diff --git a/decocare/helpers/__init__.py b/decocare/helpers/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/decocare/helpers/cli.py b/decocare/helpers/cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da94eb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/decocare/helpers/cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+import sys, os
+import logging
+import time
+import argparse
+from pprint import pformat
+
+log = logging.getLogger( ).getChild(__name__)
+
+from decocare import link, stick, session, commands, lib, scan
+
+class CommandApp(object):
+  def __init__(self):
+    self.env = self.parse_env( )
+    self.parser = self.get_parser( )
+    self.autocomplete( )
+
+  @classmethod
+  def parse_env (klass):
+    return {
+     "serial": os.environ.get('SERIAL', ''),
+     "port": os.environ.get('PORT', '')
+    }
+
+  def autocomplete (self):
+    try:
+      import argcomplete
+      argcomplete.autocomplete(self.parser)
+    except ImportError:
+      # no auto completion
+      pass
+
+  def help (self):
+    return self.__class__.__doc__
+
+  def get_parser (self):
+    helptext = self.help( ).split("\n")
+    description = '\n'.join(helptext[0:2])
+    epilog = '\n'.join(helptext[2:])
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=description, epilog=epilog)
+    parser.add_argument('--serial', type=str,
+                        dest='serial',
+                        default=self.env.get('serial', ''),
+                        help="serial number of pump [default: %(default)s]")
+    parser.add_argument('--port', type=str,
+                        dest='port',
+                        default=self.env.get('port', 'scan'),
+                        help="Path to device [default: %(default)s]")
+    parser.add_argument('--no-op',
+                        dest='dryrun',
+                        action='store_true', default=False,
+                        help="Dry run, don't do main function"
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('--skip-prelude',
+                        dest='no_prelude',
+                        action='store_true', default=False,
+                        help="Don't do the normal prelude."
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('--no-rf-prelude',
+                        dest='no_rf_prelude',
+                        action='store_true', default=False,
+                        help="Do the prelude, but don't query the pump."
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('--skip-postlude',
+                        dest='no_postlude',
+                        action='store_true', default=False,
+                        help="Don't do the normal postlude."
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose',
+                        dest='verbose',
+                        action='append_const', const=1,
+                        help="Verbosity"
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('--init',
+                        dest='init',
+                        action='store_true', default=False,
+                        help="Send power ctrl to initialize RF session."
+                        )
+    parser = self.customize_parser(parser)
+    return parser
+
+  def customize_parser (self, parser):
+    parser.add_argument('commands',
+                        nargs="+",
+                        #dest='status',
+                        choices=['act', 'esc', 'up', 'down', 'easy' ],
+                        default='act',
+                        help="buttons to press [default: %(default)s)]"
+                        )
+    return parser
+
+  def configure (self):
+    args = self.parser.parse_args( )
+    level = None
+    if args.verbose > 0:
+      level = args.verbose > 1 and logging.DEBUG or logging.INFO
+    logging.basicConfig(stream=sys.stdout, level=level)
+    self.args = args
+    return args
+
+  def run (self, args):
+    if not args:
+      args = self.configure( )
+    self.prelude(args)
+    self.main(args)
+    self.postlude(args)
+
+  def prelude (self, args):
+    if args.no_prelude:
+      print "##### skipping prelude"
+      return
+    print "## do stuff with an insulin pump over RF"
+    print "using", "`", args, "`"
+
+    print "```"
+    if args.port == 'scan' or args.port == "":
+      args.port = scan.scan( )
+    uart = stick.Stick(link.Link(args.port, timeout=.400))
+    print "```"
+    print "```"
+    uart.open( )
+    print "```"
+    print "```"
+    pump = session.Pump(uart, args.serial)
+    print "```"
+    print "```"
+    stats = uart.interface_stats( )
+    print "```"
+    print "```javascript"
+    print pformat(stats)
+    print "```"
+    self.uart = uart
+    self.pump = pump
+    self.model = None
+    if args.no_rf_prelude:
+      print "##### skipping normal RF preludes"
+      return
+    print "```"
+    if args.init:
+      pump.power_control( )
+    model = pump.read_model( )
+    self.model = model
+    print "```"
+    print '### PUMP MODEL: `%s`' % model
+
+  def postlude (self, args):
+    if args.no_postlude:
+      print "##### skipping postlude"
+      return
+    print "### end stats"
+    print "```"
+    stats = self.uart.interface_stats( )
+    print "```"
+    print "```javascript"
+    print pformat(stats)
+    print "```"
+
+  def main (self, args):
+    for flow in args.commands:
+      print '### ', flow
+      if args.dryrun:
+        print "#### dry run, no action taken"
+      else:
+        self.exec_request(self.pump, flow)
+
+
+  def exec_request (self, pump, msg, args={},
+                    dryrun=False,
+                    save=False,
+                    prefix='',
+                    render_decoded=True,
+                    render_hexdump=True):
+    if dryrun:
+      print "skipping query", pump, msg, args
+      return False
+    response = pump.query(msg, **args)
+    print "response: %s" % response
+    if render_hexdump:
+      print "hexdump:"
+      print "```python"
+      print response.hexdump( )
+      print "```"
+    if render_decoded:
+      print "#### decoded:"
+      print "```python"
+      print repr(response.getData( ))
+      print "```"
+    if save:
+      response.save(prefix=prefix)
+    return response
+
diff --git a/decocare/helpers/messages.py b/decocare/helpers/messages.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cce4cd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/decocare/helpers/messages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+from pprint import pformat
+from cli import CommandApp
+from decocare import link, stick, session, commands, lib, scan
+
+class SendMsgApp(CommandApp):
+  """
+  %(prog)s - send messages to a compatible MM insulin pump
+
+  This tool is intended to help discover protocol behavior.
+  Under no circumstance is it intended to deliver therapy.
+  """
+  def main (self, args):
+    if args.prefix:
+      self.execute_list(args.prefix, args.saveall)
+    if args.command == "ManualCommand":
+      kwds = {
+          'params': map(int, getattr(args, 'params', [ ])),
+          'retries': getattr(args, 'retries', 0),
+          'effectTime': getattr(args, 'effectTime'),
+          'maxRecords': getattr(args, 'maxRecords'),
+          'bytesPerRecord': getattr(args, 'bytesPerRecord'),
+          'code': args.code,
+          'name': getattr(args, 'name', "ExperimentCode%02x" % args.code),
+          'descr': getattr(args, 'descr', "Experimental msg")
+        }
+      msg = commands.ManualCommand
+      resp = self.exec_request(self.pump, msg, args=kwds,
+                   dryrun=args.dryrun, render_hexdump=False, save=args.save, prefix=args.prefix_path)
+    if args.command == "sleep":
+      time.sleep(args.timeout)
+    if args.command == "tweak":
+      Other = getattr(commands, args.other)
+      kwds = commands.TweakAnotherCommand.get_kwds(Other, args)
+      print Other, kwds
+      resp = self.exec_request(self.pump, Other, args=kwds,
+                   dryrun=args.dryrun, save=args.save, prefix=args.prefix_path)
+    if args.postfix:
+      self.execute_list(args.postfix, args.saveall)
+
+  def execute_list (self, messages, save=False):
+    for name in messages:
+      msg = getattr(commands, name)
+      print "###### sending `%s`" % getattr(msg, 'name', msg)
+      resp = self.exec_request(self.pump, msg, dryrun=self.args.dryrun,
+                          render_hexdump=self.args.verbose>0,
+                          save=save, prefix=self.args.prefix_path)
+
+  def customize_parser (self, parser):
+    choices = commands.__all__
+    parser.add_argument('--prefix-path',
+                        dest="prefix_path",
+                        type=str,
+                        default="",
+                        help="Prefix to store saved files when using --save or --saveall."
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('--saveall',
+                        action="store_true",
+                        default=False,
+                        help="Whether or not to save all responses.",
+                        )
+
+    parser.add_argument('--prefix',
+                        action="append",
+                        choices=choices,
+                        help="Built-in commands to run before the main one."
+                        )
+
+    parser.add_argument('--postfix',
+                        action="append",
+                        choices=choices,
+                        help="Built-in commands to run after the main one."
+                        )
+
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(help="Main thing to do between --prefix and--postfix", dest="command")
+    sleep_parser = subparsers.add_parser("sleep", help="Just sleep between command sets")
+    sleep_parser.add_argument('timeout', type=float, default=0,
+                              help="Sleep in between running --prefix and --postfix"
+                              )
+    tweaker = subparsers.add_parser("tweak", help="Tweak a builtin command")
+    tweaker.add_argument('other',
+                        choices=choices,
+                        help="Command to tweak."
+                        )
+    commands.TweakAnotherCommand.config_argparse(tweaker)
+    all_parser = subparsers.add_parser("ManualCommand", help="Customize a command")
+    all_parser.add_argument('code', type=int,
+                            help="The opcode to send to the pump."
+                           )
+    #__fields__ = ['maxRecords', 'code', 'descr',
+    #            'serial', 'bytesPerRecord', 'retries', 'params']
+    all_parser.add_argument('--params', type=str, action="append",
+                            help="parameters to format into sent message",
+                            default=commands.ManualCommand.params
+                           )
+    all_parser.add_argument('--descr', type=str, default="Experimental command",
+                            help="Description of command"
+                           )
+    all_parser.add_argument('--name', type=str,
+                            help="Proposed name of command"
+                           )
+    all_parser.add_argument('--save', action="store_true", default=False,
+                            help="Save response in a file."
+                           )
+    all_parser.add_argument('--effectTime', type=float,
+                            help="time to sleep before responding to message, float in seconds",
+                            default=commands.ManualCommand.effectTime
+                           )
+    all_parser.add_argument('--maxRecords', type=int,
+                            help="number of frames in a packet composing payload response",
+                            default=commands.ManualCommand.maxRecords
+                           )
+    all_parser.add_argument('--bytesPerRecord', type=int,
+                            help="bytes per frame",
+                            default=commands.ManualCommand.bytesPerRecord
+                           )
+
+    return parser
+