diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/OptoReceivedEventArgs.cs b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/OptoReceivedEventArgs.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9122d300b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/OptoReceivedEventArgs.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+///
+/// Copyright (c) 2015 Sensus Metering Systems
+///
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+
+namespace TBF.BenchControl.WaterMeters.iPerl
+{
+	public class OptoReceivedEventArgs : EventArgs
+	{
+		public string Data;
+
+		public OptoReceivedEventArgs(string data)
+		{
+			this.Data = data;
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/WaterMeter.cs b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/WaterMeter.cs
index da14726c8..a4c68bcce 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/WaterMeter.cs
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/WaterMeters/iPerl/WaterMeter.cs
@@ -3,21 +3,26 @@
 ///
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO.Ports;
+using System.Threading;
 using log4net;
 using TBF.BenchControl;
+using TBF.BenchControl.Generic;
 
 namespace TBF.BenchControl.WaterMeters.iPerl
 {
 	/// <summary>
 	/// This component = instance of this class is a placeholder for a combined main watermeter
 	/// </summary>
-	public class WaterMeter : ComponentBase, GenericDevices.IWaterMeter, GenericDevices.IRegisterReader, IOperation
+    public class WaterMeter : ComponentBase, IDevice, GenericDevices.IWaterMeter, GenericDevices.IRegisterReader, IOperation
 	{
 		private static readonly ILog log = LogManager.GetLogger(typeof(WaterMeter));
 		public override string ToString() { return string.Format("iPerl({0})", Cfg.ToString(1)); }
 
+
 		readonly WaterMeterCfg iPerlCfg;
 
+
 		public float PulsesPerLtr { get { return iPerlCfg.ProcParams.PulsesPerLtr; } }
 
 		/// <summary>WaterMeter producer</summary>
@@ -78,6 +83,20 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.WaterMeters.iPerl
 		}
 
 
+        public void Initialize()
+        {
+            optoSerialPort = new SerialPort(string.Format("COM{0}", iPerlCfg.OptoComPortNr),
+                                                9600, Parity.None, 8, StopBits.One);
+            optoSerialPort.Handshake = Handshake.None;
+            optoSerialPort.Open();
+            optoPortOpen = true;
+
+            stopWorkerThread = false;
+            workerThread = new Thread(Worker);
+            workerThread.Start();
+            return;
+        }
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Events:  Event.ReadRegisterDone, Event.Error
 		/// </summary>
@@ -141,5 +160,50 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.WaterMeters.iPerl
 			pulses.Val = 1;
 			refPulses.Val = 2;
 		}
+
+
+        ///
+        /// Measurement serial port and worker thread related private variables
+        ///
+        private SerialPort optoSerialPort;
+        private bool optoPortOpen;
+        private Thread workerThread;
+        private bool stopWorkerThread;
+
+
+        void Worker()
+        {
+            while (!stopWorkerThread)
+            {
+                Thread.Sleep(250);
+                if (stopWorkerThread) break;
+                int nrBytes = optoSerialPort.BytesToRead;
+                if (nrBytes > 0)
+                {
+                    char[] buffer = new char[nrBytes];
+                    optoSerialPort.Read(buffer, 0, nrBytes);
+                    string s = new string(buffer);
+                    OnOptoReceived(this, new OptoReceivedEventArgs(s));
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    OnOptoReceived(this, new OptoReceivedEventArgs("."));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Called from the state machine when a test is selected and UI needs to be updated.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void OnOptoReceived(object sender, OptoReceivedEventArgs args)
+        {
+            if (OptoReceivedHandler == null) return;
+            try { OptoReceivedHandler(sender, args); }
+            catch (Exception) { }
+        }
+
+        public event EventHandler<OptoReceivedEventArgs> OptoReceivedHandler;
+
 	}
 }
diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/TBF.csproj b/TestBenchFramework/TBF.csproj
index 6a6805fd0..6657ba1e8 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/TBF.csproj
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/TBF.csproj
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@
     <Compile Include="BenchControl\TestMethods\iPerlAdjustment\iPerlCommunicationForm.designer.cs">
       <DependentUpon>iPerlCommunicationForm.cs</DependentUpon>
     </Compile>
+    <Compile Include="BenchControl\WaterMeters\iPerl\OptoReceivedEventArgs.cs" />
     <Compile Include="BenchControl\WaterMeters\iPerl\ProcParams.cs" />
     <Compile Include="BenchControl\WaterMeters\iPerl\WaterMeter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="BenchControl\WaterMeters\iPerl\WaterMeterCfg.cs" />