ResMed AirSense 10 Data Guide: SD Card and Card-to-Cloud Explained

If you use a ResMed AirSense 10, your machine is quietly recording detailed therapy data every single night — and most of it lives on a small SD card tucked into the back of the device. The AirSense 10 is among the most widely deployed home auto-adjusting CPAP machines (APAPs) in the world, which means a huge number of users are sitting on rich, exportable data they've never actually seen. This guide explains exactly what the AirSense 10 stores, where to find the SD slot, how the "Card-to-Cloud" variant differs from the standard cellular model, and how to turn those raw files into something you can read.

This is part of our CPAP Machines & Devices hub. If you're choosing between models or comparing notes, our AirSense 11 data guide is the natural companion to this one.

What the AirSense 10 records (EDF on SD card)

The AirSense 10 writes its therapy data to the SD card in EDF (European Data Format) — the same open, standardized format used across the sleep-medicine world for physiological recordings. This is good news: because EDF is an open standard, the data isn't locked to ResMed's own app and can be read by independent tools.

Two layers of detail get stored:

• Summary data — nightly roll-ups: usage hours, AHI (apnea-hypopnea index, the count of breathing events per hour), 95th-percentile pressure, leak figures, and event counts. The card holds roughly 365 nights of these summaries.
• High-resolution detailed data — the granular, second-by-second recordings: the flow rate waveform (the actual shape of your breaths), pressure traces, leak over time, and flagged events with timestamps. The card retains roughly 30 nights of this detailed data before older nights roll off.

That capacity — about 30 detailed nights plus 365 summary nights — matches the AirSense 11. So whichever model you own, your high-resolution window is roughly a month, which is one more reason to back up your card periodically if you want to keep a longer record.

What the detailed data unlocks is the part most people never see in an app. The flow rate waveform, for example, lets you spot flat-top breaths and flow limitation — subtle airway narrowing that doesn't always register as a full event but can still leave you tired. The events get broken out by type — obstructive apneas, central (clear-airway) apneas, hypopneas, and RERAs — which matters because the type of event tells you something very different about what's happening in your airway.

Where the SD slot is (back, near the bottom)

On the AirSense 10, the SD card slot is on the back of the machine, near the bottom. It sits behind a small hinged or removable cover. This is a key difference from the AirSense 11, where the slot moved to the side of the device — so if you're following instructions written for the newer model, the location won't match.

To remove the card safely:

1. Turn the machine off and, ideally, unplug it. You don't want to pull the card mid-write.
2. Find the cover on the back, lower portion of the unit and open it.
3. Push the card in gently until it clicks, then release — it's a spring-loaded (push-push) slot, so it pops out for you. Don't try to pull it straight out without pushing first.
4. Insert it into an SD reader on your computer or phone.

When you're done, reinsert the card the same way (push until it clicks) and make sure it's seated before your next night of therapy. A machine running without a card still works for breathing therapy, but it won't store the detailed history — so the card needs to live in the slot.

For a full walkthrough across brands, see how to download CPAP data from your SD card.

Standard cellular model vs Card-to-Cloud (C2C)

Not every AirSense 10 is the same machine under the hood. ResMed ships two broad flavors, and the difference matters a lot for how you access your data.

The standard model has a built-in cellular modem that automatically transmits summary data to ResMed's AirView platform (used by your equipment provider and clinician) and feeds the consumer-facing myAir app on your phone.

The Card-to-Cloud (C2C) model is deliberately different: it has no cellular modem and no myAir support at all. The "card-to-cloud" name describes the workflow — your data only leaves the machine when someone physically removes the SD card and uploads it. C2C units are common in the cash/online resale market because they sidestep the carrier-monitoring setup. The trade-off is that all of your data lives on that card and only that card — there's no app showing you a score, and nothing reaches your provider unless you act.

This is exactly where a card-reading tool becomes essential rather than optional. SomniCharts reads AirSense 10 SD-card data — including Card-to-Cloud models that have no app or cellular link — and explains it in plain language. You insert the card, upload the files, and get your AHI, leak, pressure, and event breakdown without needing myAir, AirView, or a desktop install.

AirSense 10 vs AirSense 11 — what differs

If you're deciding whether the newer model changes anything about your data, here's the honest summary: the data itself is largely the same. Both record EDF to an SD card, both flag the same event types, and both hold roughly 30 detailed + 365 summary nights. The differences are mostly about hardware and the app layer:

• SD slot location — AirSense 10: back, near the bottom. AirSense 11: on the side.
• Connectivity — the AirSense 11 leans more heavily on cellular/Wi-Fi and on-device myAir features; the AirSense 10 (standard model) uses cellular for summary upload. Both have Card-to-Cloud variants with no connectivity.
• myAir — both feed myAir on their connected models, with the same limitations (more on that below).
• Comfort features — broadly comparable (EPR, ramp, climate control). It's always worth confirming yours are set the way you expect; see our guide to ResMed EPR, ramp & climate control settings.

The bottom line: switching from a 10 to an 11 won't unlock fundamentally new data, and your SD card from either reads the same way.

A word on myAir's limits (both models)

myAir is ResMed-only and gives you a single 0–100 score each morning. It's a nice motivator, but it's weighted heavily toward usage hours rather than therapy quality. The exact formula has never been published, and the score shows you no event-type breakdown, no detailed leak data, and no flow-limitation information. In practice, you can score a near-perfect 100 with an AHI close to 5 — which is well into "could be better" territory. Our deeper dive, how to read your myAir score and what it hides, unpacks this. If you only ever look at the myAir number, you're seeing the thinnest possible slice of what your AirSense 10 actually recorded.

How to read your AirSense 10 data

Once you've got the card out, you have several ways to interpret it. Here are the realistic options.

1. Read it yourself with free desktop software. OSCAR is the well-known free, open-source desktop program that reads ResMed EDF files. It's powerful and shows everything, but it has a learning curve, doesn't auto-score or interpret anything for you, and doesn't run on a Chromebook. If you go this route, our OSCAR charts in plain English guide will help you make sense of what you're looking at.

2. Use a cloud tool — no install. Browser-based analyzers let you upload the card contents and see your night without software. SomniCharts is built exactly for this: it imports ResMed (AirSense 10 and 11, including Card-to-Cloud), Philips Respironics (including the encrypted DreamStation 2), and Löwenstein prisma data, then explains the numbers automatically in plain language across all those brands. That cross-vendor, automatic-interpretation angle is what separates it from reading raw charts yourself. To compare your options, see our roundup of web-based OSCAR alternatives.

3. Hand the card to your provider. Especially for Card-to-Cloud users, your equipment provider can read the card during a visit and generate a compliance report for your doctor or insurer.

What to actually look at

Whatever tool you use, focus on these numbers — and on trends over weeks, not single nights. One rough night is noise; a two-week pattern is signal.

• Residual AHI. A residual AHI below 5 events per hour is the widely used benchmark for effective therapy — the AASM defines an "optimal" titration as reducing AHI to under 5, which is also the normal range. Some clinicians aim lower (e.g., under 1–2) when it's comfortably achievable, but there's no formal guideline establishing "below 2" as a universal target, and goals are individualized with your provider. For the full picture, see what is a good AHI on CPAP.
• Leak rate. This is the trust-building number, because a large leak can invalidate or under-report your AHI — the machine can't reliably score events when air is escaping. ResMed reports excess leak, with a threshold around 24 L/min at the 95th percentile. (Note that Philips reports total leak instead, so the two brands' numbers aren't directly comparable.) If your AHI looks great but leaks are high, treat the AHI with suspicion and read our leak rate guide.
• Pressure. The 95th-percentile pressure tells you what your APAP actually delivered most of the night, which is more meaningful than the prescribed range.
• Event types. If you see central (clear-airway) apneas climbing over time, take note. CPAP reliably splints the airway open and treats obstructive events, but it doesn't directly correct the unstable breathing drive behind central events. A rise in central events can signal treatment-emergent central sleep apnea (TECSA), which appears in roughly 5–15% of PAP titrations and resolves on its own in most cases (about 60–80%) within weeks to months of continued therapy. Persistent or symptomatic cases deserve clinician evaluation. Do not raise your own pressure to chase central events — higher pressure doesn't fix them and can sometimes provoke them. Our treatment-emergent CSA explainer covers this in depth.

The whole point of reading your card is to spot these patterns so you can have an informed conversation with your provider — not to make changes on your own.

Frequently asked questions

Does the AirSense 10 record data without an SD card?

The machine will still deliver therapy without a card, but it won't store the detailed night-by-night history. Keep the card seated in the slot if you want your data retained.

Can OSCAR read AirSense 10 files?

Yes. The AirSense 10 stores standard EDF files, which OSCAR reads natively. OSCAR is free but doesn't interpret the data for you and won't run on a Chromebook. Cloud tools like SomniCharts read the same card and explain it automatically.

How is the Card-to-Cloud model different?

The C2C AirSense 10 has no cellular modem and no myAir support. Your only data path is the SD card — you physically remove it and upload it. SomniCharts can read these C2C cards even though there's no app.

How many nights does the card hold?

Roughly 30 nights of high-resolution detailed data and about 365 nights of summary data — the same capacity as the AirSense 11. Back up the card periodically if you want to keep a longer detailed record.

Where is the SD card slot on the AirSense 10?

On the back of the machine, near the bottom, behind a small cover. (On the newer AirSense 11, it's on the side instead.)