diff --git a/Arduino_Threads.h b/Arduino_Threads.h
index 6a69c2e..1d5935c 100644
--- a/Arduino_Threads.h
+++ b/Arduino_Threads.h
@@ -33,78 +33,81 @@ class Shared // template definition
 #define INCF(F) INCF_(F)
 #define INCF_(F) #F
 
-class ArduinoThreadClass {
-public:
-  void add(rtos::Thread* me) {
-    if (controller == NULL) {
-        controller = new rtos::Thread(osPriorityHigh, 512);
-        controller->start(mbed::callback(this, &ArduinoThreadClass::loop));
-    }
-    list[idx++] = me;
-  }
+#define _macroToString(sequence) #sequence
 
-  void ping(rtos::Thread* me) {
-    for (int i=0; i < idx; i++) {
-      if (me == list[i]) {
-        timestamps[i] = millis();
-      }
-    }
-  }
 
-private:
-
-  void loop() {
-    while (1) {
-      for (int i = 0; i < idx; i++) {
-        if (millis() - timestamps[i] > 5000) {
-          // list[i]->terminate();
-          // TODO: reorder threads and make list[i] == NULL
-          // Serial.println(list[i]->get_name() + String(" killed "));
+class ArduinoThreads {
+  private:
+    static rtos::EventFlags globalEvents;
+    uint32_t startFlags;
+    uint32_t stopFlags;
+    uint32_t loopDelay;
+    virtual void setup(void) {};
+    virtual void loop(void) {};
+    void execute() {                 
+      setup();
+      // if startFlags have been passed then wait until all the flags are set
+      // before starting the loop. this is used to synchronize loops from multiple
+      // sketches.
+      globalEvents.wait_all(startFlags);      
+      // if stopFlags have been passed stop when all the flags are set
+      // otherwise loop forever                 
+      while ( 1 )  {                    
+        loop();
+        // on exit clear the flags that have forced us to stop.
+        // note that if two groups of sketches stop on common flags
+        // the first group will clear them so the second group may never
+        // exit      
+        if (stopFlags!=0) {
+          if ((globalEvents.get()&stopFlags)!=stopFlags) {
+            globalEvents.clear(stopFlags);
+            return;
+          }
+          if ((rtos::ThisThread::flags_get()&stopFlags)!=stopFlags) {
+            rtos::ThisThread::flags_clear(stopFlags);
+            return;
+          }
         }
-      }
-      delay(1000);
+        // sleep for the time we've been asked to insert between loops 
+        rtos::ThisThread::sleep_for(loopDelay);                   
+      }                        
+    }                                
+    rtos::Thread *t;                  
+  public:
+    // start this sketch
+    void start(int stacksize = 4096, uint32_t startFlags=0, uint32_t stopFlags=0) {
+      this->startFlags = startFlags;
+      this->stopFlags = stopFlags;
+      loopDelay=0;
+      t = new rtos::Thread(osPriorityNormal, stacksize, nullptr, _macroToString(tabname)); 
+      t->start(mbed::callback(this, &ArduinoThreads::execute));  
+    } 
+    // kill this sketch
+    void terminate() {
+      t->terminate();
+    }
+    // send an event to all sketches at the same time
+    static void broadcastEvent(uint32_t event) {
+      globalEvents.set(event);
+    }
+    // send an event only to this sketch
+    void sendEvent(uint32_t event) {
+      t->flags_set(event);
+    }
+    // set the rate at which loop function will be called
+    void setLoopDelay(uint32_t delay) {
+      loopDelay = delay;
     }
-  }
-
-  rtos::Thread* controller = NULL;
-  rtos::Thread* list[10] = {NULL};
-  uint32_t timestamps[10] = {0};
-  int idx = 0;
 };
 
-ArduinoThreadClass ArduinoThread;
+rtos::EventFlags ArduinoThreads::globalEvents;
 
-#define _macroToString(sequence) #sequence
-
-#define THD_ENTER(tabname) class CONCAT(tabname, Class) { \
+#define THD_ENTER(tabname) class CONCAT(tabname, Class) : public ArduinoThreads { \
+private:
 
-#define THD_DONE(tabname)   private: \
-    void execute() {                 \
-      ArduinoThread.add(t);          \
-      setup();                       \
-      while (1) {                    \
-        loop();                      \
-        ArduinoThread.ping(t);       \
-      }                              \
-    }                                \
-    rtos::Thread* t;                 \
-                                     \
-  public:                            \
-    void start(int stacksize = 4096) {            \
-      t = new rtos::Thread(osPriorityNormal, stacksize, nullptr, _macroToString(tabname)); \
-      t->start(mbed::callback(this, &CONCAT(tabname,Class)::execute));  \
-    }                                \
-    void begin() {                   \
-      start();                       \
-    }                                \
-};                                   \
+#define THD_DONE(tabname) \
+};  \
 CONCAT(tabname,Class) tabname;
 
-/*
-#define NEWTHREAD(tabname) THD_ENTER(tabname) \
-                           \#include CONCAT(tabname, .h) \
-                           THD_DONE(tabname)
-*/
-
 #include "Wire.h"
 #include "SerialDispatcher.h"
\ No newline at end of file