Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

SnoozeButton · Post by **SnoozeButton** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:31 am

I think I might have corrupted my Smart Card. I put it in backwards and turned my machine on. It started beeping and I immediately knew what I had done wrong so I pulled it out. The gold contact was facing the wrong direction and I didn't turn my machine off before taking the card out, so I think that is the cause of my problem, but I'm not positive.

The error message I'm getting is: "There is an error communicating with the smart card. Check your connections and try the operation again. Error Source: Respironics PSCS Readers.DT3500Reader.1 Error Number 8004020D", which sounds like the problem lies with the card reader, but the timing of the error message coincides with putting the card in wrong. Anyone know of anything I can try with my reader before reformatting, resetting or whatever with my card? I don't want to do anything to the card if it is not necessary because I'm going to need to send it into my DME and if it is not corrupted I want the information intact, if possible. If it is corrupted I'm thinking I might buy a new card for myself and send the corrupted card to the DME anyway, then if questioned I can tell them I took it out and then put it back in backwards - Oops. I'm sure all they really care about is compliance and I can give them the read out from the machine display for that.

Thoughts? Ideas?

UPDATE: It works now. I needed to reboot with the card reader connected - I had plugged in the card reader AFTER the computer was booted up and I think that is what caused the error message. All data is intact! Whew!!!!!

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:39 am

Guess you found that inserting (or removing) the card in backwards or while it is plugged into power will NOT corrupt the card. Removing (or inserting) the card with the blower ON = ALL bets are OFF.

I am now curious which OS you are using? I have had good luck with both XP Pro and Vista Home Ed. being very stable and I have always been able to just plug in the card reader, anytime BEFORE starting Encore Pro. I can't say that I have ever tried to plug the reader in AFTER opening Encore. So I'm wondering if that sequence caused your problem?

I also wonder now if different mother boards or CPU brands cause some problems? That may beyond the scope of this forum.
So let's stick with OS (version and Service Pack (SP))?
Encore version?
Should we assume the reader is always DT3500? Mine says Rev. F

GumbyCT who just realized there are many variables.

SnoozeButton · Post by **SnoozeButton** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 4:17 pm

XP, Service Pack 3, Encore Pro 1.8i.49. Correct on the card reader - mine says the same Rev F.

I plugged the reader in after the system was booted up (made sure to use the same USB port - always do) and then put the Smart Card in the card reader before starting Encore Pro, waited for the light on the reader to go from green to red and then started Encore and then when I attempted to download the data I got the error message.

I shut the entire computer down, plugged in the reader and rebooted, inserted card into reader once the system was totally rebooted waited for the light on the reader to go from green to red, opened Encore and then it worked.

I don't know anything about motherboards, but I can say that my computer is a Dell if that makes any difference.

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:06 pm

Only thing I do different is I do NOT put the card in the reader until Encore is already open. I doubt that will make any difference. Well and I do plug mine in w/o rebooting. But I am using Vista which does very well for me.

SnoozeButton · Post by **SnoozeButton** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:41 pm

New Update - I just wanted to include this information so if someone has the same problem they have another option to try. Here's the story. Today I follow all the steps we determined were necessary to read the card properly and I get the same error message, so I reboot the system and try again - same error message, so I try removing and reinserting the Smart Card and viola it works, so I'm now wondering if it is possible to wear out the contacts on the reader or the card by taking readings daily. I think, unless I feel I need to know that nights readings I will download my data weekly rather than daily. Anyway, if you are experiencing problems with suddenly getting an error message when trying to download your data, try removing the reinserting your card to make sure it is making good contact.

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:50 pm

Try cleaning your gold contacts on the card by lightly rubbing with a pencil eraser to remove the oxidation.
How old is your card?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:54 pm

SnoozeButton wrote:New Update - I just wanted to include this information so if someone has the same problem they have another option to try. Here's the story. Today I follow all the steps we determined were necessary to read the card properly and I get the same error message, so I reboot the system and try again - same error message, so I try removing and reinserting the Smart Card and viola it works, so I'm now wondering if it is possible to wear out the contacts on the reader or the card by taking readings daily. I think, unless I feel I need to know that nights readings I will download my data weekly rather than daily. Anyway, if you are experiencing problems with suddenly getting an error message when trying to download your data, try removing the reinserting your card to make sure it is making good contact.

It will take a LOOOONG time to wear out the contacts in the readers. I believe they're supposed to be good for something like 100,000 inserts. I've had that problem occasionally and I think it has more to do with the way the card is inserted in the reader. I've also had the problem with the reader sometimes not being recognized by the system.....possibly the USB port or the USB plug on the reader. I've almost always inserted my card in the reader and had the reader plugged into the USB port when starting up my computer. If the light stays on through the boot-up, I know it'll work.....if not, I usually unplug the USB connector and re-plug it in until the light stays on. Some people have had situations where they've had to clean the gold foil area on the card.....alcohol or eraser. They can be a little flaky at times.

Den

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:59 pm

The specs on the reader say 100,00 cycles, but as with anything it could be cycle zero that it fails on, that's why I bought two. As usual!. Jim

SnoozeButton · Post by **SnoozeButton** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:00 pm

GumbyCT wrote:Try cleaning your gold contacts on the card by lightly rubbing with a pencil eraser to remove the oxidation.
How old is your card?

This is one of the first things I tried and my card is not even 2 months old, so I didn't think that was the problem, but I didn't know if repeated insertion and removal could cause some residue of some type to wear onto it or ??? Anyway, it must have been that I didn't somehow insert it properly. It is funny that I've been doing this for about 6 weeks with no incidence (except for the 2 days of missing data phenomenon) and all of a sudden I'm getting these error messages.

Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved

Re: Smart Card Problems - Edited: Problem solved