diff --git a/lib/imc_block.hpp b/lib/imc_block.hpp
index 1f8adb2..967f083 100644
--- a/lib/imc_block.hpp
+++ b/lib/imc_block.hpp
@@ -82,12 +82,16 @@ namespace imc
     void parse_parameters()
     {
       // parse entire block and check for separator tokens
-      for ( unsigned long int b = begin_; b < end_; b++ )
+      // (consider only first four of any CS block)
+      int count = 0;
+      for ( unsigned long int b = begin_;
+        b < end_ && (!(thekey_==imc::keys.at("CS")) || count < 4 ); b++ )
       {
         if ( buffer_->at(b) == imc::ch_sep_ )
         {
           // define range of parameter with first byte = ch_sep_
           parameters_.push_back(imc::parameter(b,b));
+          count++;
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/lib/imc_key.hpp b/lib/imc_key.hpp
index df19962..2d738f2 100644
--- a/lib/imc_key.hpp
+++ b/lib/imc_key.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,15 @@ namespace imc
       version_ = version;
     }
 
+    // comparison operator
+    bool operator==(const key& akey)
+    {
+      return ( this->critical_ == akey.critical_
+            && this->name_ == akey.name_
+            && this->description_ == akey.description_
+            && this->version_ == akey.version_ );
+    }
+
     // get info string
     std::string get_info(int width = 20)
     {
@@ -52,7 +61,7 @@ namespace imc
 
   };
 
-  // define (non)critial markers/keys
+  // define (non)critical markers/keys
   std::map<std::string,key> keys = {
 
     // critical keys
diff --git a/lib/imc_object.hpp b/lib/imc_object.hpp
index 705ff58..17f4e66 100644
--- a/lib/imc_object.hpp
+++ b/lib/imc_object.hpp
@@ -240,14 +240,14 @@ namespace imc
   struct component
   {
     int component_index_;
-    bool analog_digital_;
+    bool analog_digital_; // 1 => false (analog), 2 => true (digital)
 
     // construct members by parsing particular parameters from buffer
     void parse(const std::vector<unsigned char>* buffer, const std::vector<parameter>& parameters)
     {
       if ( parameters.size() < 4 ) throw std::runtime_error("invalid number of parameters in CD2");
       component_index_ = std::stoi(get_parameter(buffer,&parameters[2]));
-      analog_digital_ = std::stoi(get_parameter(buffer,&parameters[3]));
+      analog_digital_ = ( std::stoi(get_parameter(buffer,&parameters[3])) == 2 );
     }
 
     // get info string
@@ -505,12 +505,17 @@ namespace imc
       time(&rawtime);
       ts = localtime(&rawtime);
       ts->tm_mday = day_;
-      ts->tm_mon = month_;
+      ts->tm_mon = month_-1;
       ts->tm_year = year_-1900;
       ts->tm_hour = hour_;
       ts->tm_min = minute_;
       ts->tm_sec = (int)second_;
       timestamp_ = asctime(ts);
+      // timestamp_ = std::to_string(year_) + std::string("-") + std::to_string(month_)
+      //                                    + std::string("-") + std::to_string(day_)
+      //                                    + std::string("T") + std::to_string(hour_)
+      //                                    + std::string(":") + std::to_string(minute_)
+      //                                    + std::string(":") + std::to_string(second_);
     }
 
     // get info string
diff --git a/lib/imc_raw.hpp b/lib/imc_raw.hpp
index 14eb990..26f0b05 100644
--- a/lib/imc_raw.hpp
+++ b/lib/imc_raw.hpp
@@ -166,6 +166,34 @@ namespace imc
     }
 
     // parse channel's raw data
+    template<typename datatype>
+    void convert_data_to_type(std::vector<unsigned char>& subbuffer,
+                              std::vector<imc::datatype>& channel)
+    {
+      // check number of elements of type "datatype" in buffer
+      if ( subbuffer.size() != channel.size()*sizeof(datatype) )
+      {
+        throw std::runtime_error("size mismatch between subbuffer and datatype");
+      }
+
+      // extract every single number of type "datatype" from buffer
+      for ( unsigned long int i = 0; i < channel.size(); i++ )
+      {
+        // declare number of required type and point it to first byte in buffer
+        // representing the number
+        datatype df;
+        uint8_t* dfcast = reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&df);
+
+        for ( unsigned long int j = 0; j < sizeof(datatype); j++ )
+        {
+          dfcast[j] = (int)subbuffer[i*sizeof(datatype)+j];
+        }
+
+        // save number in channel
+        channel[i] = df;
+      }
+    }
+
 
   public:
 
@@ -187,6 +215,29 @@ namespace imc
       return cplxcnt_;
     }
 
+    // list a particular type of block
+    std::vector<imc::block> list_blocks(imc::key mykey)
+    {
+      std::vector<imc::block> myblocks;
+      for ( imc::block blk: this->rawblocks_ )
+      {
+        if ( blk.get_key() == mykey ) myblocks.push_back(blk);
+      }
+      return myblocks;
+    }
+
+    // list all groups (associated to blocks "CB")
+    std::vector<imc::block> list_groups()
+    {
+      return this->list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CB"));
+    }
+
+    // list all channels
+    std::vector<imc::block> list_channels()
+    {
+      return this->list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CN"));
+    }
+
   };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 238ef30..565da34 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -178,7 +178,23 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     }
     std::cout<<"number of blocks: "<<imcraw.blocks().size()<<"\n";
     std::cout<<"computational complexity: "<<imcraw.computational_complexity()
-                                           <<"/"<<imcraw.buffer_size()<<"\n";
+                                           <<"/"<<imcraw.buffer_size()<<"\n\n";
+
+    // list specific blocks
+    // std::vector<imc::block> CBblocks = imcraw.list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CB"));
+    // for ( auto blk: CBblocks ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
+    // std::vector<imc::block> CGblocks = imcraw.list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CG"));
+    // for ( auto blk: CGblocks ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
+    // std::vector<imc::block> CCblocks = imcraw.list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CC"));
+    // for ( auto blk: CCblocks ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
+    // std::vector<imc::block> CNblocks = imcraw.list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CN"));
+    // for ( auto blk: CNblocks ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
+    // std::vector<imc::block> CSblocks = imcraw.list_blocks(imc::keys.at("CS"));
+    // for ( auto blk: CSblocks ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
+    // std::vector<imc::block> groups = imcraw.list_groups();
+    // for ( auto blk: groups ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
+    // std::vector<imc::block> channels = imcraw.list_channels();
+    // for ( auto blk: channels ) std::cout<<blk.get_info()<<"\n";
   }
 
   return 0;