diff --git a/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/configure_cots_bandrich_ue.py b/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/configure_cots_bandrich_ue.py
index 6408ef5aeefbbf294ba0ef758a1ef6f780b9077c..7cc1f20f53f53fccbd227babcc6ce99f9ac17656 100644
--- a/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/configure_cots_bandrich_ue.py
+++ b/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/configure_cots_bandrich_ue.py
@@ -59,16 +59,21 @@ def send_command (cmd, response, timeout):
    count=0
    sleep_duration = 1
    while count <= timeout:
-      ser.write (cmd + '\r\n')
-      out = ''
-      time.sleep(sleep_duration)
-      count = count + sleep_duration
-      while ser.inWaiting() > 0:
-          out += ser.read(1)
-      print 'out = <' + out + '> response = <' + response + '> \n'
-      if re.search(response, out):
-        break
-
+      try:
+        ser.write (cmd + '\r\n')
+        out = ''
+        time.sleep(sleep_duration)
+        count = count + sleep_duration
+        while ser.inWaiting() > 0:
+            out += ser.read(1)
+        print 'out = <' + out + '> response = <' + response + '> \n'
+        if re.search(response, out):
+          break
+      except Exception, e:
+        error = ' cmd : ' + cmd + ' response : ' + response
+        error = error + ' In function: ' + sys._getframe().f_code.co_name + ': *** Caught exception: '  + str(e.__class__) + " : " + str( e)
+        error = error + traceback.format_exc()
+        print error
         
 
 def start_ue () :
diff --git a/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/search_repl.py b/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/search_repl.py
index 43b023fccc0400ed73900745e669a55c7b635449..ee6b77e123e5d82b77bb86c4f2160509e7370640 100644
--- a/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/search_repl.py
+++ b/cmake_targets/autotests/tools/search_repl.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ file.close()
 
 if keyword == 'mme_ip_address':
    #string =  (re.sub(r"mme_ip_address\s*=\s*\([^\$]+)\)\s*;\s*", r"<% tex \1 %>", t, re.M)
-   replacement_text = keyword + ' =  ' + replacement_text + ' ; '
+   replacement_text = keyword + ' =  ({' + replacement_text + ')} ; '
    string = re.sub(r"mme_ip_address\s*=\s*\(([^\$]+?)\)\s*;", replacement_text, string, re.M)
 elif keyword == 'N_RB_DL':
    replacement_text = keyword + ' =  ' + replacement_text + ' ; '