Tips and Tricks for Using CamAPS FX — Real World Guidance

Thinking of the CamAPS FX — Batman?

“With planning and preparation, I can beat anyone.”

Want to listen to the podcast on this?

Episode 4: Mastering CamAPS FX – The Batman of AID. We take a closer look at the CamAPS FX system, which offers customisable glucose targets, continuous algorithm learning, and exceptional flexibility — ideal for people with fluctuating insulin needs, including those who are pregnant or highly active.

Want more on how to choose an AID system?

You can look forward to:

• The most adaptable system, allowing multiple glucose targets throughout the day, and announcement of hypos and high-fat meals
• Well suited to people needing tight control, such as during pregnancy
• The most well-researched system across age groups, with a sophisticated algorithm that adapts continuously

If you select CamAPS FX, here are the essentials:

• How the algorithm works
• Starting settings
• Tips and tricks
• Preventing and treating hypos
• High-fat meals
• Exercise

How the algorithm works

CamAPS FX has four components:

• Dana pump or YpsoPump (with pre-filled pump cartridge)
• Dexcom G6 sensor or FreeStyle Libre 3 (with YpsoPump)
• An Android smartphone (not iPhone-enabled yet, as of March 2025)
• The CamAPS FX app, which hosts the algorithm and connects to sensor and pump

This graphic explains how the CamAPS FX algorithm works in a nutshell.

Take-homes

• The algorithm auto-calculates basal rates and correction factors and delivers insulin as an extended micro-bolus every 8–12 minutes.
• Insulin delivery increases when glucose is rising.
• Insulin delivery decreases and suspends if glucose is predicted to go low.
• The default target is 5.8 mmol/L (105 mg/dL), adjustable as low as 4.4 mmol/L (80 mg/dL) and as high as 11.0 mmol/L (198 mg/dL), in as many time blocks as required — giving substantial flexibility.

Starting settings

The algorithm needs your weight, average total daily insulin dose, and carbohydrate ratios. It then calculates the rest, including active insulin time and carbohydrate-on-board time, and continuously adapts.

You still need to keep your pump’s basal rates, correction factors, and carb ratios up to date in case you have to come out of automated mode.

Once the above is set, you will mostly adjust carbohydrate ratios and target levels depending on your time in range.

Starting an AID system can be divided into two parts:

SURVIVE

THRIVE

You can download the How to Survive and Thrive Guide — CamAPS FX.

Tips and tricks

If you want to reach 70% or more time in range, do not forget the basics:

• Three balanced meals
• Accurate carbohydrate counting
• Bolus insulin 10–20 minutes before eating
• Be active for 10–15 minutes after eating
• Rotate cannula sites

Follow these and you may find: 99 Problems But Highs Ain’t One (download/use/share)

Other things to be aware of:

• Enter hypo treatments in the “Add meal” feature under “Hypoglycaemia treatment”.
• Always suspend the pump when disconnecting (showers, sport, sex).
• Keep the Android phone within about six metres; a waistband or pocket close to the body is useful.
• Update pump settings for use outside the algorithm:
  • Basal rates
  • Correction factors
  • Carbohydrate ratios
  • Target levels

Preventing and treating hypos

It would be ideal if hypos were a thing of the past — but they will still happen.

The algorithm can prevent many overnight hypos.

However, if you give too much bolus insulin or exercise without planning, hypos will still occur.

You will often need less hypo treatment than usual because the algorithm may have already reduced or stopped insulin for 30 minutes or more.

You may also want to prevent hypos if glucose is 4.0–6.0 mmol/L (70–110 mg/dL) and trending down.

This guide is based on weight (example: 30 kg). The Survive and Thrive Guide — CamAPS FX lets you enter your weight to generate a personalised chart.

You can download the hypo chart here if you want to try it.

High-fat meals

From the Mealtime Insulin Guide, we know high-fat meals with carbohydrates (pizza, takeaways) need additional insulin.

The CamAPS FX algorithm auto-calculates active insulin and carbohydrates on board, so it is relatively good at responding to delayed rises after high-fat meals.

Best results are often seen by giving 50% of the carbohydrate upfront and entering the other 50% via “Add meal” → “Slowly absorbed meal”. This tells the algorithm to anticipate a delayed rise.

Example: For a 100 g carbohydrate pizza, bolus 50 g upfront and add 50 g as “Slowly absorbed meal”.

Another option, if that is not enough: bolus 100% of the carbs upfront, then add 25–50% “fake carbs” about 90 minutes later. For example, bolus 100 g before eating, then add 25–50 g extra at 90 minutes.

Trial and error is required.

Exercise

There is a quick method and a more comprehensive planned method.

The quick method

Turn on “Ease Off” before starting exercise — ideally 90 minutes beforehand. Then take small carbohydrate top-ups every 20 minutes as needed.

Avoid large carbohydrate loads all at once — glucose may spike, triggering extra insulin and increasing hypo risk.

How many grams every 20 minutes?

It depends on body weight. Here is an example for a 50 kg person. The Survive and Thrive Guide — CamAPS FX lets you enter your weight to generate your own chart.

You can download the exercise charts here: mmol/L and mg/dL.

The comprehensive planned method

To use this method, work your way through the Exercise Guide so you understand exercise types, bolus reductions, and how to adapt plans after trials.

Read it?

Great — you are up to speed with exercise management.

The T25/T25 table should now make sense. If not, read the article on the recent AID and Exercise Consensus Guideline — the infographic under the T25/T25 grid is especially useful.

This downloadable exercise tool makes creating and adapting exercise plans easier.

Go forth and conquer CamAPS FX.

Check out the top ten tips to optimise time in range when using an AID system.

Ready for the different AID systems?

Tandem t:slim X2 with Control-IQ → Spider-Man

Medtronic 780G → The Incredible Hulk

Omnipod 5 → Iron Man