Remote Control Overview

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Remote Control Overview¶

LoopFollow remote commands are sent directly using the Apple Push Notification System (APNS) for all Open-Source Automated Insulin Delivery systems that support this feature.

The Loop app and the open beta version of the Trio app (0.5.x or newer) support direct APNS from LoopFollow.

LoopFollow Remote Options¶

With the release of LoopFollow 3.2, remote options for the Loop app are updated.

With the release of LoopFollow 4.0, you can share remote control configuration using a QR code.

The graphic below shows the Remote Settings screen for LoopFollow. You must first enter a Nightscout URL before any remote options are offered and then only the option suitable for that Nightscout site can be selected.

• When following someone running Loop, the options are None or Loop Remote Control
• When following someone running Trio, the options are None or:
  • Trio 0.5.x and newer: Trio Remote Control
  • Trio 0.2.x: Nightscout Remote Control

Critical Configuration Information¶

If you plan to use LoopFollow Remote Control with a looper using the Loop app version 3.x or the Trio app version 0.5 or newer, and you don't have your APNS key information recorded or configured, see the instructions in Apple Push Notifications System (APNS).

If your looper is using Trio 0.2.x, use this link for configuration:

• Nightscout Remote Control

Loop Follow Remote Control Configuration¶

If you are configuring Remote Control for the first time, follow the appropriate directions for either Loop or Trio:

• Configure Remote Control for Loop
• Configure Remote Control for Trio

If you are configuring a second phone to use remote control, you can transfer the settings from one phone to another.

Export Remote Settings with QR Code¶

To share your remote settings with another device, follow the directions in this section to generate the QR code. Then follow the directions in Import from QR Code to read the code on the other device.

To show the QR Code, go into Remote settings on the phone that is already configured for remote control. Click the button Export Remote Settings as QR Code and the QR code will show on screen.

This process works for both Loop Remote Control and for Trio Remote Control, with the generated QR Code specific to the app that is being followed.

Import from QR Code¶

If a follower only needs to monitor and get alarms

• Do not use the QR code
• Enter the Nightscout URL with token as described in Add Nightscout

You can scan a QR code from a LoopFollow device that is already configured to get the settings for Nightscout URL, Token and all remote settings. This process works for both Loop and for Trio, with the QR Code specific to the app that is being followed.

Only do this for another caregiver who needs the same Nightscout and remote control capabilities.

There are different directions depending on whether the target phone already has the Nightscout URL entered or not:

• Nightscout URL Configured
• Nightscout URL Not Configured

Nightscout URL Configured¶

With a device that already has the Nightscout address set, go to the Settings: Remote Control screen. you must select "None" to reveal the "Import Remote Settings from QR Code" button.

Clicking that will take you to the remote screen where you can use the button Import Remote Settings from QR Code.

Use the Camera to scan a QR Code from the other phone.

This will import the Nightscout URL, token and remote settings.

Nightscout URL Not Configured¶

With a device that does not have a Nightscout address set, there will be a button in Settings named Import Settings.

Clicking that will take you to the remote screen where you can use the button Import Remote Settings from QR Code.

Use the Camera to scan a QR Code from the other phone.

This will import the Nightscout URL, token and remote settings.

Apple Push Notifications System (APNS)¶

Existing APNS¶

If you previously configured remote control with the Loop app, you already have an Apple Push Notification System (APNS) Key ID and Key. These were added to the config vars in your Nightscout site.

• For Loop, these keys must be added to Nightscout for you to use the Careportal feature
• For Trio, these keys do not need to be added to Nightscout to use the Careportal feature

If you do not have existing APNS Keys, skip ahead to New APNS.

When you configured APNS for the Loop app and saved information in your Nightscout config vars, they used the names in the table below. The same APNS Key ID and Key are what you need to add to the LoopFollow app when configuring for Remote Control with APNS.

Note that the LOOP_DEVELOPER_TEAM_ID is the Apple Developer ID used to build the Loop app.

• When using LoopFollow 3.2 or newer, the addition of those config variables in Nightscout is only required to support sending remote commands to the Loop app from Nightscout Careportal and from LoopCaregiver.
• With LoopFollow 3.2 and newer versions, the LoopFollow Remote Control features are available for both the Loop and Trio apps when the APNS credentials are entered in the LoopFollow app, along with other specific credentials for each app.

If you are configuring for Trio remote control with LoopFollow, you do not need to enter the Apple Developer ID explicitly because it is included in the information Trio uploads to Nightscout.

New APNS¶

When using Trio, you do not need to add the config vars to Nightscout that are required for Loop remote control from Nightscout Careportal and LoopCaregiver. If you already have them, it doesn't hurt anything, but you do not need to add them to use remote control with Trio.

With LoopFollow 3.2 and newer, the config vars will not need to be embedded in Nightscout for Loop Remote Control from LoopFollow, although they are still needed to issue remote commands with the Nightscout Careportal and the LoopCaregiver app.

If you do not have APNS credentials, you need to create a key and grant it access to the  Apple Push Notification Service (APNS).

Note - these directions are copied from LoopDocs so it suggests you name the key Nightscout. It is probably best to stick with that naming for APNS keys whether you are using Loop or Trio.

1. To get started, go to the Keys section under Apple Developer's Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles and login with the Apple ID associated with your developer team that you used to build the Trio app.
2. If not already open in your browser (compare with the below screenshot),
   • Click on Keys (located in the left-hand column).
   • Either click on the blue Create a key button OR the plus button () to add a key.

     

3. In the form that appears, do the following:
   • Click the checkbox for enabling Apple Push Notifications service (APNs)
   • Enter a name for the key such as Nightscout (you can name it however you want, just make sure you know what the key is for by the name you choose).
   • Then click the Configure button to the right of the name
   • Choose Sandbox & Production and then Save
   • Tap on the Continue button, upper right

     

4. In the screen that follows, click the blue Register button.

   

5. In the screen that follows, click the blue Download button.
   This step will download a file with a name that starts with AuthKey and ends with .p8.

   

6. Find your AuthKey downloaded file in your downloads folder. It's a good idea to store this file where you can find it again if you need it. The next task is to rename the file so you can open it. Highlight the filename and choose rename, then add ".txt" after ".p8". In other words, modify AuthKey_AAAAAAAAAA.p8 to AuthKey_AAAAAAAAAA.p8.txt and click on Use .txt when questioned.

   

7. Double-click to open the AuthKey_AAAAAAAAAA.p8.txt file. It will look similar to the screenshot below. You need to highlight ALL OF THE CONTENTS of that file and copy it and then paste it both into your Secrets Reference file and into the row for LoopFollow APNS Key. Yes, allllll of the contents.
   So, the easiest way is to:

   • Click inside that file
   • Highlight all the text, and then
   • Copy all the text to the clipboard (Cf. screenshot below).
     • On a Mac, press Cmd+A to select all, then press Cmd+C to copy the selection.
     • On a PC, press Ctrl+A to select all, then press Ctrl+C to copy the selection.

   

8. The APNS Key ID is the 10-character name embedded in the filename: AuthKey_AAAAAAAAAA.p8.txt. You can also see it if you return to Apple Developer's Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles as highlighted in this graphic. You copy that APNS Key ID and then paste it both into your Secrets Reference file and into the row for LoopFollow APNS Key ID

   

Next Step¶

Depending on the selection you made, continue to one of these pages for more information on how to configure LoopFollow for your desired remote control option.

• Loop Remote Control
• Trio Remote Control
• Nightscout Remote Control (Trio 0.2.x only)

Background Information¶

There has been a lot of recent changes to remote control with LoopFollow.

The historical notes are in this section.

Changes for LoopFollow Remote Control of the Loop App¶

• With LoopFollow 3.2 and newer
  • Loop remote commands from LoopFollow include Meal, Bolus and Override control
    • LoopFollow no longer requires the Nightscout site be configured with the APNS credentials
    • Read access for the Nightscout URL is sufficient
• With LoopFollow 3.1 and older
  • Loop remote commands were limited to Overrides, required the Nightscout site be configured with the APNS credentials and required a token with careportal access

With Trio 0.2.x, LoopFollow only supports temp targets and requires a token with careportal access. Once updated to Trio 0.5.x or newer, the full Trio Remote Control options are available.

LoopFollow Remote Control¶

• LoopFollow Remote Control sends messages to the loopers phone using APNS
  • Loop: Requires LoopFollow 3.2 or newer
  • Trio: Requires matched code versions:
    • Trio 0.6 (or newer) requires LoopFollow 4.0 (or newer)
    • Trio 0.5.1.28 (or older) requires LoopFollow 3.2.11 (or older)
  • Commands go via APNS to the Loop/Trio phone
    • An immediate success or failure for sending the message to APNS is received
    • There still could be a communication failure between APNS and the looper's phone or the command could be rejected by the looper's app
  • Trio v0.6 or newer an APNS response is returned to LoopFollow
    • A success or failure message is pushed back to the LoopFollow phone from the Trio phone when a remote command is received and handled
  • The results show up in Nightscout after being uploaded from the Loop/Trio phone
  • The results are plotted or displayed in LoopFollow after being downloaded from the Nightscout URL as a new treatment
  • APNS keys do not need to be embedded in the Nightscout site
    • This simplifies configuration of Nightscout, especially for those who use a paid service for Nightscout
• For those following a looper using Trio 0.2.x, the only option for the Remote Setting is Nightscout, which uses Careportal
  • With this selection, the LoopFollow phone sends commands to Nightscout, which then sends commands to the Trio phone
  • For that reason, the Nightscout display will be updated first
    • If there is an issue sending the careportal request from Nightscout, it might not make it to the Trio phone
    • After the next download from Nightscout, the display will update if commands do or do not make it through the full round trip