diff --git a/test/py/console_base.py b/test/py/console_base.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..260df77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/py/console_base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,613 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+# Copyright (c) 2015 Stephen Warren
+# Copyright (c) 2015-2016, NVIDIA CORPORATION. All rights reserved.
+
+# Common logic to interact with U-Boot via the console. This class provides
+# the interface that tests use to execute U-Boot shell commands and wait for
+# their results. Sub-classes exist to perform board-type-specific setup
+# operations, such as spawning a sub-process for Sandbox, or attaching to the
+# serial console of real hardware.
+
+import multiplexed_log
+import os
+import pytest
+import re
+import sys
+import spawn
+from spawn import BootFail, Timeout, Unexpected, handle_exception
+
+# Regexes for text we expect U-Boot to send to the console.
+pattern_u_boot_spl_signon = re.compile('(U-Boot SPL \\d{4}\\.\\d{2}[^\r\n]*\\))')
+pattern_u_boot_main_signon = re.compile('(U-Boot \\d{4}\\.\\d{2}[^\r\n]*\\))')
+pattern_stop_autoboot_prompt = re.compile('Hit any key to stop autoboot: ')
+pattern_unknown_command = re.compile('Unknown command \'.*\' - try \'help\'')
+pattern_error_notification = re.compile('## Error: ')
+pattern_error_please_reset = re.compile('### ERROR ### Please RESET the board ###')
+pattern_ready_prompt = re.compile('{lab ready in (.*)s: (.*)}')
+pattern_lab_mode = re.compile('{lab mode.*}')
+
+PAT_ID = 0
+PAT_RE = 1
+
+# Timeout before expecting the console to be ready (in milliseconds)
+TIMEOUT_MS = 30000                  # Standard timeout
+TIMEOUT_CMD_MS = 10000              # Command-echo timeout
+
+# Timeout for board preparation in lab mode. This needs to be enough to build
+# U-Boot, write it to the board and then boot the board. Since this process is
+# under the control of another program (e.g. Labgrid), it will failure sooner
+# if something goes way. So use a very long timeout here to cover all possible
+# situations.
+TIMEOUT_PREPARE_MS = 3 * 60 * 1000
+
+bad_pattern_defs = (
+    ('spl_signon', pattern_u_boot_spl_signon),
+    ('main_signon', pattern_u_boot_main_signon),
+    ('stop_autoboot_prompt', pattern_stop_autoboot_prompt),
+    ('unknown_command', pattern_unknown_command),
+    ('error_notification', pattern_error_notification),
+    ('error_please_reset', pattern_error_please_reset),
+)
+
+class ConsoleDisableCheck(object):
+    """Context manager (for Python's with statement) that temporarily disables
+    the specified console output error check. This is useful when deliberately
+    executing a command that is known to trigger one of the error checks, in
+    order to test that the error condition is actually raised. This class is
+    used internally by ConsoleBase::disable_check(); it is not intended for
+    direct usage."""
+
+    def __init__(self, console, check_type):
+        self.console = console
+        self.check_type = check_type
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        self.console.disable_check_count[self.check_type] += 1
+        self.console.eval_bad_patterns()
+
+    def __exit__(self, extype, value, traceback):
+        self.console.disable_check_count[self.check_type] -= 1
+        self.console.eval_bad_patterns()
+
+class ConsoleEnableCheck(object):
+    """Context manager (for Python's with statement) that temporarily enables
+    the specified console output error check. This is useful when executing a
+    command that might raise an extra bad pattern, beyond the default bad
+    patterns, in order to validate that the extra bad pattern is actually
+    detected. This class is used internally by ConsoleBase::enable_check(); it
+    is not intended for direct usage."""
+
+    def __init__(self, console, check_type, check_pattern):
+        self.console = console
+        self.check_type = check_type
+        self.check_pattern = check_pattern
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        global bad_pattern_defs
+        self.default_bad_patterns = bad_pattern_defs
+        bad_pattern_defs += ((self.check_type, self.check_pattern),)
+        self.console.disable_check_count = {pat[PAT_ID]: 0 for pat in bad_pattern_defs}
+        self.console.eval_bad_patterns()
+
+    def __exit__(self, extype, value, traceback):
+        global bad_pattern_defs
+        bad_pattern_defs = self.default_bad_patterns
+        self.console.disable_check_count = {pat[PAT_ID]: 0 for pat in bad_pattern_defs}
+        self.console.eval_bad_patterns()
+
+class ConsoleSetupTimeout(object):
+    """Context manager (for Python's with statement) that temporarily sets up
+    timeout for specific command. This is useful when execution time is greater
+    then default 30s."""
+
+    def __init__(self, console, timeout):
+        self.p = console.p
+        self.orig_timeout = self.p.timeout
+        self.p.timeout = timeout
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, extype, value, traceback):
+        self.p.timeout = self.orig_timeout
+
+class ConsoleBase(object):
+    """The interface through which test functions interact with the U-Boot
+    console. This primarily involves executing shell commands, capturing their
+    results, and checking for common error conditions. Some common utilities
+    are also provided too."""
+
+    def __init__(self, log, config, max_fifo_fill):
+        """Initialize a U-Boot console connection.
+
+        Can only usefully be called by sub-classes.
+
+        Args:
+            log: A multiplexed_log.Logfile object, to which the U-Boot output
+                will be logged.
+            config: A configuration data structure, as built by conftest.py.
+            max_fifo_fill: The maximum number of characters to send to U-Boot
+                command-line before waiting for U-Boot to echo the characters
+                back. For UART-based HW without HW flow control, this value
+                should be set less than the UART RX FIFO size to avoid
+                overflow, assuming that U-Boot can't keep up with full-rate
+                traffic at the baud rate.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        self.log = log
+        self.config = config
+        self.max_fifo_fill = max_fifo_fill
+
+        self.logstream = self.log.get_stream('console', sys.stdout)
+
+        # Array slice removes leading/trailing quotes
+        self.prompt = self.config.buildconfig['config_sys_prompt'][1:-1]
+        self.prompt_compiled = re.compile('^' + re.escape(self.prompt), re.MULTILINE)
+        self.p = None
+        self.disable_check_count = {pat[PAT_ID]: 0 for pat in bad_pattern_defs}
+        self.eval_bad_patterns()
+
+        self.at_prompt = False
+        self.at_prompt_logevt = None
+        self.lab_mode = False
+
+    def get_spawn(self):
+        # This is not called, ssubclass must define this.
+        # Return a value to avoid:
+        #   console_base.py:348:12: E1128: Assigning result of a function
+        #   call, where the function returns None (assignment-from-none)
+        return spawn.Spawn([])
+
+
+    def eval_bad_patterns(self):
+        self.bad_patterns = [pat[PAT_RE] for pat in bad_pattern_defs \
+            if self.disable_check_count[pat[PAT_ID]] == 0]
+        self.bad_pattern_ids = [pat[PAT_ID] for pat in bad_pattern_defs \
+            if self.disable_check_count[pat[PAT_ID]] == 0]
+
+    def close(self):
+        """Terminate the connection to the U-Boot console.
+
+        This function is only useful once all interaction with U-Boot is
+        complete. Once this function is called, data cannot be sent to or
+        received from U-Boot.
+
+        Args:
+            None.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        if self.p:
+            self.log.start_section('Stopping U-Boot')
+            close_type = self.p.close()
+            self.log.info(f'Close type: {close_type}')
+            self.log.end_section('Stopping U-Boot')
+        self.logstream.close()
+
+    def set_lab_mode(self):
+        """Select lab mode
+
+        This tells us that we will get a 'lab ready' message when the board is
+        ready for use. We don't need to look for signon messages.
+        """
+        self.log.info(f'test.py: Lab mode is active')
+        self.p.timeout = TIMEOUT_PREPARE_MS
+        self.lab_mode = True
+
+    def wait_for_boot_prompt(self, loop_num = 1):
+        """Wait for the boot up until command prompt. This is for internal use only.
+        """
+        try:
+            self.log.info('Waiting for U-Boot to be ready')
+            bcfg = self.config.buildconfig
+            config_spl_serial = bcfg.get('config_spl_serial', 'n') == 'y'
+            env_spl_skipped = self.config.env.get('env__spl_skipped', False)
+            env_spl_banner_times = self.config.env.get('env__spl_banner_times', 1)
+
+            while not self.lab_mode and loop_num > 0:
+                loop_num -= 1
+                while config_spl_serial and not env_spl_skipped and env_spl_banner_times > 0:
+                    m = self.p.expect([pattern_u_boot_spl_signon,
+                                       pattern_lab_mode] + self.bad_patterns)
+                    if m == 1:
+                        self.set_lab_mode()
+                        break
+                    elif m != 0:
+                        raise BootFail('Bad pattern found on SPL console: ' +
+                                       self.bad_pattern_ids[m - 1])
+                    env_spl_banner_times -= 1
+
+                if not self.lab_mode:
+                    m = self.p.expect([pattern_u_boot_main_signon,
+                                       pattern_lab_mode] + self.bad_patterns)
+                    if m == 1:
+                        self.set_lab_mode()
+                    elif m != 0:
+                        raise BootFail('Bad pattern found on console: ' +
+                                       self.bad_pattern_ids[m - 1])
+            if not self.lab_mode:
+                self.u_boot_version_string = self.p.after
+            while True:
+                m = self.p.expect([self.prompt_compiled, pattern_ready_prompt,
+                    pattern_stop_autoboot_prompt] + self.bad_patterns)
+                if m == 0:
+                    self.log.info(f'Found ready prompt {m}')
+                    break
+                elif m == 1:
+                    m = pattern_ready_prompt.search(self.p.after)
+                    self.u_boot_version_string = m.group(2)
+                    self.log.info(f'Lab: Board is ready')
+                    self.p.timeout = TIMEOUT_MS
+                    break
+                if m == 2:
+                    self.log.info(f'Found autoboot prompt {m}')
+                    self.p.send(' ')
+                    continue
+                if not self.lab_mode:
+                    raise BootFail('Missing prompt / ready message on console: ' +
+                                   self.bad_pattern_ids[m - 3])
+            self.log.info(f'U-Boot is ready')
+
+        finally:
+            self.log.timestamp()
+
+    def run_command(self, cmd, wait_for_echo=True, send_nl=True,
+            wait_for_prompt=True, wait_for_reboot=False):
+        """Execute a command via the U-Boot console.
+
+        The command is always sent to U-Boot.
+
+        U-Boot echoes any command back to its output, and this function
+        typically waits for that to occur. The wait can be disabled by setting
+        wait_for_echo=False, which is useful e.g. when sending CTRL-C to
+        interrupt a long-running command such as "ums".
+
+        Command execution is typically triggered by sending a newline
+        character. This can be disabled by setting send_nl=False, which is
+        also useful when sending CTRL-C.
+
+        This function typically waits for the command to finish executing, and
+        returns the console output that it generated. This can be disabled by
+        setting wait_for_prompt=False, which is useful when invoking a long-
+        running command such as "ums".
+
+        Args:
+            cmd: The command to send.
+            wait_for_echo: Boolean indicating whether to wait for U-Boot to
+                echo the command text back to its output.
+            send_nl: Boolean indicating whether to send a newline character
+                after the command string.
+            wait_for_prompt: Boolean indicating whether to wait for the
+                command prompt to be sent by U-Boot. This typically occurs
+                immediately after the command has been executed.
+            wait_for_reboot: Boolean indication whether to wait for the
+                reboot U-Boot. If this sets True, wait_for_prompt must also
+                be True.
+
+        Returns:
+            If wait_for_prompt == False:
+                Nothing.
+            Else:
+                The output from U-Boot during command execution. In other
+                words, the text U-Boot emitted between the point it echod the
+                command string and emitted the subsequent command prompts.
+        """
+
+        if self.at_prompt and \
+                self.at_prompt_logevt != self.logstream.logfile.cur_evt:
+            self.logstream.write(self.prompt, implicit=True)
+
+        try:
+            self.at_prompt = False
+            if not self.p:
+                raise BootFail(
+                    f"Lab failure: Connection lost when sending command '{cmd}'")
+
+            if send_nl:
+                cmd += '\n'
+            rem = cmd  # Remaining to be sent
+            with self.temporary_timeout(TIMEOUT_CMD_MS):
+                while rem:
+                    # Limit max outstanding data, so UART FIFOs don't overflow
+                    chunk = rem[:self.max_fifo_fill]
+                    rem = rem[self.max_fifo_fill:]
+                    self.p.send(chunk)
+                    if not wait_for_echo:
+                        continue
+                    chunk = re.escape(chunk)
+                    chunk = chunk.replace('\\\n', '[\r\n]')
+                    m = self.p.expect([chunk] + self.bad_patterns)
+                    if m != 0:
+                        self.at_prompt = False
+                        raise BootFail(f"Failed to get echo on console (cmd '{cmd}':rem '{rem}'): " +
+                                        self.bad_pattern_ids[m - 1])
+            if not wait_for_prompt:
+                return
+            if wait_for_reboot:
+                self.wait_for_boot_prompt()
+            else:
+                m = self.p.expect([self.prompt_compiled] + self.bad_patterns)
+                if m != 0:
+                    self.at_prompt = False
+                    raise BootFail('Missing prompt on console: ' +
+                                    self.bad_pattern_ids[m - 1])
+            self.at_prompt = True
+            self.at_prompt_logevt = self.logstream.logfile.cur_evt
+            # Only strip \r\n; space/TAB might be significant if testing
+            # indentation.
+            return self.p.before.strip('\r\n')
+        except Timeout as exc:
+            handle_exception(self.config, self, self.log, exc,
+                             f"Lab failure: Timeout executing '{cmd}'", True)
+            raise
+        except BootFail as exc:
+            handle_exception(self.config, self, self.log, exc,
+                             f"'Boot fail '{cmd}'",
+                             True, self.get_spawn_output())
+            raise
+        finally:
+            self.log.timestamp()
+
+    def run_command_list(self, cmds):
+        """Run a list of commands.
+
+        This is a helper function to call run_command() with default arguments
+        for each command in a list.
+
+        Args:
+            cmd: List of commands (each a string).
+        Returns:
+            A list of output strings from each command, one element for each
+            command.
+        """
+        output = []
+        for cmd in cmds:
+            output.append(self.run_command(cmd))
+        return output
+
+    def ctrlc(self):
+        """Send a CTRL-C character to U-Boot.
+
+        This is useful in order to stop execution of long-running synchronous
+        commands such as "ums".
+
+        Args:
+            None.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        self.log.action('Sending Ctrl-C')
+        self.run_command(chr(3), wait_for_echo=False, send_nl=False)
+
+    def wait_for(self, text):
+        """Wait for a pattern to be emitted by U-Boot.
+
+        This is useful when a long-running command such as "dfu" is executing,
+        and it periodically emits some text that should show up at a specific
+        location in the log file.
+
+        Args:
+            text: The text to wait for; either a string (containing raw text,
+                not a regular expression) or an re object.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        if type(text) == type(''):
+            text = re.escape(text)
+        m = self.p.expect([text] + self.bad_patterns)
+        if m != 0:
+            raise Unexpected(
+                "Unexpected pattern found on console (exp '{text}': " +
+                self.bad_pattern_ids[m - 1])
+
+    def drain_console(self):
+        """Read from and log the U-Boot console for a short time.
+
+        U-Boot's console output is only logged when the test code actively
+        waits for U-Boot to emit specific data. There are cases where tests
+        can fail without doing this. For example, if a test asks U-Boot to
+        enable USB device mode, then polls until a host-side device node
+        exists. In such a case, it is useful to log U-Boot's console output
+        in case U-Boot printed clues as to why the host-side even did not
+        occur. This function will do that.
+
+        Args:
+            None.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        # If we are already not connected to U-Boot, there's nothing to drain.
+        # This should only happen when a previous call to run_command() or
+        # wait_for() failed (and hence the output has already been logged), or
+        # the system is shutting down.
+        if not self.p:
+            return
+
+        orig_timeout = self.p.timeout
+        try:
+            # Drain the log for a relatively short time.
+            self.p.timeout = 1000
+            # Wait for something U-Boot will likely never send. This will
+            # cause the console output to be read and logged.
+            self.p.expect(['This should never match U-Boot output'])
+        except:
+            # We expect a timeout, since U-Boot won't print what we waited
+            # for. Squash it when it happens.
+            #
+            # Squash any other exception too. This function is only used to
+            # drain (and log) the U-Boot console output after a failed test.
+            # The U-Boot process will be restarted, or target board reset, once
+            # this function returns. So, we don't care about detecting any
+            # additional errors, so they're squashed so that the rest of the
+            # post-test-failure cleanup code can continue operation, and
+            # correctly terminate any log sections, etc.
+            pass
+        finally:
+            self.p.timeout = orig_timeout
+
+    def ensure_spawned(self, expect_reset=False):
+        """Ensure a connection to a correctly running U-Boot instance.
+
+        This may require spawning a new Sandbox process or resetting target
+        hardware, as defined by the implementation sub-class.
+
+        This is an internal function and should not be called directly.
+
+        Args:
+            expect_reset: Boolean indication whether this boot is expected
+                to be reset while the 1st boot process after main boot before
+                prompt. False by default.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        if self.p:
+            # Reset the console timeout value as some tests may change
+            # its default value during the execution
+            if not self.config.gdbserver:
+                self.p.timeout = TIMEOUT_MS
+            return
+        try:
+            self.log.start_section('Starting U-Boot')
+            self.at_prompt = False
+            self.p = self.get_spawn()
+            # Real targets can take a long time to scroll large amounts of
+            # text if LCD is enabled. This value may need tweaking in the
+            # future, possibly per-test to be optimal. This works for 'help'
+            # on board 'seaboard'.
+            if not self.config.gdbserver:
+                self.p.timeout = TIMEOUT_MS
+            self.p.logfile_read = self.logstream
+            if self.config.use_running_system:
+                # Send an empty command to set up the 'expect' logic. This has
+                # the side effect of ensuring that there was no partial command
+                # line entered
+                self.run_command(' ')
+            else:
+                if expect_reset:
+                    loop_num = 2
+                else:
+                    loop_num = 1
+                self.wait_for_boot_prompt(loop_num = loop_num)
+            self.at_prompt = True
+            self.at_prompt_logevt = self.logstream.logfile.cur_evt
+        except Exception as ex:
+            self.log.error(str(ex))
+            self.cleanup_spawn()
+            raise
+        finally:
+            self.log.timestamp()
+            self.log.end_section('Starting U-Boot')
+
+    def cleanup_spawn(self):
+        """Shut down all interaction with the U-Boot instance.
+
+        This is used when an error is detected prior to re-establishing a
+        connection with a fresh U-Boot instance.
+
+        This is an internal function and should not be called directly.
+
+        Args:
+            None.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing.
+        """
+
+        try:
+            if self.p:
+                self.p.close()
+        except:
+            pass
+        self.p = None
+
+    def restart_uboot(self, expect_reset=False):
+        """Shut down and restart U-Boot."""
+        self.cleanup_spawn()
+        self.ensure_spawned(expect_reset)
+
+    def get_spawn_output(self):
+        """Return the start-up output from U-Boot
+
+        Returns:
+            The output produced by ensure_spawed(), as a string.
+        """
+        if self.p:
+            return self.p.get_expect_output()
+        return None
+
+    def validate_version_string_in_text(self, text):
+        """Assert that a command's output includes the U-Boot signon message.
+
+        This is primarily useful for validating the "version" command without
+        duplicating the signon text regex in a test function.
+
+        Args:
+            text: The command output text to check.
+
+        Returns:
+            Nothing. An exception is raised if the validation fails.
+        """
+
+        assert(self.u_boot_version_string in text)
+
+    def disable_check(self, check_type):
+        """Temporarily disable an error check of U-Boot's output.
+
+        Create a new context manager (for use with the "with" statement) which
+        temporarily disables a particular console output error check.
+
+        Args:
+            check_type: The type of error-check to disable. Valid values may
+            be found in self.disable_check_count above.
+
+        Returns:
+            A context manager object.
+        """
+
+        return ConsoleDisableCheck(self, check_type)
+
+    def enable_check(self, check_type, check_pattern):
+        """Temporarily enable an error check of U-Boot's output.
+
+        Create a new context manager (for use with the "with" statement) which
+        temporarily enables a particular console output error check. The
+        arguments form a new element of bad_pattern_defs defined above.
+
+        Args:
+            check_type: The type of error-check or bad pattern to enable.
+            check_pattern: The regexes for text error pattern or bad pattern
+                to be checked.
+
+        Returns:
+            A context manager object.
+        """
+
+        return ConsoleEnableCheck(self, check_type, check_pattern)
+
+    def temporary_timeout(self, timeout):
+        """Temporarily set up different timeout for commands.
+
+        Create a new context manager (for use with the "with" statement) which
+        temporarily change timeout.
+
+        Args:
+            timeout: Time in milliseconds.
+
+        Returns:
+            A context manager object.
+        """
+
+        return ConsoleSetupTimeout(self, timeout)