Index: /trunk/shared_serial/include/shared_serial/LxSerial.h
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/include/shared_serial/LxSerial.h	(revision 11)
+++ /trunk/shared_serial/include/shared_serial/LxSerial.h	(revision 12)
@@ -86,17 +86,17 @@
 
 	public:
-						LxSerial();
-		virtual			 ~LxSerial();
-		virtual bool	port_open(const std::string& portname, LxSerial::PortType port_type);	// open serial port. If overridden, make sure you set s_port_name!!
-		virtual bool	is_port_open();
+			LxSerial();
+			 ~LxSerial();
+		bool	port_open(const std::string& portname, LxSerial::PortType port_type);	// open serial port. If overridden, make sure you set s_port_name!!
+		bool	is_port_open();
 		std::string&	get_port_name();
-		virtual bool	set_speed(LxSerial::PortSpeed baudrate );						// enumerated
-		virtual bool	set_speed_int(const int baudrate);	// Set speed by integer value directly - UNPROTECTED!
-		void			set_clear_echo(bool clear);										// clear echoed charackters from input and detect collisions on write
-		virtual bool	port_close();
-		virtual int		port_read(unsigned char* buffer, int numBytes) const;
-		virtual int 	port_read(unsigned char* buffer, int numBytes, int seconds, int microseconds);
-		virtual int		port_write(unsigned char* buffer, int numBytes);
-		virtual void	flush_buffer();													// flush input and output buffers
+		bool	set_speed(LxSerial::PortSpeed baudrate );						// enumerated
+		bool	set_speed_int(const int baudrate);	// Set speed by integer value directly - UNPROTECTED!
+		void	set_clear_echo(bool clear);										// clear echoed charackters from input and detect collisions on write
+		bool	port_close();
+		int	port_read(unsigned char* buffer, int numBytes) const;
+		int 	port_read(unsigned char* buffer, int numBytes, int seconds, int microseconds);
+		int	port_write(unsigned char* buffer, int numBytes);
+		void	flush_buffer();													// flush input and output buffers
 
 };
Index: /trunk/shared_serial/include/shared_serial/client.h
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/include/shared_serial/client.h	(revision 11)
+++ /trunk/shared_serial/include/shared_serial/client.h	(revision 12)
@@ -4,25 +4,88 @@
 #include <ros/ros.h>
 
+/// shared_serial client interface class.
 class SerialClient
 {
   protected:
-    ros::NodeHandle nh_;
-    ros::ServiceClient connect_service_;
-    ros::ServiceClient sendto_service_;
-    ros::ServiceClient recv_service_;
-    ros::ServiceClient sendrecv_service_;
-    ros::Publisher     send_topic_;
-    ros::Publisher     close_topic_;
-    ros::Publisher     flush_topic_;
+    ros::NodeHandle nh_;                  ///< ROS node handle.
+    ros::ServiceClient connect_service_;  ///< Service client for connect function.
+    ros::ServiceClient sendto_service_;   ///< Service client for sendto function.
+    ros::ServiceClient recv_service_;     ///< Service client for recv function.
+    ros::ServiceClient sendrecv_service_; ///< Service client for sendrecv function.
+    ros::Publisher     send_topic_;       ///< Publisher for send function.
+    ros::Publisher     close_topic_;      ///< Published for close function.
+    ros::Publisher     flush_topic_;      ///< Publisher for flush function.
 
   public:
+    /// Initialize interface.
+    /** \param path Path to server node. */
     void init(const char *path="/comm");
 
+    /// Lock serial port.
+    /**
+     * \param timeout Lock time in [s]
+     * \returns Socket identifier.
+     */
     int connect(float timeout);
+    
+    /// Send data over serial port.
+    /**
+     * \param socket Socket identifier (when 0, the port is locked first).
+     * \param data Data to send.
+     * \param length Length of \c data parameter.
+     * \param timeout Lock time in [s].
+     * \returns Socket identifier.
+     */
     int sendto(int socket, const unsigned char *data, size_t length, float timeout);
+    
+    /// Receive data from serial port.
+    /**
+     * \param sock Socket identifier (when 0, the port is locked first).
+     * \param length Length of data to receive.
+     * \param recv_timeout Time to wait for data in [s].
+     * \param sock_timeout Lock time in [s].
+     * \param data Data buffer, at least \c length bytes long.
+     * \param[out] data_length Number of bytes received.
+     * \returns Socket identifier.
+     */
     int recv(int socket, int length, float recv_timeout, float sock_timeout, unsigned char *data, size_t *data_length);
+    
+    /// Coalesced send and receive.
+    /**
+     * \param socket Socket identifier (when 0, the port is locked first).
+     * \param send_data Data to send.
+     * \param send_length Length of \c send_data parameter in bytes.
+     * \param recv_length Length of data to receive.
+     * \param recv_timeout Time to wait for data in [s].
+     * \param sock_timeout Lock time in [s].
+     * \param recv_data Receive data buffer, at least \c recv_length bytes long.
+     * \param[out] recv_data_length Number of bytes received.
+     * \returns Socket identifier.
+     */
     int sendrecv(int socket, const unsigned char *send_data, size_t send_length, size_t recv_length, float recv_timeout, float sock_timeout, unsigned char *recv_data, size_t *recv_data_length);
+    
+    /// Send data over already locked serial port.
+    /**
+     * \param socket Socket identifier.
+     * \param data Data to send.
+     * \param length Length of \c data parameter in bytes.
+     * \param timeout Lock time in [s].
+     * \note This function is asynchronous.
+     */
     void send(int socket, const unsigned char *data, size_t length, float timeout);
+    
+    /// Unlock serial port.
+    /**
+     * \param socket Socket identifier.
+     * \note This function is asynchronous.
+     */
     void close(int socket);
+    
+    /// Flush serial port.
+    /**
+     * \param socket Socket identifier.
+     * \param timeout Lock time in [s].
+     * \note This function is asynchronous.
+     */
     void flush(int socket, float timeout);
 };
Index: unk/shared_serial/launch/rs232usb.lauch
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/launch/rs232usb.lauch	(revision 11)
+++ 	(revision )
@@ -1,8 +1,0 @@
-<launch>
-	<node name="comm" pkg="shared_serial" type="server">
-		<param name="port_name" value="/dev/ttyUSB0"/>
-		<param name="port_type" value="RS232"/>
-		<param name="baud_rate" value="9600"/>
-		<param name="watchdog_interval" value="2"/>
-	</node>
-</launch>
Index: /trunk/shared_serial/launch/rs232usb.launch
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/launch/rs232usb.launch	(revision 12)
+++ /trunk/shared_serial/launch/rs232usb.launch	(revision 12)
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<launch>
+	<node name="comm" pkg="shared_serial" type="server">
+		<param name="port_name" value="/dev/ttyUSB0"/>
+		<param name="port_type" value="RS232"/>
+		<param name="baud_rate" value="9600"/>
+		<param name="watchdog_interval" value="2"/>
+	</node>
+</launch>
Index: /trunk/shared_serial/mainpage.dox
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/mainpage.dox	(revision 11)
+++ /trunk/shared_serial/mainpage.dox	(revision 12)
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@
 \section codeapi Code API
 
-The API is internal and not meant to be used. See the <a href="index-msg.html">message and service documentation</a> instead.
+The client API is a single class, called SerialClient. You can also use the messages and services defined in the <a href="index-msg.html">message and service documentation</a>.
 
 <!--
Index: /trunk/shared_serial/src/LxSerial.cpp
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/src/LxSerial.cpp	(revision 11)
+++ /trunk/shared_serial/src/LxSerial.cpp	(revision 12)
@@ -455,8 +455,5 @@
 LxSerial::~LxSerial()
 {
-	// Warn when you forgot to close the port before destruction.
-	// We CANNOT call port_close() here, because port_close is a virtual function
-	// and virtual functions cannot be called in constructors and destructors.
 	if (hPort != INVALID_DEVICE_HANDLE)
-		printf("[LxSerial] Warning: you didn't call port_close before calling the destructor.\n");
-}
+		port_close();
+}
Index: /trunk/shared_serial/src/server.cpp
===================================================================
--- /trunk/shared_serial/src/server.cpp	(revision 11)
+++ /trunk/shared_serial/src/server.cpp	(revision 12)
@@ -116,5 +116,5 @@
   ROS_ASSERT(nh_.getParam("port_type", port_type));
   ROS_ASSERT(nh_.getParam("baud_rate", baud_rate));
-  nh_.param<double>("watchdog_interval", watchdog_interval, 1);
+  nh_.param<double>("watchdog_interval", watchdog_interval, 10);
 
   if (port_type == "RS232")