diff --git a/dram/resources/simulations/sim-batch.xml b/dram/resources/simulations/sim-batch.xml
index 3e19862c..cd725640 100644
--- a/dram/resources/simulations/sim-batch.xml
+++ b/dram/resources/simulations/sim-batch.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 
 <trace-setup id="media">
-     <device clkMhz="800">mediabench-fractal_32.stl</device>
+     <device clkMhz="800">chstone-sha_32.stl</device>
 </trace-setup>
     
   </trace-setups>
diff --git a/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.cpp b/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.cpp
index 286f3b49..c3ba3e73 100644
--- a/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.cpp
+++ b/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 #include "Configuration.h"
 #include "MemSpecLoader.h"
+#include "systemc.h"
+#include "boost/lexical_cast.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -21,6 +23,79 @@ Configuration::Configuration()
 	loader.loadConfiguration(*this, Configuration::memspecUri, Configuration::memconfigUri);
 }
 
+int string2bool(string s)
+{
+    try {
+        bool x = boost::lexical_cast<bool>( s );
+        return x;
+    } catch( boost::bad_lexical_cast const& ) {
+        SC_REPORT_FATAL("Configuration", ("Could not convert to bool: " + s).c_str());
+        throw;
+    }
+}
+
+int string2int(string s)
+{
+    try {
+        int x = boost::lexical_cast<int>( s );
+        return x;
+    } catch( boost::bad_lexical_cast const& ) {
+        SC_REPORT_FATAL("Configuration", ("Could not convert to int: " + s).c_str());
+        throw;
+    }
+}
+
+PowerDownMode string2PDNMode(string s)
+{
+    if(s == "Staggered")
+        return PowerDownMode::Staggered;
+    else if (s == "TimeoutPDN")
+        return PowerDownMode::TimeoutPDN;
+    else if (s == "TimeoutSREF")
+        return PowerDownMode::TimeoutSREF;
+
+    else
+    {
+        SC_REPORT_FATAL("Configuration", ("Unknown PowerDownMode: " + s).c_str());
+        throw;
+    }
+}
+
+
+void Configuration::setParameter(std::string name, std::string value)
+{
+    if(name == "BankwiseLogic")
+        BankwiseLogic = string2bool(value);
+    else if(name == "OpenPagePolicy")
+        OpenPagePolicy = string2bool(value);
+    else if(name == "AdaptiveOpenPagePolicy")
+        AdaptiveOpenPagePolicy = string2bool(value);
+    else if(name == "RefreshAwareScheduling")
+        RefreshAwareScheduling = string2bool(value);
+    else if(name == "MaxNrOfTransactions")
+        MaxNrOfTransactions = string2int(value);
+    else if(name == "Scheduler")
+        Scheduler = value;
+    else if(name == "Capsize")
+        Capsize = string2int(value);
+    else if(name == "PowerDownTimeout")
+        powerDownTimeoutInClk = string2int(value);
+    else if(name == "PowerDownMode")
+        powerDownMode = string2PDNMode(value);
+    else if(name == "databaseRecordingEnabled")
+        databaseRecordingEnabled = string2bool(value);
+    else
+        throw "Parameter " + name + " not defined in Configuration";
+}
+
+void Configuration::setParameters(std::map<std::string, std::string> parameterMap)
+{
+    for(auto item : parameterMap)
+    {
+        setParameter(item.first, item.second);
+    }
+}
+
 
 } /* namespace core */
 
diff --git a/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.h b/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.h
index feefaf3b..86214d36 100644
--- a/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.h
+++ b/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/Configuration.h
@@ -37,17 +37,21 @@ struct Configuration
     unsigned int MaxNrOfTransactions = 50;
     std::string Scheduler;
     unsigned int Capsize = 5;
-    sc_time powerDownTimeout = 3*memSpec.clk;
-    PowerDownMode powerDownMode;
-
-    //Memory Specification (from DRAM Power XML)
-    MemSpec memSpec;
+    sc_time getPowerDownTimeout(){return powerDownTimeoutInClk*memSpec.clk;}
+    PowerDownMode powerDownMode = PowerDownMode::Staggered;
 
     //Simulation Configuration
     bool databaseRecordingEnabled = true;
 
+    //Memory Specification (from DRAM Power XML)
+    MemSpec memSpec;
+
+    void setParameter(std::string name, std::string value);
+    void setParameters(std::map<std::string, std::string> parameterMap);
+
 private:
     Configuration();
+    unsigned int powerDownTimeoutInClk = 3;
 };
 
 } /* namespace core */
diff --git a/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/MemSpecLoader.cpp b/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/MemSpecLoader.cpp
index de3fd88a..cb2b9eb9 100644
--- a/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/MemSpecLoader.cpp
+++ b/dram/src/controller/core/configuration/MemSpecLoader.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void MemSpecLoader::loadMemConfig(Configuration& config, XMLElement* memconfig)
     {
         config.powerDownMode = PowerDownMode::TimeoutSREF;
     }
-    config.powerDownTimeout = queryUIntParameter(configuration, "powerDownTimeout") * config.memSpec.clk;
+    config.setParameter("PowerDownTimeout", queryStringParameter(configuration, "powerDownTimeout"));
 
     config.databaseRecordingEnabled = queryBoolParameter(configuration, "databaseRecordingEnabled");
 }
diff --git a/dram/src/controller/core/powerdown/PowerDownManagerTimeout.cpp b/dram/src/controller/core/powerdown/PowerDownManagerTimeout.cpp
index 2910ebd3..b4a3268a 100644
--- a/dram/src/controller/core/powerdown/PowerDownManagerTimeout.cpp
+++ b/dram/src/controller/core/powerdown/PowerDownManagerTimeout.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ PowerDownManagerTimeout::~PowerDownManagerTimeout()
 
 void PowerDownManagerTimeout::sleep(Bank bank, sc_time time)
 {
-    if(canSleep() && !isInPowerDown() && (time - controller.state.getLastScheduledCommand().getEnd()) >= Configuration::getInstance().powerDownTimeout)
+    if(canSleep() && !isInPowerDown() && (time - controller.state.getLastScheduledCommand().getEnd()) >= Configuration::getInstance().getPowerDownTimeout())
     {
         PowerDownState newState;
         if(Configuration::getInstance().powerDownMode == PowerDownMode::TimeoutPDN)
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void PowerDownManagerTimeout::triggerSleep(Bank /*bank*/, sc_time time)
 {
     if(canSleep() && !isInPowerDown())
     {
-        controller.wrapper.send(PDNTrigger, time + controller.config.powerDownTimeout, powerDownPayloads[Bank(0)]);
+        controller.wrapper.send(PDNTrigger, time + controller.config.getPowerDownTimeout(), powerDownPayloads[Bank(0)]);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/dram/src/simulation/main.cpp b/dram/src/simulation/main.cpp
index 00797a88..c064bc67 100644
--- a/dram/src/simulation/main.cpp
+++ b/dram/src/simulation/main.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 int sc_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    cout<<"hello"<<endl;
     sc_set_time_resolution(1, SC_PS);
     resources = pathOfFile(argv[0]) + string("/../resources/");