Question for PCB/microchips experts on Airsense 11

sleepyhead22 · Post by **sleepyhead22** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 2:05 pm

Hello all. Second post. I'm looking for a way to remove cellular connectivity from my resmed airsense 11. Many have suggested clicking the airplane mode button daily but I'm looking for a more permanent solution. An extensive internet search showed my no one has done this or at least posted it.

The solution I'm considering is desoldering and removing the Cinterion wireless cellular module (a chip found on the underside of the circuit board). I would have someone who is well versed in microsoldering perform this. This chip is responsible for maintaining LTE, 3G, and 2G connectivity. My question is: could removal of this chip lead to any other unintended negative consequences? Or will it only stop cellular connectivity?

Thanks!

sleepyhead22 · Post by **sleepyhead22** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 2:16 pm

The model number of the chip on my machine by the way is Cinterion ELS61-US.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:03 pm

sleepyhead22 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 2:05 pm
My question is: could removal of this chip lead to any other unintended negative consequences?

You screw around with the innards of the machine and you will definitely void your 2 year warranty.
Maybe you don't care. That's fine. Your money and your machine.

Whether it affects anything else in terms of machine function beyond termination of the ability to phone home is unknown at this time.

No one here knows the answer to your question nor does anyone here know how to do what you want.
Revamping the wording in another new post...still the same question. Please don't keep reinventing your question because repeatedly posting the same thing is considered spamming. I can and will remove spamming duplicate posts. I do it all the time.

My suggestion to you...go elsewhere to look for your answers and/or you might try calling up a repair facility for ResMed machines and ask them your questions.

Good luck. I suspect it will be needed.

Repeatedly asking the same question just because you didn't get the answer you want isn't going to change the fact that no one here can answer your question to your satisfaction since apparently the only thing that will satisfy you is exact steps and those steps just aren't available right now. Now maybe in 6 months or so...might be a different story.

Grumpy48 · Post by **Grumpy48** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:05 pm

As the CPAP system boots during power up it may do a check of the system components to ensure everything is functional. If the modem chip is removed it may or may not flag the system with an error. In the block diagram below there is a logic function 'PWR_IND'. This might be used to tell the CPAP boot loader the modem chip is powered up or not. No chip, no confirmation of power on of the modem chip and possible error on boot. You won't know if the boot system checks for a 'missing' modem chip until the chip is not there.

Do you see anything under the hood that resembles a SIM card? If so, perhaps if it can be removed that might disable the modem from calling home.

Your machine, your money. I wouldn't do this until the warranty on the machine is up. The fact that your data might be sent somewhere doesn't necessarily mean anyone will look at it or do anything with it. Are you concerned that the doc that wrote your prescript may see the data or your DME?

Dog Slobber · Post by **Dog Slobber** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:30 pm

If it were my device, and
I had a few lying around, and
I was not concerned about bricking it,
but wanted to disable the functionality of the modem,

I would clip one or more of the essential pins.

I would start with one or both antenna lines. Grumpy's commentary about a system check is a concern. Clipping the antenna pins may not remove any (perceived) functionality, as from the device's point of view the Modem is working. But it simply will not have the ability to send/receive. This will address your EMF concerns as well. Fixing a cut pin is relatively easy to do, a youtube search should show you how.

A potential downfall, mobile devices are power consumption aware, they provide as little power as they can get away with. When they can't find a signal they increase the power. This will never find a signal and will be working at maximum power, that could very well mean excessive heat.

But cutting *some* pins is easier and more repairabe that pulling the chip.

I wouldn't do this on any machine that I believed had any useful future.

sleepyhead22 · Post by **sleepyhead22** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:01 pm

Pugsy wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:03 pm

sleepyhead22 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 2:05 pm
My question is: could removal of this chip lead to any other unintended negative consequences?
You screw around with the innards of the machine and you will definitely void your 2 year warranty.
Maybe you don't care. That's fine. Your money and your machine.

Whether it affects anything else in terms of machine function beyond termination of the ability to phone home is unknown at this time.

No one here knows the answer to your question nor does anyone here know how to do what you want.
Revamping the wording in another new post...still the same question. Please don't keep reinventing your question because repeatedly posting the same thing is considered spamming. I can and will remove spamming duplicate posts. I do it all the time.

My suggestion to you...go elsewhere to look for your answers and/or you might try calling up a repair facility for ResMed machines and ask them your questions.

Good luck. I suspect it will be needed.

Repeatedly asking the same question just because you didn't get the answer you want isn't going to change the fact that no one here can answer your question to your satisfaction since apparently the only thing that will satisfy you is exact steps and those steps just aren't available right now. Now maybe in 6 months or so...might be a different story.

I'm hearing you all and it seems the consensus is not to screw around with it. I appreciate all the responses and will opt to go the airplane mode route for now. I have reassembled it and got that going. I'll wait until someone comes up with a solution that is safe and reliable.

sleepyhead22 · Post by **sleepyhead22** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:03 pm

Grumpy48 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:05 pm
As the CPAP system boots during power up it may do a check of the system components to ensure everything is functional. If the modem chip is removed it may or may not flag the system with an error. In the block diagram below there is a logic function 'PWR_IND'. This might be used to tell the CPAP boot loader the modem chip is powered up or not. No chip, no confirmation of power on of the modem chip and possible error on boot. You won't know if the boot system checks for a 'missing' modem chip until the chip is not there.

Do you see anything under the hood that resembles a SIM card? If so, perhaps if it can be removed that might disable the modem from calling home.

Your machine, your money. I wouldn't do this until the warranty on the machine is up. The fact that your data might be sent somewhere doesn't necessarily mean anyone will look at it or do anything with it. Are you concerned that the doc that wrote your prescript may see the data or your DME?

Nothing that resembles a SIM card. Point taken, I'll wait until someone that works on this stuff comes up with a fix and use airplane mode for now

sleepyhead22 · Post by **sleepyhead22** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:04 pm

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:30 pm
If it were my device, and
I had a few lying around, and
I was not concerned about bricking it,
but wanted to disable the functionality of the modem,

I would clip one or more of the essential pins.

I would start with one or both antenna lines. Grumpy's commentary about a system check is a concern. Clipping the antenna pins may not remove any (perceived) functionality, as from the device's point of view the Modem is working. But it simply will not have the ability to send/receive. This will address your EMF concerns as well. Fixing a cut pin is relatively easy to do, a youtube search should show you how.

A potential downfall, mobile devices are power consumption aware, they provide as little power as they can get away with. When they can't find a signal they increase the power. This will never find a signal and will be working at maximum power, that could very well mean excessive heat.

But cutting *some* pins is easier and more repairabe that pulling the chip.

I wouldn't do this on any machine that I believed had any useful future.

I don't have multiple machines lying around and I am concerned about bricking it, so I won't touch it for now thanks..

Janknitz · Post by **Janknitz** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 6:54 pm

I noticed that our hosts at cpap.com are selling a new version of the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset that is a "Card to cloud model" which means it is

without the built-in cellular communication modem

Makes perfect sense for people buying their own machine, they have no need to prove compliance or let their data out into the world for anybody but themselves.

That seems like it would fit the bill for you, without voiding the warranty of your new machine. The Airsense 10's are great machines, and this is a no fuss solution. You don't need the "latest and greatest", the Airsense 10's have a solid, proven track record. And you can get a heated hose immediately, if you want one.

A wise man once told me, "don't use a Howitzer to do a job a handgun can do." (sorry if the reference is in bad taste this week

)

In other words, why risk making a mess of a brand new machine when you can buy a 10 that is exactly as you wish?

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:58 pm

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:30 pm
If it were my device, and
I had a few lying around, and
I was not concerned about bricking it,
but wanted to disable the functionality of the modem,

I would clip one or more of the essential pins.

No no, what's REALLY needed here is a tinfoil hat for the CPAP.

Alternatively, just look up "faraday cage" for hints.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:52 am

palerider wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:58 pm
No no, what's REALLY needed here is a tinfoil hat for the CPAP.

Alternatively, just look up "faraday cage" for hints.

Worked for Chuck McGill.

For a few years.

Dog Slobber · Post by **Dog Slobber** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 3:51 pm

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:52 am

palerider wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:58 pm
No no, what's REALLY needed here is a tinfoil hat for the CPAP.

Alternatively, just look up "faraday cage" for hints.
Worked for Chuck McGill.

For a few years.

Maybe we can get Slippin 'Jimmy to slip a cell phone in his pocket.

RNeil · Post by **RNeil** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 7:30 pm

I agree that you should wait for the warranty to expire. The modem is also used to set the time of day clock. My modem doesn't work and I find that the time looses a minute every few weeks.

Disconnecting the modem is probably just a matter of unplugging the modem module, similar to the Resmed S10 machines.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread ... em-Removal

RogerSC · Post by **RogerSC** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 1:51 am

Not too worried about it myself. First off, we have crap AT&T cell coverage here *smile*, never more than one bar, and sometime no bars on the CPAP display. So my sleep doctor usually has me bring in the SD card, since the cellular is unreliable. Also, I hear that it's just compliance data that's transmitted, not your detailed data. Now if I cared, or was really worried, I'd put some aluminum foil or copper screening in place strategically around the CPAP and see what I needed to get to zero bars of cellular. You don't need any more metal blocking cell radiation than whatever gives you zero bars of cellular on the CPAP display.

I would not go into the CPAP itself to do this, too risky for me. I've had a career in computer software and hardware, and have come face-to-face with unintended consequences too many times. Just not worth it.

Conrad · Post by **Conrad** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 6:20 am

Here's what doesn't make sense to me on what the OP wants to do.

The sharing of your data from your CPAP HAS to be set-up by someone. If this was never done, then the data cannot be accessed and shared period.

What's the worry? That some stranger will hack your system and then access your data? To what end?

Find something else to worry over.

Question for PCB/microchips experts on Airsense 11

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