diff --git a/spec/packets/binary_accessor_spec.rb b/spec/packets/binary_accessor_spec.rb
index 2bfc82bc0..bc4387967 100644
--- a/spec/packets/binary_accessor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/packets/binary_accessor_spec.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module Cosmos
 
   describe BinaryAccessor do
 
-    describe "read" do
+    describe "read only" do
 
       before(:each) do
         @data = "\x80\x81\x82\x83\x84\x85\x86\x87\x00\x09\x0A\x0B\x0C\x0D\x0E\x0F"
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ module Cosmos
       end # given big endian data
     end # describe "read_array"
 
-    describe "write" do
+    describe "write only" do
 
       before(:each) do
         @data = "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00"
@@ -804,6 +804,36 @@ module Cosmos
         expect { BinaryAccessor.write(@baseline_data, 8, 800, :STRING, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError, "16 byte buffer insufficient to write STRING at bit_offset 8 with bit_size 800")
       end
 
+      it "truncates the buffer for 0 bitsize" do
+        expect(@data.length).to eql 16
+        BinaryAccessor.write("\x01\x02\x03", 8, 0, :BLOCK, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        expect(@data).to eql("\x00\x01\x02\x03")
+        expect(@data.length).to eql 4
+      end
+
+      it "expands the buffer for 0 bitsize" do
+        expect(@data.length).to eql 16
+        BinaryAccessor.write("\x01\x02\x03", (14 * 8), 0, :BLOCK, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        expect(@data).to eql("\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01\x02\x03")
+        expect(@data.length).to eql 17
+      end
+
+      it "writes a frozen string" do
+        buffer = "BLANKxxxWORLD"
+        string = "HELLO".freeze
+        # Specify 3 more bytes than given to exercise the padding logic
+        string = BinaryAccessor.write(string, 0, (string.length + 3)*8, :STRING, buffer, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        expect(buffer).to eql("HELLO\x00\x00\x00WORLD")
+        expect(string).to eql("HELLO")
+        expect(string.frozen?).to be true
+      end
+
+      it "complains about writing a frozen buffer" do
+        buffer = "BLANK WORLD".freeze
+        string = "HELLO"
+        expect {BinaryAccessor.write(string, 0, string.length*8, :STRING, buffer, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR) }.to raise_error(RuntimeError, "can't modify frozen String")
+      end
+
       it "writes aligned 8-bit unsigned integers" do
         0.step((@data.length - 1) * 8, 8) do |bit_offset|
           @data = "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00"
@@ -824,6 +854,27 @@ module Cosmos
         end
       end
 
+      it "converts floats when writing integers" do
+        @data = "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00"
+        BinaryAccessor.write(1.0, 0, 8, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        BinaryAccessor.write(2.5, 8, 8, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        BinaryAccessor.write(4.99, 16, 8, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        expect(@data).to eql("\x01\x02\x04\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
+      end
+
+      it "converts integer strings when writing integers" do
+        @data = "\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00"
+        BinaryAccessor.write("1", 0, 8, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        BinaryAccessor.write("2", 8, 8, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        BinaryAccessor.write("4", 16, 8, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+        expect(@data).to eql("\x01\x02\x04\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
+      end
+
+      it "complains about non-integer strings when writing integers" do
+        expect { BinaryAccessor.write("1.0", 0, 8, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+        expect { BinaryAccessor.write("abc123", 0, 8, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+      end
+
       describe "given big endian data" do
 
         it "writes 1-bit unsigned integers" do
@@ -834,10 +885,12 @@ module Cosmos
         end
 
         it "writes 1-bit signed integers" do
+          @data[1] = "\x55"
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x1, 8, 1, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x0, 9, 1, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x1, 10, 1, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
-          expect(@data).to eql("\x00\xA0\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
+          BinaryAccessor.write(0x0, 11, 1, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          expect(@data).to eql("\x00\xA5\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
         end
 
         it "writes 7-bit unsigned integers" do
@@ -916,6 +969,11 @@ module Cosmos
           expect(@data).to eql(@baseline_data)
         end
 
+        it "writes aligned 32-bit negative integers" do
+          BinaryAccessor.write(-2147483648, 0, 32, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR_ALLOW_HEX)
+          expect(@data).to eql("\x80\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
+        end
+
         it "writes aligned 32-bit floats" do
           expected_array = [-1.189360e-038, -3.139169e-036, 8.301067e-040, 1.086646e-031]
           BinaryAccessor.write(expected_array[0], 0,  32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
@@ -941,9 +999,12 @@ module Cosmos
         end
 
         it "writes 63-bit unsigned integers" do
+          @data[-1] = "\xFF"
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x8081828384858687 >> 1, 0,  63, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
-          BinaryAccessor.write(0x00090A0B0C0D0E0F, 65, 63, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
-          expect(@data).to eql("\x80\x81\x82\x83\x84\x85\x86\x86\x00\x09\x0A\x0B\x0C\x0D\x0E\x0F")
+          expect(@data).to eql("\x80\x81\x82\x83\x84\x85\x86\x86\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\xFF")
+          @data[0] = "\xFF"
+          BinaryAccessor.write(0x08090A0B0C0D0E0F, 65, 63, :UINT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          expect(@data).to eql("\xFF\x81\x82\x83\x84\x85\x86\x86\x08\x09\x0A\x0B\x0C\x0D\x0E\x0F")
         end
 
         it "writes 63-bit signed integers" do
@@ -982,6 +1043,32 @@ module Cosmos
           expect(BinaryAccessor.read(64, 64, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN)).to be_within(1.0e-308).of(expected_array[1])
         end
 
+        it "converts integers to floats" do
+          BinaryAccessor.write(1, 0, 32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          value = BinaryAccessor.read(0, 32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN)
+          expect(value).to eql(1.0)
+          expect(value).to be_a(Float)
+          BinaryAccessor.write(4, 32, 64, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          value = BinaryAccessor.read(32, 64, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN)
+          expect(value).to eql(4.0)
+          expect(value).to be_a(Float)
+        end
+
+        it "converts strings when writing floats" do
+          BinaryAccessor.write("1", 0, 32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          value = BinaryAccessor.read(0, 32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN)
+          expect(value).to eql(1.0)
+          expect(value).to be_a(Float)
+          BinaryAccessor.write("4.5", 32, 64, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          value = BinaryAccessor.read(32, 64, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN)
+          expect(value).to eql(4.5)
+          expect(value).to be_a(Float)
+        end
+
+        it "complains about non-float strings when writing floats" do
+          expect { BinaryAccessor.write("abc123", 0, 32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
+        end
+
         it "complains about unaligned floats" do
           expect { BinaryAccessor.write(0.0, 17, 32, :FLOAT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR) }.to raise_error(ArgumentError, "bit_offset 17 is not byte aligned for data_type FLOAT")
         end
@@ -999,10 +1086,12 @@ module Cosmos
         end
 
         it "writes 1-bit unsigned integers" do
+          @data[1] = "\x55"
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x1, 8, 1, :UINT, @data, :LITTLE_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x0, 9, 1, :UINT, @data, :LITTLE_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
           BinaryAccessor.write(0x1, 10, 1, :UINT, @data, :LITTLE_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
-          expect(@data).to eql("\x00\xA0\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
+          BinaryAccessor.write(0x0, 11, 1, :INT, @data, :BIG_ENDIAN, :ERROR)
+          expect(@data).to eql("\x00\xA5\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
         end
 
         it "writes 1-bit signed integers" do
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 89ac32b7a..f8b1ebeb7 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 end
 require 'rspec'
 require 'ruby-prof'
+require 'benchmark/ips'
 require 'cosmos'
 require 'cosmos/utilities/logger'
 
@@ -55,11 +56,6 @@ def exit(*args)
 end
 
 RSpec.configure do |config|
-  config.expect_with :rspec do |c|
-    # Explicitly enable the should and expect syntax
-    c.syntax = [:should, :expect]
-  end
-
   # Store standard output global and CONSTANT since we will mess with them
   config.before(:all) do
     $saved_stdout_global = $stdout
@@ -162,6 +158,15 @@ def capture_io
       end
     end
   end
+  if ENV.key?("BENCHMARK")
+    c.around(:each) do |example|
+      Benchmark.ips do |x|
+        x.report(example.metadata[:full_description]) do
+          example.run
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
 # This code causes a new profile file to be created for each test case which is excessive and hard to read
 #  c.around(:each) do |example|
 #    if ENV.key?("PROFILE")