diff --git a/console.c b/console.c
index c944b899..8961646d 100644
--- a/console.c
+++ b/console.c
@@ -11,39 +11,12 @@
 #include "glcd.h"
 #include "console.h"
 
-
-msg_t lcdConsoleInit(GLCDConsole *console, uint16_t x0, uint16_t y0, uint16_t x1,
-		uint16_t y1, const uint8_t *font, uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t bkcolor, uint16_t color) {
-	const uint8_t* ptr;
-	uint16_t chi;
-	uint16_t x,y;
-	/* read font, get size */
-	/* TODO: this is messy. improve font handling.
-	 * this assumes that all characters are as wide as A */
-	console->fy = font[FONT_TABLE_HEIGHT_IDX];
-	chi = *(uint16_t*)(&font[FONT_TABLE_CHAR_LOOKUP_IDX + ('A'-0x20)*2]);
-	ptr = font + chi;
-	console->fx = *(ptr++);
-
-	/* calculate the size of the console in characters */
-	console->sx = (x1-x0)/console->fx;
-	console->sy = (y1-y0)/console->fy;
-
-	console->cx = 0;
-	console->cy = 0;
-
-	console->buf = buffer;
-	console->bidx = 0;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * Interface implementation. The interface is write only
  */
 
 static size_t writes(void *ip, const uint8_t *bp, size_t n) {
-	(void)ip;
-	return lcdWriteString(bp, n);
+	return lcdConsoleWrite((GLCDConsole *)ip, bp, n);
 }
 
 static size_t reads(void *ip, uint8_t *bp, size_t n) {
@@ -54,8 +27,7 @@ static size_t reads(void *ip, uint8_t *bp, size_t n) {
 }
 
 static msg_t put(void *ip, uint8_t b) {
-	(void)ip;
-	return lcdDrawChar((char)b);
+	return lcdConsolePut((GLCDConsole *)ip, (char)b);
 }
 
 static msg_t get(void *ip) {
@@ -64,10 +36,9 @@ static msg_t get(void *ip) {
 }
 
 static msg_t putt(void *ip, uint8_t b, systime_t timeout) {
-	(void)ip;
 	(void)timeout;
 	/* TODO: handle timeout */
-	return lcdDrawChar((char)b);
+	return lcdConsolePut((GLCDConsole *)ip, (char)b);
 }
 
 static msg_t gett(void *ip, systime_t timeout) {
@@ -77,9 +48,8 @@ static msg_t gett(void *ip, systime_t timeout) {
 }
 
 static size_t writet(void *ip, const uint8_t *bp, size_t n, systime_t time) {
-	(void)ip;
 	(void)time;
-	return lcdWriteString(bp, n);
+	return lcdConsoleWrite((GLCDConsole *)ip, bp, n);
 }
 
 static size_t readt(void *ip, uint8_t *bp, size_t n, systime_t time) {
@@ -101,3 +71,105 @@ static const struct GLCDConsoleVMT vmt = {
 };
 
 
+msg_t lcdConsoleInit(GLCDConsole *console, uint16_t x0, uint16_t y0, uint16_t x1,
+		uint16_t y1, const uint8_t *font, uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t bkcolor, uint16_t color) {
+	const uint8_t* ptr;
+	uint16_t chi;
+	uint16_t x,y;
+
+	console->vmt = &vmt;
+	/* read font, get size */
+	/* TODO: this is messy. improve font handling.
+	 * this assumes that all characters are as wide as A */
+	console->fy = font[FONT_TABLE_HEIGHT_IDX];
+	chi = *(uint16_t*)(&font[FONT_TABLE_CHAR_LOOKUP_IDX + ('A'-0x20)*2]);
+	ptr = font + chi;
+	console->fx = *(ptr++);
+
+	/* calculate the size of the console in characters */
+	console->sx = (x1-x0)/console->fx;
+	console->sy = (y1-y0)/console->fy;
+
+	console->cx = 0;
+	console->cy = 0;
+	console->x0 = x0;
+	console->y0 = y0;
+
+	console->buf = buffer;
+	console->bidx = 0;
+	console->blen = console->sx*console->sy;
+	console->bstrt = 0;
+
+	console->bkcolor = bkcolor;
+	console->color = color;
+
+	console->font = font;
+	console->full = FALSE;
+}
+
+msg_t lcdConsoleUpdate(GLCDConsole *console) {
+
+}
+
+msg_t lcdConsolePut(GLCDConsole *console, char c) {
+
+	if(console->full) {
+		return RDY_RESET;
+	}
+
+	bool_t redraw = FALSE;
+	/* write character to current position in buffer */
+	console->buf[console->bidx++] = c;
+
+	if(console->bidx == console->blen) {
+		/* wrap around to the beginning */
+		console->bidx = 0;
+	}
+
+	if(c == '\n') {
+		console->cx = 0;
+		console->cy++;
+		redraw = TRUE;
+	} else if(c == '\r') {
+		console->cx = 0;
+	} else {
+		console->cx++;
+	}
+
+	if(console->cx > console->sx) {
+		/* character has extended beyond end of line */
+		redraw = TRUE;
+	}
+
+	if(redraw && console->cy == console->sy) {
+
+		/* we've gone past the end of the console */
+		console->full = TRUE;
+		return RDY_RESET;
+		/* start at beginning of buffer and remove the first line */
+		uint16_t i;
+
+		/* increment i from bstrt until it has been incremented more than console->sx or finds a new line */
+		for(i = console->bstrt; ((i - console->bstrt) < console->sx) && (console->buf[i % console->sx] != '\n'); i++);
+
+		/* update bstrt to the new start point of the console */
+		console->bstrt = i;
+	} else {
+		/* just draw the character at the current position */
+		lcdMoveCursor(console->x0 + console->cx*console->fx, console->y0 + console->cy*console->fy,
+				console->color, console->bkcolor);
+
+		lcdSetFont(console->font);
+		lcdDrawChar(c);
+	}
+}
+
+msg_t lcdConsoleWrite(GLCDConsole *console, uint8_t *bp, size_t n) {
+	size_t i;
+	for(i = 0; i < n; i++)
+		lcdConsolePut(console, bp[i]);
+
+	return RDY_OK;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index 6f017d88..06320853 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ struct GLCDConsole {
   /* WARNING: Do not add any data to this struct above this comment, only below */
   /* text buffer */
   uint8_t *buf;
+  /* font */
+  const uint8_t *font;
   /* lcd area to use */
   uint16_t x0,y0,x1,y1;
   /* current cursor position, in character coordinates (not pixels) */
@@ -46,7 +48,8 @@ struct GLCDConsole {
   /* font size in pixels */
   uint8_t fx,fy;
   /* buffer index */
-  uint16_t bidx;
+  uint16_t bidx, blen, bstrt;
+  bool_t full;
 };
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -56,6 +59,9 @@ extern "C" {
 msg_t lcdConsoleInit(GLCDConsole *console, uint16_t x0, uint16_t y0, uint16_t x1, uint16_t y1,
 		const uint8_t *font, uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t bkcolor, uint16_t color);
 
+msg_t lcdConsolePut(GLCDConsole *console, char c);
+msg_t lcdConsoleWrite(GLCDConsole *console, uint8_t *bp, size_t n);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif