diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd20fdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+
+*.pyc
diff --git a/coldbox.py b/coldbox.py
index 0f9d1f6..793938e 100644
--- a/coldbox.py
+++ b/coldbox.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from paho.mqtt import client as mqtt_client
-import time
-from time import sleep
+from time import sleep, time
 
 
 class Tessie:
@@ -96,9 +95,9 @@ class Tessie:
     @staticmethod
     def _wait_for_var(var):
         timeout = 5
-        start_time = time.time()
+        start_time = time()
         while True:
-            if time.time() - start_time > timeout:
+            if time() - start_time > timeout:
                 # timeout reached, exit the loop
                 break
             for msg in Tessie.found:
@@ -188,13 +187,19 @@ class ConfTEC:
         self._tessie = tessie
         self.name = " tec " + str(i)
 
+    def _single(self, data):
+        if self.single:
+            return data
+        else:
+            return [float(x) for x in data.split(",")]
+
     def saveToFlash(self):
         return self._tessie.cmd("SaveVariables", self.name, True)
 
     def getPID(self):
-        return [[float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("PID_kp", self.name).split(",")],
-                [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("PID_ki", self.name).split(",")],
-                [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("PID_kd", self.name).split(",")]]
+        return [self._single(self._tessie.get("PID_kp", self.name)),
+                self._single(self._tessie.get("PID_ki", self.name)),
+                self._single(self._tessie.get("PID_kd", self.name))]
 
     def setPID(self, kp: float, ki: float, kd: float):
         self._tessie.set("PID_kp", str(kp), self.name)
@@ -202,8 +207,8 @@ class ConfTEC:
         self._tessie.set("PID_kd", str(kd), self.name)
 
     def getPIDMinMax(self):
-        return [[float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("PID_Min", self.name).split(",")],
-                [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("PID_Max", self.name).split(",")]]
+        return [self._single(self._tessie.get("PID_Min", self.name)),
+                self._single(self._tessie.get("PID_Max", self.name))]
 
     def setPIDMinMax(self, pidmin, pidmax):
         self._tessie.set("PID_Min", str(round(pidmin, 1)), self.name)
@@ -213,19 +218,19 @@ class ConfTEC:
         self._tessie.set("Ref_U", str(round(ref, 3)), self.name)
 
     def getRef(self):
-        return [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Ref_U", self.name).split(",")]
+        return self._single(self._tessie.get("Ref_U", self.name))
 
     def setMode(self, mode: int):
         self._tessie.set("Mode", str(mode), self.name)
 
     def getMode(self):
-        return [int(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Mode", self.name).split(",")]
+        return self._single(self._tessie.get("Mode", self.name))
 
     def clearError(self):
         self._tessie.cmd("clearError", self.name)
 
     def getError(self):
-        return [hex(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Error", self.name).split(",")]
+        return self._single(self._tessie.get("Error", self.name))
 
 
 class TEC:
@@ -233,6 +238,13 @@ class TEC:
         self._tessie = tessie
         self.conf = ConfTEC(tessie, i)
         self.name = " tec " + str(i)
+        self.single = True if i != 0 else False
+
+    def _single(self, data):
+        if self.single:
+            return data
+        else:
+            return [float(x) for x in data.split(",")]
 
     def pon(self):
         self._tessie.cmd("Power_On", self.name)
@@ -241,16 +253,16 @@ class TEC:
         self._tessie.cmd("Power_Off", self.name)
 
     def getState(self):
-        return [bool(x) for x in self._tessie.get("PowerState", self.name).split(",")]
+        return self._single(self._tessie.get("PowerState", self.name))
 
     def getTemp(self):
-        return [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Temp_M", self.name).split(",")]
+        return self._single(self._tessie.get("Temp_M", self.name))
 
     def getUI(self):
-        return [[float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Supply_U", self.name).split(",")],
-                [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Supply_I", self.name).split(",")],
-                [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Peltier_U", self.name).split(",")],
-                [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("Peltier_I", self.name).split(",")]]
+        return [self._single(self._tessie.get("Supply_U", self.name)),
+                self._single(self._tessie.get("Supply_I", self.name)),
+                self._single(self._tessie.get("Peltier_U", self.name)),
+                self._single(self._tessie.get("Peltier_I", self.name))]
 
     def setTemp(self, temp: float):
         self._tessie.set("Temp_Set", str(round(temp)), self.name)
@@ -259,7 +271,7 @@ class TEC:
         self._tessie.set("ControlVoltage_Set", str(round(u, 2)), self.name)
 
     def getVoltage(self):
-        return [float(x) for x in self._tessie.get("ControlVoltage_Set", self.name).split(",")]
+        return self._single(self._tessie.get("ControlVoltage_Set", self.name))
 
     def reset(self):
         return self._tessie.cmd("Reboot", self.name, True)
@@ -287,6 +299,8 @@ class Coldbox:
         self.tec8 = TEC(self._tessie, 8)
         self.env = Env(self._tessie)
 
+        self.tecs = [self.tec1, self.tec2, self.tec3, self.tec4, self.tec5, self.tec6, self.tec7, self.tec8]
+
     def help(self):
         self._tessie.help()