Telemetry Aggregation Platforms
Combining CGM readings, pump delivery logs, and carb inputs into a single dashboard is critical for finding patterns and optimizing basal rates using our calculators.
| Platform | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Nightscout | Open Source (Self-Hosted) | Real-time telemetry, DIY looping |
| Tidepool | Non-Profit / Open Source | Retrospective clinical analysis |
| Glooko | Commercial (Clinic standard) | Hardware uploads (cables/NFC) |
| Dexcom Clarity | Commercial (Siloed) | Standard CGM reporting (AGP) |
Nightscout Architecture
Nightscout is an open-source MongoDB and Node.js web application. It acts as a central hub. Apps like Dexcom Share or AndroidAPS push data to Nightscout's REST API. Nightscout then visualizes this data and allows other devices (smartwatches, desktop widgets, home automation) to query it. Hosting Nightscout typically involves a free tier on Heroku or Railway, and a MongoDB Atlas cluster.
The Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP)
The standard clinical report generated by these platforms is the AGP. It collapses 14-90 days of data into a single 24-hour median curve with percentile bands (10th-90th and 25th-75th). If your interquartile range (25th-75th) is wide, it indicates high variability, requiring investigation into infusion sites or timing of boluses rather than just changing the total dose.
FAQ
- Is Nightscout secure?
- It uses an API secret for writing data, but read access is public by default unless specifically configured otherwise. You own the database.
- How do I get old pump data into Tidepool?
- Tidepool provides a desktop uploader utility that uses physical USB cables or IR dongles to pull binary logs from legacy pumps and translates them into standardized JSON.