diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8bc550e..4fe6fca 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ ARCH_FILTER=RHEL%
 motorBase_VERSION=7.2.2
 
 # These headers allow to depend on this library for derived drivers.
+HEADERS += src/masterMacsIPPort.h
 HEADERS += src/masterMacsAxis.h
 HEADERS += src/masterMacsController.h
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ HEADERS += src/masterMacsController.h
 SOURCES += sinqMotor/src/msgPrintControl.cpp
 SOURCES += sinqMotor/src/sinqAxis.cpp
 SOURCES += sinqMotor/src/sinqController.cpp
+SOURCES += src/masterMacsAsynIPPort.c
 SOURCES += src/masterMacsAxis.cpp
 SOURCES += src/masterMacsController.cpp
 
@@ -30,7 +32,8 @@ DBDS += sinqMotor/src/sinqMotor.dbd
 DBDS += src/masterMacs.dbd
 
 USR_CFLAGS += -Wall -Wextra -Wunused-result -Wextra -Werror
+USR_CXXFLAGS += -Wall -Wextra -Wunused-result
 
 # These flags define the expected firmware version. See README.md, section
 # "Firmware version checking" for details.
-USR_CXXFLAGS += -DFIRMWARE_MAJOR_VERSION=2 -DFIRMWARE_MINOR_VERSION=2 -Wall -Wextra -Weffc++ -Wunused-result -Wextra
+USR_CXXFLAGS += -DFIRMWARE_MAJOR_VERSION=2 -DFIRMWARE_MINOR_VERSION=2
diff --git a/MasterMACS_manual.pdf b/MasterMACS_manual.pdf
index 40bf8fc..ca660be 100644
Binary files a/MasterMACS_manual.pdf and b/MasterMACS_manual.pdf differ
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1e0c6af..0a63e27 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ To use these scripts on Windows, prefix the Python 3 executable:
 C:/path/to/python3.exe C:/path/to/mastermacs_repo/utils/decodeStatus.py 1234
 ```
 
-### Usage in IOC shell
+### IOC startup script
 
 masterMacs exposes the following IOC shell functions:
 - `masterMacsController`: Create a new controller object.
@@ -50,13 +50,17 @@ masterMacs exposes the following IOC shell functions:
 
 The full masterMacsX.cmd file looks like this:
 
-```
+```bash
 # Define the name of the controller and the corresponding port
 epicsEnvSet("NAME","mcu")
 epicsEnvSet("ASYN_PORT","p$(NAME)")
 
-# Create the TCP/IP socket used to talk with the controller. The socket can be adressed from within the IOC shell via the port name
-drvAsynIPPortConfigure("$(ASYN_PORT)","172.28.101.24:1025")
+# Create the TCP/IP socket used to talk with the controller. The socket can be
+# adressed from within the IOC shell via the port name
+# We do not use the standard asyn port driver here, but a PMAC-specific one
+# which enables the usage of StreamDevices for
+# communicating with the controller directly.
+masterMacsAsynIPPortConfigure("$(ASYN_PORT)","172.28.101.24:1025")
 
 # Create the controller object with the defined name and connect it to the socket via the port name.
 # The other parameters are as follows:
diff --git a/db/masterMacs.db b/db/masterMacs.db
index 54c016a..918bfbb 100755
--- a/db/masterMacs.db
+++ b/db/masterMacs.db
@@ -4,4 +4,14 @@ record(longout, "$(INSTR)$(M):NodeReset") {
     field(DTYP, "asynInt32")
     field(OUT, "@asyn($(CONTROLLER),$(AXIS),1) NODE_RESET")
     field(PINI, "NO")
+}
+
+# Overrides the default value for the "Connected" record provided by sinqMotor.
+record(longin, "$(INSTR)$(M):Connected")
+{
+    field(DTYP, "asynInt32")
+    field(INP,  "@asyn($(CONTROLLER),$(AXIS)) MOTOR_CONNECTED")
+    field(SCAN, "I/O Intr")
+    field(PINI, "NO")
+    field(VAL, "0")
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/masterMacsAxis.cpp b/src/masterMacsAxis.cpp
index fafaa00..9242acc 100644
--- a/src/masterMacsAxis.cpp
+++ b/src/masterMacsAxis.cpp
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ asynStatus masterMacsAxis::init() {
         }
     }
 
+    // Initially assume that the axis is disconnected. It will be set to
+    // connected after the first communication attempted succeeded.
+    setAxisParamChecked(this, motorConnected, false);
+
     // Read out the current position
     pl_status = pC_->read(axisNo_, 12, response);
     if (pl_status != asynSuccess) {
@@ -329,7 +333,8 @@ asynStatus masterMacsAxis::doPoll(bool *moving) {
 
     // Does the axis need to be initialized?
     if (needInit()) {
-	// Perform the rest of the poll, but remember if sth. failed in the init.
+        // Perform the rest of the poll, but remember if sth. failed in the
+        // init.
         poll_status = init();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/masterMacsController.cpp b/src/masterMacsController.cpp
index 5076890..da41c00 100644
--- a/src/masterMacsController.cpp
+++ b/src/masterMacsController.cpp
@@ -429,8 +429,6 @@ asynStatus masterMacsController::parseResponse(
         getAxisParamChecked(axis, motorConnected, &prevConnected);
     }
 
-    // We don't use strlen here since the C string terminator 0x00
-    // occurs in the middle of the char array.
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < MAXBUF_; i++) {
         if (fullResponse[i] == '\x19') {
             responseStart = i;