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IR Ports recognised on Mac Mini?

mjt57

mjt57

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
201
19
South Eastern Australia
I'm a diabetic. None of the major glucose meter manufacturers offer support for Macs, only WinPCs.

However, there are a number of different applications which do support diabetics such as Diabetes Pilot and Diabetes LogbookX.

The former costs about 30 bux, the latter is free.

I'm using the latter. I'm able to import data via a USB wired connected Accu-Chek Mobile. But I'm since gone back to a cheaper Performa. But its data is transfered via IR port.

A-C sells an IR dongle but it's primarly meant for its Windows program. Therefore, I'm wondering, would the Mac Mini recognise the IR port and if there is a meter linked to it would it also see it?

If so, then all I need to do is to extract the generated data files, usually CSV or XML based for the app to import it.

Hopefully, there are some diabetic sufferers out there who use Macs who may be able to help me.

Thanks.
 
Fishrrman

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,348
12,464
Does not the "late 2012" Mini (the one that is selling now) already have the IR port on the front of the body?
Seems like mine does, and I can use the Apple Remote Control to interact with it.

So... if you get a late-2012 Mini, you don't need to buy any infrared hardware, because the port is already there.

BUT -- this doesn't guarantee that the IR device you have is going to work with the Mini.

You mentioned applications such as "Diabtes Pilot" and "Diabetes LogbookX" (the latter is free).

I'm going to take a wild -guess- that these apps come with some kind of "driver" which will enable the IR port to work with whatever external device you're using.

Have you tried this yet?

(Aside: I do not use these programs, just responding to your OP. Also, even though the current Mini has the IR port, there's no guarantee that a -future version- of the Mini will retain it. If this is important to you, you will probably still be able to find "Apple-refurbished" Minis at the Apple Store from time to time)
 
chrfr

chrfr

macrumors G5
Jul 11, 2009
13,520
7,045
Whether the Mini has the IR port or not is really moot for this application. It's only useful with the Apple remote, unfortunately.
 
mjt57

mjt57

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
201
19
South Eastern Australia
Fishrrman said:
You mentioned applications such as "Diabtes Pilot" and "Diabetes LogbookX" (the latter is free).

I'm going to take a wild -guess- that these apps come with some kind of "driver" which will enable the IR port to work with whatever external device you're using.

Have you tried this yet?
Click to expand...

No. I haven't. Only use Diabetes Logbook. I'm reluctant to spend $40 on an app that may not do what I require.


Anyway, I tried this IR port with DLX but nothing happened. So, CHRFR is correct.

I have an IRDA dongle around here somewhere. I might try it.
 
Last edited:
mjt57

mjt57

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
201
19
South Eastern Australia
Well. I can't find my iRDA dongle. Looks like I'll have to either spend the money and buy the Accucheck device and be pretty confident that it'll work with Diabetes LogbookX, or spend a fair bit less on a generic IR dongle and hope that it'll work...
 
mjt57

mjt57

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
201
19
South Eastern Australia
I borrowed a generic iRDA dongle off a friend. Plugged it into the Macbook, opened Diabetes LogbookX, told it to get data, then set the glucose meter to sync to the dongle.

Nothing happened.

The dongle wasn't detected. Not sure what to do to get it to be detected, either.

I hope against hope that someone here has had experience with this and can help me. Otherwise, it's starting to push me back to the Windows platform. It's this and quite a few other applications which I had running under Windows which I'm finding can't work or don't work under MacOS that's souring my Apple experience, I'm afraid.
 
mjt57

mjt57

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
201
19
South Eastern Australia
An update for anyone who may be interested.

I bought one of these:

http://www.accu-chek.com.au/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_303_303_-1_50943_302_302_302_Products

It's primarly for Windows computers, but when I plugged it into the Mac Mini it came up as a removable drive in Finder. I navigated to it and opened the "start.html" file. This loads a series of reports which are generated by the data which is transfered via IR from a compatible blood glucose meter.

Further, the Mac app, Diabetes LogbookX can also extract the data from a folder called "Reports". So, that bit works.

Next quest - to see if I can get Diabetes Pilot to read the data. My copy which I installed recently, has expired (trial). Short of spending 40 odd bux to register it, I've asked if (a) I can extend the trial for a day or (b) will the software read the data contained within the Reports folder on it.

If I can get that to work then I can download the data from my meters, compile it all as one database then sync it across MacOS and iOS devices.
 
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