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Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
#1
Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
I have been using CPAP for less than a month with a machine provided by Medicare. I just bought a used Remstar Auto A-Flex to replace the one from the DME. My co-pay on the DME machine is about $43 a month, but I got the used machine for only $300 on a local Craigslist ad. I reset the user data to erase all the previous owner's information and got it set up the same as the one from the DME. The only problem is that new DME machine says SoftwareVersion=V2.51 and the used one says SoftwareVersion=1.24. As far as I can tell the used machine works exactly the same as the one from the DME, but I'd like to update the firmware if I can.

Does anyone have any idea how to do this?
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#2
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
(04-30-2012, 08:24 PM)JJJ Wrote: I have been using CPAP for less than a month with a machine provided by Medicare. I just bought a used Remstar Auto A-Flex to replace the one from the DME. My co-pay on the DME machine is about $43 a month, but I got the used machine for only $300 on a local Craigslist ad. I reset the user data to erase all the previous owner's information and got it set up the same as the one from the DME. The only problem is that new DME machine says SoftwareVersion=V2.51 and the used one says SoftwareVersion=1.24. As far as I can tell the used machine works exactly the same as the one from the DME, but I'd like to update the firmware if I can.

Does anyone have any idea how to do this?

welcome to the forum.

are you speaking about a system one machine? what is the manufacture date of each machine? its on the bottom on the serial number sticker expressed as 20120430 yyyymmdd.

my machine was mfg 2011121, six months ago, and has version 2.50. my wifes machine was mfg 20100706, only a year earlier, and has version 1.24. no big deal, they aren't that old and both perform equally. both have the same menu's if that's what you're after. that said, i think you'd probably have to have this done in the factory if it could be done. i can't imagine a dme being competent enough to do that. i wouldn't trust them with messing with the innards of my machines, that's for sure.
First Diagnosed July 1990

MSgt (E-7) USAF (Medic)
Retired 1968-1990
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#3
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
(04-30-2012, 08:49 PM)greatunclebill Wrote: are you speaking about a system one machine? what is the manufacture date of each machine? its on the bottom on the serial number sticker expressed as 20120430 yyyymmdd.
my machine was mfg 2011121, six months ago, and has version 2.50. my wifes machine was mfg 20100706, only a year earlier, and has version 1.24. no big deal, they aren't that old and both perform equally. both have the same menu's if that's what you're after. that said, i think you'd probably have to have this done in the factory if it could be done. i can't imagine a dme being competent enough to do that. i wouldn't trust them with messing with the innards of my machines, that's for sure.

Thanks for the response and the info.

The machine from the DME says 20111208 Rev 01, which I picked up on April 4. It was definitely brand new because I remember the smell of the plastic still outgassing. The used one that I just bought says 20100826 Rev 00, so it is over a year older. The fellow I bought it from said he had acquired it "some time ago" but had used it only a month before giving up. Indeed, the data on the machine indicated 35 days of therapy before I cleared it. Apparently he just left it sitting until he finally decided to sell it to get some cash to pay bills.

As for the display and settings, they are the same. I just got it today and haven't slept with it yet, but it appears to function the same as the DME machine. However, the properties.txt files are different:

DME machine:
SerialNumber=<deleted>
ModelNumber=550P
ProductType=0x35
DataFormat=UDF
DataFormatVersion=2
Family=0
FamilyVersion=3
SoftwareVersion=V2.51
FirstDate=1335613664
LastDate=1335613911
BasicKey=12a60102e340
DetailsKey=ab160203af61
ErrorKey=000204005e16
PatientFolderNum=0
PatientFileNum=1
EquipFileNum=0
TotalAutoTrialDays=0
AutoTrialRxDaysIssued=0
AutoTrialRxDaysUsed=0
MinimumTherapyHoursAchieved=0
ContinuousTherapyHoursAchieved=0
IsInAutoTrialMode=0
IsInAutoCheckMode=0
BiLevelTrialExpiration=0
AutoBiLevelTrialCapable=1
BiLevelTrialCapable=1
AutoTrialCapable=0
AutoCheckCapable=0
ValidCheck=fc73

Used Machine:
SerialNumber=<deleted>
ModelNumber=550P
ProductType=35
DataFormat=UDF
DataFormatVersion=2
Family=xPAP
FamilyVersion=2
SoftwareVersion=V1.24
FirstDate=LastDate
LastDate=1335829760
BasicKey=150e010228a0
DetailsKey=903e02041e5d
ErrorKey=000004006760
PatientFolderNum=0
PatientFileNum=210
EquipFileNum=0
ValidCheck=c0e1

What concerns me most is that the newer firmware may include refinements to the fuzzy logic that the machines use to adjust the pressure. Phillips ought to provide firmware updates from a moral perspective, but since there is no profit in doing so they will probably give me corporate spin about "it's for my own good that they cannot." They would probably also come unglued at the idea of someone acquiring one of their machines without a formal prescription (although I do have one for the DME machine). Even worse, I downloaded the clinician's manual from here (thank you!). God forbid someone actually want to take care of their health themselves.

Thanks again for the response. I was hoping someone would tell me how it can be done, but probably I am stuck with what I've got.
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#4
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
(04-30-2012, 10:35 PM)JJJ Wrote:
(04-30-2012, 08:49 PM)greatunclebill Wrote: are you speaking about a system one machine? what is the manufacture date of each machine? its on the bottom on the serial number sticker expressed as 20120430 yyyymmdd.
my machine was mfg 2011121, six months ago, and has version 2.50. my wifes machine was mfg 20100706, only a year earlier, and has version 1.24. no big deal, they aren't that old and both perform equally. both have the same menu's if that's what you're after. that said, i think you'd probably have to have this done in the factory if it could be done. i can't imagine a dme being competent enough to do that. i wouldn't trust them with messing with the innards of my machines, that's for sure.

Thanks for the response and the info.

The machine from the DME says 20111208 Rev 01, which I picked up on April 4. It was definitely brand new because I remember the smell of the plastic still outgassing. The used one that I just bought says 20100826 Rev 00, so it is over a year older. The fellow I bought it from said he had acquired it "some time ago" but had used it only a month before giving up. Indeed, the data on the machine indicated 35 days of therapy before I cleared it. Apparently he just left it sitting until he finally decided to sell it to get some cash to pay bills.

As for the display and settings, they are the same. I just got it today and haven't slept with it yet, but it appears to function the same as the DME machine. However, the properties.txt files are different:

DME machine:
SerialNumber=<deleted>
ModelNumber=550P
ProductType=0x35
DataFormat=UDF
DataFormatVersion=2
Family=0
FamilyVersion=3
SoftwareVersion=V2.51
FirstDate=1335613664
LastDate=1335613911
BasicKey=12a60102e340
DetailsKey=ab160203af61
ErrorKey=000204005e16
PatientFolderNum=0
PatientFileNum=1
EquipFileNum=0
TotalAutoTrialDays=0
AutoTrialRxDaysIssued=0
AutoTrialRxDaysUsed=0
MinimumTherapyHoursAchieved=0
ContinuousTherapyHoursAchieved=0
IsInAutoTrialMode=0
IsInAutoCheckMode=0
BiLevelTrialExpiration=0
AutoBiLevelTrialCapable=1
BiLevelTrialCapable=1
AutoTrialCapable=0
AutoCheckCapable=0
ValidCheck=fc73

Used Machine:
SerialNumber=<deleted>
ModelNumber=550P
ProductType=35
DataFormat=UDF
DataFormatVersion=2
Family=xPAP
FamilyVersion=2
SoftwareVersion=V1.24
FirstDate=LastDate
LastDate=1335829760
BasicKey=150e010228a0
DetailsKey=903e02041e5d
ErrorKey=000004006760
PatientFolderNum=0
PatientFileNum=210
EquipFileNum=0
ValidCheck=c0e1

What concerns me most is that the newer firmware may include refinements to the fuzzy logic that the machines use to adjust the pressure. Phillips ought to provide firmware updates from a moral perspective, but since there is no profit in doing so they will probably give me corporate spin about "it's for my own good that they cannot." They would probably also come unglued at the idea of someone acquiring one of their machines without a formal prescription (although I do have one for the DME machine). Even worse, I downloaded the clinician's manual from here (thank you!). God forbid someone actually want to take care of their health themselves.

Thanks again for the response. I was hoping someone would tell me how it can be done, but probably I am stuck with what I've got.

i certainly don't think i'm stuck with anything and one of ours is a little older than yours with the same firmware and way more miles on it. as far as fuzzy logic, both of mine run the same and i don't see anything fuzzy about them.

i'm also not clear about what you cleared when you talk about the 35 hours. you can clear the other user's data but you can not change the blower hours. the blower hours shows how many hours it has run since it was born and can not be erased.

if you feel the old machine is not up to par, by all means do not use it. good luck with the firmware, but don't get hung up on it. you yourself said they run the same. concentrate more about getting a good nights sleep with it and checking your numbers in sleepyhead.
First Diagnosed July 1990

MSgt (E-7) USAF (Medic)
Retired 1968-1990
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#5
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
(04-30-2012, 11:15 PM)greatunclebill Wrote: i certainly don't think i'm stuck with anything and one of ours is a little older than yours with the same firmware and way more miles on it. as far as fuzzy logic, both of mine run the same and i don't see anything fuzzy about them.

i'm also not clear about what you cleared when you talk about the 35 hours. you can clear the other user's data but you can not change the blower hours. the blower hours shows how many hours it has run since it was born and can not be erased.

if you feel the old machine is not up to par, by all means do not use it. good luck with the firmware, but don't get hung up on it. you yourself said they run the same. concentrate more about getting a good nights sleep with it and checking your numbers in sleepyhead.

Sorry about the "35 hours." I meant to say 35 days. Oh-jeez Guess I need more sleep. :grin: And yeah, the original user's data was cleared, but not the machine hours and such. But that is what I expected.

Tomorrow morning we'll see what SleepyHead says.

This board has an amazing collection of emoticons. Wink

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#6
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
Last night was the first night with the "new" used machine, and it did not go very well. Previously I was getting AHIs averaging under 3, and after raising the minimum from the prescribed 5-15 to 6-15 three days ago, my AHIs were 0.5 and 0.55. Last night I was 4.58. Of course, that is not terrible, and could be just a fluke, but it made me decide to set the machines down side by side to make sure the settings were identical. Except for the next paragraph, all the settings were the same.

But guess what? The settings cannot be identical because there are settings available in the machine from the DME that are not available in the used machine, specifically the settings for tube type. I guess the used machine can only use 22mm tubing (which is what both machines came with). I was thinking of getting a 15mm hose, but I guess I cannot use it with the used machine.

Also, in the used machine the backlight does not ever come on. On the DME machine it only comes on when scrolling around in Setup, but at least that's some help. With the used machine, in spite of it being the middle of the day with the bedroom lights on, I had to use a flashlight to be able to read the display.

Even if there is a firmware update for the used machine, I don't know it if would address any of these issues.
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#7
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
jjj.. I don;t see any correlation in raising your min setting by 1cmH2O to the lowering of your AHI to .5 or .55... The max setting, maybe yes, but you didn;t change that.

A single, one night reading, of (4.58) is certainly not a dianosing indicator of something that needs to be tended too immediately. Maybe you slept last night with higher anxiety then normal, because of the difference in the new machines firmware, the price of the stock that you own dropped or you ate tacos for dinner. Run your new machine for a couple of weeks and then make a comparison to the DME's machine averages. Try to evaluate equal events and settings on the two machines over a longer period of time. I doubt that the new machine has any type of problems with it. .
Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift; Thats why its called "The Present".  
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#8
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
I happened to have a contact at Respironics so I asked him this question.

What I asked him was this:

Quote:"I have a question regarding the firmware for my Philips Respironics System One APAP machine. When I turn the machine on, it tells me the firmware version is Version 2.50.

My spouse also has this machine and the firmware version for hers is Version 2.51.

Is there a way to update the firmware in this APAP machine? I have asked my durable medical equipment provider this question and they are not aware of how to do this."

What he told me was this:

Quote:"Typically firmware is only updated once/if the machine comes back for service. Your wife’s machine is probably slightly newer (in terms of manufacture date) and thus had the most recent firmware revision loaded on it when it came off of the assembly line.

You could take the device back to the equipment provider and ask them to send it in to us for an update but honestly I don’t think that it is worth it. I know that you use a wireless modem, I can check to see if an update can be pushed to your device through that. Even if that is possible, with HIPAA and some of the regulatory requirements on our end, I would imagine that it would still have to go back to the provider to initiate the update. I can look into the process of how that would occur if you want me to."

Hope that helps shed some light on things. Thinking-about
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#9
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
(05-01-2012, 03:32 PM)cbramsey Wrote: I happened to have a contact at Respironics so I asked him this question.

What I asked him was this:

Quote:"I have a question regarding the firmware for my Philips Respironics System One APAP machine. When I turn the machine on, it tells me the firmware version is Version 2.50.
My spouse also has this machine and the firmware version for hers is Version 2.51.
Is there a way to update the firmware in this APAP machine? I have asked my durable medical equipment provider this question and they are not aware of how to do this."

What he told me was this:

Quote:"Typically firmware is only updated once/if the machine comes back for service. Your wife’s machine is probably slightly newer (in terms of manufacture date) and thus had the most recent firmware revision loaded on it when it came off of the assembly line.

You could take the device back to the equipment provider and ask them to send it in to us for an update but honestly I don’t think that it is worth it. I know that you use a wireless modem, I can check to see if an update can be pushed to your device through that. Even if that is possible, with HIPAA and some of the regulatory requirements on our end, I would imagine that it would still have to go back to the provider to initiate the update. I can look into the process of how that would occur if you want me to."

Hope that helps shed some light on things. Thinking-about

Thanks very much for your efforts. It adds to what I have been able to find out.

I googled a lot today and made about a dozen phone calls trying to find the answer. Several of the calls were to DMEs, who universally said they had never heard of such a thing. Several were to Respironics, but I could never connect with anyone who knew the answer. Their telephone help has a very limited repertoire: "we don't service machines, you must call your DME."

I also called several dealers of used machines, and they just resell them with the same firmware they have on them when they take them in. One offered me $200 for my machine, and would sell me a used one with version 2.51 (verified before shipping) for $399. Two of them confirmed my suspicion that with each new version of the firmware they tweak the way the machine responds to make it work a bit better. How much better I don't know, but the newer versions of the firmware give you more than just a couple new features.

And speaking of features, my version 1.24 machine does not have a menu item for hose size. I confirmed that it is not compatible with the 15mm hoses. All I can use with it are the 22mm hoses that it came with.

I'm not sure how much I care about these things.

And to JudgeMental, you are absolutely correct that one night does not prove much. I didn't mean to imply that I was using last night's data to condemn the machine. I intend to give it at least a week. On the other hand, with the other machine my AHIs ranged from 0.5 to 4.2, so last night's 4.58 is my all-time high. That's enough to raise suspicion.
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#10
RE: Firmware update for Remstar Auto A-Flex
Quote:And speaking of features, my version 1.24 machine does not have a menu item for hose size. I confirmed that it is not compatible with the 15mm hoses. All I can use with it are the 22mm hoses that it came with.

Are you looking into the clinician menu? If not, it could be the one has that option turned off to the user in the clinician menu.
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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