[Stuboy]

roll on ultrasmart! I'll be uploading my data every day!! Looking forward to the updates Mr B

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by BriOnH

GO TEAM DIABUDDIES

I really like this name. It means alot to me, especially since our friend Lenny, was a former racecar driver for the NHRA and the name of his team was "Team Seroka." He was truly one of the kindest folks I think I've ever met, and I get teary-eyed just thinking about him. Just wanted to share that I love the name choice, as it's close to heart!

I too, look forward to uploading the UltraSmart's data to share my diagrid with others.

[condensr]

Apologies this is taking so long .. work has been very very busy! I have not forgotten about this and am still working on it.

[JasonJayhawk]

I originally wrote Lifescan on 9/21/06, and just received a response today (11/1/2006).

I was basically told to 'kiss off.' It looks like they want people using their own on-line web-based system, "OneTouch Diabetes Management Software".

Hope they realize they didn't earn any friends in the geek world. I wonder how high we'd have to go to get the data published again.

I do know they offered the PDF of the Ultra meter. I wonder if they are selling the rights to the protocol to other device companies.

Freestyle is the only meter that remains an open standard now.


Here's the message:

Dear Jason:

Thank you for taking the time to write to us. We apologize for the late reply. Please be aware that during this time we have been experiencing a high volume of e-mail messages and we appreciate your patience.

Please know that all meter communication specifications are now unavailable to the general public. The communication protocols are proprietary and LifeScan reserves the rights to distribute them.

For general information on the OneTouch Diabetes Management Software, please visit the following section of the LifeScan Web site:

LifeScan Products -- About Software

If you have any technical questions, please call the Data Management Team directly at 1 800 382-7226, Mon.-Fri., 5:00am-6:00pm PST. They would be happy to answer any questions you have about the software.

Please know that, in addition to our software, our OneTouch Gold Program provides 24-hour access to a collection of additional diabetes management tools, information, and special offers. This program demonstrates LifeScan's commitment to creating a world without limits for people with diabetes.

For more information on the OneTouch Gold Program, including how to join, please visit the following Web page:

OneTouch Gold - Diabetes Support & Management Program

LifeScan is committed to providing customers with quality products and caring service. Our Customer Care Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1 800 227-8862. You may also send e-mail to CustomerService@LifeScan.com or visit us on our Web site at www.LifeScan.com.

Sincerely,

Dennis Jamison
Customer Correspondence Web Specialist

LifeScan, Inc.
1000 Gibraltar Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035
http://www.LifeScan.com
CustomerService@LifeScan.com
408 263-9789 Main Phone
408 946-6070 Main Fax
1 800 227-8862 24 hour U.S. Customer Services Line
1 800 663-5521 Canada Customer Care Line
1 800 524-SCAN U.S. Health Care Professional Line
1 800 382-SCAN U.S. Data Management Team, Mon.-Fri., 5:00am-6:00pm PST.
1 800 381-SCAN U.S. SERVICO Spanish-speaking Line
001 800 381-SCAN SERVICO Line from Mexico





[THREAD ID:1-CU7QEC]



-----Original Message-----
From: jasonjayhawk
Sent: 9/21/2006 02:04:27 AM
To: customerservice@lifescan.com
Subject: LFS ~ Meter Question/Problem

Webmaster, your audience returned this report:
Subject: LFS ~ Meter Question/Problem
What this user thinks about the LifeScan Web site:
Hi,A long time ago, the RS-232 Communication Specification was available on the website. Several software engineers working on a school project to obtain the data from a OneTouch Ultra and OneTouch UltraSmart meter, and can no longer find the communications specifications.Could you tell me how I could get a copy of them? There used to be a document called ultra_commspec.pdf for the Ultra, and I'm unsure of the one for the UltraSmart.Thanks,Jason

[Stuboy]

does this mean we wont be able to use the ultrasmart on diabuddies?

[JasonJayhawk]

It means we'll have to hope the reverse engineering efforts turn out well.

And then we'll have to hope that when things get good, that Lifescan doesn't ask for royalties for reverse engineering. They want to be the primary holders of our data, probably for some project of their own that they aren't telling us about.

[condensr]

Well, who needs their help anyway! The entire line of Ultra meters, including the Ultrasmart, might be open platform soon, if we decide that the library needs to be made open source. Once its out there, its out.

I've made some very good headway at downloading data from the ultrasmart. In fact, I think I'm quite close to having it nailed.

I've figured out how to:
Request records
Read records
Parse datestamp from record
Discern BG reading from record
Verify record checksum


Only thing I really NEED to get for now (to get BG readings) is to find out where the record type is in the data packet. Should have that, maybe more, by the end of the week. They do some really evil stuff, like packing and byte stuffing with the data from the UltraSmart, probably in the name of saving space and transfer speed...

[JasonJayhawk]

I'm so glad you're having success in figuring it out.

I wonder if they license that information out to companies that use the Ultrasmart with their pumps, and fear that somebody would make money off of collecting data from anything other than their poor excuse for software data collection.

What are they afraid of anyhow! Does somebody feel good about keeping it a secret?

I find it interesting that they do byte packing for compression. They must have had somebody with too much time on their hand. I would be willing to bet that the time difference from that kind of poor-excuse for compression was hardly worth their effort to code it.

They are obfusicating it to make people lick their boots for access to it... plain and simple.

And the length of time it took for them to respond was just ludicrous.

[BriOnH]

Jay - thanks for contacting them, at least you got a response!!

Shane - you rock!! I will have the WSDL available for you VERY Soon I promise.

I have been doing a lot of work on diabuddies lately, mainly surrounding detailed entries and a little bit of work on the diagrid. Still so much to be done but everyday we get closer!! The next release will be a BIG one. With lots of bug fixes and added features.

[gettingby]

Originally Posted by BriOnH

I have been doing a lot of work on diabuddies lately, mainly surrounding detailed entries and a little bit of work on the diagrid. Still so much to be done but everyday we get closer!! The next release will be a BIG one. With lots of bug fixes and added features.

We anxiously await your next release.
I have never said it before but...............Brian, you rock !!!!!!!!!!!!

[JasonJayhawk]

I wrote Lifescan back, asking how a company would license the protocol. They claim they never shared the protocol for any of their meters on their website. (If that were true, why did I find the Ultrasmart protocol PDF file cached in Google, despite the link not working to onetouch.com?)


Thank you for taking the time to reply. Again, I apologize for the late reply.

I referred your concern to the appropriate LifeScan management. Their response is that the OneTouch UltraSmart communication specifications have never been available from LifeScan. From our current understanding, the Dexcom device is only calibrated to the OneTouch Ultra Meter.

However, in order for a vendor to obtain the OneTouch UltraSmart communication specifications, first a contract needs to be put in place between the vendor and LifeScan. Thus, if you are interested in obtaining these specifications, someone from LifeScan would need to facilitate the process of establishing such a contract.

We have forwarded your message to the United States Marketing Manager for the OneTouch UltraSmart Meter. However, if you would like to proceed with a formal arrangement, you can respond to this message and provide the specific information requested below:

Full Name of Company (organization):
Company Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Company Telephone Number:

If we can be of further assistance, please let us know via e-mail, CustomerService@LifeScan.com or by calling our 24 hour, toll-free Customer Services Line at 1 800 227-8862.

Sincerely,

Dennis Jamison
Customer Correspondence Web Specialist



So it makes me wonder -- would they be willing to share this upon a written contract?

[BriOnH]

Originally Posted by JasonJayhawk

I wrote Lifescan back, asking how a company would license the protocol. They claim they never shared the protocol for any of their meters on their website. (If that were true, why did I find the Ultrasmart protocol PDF file cached in Google, despite the link not working to onetouch.com?)


Thank you for taking the time to reply. Again, I apologize for the late reply.

I referred your concern to the appropriate LifeScan management. Their response is that the OneTouch UltraSmart communication specifications have never been available from LifeScan. From our current understanding, the Dexcom device is only calibrated to the OneTouch Ultra Meter.

However, in order for a vendor to obtain the OneTouch UltraSmart communication specifications, first a contract needs to be put in place between the vendor and LifeScan. Thus, if you are interested in obtaining these specifications, someone from LifeScan would need to facilitate the process of establishing such a contract.

We have forwarded your message to the United States Marketing Manager for the OneTouch UltraSmart Meter. However, if you would like to proceed with a formal arrangement, you can respond to this message and provide the specific information requested below:

Full Name of Company (organization):
Company Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Company Telephone Number:

If we can be of further assistance, please let us know via e-mail, CustomerService@LifeScan.com or by calling our 24 hour, toll-free Customer Services Line at 1 800 227-8862.

Sincerely,

Dennis Jamison
Customer Correspondence Web Specialist



So it makes me wonder -- would they be willing to share this upon a written contract?

You rock Jay!! I think they would. At what cost though? I can't believe you got someone to respond! Would you like to facilitate this?

I have the pdf at work for the ultra II.

Hey Cin I just saw that comment. You Rock!!

[gettingby]

Thanks for saying that Brian. You have made my day.

[lgvincent]

I can't afford the cable so guess I'll never be able to transfer the data in my meter to a computer.

[Stuboy]

you could call them up and say you lost it... didn't someone on here do that? and they sent him a new one for free? Who's to know!? lol