diff --git a/ATXConfigTest/ATXConfigTest.csproj b/ATXConfigTest/ATXConfigTest.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..df442c4a425b7e5021594474e2679faa83e1eabc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ATXConfigTest/ATXConfigTest.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" />
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
+    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
+    <ProjectGuid>{81E0A5AC-0E0D-4F98-B399-41A58612EF33}</ProjectGuid>
+    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
+    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
+    <RootNamespace>ATXConfigTest</RootNamespace>
+    <AssemblyName>AutoTxConfigTest</AssemblyName>
+    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.5</TargetFrameworkVersion>
+    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
+    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
+    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
+    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
+    <Optimize>false</Optimize>
+    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
+    <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
+    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
+    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
+    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
+    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
+    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
+    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
+    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
+    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
+    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <Reference Include="System" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
+    <Reference Include="Microsoft.CSharp" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Data" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <Compile Include="AutoTxConfigTest.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <None Include="App.config" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\ATXSerializables\ATXSerializables.csproj">
+      <Project>{166D65D5-EE10-4364-8AA3-4D86BA5CE244}</Project>
+      <Name>ATXSerializables</Name>
+    </ProjectReference>
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
+  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
+       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
+  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
+  </Target>
+  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
+  </Target>
+  -->
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ATXConfigTest/App.config b/ATXConfigTest/App.config
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8e15646352ec1d9a84bbc6504ef6b46e16bf7823
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ATXConfigTest/App.config
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
+<configuration>
+    <startup> 
+        <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5" />
+    </startup>
+</configuration>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ATXConfigTest/AutoTxConfigTest.cs b/ATXConfigTest/AutoTxConfigTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a649bc0dec259e99a511d67800a8d3b439499ee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ATXConfigTest/AutoTxConfigTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using ATXSerializables;
+
+namespace ATXConfigTest
+{
+    internal class AutoTxConfigTest
+    {
+
+        private static ServiceConfig _config;
+        private static ServiceStatus _status;
+
+        private static void Main(string[] args) {
+            var baseDir = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory;
+
+            try {
+                baseDir = args[0];
+            }
+            catch {
+                // ignored (use default value from above)
+            }
+
+            var configPath = Path.Combine(baseDir, "configuration.xml");
+            var statusPath = Path.Combine(baseDir, "status.xml");
+
+            try {
+                string msg;
+                Console.WriteLine("\nTrying to parse configuration file [{0}]...\n", configPath);
+                _config = ServiceConfig.Deserialize(configPath);
+                msg = "------------------ configuration settings ------------------";
+                Console.WriteLine("{0}\n{1}{0}\n", msg, _config.Summary());
+
+                Console.WriteLine("\nTrying to parse status file [{0}]...\n", statusPath);
+                _status = ServiceStatus.Deserialize(statusPath, _config);
+                msg = "------------------ status parameters ------------------";
+                Console.WriteLine("{0}\n{1}{0}\n", msg, _status.Summary());
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex) {
+                Console.WriteLine(ex);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ATXConfigTest/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs b/ATXConfigTest/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..098148d99780b9f9c067ada0b6aa75d9e282eb41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ATXConfigTest/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+
+// General Information about an assembly is controlled through the following 
+// set of attributes. Change these attribute values to modify the information
+// associated with an assembly.
+[assembly: AssemblyTitle("ATXConfigTest")]
+[assembly: AssemblyDescription("")]
+[assembly: AssemblyConfiguration("")]
+[assembly: AssemblyCompany("Universitaet Basel")]
+[assembly: AssemblyProduct("ATXConfigTest")]
+[assembly: AssemblyCopyright("Copyright © Universitaet Basel 2018")]
+[assembly: AssemblyTrademark("")]
+[assembly: AssemblyCulture("")]
+
+// Setting ComVisible to false makes the types in this assembly not visible 
+// to COM components.  If you need to access a type in this assembly from 
+// COM, set the ComVisible attribute to true on that type.
+[assembly: ComVisible(false)]
+
+// The following GUID is for the ID of the typelib if this project is exposed to COM
+[assembly: Guid("1efe21ab-b31e-43ef-95c3-72b9addfabb4")]
+
+// Version information for an assembly consists of the following four values:
+//
+//      Major Version
+//      Minor Version 
+//      Build Number
+//      Revision
+//
+// You can specify all the values or you can default the Build and Revision Numbers 
+// by using the '*' as shown below:
+// [assembly: AssemblyVersion("1.0.*")]
+[assembly: AssemblyVersion("1.0.0.0")]
+[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("1.0.0.0")]
diff --git a/ATXService.sln b/ATXService.sln
index 0c405b028eacc0c2d3d7e1da61edc528ed9646c7..59edaea57f66290c16fc86e657f476471404cd12 100644
--- a/ATXService.sln
+++ b/ATXService.sln
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "ATXProject", "AutoTx\ATXPro
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "ATXSerializables", "ATXSerializables\ATXSerializables.csproj", "{166D65D5-EE10-4364-8AA3-4D86BA5CE244}"
 EndProject
+Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "ATXConfigTest", "ATXConfigTest\ATXConfigTest.csproj", "{81E0A5AC-0E0D-4F98-B399-41A58612EF33}"
+EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
@@ -21,6 +23,10 @@ Global
 		{166D65D5-EE10-4364-8AA3-4D86BA5CE244}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
 		{166D65D5-EE10-4364-8AA3-4D86BA5CE244}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
 		{166D65D5-EE10-4364-8AA3-4D86BA5CE244}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
+		{81E0A5AC-0E0D-4F98-B399-41A58612EF33}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
+		{81E0A5AC-0E0D-4F98-B399-41A58612EF33}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
+		{81E0A5AC-0E0D-4F98-B399-41A58612EF33}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
+		{81E0A5AC-0E0D-4F98-B399-41A58612EF33}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
 	EndGlobalSection
 	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
 		HideSolutionNode = FALSE