Index: DialityCoreSerialProtocol.py
===================================================================
diff -u -rabd93c1d800178a5ee618b9bba83532b853e3c96 -r5f23b5ca87b6211702df8aa805fa767026862b77
--- DialityCoreSerialProtocol.py	(.../DialityCoreSerialProtocol.py)	(revision abd93c1d800178a5ee618b9bba83532b853e3c96)
+++ DialityCoreSerialProtocol.py	(.../DialityCoreSerialProtocol.py)	(revision 5f23b5ca87b6211702df8aa805fa767026862b77)
@@ -25,19 +25,26 @@
 
 class DSM_State(Enum):
     """
-        \brief defines 3 states of search
+        defines 3 states of search
     """
-    SEARCHING_FOR_START_BYTE = 0        # ///< search for start byte
-    SEARCHING_FOR_PACKET_LENGTH = 1     # ///< search for the end of packet
-    SEARCHING_FOR_CRC = 2               # ///< search and check for CRC
+    SEARCHING_FOR_START_BYTE = 0
+    SEARCHING_FOR_PACKET_LENGTH = 1
+    SEARCHING_FOR_CRC = 2
 
 
 class DialitySerialMessenger:
 
     START_BYTE = b'\xA5'
 
     def __init__(self, serial_port='/dev/ttyUSB0'):
+        """
+            DialitySerialMesseger constructor
 
+            \param serial_port - string containing the serial port, e.g., '/dev/ttyUSB69"
+
+            \returns DialitySerialMessenger object
+        """
+
         self.__serialConnection = serial.Serial(serial_port, baudrate=115200)
         self.__dialitySerialByteBuffer = bytearray()
 
@@ -49,6 +56,7 @@
         self.__sendRID = -1
         self.__sendEvent = threading.Event()
         self.responseFunction = None
+        self.__run = False
 
         if self.__serialConnection is not None:
             self.__serialListenerThread = threading.Thread(target=self.__listener)
@@ -57,22 +65,38 @@
             print("Serial connection is not valid")
 
     def start(self):
+        """
+            after an object is create, you need to "start" serial communication.
 
+        """
+
         if self.__serialConnection is None:
             print("Cannot start serial listener.")
             return
         else:
-            print("Serial listener has started.")
+            self.__run = True
             self.__serialListenerThread.start()
+            print("Serial", self.__serialConnection.port, "listener has started.")
 
+    def stop(self):
+        """
+            stop serial listener thread
+
+        """
+        self.__run  = False
+        print("Serial", self.__serialConnection.port, "listener has stopped.")
+
     @staticmethod
     def __getRequestID(message):
 
         return int.from_bytes(message[1:3], byteorder='big', signed=False)
 
     def __listener(self):
+        """
+            private method used as a thread.
+        """
 
-        while True:
+        while self.__run:
 
             num_of_bytes_in_serial_port = self.__serialConnection.in_waiting
 
@@ -169,6 +193,9 @@
                 sleep(0.001)
 
     def __denaliPacketCRC(self):
+        """
+            utility method used to calculate incoming message CRC
+        """
 
         return sum(self.__dialityPacket[0:self.__dialityPacketLength - 1]) % 256
 
@@ -196,14 +223,14 @@
 
     @staticmethod
     def getCRC(message):
-        """     \brief getCRC returns a message with its CRC """
+        """     getCRC returns a message with its CRC """
 
         message_cargo_length = message[3]
         return sum(message[0:4 + message_cargo_length]) % 256
 
     @staticmethod
     def buildPacket(request_id=0, cargo=bytearray()):
-        """     \brief buildPacket builds a Diality Packet
+        """     buildPacket builds a Diality Packet
 
                 \param
 
@@ -249,11 +276,13 @@
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    # the_messenger = DialitySerialMessenger(serial_port="/dev/ttyUSB0")
-    # the_messenger.start()
 
-    test = DialityPacket.buildPacket(request_id=8000, cargo=b'123')
-    print(test)
+    the_messenger = DialitySerialMessenger(serial_port="/dev/ttyUSB0")
+    the_messenger.start()
+    the_messenger.stop()
 
-    test1 = DialityPacket.buildPacket(request_id=8000, cargo=b'12345')
-    print(test1)
+    the_test = DialityPacket.buildPacket(request_id=8000, cargo=b'123')
+    print(the_test)
+
+    the_test1 = DialityPacket.buildPacket(request_id=8000, cargo=b'12345')
+    print(the_test1)