A comparison of the ResMed S8 Vantage and the Remstar Auto

roadwarrior · Post by **roadwarrior** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:58 am

I have to laugh a bit when I see the references to the REMstar as "The Old" model. It has indeed been in the lineup for some time now, and still has the Respironics current "State of the Art" internals allowing it to functions just as any of the newest product on the market does, including their latest so called more travel friendly model the M series. After having traveled now for several weeks on and off planes with the original REMstar auto design I must say I notice no real difference in "real world" travelability. The bag loaded with all it's accessories has little if NO difference in actual travel friendliness under a airplane seat or in an overhead bin. I too was concerned initially how this would impact my travel habits, but was glad to see it hasn't. As for which brand is better, indeed there are different form factors, and it is amazing how much the visual cues effect our desires for a product. However the bottom line is how we sleep. In that regard the REMstar's original design has NOTHING to apologize for.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:57 pm

cpapjack wrote:
dsm wrote:a $34 USB card reader that can read the unique S8 datacards.
So what's this $34 USB card reader? I was under the impression that yuou could only use the one that cpap.com sells?

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:49 pm

Snoredog wrote:Actually the direct-connect serial cable worked very well, I had a laptop next to the nightstand and kept my Spirit connected I could download daily if I wanted. If I had the S8 and it had that option, that is probably what I would use over the SmartCard method, much more conveinent than removing the card, going to another computer and pulling a report.

Anyone know if there is indeed a direct-connect serial or USB cable that will work with the S8?

- roberto

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:35 pm

DreamStalker wrote:
Snoredog wrote:Actually the direct-connect serial cable worked very well, I had a laptop next to the nightstand and kept my Spirit connected I could download daily if I wanted. If I had the S8 and it had that option, that is probably what I would use over the SmartCard method, much more conveinent than removing the card, going to another computer and pulling a report.
Anyone know if there is indeed a direct-connect serial or USB cable that will work with the S8?

- roberto

Your question highlights the problem I am pointing out.

To get a serial port on the S8 requires an optional adapter
fitting that plugs in the back. It is roughly the same price as
a Resmed data card reader that connects to a PC.

The S8 data card slot is standard and each machine should
be provided with a datacard.

The problem is, why buy a serial connector when for the same
money, or less if the generic readers will work, you can get a
data card reader. Not all computers have serial ports any more
as most now use USB connectors.

The serial downloading is a fiddly process. I have been doing it
each day for some weeks along with a memdump from my pulse
oximeter. Gets to be somewhat tedious after a while.

Cheers

DSM

PS hopefully someone may be able to prove that a generic smartcard
reader like the HK infineer one we use with the Remstar, works with
AutoScan software - my ver is 5.4 but the latest is 5.7 IIRC
I had some photos of them alongside each other but deleted them
from my website in a cleanup recently.

D

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:35 am

If the S8 Vantage has the capability to change back-planes to allow a standard DB-25 serial connector, does that mean that the S8 is ResLink compatible??? I'd LOVE to be able to load O2 sats data in with the SDB events data.

Thanks!!!

Chuck

Goofy Guest · Post by **Goofy Guest** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:55 pm

This is a SHAMELESS bump to attempt to catch DSM's eye, to get his learned answer to my last question about ResLink and the S8.

Cheers!

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:15 pm

GoofyUT wrote:If the S8 Vantage has the capability to change back-planes to allow a standard DB-25 serial connector, does that mean that the S8 is ResLink compatible??? I'd LOVE to be able to load O2 sats data in with the SDB events data.

Thanks!!!

Chuck

Chuck -

According to this link it appears that the S8 is compatible with the ResLink

http://www.cpapusa.com/store/shopexd.asp?id=44

Is that what you are asking about?

- roberto

EDIT: Well I just noticed at the bottom of the linked page and it seems maybe it is not ... cannot tell. Maybe this one requires making direct contact with the evildoers (just kidding) over at ResMed.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:09 pm

As I understand it (but may I may be wrong) The S8 *is* compatible with reslink.

I note that the new VPAP Adapt is compatible with reslink but the new machine uses the same sized case as the older S7 range.

DSM

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:20 pm

Yes, but best as I could see, the S7 backplane had some kind of connector on the bottom of the center, beneath where the S8's card slot is, which is where the ResLink module mated. I don't know whether that was a standard DB-9 and what protocol it supported. That's why I was curious about the options for the back-plane on the S8.

AND, ResMed's ResLink site doesn't list the S8 range as a compatibility for the ResLink, though the S8 sales pages does.

Any guesses?

Chuck

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:01 pm

The one component I haven't seen is the serial plug-in for the s8.

But if I look at the S7 Spirit & Vpap III, both have a VGA style 15-hole socket at the bottom. The serial connector is of course a db-9 socket & is along side this vga socket on both the S7 and Vpap ranges.

The pictures I have seen of the reslink module is that it clips onto the back of the S7 case & plugs into the vga style connector.

If the reslink does indeed have a vga style plug, then the s8 would require an additional adapter of some sort to connect to the s8.

DSM

These photos show it attached & it does seem to use the 15 pin vga style connector.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... ystem.html

D

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:05 pm

That's what i was afraid of.

Tnx!!!!

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:08 pm

https://www.cpap.com/viewImage.php?PNum ... slink3.jpg

This photo shows it very clearly.

I would think the S8 wpuld need a special adapter to connect to the 15-pin plug of the reslink. I haven't seen any such adapter so am now thiniking the S8 doesn't work with Reslink.

DSM

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:15 pm

That's what I thought.

Its a shame really, since the ResLink is the only user-oriented way that I know of, of integrating normal xPAP efficacy data with what REALLY matters, oximetry. I'd switch back to my S8 Vantage in a heart-beat, if I was simply able to plug my Nellcor pulse/ox into it, and get a ResLink read-out with SDB events correlated with O2 sats.

Next time the occasion arises, you might want to mention to the ResMed folks in Oz that they really ought to consider getting rid of the "Reslink" compatible baloney in their S8 sales pages.

Thanks (as always)!

Chuck

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 2:05 pm

Anyone else know of a way to intgerate oximetry data with the efficacy data reporetd by EnCorePro/MyEncore or AutoScan?

Chuck

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:47 pm

To integrate it with autoscan requires a fiddly bit of massaging. I am trying to automate the process but it is a lot of effort...

a) extract the data from the PO into a csv format file (I have an N200 & an Ohmeda 3740, I use the 3740 because it is easier to use & that data is easier to extract). I wrote a program to read the 3740 output from overnight memory. This program adds the required timestamps as the data is only time stamped every 5 mins. The 3740 saves a reading every 12 secs (can also be set to do so at 6 sec or 3 sec intervals but 12 is fine).

b) Read the data into autoscan (I am doing this from a VPAP III)

c) export the data from autoscan

d) To extract the data into a more useful form requires another program that
identifies each section in the outputted data (it is in csv format) and to extract that portion & to save it in another csv file. The Resmed 'minute ventilation' data is at minute intervals (vs the PO data as 12 sec intervals)
The AI & HI data is only saved in this file as it happens so to get these two sections into the same time stamped format (even if there are lots of gaps) requires yet another program.

The end product is 4 csv format files
1) po data at 12 sec intervals
2) AutoScan exported data for minute ventilation at 1 min intervals
3) Autoscan AI data reformatted to 1 min intervals
4) HI data as for 3

5) then another program to read the 4 files & marry the correct timestamps from each & output a single csv format file with 5 columns of data.
6) Then use eXcell charting to turn this commbined csv file into a chart.

I have done steps 1,2, 5 & 6 & still need to write 3 & 4 - then get a way to automate them - but that will be a challenge as well.

DSM

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed

A comparison of the ResMed S8 Vantage and the Remstar Auto

Serial port

Bump

Re: Serial port

Reslink-S8

Yup!!!

Alas

Oximetry AND efficacy