diff --git a/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/__init__.py b/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/__init__.py
index e6435fdf..ef0f9ccd 100644
--- a/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/__init__.py
+++ b/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/__init__.py
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 from .thruster_fake import FakeThrusterPort
 
 
-def thruster_comm_factory(port_info, fake=False):
-    '''Return the appropriate thruster communication class
+def thruster_comm_factory(port_info, thruster_definitions, fake=False):
+    '''
+    Return the appropriate thruster communication class
     Purpose:
-        - Use the same code to run both simulated thrusters and real thrusters
+      - Use the same code to run both simulated thrusters and real thrusters
     '''
     if fake:
-        return FakeThrusterPort(port_info)
+        return FakeThrusterPort(port_info, thruster_definitions)
     else:
-        return ThrusterPort(port_info)
+        return ThrusterPort(port_info, thruster_definitions)
+
diff --git a/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_comm.py b/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_comm.py
index de410ed3..eb8acce9 100644
--- a/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_comm.py
+++ b/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_comm.py
@@ -13,18 +13,26 @@ class ThrusterPort(object):
     _timeout = 0.01  # How long to wait for a serial response
     _max_motor_id = 100  # Max motor ID for which to verify the existence
 
-    def __init__(self, port_info):
+    def __init__(self, port_info, thruster_definitions):
         '''Communicate on a single port with some thrusters
-        port_info should be a dictionary, drawn from a .yaml of the form...
-
-        - port: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_FT232R_USB_UART_A403IMC9-if00-port0
-          thrusters:
-            FLV: {
-              node_id: 10,
-            }
-            FLL: {
-              node_id: 11,
-            }
+        port_info an associates a serial port name with a list of thruster names.
+        YAML form: (part of list)
+
+        - port: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-MIL_Data_Merge_Board_Ports_1_to_4_DMBP14-if00-port0
+          thruster_names: [FLH, FLV]
+
+        thruster_definitions should be a dictionary mapping thruster names to thruster properties.
+        YAML form:
+
+        thrusters:
+          FLH: {
+            motor_id:  0
+            position:  [0.2678, 0.2795, 0.0],
+            direction: [-0.866, 0.5, 0.0],
+            bounds:    [-90.0, 90.0]
+          }
+          <other_thruster_definitions_continue_here>
+
         Note:
             - The thrusters automatically shut down if they do not recieve a
              command for ~2 seconds
@@ -41,7 +49,8 @@ def __init__(self, port_info):
         '''
         self.port_name = port_info['port']
         self.port = self.connect_port(self.port_name)
-        self.thruster_dict = {}
+        self.thruster_dict = {} # holds the motor_ids of all the thrusters that were supposed
+                                # to be here and were actually found
 
         # Determine which thrusters are really on this port
         self.motor_ids_on_port = []
@@ -52,9 +61,9 @@ def __init__(self, port_info):
 
         # Load thruster configurations and check if the requested thruster exists on this port
         self.missing_thrusters = []
-        for thruster_name, thruster_info in port_info['thrusters'].items():
+        for thruster_name in port_info['thruster_names']:
             try:
-                self.load_thruster_config(thruster_name, thruster_info)
+                self.load_thruster_config(thruster_name, thruster_definitions)
             except IOError:
                 self.missing_thrusters.append(thruster_name)
                 continue
@@ -68,15 +77,18 @@ def connect_port(self, port_name):
             raise(e)
         return serial_port
 
-    def load_thruster_config(self, thruster_name, thruster_info):
+    def load_thruster_config(self, thruster_name, thruster_definitions):
+        '''Loads the motor_id from the config file if the thruster was found'''
         # Get our humungous error string ready
         errstr = "Could not find motor_id {} (Called {}) on port {}; existing ids are {}".format(
             thruster_info['node_id'], thruster_name, self.port_name, self.motor_ids_on_port)
+
         # Check if we can actually find the thruster on this port
-        if not int(thruster_info['node_id']) in self.motor_ids_on_port:
+        motor_id = int(thruster_info[thruster_name][motor_id])
+        if not motor_id in self.motor_ids_on_port:
             rospy.logerr(errstr)
             raise(IOError(errstr))
-        self.thruster_dict[thruster_name] = int(thruster_info['node_id'])
+        self.thruster_dict[thruster_name] = motor_id
 
     def checksum_struct(self, _struct):
         '''Take a struct, convert it to a bytearray, and append its crc32 checksum'''
@@ -124,7 +136,8 @@ def make_poll_payload(self, motor_id):
         return payload
 
     def to_register(self, motor_id, register, value=None):
-        '''Get a register (and optionally try to set it)
+        '''
+        Get a register (and optionally try to set it)
         Note: This fails randomly
         '''
         assert register in Const.csr_address.keys(), "Unknown register, {}".format(register)
@@ -152,14 +165,11 @@ def to_register(self, motor_id, register, value=None):
         )
 
         packet = header + payload
-        # prev = self.port.read(100)
         self.port.write(bytes(packet))
         response_bytearray = self.port.read(Const.response_normal_length + return_size)
         if len(response_bytearray) == 0:
             return None
 
-        # rest = self.port.read(100)
-        # if len(response_bytearray) ==
         response = struct.unpack('<HBBBB I B I'.format(size_char), response_bytearray)
         response_contents = [
             'sync',
@@ -188,7 +198,8 @@ def send_thrust_msg(self, motor_id, thrust):
         self.port.write(bytes(packet))
 
     def make_hex(self, msg):
-        '''Return a bytearray formatted as a string of hexadecimal characters
+        '''
+        Return a bytearray formatted as a string of hexadecimal characters
         Useful for packet debugging
         '''
         return ":".join("{:02x}".format(c) for c in msg)
@@ -204,9 +215,9 @@ def check_for_thruster(self, motor_id):
 
     def read_status(self):
         response_bytearray = self.port.read(Const.thrust_response_length)
-        # We should always get $Const.thrust_response_length bytes, if we don't, we *are* failing to communicate
+        # We should always get $Const.thrust_response_length bytes, if we don't
+        # we *are* failing to communicate
         if len(response_bytearray) != Const.thrust_response_length:
-            # rospy.logwarn("Cannot communicate with thruster")
             return None
 
         response = struct.unpack('<HBBBB I BffffB I', response_bytearray)
@@ -241,29 +252,28 @@ def command_thruster(self, thruster_name, normalized_thrust):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    '''Module test code - this requires hardware, and as such is not a unit test'''
-    # port = '/dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_USB-RS485_Cable_FTX1O9GJ-if00-port0'
-    port = '/dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_FT232R_USB_UART_A403IMC9-if00-port0'
-    node_id = 10
-    thruster_name = 'FLV'
-    print('Test thruster comm over port {}, node_id {}, thruster name {}'.format(
-        port,
-        node_id,
+    '''
+    Module test code - this requires hardware, and as such is not a unit test
+    '''
+    import rospkg
+    import rosparam
+    import numpy.random as npr # haha
+    sub8_thruster_mapper = rospkg.RosPack().get_path('sub8_thruster_mapper')
+    thruster_layout = rosparam.load_file(sub8_thruster_mapper + '/config/thruster_layout.yaml')[0][0]
+    print thruster_layout
+
+    port_info = npr.choice(thruster_layout['thruster_ports'])
+    print "port_info", port_info
+    thruster_definitions = thruster_layout['thrusters']
+
+    thruster_name = npr.choice(port_info['thruster_names'])
+    motor_id = thruster_definitions[thruster_name]['motor_id']
+
+    print'Test thruster comm over port {}, node_id {}, thruster name {}'.format(
+        port_info['port'],
+        motor_id,
         thruster_name
-    ))
-
-    port_info = {
-        'port': port,
-        'thrusters': {
-            # 'BRV': {
-            #     'node_id': 16,
-            # },
-            thruster_name: {
-                'node_id': node_id,
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    tp = ThrusterPort(port_info)
-    # tp.send_thrust_msg(node_id, 0.06)
+    )
+
+    tp = ThrusterPort(port_info, thruster_definitions)
     print tp.command_thruster(thruster_name, 0.04)
diff --git a/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_fake.py b/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_fake.py
index 803c9ce7..a430f476 100644
--- a/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_fake.py
+++ b/drivers/sub8_videoray_m5_thruster/sub8_thruster_comm/thruster_fake.py
@@ -3,17 +3,17 @@
 
 
 class FakeThrusterPort(object):
-    def __init__(self, port_info):
+    def __init__(self, port_info, thruster_definitions):
         '''Fake the behavior of a thruster'''
         self.port_name = port_info['port']
         self.thruster_dict = {}
         self.status_dict = {}
         self.missing_thrusters = []
-        for thruster_name, thruster_info in port_info['thrusters'].items():
-            self.load_thruster_config(thruster_name, thruster_info)
+        for thruster_name in port_info['thruster_names']:
+            self.load_thruster_config(thruster_name, thruster_definitions[thruster_name])
 
     def load_thruster_config(self, thruster_name, thruster_info):
-        self.thruster_dict[thruster_name] = thruster_info['node_id']
+        self.thruster_dict[thruster_name] = thruster_info['motor_id']
         self.status_dict[thruster_name] = {
             'fault': 0,
             'rpm': 0,
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ def read_status(self, thruster_name):
         return response_dict
 
     def command_thruster(self, thruster_name, normalized_thrust):
-        '''Fake thruster command
-        normalized_thrust should be between 0 and 1'''
+        '''
+        Fake thruster command
+        normalized_thrust should be between 0 and 1
+        '''
         assert thruster_name in self.thruster_dict.keys(), "{} must be associated with this port".format(thruster_name)
         rospy.loginfo('Commanding {}: {}'.format(thruster_name, normalized_thrust))
         motor_id = self.thruster_dict[thruster_name]
@@ -55,23 +57,30 @@ def command_thruster(self, thruster_name, normalized_thrust):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    '''Module test code'''
-    port = '/dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_USB-RS485_Cable_FTX1O9GJ-if00-port0'
-    node_id = 17
-    thruster_name = 'BRL'
-    print 'Testing fake communication over port {}, node_id {}, thruster name {}'.format(port, node_id, thruster_name)
+    '''
+    Module test code
+    TODO: unit-test this if not already done
+    '''
+    import rospkg
+    import rosparam
+    import numpy.random as npr # haha
+    sub8_thruster_mapper = rospkg.RosPack().get_path('sub8_thruster_mapper')
+    thruster_layout = rosparam.load_file(sub8_thruster_mapper + '/config/thruster_layout.yaml')[0][0]
+    print thruster_layout
 
-    port_info = {
-        'port': port,
-        'thrusters': {
-            'BRV': {
-                'node_id': 16,
-            },
-            thruster_name: {
-                'node_id': node_id,
-            }
-        }
-    }
+    port_info = npr.choice(thruster_layout['thruster_ports'])
+    print "port_info", port_info
+    thruster_definitions = thruster_layout['thrusters']
+
+    thruster_name = npr.choice(port_info['thruster_names'])
+    motor_id = thruster_definitions[thruster_name]['motor_id']
+
+    print'Test fake thruster comm over port {}, node_id {}, thruster name {}'.format(
+        port_info['port'],
+        motor_id,
+        thruster_name
+    )
+
+    tp = FakeThrusterPort(port_info, thruster_definitions)
+    print tp.command_thruster(thruster_name, 0.04)
 
-    ftp = FakeThrusterPort(port_info)
-    ftp.command_thruster('BRV', 0.2)