diff --git a/src/frontend/inpcom.c b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
index 1369ddbb5..6eed9d112 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inpcom.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ Author: 1985 Wayne A. Christopher
 /* gtri - end - 12/12/90 */
 #endif
 
-#ifdef WITH_LOOPANA
-int INP2gentype(char* line);
-#endif
 
 /* SJB - Uncomment this line for debug tracing */
 /*#define TRACE*/
@@ -4707,7 +4704,7 @@ static void inp_compat(struct card *card)
             continue;
 	
 #ifdef WITH_LOOPANA
-        if (INP2gentype(curr_line))
+        if (*curr_line == ':')
             continue;
 #endif
 
@@ -5780,10 +5777,6 @@ static void inp_bsource_compat(struct card *card)
         else if (skip_control > 0) {
             continue;
         }
-#ifdef WITH_LOOPANA
-        else if (INP2gentype(curr_line))
-            continue;
-#endif
 
         if (*curr_line == 'b') {
             /* remove white spaces of everything inside {}*/
@@ -8303,14 +8296,14 @@ static void inp_check_syntax(struct card *deck)
         if (*cut_line == '*' || *cut_line == '\0')
             continue;
         // check for unusable leading characters and change them to '*'
-        if (strchr("=[]?()&%$§\"!:,", *cut_line)) {
+        if (strchr("=[]?()&%$§\"!,", *cut_line)) {
             if (ft_stricterror) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Error: '%c' is not allowed as first character in line %s.\n", *cut_line, cut_line);
                 controlled_exit(EXIT_BAD);
             }
             else {
                 if (!check_ch) {
-                    fprintf(stderr, "Warning: Unusal leading characters like '%c' or others out of '= [] ? () & %%$§\"!:,'\n", *cut_line);
+                    fprintf(stderr, "Warning: Unusal leading characters like '%c' or others out of '= [] ? () & %%$§\"!,'\n", *cut_line);
                     fprintf(stderr, "    in netlist or included files, will be replaced with '*'\n");
                     check_ch = 1; /* just one warning */
                 }
diff --git a/src/frontend/subckt.c b/src/frontend/subckt.c
index 179e9abfb..a42aacea1 100644
--- a/src/frontend/subckt.c
+++ b/src/frontend/subckt.c
@@ -956,6 +956,21 @@ translate_inst_name(struct bxx_buffer *buffer, const char *scname, const char *n
     if (!name_e)
         name_e = strchr(name, '\0');
 
+    #ifdef WITH_LOOPANA
+    if(*name==':') {
+        /* :devtype:instance -> :devtype:.x1.instname */
+	/* skip to next : */
+        while(name<name_e && *name) {
+	   bxx_putc(buffer, *(name++));
+	   if(*name==':') {
+	       name++;
+	       break;
+	   }
+	}
+	bxx_putc(buffer, ':');
+	bxx_putc(buffer, '.');
+    } else
+    #endif
     if (tolower_c(*name) != 'x') {
         bxx_putc(buffer, *name);
         bxx_putc(buffer, '.');
@@ -1451,7 +1466,26 @@ numnodes(const char *line, struct subs *subs, wordlist const *modnames)
             return (nodes);
         }
     }
-
+    #ifdef WITH_LOOPANA
+    if (c == ':') {
+        /* handle :devtype:instance syntax here */
+	int len, type;
+	for(len=1;line[len];len++)
+    	  if(line[len]==':')
+	    break;
+        /* look if find this device */
+	for (type = 0; type < ft_sim->numDevices; type++) {
+	     if(ft_sim->devices[type])
+	     if(strlen(ft_sim->devices[type]->name)==(len-1))
+	     if(strncasecmp(line+1, ft_sim->devices[type]->name, len-1)==0)
+        	break;
+	}
+	if(type<ft_sim->numDevices)
+            n = *(ft_sim->devices[type]->terms);
+	else
+	    n = 0;
+    } else
+    #endif
     n = inp_numnodes(c);
 
     /* Added this code for variable number of nodes on certain devices.  */
@@ -1948,6 +1982,8 @@ devmodtranslate(struct card *s, char *subname, wordlist * const orig_modnames)
 }
 
 
+static int inp_numnode_fromdev(const char* line);
+
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * inp_numnodes returns the maximum number of nodes (netnames) attached
  * to the component.
@@ -1968,7 +2004,7 @@ inp_numnodes(char c)
     case '*':
     case '$':
         return (0);
-
+	
     case 'b':
         return (2);
     case 'c':