diff --git a/src/components/neo-ringlight/.theia/launch.json b/src/components/neo-ringlight/.theia/launch.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 87f7a80..0000000
--- a/src/components/neo-ringlight/.theia/launch.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-{
-  // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
-  // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
-  "version": "0.2.0",
-  "configurations": [
-    
-    {
-      "cwd": "${workspaceRoot}",
-      "executable": "./bin/executable.elf",
-      "name": "Debug Microcontroller",
-      "request": "launch",
-      "type": "cortex-debug",
-      "servertype": "pyocd"
-    }
-  ]
-}
diff --git a/src/components/neo-ringlight/neo-ringlight.ino b/src/components/neo-ringlight/neo-ringlight.ino
index 5264dae..eca4221 100644
--- a/src/components/neo-ringlight/neo-ringlight.ino
+++ b/src/components/neo-ringlight/neo-ringlight.ino
@@ -21,12 +21,26 @@ typedef union {
 typedef uint8_t Color[3];
 
 // GLOBAL VARIABLES
-size_t read = 0;
+uint32_t read = 0;
 uint8_t message[SERIAL_MESSAGE_LEN] = { 0 };
 Address address = { 0 };
 Color color = { 0 };
 Adafruit_NeoPixel pixels(NUMPIXELS, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
 
+
+uint8_t set_color(uint32_t address, uint8_t r, uint8_t g, uint8_t b) {
+  if (address == UINT_MAX || address > NUMPIXELS || address < 0) {
+    pixels.clear();
+    for (int i = 0; i < NUMPIXELS; i++) {
+      pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(r, g, b));
+    }
+    pixels.show();
+  } else {
+    pixels.setPixelColor(address, pixels.Color(r, g, b));
+    pixels.show();
+  }
+}
+
 // SETUP PROCEDURE
 void setup() {
 #if defined(__AVR_ATtiny85__) && (F_CPU == 16000000)
@@ -34,6 +48,16 @@ void setup() {
 #endif
   Serial.begin(9600);
   pixels.begin();
+  // show test colors
+  set_color(-1, 255, 0, 0);
+  delay(1000);
+  set_color(-1, 0, 255, 0);
+  delay(1000);
+  set_color(-1, 0, 0, 255);
+  delay(1000);
+  set_color(-1, 0, 0, 0);
+  delay(1000);
+  set_color(-1, 255, 255, 255);
 }
 
 uint8_t parse_message(uint8_t *message, Address *address, Color color) {
@@ -55,23 +79,13 @@ uint8_t parse_message(uint8_t *message, Address *address, Color color) {
 void loop() {
   read = Serial.readBytes(message, SERIAL_MESSAGE_LEN);
   if (read > 0 && read != SERIAL_MESSAGE_LEN) {
-    Serial.write("bad message length: %d instead of %d\n", read, SERIAL_MESSAGE_LEN);
+    Serial.write("bad message length\n");
     return;
   }
   if (parse_message(message, &address, color)) {
     Serial.write(", failed to parse message\n");
     return;
   }
-  if (address.value == UINT_MAX || address.value > NUMPIXELS) {
-    pixels.clear();
-    for (int i = 0; i < NUMPIXELS; i++) {
-      pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(color[0], color[1], color[2]));
-    }
-    pixels.show();
-    Serial.write("ok\n");
-  } else {
-    pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(color[0], color[1], color[2]));
-    pixels.show();
-    Serial.write("ok\n");
-  }
+  set_color(address.value, color[0], color[1], color[2]);
+  Serial.write("ok\n");
 }