diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 06316288..a2037865 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #Makefile at top of application tree
 TOP = .
 include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
-DIRS := configure mrfCommon evrApp mrmShared evgMrmApp evrMrmApp mrfApp evrFRIBApp iocBoot
+DIRS := configure mrfCommon evrApp mrmShared evgMrmApp evrMrmApp mrfApp evrFRIBApp testApp iocBoot
 
 define DIR_template
  $(1)_DEPEND_DIRS = configure
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ evrFRIBApp_DEPEND_DIRS += evrApp
 
 mrfApp_DEPEND_DIRS += evrMrmApp evgMrmApp evrFRIBApp
 
+testApp_DEPEND_DIRS += mrfCommon
+
 include $(TOP)/configure/RULES_TOP
diff --git a/mrfCommon/src/Makefile b/mrfCommon/src/Makefile
index 4eaadea8..564c8e64 100644
--- a/mrfCommon/src/Makefile
+++ b/mrfCommon/src/Makefile
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ mrfCommon_SRCS += devObjString.cpp
 mrfCommon_SRCS += devObjCommand.cpp
 mrfCommon_SRCS += devObjWf.cpp
 mrfCommon_SRCS += devMbboDirectSoft.c
+mrfCommon_SRCS += devlutstring.cpp
 mrfCommon_SRCS += databuf.cpp
 mrfCommon_SRCS += mrfCommon.cpp
 
diff --git a/mrfCommon/src/devlutstring.cpp b/mrfCommon/src/devlutstring.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e19b543b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mrfCommon/src/devlutstring.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+/*************************************************************************\
+* Copyright (c) 2017 Michael Davidsaver
+* mrfioc2 is distributed subject to a Software License Agreement found
+* in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
+\*************************************************************************/
+/** Arbitrary size lookup table mapping integer to string.
+ *
+ * record(stringin, "blah") {
+ *   field(INP , "some:int")
+ *   info(lut0, " 0 = zero")
+ *   info(lut1, " 1 = one")
+ *   info(lut2, " 3 = three")
+ *   info(lutX, "unknown")
+ */
+
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+#include <epicsTypes.h>
+#include <dbAccess.h>
+#include <dbStaticLib.h>
+#include <dbScan.h>
+#include <link.h>
+#include <devSup.h>
+#include <recGbl.h>
+#include <devLib.h> // For S_dev_*
+#include <alarm.h>
+#include <errlog.h>
+
+#include <stringinRecord.h>
+
+#include "mrfCommon.h"
+#include "devObj.h"
+
+#include <epicsExport.h>
+
+namespace {
+
+std::string strip(const std::string& inp)
+{
+    size_t S = inp.find_first_not_of(" \t"),
+           E = inp.find_last_not_of(" \t");
+    if(S==inp.npos)
+        return std::string(); // empty
+    else
+        return inp.substr(S, E-S+1);
+}
+
+struct DBENT {
+    DBENTRY entry;
+    template<typename REC>
+    DBENT(REC *prec)
+    {
+        dbInitEntry(pdbbase, &entry);
+        if(dbFindRecord(&entry, prec->name))
+            throw std::logic_error("Failed to lookup DBENTRY from dbCommon");
+    }
+    ~DBENT() {
+        dbFinishEntry(&entry);
+    }
+};
+
+struct LUTPriv {
+    typedef std::map<epicsInt32, std::string> lut_t;
+    lut_t lut;
+    std::string unknown;
+};
+
+static
+long init_record_lut(stringinRecord *prec)
+{
+    try {
+        mrf::auto_ptr<LUTPriv> priv(new LUTPriv);
+
+        priv->unknown = "<unknown>";
+
+        DBENT entry(prec);
+
+        for(long status = dbFirstInfo(&entry.entry); status==0; status = dbNextInfo(&entry.entry))
+        {
+            const char * const name = dbGetInfoName(&entry.entry);
+
+            std::string line(dbGetInfoString(&entry.entry));
+
+            if(strcmp(name, "lutX")==0) {
+                priv->unknown = strip(line);
+                if(prec->tpro>1)
+                    printf("%s : LUT <fallback> -> \"%s\"\n", prec->name, priv->unknown.c_str());
+                continue;
+
+            } else if(strncmp(name, "lut", 3)!=0) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            size_t eq = line.find_first_of('=');
+            if(eq==line.npos) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "%s : info %s value missing '=' : %s\n", prec->name, name, line.c_str());
+                return 0;
+            }
+
+            epicsUInt32 raw;
+            {
+                std::string num(line.substr(0, eq));
+                if(epicsParseUInt32(num.c_str(), &raw, 0, 0)) {
+                    fprintf(stderr, "%s : info %s index not number \"%s\"\n", prec->name, name, num.c_str());
+                    throw std::runtime_error("Invalid LUT entry");
+                }
+            }
+
+            std::pair<LUTPriv::lut_t::iterator, bool> ret =
+                    priv->lut.insert(std::make_pair(raw, strip(line.substr(eq+1))));
+
+            if(prec->tpro>1)
+                printf("%s : LUT %u -> \"%s\"\n", prec->name, ret.first->first, ret.first->second.c_str());
+        }
+
+        /* initialize w/ unknown value */
+        strncpy(prec->val, priv->unknown.c_str(), sizeof(prec->val));
+        prec->val[sizeof(prec->val)-1] = '\0';
+
+        prec->dpvt = priv.release();
+
+        return 0;
+    }CATCH(-ENODEV)
+}
+
+static
+long read_lut(stringinRecord *prec)
+{
+    const LUTPriv * const priv = static_cast<LUTPriv*>(prec->dpvt);
+    if(!priv) {
+        (void)recGblSetSevr(prec, COMM_ALARM, INVALID_ALARM);
+        return 0;
+    }
+    try {
+        const std::string *val = &priv->unknown;
+
+        epicsUInt32 raw;
+        long status = dbGetLink(&prec->inp, DBR_LONG, &raw, 0, 0);
+
+        if(status) {
+            (void)recGblSetSevr(prec, LINK_ALARM, INVALID_ALARM);
+
+        } else {
+            LUTPriv::lut_t::const_iterator it = priv->lut.find(raw);
+            if(it==priv->lut.end()) {
+                (void)recGblSetSevr(prec, READ_ALARM, INVALID_ALARM);
+            } else {
+                val = &it->second;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if(prec->tpro>2)
+            printf("%s : LUT status=%ld select=%u VAL=\"%s\"\n",
+                   prec->name, status, (unsigned)raw, val->c_str());
+
+        strncpy(prec->val, val->c_str(), sizeof(prec->val));
+        prec->val[sizeof(prec->val)-1] = '\0';
+
+        return 0;
+    }CATCH(-ENODEV)
+}
+
+common_dset devLUTSI = {
+    5,
+    0,
+    0,
+    (DEVSUPFUN)&init_record_lut,
+    0,
+    (DEVSUPFUN)&read_lut
+};
+
+} // namespace
+
+extern "C" {
+epicsExportAddress(dset, devLUTSI);
+}
diff --git a/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.cpp b/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.cpp
index b350f5fb..6b80708a 100644
--- a/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.cpp
+++ b/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 #include <epicsStdio.h>
 #include <epicsExport.h>
 #include "mrfCommon.h"
@@ -39,3 +41,56 @@ char *allocSNPrintf(size_t N, const char *fmt, ...)
 
     return mem;
 }
+
+#if (EPICS_VERSION_INT < VERSION_INT(3,15,0,2))
+
+static
+epicsParseULong(const char *str, unsigned long *to, int base, char **units)
+{
+    int c;
+    char *endp;
+    unsigned long value;
+
+    while ((c = *str) && isspace(c))
+        ++str;
+
+    errno = 0;
+    value = strtoul(str, &endp, base);
+
+    if (endp == str)
+        return S_stdlib_noConversion;
+    if (errno == EINVAL)    /* Not universally supported */
+        return S_stdlib_badBase;
+    if (errno == ERANGE)
+        return S_stdlib_overflow;
+
+    while ((c = *endp) && isspace(c))
+        ++endp;
+    if (c && !units)
+        return S_stdlib_extraneous;
+
+    *to = value;
+    if (units)
+        *units = endp;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int
+epicsParseUInt32(const char *str, epicsUInt32 *to, int base, char **units)
+{
+    unsigned long value;
+    int status = epicsParseULong(str, &value, base, units);
+
+    if (status)
+        return status;
+
+#if (ULONG_MAX > 0xffffffffULL)
+    if (value > 0xffffffffUL && value <= ~0xffffffffUL)
+        return S_stdlib_overflow;
+#endif
+
+    *to = (epicsUInt32) value;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.dbd b/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.dbd
index e8dbb99f..5be0d30d 100644
--- a/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.dbd
+++ b/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.dbd
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ device(bo, INST_IO, devBOCommand, "Obj Prop command")
 device(waveform , INST_IO, devWFIn, "Obj Prop waveform in")
 device(waveform , INST_IO, devWFOut, "Obj Prop waveform out")
 
+# from devlutstring.cpp
+device(stringin , CONSTANT, devLUTSI, "LUT uint32 -> string")
 
 # Special version of normal mbboDirect soft dset which restores bit fields from VAL
 device(mbboDirect, CONSTANT, devMbboDirectRestore, "Soft and restore")
diff --git a/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.h b/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.h
index d53f1da4..3c009a5d 100644
--- a/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.h
+++ b/mrfCommon/src/mrfCommon.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ using std::auto_ptr;
 #include  <epicsTime.h>         /* EPICS Time definitions                                         */
 #include  <epicsMath.h>         /* EPICS Common math functions & definitions                      */
 #include  <epicsInterrupt.h>
+#include  <epicsStdlib.h>
 
 #include  <alarm.h>             /* EPICS Alarm status and severity definitions                    */
 #include  <dbAccess.h>          /* EPICS Database Access definitions                              */
@@ -274,6 +275,18 @@ epicsShareFunc char *allocSNPrintf(size_t N, const char *fmt, ...) EPICS_PRINTF_
 #  endif
 
 #endif /*EPICS 64-bit integer types need defining*/
+
+#define S_stdlib_noConversion (M_stdlib | 1) /* No digits to convert */
+#define S_stdlib_extraneous   (M_stdlib | 2) /* Extraneous characters */
+#define S_stdlib_underflow    (M_stdlib | 3) /* Too small to represent */
+#define S_stdlib_overflow     (M_stdlib | 4) /* Too large to represent */
+#define S_stdlib_badBase      (M_stdlib | 5) /* Number base not supported */
+
+extern "C" {
+epicsShareFunc int
+epicsParseUInt32(const char *str, epicsUInt32 *to, int base, char **units);
+}
+
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/testApp/Makefile b/testApp/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..58edb0a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testApp/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+TOP=..
+
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
+#----------------------------------------
+#  ADD MACRO DEFINITIONS AFTER THIS LINE
+#=============================
+
+ifdef BASE_3_15
+
+TARGETS += $(COMMON_DIR)/testmrf.dbd
+DBDDEPENDS_FILES += testmrf.dbd$(DEP)
+
+testmrf_DBD += base.dbd
+testmrf_DBD += mrfCommon.dbd
+
+TESTPROD_HOST += testlut
+testlut_SRCS += testlut.c
+testlut_SRCS += testmrf_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp
+TESTS += testlut
+
+PROD_LIBS += mrfCommon
+PROD_LIBS += $(EPICS_BASE_IOC_LIBS)
+
+TESTSCRIPTS_HOST += $(TESTS:%=%.t)
+
+endif # BASE_3_15
+
+#===========================
+
+include $(TOP)/configure/RULES
+#----------------------------------------
+#  ADD RULES AFTER THIS LINE
+
diff --git a/testApp/lut.db b/testApp/lut.db
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..58e94b93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testApp/lut.db
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+record(longout, "input") {
+  field(FLNK, "output")
+}
+record(stringin, "output") {
+  field(DTYP, "LUT uint32 -> string")
+  field(INP , "input NPP MSI")
+  info(lutX , "unknown")
+  info(lut0 , "   0 = zero")
+  info(lut1 , " 0x5 = five")
+  field(TPRO, "2")
+}
diff --git a/testApp/testlut.c b/testApp/testlut.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c231b1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testApp/testlut.c
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*************************************************************************\
+* Copyright (c) 2017 Michael Davidsaver
+* mrfioc2 is distributed subject to a Software License Agreement found
+* in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
+\*************************************************************************/
+
+#include <errlog.h>
+#include <alarm.h>
+#include <dbAccess.h>
+#include <dbUnitTest.h>
+#include <testMain.h>
+
+void testmrf_registerRecordDeviceDriver(struct dbBase *);
+
+MAIN(testlut)
+{
+    testPlan(15);
+
+    testdbPrepare();
+
+    testdbReadDatabase("testmrf.dbd", 0, 0);
+    testmrf_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase);
+    testdbReadDatabase("lut.db", 0, 0);
+
+    eltc(0);
+    testIocInitOk();
+    eltc(1);
+
+    testDiag("Initial values");
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.STAT", DBF_LONG, UDF_ALARM);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.SEVR", DBF_LONG, INVALID_ALARM);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.VAL", DBF_STRING, "unknown");
+
+    testDiag("Set valid 0");
+    testdbPutFieldOk("input", DBR_LONG, 0);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.STAT", DBF_LONG, 0);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.SEVR", DBF_LONG, 0);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.VAL", DBF_STRING, "zero");
+
+    testDiag("Set valid 5");
+    testdbPutFieldOk("input", DBR_LONG, 5);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.STAT", DBF_LONG, 0);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.SEVR", DBF_LONG, 0);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.VAL", DBF_STRING, "five");
+
+    testDiag("Set invalid 3");
+    testdbPutFieldOk("input", DBR_LONG, 3);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.STAT", DBF_LONG, READ_ALARM);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.SEVR", DBF_LONG, INVALID_ALARM);
+    testdbGetFieldEqual("output.VAL", DBF_STRING, "unknown");
+
+    testIocShutdownOk();
+
+    testdbCleanup();
+
+    return testDone();
+}