diff --git a/example.py b/example.py
index 0ac0274..028bb73 100644
--- a/example.py
+++ b/example.py
@@ -2,13 +2,17 @@ import tdm_ripper
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
-tdmpath = b"samples/SineData.tdm"
-tdxpath = b"samples/SineData.tdx"
+tdmpatha = b"samples/SineData.tdm"
+tdxpatha = b"samples/SineData.tdx"
+tdmpathb = b"/Users/mariofink/Downloads/CONTI_HBS_samples/config_id_1/001_Test_DIAdem/Messung.tdm"
+tdxpathb = b"/Users/mariofink/Downloads/CONTI_HBS_samples/config_id_1/001_Test_DIAdem/Messung.tdx"
+
+tdmpathchz = tdmpathb
+tdxpathchz = tdxpathb
 
 # create instance of ripper class
 # RP = tdm_ripper.pytdmripper(tdmpath)
-RP = tdm_ripper.pytdmripper(tdmpath,tdxpath)
-# RP = tdm_ripper.pytdmripper(b"/Users/mariofink/git/Conti_HBS/data_science/python/features/tdm_tmp_slow/75_1/Messung.tdm")
+RP = tdm_ripper.pytdmripper(tdmpathchz,tdxpathchz)
 
 # provide overview of available channels
 RP.show_channels()
@@ -22,6 +26,11 @@ for i in range(0,RP.num_groups()):
 # print particular channel to file
 RP.print_channel(1,b"SineData_extract.dat")
 
+# show some meta information
+print(RP.meta_info(b"SMP_Name").decode('utf-8'))
+print(RP.meta_info(b"Location").decode('utf-8'))
+print('\n')
+
 # extract channel and return it to numpy array
 # channels = RP.get_channel(1)
 # Nlen = len(channels)
diff --git a/lib/tdm_ripper.cpp b/lib/tdm_ripper.cpp
index 1e6e495..99b07fe 100644
--- a/lib/tdm_ripper.cpp
+++ b/lib/tdm_ripper.cpp
@@ -112,10 +112,24 @@ void tdm_ripper::parse_structure()
   pugi::xml_node subtreedata = xml_doc_.child("usi:tdm").child("usi:data");
 
   // extract basic information about available groups
+  int groupcount = 0;
   for (pugi::xml_node anode: subtreedata.children())
   {
     if ( std::string(anode.name()).compare("tdm_channelgroup") == 0 )
     {
+      groupcount++;
+
+      // meta-info is pressumably contained in FIRST channel-group xml tree element
+      // (eventually identify by name = TESTINFOS ??? )
+      if ( groupcount == 1 )
+      {
+        for ( pugi::xml_node mnode: anode.child("instance_attributes").children() )
+        {
+          meta_info_.insert(std::pair<std::string,std::string>(mnode.attribute("name").value(),
+                                                               mnode.child_value("s")));
+        }
+      }
+
       int numchann = count_occ_string(anode.child_value("channels"),"id");
       if ( numchann > 0 || !neglect_empty_groups_ )
       {
@@ -183,6 +197,8 @@ void tdm_ripper::parse_structure()
     std::cout<<std::setw(25)<<std::left<<"xml_values_:"<<xml_values_.size()<<"\n";
     std::cout<<std::setw(25)<<std::left<<"xml_double_sequence_:"<<xml_double_sequence_.size()<<"\n";
     std::cout<<std::right<<"\n\n";
+
+    std::cout<<"meta-info snippets "<<meta_info_.size()<<"\n\n";
   }
 
   // extract basic information about available channels
@@ -212,29 +228,7 @@ void tdm_ripper::parse_structure()
       minmax_.push_back(minmaxchan);
 
       // get correct assignment of channels to byteoffset, length and datatype
-      // std::string locol = get_str_between(anode.child_value("local_columns"),"\"","\"");
-      // std::string locolval;
-      // locolval = local_columns_val_[locol];
-      // for (pugi::xml_node anode: subtreedata.children())
-      // {
-      //   if ( std::string(anode.name()).compare("localcolumn") == 0
-      //     && std::string(anode.attribute("id").value()).compare(locol) == 0 )
-      //     {
-      //       locolval = get_str_between(anode.child_value("values"),"\"","\"");
-      //     }
-      // }
-
       std::string locolvalext;
-      // locolvalext = double_sequence_id_[locolval];
-      // for (pugi::xml_node anode: subtreedata.children())
-      // {
-      //   if ( std::string(anode.name()).compare("double_sequence") == 0
-      //     && std::string(anode.attribute("id").value()).compare(locolval) == 0 )
-      //     {
-      //       locolvalext = anode.child("values").attribute("external").value();
-      //     }
-      // }
-
       locolvalext = xml_double_sequence_[xml_values_[xml_local_columns_[anode.attribute("id").value()]]];
 
       // save external id of channel and get corresponding channel index
diff --git a/lib/tdm_ripper.hpp b/lib/tdm_ripper.hpp
index 0521b21..744b959 100644
--- a/lib/tdm_ripper.hpp
+++ b/lib/tdm_ripper.hpp
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ class tdm_ripper
   pugi::xml_document xml_doc_;
   pugi::xml_parse_result xml_result_;
 
+  // .tdm-file eventually contains some meta information about measurement
+  std::map<std::string,std::string> meta_info_;
+
   // binary data container
   std::vector<unsigned char> tdxbuf_;
 
@@ -250,18 +253,18 @@ public:
     }
   }
 
-  // evtl. get group time_stamp of .tdm file given in unix format
+  // get time-stamp of channel-group in .tdm file given in unix format
   static std::string unix_timestamp(std::string unixts)
   {
     // average year of Gregorian calender
     const double avgdaysofyear = 365.0 + 1./4 - 1./100 + 1./400
                                  - 8./24561; // gauge timestamp according to DIADEM result
 
-    // convert string to long int = number of second since 0000/01/01 00:00
+    // convert string to long int = number of seconds since 0000/01/01 00:00
     long int ts = atol(unixts.c_str());
     assert( ts >= 0 );
 
-    // use STL to convert timestamp (epoch usually starts from 01.01.1970)
+    // use STL to convert timestamp (epoch usually starts on 01.01.1970)
     std::time_t tstime = ts - 1970*avgdaysofyear*86400;
 
     // get rid of linebreak character and return the result
@@ -314,6 +317,12 @@ public:
 
   void print_channel(int channelid, const char* filename, int width = 15);
 
+  // obtain any meta information about .tdm-file if available
+  std::string get_meta(std::string attribute_name)
+  {
+    return meta_info_[attribute_name];
+  }
+
   // TODO add elements/methods to build .tdm and write .tdx files for your own data
   // by constructing xml document tree and write data to binary .tdx
   // void set_channels(std::vector<std::string> channels);
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index eb47811..4d358be 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   assert( argc > 1 && "please provide a filename and path" );
 
   // declare and initialize tdm_ripper
-  tdm_ripper ripper(argv[1]); //,"samples/SineData.tdx",false);
+  tdm_ripper ripper(argv[1],argv[2],false); //,"samples/SineData.tdx",false);
 
   // ripper.list_datatypes();
   // ripper.show_structure();
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   std::cout<<"number of channels "<<ripper.num_channels()<<"\n";
   std::cout<<"number of groups "<<ripper.num_groups()<<"\n\n";
 
+  std::cout<<"\n"<<ripper.get_meta("SMP_Name")<<"\n";
+  std::cout<<ripper.get_meta("SMP_Aufbau_Nr")<<"\n";
+  std::cout<<ripper.get_meta("SMP_Type")<<"\n";
+  std::cout<<ripper.get_meta("Location")<<"\n\n";
+
   // for ( int i = 0; i < ripper.num_groups(); i++ )
   // {
   //   std::cout<<std::setw(10)<<i+1<<std::setw(10)<<ripper.no_channels(i+1)<<"\n";
diff --git a/pytdm_ripper.pyx b/pytdm_ripper.pyx
index b360818..d0d406d 100644
--- a/pytdm_ripper.pyx
+++ b/pytdm_ripper.pyx
@@ -62,13 +62,8 @@ cdef class pytdmripper:
     def print_channel(self, int channelid, const char* filename):
         self.cripp.print_channel(channelid,filename)
 
+    def meta_info(self, string attribute_name):
+        return self.cripp.get_meta(attribute_name)
+
     def close(self):
         dummy = ""
-
-    # integrate into CONTI_HBS workflow by adding methods: (29.04.2019)
-    #   tdm_loader.OpenFile(tmp_path + name_prefix + '/Messung.tdm', encoding='utf-8')
-    #   .no_channel_groups()
-    #   .no_channels(i)
-    #   .channel_name(i, j)
-    #   .channel(i, j)
-    #   .close()
diff --git a/tdm_ripper.pxd b/tdm_ripper.pxd
index 27aad5d..ade0622 100644
--- a/tdm_ripper.pxd
+++ b/tdm_ripper.pxd
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ cdef extern from "tdm_ripper.hpp":
         double get_max(int,int)
         vector[double] channel(int,int)
         void print_channel(int,const char*)
+        string get_meta(string attribute_name)
         # dummy method for compatibility
         void close()