KR> heres a little mystery that seems to defy everything
KR> that i've learnt about fixing electronics -

KR> i've got a little gadget that i use to measure my blood sugar
KR> level, it is a digital device, like a small dmm. you put a drop
KR> of blood on a chemically impregnated strip, and insert it, an
KR> optical sensor picks up the colour change, and gives a reading
KR> on an lcd display. it also remembers the last 50 readings, and
KR> picks up bar code from the strip to calibrate itself.

KR> the day that i left america, it ceased to work, so i tried
KR> changing the 3 aaa cells but no go. on my return, i called
KR> the manufacturer for service under warranty. the girl at the
KR> service department asked me if i had reversed the batteries,
KR> sensing a trap, i of course denied it. "well" she said, "try
KR> doing that, it usually fixes them". so i did, and fix it it did.

KR> i dont see any reason why reversing the battery polarity should fix
KR> a digital device, i'd more expect the opposite, so - any ideas?

Sounds like they have deliberately designed it to do a full cleardown
when that is done. And choose not to do that normally on a battery
replacement so you dont lose the stored values on a battery change.

As an alternative to the other approach of hidden reset switch which
you can initiate a full clear down with.

--- PQWK202