diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e1c7a44..2575f4c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 *.exe
 *.o
 *.so
+*.pyc
 
 # Logs and databases #
 ######################
diff --git a/Python/src/xplaneConnect.py b/Python/src/xplaneConnect.py
index 6ecfacc..696f063 100644
--- a/Python/src/xplaneConnect.py
+++ b/Python/src/xplaneConnect.py
@@ -30,13 +30,14 @@ class XPlaneConnect:
             raise ValueError("timeout must be non-negative.")
 
         # Setup XPlane IP and port
-        self.xpDst = (socket.inet_pton(socket.AF_INET, xpIP), xpPort)
+        self.xpDst = (xpIP, xpPort)
 
         # Create and bind socket        
-        clientAddr = (socket.INADDR_ANY, port)
+        clientAddr = ("0.0.0.0", port)
         self.socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM, socket.IPPROTO_UDP)
         self.socket.bind(clientAddr)
-        self.socket.settimeout(timeout / 1000)
+        timeout /= 1000.0
+        self.socket.settimeout(timeout)
 
     def __del__(self):
         self.close()
@@ -212,11 +213,11 @@ class XPlaneConnect:
         if hasattr(values, "__len__"):
             if len(values) > 255:
                 raise ValueError("values must have less than 256 items.")
-            fmt = "<4sxB" + len(dref) + "sB" + len(values) + "f"
-            buffer = struct.pack(fmt, ("DREF", len(dref), dref, len(values), values))
+            fmt = "<4sxB{0:d}sB{1:d}f".format(len(dref), len(values))
+            buffer = struct.pack(fmt, "DREF", len(dref), dref, len(values), values)
         else:
-            fmt = "<4sxB" + len(dref) + "sBf"
-            buffer = struct.pack(fmt, ("DREF", len(dref), dref, 1, values))
+            fmt = "<4sxB{0:d}sBf".format(len(dref))
+            buffer = struct.pack(fmt, "DREF", len(dref), dref, 1, values)
 
         # Send
         self.sendUDP(buffer)
@@ -229,7 +230,7 @@ class XPlaneConnect:
 
             Returns: A sequence of data representing the values of the requested dataref.
         '''
-        return getDREFS([dref])[0]
+        return self.getDREFs([dref])[0]
 
     def getDREFs(self, drefs):
         '''Gets the value of one or more X-Plane datarefs.
@@ -241,20 +242,22 @@ class XPlaneConnect:
              datarefs.
         '''
         # Send request
-        buffer = struct.pack("<4sxB" ("GETD", len(drefs)))
+        buffer = struct.pack("<4sxB", "GETD", len(drefs))
         for dref in drefs:
-            struct.pack_into("<B" + len(dref) + "s", buffer, len(buffer), dref)
+            fmt = "<B{0:d}s".format(len(dref))
+            buffer += struct.pack(fmt, len(dref), dref)
         self.sendUDP(buffer)
 
         # Read and parse response
         buffer = self.readUDP()
-        resultCount = struct.unpack_from("B", buffer, 5)
+        resultCount = struct.unpack_from("B", buffer, 5)[0]
         offset = 6
         result = []
         for i in range(resultCount):
-            rowLen = struct.unpack_from("B", buffer, offset)
+            rowLen = struct.unpack_from("B", buffer, offset)[0]
             offset += 1
-            row = struct.unpack_from("<" + rowLen + "f", buffer, offset)
+            fmt = "<{0:d}f".format(rowLen)
+            row = struct.unpack_from(fmt, buffer, offset)
             result.append(row)
             offset += rowLen * 4
         return result
diff --git a/TestScripts/Python Tests/Tests.py b/TestScripts/Python Tests/Tests.py
index 46ac11d..ba36066 100644
--- a/TestScripts/Python Tests/Tests.py	
+++ b/TestScripts/Python Tests/Tests.py	
@@ -8,15 +8,50 @@ class XPCTests(unittest.TestCase):
     """Tests the functionality of the XPlaneConnect class."""
 
     def test_init(self):
-        xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect()
-        self.assertTrue(True)
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect()
+        except:
+            self.fail("Default constructor failed.")
+            
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("I'm not a real host")
+            self.fail("Failed to catch invalid XP host.")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", 90001)
+            self.fail("Failed to catch invalid XP port.")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", -1)
+            self.fail("Failed to catch invalid XP port.")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", 49009, 90001)
+            self.fail("Failed to catch invalid local port.")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", 49009, -1)
+            self.fail("Failed to catch invalid XP port.")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        
+        try:
+            xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", 49009, 0, -1)
+            self.fail("Failed to catch invalid timeout.")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
 
     def test_close(self):
         xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", 49009, 49063)
         xpc.close()
         self.assertIsNone(xpc.socket)
         xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect("127.0.0.1", 49009, 49063)
-        self.assertTrue(True)
 
     def test_send_read(self):
         # Init
@@ -38,10 +73,11 @@ class XPCTests(unittest.TestCase):
         for a, b in zip(test, buf):
             self.assertEqual(a, b)
 
-    def test_request_dref(self):
+    def test_getDREFs(self):
         # Setup
         xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect()
-        drefs = ["sim/cockpit/switches/gear_handle_status", "cockpit2/switches/panel_brightness_ratio"]
+        drefs = ["sim/cockpit/switches/gear_handle_status",\
+                 "sim/cockpit2/switches/panel_brightness_ratio"]
 
         # Execution
         result = xpc.getDREFs(drefs)
@@ -54,22 +90,47 @@ class XPCTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(1, len(result[0]))
         self.assertEqual(4, len(result[1]))
 
-    def test_send_dref(self):
+    def test_sendDREF(self):
         # Setup
         xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect()
         dref = "sim/cockpit/switches/gear_handle_status"
 
         # Execution
-        sender.sendDREF(dref_array)
-        result = receiver.getDREF(dref_array)
+        xpc.sendDREF(dref, 0.0)
+        result = xpc.getDREF(dref)
 
         # Cleanup
-        xpc.close();
+        xpc.close()
 
         # Tests
         self.assertEqual(1, len(result))
-        self.assertEqual(1, len(result[0]))
-        self.assertEqual(0.0, result[0][0])
+        self.assertEqual(0.0, result[0])
+
+    def test_pauseSim(self):
+        # Setup
+        xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect()
+        dref = "sim/operation/override/override_planepath"
+
+        # Execution 1
+        xpc.pauseSim(True)
+        result = xpc.getDREF(dref)
+        
+        # Cleanup 1
+        xpc.close()
+
+        # Test 1
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(1.0, result[0])
+
+        # Execution 2
+        xpc = xplaneConnect.XPlaneConnect()
+        xpc.pauseSim(False)
+        result = xpc.getDREF(dref)
+
+        # Cleanup 2
+        xpc.close()
+
+        # Tests
+        self.assertEqual(0.0, result[0])
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
\ No newline at end of file