xDrip » Features » xDrip & Dexcom » Dexcom G7 grace perriod
This explains how to set up xDrip to use G7.
A G7 device runs for 10.5 days. Dexcom refers to the extra 12 hours over a 10-day period as the grace period. You have several options explained below for how you can take advantage of the grace period. You can also use a combination of those.
1- Flexibility
If you use every sensor for 10 days, the extra 12 hours can give you flexibility. For example if an unexpected errand comes up exactly at the 10-day schedule and you cannot start the new sensor as expected, you will have 12 hours to complete the errand and start the new sensor while your old sensor remains functional.
2- Extra run time
You can choose to use each sensor for 10.5 days instead of 10. The requirement for this is if you start a sensor at 7:00 am, you will have to start the next one at 7:00 pm. You will need to switch back and forth between starting the sensor in the morning and evening.
If you use each sensor for 10.5 days, 9 sensors will last you 94.5 days.
3- Presoak
You can insert your new sensor while your old sensor is still operational. As an example, you can always insert your new sensor at 7:00 am but leave your old sensor active until 7:00 pm.
The result is that when your old sensor stops working, your new sensor has already warmed up and worked for hours already.
Readings from a new sensor are unstable for a while. Using your old sensor while your new sensor runs for 12 hours let’s you avoid the unstable readings.
How you use the extra 12 hours is your choice.
xDrip considers a G7 sensor to run for 10.5 days and expire then. Therefore, when you start a sensor, xDrip shows the sensor to expire in 10.5 days.
