diff --git a/bacnet-stack/bacdcode.c b/bacnet-stack/bacdcode.c
index 821140a9..b593e0b6 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/bacdcode.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/bacdcode.c
@@ -843,24 +843,6 @@ int decode_octet_string(uint8_t * apdu, uint32_t len_value,
     return len;
 }
 
-// from clause 20.2.9 Encoding of a Character String Value
-// returns the number of apdu bytes consumed
-int encode_bacnet_string(uint8_t * apdu, const char *char_string, int len)
-{
-    int i;
-
-    // limit - 6 octets is the most our tag and type could be
-    if (len > (MAX_APDU - 6))
-        len = MAX_APDU - 6;
-    for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
-        apdu[1 + i] = char_string[i];
-    }
-    apdu[0] = CHARACTER_ANSI;
-    len++;
-
-    return len;
-}
-
 // from clause 20.2.9 Encoding of a Character String Value
 // returns the number of apdu bytes consumed
 int encode_bacnet_character_string(uint8_t * apdu,
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/bacenum.h b/bacnet-stack/bacenum.h
index 1f266651..c100ba9c 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/bacenum.h
+++ b/bacnet-stack/bacenum.h
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ typedef enum
 
 typedef enum
 {
-  CHARACTER_ANSI = 0,
+  CHARACTER_ANSI_X34 = 0,
   CHARACTER_MS_DBCS = 1,
   CHARACTER_JISC_6226 = 2,
   CHARACTER_UCS4 = 3,
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/bacstr.c b/bacnet-stack/bacstr.c
index bad1eb53..81d9cfc9 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/bacstr.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/bacstr.c
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ uint8_t bitstring_bits_capacity(BACNET_BIT_STRING *bit_string)
     return 0;
 }
 
+#define CHARACTER_STRING_CAPACITY (MAX_CHARACTER_STRING_BYTES - 1)
 /* returns false if the string exceeds capacity
    initialize by using length=0 */
 bool characterstring_init(
@@ -183,19 +184,26 @@ bool characterstring_init(
   {
     char_string->length = 0;
     char_string->encoding = encoding;
-    if (length <= sizeof(char_string->value))
+    /* save a byte at the end for NULL - 
+       note: assumes printable characters */
+    if (length <= CHARACTER_STRING_CAPACITY)
     {
       if (value)
       {
-        for (i = 0; i < length; i++)
+        for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHARACTER_STRING_BYTES; i++)
         {
-          char_string->value[char_string->length] = value[i];
-          char_string->length++;
+          if (i < length)
+          {
+            char_string->value[char_string->length] = value[i];
+            char_string->length++;
+          }
+          else
+            char_string->value[i] = 0;
         }
       }
       else
       {
-        for (i = 0; i < sizeof(char_string->value); i++)
+        for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHARACTER_STRING_BYTES; i++)
         {
           char_string->value[i] = 0;
         }
@@ -208,12 +216,12 @@ bool characterstring_init(
 }
 
 bool characterstring_init_ansi(
-    BACNET_CHARACTER_STRING *char_string,
-    char *value)
+  BACNET_CHARACTER_STRING *char_string,
+  char *value)
 {
   return characterstring_init(
       char_string,
-      CHARACTER_ANSI,
+      CHARACTER_ANSI_X34,
       value, value?strlen(value):0);
 }
 
@@ -228,7 +236,7 @@ bool characterstring_append(
 
   if (char_string)
   {
-    if ((length + char_string->length) <= sizeof(char_string->value))
+    if ((length + char_string->length) <= CHARACTER_STRING_CAPACITY)
     {
       for (i = 0; i < length; i++)
       {
@@ -253,7 +261,7 @@ bool characterstring_truncate(
 
   if (char_string)
   {
-    if (length <= sizeof(char_string->value))
+    if (length <= CHARACTER_STRING_CAPACITY)
     {
       char_string->length = length;
       status = true;
@@ -296,7 +304,7 @@ size_t characterstring_capacity(BACNET_CHARACTER_STRING *char_string)
 
   if (char_string)
   {
-    length = sizeof(char_string->value);
+    length = CHARACTER_STRING_CAPACITY;
   }
 
   return length;
@@ -318,7 +326,7 @@ uint8_t characterstring_encoding(BACNET_CHARACTER_STRING *char_string)
 /* returns false if the string exceeds capacity
    initialize by using length=0 */
 bool octetstring_init(
-    BACNET_OCTET_STRING *octet_string,
+  BACNET_OCTET_STRING *octet_string,
   uint8_t *value,
   size_t length)
 {
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/bacstr.h b/bacnet-stack/bacstr.h
index 9ae9951b..5ccd876d 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/bacstr.h
+++ b/bacnet-stack/bacstr.h
@@ -48,12 +48,13 @@ typedef struct BACnet_Bit_String
   uint8_t value[MAX_BITSTRING_BYTES];
 } BACNET_BIT_STRING;
 
+#define MAX_CHARACTER_STRING_BYTES (MAX_APDU-6)
 typedef struct BACnet_Character_String
 {
   size_t length;
   uint8_t encoding;
   /* limit - 6 octets is the most our tag and type could be */
-  char value[MAX_APDU-6];
+  char value[MAX_CHARACTER_STRING_BYTES];
 } BACNET_CHARACTER_STRING;
 
 /* FIXME: convert the bacdcode library to use BACNET_OCTET_STRING
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/device.c b/bacnet-stack/device.c
index 41050d9a..0165ac78 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/device.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/device.c
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@
 #endif
 
 static uint32_t Object_Instance_Number = 0;
-// FIXME: it is likely that this name is configurable,
-// so consider a fixed sized string
 static char Object_Name[16] = "SimpleServer";
 static BACNET_DEVICE_STATUS System_Status = STATUS_OPERATIONAL;
 static char Vendor_Name[16] = "ASHRAE";
@@ -108,6 +106,25 @@ bool Device_Valid_Object_Instance_Number(uint32_t object_id)
     (object_id == BACNET_MAX_INSTANCE));
 }
 
+const char *Device_Object_Name(void)
+{
+  return Object_Name;
+}
+
+bool Device_Set_Object_Name(const char *name, size_t length)
+{
+  bool status = false; /*return value*/
+  
+  if (length < sizeof(Object_Name))
+  {
+    memmove(Object_Name,name,length);
+    Object_Name[length] = 0;
+    status = true;
+  }
+
+  return status;
+}
+
 BACNET_DEVICE_STATUS Device_System_Status(void)
 {
   return System_Status;
@@ -385,43 +402,36 @@ int Device_Encode_Property_APDU(
         Object_Instance_Number);
       break;
     case PROP_OBJECT_NAME:
-      characterstring_init(&char_string,CHARACTER_ANSI,
-                                 Object_Name,strlen(Object_Name));
+      characterstring_init_ansi(&char_string, Object_Name);
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_character_string(&apdu[0], &char_string);
       break;
     case PROP_OBJECT_TYPE:
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_enumerated(&apdu[0], OBJECT_DEVICE);
       break;
     case PROP_DESCRIPTION:
-      characterstring_init(&char_string,CHARACTER_ANSI,
-                            Description,strlen(Description));
+      characterstring_init_ansi(&char_string, Description);
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_character_string(&apdu[0], &char_string);
       break;
     case PROP_SYSTEM_STATUS:
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_enumerated(&apdu[0], System_Status);
       break;
     case PROP_VENDOR_NAME:
-      characterstring_init(&char_string,CHARACTER_ANSI,
-                            Vendor_Name,strlen(Vendor_Name));
+      characterstring_init_ansi(&char_string, Vendor_Name);
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_character_string(&apdu[0], &char_string);
       break;
     case PROP_VENDOR_IDENTIFIER:
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_unsigned(&apdu[0], Vendor_Identifier);
       break;
     case PROP_MODEL_NAME:
-      characterstring_init(&char_string,CHARACTER_ANSI,
-                            Model_Name,strlen(Model_Name));
+      characterstring_init_ansi(&char_string, Model_Name);
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_character_string(&apdu[0], &char_string);
       break;
     case PROP_FIRMWARE_REVISION:
-      characterstring_init(&char_string,CHARACTER_ANSI,
-                            Firmware_Revision,strlen(Firmware_Revision));
+      characterstring_init_ansi(&char_string, Firmware_Revision);
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_character_string(&apdu[0], &char_string);
       break;
     case PROP_APPLICATION_SOFTWARE_VERSION:
-      characterstring_init(&char_string,CHARACTER_ANSI,
-                            Application_Software_Version,
-                            strlen(Application_Software_Version));
+      characterstring_init_ansi(&char_string, Application_Software_Version);
       apdu_len = encode_tagged_character_string(&apdu[0], &char_string);
       break;
     // if you support time
@@ -460,7 +470,7 @@ int Device_Encode_Property_APDU(
           // initialize all the services to not-supported
           bitstring_set_bit(&bit_string, (uint8_t)i, false);
         }
-        /* FIXME: set the services that YOUR device executes */
+        /* FIXME: set only the services that YOUR device executes */
         bitstring_set_bit(&bit_string, SERVICE_SUPPORTED_WHO_IS, true);
         bitstring_set_bit(&bit_string, SERVICE_SUPPORTED_I_AM, true);
         bitstring_set_bit(&bit_string, SERVICE_SUPPORTED_READ_PROPERTY, true);
@@ -650,13 +660,23 @@ bool Device_Write_Property(
     case PROP_OBJECT_NAME:
       if (wp_data->value.tag == BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_CHARACTER_STRING)
       {
-        status = Device_Set_Vendor_Name(
-          characterstring_value(&wp_data->value.type.Character_String),
-          characterstring_length(&wp_data->value.type.Character_String));
-        if (!status)
+        uint8_t encoding;
+        encoding = characterstring_encoding(&wp_data->value.type.Character_String);
+        if (encoding == CHARACTER_ANSI_X34)
+        {
+          status = Device_Set_Object_Name(
+            characterstring_value(&wp_data->value.type.Character_String),
+            characterstring_length(&wp_data->value.type.Character_String));
+          if (!status)
+          {
+            *error_class = ERROR_CLASS_PROPERTY;
+            *error_code = ERROR_CODE_NO_SPACE_TO_WRITE_PROPERTY;
+          }
+        }
+        else
         {
           *error_class = ERROR_CLASS_PROPERTY;
-          *error_code = ERROR_CODE_NO_SPACE_TO_WRITE_PROPERTY;
+          *error_code = ERROR_CODE_CHARACTER_SET_NOT_SUPPORTED;
         }
       }
       else