Animas OneTouch Ping and ezManager MAX

[SonWTypeI]

Hi all,

Wanted to share experiences and ask for advice from anyone who might have it....

My 2..5yr-old son, Type I since 9/09, just went onto the Animas OneTouch Ping about two weeks ago. We're learning to manage life with the pump, slowly but hopefully surely. However, we're having major issues with the ezManager MAX software:

1) After installing the ezManager MAX software and then the drivers for the actisys IR dongle, I can *kinda* download from the pump. By "kinda", I mean that on one machine, a new MacBook Pro running OS 10.5.7, it failed miserably - the IR connection would drop half-way through a transfer, crashing the software and the machine, every single time I tried it. No amount of fiddling seemed to help. And crashing the machine itself requiring reboot is quite a feat! On a second machine, an older MacBook also running 10.5.7, I can get the data off the pump about half the time.

Q - are people having similar problems, and does it work better on a Windows machine?

2) I've found several IMHO fairly bad bugs in the ezManager MAX software itself. Total delivered doses are not calculated correctly, on days when I've downloaded data from the pump (maybe correlated with the crashes). The suspend log is not showing all events, and has issues with the transition across the data download. At least one report, the BG Distribution in the Insulin and BG Distribution Report Overview, is wrong - it shows far more high BGs out of range than actually have happened. The number of BG readings it thinks exist for a given time period vary by a few, and don't match my hand count of the actual number of readings.

3) Logbook entries entered manually on the meter/remote don't seem to have a way to transfer over to ezMM. THis is a shame, as one can enter some nice things into the meter/remote, like exercise and carbs given for hypoglycemia, that it's not obvious how to get into the ezMM software.

Advice, thoughts, appreciated!

[HuskerMychal]

I just got my ping too. I had no issues setting up the EZM with the meter/remote. But because I didnt get the IR I cant say there, hopefully Animas will send me the IR soon and I can tell you there. Oh, I am running XP pro Sp3 on one PC and Windows 7 beta on another, no issues on either. If you continue to have issues with the MAC OS and EZM, especially if you hear it for other MAC users too, have you considered parrell desktop or bootcamp? Not the best choice but may fix the issue in the short term the fastest

[rkicklighter]

I can't help with the Mac issues, but can tell you I am running Win XP Pro SP3 also, with very few issues, but I have had some. However none of them have been pump related.

All of my issues have been meter related. The main things I have seen are:

1) About half the time if I close ezManager right after a meter download, it will crash my PC and crash it hard! To the point of black screen requiring a power off reboot.

2) I have had many times when the meter download would partially complete then error out on either; "No meter found" or "Failed meter communications"

Plan to call Animas and inquire about the issues but have not had time. Since exManager uses Java, their could be some incompatibility with Java versions. Wouldn't be the first time I have seen this. Looks like the last software update was sometime in 2008 and there have been several Java updates since then. Due to the special software I use for work, I always have to use the latest version.

I finally obtained the meter software from Lifescan and started using it to download the meter, without issue. However, it wont do things like modify the food database.

Sorry, not much help. If I find out anything from Animas, I will post it here.

RK

[SonWTypeI]

Thnx for the responses. I also found the following problem listed with the FDA:

MAUDE Adverse Event Report

[Pink Cat]

I'm bummed to hear about the issues with the software and the Mac OS because I depend on my MacBook wholeheartedly. I've been on the Ping for about 3 months. You might try searching the forum to see what other people have tried. I'd love to hear if you have some success because I'd like to try the software. You know something is wrong when it makes the Mac OS crash! Have you had a chance to contact Animas? The sales rep assured me that the software would with a Mac so they should make good on their promise. Email offline if you'd like. BTW, it sounds as if you are taking remarkable care of your son. Kudos to you.

[SonWTypeI]

Well, accomplished the next step. Tried to run with ezManager Max on a compaq running vista. Similar experience, albeit with some differences, but most of the issues I've encountered don't seem to be Mac specific. The family's IT manager, ah uhm, they prefer the title Significant Other, is going to call Animas this week now that we've got a pretty firm handle on the behavior of the software. I'll post a more detailed account once that's happened.

[cynthiazinn]

I am in the process of getting my first pump. The Ping. Please give me any advise you have on infusion sets, batts., software, use while swimming, or anything else I should know? Thanks!

[rkicklighter]

I am in the process of getting my first pump. The Ping. Please give me any advise you have on infusion sets, batts., software, use while swimming, or anything else I should know? Thanks!

Welcome to the Ping Club!

For now I am using the Animas Inset infusion sets. 9mm with 23 inch tubing. No problems inserting, no pain so far and no problems with working loose when showering or swimming. Next order I am going to try a box of 6mm and see if they work as well.

The Ping uses a Lithium battery, depending on use (basal, Bolus), I have heard from 4 to 8 weeks of battery life. I ordered some spare batteries off of Ebay, get the Energizer Ultimate Lithium, they are the best. Price was less than any retail store in my area.

The ezManager software will come with the pump, also cables for both the pump and meter download should be in the box, mine were.

I've been swimming a couple of times and just clip mine to my swim trunks. Educator advised that's what she does with hers and has never had any problems.

Good Luck!

RK

[cynthiazinn]

Welcome to the Ping Club!

For now I am using the Animas Inset infusion sets. 9mm with 23 inch tubing. No problems inserting, no pain so far and no problems with working loose when showering or swimming. Next order I am going to try a box of 6mm and see if they work as well.

The Ping uses a Lithium battery, depending on use (basal, Bolus), I have heard from 4 to 8 weeks of battery life. I ordered some spare batteries off of Ebay, get the Energizer Ultimate Lithium, they are the best. Price was less than any retail store in my area.

The ezManager software will come with the pump, also cables for both the pump and meter download should be in the box, mine were.

I've been swimming a couple of times and just clip mine to my swim trunks. Educator advised that's what she does with hers and has never had any problems.

Good Luck!

RK

Thanks so much! I am really grateful!

[HuskerMychal]

I too just started pumping with the Ping and one piece of advice I can add I learned on my own. If you are tallish like me be carefull with the shorter tubing. I learned the hard way if your forget to unclip the pump when you drop trou when you need to change or use the restroom the tubing does not reach the floor and the pull of the pump on the tubing can get a bit painful. Other that that I LOVE my Ping

[cynthiazinn]

I too just started pumping with the Ping and one piece of advice I can add I learned on my own. If you are tallish like me be carefull with the shorter tubing. I learned the hard way if your forget to unclip the pump when you drop trou when you need to change or use the restroom the tubing does not reach the floor and the pull of the pump on the tubing can get a bit painful. Other that that I LOVE my Ping

LOL. That just gave me the most hilarious mental image! I am only 5"4' though so hopefully no troubles there!

[HuskerMychal]

Did not mean to make you laugh but at almost six foot ten I didnt think about it until I was getting ready for bed. Went to undress and almost pulled the set out of my belly because I forgot it was in my pants pocket. My stomach is still still abit tender. Actually, laugh away, its funny as HE||

[jammer13]

Well, accomplished the next step. Tried to run with ezManager Max on a compaq running vista. Similar experience, albeit with some differences, but most of the issues I've encountered don't seem to be Mac specific. The family's IT manager, ah uhm, they prefer the title Significant Other, is going to call Animas this week now that we've got a pretty firm handle on the behavior of the software. I'll post a more detailed account once that's happened.

Well, we're just getting used to the Ping for my daughter. I had all kinds of issues with the drivers used for downloading, but think I have it working now. I'm on an XP machine, but I think there may be a conflict between the drivers that are installed by the CD. The CD evidently loads a OneTouch USB Driver which includes a Prolific USB-to-Serial Driver. But then, the IR driver for the pump gets loaded and it also loads a Prolific USB-to-Serial Driver. In my case, I could download from the meter once but after connecting the IR adapter, the meter wouldn't connect any longer. After poking around my system, I believe that the Prolific driver was causing the problem. Long story short, I uninstalled the OneTouch USB Driver and the IR Driver (PL-2303 USB to Serial Driver in Add/Remove Programs). After a reboot, I reinstalled the IR driver only (Actisys CD) (actually I downloaded the latest from here but I had to email them to get a username and password). It includes a Prolific driver. Reboot and both the meter and pump connect without errors.

Another thing, this software loaded EXTREMELY slowly for me the first time I used it. I now disable my virus on-access scanner when I use the program and it loads fairly normally. The program loads lots of small data files and the virus scanner slows the loading significantly.

Anyway, hope some of this helps someone.

Looking forward to learning more about pumping on the forum. There is a lot to learn but the first week was fairly successful.

[rkicklighter]

The CD evidently loads a OneTouch USB Driver which includes a Prolific USB-to-Serial Driver. But then, the IR driver for the pump gets loaded and it also loads a Prolific USB-to-Serial Driver. In my case, I could download from the meter once but after connecting the IR adapter, the meter wouldn't connect any longer. After poking around my system, I believe that the Prolific driver was causing the problem.

I should have put this info in my first post but didn't.....sorry!

The best way to load these drivers is:
1. Install the IR driver, plug the IR device into a USB port and get it working properly.

2. Leave the IR device in place and install the Meter Driver, connect the meter to another USB port and get it working.

Then both should work together. What happened is XP tried to use the same COM port for both devices. Won't work! Multiple devices can't share the same port at the same time.

You can also go into Device Manager and look at the COM ports. From there you can change the port number of any USB device.

Another thing I have discovered this week. Everything works better if I leave the IR device plugged in all the time. Before I open ezManager to download the pump and meter, I connect both devices to their cables, pump in suspend, sitting in front of the IR device.

Since I have started doing this I have had no issues whatsoever. I think the software looks for devices on startup and has a difficult time finding them after the fact.

RK

[jammer13]

Then both should work together. What happened is XP tried to use the same COM port for both devices. Won't work! Multiple devices can't share the same port at the same time.

You can also go into Device Manager and look at the COM ports. From there you can change the port number of any USB device.

RK

Yep. These drivers can get a little touchy. RK, if you attach both devices (meter and IR adapter), and then go into device manager and look at the Driver Details for each, does yours show the same exact same driver (ser2pl.sys) in each case? Mine did and it turned out to be the older one loaded by the Meter driver (which loads first from the ezManager CD I think). If the IR driver is loaded first, like in your process, the meter installer probably sees that a driver is already there and skips loading the older one. Anyway, good to know there are several ways to get this working - mine has been working well without the meter driver (OneTouch USB Driver) installed at all.

Still, I'm not sure how Animas expects the average user to get this installed correctly. I can imagine many people would just give up and use the pump without the software which is too bad because it looks like the software could be useful once you get past all the bugs and annoyances.

JM