diff --git a/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_sync.py b/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_sync.py
index 6cb00e6..ed5acbd 100644
--- a/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_sync.py
+++ b/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_sync.py
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ def create_from_calibs(
             newt = Column(
                 name="TIME",
                 length=len(st["TIME"]),
-                dtype=np.dtype("a30"),
+                dtype=np.dtype("U30"),
                 description="The timestamp of the event (UTC, ISO format)",
             )
             for row, oldt in enumerate(st["TIME"]):
@@ -524,9 +524,8 @@ def create_from_calibs(
             st.add_row(row)
             n_new_states += 1
 
-            new_excl = str(
-                df["new"]["EXCLUSION"].tobytes().rstrip(b"\x00"), encoding="utf-8"
-            )
+            new_excl = df["new"]["EXCLUSION"]
+            new_excl = str(new_excl)
             if new_excl not in oldexcl:
                 oldexcl[new_excl] = excl[new_excl]
                 n_new_excl += 1
diff --git a/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_utils.py b/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_utils.py
index a727450..2f76a77 100644
--- a/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_utils.py
+++ b/py/desimodel/inputs/focalplane_utils.py
@@ -431,20 +431,22 @@ def device_compare(fpold, fpnew, check):
     """
     out = dict()
     olddiff = np.setdiff1d(fpold["LOCATION"], fpnew["LOCATION"])
-    rows = np.arange(len(fpold), dtype=np.int)[fpold["LOCATION"] in olddiff]
-    for r in rows:
-        loc = fpold[r]["LOCATION"]
-        out[loc] = dict()
-        out[loc]["old"] = fpold[r]
-        out[loc]["new"] = None
+    if len(olddiff) > 0:
+        rows = np.arange(len(fpold), dtype=np.int32)[fpold["LOCATION"] in olddiff]
+        for r in rows:
+            loc = fpold[r]["LOCATION"]
+            out[loc] = dict()
+            out[loc]["old"] = fpold[r]
+            out[loc]["new"] = None
     totdiff = set(olddiff)
     newdiff = np.setdiff1d(fpnew["LOCATION"], fpold["LOCATION"])
-    rows = np.arange(len(fpnew), dtype=np.int)[fpnew["LOCATION"] in newdiff]
-    for r in rows:
-        loc = fnew[r]["LOCATION"]
-        out[loc] = dict()
-        out[loc]["new"] = fpnew[r]
-        out[loc]["old"] = None
+    if len(newdiff) > 0:
+        rows = np.arange(len(fpnew), dtype=np.int32)[fpnew["LOCATION"] in newdiff]
+        for r in rows:
+            loc = fnew[r]["LOCATION"]
+            out[loc] = dict()
+            out[loc]["new"] = fpnew[r]
+            out[loc]["old"] = None
     totdiff.update(newdiff)
 
     # Go through locations found in both tables and look for differences in
@@ -597,7 +599,7 @@ def create_tables(n_fp_rows, n_state_rows=None):
 
     """
     if n_fp_rows is None or n_fp_rows < 1:
-        raise ValueError("number of focaplane table rows must be an integer > 0")
+        raise ValueError("number of focalplane table rows must be an integer > 0")
     if n_state_rows is None:
         n_state_rows = n_fp_rows
 
@@ -633,14 +635,14 @@ def create_tables(n_fp_rows, n_state_rows=None):
         Column(
             name="DEVICE_ID",
             length=n_fp_rows,
-            dtype=np.dtype("a9"),
+            dtype=np.dtype("U9"),
             data=["UNKNOWN" for x in range(n_fp_rows)],
             description="The physical device ID string",
         ),
         Column(
             name="DEVICE_TYPE",
             length=n_fp_rows,
-            dtype=np.dtype("a3"),
+            dtype=np.dtype("U3"),
             data=["NA" for x in range(n_fp_rows)],
             description="The device type (POS, ETC, FIF)",
         ),
@@ -668,7 +670,7 @@ def create_tables(n_fp_rows, n_state_rows=None):
         Column(
             name="CONDUIT",
             length=n_fp_rows,
-            dtype=np.dtype("a3"),
+            dtype=np.dtype("U3"),
             data=["NA" for x in range(n_fp_rows)],
             description="The conduit",
         ),
@@ -757,7 +759,7 @@ def create_tables(n_fp_rows, n_state_rows=None):
         Column(
             name="TIME",
             length=n_state_rows,
-            dtype=np.dtype("a30"),
+            dtype=np.dtype("U30"),
             data=["UNKNOWN" for x in range(n_state_rows)],
             description="The timestamp of the event (UTC, ISO format)",
         ),
@@ -820,7 +822,7 @@ def create_tables(n_fp_rows, n_state_rows=None):
         Column(
             name="EXCLUSION",
             length=n_state_rows,
-            dtype=np.dtype("a16"),
+            dtype=np.dtype("U16"),
             data=["UNKNOWN" for x in range(n_state_rows)],
             description="The exclusion polygon for this device",
         ),
diff --git a/py/desimodel/io.py b/py/desimodel/io.py
index 454241f..3a7fc78 100644
--- a/py/desimodel/io.py
+++ b/py/desimodel/io.py
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ def ensure_focalplane_loaded():
     fpdir = os.path.join(datadir(), "focalplane")
     fppat = re.compile(r"^desi-focalplane_(.*)\.ecsv$")
     stpat = re.compile(r"^desi-state_(.*)\.ecsv$")
-    expat = re.compile(r"^desi-exclusion_(.*)\.(?:yaml|json).*$")
+    expat = re.compile(r"^desi-exclusion_(.*)\.(?:yaml|json)(\.gz)?$")
     fpraw = dict()
     msg = "Loading focalplanes from {}".format(fpdir)
     log.debug(msg)