Smartcard Problem

lking · Post by **lking** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:43 pm

I know I've seen this problem posted here before but now that *I* need it of course I can't find it. Since December I have had a working smartcard along with the Encoreveiwer 1.0 software. Just today when I attempted to download my card I got a "Smartcard does not contain any available therapy data". This card, software, and reader have worked flawlessly since I purchased and installed them in December, up to and including my last download a week ago. Does anybody have any suggestions of what the problem might be?

FYI, I have an additional smartcard reader that's a different model and program also installed and have the entire time so I don't think it is causing an incompatibility issue.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:04 pm

Several have reported that they have had smart cards go bad so they are not fool proof. You might try reformating using the utility at mycpap.org. It fixes some.

Jerry

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:50 pm

If reformatting doesn't fix it, some have had luck using a clean pencil eraser on the contacts, or possibly alcohol.

Mindy

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:45 pm

lking wrote:Just today when I attempted to download my card I got a "Smartcard does not contain any available therapy data".

I would say it IS reading the card but there is NO data on the card.

I have never used "Viewer" - does it also have preferences to erase card at each download or no?

Sounds to me as if nothing is on your card for some reason.

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:10 am

No, Viewer doesn't erase the Smartcard.

Another possibility: at least a couple of us (me included) have had our Smartcards fail one way or another about 6-8 weeks after we started using our M-Series. Since I got a new card, it's been fine. A possible working hypothesis is that perhaps there was a marginal batch of Smartcards included with machines.....just a thought!

Mindy

Nodzy · Post by **Nodzy** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:00 am

Has your card been exposed, even briefly, to a magnetic field -- laid on a radio or TV, placed near or on a cell phone or portable phone, or the microwave? I haven't had the problem with SmartCards, but once had microwave scramble or wipe the data from the strip on a perfectly good credit card. Of course, the MW was probably leaking.

One solution I use, in addtion to other backup methods known and widely used... I write the data I save to a .bin file with Card Utility to a spare SmartCard, as a (?)failsafe(?). Card Utility, free, can be gotten here: http://mycpap.org

Nodzy

lking · Post by **lking** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 9:02 am

Thank you all for your suggestions. I attempted to read the card using the software on another computer...same thing. After installing the card utility found on mycpap.org I used it to move the card data to my PC as a bin file; which took quite a bit of time so that leads me to believe the info is there but I cannot access it from the card. Then I did a card reformat, after which I moved the data from my pc to the reformatted card. I still get the same notification, "Smartcard does not contain any available therapy data".

No the card has not be exposed to any outside sources, magnetic fields, etc. No, Encoreviewer does not have the ability to erase cards. Like I said earlier I have used this program and card flawlessly since December up to and including last week.

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:16 am

lking wrote:After installing the card utility found on mycpap.org I used it to move the card data to my PC as a bin file; which took quite a bit of time so that leads me to believe the info is there but I cannot access it from the card. Then I did a card reformat, after which I moved the data from my pc to the reformatted card. I still get the same notification, "Smartcard does not contain any available therapy data".

No the card has not be exposed to any outside sources, magnetic fields, etc. No, Encoreviewer does not have the ability to erase cards. Like I said earlier I have used this program and card flawlessly since December up to and including last week.

Note that no matter how much or how little data is on the Smartcard, the utility you used will always write the same size file (I believe it's a small 32K binary file). So that's no indication that there was data there.

Just because a card works "flawlessly" for a period of time does not mean it can't suddenly stop working. Some of us keep a spare just for that eventuality. If they couldn't quit working, vendors like cpap.com wouldn't be selling them.

Mindy

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:41 am

lking wrote:I still get the same notification, "Smartcard does not contain any available therapy data".

What do you think this message means? It is trying to convey something.

Have you tried using the card in your machine again?

Regie · Post by **Regie** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:18 pm

mindy wrote:If reformatting doesn't fix it, some have had luck using a clean pencil eraser on the contacts, or possibly alcohol.

That pencil eraser technique is good IMO as long as you get rid of the left over pieces of the eraser and maybe keep your fingers off the contacts after you finish. Now, I don't know if my suggestion is good to follow or not but sometimes dust can get into computers (and I suppose CPAP machines also) and it can play whalley with contacts. You might try putting the card in, pulling it out and repeating that procedure maybe 10 or 15 times. I've had that to clear dusty computer connections. Just a thought. You're on your own about trying that one but perhaps the contact problem is inside the machine and not on the contacts on the card. Since the card worked on another machine (if I understood correctly) then I rather suspect it is a problem with the machine and not the card.

Regie

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:21 pm

I believe the card worked in the smartcard reader, not another machine.

I've used the pencil eraser technique successfully two times. Someone else has, also.

Mindy

fire-151 · Post by **fire-151** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:04 pm

Hi everyone, I to have just developed a problem with my smart card, I think.
I have a M model since Dec. 1 and download my information from the smart card daily. No problems until the eighth, I was out of town, had just laid down with my cpap machine and it went off, then restarted, about 2hrs later it did it again and then about an hour later it stopped and the machine started beeping and the control button lights started flashing, I looked at the display screen and it didn’t show any errors. I unplugged the machine and slept without it. Got home yesterday and looked at the manual at the trouble shooting guide, it said the flashing lights and beeps are a medium priority alert, the book also says if the machine resets/reboots it should show a service required symbol, which it didn’t. Went to look at the smart card and it said no data, but it still has all the data from the 7th back to when I got the machine Dec. 1st. I cleaned the card and used it again last night, the machine work just fine but the card showed the same no data results so I ordered a new card today. Oh I also changed the white filter, it showed alittle dirt but not bad. Has anyone else had a similar problem? Could have the filter been dirtier than it looked and it was not getting enough intake air?
I’m sure hoping I don’t need to send the machine in. I’m asking the experts from here.. Thanks

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:13 pm

I believe several of us have had Smartcards go bad after a fairly short time. Mine gave up 6 weeks after I got my machine. It was replaced by my sleep lab and has worked fine ever since (with 2 episodes of needing to use a clean pencil eraser to clean the contacts).

Perhaps a borderline batch of cards?

I now keep a spare!

Mindy

lking · Post by **lking** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:54 am

lking wrote:I know I've seen this problem posted here before but now that *I* need it of course I can't find it. Since December I have had a working smartcard along with the Encoreveiwer 1.0 software. Just today when I attempted to download my card I got a "Smartcard does not contain any available therapy data". This card, software, and reader have worked flawlessly since I purchased and installed them in December, up to and including my last download a week ago. Does anybody have any suggestions of what the problem might be?

FYI, I have an additional smartcard reader that's a different model and program also installed and have the entire time so I don't think it is causing an incompatibility issue.

I am the original poster to this thread. As an update to my problem, it turns out that my "no available data" problem was a defective smartcard...it was only 7.5 weeks old. My DME replaced the card for me (free) yesterday and now today I'm back in business.

Now for a dumb question. As per the recommendation of those here, I downloaded the card utility from mycpap.org this past Saturday to see if my old card could be reformatted to maybe fix my card problem. Then yesterday I received an email from mycpap.org with the subject "A new file to share with you". Is this something that's normal to receive after downloading the card ultility or is this something else that I should just ignore and erase from my email without opening?

Smartcard Problem

Smartcard Problem

Re: Smartcard Problem

Re: Smartcard Problem

Mask