diff --git a/lib/dino/board.rb b/lib/dino/board.rb
index 450930d8..5736a1da 100644
--- a/lib/dino/board.rb
+++ b/lib/dino/board.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require 'timeout'
+
 module Dino
   class Board
     attr_reader :digital_hardware, :analog_hardware
@@ -105,12 +107,18 @@ def normalize(pin, spaces)
     end
 
     def handshake
-      100.times do
-        reset
-        sleep 0.045
-        return @io.flush_read if @io.gets.to_s.chop.match /ACK/
+      50.times do
+        begin
+          reset
+          Timeout::timeout(0.1) do 
+            return @io.flush_read if @io.gets.to_s.chop.match /ACK/
+          end
+        rescue
+          nil
+        end
       end
       raise BoardNotFound
     end
+
   end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/dino/tx_rx/base.rb b/lib/dino/tx_rx/base.rb
index 3312d48b..1bb866e9 100644
--- a/lib/dino/tx_rx/base.rb
+++ b/lib/dino/tx_rx/base.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require 'timeout'
 require 'observer'
 
 module Dino
@@ -14,9 +15,6 @@ def read
         end
       end
 
-      def flush_read
-      end
-
       def close_read
         return nil if @thread.nil?
         Thread.kill(@thread)
diff --git a/lib/dino/tx_rx/tcp.rb b/lib/dino/tx_rx/tcp.rb
index 5d58bb57..59a11a90 100644
--- a/lib/dino/tx_rx/tcp.rb
+++ b/lib/dino/tx_rx/tcp.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ def gets
         io.gets
       end
 
+      def flush_read
+        loop do; Timeout::timeout(0.005) { gets } end
+      rescue
+        nil
+      end
+
       def write(message)
         io.write(message + "\r\n")
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/tx_rx/usb_serial_spec.rb b/spec/lib/tx_rx/usb_serial_spec.rb
index 8eb13e4b..58ed09cb 100644
--- a/spec/lib/tx_rx/usb_serial_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/tx_rx/usb_serial_spec.rb
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ module Dino
         IO.should_receive(:select).and_return(true)
         Thread.should_receive(:new).and_yield
         subject.should_receive(:loop).and_yield
-        mock_serial.should_receive(:gets).and_return("foo::bar\n")
+        mock_serial.should_receive(:gets).and_return("foo:bar\n")
         subject.should_receive(:changed).and_return(true)
         subject.should_receive(:notify_observers).with('foo','bar')