Not a Valid Respironics Smartcard?

greeby · Post by **greeby** » Sun May 21, 2006 3:07 pm

Got my Remstar Auto a couple of weeks ago and ordered EncorePro from CPAP.COM.
I've been successfully downloading my data every couple of days and analyzing it with MyEncore.
Today when I went to download my data I get the normal window click okay and the little file transfer window that normally pops up for a minute or so while the doanload is happening pops up for about a second then poofs. Tried over and over with no success. Cleaned the little gold pad on the smartcard, plugged and unplugged the smartcard reader....rebooted..tried again...Uninstalled all the Encore software and reinstalled everything and am getting the same result. The Remstat Auto doesn't throw any kind of error when I insert or extract the card.
Figuring maybe the data got corrupted I went into Smartcard Utilities in Encore Pro and tried to "format" the card using set-up. I get the error "Not a Valid Respironics smart card. This SmartCard may not be used with Encore Pro."
Other than ordering another SmartCard from CPAP.com...anyone have any suggestions?

Ric · Post by **Ric** » Sun May 21, 2006 3:29 pm

maybe try reinstalling the driver, it might NOT be the one that windows defaults to. Here is Yardbird on that topic:

viewtopic.php?p=63350&highlight=smart+card+driver#63350

There is a specific driver from 2-Factors intended for use with EncorePro. Nothing else seems to work.

greeby · Post by **greeby** » Sun May 21, 2006 5:03 pm

Yep, that's the same drivers I am using. Just for fun I uninstalled and re-installed and same result.

Guess it's a visit to CPAP.com to order a new card tomorrow.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sun May 21, 2006 6:04 pm

There is one possibility that could account for your problem.

These cards are just a memory chip. The symptoms you are
explaining would occur if the chip has failed.

The chip could fail (but it is very rare) if it gets a static electricity discharge in such a way that it passes through and back out the gold contacts.

Because that is hard to do, this is only a possibility.

But, the card may have been zapped. Be careful how you handle them in your environment.

Are you in a dry static prone environment ?

Cheers

DSM

greeby · Post by **greeby** » Sun May 21, 2006 7:12 pm

Nope. Not Dry. Sunny (humid) South Florida.

The only thing I can think of is maybe I need to turn off the machine before I pull or insert the card?

I'll order another tomorrow and if that works I'll be much more careful

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 21, 2006 7:18 pm

Your card warrenty should be good for two years. It is part of the machine. Jim

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sun May 21, 2006 7:19 pm

greeby wrote:The only thing I can think of is maybe I need to turn off the machine before I pull or insert the card?

That'll do it! I kinda suspected that's probably what happened.

Den

Bonnie · Post by **Bonnie** » Sun May 21, 2006 8:52 pm

OK....how many of you turn off the maching to remove or insert the card? I never thought about it.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:26 am

Must confess I haven't done so thus far. In fact I have been guilty of pusing a card in and out several times while testing & experimenting.

They are hard to damage but it isn't impossible.

DSM

Ric · Post by **Ric** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:46 am

Bonnie wrote:OK....how many of you turn off the maching to remove or insert the card? I never thought about it.

ditto. never even thought about doing that.

-R

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon May 22, 2006 5:30 am

Don't confuse turning the machine off with unplugging it. It doesn't need to be unplugged......just OFF. Otherwise it's still collecting data and writing it to the card.

Den

pratzert · Post by **pratzert** » Mon May 22, 2006 6:38 am

Quote:"Don't confuse turning the machine off with unplugging it. It doesn't need to be unplugged......just OFF. Otherwise it's still collecting data and writing it to the card. " Unquote.

How do you turn the Remstar Auto "Off" ?

I did not know it had a power switch on it ? Where is it located ?

Tim

littlebaddow · Post by **littlebaddow** » Mon May 22, 2006 6:53 am

I've never thought about turning the power off at the mains socket before removing the card, though I do always turn off the airflow by pressing the button on the machine.

Out of interest, and to go off at a bit of a tangent, when I first got the machine (about 18 months ago) I turned it off at the mains socket every morning, but over time I noticed the machine seemed to take a little longer to respond when I turned the power back on in the evening. Was I imagining things Now I just leave the machine constantly switched on at the mains.

Bonnie · Post by **Bonnie** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:23 am

I have my machine hooked up to shut down when I leave the room and turn off the light switch. And now that you mentioned it I too have noticed that when I come back into the room at night and flip the switch it takes a little longer to power up. Interesting, I might just go ahead and leave it on

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:31 am

pratzert wrote:Quote:"Don't confuse turning the machine off with unplugging it. It doesn't need to be unplugged......just OFF. Otherwise it's still collecting data and writing it to the card. " Unquote.

How do you turn the Remstar Auto "Off" ?

I did not know it had a power switch on it ? Where is it located ?

Tim

I'm talking about the ON/OFF button.....top-right-front.

Den

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