diff --git a/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.cpp b/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.cpp
index 592934f9..1184c0ab 100644
--- a/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.cpp
+++ b/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.cpp
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ bool PIGCSController::IsGCS2(PIInterface* pInterface)
 
 asynStatus PIGCSController::setVelocityCts( PIasynAxis* pAxis, double velocity )
 {
+    if (!m_KnowsVELcommand)
+    {
+        return asynSuccess;
+    }
 	char cmd[100];
 	velocity = fabs(velocity) * pAxis->m_CPUdenominator / pAxis->m_CPUnumerator;
     sprintf(cmd,"VEL %s %f", pAxis->m_szAxisName, velocity);
@@ -249,17 +253,21 @@ int PIGCSController::getGCSError()
 	if (0 != errorCode)
 	{
 		m_LastError = errorCode;
-        asynPrint(m_pInterface->m_pCurrentLogSink, ASYN_TRACE_ERROR|ASYN_TRACE_FLOW,
-               "PIGCSController::getGCSError() GCS error code = %d\n",
-                  errorCode);
-		char szErrorMsg[1024];
-		if (TranslatePIError(errorCode, szErrorMsg, 1024))
-		{
-	        asynPrint(m_pInterface->m_pCurrentLogSink, ASYN_TRACE_ERROR|ASYN_TRACE_FLOW,
-	                  "PIGCSController::getGCSError() GCS error, %s\n",
-	                  szErrorMsg);
+        if (m_pInterface->m_pCurrentLogSink)
+        {
+            asynPrint(m_pInterface->m_pCurrentLogSink, ASYN_TRACE_ERROR|ASYN_TRACE_FLOW,
+                   "PIGCSController::getGCSError() GCS error code = %d\n",
+                      errorCode);
+        
+		    char szErrorMsg[1024];
+		    if (TranslatePIError(errorCode, szErrorMsg, 1024))
+		    {
+	            asynPrint(m_pInterface->m_pCurrentLogSink, ASYN_TRACE_ERROR|ASYN_TRACE_FLOW,
+	                      "PIGCSController::getGCSError() GCS error, %s\n",
+	                      szErrorMsg);
 
-		}
+		    }
+        }
 	}
 	return errorCode;
 }
@@ -310,6 +318,10 @@ asynStatus PIGCSController::getAxisPosition(PIasynAxis* pAxis, double& position)
  */
 asynStatus PIGCSController::getAxisVelocity(PIasynAxis* pAxis)
 {
+    if (!m_KnowsVELcommand)
+    {
+        return asynSuccess;
+    }
 	char cmd[100];
 	char buf[255];
 	sprintf(cmd, "VEL? %s", pAxis->m_szAxisName);
@@ -445,7 +457,7 @@ asynStatus PIGCSController::getAxisPositionCts(PIasynAxis* pAxis)
     pAxis->m_position = pos;
     if (pAxis->m_CPUdenominator==0 || pAxis->m_CPUnumerator==0)
     {
-    	pAxis->m_positionCts = pos;
+    	pAxis->m_positionCts = int(pos);
     	return status;
     }
 
@@ -579,7 +591,7 @@ asynStatus PIGCSController::initAxis(PIasynAxis* pAxis)
     	asynPrint(m_pInterface->m_pCurrentLogSink, ASYN_TRACE_FLOW,
    		 "PIGCSController::initAxis() stage configuration: %s\n", buf);
     }
-    pAxis->m_movingStateMask = pow(2.0, pAxis->getAxisNo());
+    pAxis->m_movingStateMask = int (pow(2.0, pAxis->getAxisNo()) );
 
 	return setServo(pAxis, 1);
 }
@@ -587,6 +599,15 @@ asynStatus PIGCSController::initAxis(PIasynAxis* pAxis)
 asynStatus PIGCSController::init(void)
 {
 	asynStatus status;
+    char buffer [1024];
+	status = m_pInterface->sendAndReceive("VEL?", buffer, 1023);
+    m_KnowsVELcommand = ( asynSuccess == status);
+    if (!m_KnowsVELcommand)
+    {
+        (void) getGCSError ();
+    }
+
+
 	status = findConnectedAxes();
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.h b/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.h
index 722eedc9..29db5fb8 100644
--- a/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.h
+++ b/motorApp/PIGCS2Src/PIGCSController.h
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ protected:
 	size_t m_nrFoundAxes;
 	char m_allAxesIDs[255];
 	int m_LastError;
+
+    bool m_KnowsVELcommand;
 };
 
 #endif /* PIGCSCONTROLLER_H_ */