diff --git a/script/local.py b/script/local.py
index 18b3a5d..a91fb2e 100644
--- a/script/local.py
+++ b/script/local.py
@@ -15,23 +15,28 @@ class RobotTCP(TcpDevice):
          self.header = None
          self.trailer = "\n"
          self.msg_id = 0
-
-    def call(self, msg):        
+    
+    def _sendReceive(self, id, msg = ""):        
         tx = self.header if (self.header != None) else  ""
-        id = "%03d" % self.msg_id
-        self.msg_id = (self.msg_id+1)%1000        
         tx = tx + id + " " + msg        
         if (len(tx)>127):
             raise Exception("Exceeded maximum message size")
         self.getLogger().finer("TX = " +  str(tx))
         if (self.trailer != None): tx = tx + self.trailer
-        rx = self.sendReceive(tx, None, self.trailer , 0,  self.timeout, self.retries).strip()
+        rx = self.sendReceive(tx, None, self.trailer , 0,  self.timeout, self.retries)
         self.getLogger().finer("RX = " + str(rx))
-        if rx[:3] != id:
+        if rx[:3] != id:            
             raise Exception("Received invalid message id: " + str(rx[:3]) + " - expecting:" + id )
+        if len(rx)<4:
+            raise Exception("Invalid message size: " + str(len(rx)) )        
         if rx[3] == "*":
             raise Exception(rx[4:])
-        return rx[4:]
+        return rx[4:-1]
+
+    def call(self, msg):                
+        id = "%03d" % self.msg_id
+        self.msg_id = (self.msg_id+1)%1000        
+        return self._sendReceive(id, msg)        
     
     def execute(self, command, *argv):        
         msg = str(command)
@@ -43,12 +48,7 @@ class RobotTCP(TcpDevice):
         return ret;
 
     def get_event(self):        
-        id = "EVT"
-        rx = self.sendReceive(id + " ", None, self.trailer , 0,  self.timeout, self.retries).strip()
-        if rx[:3] != id:
-            raise Exception("Received invalid message id: " + str(rx[:3]) + " - expecting:" + id )
-        if len(rx) < 5: return None
-        return rx[4:]
+        return self._sendReceive("EVT")        
 
     def mount(self, puck, sample):
         return self.execute('Mount', puck, sample)