Diabetes Pilot Desktop Instructions
These instructions describe the various features in Diabetes Pilot Desktop. Take a few minutes to look through the following pages to find out about the functions in the program and how to use them.
If you have questions that are not answered here, please visit our support center.
Getting Started
Starting Diabetes Pilot Desktop
First Step: Make a Place for Your Data
If You Have a Mobile Device
If you have a mobile device, Diabetes Pilot Desktop can work with handheld versions of Diabetes Pilot. This allows you to use your handheld to record data while you're on the go, then transfer your data to Diabetes Pilot Desktop for later reporting and analysis.
The handheld versions of Diabetes Pilot are separate products and are sold separately from Diabetes Pilot Desktop. Visit our website at www.diabetespilot.com for more information
If you plan to use Diabetes Pilot with a newly purchased handheld, set up your handheld device and install its software (the Palm Desktop software, Microsoft ActiveSync, Windows Mobile Device Center, or iTunes) on your computer before installing Diabetes Pilot (follow the instructions provided with your handheld device to do this).
Before installing Diabetes Pilot on your handheld, make sure that your handheld software is set up correctly by placing your device in its cradle (or connecting its cable) and making sure that the handheld communicates with your desktop computer.
Installing Diabetes Pilot
You need to install Diabetes Pilot on your computer before you can use it. Installing the program is an easy process that only needs to be done once. To install Diabetes Pilot, start the installation program on your desktop computer.
If you obtained Diabetes Pilot on a CD-ROM:
To start, insert the Diabetes Pilot CD-ROM into your computer's CD drive.
On most computers, inserting the CD will cause the installation program to automatically start after a few seconds. If the installer does not start, you will need to manually launch the installer from the CD. To do this:
- Find the "My Computer" icon on your desktop computer. This will be located either on your desktop screen, or within the "Start" menu on your computer.
- Double-click the "My Computer" icon. This will open a window that displays the various drives on your computer. Find your CD-ROM drive (usually labeled "D").
- Double-click on icon for the CD-ROM drive. This will open a window that shows the contents of the Diabetes Pilot CD. Locate the file called "Setup".
- Double-click on the "Setup" file. The installation program should start.
- Follow the instructions that appear on the screen. Generally, you can proceed through the installation process by simply clicking the "Next" button to move through the process. However, please take a moment to read any messages that appear on the screen - they are there to help you and make things go smoothly!
If you obtained Diabetes Pilot as an electronic download:
- Locate the file that you saved during the download process.
- Double click on the file to launch the installer.
- Follow the instructions that appear on the screen. Generally, you can proceed through the installation process by simply clicking the "Next" button to move through the process. However, please take a moment to read any messages that appear on the screen - they are there to help you and make things go smoothly!
Starting Diabetes Pilot Desktop
After you've installed Diabetes Pilot, the Diabetes Pilot Desktop icon will appear in your computer's Start menu (under "Programs") and on the desktop screen. To start Diabetes Pilot, select it from the Start menu, or double-click the Diabetes Pilot icon on your desktop.
First Step: Make a Place for Your Data
Diabetes Pilot can track data for up to five different people (if you'd like to track data for more than five people, please contact us for more information). The group of data associated with each person is called a dataset. The first time you start Diabetes Pilot, you'll need to set up a new dataset so that you can start tracking your data. The correct way to do this depends on how you'll be using the program:
If you are using Diabetes Pilot Desktop by itself, without a handheld device:
- Select "Manage Datasets..." from the "File" menu in the program to create a new dataset for yourself.
If you are using Diabetes Pilot Desktop along with Diabetes Pilot for Palm on your Palm handheld:
- Start the Diabetes Pilot Desktop software.
- Configure Diabetes Pilot on your handheld by choosing "Install/Configure Diabetes Pilot on my Palm Handheld" from the "Handheld" menu within the Diabetes Pilot Desktop software. Read the information that appears on the screen, and proceed through the steps shown.
- When you're done with the installation, exit Diabetes Pilot Desktop and do a HotSync. This will automatically create a new dataset that is linked to your Palm handheld.
- Launch Diabetes Pilot Desktop. The new dataset will appear in the "Current User" drop down list in the upper right corner of the program window. You can then start using the program and entering data.
If you are using Diabetes Pilot with a Windows Mobile handheld:
- Select "Manage Datasets..." from the "File" menu in the program to create a new dataset for yourself.
- If necessary, install the Pocket PC software by choosing "Install Diabetes Pilot on my Pocket PC" from the "Handheld" menu within the Diabetes Pilot Desktop software.
- When you'd like to transfer data to or from your handheld, choose "Pocket PC -> Transfer Data" from the "Handheld" menu in the Diabetes Pilot Desktop software.
If you are using Diabetes Pilot with an iPhone or iPod Touch:
- Select "Manage Datasets..." from the "File" menu in the program to create a new blank dataset for yourself.
- If necessary, install Diabetes Pilot on your iPhone / iPod by purchasing it from the iTunes App Store.
- When you'd like to transfer data to or from your handheld, choose "Tasks..." then "Send Data to Desktop" on your handheld.
You can create additional datasets in the future by repeating the steps above for each additional person that will be using Diabetes Pilot to track their data.
If you've created more than one dataset, you can select which data you want to work with by using the drop-down list located near the upper right corner of the Diabetes Pilot Desktop window.
Registering
Diabetes Pilot will ask you to enter a registration code the first time you start it.
If you've purchased Diabetes Pilot, enter the registration code that was provided to you on the screen when you made your purchase, via email, or on a label in the CD-ROM package.
If you haven't purchased Diabetes Pilot, Diabetes Pilot will operate as a free trial for 15 days. After the trial period, you will need to register the software to keep using it. The program will not operate after the trial period expires. Registration codes can be purchased from the Diabetes Pilot website at www.diabetespilot.com
Entering Data
This section explains how to record your data in Diabetes Pilot Desktop. Diabetes Pilot can track your glucose, food, medication, exercise, and nearly any other type of information that you'd like to record.
Recording and Editing Data in the Details Window
Creating a new entry
To enter new data, go the the My Records page by clicking on the My Records icon on the left side of the Diabetes Pilot window.
To record a new data item, click on one of the buttons at the top of the main screen:
- Click the "Glucose" button to record a new glucose (blood sugar) measurement
- Click the "Food" button to record a new food or meal
- Click the "Medication" button to enter a medication or insulin dose.
- Click the "Exercise" button to enter a new exercise activity.
- Click the "BP" button to enter a blood pressure and pulse reading.
- Click the "Note" button to record any other type of data. You can use this type of entry to record nearly anything. You might use it to record HbA1C measurements, blood pressure, other test results, notes about how you're feeling, or anything else you'd like.
For more information on entering the details of these items see Recording and Editing Data below.
To edit an existing item, click on the parts of the record:
- Clicking on the time allows you to edit the time
- Clicking on the category allows you to change the record's category
- Clicking on the value allows you to edit the value
- Clicking on the note allows you to edit the note
- Clicking on the units or type will take you to the Details window for the record (see Recording and Editing Data below)
When you enter a new item change an existing one, it may or may not be immediately visible in the list on the main screen. The display in the My Records section depends on the filter settings that you have set - see Displaying Your Data for more information.
Your data is automatically saved when you exit Diabetes Pilot Desktop - there's no need to tell Diabetes Pilot to save your data. However, you can save your data at any time by selecting "Save My Work" from the "File" menu.
Recording and Editing Data in the Details Window
Diabetes Pilot allows you to record information in as much or as little detail as you would like - it provides for both quick data entry as well as the ability to record additional details when needed.
When you create a new record, a detail window will appear. The date and time will be set to the current time. You can change the date and time if necessary by typing over the values or using the arrow controls located next to each entry. Then, enter the values for the item:
- For glucose records, enter your blood sugar reading. You can choose to use either mg/dL units (typically used in the United States) or mmol/L units (typically used throughout the world) by setting the desired units in from the preferences menu - see Setting Preferences for more information.
- For medication records, enter the amount of insulin or medication, and select the type from the drop-down list next to the value. The list remembers the medications that you commonly use. Try to select an item from the list first - if the item you want isn't in the list, simply type it in the box and it will be added to the list for next time.
- For food records, enter the amount of carbohydrates (grams) in the meal. You can also enter the details of the meal using the food database and allow Diabetes Pilot to add up the contents of the meal for you. See Food Records below for details.
- For exercise records, enter the amount of exercise and select the type of exercise from the drop-down list next to the value. Use the "amount" to record whatever units are most useful to you - you might, for example, choose to record "minutes of exercise", "miles walked", "number of situps" or any other measure that you find convenient. As with the medication list, the exercise list remembers the exercises that you commonly enter. Try to select an item from the list first - if the item you want isn't in the list, simply type it in the box and it will be added to the list for next time.
- For blood pressure records, enter your blood pressure and pulse reading.
- For note records, just enter the note that you'd like to make.
You can enter notes in the space provided. These notes will appear in the "My Records" list.
A category for each record can be also be selected. This category can be use to categorize records in any manner that is useful to you. You may want to use the category to identify records by time of day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc). The category list can be customized however you would like. To customize the category list, finish entering your record. Then, click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the Diabetes Pilot window and select "Edit Categories...".
Click "OK" when you are done making your entry. The details window will close and your record will be added. Clicking on "Cancel" returns you to the previous screen without saving your changes.
Food Records
When you add a food record, you can use the food database in Diabetes Pilot to record your meal details and add up the contents of the meal.
There are several ways to add foods to your meal record. To start, find a food that you'd like to add to the meal by using the food database on the right side of the window. See Using the Food Database for more information about the food database, finding foods, and adding new foods. After you've found the food that you want, add it to the meal record by selecting the food then clicking the "Add Selected Food To Meal" button. Alternately, you can add foods to the meal by simply dragging them from the food database and dropping them in the Meal Details section of the window. You'll probably find that dragging and dropping the foods is faster and easier.
After you've added to food to the Meal Details, edit the entry as necessary. You can change the serving size, food description, or any of the nutritional content of the food item. As you make changes to the Meal Details, the totals will be updated and the Value field will change to reflect the carbohydrate content in the meal.
You can also save and recall entire meals, so that you don't need to re-enter details for meals that you fequently eat.
To save a meal for future use:
- Add foods to the meal listing, as described above.
- Click the "Store as a saved meal.." button.
- Enter a name for the meal, then tap the "OK" button.
To recall a previously saved meal:
- Click on the "Saved Meals" tab in the food selector.
- Select the meal you'd like to recall from the from the list.
- Click the "Use Selected Meal" button.
Many of the food descriptions are abbreviated. This helps Diabetes Pilot Desktop work with the handheld version of Diabetes Pilot and allows the food descriptions to fit in the available screen space. You can get a list of the abbreviations here.
Deleting Records
You can delete your records if necessary.
To delete an individual record:
- Select a record by clicking in the area located to the left of the Time column. (You can select more than one record by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on additional records).
- Click on the "Delete Record" button.
To delete a group of records by date:
- From the "Tools" menu, select "Purge Old Records..."
- In the window that appears, select the range of dates you'd like to delete. Be careful - once you delete the records, the cannot be retrieved.
- Click the "OK" button.
Displaying Your Data
This section explains how to control the display of your data in Diabetes Pilot Desktop. Diabetes Pilot provides several different filtering options for displaying your data. This allows you to focus on the information that is important to you at a particular moment, without being distracted by other data that you may have recorded.
Display Filters
The display filter control is located on both the My Records page and on the Reports page. On the My Records page, the filter controls which records are displayed in the record grid. On the Reports page, the filter controls which records are included in the report that you generate. Records can be filtered by type, category, and date:
To control which dates are displayed, select an item from the list labeled "Display these dates".
To control which record types are displayed, check the boxes next to the types you wish to display in the box labeled "Display these record types"
To control which record types are displayed, check the boxes next to the categories you wish to display in the box labeled "Display these categories". Note that you may need to use the scroll bar along the right side of the box to access all of the categories in the list.
A record must match all of the filter criteria to be displayed.
Click on the "Show All Records" to allow all of the records to be shown. If you're having trouble finding a record that you think should appear in the list, click this button so that all of the records are displayed - this may help you locate what you're looking for.
Use the "Show None" button to deselect all of your categories and record types. This provides a convenient starting point for when you want to display just a few records.
Scrolling the Display
If you've selected more records that can fit on a single screen, a scrollbar will be visible along the right side of the record list. Slide the bar up and down or tap on the bar's arrows to scroll the list and view all of the records.
Sorting the Display
You can change the way that records are sorted on the My Records page. To resort your records, click on the heading of the column that you would like to sort by. For example, if you wanted to sort your records by type, click on the word "Type" that is at the top of the type column. To sort by time, click on the "Time" heading. You can sort your data by any of the columns. To reverse the sort order, click on the column heading a second time.
Setting Preferences
Diabetes Pilot allows you to set several different options in the program. These options can customize the behavior of Diabetes Pilot to your needs and help save you time while entering data.
Setting Preferences
To set general program preferences, select "Preferences..." from the "Tools" menu. The general preferences screen allows you to set several options that determine how Diabetes Pilot works:
- Blood glucose ranges. Set your limits for high and low blood sugars and a target range. These values are used with various reports.
- Show BG Warnings: If this box is checked, a warning will be displayed when you enter a blood sugar that is below the "low" limit or above the "high" limit that you set above.
- Default Exercise: This allows you to specify the exercise that appears as a default when you are entering a new exercise entry. If the exercise you want isn't in the list, just type a new one in the box.
- Default Medication: This allows you to specify the medication that appears as a default when you are entering a new medication entry. If the exercise you want isn't in the list, just type a new one in the box.
- For Meals Show: This allows you to specify which nutrient data appears for Meal records on the record listing screen.
- Glucose Units: This items allows you to select between either mg/dL units (typically used in the United States) or mmol/L units (typically used throughout the world) for glucose measurements. Please note that if you change this setting, your existing glucose data and target glucose ranges will be converted to the system of measurement that you select. Please note that converting back and forth between the two systems of measurement may result in small changes to your data that are caused by rounding during the conversion process. For this reason, we recommend that you select the system that you prefer and then leave this setting unchanged. Important - If you are using Diabetes Pilot Desktop with a handheld version of Diabetes Pilot, be sure that you are using the same units in both the desktop version and the handheld version.
- Name to Display on Reports: Enter the name and any other data that you'd like to appear at the top of your reports. The value you enter here will be displayed on any reports that you create.
Editing Categories
Diabetes Pilot allows you to categorize your records however you would like. Many people like to use these categories to group their records by time of day. However, you can change the category names to anything that you'd like.
To edit the category list:
- From the "Tools" menu, select "Edit Categories..."
- Use the New, Delete, and Rename buttons to modify the list.
Because you can use any categories name you want, Diabetes Pilot does not automatically know how to order the categories in reports. You need to tell Diabetes Pilot the order that you'd like the categories to appear.
To change the order of the categories in reports:
- From the "Tools" menu, select "Edit Categories..."
- Select a category by clicking on it in the list.
- Use the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons to change the order of the category.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the categories are listed in the order that you want them to appear.
Using the Food Database
This section explains how to use the Diabetes Pilot Desktop food database. The food database provides reference information on thousands of foods. You can add your own foods to the database and customize it to meet your needs.
Accessing the Food Database
The food database can be accessed in two different ways:
- By selecting the "Food Database" page using the icons along the left side of the Diabetes Pilot window. This will display the food database and allow you to look up food information and do things like add, edit, and organize the foods and mark foods as favorites.
- When you are building a new meal entry (see Food Records) the food database will be displayed. You cannot edit the food database while building a new meal entry.
Finding Foods
You can locate foods in the food database in several different ways:
Option 1: Browse through the foods by category.
To browse through the foods by category, click on the "Browse by Group" tab near the top of the listings. This displays an organized listing of the foods and groups. Food groups are indicated by a yellow folder icon. Foods are indicated by a black fork and knife icon or, if the food is marked as a favorite, by a "smiley" icon.
To open a group and see its contents, double click on the group's name or click on the small "+" icon next to the group name. To close a group double-click on the group name, or click on the "-" icon next to the group name. You can close all of the groups by clicking the "Collapse All" button at the bottom of the listings.
To select a food, click on the food's name.
Option 2: Search for foods by name.
To search for foods by name, click on the "Search by Name" tab near the top of the listings. This displays a box labeled "Search:" and a blank space for food listings. Enter a few letters of the food you are looking for on the "Search" line. The food database will be searched for what you enter. Any food or group containing your search letters will be displayed in the search box. You will usually have better results with the search feature if you enter just a few letters of a food name - this way, the food will appear in the results even if it is named a bit differently than you'd expect. This is a good way to find a food if you can't find it by browsing.
To select a food, click on it in the search result list.
Option 3: Display a list of the foods you have marked as favorites.
To do this, click on the "Favorites List" tab. A list of the foods that you've marked as favorites will be displayed. To select a food, click on it in the list.
See Marking Foods as Favorites for more information.
Adding New Foods and Groups
To add a new food or group to the food database, use the "Browse by Group" tab in the food database. Start by browsing to the location where you would like the new item added (see Finding Foods above). Select the group in which you would like to add the new item.
To add a new group, tap on the "New Group" button, enter a name for the new group, and press the enter key.
To add a new food, tap on the "New Food" button, enter a name for the new food, and press the enter key. Then, fill out the "Food Information" located on the right side of the screen, and click the "Save Changes" button.
Marking Foods as Favorites
When a food is marked as a favorite, it will appear in the "Favorites List" tab. It will also appear with a "smiley" icon next to it in the food database list. To mark a food as a favorite:
- Find the food in the database (see Finding Foods above).
- Select the food (by tapping on it to highlight it)
- Click the "Mark as Favorite" button.
To remove a food from the favorites list, select it and tap the "Mark as Favorite" button. The food will be removed from the favorites list.
Organizing and Customizing the Food Database
Several functions are available to help you organize and customize the food database.
To delete a food or group from the database:
- Find the item in the database by using the "Browse by Group" tab (see Finding Foods above).
- Select the item you'd like to delete.
- Click the "Delete Item" button.
To move an item to another category:
- Find the item in the database by using the "Browse by Group" tab (see Finding Foods above).
- Locate the destination category.
- Drag the item you'd like to move and drop on the new category.
To edit the name or data associated with a food or group:
- Find the food in the database (see Finding Foods above).
- Select the item you'd like to edit.
- Make the changes that you desire in the "Food Information" area.
- Click the "Save Changes" button.
Reports: Analyzing, Printing, and Emailing Your Data
The reporting features in Diabetes Pilot Desktop allow you to analyze your data and transfer it to other programs.
To access the reporting features, click the "Reports" icon on the left side of the Diabetes Pilot window.
Exporting Reports to Other Programs
Creating Reports
Creating a report in Diabetes Pilot is an easy three step process:
Step 1: Choose a Report
Select the report you would like to create from the list near the upper left corner of the Diabetes Pilot Window. There are several reports to choose from:
- Average BG by Category - Shows your average glucose organized by category
- Average BG by Hour - Shows your average glucose as an average for each hour of the day
- Average BG by Month - Shows your average glucose by month
- Glucose Graph - Graphs your individual glucose readings over time
- Glucose 24 Hr Overlap - Graphs several days of glucose readings overlapped on a single 24 hour graph to help identify daily patterns in your data.
- Glucose Monthly Overlap - Graphs several months of readings overlapped on a single 1-month graph to help find monthly patterns in your data
- Record Listing - Lists your records in a manner similar to how they appear on the My Records page.
- Record Listing (Plain) - Lists your records in a manner similar to how they appear on the My Records page in a more plain format suitable for export to spreadsheets other programs.
- Record Grid - Shows your records in a grid format organized into columns for each record type
- Logbook/By Category - Shows your records in a "logbook" grid format organized by category
- Meal Listing - Lists the foods and nutritional content in your meal entries
- Meal Listing (Plain) - Lists the foods and nutritional content in your meal entries in a format suitable for export to spreadsheets and other programs.
- Daily Food Summary - Summarizes food intake by day
- Medication Totals - Shows a total of the medications you've entered for each day
- Exercise Totals - Shows a total of the exercises you've entered for each day
- Glucose by Range - Shows the number of glucose measurements in your target range, above your "high" limit, and below your "low" limit. These ranges can be set in the preferences window (see Setting Preferences for more information)
- Recent BG Averages - Shows your average glucose for various time periods.
- Blood Pressure List - Lists your blood pressure readings
Step 2: Choose Records
Next, choose the records that you would like in the report using the filter controls (see Display Filters for more information). Or, click the "Show All Records" button to include all of your records. Note that if your filters do not allow any records to be selected, the report will be blank - if this happens, change the filter settings to select the dates, categories, and record types that you want to include.
Step 3: Create the Report
Click the "Create Report" button to create the report. Your records will be processed and the report will be displayed in a few moments.
Viewing the Report
Once you've created the report, use the controls above the report to view it. Hovering the mouse over a control for a few seconds will tell you what each control does.
- Many reports will be more than one page - use the arrow controls above the report to move forward and backwards through the pages.
- Click the printer icon to print your report.
- Use the percentage drop-down list to to zoom in and out on your report.
- Use the "paper" icon to switch between a printed page view and a simplified "on screen" view of the report.
- Use the "disk" icon to save your report for use in other programs. (see Exporting Reports to Other Programs for more information)
Exporting Reports to Other Programs
After you create a report, you can save it for use in other programs. To do this:
- Create a report (see Creating Reports for more information)
- Click on the "envelope" icon in the toolbar located above the report area. A window will appear that will allow you to select the location and format of the file that you'd like to create.
- Select the type of file that you'd like to create:
- Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - This format saves your report as a file that can be read by Adobe Acrobat. This can be a useful format for emailing your reports to others, since many computers have software that can read Adobe Acrobat files. This format preserves the original look of your report. You can get a free version of Adobe Acrobat reader on the web at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.
- Microsoft Excel (xls) - This format saves your report as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file. This format can be read by Microsoft Excel and many other spreadsheet programs. It's useful if you'd like to do further calculations on your data using your own spreadsheet software.
- Enter the filename and choose the location for saving the file, then click the Save button.
After you've saved the report, you can open it in another program, email it, or whatever else you'd like to do with it.
Using Diabetes Pilot Desktop with an iPhone or iPod Touch
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch device, Diabetes Pilot Desktop can work with your device's data - use your handheld to record data while you're on the go, then synchronize it to Diabetes Pilot Desktop for later reporting and analysis.
This section of the instructions desctibes using Diabetes Pilot with an iPhone or iPod touch. For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with Palm handhelds, click here. For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with a Windows Mobile handheld, click here.
Diabetes Pilot for iPhone / iPod Touch is a separate product and is sold separately from Diabetes Pilot Desktop. Purchase Diabetes Pilot for iPhone from the iTunes App Store.
There are several ways to transfer data from your iPhone/iPod:
Synchronize Your Data Via WiFi
This feature lets you transfer your record data and food database between your desktop computer and your handheld.
You will need Version 5 (or newer) of both the Desktop and iPhone software on your computer to use the WiFi sync. Tap "Tasks...About" on the iPhone or use the "Help->About" menu item on the desktop to see which version you have. If you have an older version, you can update the iPhone software through the iTunes store and you can update the desktop software by clicking here
To use the WiFi sync, you will need your computer and your handheld connected to the same network.
To start, make sure that both devices are connected to your network:
- Make sure that your computer is connected to your network. We recommend using a private, secure, network that you control (i.e. a properly configured home network rather than a public WiFi hotspot)
- Make sure that your handheld is connected (via WiFi) to the same network as your computer. (The sync will not work if your device is connected only with a cellular (3G) data connection). If necessary, use the iPhone's "Settings" app to verify your WiFi settings - check that you're connected to the correct network. You may also wish to use an application such as the Safari web browser (surf to a new page or two) to confirm that you have an active, working, network connection.
Then, start the sync on your handheld and computer:
- On your handheld, tap the "Tasks..." button, then choose "Data Transfer" then "Desktop Sync via WiFi"
- In Diabetes Pilot on your computer, select "Synchronize iPhone/iPod data via WiFi" from the "Handheld" menu.
- On your computer, choose the desired sync options. You will usually want to leave the "Synchronize my Data" option selected. This will merge data from both locations into one common dataset. With this, records entered in one location will be transferred to the other and vice-versa.
- On your computer, click the "Sync" button to start the sync.
One-way Data Transfer Via Email
You can also transfer your records from your handheld via email to a computer with Diabetes Pilot Desktop. This can be useful for a variety of purposes: sending your data to a doctor's office that has Diabetes Pilot Desktop, a child sending data to a parent, sending data to yourself for later analysis, transferring your data when the WiFi connection described above isn't practical, and many other situations. To do this:
- On your handheld, launch Diabetes Pilot. Tap the "Tasks..." button, then choose "Data Transfer" then "Send Data to Desktop".
- On the screen that appears, enter your email address and tap the "Send" button to send your data. Please note that, to keep the data sent to a reasonable size, your food database is not transferred with this method.
- Receive the email on your desktop computer. It may take a several minutes or more to arrive, depending on your email system. (Be sure that the message hasn't mistakenly gone into your junk mail folder.)
- Save the file attached to the email on your computer.
- Start Diabetes Pilot Desktop on your computer.
- Open the dataset that you'd like to fill with your backup data. Note that this data will be REPLACED with the data from your handheld. Because of this, you may wish to back up the existing data first, or create a new dataset (by choosing "Manage datasets..." from the "File" menu) to hold the incoming data from your handheld.
- From the "File" menu, select "Restore Data File...". In the window that appears, select the file you saved in step 4.
Using Diabetes Pilot Desktop with Palm Handheld Devices
If you have a Palm handheld (made by Palm, Sony, Handspring, and others) Diabetes Pilot Desktop can work with the Diabetes Pilot for Palm software - use your handheld to record data while you're on the go, then synchronize it with Diabetes Pilot Desktop for later reporting and analysis.
This section of the instructions desctibes using Diabetes Pilot with a Palm handheld. If you have a Windows Mobile handheld or an iPhone / iPod Touch, you can use it with Diabetes Pilot too.
For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with Windows Mobile handhelds, click here.
For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with an iPhone / iPod Touch, click here.
Diabetes Pilot for Palm is a separate product and is sold separately from Diabetes Pilot Desktop - if you own a Palm handheld and haven't already purchased Diabetes Pilot for Palm, you can use the trial version included with Diabetes Pilot Desktop so that you can see how it works. See www.diabetespilot.com for information on purchasing Diabetes Pilot for Palm.
Installing the Palm Software and the Palm Synchronization Link
Controlling the Synchronization Process
Installing the Palm Software and the Palm Synchronization Link
If you plan to use Diabetes Pilot with a newly purchased Palm handheld, set up your handheld device and install its software (the Palm Desktop software) on your computer before proceeding (follow the instructions provided with your handheld device to do this). Then,
To install the software on your Palm handheld device:
- Launch the Diabetes Pilot Desktop on your desktop computer.
- From the "Handheld" menu, choose "Palm" then "Install Diabetes Pilot on my PalmOS Handheld"
- Read the instructions on the screen and follow them carefully.
Synchronizing Your Data
To synchronize your data between Diabetes Pilot Desktop and Diabetes Pilot for Palm, place your device in its cradle (or connect its cable), then start a Hotsync by pressing the button on the cradle or following the instructions provided with your device. The HotSync will start and your data will be synchronized. Please be patient for this process - it may take a few minutes for the food database and your data to be transferred. The amount of time depends on your computer, handheld device, and how often you synchronize the device.
In the Diabetes Pilot Desktop program, your Palm data will appear as a dataset that is named after the HotSync ID that is programmed into your Palm device. If this data doesn't automatically appear, you can select the dataset using the drop-down list near the upper right corner of the Diabetes Pilot Desktop screen.
Controlling the Synchronization Process
Normally, you will want Diabetes Pilot to synchronize your data. This sends records back and forth between your desktop and handheld device as necessary to keep them in sync. However, you can control the synchronization process if you need to. If you'd like to control the synchronization process or if the synchronization isn't behaving as expected, change the settings as follows:
Right-click on the HotSync manager icon (usually a small circle of red and blue arrows) that appears on your desktop computer near the clock.- Select "Custom" from the menu that appears.
- Choose your Palm device from the drop-down list at the top of the Custom window.
- Double-click on "Diabetes Pilot" in the list of conduits.
- In the window that appears, choose how you want the synchronization to work:
Synchronize the files is the normal setting and is the appropriate choice for most circumstances- Desktop overwrites handheld will cause the data on your desktop to overwrite the data on your handheld. Your handheld data will be overwritten and lost each time you HotSync.
- Handheld overwrites desktop will cause the data on your handheld to overwrite the data on your desktop. Your desktop data will be overwritten and lost each time you HotSync.
- Do nothing will cause your Diabetes Pilot to not be synchronized. This setting may be appropriate if you only want to synchronize your data occasionally, but normally want to skip the synchronization.
- If you want this setting to be permanent and apply every time you HotSync, check the "Set as default" box. Otherwise, the setting will apply only to the next HotSync.
- Click the "OK" button to close the settings window.
- Click the "Done" button to close the Custom window.
Using Diabetes Pilot Desktop with Windows Mobile handhelds
If you have a Windows Mobile or Windows Mobile device, Diabetes Pilot Desktop can work with the Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile software - use your handheld to record data while you're on the go, then transfer it to Diabetes Pilot Desktop for later reporting and analysis.
This section of the instructions desctibes using Diabetes Pilot with a Windows Mobile handheld.
If you have a Palm handheld or an iPhone / iPod Touch, you can use it with Diabetes Pilot too.
For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with Palm handhelds, click here.
For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with an iPhone / iPod Touch, click here.
Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile is a separate product and is sold separately from Diabetes Pilot Desktop - if you own a Windows Mobile handheld and haven't already purchased Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile, you can use the trial version included with Diabetes Pilot Desktop to see how it works. See www.diabetespilot.com for information on purchasing Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile.
Installing Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile
Installing Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile
If you plan to use Diabetes Pilot with a newly purchased Windows Mobile device, set up your handheld device and install its software (the Microsoft ActiveSync Software or Vista's Mobile Device Center) on your computer before proceeding (follow the instructions provided with your handheld to do this).
To install the software on your Windows Mobile handheld:
- Launch the Diabetes Pilot Desktop on your desktop computer.
- From the "Handheld" menu, choose "Windows Mobile" (or "Pocket PC") then "Install Diabetes Pilot on my Windows Mobile device" (or "Install Diabetes Pilot on my Pocket PC")
- Read the instructions on the screen and follow them carefully.
If the desktop software says that the Windows Mobile software is not available on your computer, visit our website at www.diabetespilot.com to get it
Transferring Your Data
To transfer your data between the Desktop and Windows Mobile software, connect your handheld to your desktop computer by placing the device in its cradle or connect its cable. Then, do the following:
To copy data FROM your Windows Mobile device TO your computer:
- In Diabetes Pilot Desktop, open the dataset that should receive the data from your handheld. Be aware that your desktop record data and food database will be DELETED and REPLACED with the data on your hanheld!
- From the "Handheld" menu, choose "Windows Mobile" (or "Pocket PC") then "Transfer Data..."
- Choose "Copy my data FROM my handheld" in the window that appears.
- Acknowledge any prompts that appear, and wait for the data copy to complete. The data copy process will take several minutes. Please be patient.
To copy the data TO your Windows Mobile device FROM your computer:
- In Diabetes Pilot Desktop, open the dataset that has the data you'd like to transfer to your handheld. Be aware that your handheld data and food database will be DELETED and REPLACED with the data on your desktop!
- From the "Handheld" menu, choose "Windows Mobile" (or "Pocket PC") then "Transfer Data..."
- Choose "Copy data TO my handheld" in the window that appears.
- Acknowledge any prompts that appear, and wait for the data copy to complete. The data copy process may take a few moments
Backing Up Your Data
Diabetes Pilot provides a convenient mechanism for making a backup copy of your data. If your Diabetes Pilot data is important to you, you should make a backup of it periodically. Backing up your data helps protect it from problems with your computer.
Backing Up Your Data
To make a backup copy of your data:
- Start Diabetes Pilot and open the dataset that you'd like to back up. This backup procedure only backs up the currently open dataset.
- From the "File" menu, select "Backup Data File..."
- In the window that appears, choose a location to save the backup. It's a good idea to save the backup file to an external disk, memory device, or CD so that you have a safe copy even if something happens to your computer.
- Click the "Save" button.
Restoring a Backup
To restore your data from a backup copy:
- Start Diabetes Pilot.
- Open the dataset that you'd like to fill with your backup data. If the dataset does not exist, you can create one by selecting "Manage Datasets" from the "File" menu. Note that restoring your data will replace the data in the current dataset with the data in the backup.
- From the "File" menu, select "Restore Data File..."
- In the window that appears, find your backup file.
- Click the "Open" button.
Restoring an Automatic Backup
Diabetes Pilot Desktop will occasionally make automatic backups of your data for you. This serves as a secondary backup, but it should not take the place of the regular backups described above. If you make a mistake with your data, you may wish to restore one of the automatic backups:
- Start Diabetes Pilot.
- From the "File" menu, select "Restore Data from an Automatic Backup..."
- In the window that appears, find the backup that you would like to restore and click on it to select it.
- Click the "Restore Selected Data" button.
Importing and Exporting Data
Diabetes Pilot provides several options for importing and exporting food and record data. This allows you to exchange information with sources such as other programs, glucose meters, and other food databases. This feature is intended for advanced users who are familar with the topics discussed below.
Importing Record Data
Glucose, meal, medication, exercise, and note record data can be imported from standard comma-separated (CSV) files. This format is supported by many databases, spreadsheets, and other programs. For more information on the basics of CSV files, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values or http://www.creativyst.com/Doc/Articles/CSV/CSV01.htm
The format of the input file is flexible - the columns can be in any order. A header row with the field names must be the first row in the CSV file. The following columns are available:
|
Field |
Required |
Description |
|
Time |
Yes |
Contains the record date and time. Most standard formats will be recognized. Optionally, a "Date" field can be included if you'd prefer to separate the date and time into two separate fields |
|
Type |
Yes |
Contains the record type. Must be one of: "Glucose", "Food", "Medication", "Exercise", or "Note". Importing blood pressure readings is currently not supported |
|
Value |
Yes |
The record value. For food records, the total carbohydrates for the meal (importing meal details is not currently supported) |
|
Label |
Yes, for medication and exercise records. Optional for glucose records |
For exercise and medications records, contains the type of exercise or medication. For glucose records, contains the units of the glucose reading and must be either "mg/dL" or "mmol/L". If this field is omitted, glucose readings will be imported using the default units. |
|
Note |
No |
Contains the record's notes. |
The following example shows one valid set of data for import:
Date,Time,Type,Value,Label,Note
1/2/2006,12:01,Glucose,125,mg/dL,test row 1
1/2/2006,15:03,Glucose,222,mmol/L,test row 2
1/2/2006,15:03,Glucose,333,,test row 3
3/3/2006,15:03,Medication,32,Humalog,test row 4
4/7/2006,15:03,Exercise,23,Typing,test row 5
To import record data:
- From the "File" menu, select "Import record data..."
- Choose the CSV file that you'd like to import from
Importing Food Data
Food information can be added to the food database by importing the data from standard comma-separated (CSV) files. This format is supported by many databases, spreadsheets, and other programs. For more information on the basics of CSV files, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values or http://www.creativyst.com/Doc/Articles/CSV/CSV01.htm
The format of the input file is flexible - the columns can be in any order. A header row with the field names must be the first row in the CSV file. The following columns are available:
|
Field |
Required |
Description |
|
Description |
Yes |
Contains the food and serving size description. Must be less than 250 characters. |
|
Carbs |
No |
Carbohydrate value. Field can also be labeled "Carbohydrates". |
|
Cholesterol |
No |
Cholesterol value. |
|
FatCal |
No |
"Calories from fat" value. |
|
Fiber |
No |
Fiber value. |
|
Protein |
No |
Protein value. |
|
SatFat |
No |
Saturated fat value. |
|
Sodium |
No |
Sodium value. |
|
Sugars |
No |
Sugars value. |
|
TotFat |
No |
Total fat value. Field can also be labeled "Fat". |
Fields that are not included will have the value set to zero.
The following example shows one valid set of data for import:
Description,Calories,Carbohydrates,FatCal,Fiber,Sugars,Protein,Fat,SatFat,sodium,Cholesterol
Test food 1,123,11,77,22,33,44,55,66,88,99
Test food 2,61.5,5.5,38.5,11,16.5,22,27.5,33,44,49.5
To import food data:
- Go to the food database by clicking on the "Food Database" icon on the left side of the window.
- Use the "Browse by Group" tab to select a location in the food database where the imported foods should be placed
- From the "File" menu, select "Import food data..."
- Choose the CSV file that you'd like to import from
Exporting Food Data
You can also export food data from Diabetes Pilot. The exported data will be stored in a CSV file that's compatible with the import feature described above. This allows you to share your food information with others - export the data, then import it in another copy of Diabetes Pilot.
Only custom foods that you've entered will be exported.
To export food data:
- Go to the food database by clicking on the "Food Database" icon on the left side of the window.
- Use the "Browse by Group" tab to select a location in the food database from where you'd like to export foods. During the export, you will have the option of exporting foods from only the selected group, or from the selected group plus all of the groups beneath it. To export ALL of your custom foods, click in the background of the "Browse by group" view to select the top level of the food database.
- From the "File" menu, select "Export food data..."
Food Database Abbreviations
Some foods in the food database have abbreviated descriptions. Here is a list of of the abbreviations used:
| All Purpose | ALLPURP |
| Aluminum | AL |
| And | & |
| Apple | APPL |
| Apples | APPLS |
| Applesauce | APPLSAUC |
| Approximate | APPROX |
| Approximately | APPROX |
| Arm and Blade | ARM&BLD |
| Artificial | ART |
| Ascorbic Acid | VIT C |
| Aspartame | ASPRT |
| Aspartame-sweetened | ASPRT-SWTND |
| Babyfood | BABYFD |
| Baked | BKD |
| Barbequed | BBQ |
| Based | BSD |
| Beans | BNS |
| Beef | BF |
| Beverage | BEV |
| Boiled | BLD |
| Boneless | BNLESS |
| Bottled | BTLD |
| Bottom | BTTM |
| Braised | BRSD |
| Breakfast | BRKFST |
| Broiled | BRLD |
| Buttermilk | BTTRMLK |
| Calcium | CA |
| Calorie, calories | CAL |
| Canned | CND |
| Carbonated | CARB |
| Center | CNTR |
| Cereal | CRL |
| Cheese | CHS |
| Chicken | CHICK |
| Chocolate | CHOC |
| Choice | CHOIC |
| Cholesterol | CHOL |
| Cholesterol-free | CHOL-FREE |
| Chopped | CHOPD |
| Cinnamon | CINN |
| Coated | COATD |
| Coconut | COCNT |
| Commercial | COMM |
| Commercially | COMMLY |
| Commodity | CMDTY |
| Composite | COMP |
| Concentrate | CONC |
| Concentrated | CONCD |
| Condensed | COND |
| Condiment, condiments | CONDMNT |
| Cooked | CKD |
| Cottonseed | CTTNSD |
| Cream | CRM |
| Creamed | CRMD |
| Dark | DK |
| Decorticated | DECORT |
| Dehydrated | DEHYD |
| Dessert, desserts | DSSRT |
| Diluted | DIL |
| Domestic | DOM |
| Drained | DRND |
| Dressing | DRSNG |
| Drink | DRK |
| Drumstick | DRUMSTK |
| English | ENG |
| Enriched | ENR |
| Equal | EQ |
| Evaporated | EVAP |
| Except | XCPT |
| Extra | EX |
| Flank steak | FLANKSTK |
| Flavored | FLAV |
| Flour | FLR |
| Food | FD |
| Fortified | FORT |
| French fried | FRENCH FR |
| French fries | FRENCH FR |
| Fresh | FRSH |
| Frosted | FRSTD |
| Frosting | FRSTNG |
| Frozen | FRZ |
| Grades | GRDS |
| Gram | GM |
| Green | GRN |
| Greens | GRNS |
| Heated | HTD |
| Heavy | HVY |
| Hi-meat | HI-MT |
| High | HI |
| Hour | HR |
| Hydrogenated | HYDR |
| Imitation | IMITN |
| Immature | IMMAT |
| Imported | IMP |
| Include, includes | INCL |
| Including | INCL |
| Infant formula | INF FORMULA |
| Ingredient | ING |
| Instant | INST |
| Juice | JUC |
| Junior | JR |
| Kernels | KRNLS |
| Large | LRG |
| Lean | LN |
| Lean only | LN |
| Leavened | LVND |
| Light | LT |
| Liquid | LIQ |
| Low | LO |
| Low Fat | LOFAT |
| Marshmallow | MARSHMLLW |
| Mashed | MSHD |
| Mayonnaise | MAYO |
| Medium | MED |
| Mesquite | MESQ |
| Minutes | MIN |
| Mixed | MXD |
| Moisture | MOIST |
| Natural | NAT |
| New Zealand | NZ |
| Nonfat Dry Milk | NFDM |
| Nonfat Dry Milk Solids | NFDMS |
| Nonfat Milk Solids | NFMS |
| Noncarbonated | NONCARB |
| Not Further Specified | NFS |
| Nutrients | NUTR |
| Nutrition | NUTR |
| Ounce | OZ |
| Pack | PK |
| Par fried | PAR FR |
| Parboiled | PARBLD |
| Partial | PART |
| Partially | PART |
| Partially fried | PAR FR |
| Pasteurized | PAST |
| Peanut | PNUT |
| Peanuts | PNUTS |
| Phosphate | PO4 |
| Phosphorus | P |
| Pineapple | PNAPPL |
| Plain | PLN |
| Porterhouse | PRTRHS |
| Potassium | K |
| Powder | PDR |
| Powdered | PDR |
| Precooked | PRECKD |
| Preheated | PREHTD |
| Prepared | PREP |
| Processed | PROC |
| Product code | PROD CD |
| Propionate | PROP |
| Protein | PROT |
| Pudding, puddings | PUDD |
| Ready-to-bake | RTB |
| Ready-to-cook | RTC |
| Ready-to-drink | RTD |
| Ready-to-eat | RTE |
| Ready-to-feed | RTF |
| Ready-to-heat | RTH |
| Ready-to-serve | RTS |
| Ready-to-use | RTU |
| Reconstituted | RECON |
| Reduced | RED |
| Reduced-calorie | RED-CAL |
| Refrigerated | REFR |
| Regular | REG |
| Reheated | REHTD |
| Replacement | REPLCMNT |
| Restaurant-prepared | REST-PREP |
| Retail | RTL |
| Roast | RST |
| Roasted | RSTD |
| Round | RND |
| Sandwich | SNDWCH |
| Sauce | SAU |
| Scalloped | SCALLPD |
| Scrambled | SCRMBLD |
| Seed | SD |
| Select | SEL |
| Shank and sirloin | SHK&SIRL |
| Short | SHRT |
| Shoulder | SHLDR |
| Simmered | SIMMRD |
| Skin | SKN |
| Small | SML |
| Sodium | NA |
| Solids | SOL |
| Solution | SOLN |
| Soybean | SOYBN |
| Special | SPL |
| Species | SP |
| Spread | SPRD |
| Standard | STD |
| Steamed | STMD |
| Stewed | STWD |
| Stick | STK |
| Sticks | STKS |
| Strained | STR |
| Substitute | SUB |
| Summer | SMMR |
| Supplement | SUPP |
| Sweet | SWT |
| Sweetened | SWTND |
| Sweetener | SWTNR |
| Teaspoon | TSP |
| Thousand | 1000 |
| Toasted | TSTD |
| Toddler | TODD |
| Uncooked | UNCKD |
| Uncreamed | UNCRMD |
| Undiluted | UNDIL |
| Unenriched | UNENR |
| Unheated | UNHTD |
| Unprepared | UNPREP |
| Unspecified | UNSPEC |
| Unsweetened | UNSWTND |
| Variety, varieties | VAR |
| Vegetable, vegetables | VEG |
| Vitamin A | VIT A |
| Vitamin C | VIT C |
| Water | H20 |
| Whitener | WHTNR |
| Whole | WHL |
| Winter | WNTR |
| With | W/ |
| Without | WO/ |
| Yellow | YEL |