Welcome to OpenAPS’s documentation!

This documentation supports a self-driven Do-It-Yourself (DIY) implementation of an artificial pancreas based on the OpenAPS reference design. By proceeding to use these tools or any piece within, you agree to the copyright for more information; and the full README here and release any contributors from liability, and assume full responsibility for all of your actions and outcomes related to usage of these tools or ideas.

Note: We do not recommend using a PDF version of this guide. The docs are updated continuously, and with a PDF, you will not get the freshest real-time edits. Be aware if you download a PDF that when you have Internet connectivity, we recommend instead having the docs pulled up in an Internet browser so you can refresh. This is especially true if you are working on a setup over the course of multiple days.

Note

A Note on DIY and the “Open” Part of OpenAPS

This is a set of development tools to support a self-driven DIY implementation. Any person choosing to use these tools is solely responsible for testing and implementing these tools independently or together as a system.

The DIY part of OpenAPS is important. While formal training or experience as an engineer or a developer is not a prerequisite, a growth mindset is required to learn to work with the “building blocks” that will help you develop your OpenAPS instance. Remember as you consider this project that this is not a “set and forget” system; an OpenAPS implementation requires diligent and consistent testing and monitoring to ensure each piece of the system is monitoring, predicting, and controlling as desired. The performance and quality of your system lies solely with you.

This community of contributors believes in “paying it forward,” and individuals who are implementing these tools are asked to contribute by asking questions, helping improve documentation, and contributing in other ways. Have questions? Hop into Gitter and ask anytime!

Understanding OpenAPS (Overview)

• How OpenAPS works
  • How does your closed loop gather data?
  • But how does it do everything it needs to do to gather data and make decisions and tell the pump what to do?
• How this guide works/overview of steps
  • What you’ll see in this guide
• Where to go for help
  • Google Group - everyone is recommended and welcome to join!
  • Gitter
  • Facebook
  • Issues on GitHub
  • Other online forums
  • Find (or start) a local meetup group

Gear Up

• Hardware overview
  • Notes about deprecated hardware setups
• Compatible Pumps
  • How to check pump firmware (check for absence of PC Connect)
  • Why do I need a certain pump firmware?
  • Can I downgrade my pump firmware?
  • Tips for finding a compatible pump
  • Word of warning: Pump repairs rendering pumps useless for looping
• Compatible CGMs
  • Using the Dexcom receiver CGM
  • Pulling CGM data from the cloud
  • Using the Medtronic CGM
• Get your rig parts
  • Explorer Block
  • Edison
  • Lithium-ion polymer (LiPo) battery or other battery supply
  • Radio stick (only if not using Explorer board)
  • USB Cables
  • Micro USB to Micro USB OTG Cable
  • Nuts and Bolts
  • Cases

While You Wait For Gear

• Collect your data & prepare
  • Practice good CGM habits
  • Use your gear
• Make Your First PR
• Setting up Nightscout
  • Nightscout Introduction
  • Nightscout Setup with Heroku
  • Nightscout Migrations
  • Nightscout Troubleshooting and FAQ
• Understand your Explorer Board rig
  • Getting Physical: Build your rig/put the physical pieces together
• Understand determine-basal (OpenAPS math)
  • Summary of inputs
  • Summary of outputs
  • Understanding “Advanced Meal Assist” (AMA) and the three purple lines
  • Using temporary targets for “Eating Soon” mode and “Activity” modes
  • Exploring further
  • Note about Square Boluses, Dual Wave Boluses, and Basal Pump Settings of Zero
• Understanding Insulin on Board (IOB) Calculations
  • First, some definitions:
  • Insulin Activity
  • What The Insulin Activity Assumptions Look Like
  • Cumulative Insulin Activity
  • Insulin on Board
• Understanding the New IOB Curves Based on Exponential Activity Curves
  • What Do The Exponential Curves Look Like?
  • How Do The Exponential Curves Compare To The Bilinear Curves?
  • Technical Details
• Monitoring OpenAPS
  • The main ways of monitoring your rig ONLINE include:
  • The main ways of monitoring your rig OFFLINE include:
  • You’ll probably come back to this page later to setup different monitoring options
  • Accessing your online rig via SSH
  • Accessing your offline rig
• Preferences and Safety Settings
  • Editing your preferences.json
  • Commonly-adjusted preferences:
• Understanding your wifi options
  • Home Wifi
  • Home router
  • School wifi networks
  • Mifi device
  • Known wifi networks
  • Unknown wifi networks

Build Your Rig

• Installing OpenAPS
  • Step 1: Jubilinux
  • Steps 2-3: Wifi and Dependencies
  • Step 4: Setup script
  • Step 5: Watch your Pump-Loop Log
  • Step 6: Finish your OpenAPS setup
• 512/712 pump users
  • Most important step - make sure you said yes (y) in oref0-setup.sh
  • Edit the three (3) necessary files: basal, settings, and targets
• Tell us you’re looping
  • After you have looped for three consecutive nights:

Customize-Iterate

• Enable Bluetooth tethering
  • Benefit of Using BT Tethering to Your Phone’s Hotspot
  • Phone selection for BT Tethering
  • Configure Bluetooth tethering on Edison running Jubilinux [optional]
• IFTTT and Pebble buttons
  • IFTTT Setup for phones
  • Enable IFTTT in your Nightscout site
  • Install IFTTT app on your iPhone/Android
  • Workflow to custom enter carbs and temp targets from Today widget on iPhone
  • ThisButton for the Pebble Watch - pictured at the very top of this page
  • Alexa integration
  • Google Assistant integration
  • Google Calendar integration
• Autosens
  • Autosens adjustments
  • Notes about autosensitivity:
  • Autosens vs Autotune
• Autotune
  • How Autotune works
  • The difference between autotune and autosens:
• Understanding Autotune
  • Safety reminders
  • Example output from autotune
  • What you’ll see in autotune inputs and outputs
  • If you are DIY closed looping and looking at autotune:
  • If you are not DIY closed looping and are looking at autotune:
• oref1: SMB and UAM
  • Only run oref1 with the following caveats in mind:
  • Understanding SMB
  • Understanding UAM
  • How to turn on SMB/UAM
  • Troubleshooting
  • Pushover, SMB, and OpenAPS
• Offline Looping
  • Offline looping
• Add more wifi to your rig
• Useful mobile apps
  • IP address of rig
  • Logging into Rig
  • SerialBot (Android)
  • Nightscout Apps
• Tips & tricks
  • How do I enter carbs and boluses so OpenAPS can use them?
  • What do you do with the loop in airport security when you travel
  • What do you do with your loop when you travel across timezones? How do you update devices for a time zone change?
  • What do you do with the loop when you shower?
  • What do you do when you change sites?
  • What do you do when you exercise?
  • What do you do if you want to be off the pump for long periods during a day when you’re really active? Like for the beach or water park or sporting activity or similar?
  • What if I want to turn off the loop for a while?
  • How can you make adjustments to insulin delivery while on the go? - Optimizing with Temporary Targets:
• Update your rig in the future
  • Step 1 (Master): Install the new version
  • Step 2: Re-run oref0-setup
  • Step 3: Remember to set your preferences!
• How to run oref0-setup.sh again

Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting oref0-setup
  • Re-run the script again
  • Should I enact cron?
  • How do I know if it is working?
  • It’s not working yet:
  • Running commands manually to see what’s not working from an oref0-setup.sh setup process
• General linux troubleshooting
  • Before you get started
• Pump-rig troubleshooting
  • Basics of communications
• CGM-rig troubleshooting
  • First, know how you get data from BG to your rig
  • Second, troubleshoot the specific components of that setup
• Rig-NS troubleshooting
  • Setting up your NS hosting site
  • mLab maintenance
  • Future data
  • Nightscout info incorrect

Give Back-Pay It Forward

• Donate your data
  • About the OpenAPS Data Commons and OpenHumans
  • How to upload your data to the OpenAPS Data Commons
  • Notes about OpenHumans and other data
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• Ways to Contribute to OpenAPS
• Pay it forward to those less fortunate

Resources/Reference

• Resources
  • Making your first PR (pull request)
  • Advanced tips for adding multiple images to documentation
  • Technical Resources
  • Troubleshooting
  • OpenAPS Overview and Project History
  • Glossary
  • Tips for switching from another DIY closed loop system to OpenAPS rig (or running both)
  • Setting Up Your Intel Edison - Flashing instructions for all computer types
  • interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)
  • Manual Edison Flashing instructions - FOR MAC
  • Manual Edison Flashing instructions - FOR WINDOWS
  • Deprecated: Pi Hardware info
  • Setting Up Your Raspberry Pi
  • Older instructions for original Pi-based setups

Next: How A DIY Open Source Closed Loop “Artificial Pancreas” Works

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