diff --git a/lib/mcp23008-17.js b/lib/mcp23008-17.js
index 5f2676b..36936fc 100644
--- a/lib/mcp23008-17.js
+++ b/lib/mcp23008-17.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class MCP23008 extends Device {
       this.ports = {}
       opts.portID = 'A'
       this.ports.A = new Port(opts)
-      this.chip_config = opts.chip_config
+      this.chip_config = opts.chip_config // TODO  allow opts.chip_config to be a byte instead of a string pointer
       this.ports.A.interrupt = opts.interruptA ? opts.interruptA : opts.interrupt
 
     } // end constructor
@@ -19,24 +19,35 @@ class MCP23008 extends Device {
   init() {
     // console.log('chip configuration', chip_config.cmd, chipSetByte())
     // console.log(super.write.toString())
-    let jobs = [() => { return super.write(chip_config.cmd, chipSetByte(this.chip_config)) }] // configure chip
+    let jobs = [this.writeChipCfg(this.chip_config)] // configure chip
     for (let port in this.ports) {
       if (this.inter(port)) {
-        console.log('interrupt init', this.inter(port).init().toString())
-        jobs.push(() => { return this.inter(port).init() })
+        // console.log('interrupt init', this.inter(port).init().toString())
+        // console.log('interrupt', this.inter(port).init)
+        jobs.push(this.inter(port).init())
+          // jobs.push(this.inter(port).init.bind(this.inter(port))())
       }
     }
-    jobs.push(() => { return this.writePinsCfg() })
+    jobs.push(this.writePinsCfg())
+
     return _u.pSeries(jobs)
   }
 
   pin(id) { return this.ports.A.pin(id) } // get a reference to a particular pin's object
 
   inter(port = 'A') {
-
     return this.ports[port].interrupt
   }
 
+  writeChipCfg(cfg = 'default') {
+    let setting = chip_config[cfg]
+    let byte = _u.byteFormat(setting.val, { in: setting.fmt,
+      out: 'DEC'
+    })
+    return super.write(chip_config.cmd, byte)
+      .then(() => Promise.resolve(`mcp chip config: reg ${chip_config.cmd} byte ${byte} written`))
+  }
+
   // pin configurations should already be set before calling
   writePinsCfg() {
       let jobs = [];
@@ -52,7 +63,7 @@ class MCP23008 extends Device {
           }
           // console.log(`port ${port} - setting ${setting} - reg ${reg} -  byte ${byte}`)
           jobs.push(
-            super.write(reg, byte) //.then(() => console.log(`done writing config`))
+            super.write(reg, byte).then(() => Promise.resolve(`config: wrote ${byte} to register ${reg} on port ${port}`))
           )
         }
       }
@@ -164,21 +175,22 @@ let chip_config = {
   // byte: ['NULL','INTPOL','ODR','HAEN','DISSLW','SEQOP','MIRROR','BANK']  // see page 18 of 23017 datasheet for 8 setting details
   cmd: 0x0A, // IOCON.BANK=0 (msb) at powerup so need to use 0x0A, if set to 1 then use
   default: {
-    val: '10000000', // int pins not connected, port A + 0x10 = Port B  -- ignored by 23008
+    val: '10100010', // Split Banks port A + 0x10 = Port B,(ignored by 23008), Sequential operation disabled, open drain int
     fmt: 'STR'
   },
   oneint: {
-    val: '11000000', // int pins connected, port A + 0x10 = Port B  -- ignored by 23008
+    val: '11100100', // same as default execpt int pins connected
     fmt: 'STR'
   }
 }
 
-function chipSetByte(setting = 'default') {
-  setting = chip_config[setting]
-  return _u.byteFormat(setting.val, { in: setting.fmt,
-    out: 'DEC'
-  })
-}
+// function chipSetByte(setting = 'default') {
+//   setting = chip_config[setting]
+//   return _u.byteFormat(setting.val, { in: setting.fmt,
+//     out: 'DEC'
+//   })
+// }
+
 let registers = {
   pin_config: {
     dir: 0,