AutoScan mystery solved. Fix available for floppy access.

JP · Post by JP » Sat Oct 28, 2006 7:17 am

dsm wrote:I am looking into the possibility of developing an 'open source' program capable of reading the data from Resmed machines (& possibly Respironics ones later) and presenting the data in a variety of ways that we users want (& not what DMEs neccesarily want).

To do this would need a few (about 2-3 ) interested & capable software developers to work on the project.

I am presently looking at anarchitecture for such a program. I need to choose a database (probably MySql) a language (I prefer to do it with Ruby)
and want to include a set of plug-in modules such that data can be read in from a variety of brands & devices (Resmed Respironics and PB) PLUS PO device (Nellcoe & Ohmeda etc:)

This would make the program universal and provide a common base for enhancements and also being open source, and released under the GPL licence, means anyone can take the source code & add their own enhancements providing they pass theie mods on to others.

I am interested in discussing the desgin I have in mind.

DSM

If you're still looking for software developers for this project you can count me in. I don't speak Ruby (yet), I'm an old C programmer from the days before there was even such a thing as C++, but I'm sure I can pick it up in no time. I've got some MySQL experience and have dabbled plenty with GNU compilers under Linux and Windows.

The biggest hurdle I can see is cracking the data format the ResMed machines use to write to the card. If that's already been solved, we're golden. If not, I've got a little experience reverse-engineering proprietary data formats too.

arthuranxious · Post by **arthuranxious** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 7:51 pm

One thing should not be forgotten, with resmed you can get your stats every mrning on the display and write them down with a pencil. So, even if the you don;t like the software or can;t find someone to sell you a card reader, you still know what is going on. With Respironics, you have to buy a special card reader and software just in order to get any data!
I haven;t even started looking for a card reader for my Resmed S8 Vantage autoset, but when I do , what do you need to read those funny looking cards?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:01 pm

arthuranxious wrote:With Respironics, you have to buy a special card reader and software just in order to get any data!

The Respironics "M" series machines (Pro and Autopap models) let you see weekly and monthly average AHI and leak data in the display window on top of the machine.

Of course, with any brand of machine that can record full details, even if they present some info in the window, it's better (imho) to use the software to see graphs, charts and other good info.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:08 pm

I agree wholeheartedly that downloading the data is by far the best way to go.

The help available here for Encore Pro is excellent & I think the help for Resmed users is improving. MyEncore was a great bit of programming that proved what a difference an individual could make when he set his mind to improving on EncorePro. I sadly fear that Derek's health has now diverted his energies. (Derek wrote MyEncore).

Re Resmed download - The best way for me to download Resmed data is via a serial cable but the new S8s no longer have a serial port built in but it is a purchaseable option, BUT for the same price (almost) you can get a USB Resmed datacard reader & the datacard support is already built-in.

My S8 Escape only records compliance data to the machine & I only use it for travel so I haven't bothered to get the card reader.

I still have my datacard reader for my Respironics Auto. That was a great investment (one of the HK ones).

DSM

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:59 pm

JP wrote:
dsm wrote:I am looking into the possibility of developing an 'open source' program capable of reading the data from Resmed machines (& possibly Respironics ones later) and presenting the data in a variety of ways that we users want (& not what DMEs neccesarily want).

To do this would need a few (about 2-3 ) interested & capable software developers to work on the project.

I am presently looking at anarchitecture for such a program. I need to choose a database (probably MySql) a language (I prefer to do it with Ruby)
and want to include a set of plug-in modules such that data can be read in from a variety of brands & devices (Resmed Respironics and PB) PLUS PO device (Nellcoe & Ohmeda etc:)

This would make the program universal and provide a common base for enhancements and also being open source, and released under the GPL licence, means anyone can take the source code & add their own enhancements providing they pass theie mods on to others.

I am interested in discussing the desgin I have in mind.

DSM
If you're still looking for software developers for this project you can count me in. I don't speak Ruby (yet), I'm an old C programmer from the days before there was even such a thing as C++, but I'm sure I can pick it up in no time. I've got some MySQL experience and have dabbled plenty with GNU compilers under Linux and Windows.

The biggest hurdle I can see is cracking the data format the ResMed machines use to write to the card. If that's already been solved, we're golden. If not, I've got a little experience reverse-engineering proprietary data formats too.

JP · Post by JP » Sun Oct 29, 2006 6:46 am

dsm wrote: JP,

PM sent

The system seems to believe otherwise, no email notification and nothing in my messages folders anyway.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:19 am

JP,

Email sent

Cheers

DSM

arthuranxious · Post by **arthuranxious** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:50 am

Is the data card fairly unique for the ResMed, (as the respironics is) or can it be read by the multiple format card readers that handle all the digital camera cards?
Any chance you will come up with a way which can import teh data into a Mac as well as a Windows machine?

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:17 am

Search google for the following: {Resmed price OR australia " autoscan 5.7" -cpaptalk}

Got this:

http://www.cpapdownunder.com.au/baccessories.htm

O.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:39 pm

[quote="arthuranxious"]Is the data card fairly unique for the ResMed, (as the respironics is) or can it be read by the multiple format card readers that handle all the digital camera cards?
Any chance you will come up with a way which can import teh data into a Mac as well as a Windows machine?

Michiel · Post by **Michiel** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 4:29 pm

I have autoscan 5.3. Could you send me the fix for the clack problem with the floppy drive ? Thanks a lot. Michiel

[quote="dsm"]Buying AutoScan 5.7 and fixing the 'clack' in the older 5.4 etc: versions:
===================================================

Today after a new member asked about AutoScan software for an S8 Elite, the new member asked how they could obtain a copy of the Software.

SnoreDog had posted several times in past weeks in many separate posts, Words to the effect that Resmed had stopped selling it to the public. I
like a lot of others assumed he was stating a fact.

But that actually made no sense to me and I have recently had good reason to completely distrust anything SnoreDog says about AutoScan software so today I googled 'AutoScan Resmed Cpap' in Google Australia & the 1st online seller to pop up was the one I got on the phone to. This was the 1st & only one I needed to call.

Me: Do you sell AutoScan 5.7 ?
He: Yes.

Me: How much is it ?, (I had seen it in the US for prices like $US215).
He: said he would get the Resmed price book.
He: $115 (About $100US).

Me: Is that the full price ?
He: Yes but I need to confirm with Resmed if that includes GST (tax) as unlike the cpap gear this item is listed as being taxed.

Me: Has Resmed been restricting sales of this ?
He: No!.

Me: Do you know if they intend to ?
He: No!.

Me: Can anyone buy this off you ?
He: Yes (as far as he was concerned).

Me: What about if people from the US wanted to buy it ?
He: No problem that he could see.

So I ordered a copy of 5.7 (I have 5.4).

We then discussed the various softwares available & both agreed they were all pretty poor. I mentioned to him how people I knew in the US were annoyed at the software 'clacking' the Diskette drive.

Ha! was his reply there was a fix released last year for that !. I'll send you a copy.

He did indeed send me a copy and it works as I just installed it & whilst the floppy did one set of clacks it stopped after that & was quiet from then on.

***********************************************************

The cause:

He then explained to me why the older versions did this.
# Someone with 5.7 said that their install still 'claked' so I have removed my comment he this dealer passed to me that 5.7 doesn't do this.

When you start AutoScan up, the 1st thing you see is a small window called the RESLINK READER. This module goes looking for any attached Reslink unit. It seems the the older Reslinks could have a floppy drive attached. The newer ones have a data card.

So AutoScan was merely hunting around the computer looking for any attached data drives on Reslink modules.

The crws.exe module is a reader module that does the looking.

The fix is a small 15k module that one places in the C:\ drive of the computer & this instructs AutoScan to stop looking for a Reslink Module Floppy.

********************************************************
If anyone wants this 17kb module. Pls PM me. I will pass it on to
whoever asks (even SnoreDog). I am interested to see if it was as
big an issue as some claimed it was.
********************************************************

While having so much success with this issue, I asked him how he had been impacted by Resmed's new pricing policies, What follows is what he said to me. It may be right it may be just his perceptions but I am sure it must be pretty close to Johnny Goodman's views (Johnny, any comments ?) ...

He: He said that up until last year he had been selling lots of Resmed gear but at discounted prices because he had to to compete. He didn't get big discounts because he only soldcomparativelyy small quantities.

He now said he can't sell any Resmed gear unless the customer actually comes and looks at it which of course ended the bulk of his Internet sales.

Me: Why did they do this I asked him ?.

He: Because they sell the bulk of their gear to large Chemist chains and Clinics who get massive discounts but want the customers to come to them as that helps sell their other lines and gives them opportunities to charge for every little change they might have to make. They don't want us (online dealers) bypassing their walk-in business opportunity. He said he believed it was Resmed kow-towing to the bulk buying groups.

Me: I asked him what Resmed were like to deal with ?

He: Like any large successful company who thinks they are top of the heap

I asked him if he believed it was Resmed who had initiated the price changes and selling rules. He said he was certain it was the large buying groups (what you in the US call 'Bricks & Mortar DMEs)

Cheers

DSM

rasputin · Post by **rasputin** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:06 am

dsm wrote:To those who have requested a copy already. Pls can you add a post saying if it worked or not, else, PM me with your results.

Tks

D

The patch worked great for me on AutoScan 5.7. I placed it in the root of my C: drive, and now it only checks the floppy once when I start the app. I dragged it into textpad and it appears to be a simple text file with about 500 lines.

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:21 am

[quote="dsm"][quote="arthuranxious"]Is the data card fairly unique for the ResMed, (as the respironics is) or can it be read by the multiple format card readers that handle all the digital camera cards?
Any chance you will come up with a way which can import teh data into a Mac as well as a Windows machine?

rasputin · Post by **rasputin** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:24 am

arthuranxious wrote:I haven't even started looking for a card reader for my Resmed S8 Vantage autoset, but when I do , what do you need to read those funny looking cards?

Assuming it uses the same data card as the S8 Elite, the data cards are just smart cards cut down to size. You typically need a ResMed brand card reader to get the data off. You can also use an ACS brand smart card reader (which you may have to if you can't buy ResMed gear online anymore), but you need to tweak it a bit to line up the skinny card with the contacts on the reader.

Check out this thread for more details:
viewtopic.php?p=73987&highlight=#73987

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone has luck with other readers.

rasputin · Post by **rasputin** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:02 am

dsm wrote:Biggest problem I see with MAC is if there is a driver for the card reader. I have a MAC OSX 10.3 to test on as well as the usual Windows machines so would be willing to give it a try if we go ahead.

Try the Mac drivers here: http://www.acs.com.hk/acr38_driversmanual.asp

JP wrote:The biggest hurdle I can see is cracking the data format the ResMed machines use to write to the card. If that's already been solved, we're golden. If not, I've got a little experience reverse-engineering proprietary data formats too.

ACS has a bunch of juicy PDFs posted with their drivers, including an API reference and technical specs on the readers. Have you ever worked with smartcards? I was thinking a USB sniffer might give some clues about what's getting written to the cards.

AutoScan mystery solved. Fix available for floppy access.

Re: AutoScan mystery solved. Fix available for floppy access

Macintosh