diff --git a/site_ansto/hardsup/sct_lfprot.c b/site_ansto/hardsup/sct_lfprot.c
index 3d34dd1a..5e48fa07 100644
--- a/site_ansto/hardsup/sct_lfprot.c
+++ b/site_ansto/hardsup/sct_lfprot.c
@@ -139,29 +139,58 @@ int LFGenReading(Ascon *a)
 {
   int  ret;
   char chr=0;
-  BYTE *lfChr;
+  BYTE *lfchar, HEAD, LEN;
   //BYTE HEAD, LEN, CTRL, CRC=0, *Data=NULL;
 
   DynStringClear(a->rdBuffer);
   
   ret = AsconReadChar(a->fd, &chr);
-  if (chr == 0) {
-    if (a->timeout > 0) {
-      if (DoubleTime() - a->start > a->timeout) {
-        AsconError(a, "read timeout", 0);
-        a->state = AsconTimeout;
-      }
-    }
+  if(ret<0) {
+    AsconError(a, "AsconReadChar failed:", errno);
+    return 1; 
+  }
+  HEAD  = (BYTE)chr;
+  if(HEAD!=0x96) { 
+    AsconError(a, "Reading Error from the device", 0);
     return 1;
   }
-
-  LFConcatChar(a->rdBuffer, chr);
-
-  while ((ret = AsconReadChar(a->fd, &chr)) > 0) {
-    LFConcatChar(a->rdBuffer, chr);
+  ret = AsconReadChar(a->fd, &chr);
+  if(ret<0) {
+    AsconError(a, "AsconReadChar failed:", errno); 
+    return 1; 
   }
+  LEN = (BYTE)chr;
+  if(LEN<2) { 
+    AsconError(a, "Reading Error from the device", 0);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  lfchar = malloc(sizeof(BYTE)*(LEN+2));
+  int ind=0;
+  lfchar[ind] = HEAD; ind++;
+  lfchar[ind] = LEN; ind++;
+  while(ind<LEN+2) {
+    ret = AsconReadChar(a->fd, &chr);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+      if (a->timeout > 0) {
+        if (DoubleTime() - a->start > a->timeout) {
+          AsconError(a, "read timeout", 0);
+          a->state = AsconTimeout;
+          return 1;
+        }
+      }
+      return 1;
+    }
+    lfchar[ind] = (BYTE)chr; ind++;
+  }
+  int i;
+  for(i=0; i<ind; i++) {
+    LFConcatChar(a->rdBuffer, lfchar[i]);
+  }
+
   a->state = AsconReadDone;
+  free(lfchar);
   //DynStringConcatChar(a->rdBuffer, '\0');
+  return 1;
 }
 
 int LFGenProtHandler(Ascon *a)