Smartcard didn't log data last night

mickeymammoth · Post by **mickeymammoth** » Thu May 22, 2008 10:05 am

Hi all,
I'm pretty new to all this, and I just got my Encore Viewer software. I successfully downloaded the data to my computer, and then replaced the smartcard in the CPAP machine for last night. But this morning, when I went to download the latest data, it didn't have any new data; just the same date range as I downloaded last night (5/4-5/21).

Any idea what's going on? The smartcard was inserted the right way. I don't see any ability to erase the data that's on there; will it just keep adding to it until data expires off?

I have the Respironics M-series cflex auto machine.

Also, is there anyway to save the Encore Viewer PDF? Or do you need to print it to postscript and reconvert it to PDF? The ps file I printed failed when I tried to convert it to PDF so I might have a printer driver issue...

I noticed that it only had detailed data for the last week or so. Is that normal?

Thanks!

Ramona

p.s. As far as I can tell, my numbers look good, with AHI below 2. I don't think the leak rate is too high, but it might be a little above the mask specs (30 vs. 24). How much is too much leak?

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Thu May 22, 2008 10:23 am

Welcome, Ramona! Please see my responses in bold.

mickeymammoth wrote:Hi all,
I'm pretty new to all this, and I just got my Encore Viewer software. I successfully downloaded the data to my computer, and then replaced the smartcard in the CPAP machine for last night. But this morning, when I went to download the latest data, it didn't have any new data; just the same date range as I downloaded last night (5/4-5/21).

Any idea what's going on? The smartcard was inserted the right way. I don't see any ability to erase the data that's on there; will it just keep adding to it until data expires off?

I have the Respironics M-series cflex auto machine.

That's the M-series infamous "bug". It seems to happen to all M-series machines occasionally. People have tried all kinds of different solutions. One that appears to work is to erase the card every day. The downside of that is that your sleep doc (or DME) won't be able to read the data. I've found that just ignoring it works for me. It's helped to remind me that I don't need to be 100% OC about the data.

Also, is there anyway to save the Encore Viewer PDF? Or do you need to print it to postscript and reconvert it to PDF? The ps file I printed failed when I tried to convert it to PDF so I might have a printer driver issue...

Yes, there is a free PDF creator software available - I can't recall the name but I'm sure someone else will (or you can search the site). I use one I paid for called "CutePDF".

I noticed that it only had detailed data for the last week or so. Is that normal?

That's the way it works. The Smartcard can hold about 6 months worth of compliance data but only a week of detail data.

Thanks!

Ramona

p.s. As far as I can tell, my numbers look good, with AHI below 2. I don't think the leak rate is too high, but it might be a little above the mask specs (30 vs. 24). How much is too much leak?

IMHO your numbers look good. I was told that as long as I stayed in the 20-50 range I was ok. Different folks have differing opinions.
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Best of luck!
Mindy

Hawthorne · Post by **Hawthorne** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:11 am

I have a free program called "Primo PDF". My thanks to Rested Gal for telling me about that!
I can download a report every day, in PDF, to a folder in "My Documents".

mickeymammoth · Post by **mickeymammoth** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:40 pm

Thanks for the heads up about the bug, Mindy! How do you erase the data on the card? I didn't see anything like that in the viewer software. I have Adobe Acrobat, but not installed on my Windows partition on my Mac. My attempt to send myself the ps file over to my Mac didn't work; I'll keep playing around with it. I have to save my data somehow BEFORE I erase the card!

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:44 pm

Just go to

http://www.mycpap.org/

and download the Smartcard Toolkit. It's got a utility to erase the Smartcard

Mindy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:54 am

I downloaded the Smartcard Toolkit, but I get an error when I try to reformat the card. Any other ideas?

I did notice that although the cumulative data didn't show last night's date (nor did the Encore Viewer seem to think it had it), it did log the detailed view for last night, so that's something.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:16 am

What error are you getting?

m

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:54 am

My machine did not log in last nights data either.. Full moon or something?

mickeymammoth · Post by **mickeymammoth** » Tue May 27, 2008 2:51 pm

I'm not on that computer right now, but the error wasn't informative. Something like the reformat failed, Abort or Continue? continue doesn't do anything.

As I said in the other email, it does seem to be logging the detailed info after all; the date range appears to be a a day behind for the cumulative data, but I guess I can live without erasing the card for now.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Tue May 27, 2008 3:44 pm

You might try cleaning the gold connections in the logo with a non abrasive eraser. I might mention. there has been a bunch of cards go bad lately. It it doesn't start working you might want to replace it. The error message on the reformat is a bad sign.

Jerry

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Tue May 27, 2008 4:25 pm

I had this happen to me for the first time last night...I noticed one thing.

I pulled the card out of the machine and it didn't go "beep".

I'm wondering if it's user error? I wonder if the card didn't get inserted all the way?

Not that anyone here would admit to that....

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Tue May 27, 2008 4:28 pm

If the card isn't inserted all the way, it will beep 4 times when you plug it in. However, after that it stops and won't tell you again. When in doubt, unplug and then plug back in!

Mindy

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:47 am

mindy wrote:If the card isn't inserted all the way, it will beep 4 times when you plug it in. However, after that it stops and won't tell you again. When in doubt, unplug and then plug back in!

Mindy

Actually, it beeps 4 times if you put it in backwards and all the way.

I experimented last night, putting it in slowly. You can get it quite far in without it beeping and therefore knowing that it's there. I would say it would be quite easy to put it in without it engaging.

The key is to listen for the beep.

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:33 am

Anonymous wrote:I downloaded the Smartcard Toolkit, but I get an error when I try to reformat the card. Any other ideas?

Sure - What is the exact error msg?

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:45 am

I agree with Jerry - try cleaning the contacts (this little gold-colored square on the front of the card). I've used a clean pencil eraser, I've heard some carefully use alcohol. It's worked for me except once.

If that doesn't work (and one time it didn't), then it's probably a bad card. My theory on that one is that there may have been a marginal batch of cards used in some machines as delivered. They're comparatively cheap to replace. When I went in for my 2-month follow-up at sleep lab, they couldn't read my card and immediately replaced it at no charge. Since then I purchased a spare from cpap.com.

Mindy

Smartcard didn't log data last night

Smartcard didn't log data last night

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