diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 92c92b35..f272138e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@
 ![Github link](https://badgen.net/github/tag/dgbowl/tomato/?icon=github)
 ![Github status](https://badgen.net/github/checks/dgbowl/tomato/?icon=github)
 
-`tomato` is the instrument automation package developed at Empa. Currently supported 
-hardware is:
+`tomato` is the instrument automation package developed at the [ConCat lab](https://tu.berlin/en/concat). Currently supported hardware is:
+
+- `example_counter`: an example device for testing purposes.
+
+Partially supported hardware includes:
 
-- `dummy`: a Dummy device for testing purposes
 - `biologic`: device for BioLogic potentiostats via the EC-Lib library, Windows only.
 
 See the [Documentation](https://dgbowl.github.io/tomato) for more detailed info.
diff --git a/src/tomato/drivers/example_counter/counter.py b/src/tomato/drivers/example_counter/counter.py
index 3888b4da..834361f1 100644
--- a/src/tomato/drivers/example_counter/counter.py
+++ b/src/tomato/drivers/example_counter/counter.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def run_counter(self, conn):
                     self.started_at = None
 
             cmd = None
-            if conn.poll(1e-6):
+            if conn.poll(1e-3):
                 cmd, attr, val = conn.recv()
 
             if cmd == "set":
@@ -58,3 +58,5 @@ def run_counter(self, conn):
             elif cmd == "data":
                 conn.send(data)
                 data = []
+            else:
+                time.sleep(1e-3)
diff --git a/src/tomato/tomato/__init__.py b/src/tomato/tomato/__init__.py
index cb26daa9..5b654c03 100644
--- a/src/tomato/tomato/__init__.py
+++ b/src/tomato/tomato/__init__.py
@@ -370,7 +370,8 @@ def reload(
                 ret = _updater(
                     context, port, "driver", dict(name=drv.name, settings=drv.settings)
                 )
-                logger.critical(f"{ret=}")
+                if ret.success is False:
+                    return ret
 
         # check changes in devices
         for dev in devs.values():
@@ -378,7 +379,6 @@ def reload(
                 dev.name not in daemon.devs
                 or dev.channels != daemon.devs[dev.name].channels
             ):
-                logger.error(f"Here {dev.channels=} {dev.name=}")
                 for channel in dev.channels:
                     params = dict(
                         address=dev.address,
@@ -390,9 +390,10 @@ def reload(
                     )
                     if ret.success is False:
                         return ret
-                params = dict(name=dev.name, channels=dev.channels)
+                params = dev.dict()
                 ret = _updater(context, port, "device", params)
-                logger.critical(f"{ret=}")
+                if ret.success is False:
+                    return ret
             elif dev != daemon.devs[dev.name]:
                 logger.error("updating devices not yet implemented")
         for devname in daemon.devs:
@@ -402,16 +403,19 @@ def reload(
         for pip in pips.values():
             if pip.name not in daemon.pips:
                 ret = _updater(context, port, "pipeline", pip.dict())
-                logger.critical(f"{ret=}")
+                if ret.success is False:
+                    return ret
             else:
                 logger.error("updating pipelines not yet implemented")
         for pip in daemon.pips.values():
             if pip.name not in pips:
                 params = dict(name=pip.name, delete=True)
                 ret = _updater(context, port, "pipeline", params)
-                logger.critical(f"{ret=}")
-
-        req.send_pyobj(dict(cmd="status", with_data=True, sender=f"{__name__}.reload"))
+                if ret.success is False:
+                    return ret
+        req.send_pyobj(
+            dict(cmd="setup", settings=settings, sender=f"{__name__}.reload")
+        )
         rep = req.recv_pyobj()
 
     if rep.msg == "running":
diff --git a/tests/common/counter_multidev.yml b/tests/common/counter_multidev.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b3ca37b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/common/counter_multidev.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+version: "0.2"
+sample:
+    name: counter_multidev
+method:
+  - device: "counter-1"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 1.0
+    delay: 0.1
+  - device: "counter-2"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 1.0
+    delay: 0.2
+tomato:
+    verbosity: "DEBUG"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/common/counter_multistep.yml b/tests/common/counter_multistep.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6b745c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/common/counter_multistep.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+version: "0.2"
+sample:
+    name: counter_multistep
+method:
+  - device: "counter"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 1.0
+    delay: 0.1
+  - device: "counter"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 1.0
+    delay: 0.2
+tomato:
+    verbosity: "DEBUG"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/common/counter_multistep_multidev.yml b/tests/common/counter_multistep_multidev.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8cddcded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/common/counter_multistep_multidev.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+version: "0.2"
+sample:
+    name: counter_multistep_multidev
+method:
+  - device: "counter-1"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 1.0
+    delay: 0.2
+  - device: "counter-1"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 1.0
+    delay: 0.2
+  - device: "counter-2"
+    technique: "count"
+    time: 2.0
+    delay: 0.1
+tomato:
+    verbosity: "DEBUG"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/common/devices_multidev.json b/tests/common/devices_multidev.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..85b2702f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/common/devices_multidev.json
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+{
+    "devices": [
+        {
+            "name": "dev-counter-1",
+            "driver": "example_counter",
+            "address": "example-addr-1",
+            "channels": [1, 2, 3, 4],
+            "capabilities": ["count"],
+            "pollrate": 2
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "dev-counter-2",
+            "driver": "example_counter",
+            "address": "example-addr-2",
+            "channels": [5, 6, 7, 8],
+            "capabilities": ["count"],
+            "pollrate": 1
+        }
+    ],
+    "pipelines": [
+        {
+            "name": "pip-counter",
+            "devices": [
+                {"tag": "counter", "name": "dev-counter-1", "channel": 1}
+            ]
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "pip-multidev",
+            "devices": [
+                {"tag": "counter-1", "name": "dev-counter-1", "channel": 4},
+                {"tag": "counter-2", "name": "dev-counter-2", "channel": 5}
+            ]
+        }
+    ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 93b46e87..2ea2c0bd 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def start_tomato_daemon(tmpdir: str, port: int = 12345):
     # setup_stuff
     os.chdir(tmpdir)
     subprocess.run(["tomato", "init", "-p", f"{port}", "-A", ".", "-D", "."])
-    subprocess.run(["tomato", "start", "-p", f"{port}", "-A", ".", "-L", "."])
+    subprocess.run(["tomato", "start", "-p", f"{port}", "-A", ".", "-L", ".", "-vv"])
     yield
     # teardown_stuff
 
diff --git a/tests/test_99_example_counter.py b/tests/test_99_example_counter.py
index aeacc99e..1bf26bc5 100644
--- a/tests/test_99_example_counter.py
+++ b/tests/test_99_example_counter.py
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import time
+import json
+import yaml
 import xarray as xr
 
 from . import utils
 
+PORT = 12345
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "casename, npoints, prefix",
@@ -14,6 +18,7 @@
         ("counter_5_0.2", 25, "results.1"),
         ("counter_output_prefix", 20, "data"),
         ("counter_output_path", 20, os.path.join("newfolder", "results.1")),
+        ("counter_multistep", 15, "results.1"),
     ],
 )
 def test_counter_npoints(
@@ -81,3 +86,38 @@ def test_counter_snapshot(
         status = utils.job_status(1)["data"][1]["status"]
     assert status == "c"
     assert os.path.exists("snapshot.1.nc")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "casename, npoints",
+    [
+        ("counter_multidev", 15),
+        ("counter_multistep_multidev", 30),
+    ],
+)
+def test_counter_multidev(
+    casename, npoints, datadir, start_tomato_daemon, stop_tomato_daemon
+):
+    os.chdir(datadir)
+    with open("devices_multidev.json", "r") as inf:
+        jsdata = json.load(inf)
+    with open("devices.yml", "w") as ouf:
+        yaml.dump(jsdata, ouf)
+    utils.wait_until_tomato_running(port=PORT, timeout=3000)
+    subprocess.run(["tomato", "reload", "-p", f"{PORT}", "-A", "."])
+
+    utils.run_casenames([casename], [None], ["pip-multidev"])
+    utils.wait_until_ketchup_status(jobid=1, status="r", port=PORT, timeout=10000)
+    utils.wait_until_ketchup_status(jobid=1, status="c", port=PORT, timeout=10000)
+
+    ret = utils.job_status(1)
+    print(f"{ret=}")
+    status = utils.job_status(1)["data"][1]["status"]
+    assert status == "c"
+    files = os.listdir(os.path.join(".", "Jobs", "1"))
+    assert "jobdata.json" in files
+    assert "job-1.log" in files
+    assert os.path.exists("results.1.nc")
+    ds = xr.load_dataset("results.1.nc")
+    print(f"{ds=}")
+    assert ds["uts"].size == npoints