diff --git a/boot_loader/bl_config.h b/boot_loader/bl_config.h
index 193d0bb1..95b1eca2 100644
--- a/boot_loader/bl_config.h
+++ b/boot_loader/bl_config.h
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@
 // Requires: UARTx_BASE
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-#define UART_CLOCK_ENABLE         SYSCTL_RCGCUART_R4
+#define UART_CLOCK_ENABLE         SYSCTL_RCGCUART_R1
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@
 // Requires: UART_CLOCK_ENABLE
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-#define UARTx_BASE                UART4_BASE
+#define UARTx_BASE                UART1_BASE
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@
 // Requires: UART_RXPIN_BASE, UART_RXPIN_PCTL and UART_RXPIN_POS
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-#define UART_RXPIN_CLOCK_ENABLE   SYSCTL_RCGCGPIO_R4
+#define UART_RXPIN_CLOCK_ENABLE   SYSCTL_RCGCGPIO_R0
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@
 // Requires: UART_RXPIN_CLOCK_ENABLE, UART_RXPIN_BASE and UART_RXPIN_PCTL
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-#define UART_RXPIN_POS          2
+#define UART_RXPIN_POS          0
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@
 // Requires: UART_TXPIN_BASE, UART_TXPIN_PCTL and UART_TXPIN_POS
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-#define UART_TXPIN_CLOCK_ENABLE SYSCTL_RCGCGPIO_R4
+#define UART_TXPIN_CLOCK_ENABLE SYSCTL_RCGCGPIO_R0
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@
 // Requires: UART_TXPIN_CLOCK_ENABLE, UART_TXPIN_BASE and UART_TXPIN_PCTL
 //
 //*****************************************************************************
-#define UART_TXPIN_POS          3
+#define UART_TXPIN_POS          1
 
 //*****************************************************************************
 //
diff --git a/projects/cm_mcu/CommandLineTask.c b/projects/cm_mcu/CommandLineTask.c
index d69037c2..cb0f0ddd 100644
--- a/projects/cm_mcu/CommandLineTask.c
+++ b/projects/cm_mcu/CommandLineTask.c
@@ -511,8 +511,14 @@ static BaseType_t mon_ctl(char *m, size_t s, const char *mm)
         dcdc_args.n_commands-1);
     return pdFALSE;
   }
-
+  // update times, in seconds
+  TickType_t now = pdTICKS_TO_MS( xTaskGetTickCount())/1000;
+  TickType_t last = pdTICKS_TO_MS(dcdc_args.updateTick)/1000;
   int copied = 0;
+  if ( (now-last) > 60 ) {
+    int mins = (now-last)/60;
+    copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "%s: stale data, last update %d minutes ago\r\n", __func__, mins);
+  }
   copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "%s\r\n", dcdc_args.commands[i1].name);
   for (int ps = 0; ps < dcdc_args.n_devices; ++ps) {
     copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "SUPPLY %s\r\n",
@@ -621,6 +627,17 @@ static BaseType_t ff_ctl(char *m, size_t s, const char *mm)
   int copied = 0;
   static int whichff = 0;
 
+  if ( whichff == 0 ) {
+    // check for stale data
+    TickType_t now =  pdTICKS_TO_MS( xTaskGetTickCount())/1000;
+    TickType_t last = pdTICKS_TO_MS(getFFupdateTick())/1000;
+    if ( (now-last) > 60 ) {
+      int mins = (now-last)/60;
+      copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "%s: stale data, last update %d minutes ago\r\n", __func__, mins);
+    }
+
+  }
+
   if ( argc == 0 ) { // default command: temps
 
     if ( whichff == 0 ) {
@@ -696,6 +713,13 @@ static BaseType_t fpga_ctl(char *m, size_t s, const char *mm)
   static int whichfpga = 0;
   int howmany = fpga_args.n_devices*fpga_args.n_pages;
   if ( whichfpga == 0 ) {
+    TickType_t now =  pdTICKS_TO_MS( xTaskGetTickCount())/1000;
+    TickType_t last = pdTICKS_TO_MS(getFFupdateTick())/1000;
+    if ( (now-last) > 60 ) {
+      int mins = (now-last)/60;
+      copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "%s: stale data, last update %d minutes ago\r\n", __func__, mins);
+    }
+
     copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "FPGA monitors\r\n");
     copied += snprintf(m+copied, s-copied, "%s\r\n", fpga_args.commands[0].name);
   }
diff --git a/projects/cm_mcu/FireFlyTask.c b/projects/cm_mcu/FireFlyTask.c
index 01a1d3fc..03ae373a 100644
--- a/projects/cm_mcu/FireFlyTask.c
+++ b/projects/cm_mcu/FireFlyTask.c
@@ -125,6 +125,12 @@ int8_t getFFvalue(const uint8_t i)
   return ff_temp[i];
 }
 
+static TickType_t ff_updateTick = 0;
+TickType_t getFFupdateTick()
+{
+  return ff_updateTick;
+}
+
 static
 int write_ff_register(const char *name, uint8_t reg, uint16_t value, int size)
 {
@@ -300,7 +306,7 @@ void FireFlyTask(void *parameters)
           break;
         }
       }
-
+      ff_updateTick = xTaskGetTickCount();
       // select the appropriate output for the mux
       data[0] = 0x1U << ff_i2c_addrs[ff].mux_bit;
       char tmp[64];
diff --git a/projects/cm_mcu/FreeRTOSConfig.h b/projects/cm_mcu/FreeRTOSConfig.h
index fd7ae7ee..64026764 100644
--- a/projects/cm_mcu/FreeRTOSConfig.h
+++ b/projects/cm_mcu/FreeRTOSConfig.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ header file. */
 #define CLI_UART UART4_BASE // Front panel
 //#define CLI_UART UART1_BASE // Zynq
 
+#define pdTICKS_TO_MS( xTicks )    ( ( ( TickType_t ) ( xTicks ) * 1000u ) / configTICK_RATE_HZ )
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.c b/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.c
index 4eae6add..5b6c0d38 100644
--- a/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.c
+++ b/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.c
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ void MonitorTask(void *parameters)
 
   bool log = true;
   int current_error_cnt = 0;
+  args->updateTick = xLastWakeTime; // initial value
 
   for (;;) {
     // check if the 3.3V is there or not. If it disappears then nothing works
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ void MonitorTask(void *parameters)
     else {
       good = true;
     }
+    args->updateTick = xTaskGetTickCount(); // current time in ticks
     // loop over devices
     for ( uint8_t ps = 0; ps < args->n_devices; ++ ps ) {
       if ( getPSStatus(5) != PWR_ON)
diff --git a/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.h b/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.h
index 74ff6869..31cba583 100644
--- a/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.h
+++ b/projects/cm_mcu/MonitorTask.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct MonitorTaskArgs_t {
   const int n_pages;
   tSMBus *smbus;
   volatile tSMBusStatus *smbus_status;
+  volatile TickType_t updateTick;
 };
 // DC-DC converter
 #define NSUPPLIES_PS (5) // 5 devices, 2 pages each
diff --git a/projects/cm_mcu/Tasks.h b/projects/cm_mcu/Tasks.h
index 0c189650..d1573952 100644
--- a/projects/cm_mcu/Tasks.h
+++ b/projects/cm_mcu/Tasks.h
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ extern QueueHandle_t xFFlyQueue;
 
 const char* getFFname(const uint8_t i);
 int8_t getFFvalue(const uint8_t i);
+TickType_t getFFupdateTick();
+
 
 int disable_xcvr_cdr(const char *name);