 180 days I think.

What I did was to save to a new file each time I did a download ... that way I could keep a copy of all of my nightly data without losing it to overwriting. Of course you coould also export to spreadsheet or database and keep track of it that way ... but then you have make up your own charts ... which is no biggie.

As for card reader vs. reslink ... if you have a PC you can dedicate, I think I would prefer that myself since it seems like less hassle.

I think ReScan gives you the option for either card or serial/usb ... AutoScan only works with card (on S8 machine ... I do not know about the S7).

Perhaps Slinky can add to that.

I am NOT a techie by any stretch of the imagination. So rather than display my ignorance to the world I PM'd Doug w/what answers I could give him.

For instance: I didn't know WHAT I needed to use my data card w/my software, I left it up to the person I was buying it from to send me the right cable. I have the ACR38 Smart Card Reader cable. Altho Resmed advises against it it has worked perfectly for me w/an "extension cable" from the back of my machine so I don't have to keep crawling behind my 'puter tower to plug it in. (The reader for my EncorePro won't work w/the extension cable, I have to climb behind the 'puter tower to plug it in).

I'm clumsy at explaining this but: the S8s will store up to 12 months of data averages. When data is downloaded to the card the total averages are included along w/the previous 5 nights' individual data.

If you run one AutoScan file and just keep downloading to it daily or every 5 days you will have one large AutoScan file w/all of your individual nights' data. I have one large AutoScan file w/all the individual nights' data since 26 Nov 06 to last night. That includes data from 2 different S8 Elites and one S8 AutoSet Vantage all in one file of individual nights. It also includes the total averages data from 09 Oct 06 when I got my first S8 Elite until 26 Nov 06 when I got my AutoScan software.

IF I want to start a new file the data card will download the previous 5 nights of individual data PLUS the total averages for as long I've used that S8 or one year, whichever comes first into that new file.

Is this all clear as mud?

Many Thanks DS & Slinky.

Will opt for a cardreader & will save each download as a new file.

D

The ReScan software that replaces AutoScan 5.7 will not allow you to export data to Excel etc. I had to buy a copy of AutoScan 5.7 to retain this feature.
Obviously ReSmed thought their clinicians did not need this feature anymore!!

Doug - Don't really see the advantage to using a new file for each download. Similar to Slinky, I've got continuous nightly data from January 6 in one single file. Just had to make sure that "Don't Overwrite" was checked in the 'Download Preferences' section of the AutoScan menu. I generally download on Tuesdays and Saturdays; remembering two specific days each week is easier for me than a rotating every-five-days schedule.

I'd have to guess that AutoScan would be much cheaper than ResScan; from what Aussiegrouch says above, they've actually removed a feature in the transition. (He might be able to tell you whether ResScan has any valuable features which are lacking in AutoScan.) I've used the export feature to conduct an analysis of data sorted by pressure, and it's been quite helpful.

Thanks for the added comments. I will be looking at AutoScan 5.7 as I do like the ability to export the data.

Just as another comment, the Respironics card reader I have can read the same style chip as is in the Resmed datacard. Naturally the card shape is different but the distance from the end is the same. I will try mounting the resmed datacard into a cutout of a normal sized card & see if indeed the Respironics reader will work with Resmed software.

I may have to do it on another computer where I can install the std driver (rather than the special Respironics one).

If this works then we have yet another type of reader to play with.

DSM