diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp
index 81836d6b1..497ab59f4 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp
@@ -20,16 +20,63 @@
 #define DEBUG(x)
 #endif
 
+
+using namespace std;
+
+struct EigerReceiverInitializationConfiguration {
+
+	string detectorHostname;
+};
+
+struct EigerReceiverScanConfiguration {
+
+	string fileName;
+	string filePath;
+	int dynamicRange;
+	int scanTag;
+	int numberOfFrames;
+	bool doFileWrite;
+
+	EigerReceiverScanConfiguration():
+			dynamicRange(-1),
+			scanTag(-1),
+			numberOfFrames(-1),
+			doFileWrite(false) {};
+};
+
 class EigerReceiverImplementation: public EigerReceiver {
 
 public:
-	void initialize(const char *detectorHostName) {
-	 DEBUG("initialize() with: detectorHostName= " << detectorHostName << ".");
+
+	EigerReceiverImplementation() : isInitialized(false), status(slsDetectorDefs::ERROR) {};
+
+	void initialize(const char *detectorHostname) {
+
+	 string name;
+	 if (detectorHostname != NULL) {
+		 name = detectorHostname;
+	 }
+
+	 if (name.empty()) {
+		 DEBUG("initialize(): can't initialize with empty string or NULL for detectorHostname");
+	 } else if (isInitialized == true) {
+		 DEBUG("initialize(): already initialized, can't initialize several times");
+	 } else {
+	   DEBUG("initialize(): initialize() with: detectorHostName=" << name << ".");
+	   init_config.detectorHostname = name;
+	   isInitialized = true;
+	   status = slsDetectorDefs::IDLE;
+	 }
+
 	}
 
 	char *getDetectorHostname() const {
-		const std::string name = "some_host_name";
-	    char *c = new char[name.length()];
+		string name = init_config.detectorHostname;
+		if (name.empty()) {
+			DEBUG("getDetectorHostname(): Return NULL");
+			return(NULL);
+		}
+	    char *c = new char[name.length()+1];
 	    name.copy(c, name.length());
 	    c[name.length()] = '\0';
         DEBUG("getDetectorHostname(): Return " << c << ".");
@@ -37,8 +84,9 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	char *getFileName() const {
-		const std::string name = "some_file_name";
-	    char *c = new char[name.length()];
+		string name = scan_config.fileName;
+
+	    char *c = new char[name.length()+1];
 	    name.copy(c, name.length());
 	    c[name.length()] = '\0';
         DEBUG("getFileName(): Return " << c);
@@ -46,8 +94,9 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	char *getFilePath() const {
-		std::string name = "some_path";
-	    char *c = new char[name.length()];
+		string name = scan_config.filePath;
+
+	    char *c = new char[name.length()+1];
 	    name.copy(c, name.length());
 	    c[name.length()] = '\0';
         DEBUG("getFilePath(): Return " << c);
@@ -55,69 +104,89 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	int getDynamicRange() const {
-		DEBUG("getDynamicRange(): Return 16.");
-		return(16);
+		DEBUG("getDynamicRange(): Return " << scan_config.dynamicRange);
+		return(scan_config.dynamicRange);
 	}
 
 	int getScanTag() const {
-		DEBUG("getScanTag(): return 4711.");
-		return(4711);
+		DEBUG("getScanTag(): returns " << scan_config.scanTag);
+		return(scan_config.scanTag);
 	}
 
 	int getNumberOfFrames() const {
-		DEBUG("getNumberOfFrames(): return 42.");
-		return(42);
-	}
-
-	char * setFileName(const char c[]) {
-		DEBUG("setFileName() called with " << c <<".");
-		return(this->getFileName());
-	}
-
-	char * setFilePath(const char c[]) {
-		DEBUG("setFilePath() called with" << c << ".");
-		return(this->getFilePath());
+		DEBUG("getNumberOfFrames(): return " << scan_config.numberOfFrames);
+		return(scan_config.numberOfFrames);
 	}
 
 	int getEnableFileWrite() const {
-		DEBUG("getEnableFileWrite() returns 1.");
-		return(1);
+		DEBUG("getEnableFileWrite() returns " << scan_config.doFileWrite);
+		return(scan_config.doFileWrite);
 	}
+
+	slsDetectorDefs::runStatus getStatus() const {
+		DEBUG("getStatus(): return " <<status);
+		return(status);
+	}
+
+	char *setFileName(const char c[]) {
+		DEBUG("setFileName() called with " << c <<".");
+		scan_config.fileName = c;
+		return(this->getFileName());
+	}
+
+	char *setFilePath(const char c[]) {
+		DEBUG("setFilePath() called with " << c << ".");
+		scan_config.filePath = c;
+		return(this->getFilePath());
+	}
+
 	int setDynamicRange (const int dr) {
 		DEBUG("setDynamicRange() called with " << dr << '.');
-		return(this->getDynamicRange());
+		scan_config.dynamicRange = dr;
+		return(getDynamicRange());
 	}
 
 	int setScanTag (const int tag) {
 		DEBUG("setScanTag() called with " << tag);
-		return(this->getScanTag());
+		scan_config.scanTag = tag;
+		return(getScanTag());
 	}
 
 	int setNumberOfFrames (const int fnum) {
 		DEBUG("setNumberOfFrames() called with " << fnum);
-		return(this->getNumberOfFrames());
+		scan_config.numberOfFrames = fnum;
+		return(getNumberOfFrames());
 	}
 
 	int setEnableFileWrite(const int i) {
 		DEBUG("enableFileWrite() called with " << i);
-		return(0);
+		scan_config.doFileWrite = i;
+		return(getEnableFileWrite());
 	}
 
 	int startReceiver(char message[]) {
 		DEBUG("startReceiver(): return 0.");
+		status = slsDetectorDefs::RUNNING;
 		message = NULL;
 		return(0);
 	}
 
 	int stopReceiver() {
 		DEBUG("stopReceiver(): return 0.");
+		status = slsDetectorDefs::IDLE;
 		return(0);
 	}
 
 	void abort() {
 		DEBUG("abort(): return 0.");
+		status = slsDetectorDefs::IDLE;
 	}
 
+private:
+	EigerReceiverScanConfiguration scan_config;
+	EigerReceiverInitializationConfiguration init_config;
+	bool isInitialized;
+	slsDetectorDefs::runStatus status;
 };
 
 EigerReceiver *EigerReceiver::create(void) {
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.h
index 32d1ff241..7ffa830b4 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.h
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+//#ifndef EIGER_RECEIVER
 //#define EIGER_RECEIVER
+//#endif
 #ifdef EIGER_RECEIVER
 
 #ifndef EIGERRECEIVER_H
@@ -12,6 +14,8 @@
  * @short does all the functions for a receiver, set/get parameters, start/stop etc.
  */
 
+#include "sls_detector_defs.h"
+
 class EigerReceiver {
 	/* abstract class that defines the public interface of an eiger data receiver.
 	 *
@@ -76,9 +80,7 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * Returns status of receiver: idle, running or error
 	 */
-	/*FIXME: need to implement runStatus getStatus();*/
- 	/* the struct slsDetectorDefs is available in  slsDetectorsPackage/slsDetectorSoftware/commonFiles/slsDetectorDefs.h */
-
+    virtual slsDetectorDefs::runStatus getStatus() const = 0;
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns File Name
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiverTest.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiverTest.cpp
index 474c5312a..bdfcba7a1 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiverTest.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiverTest.cpp
@@ -10,50 +10,86 @@
 #include <string>
 #include "eigerReceiver.h"
 
+using namespace std;
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 
 	const char *name = "detectors_host_name";
+	const char *empty = "";
 	std::string prefix = "main: ";
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "start EigerReceiver tests\n";
+	cout <<prefix<< "start EigerReceiver tests" << endl;
+
 
 	EigerReceiver *receiver = EigerReceiver::create();
-	receiver->initialize(name);
 
+	int status = receiver->getStatus();
+	char *c0 = receiver->getDetectorHostname();
+	if (c0 == NULL) {
+ 		cout <<prefix<< "getDetectorHostname() returned NULL, as expected before initialization." << endl;
+	}
+	delete[] c0;
+
+    cout <<prefix<< "initialize 4 times - only the second should work" << endl;
+	receiver->initialize(empty);
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
+	receiver->initialize(name);
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
+	receiver->initialize(name);
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
+	receiver->initialize((char *)NULL);
+
+	cout << endl;
+
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
+	char *c6 = receiver->getDetectorHostname();
+	cout <<prefix<< "got detector hostname " << c6 << " after initialization;" <<endl<<endl;
+	delete[] c6;
+
+	cout <<prefix<< "try get*() methods before set*() - expect default values" <<endl;
 	char *c1 = receiver->getFileName();
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got file name " << c1 << '\n';
+	cout <<prefix<< "got file name <" << c1 <<">." << endl;
 	delete[] c1;
 
 	char *c2 = receiver->getFilePath();
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got path name " << c2 << '\n';
+	cout <<prefix<< "got path name <" << c2 <<">." << endl;
 	delete[]c2;
 
 	int range = receiver->getDynamicRange();
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got dynamic range " << range << ".\n";
+	cout <<prefix<< "got dynamic range " << range << endl;
 
 	int tag = receiver->getScanTag();
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got scan tag " << tag << ".\n";
+	cout <<prefix<< "got scan tag " << tag << endl;
+	cout << endl;
 
 	char *c3 = receiver->setFileName( "some_other_name");
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got file name  " << c3 << " after setting to <some_other_name>\n";
+	cout <<prefix<< "got file name  <" << c3 << "> after setting to <some_other_name>" << endl << endl;
 	delete[] c3;
 
 	char *c4 = receiver->setFilePath( "some_other_path");
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got file path  " << c4 << " after setting to <some_other_path>\n";
+	cout <<prefix<< "got file path  <" << c4 << "> after setting to <some_other_path>" << endl << endl;
 	delete[] c4;
 
 	range = receiver->setDynamicRange(8);
-	std::cout <<prefix<< "got dynamic range "  << range << " after setting it to 8.\n";
+	cout <<prefix<< "got dynamic range "  << range << " after setting it to 8." << endl << endl;
+
+	tag = receiver->setScanTag(99);
+	cout << "got scan tag " << tag << " after setting to 99." << endl << endl;
 
 	int n = receiver->setNumberOfFrames(11);
+	cout << "got number of frames " << n << " after setting to 11." << endl << endl;
+
 	int w = receiver->setEnableFileWrite(1);
+	cout << "got enable file write " << w  << " after setting to 1." << endl << endl;
 
 	char *c5;
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
 	receiver->startReceiver(c5);
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
 	receiver->stopReceiver();
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
 	receiver->abort();
-	receiver->getEnableFileWrite();
-	char *c6 = receiver->getDetectorHostname();
-	delete[] c6;
+	status = receiver->getStatus();
+
 }