Smartcard is a device used to store breathing data from a PAP machine Smart Cards are credit card sized cards that are used to store information from the xPAP machine. These cards can be read by a Smartcard Reader connected to a conventional PC and the data analysed and displayed by a software program installed on the PC. Respironics uses Smartcards on its M-Series APAP, BiPAP autoSV, .... machines.
According to Snoredog, the card only holds the last seven days of use with up to three sessions each day. It holds six months of compliance data to date. To label a Smartcard, write on the white stripe at the bottom of the card. Normally, Encore Pro erases the data from the Smartcard when it reads it. Rested Gal has discussed this issue and gives ways of preventing the data from being erased. If you accidentally press erase at the end of the read sequence, you will obliterate all past data on the card.
Sometimes data has been known to get lost!!. This seems to happen when the machine is downloading data to the Smartcard. mhacker suggests that the machine takes up to 15 minutes to download the data to the Smartcard after it is switched off. So pressing the "off" button (not unplugging the machine}, waiting 15 minutes and then removing the card should prevent data loss.
Some times users have difficulties reading their Smartcards. Its is hard to distinguish whether or not the difficulty is due to the Smartcard itself or the Smartcard Reader. So please check the Smartcard Reader discussion as well as this section for troubleshooting.
The chief difficulty that arises in reading Smartcards is that the contacts get dirty. This can cause read errors in Encore Pro. There seem to be various techniques for cleaning them. One way is to use a soft cloth. However the thorough way seems to "get a soft pencil eraser, like a Stadler "white" eraser, (definitely not an abrasive eraser) and rub it over the contact area of the card".
Another difficulty that can arise is that the card gets bent or warped too much and broken inside. Best bet is to always have a spare card on hand.
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This Sleep Apnea Wiki article is under constuction. |