diff --git a/dap/accumulator.py b/dap/accumulator.py
index 16f1977..9be5745 100644
--- a/dap/accumulator.py
+++ b/dap/accumulator.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import argparse
 
-from bsread.sender import Sender, PUB
-
-from utils import FileHandler, Sorter
+from utils import FileHandler, Sorter, make_bsread_sender, pack_bsread_data
 from zmqsocks import ZMQSocketsAccumulator, make_address
 
 
@@ -32,8 +30,7 @@ def accumulate(accumulator_addr, bsread_port):
     sorter = Sorter()
 
     if bsread_port:
-        sender = Sender(port=bsread_port, block=False, mode=PUB)
-        sender.open()
+        sender = make_bsread_sender(bsread_port)
 
     while True:
         if not zmq_socks.has_data():
@@ -62,13 +59,7 @@ def accumulate(accumulator_addr, bsread_port):
 
         timestamp = tuple(results["timestamp"])
 
-        data = {}
-        for k, v in results.items():
-            if isinstance(v, bool):
-                v = int(v)
-            elif isinstance(v, list) and not v:
-                v = None
-            data[f"{detector}:{k}"] = v
+        data = pack_bsread_data(results, detector)
 
         sorter.add(pulse_id, (timestamp, data))
 
diff --git a/dap/utils/__init__.py b/dap/utils/__init__.py
index cb78642..7447f85 100644
--- a/dap/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/dap/utils/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 from .aggregator import Aggregator
+from .bsreadext import make_bsread_sender, pack_bsread_data
 from .bits import read_bit
 from .bufjson import BufferedJSON
 from .filehandler import FileHandler
diff --git a/dap/utils/bsreadext.py b/dap/utils/bsreadext.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61cb85a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dap/utils/bsreadext.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from bsread.sender import Sender, PUB
+
+
+def make_bsread_sender(bsread_port):
+    sender = Sender(port=bsread_port, block=False, mode=PUB)
+    sender.open()
+    return sender
+
+
+def pack_bsread_data(orig, prefix):
+    data = {}
+    for k, v in orig.items():
+        if isinstance(v, bool):
+            v = int(v)
+        elif isinstance(v, list) and not v:
+            v = None
+        data[f"{prefix}:{k}"] = v
+    return data
+
+
+