diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index bbe4eee10..a3413ab1c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -169,6 +169,22 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "com"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "com_rs",
+ "heapless",
+ "log",
+ "log-server",
+ "utralib",
+ "xous",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "com_rs"
+version = "0.1.0"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "crc"
 version = "1.8.1"
@@ -857,6 +873,7 @@ name = "shell"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
+ "com",
  "graphics-server",
  "log",
  "log-server",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 797b41324..4dd45fd9a 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ members = [
     "services/graphics-server",
     "services/log-server",
     "services/ticktimer-server",
+    "services/com",
     "svd2utra",
     "xtask",
 ]
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ default-members = [
     "services/log-server",
     "services/graphics-server",
     "services/ticktimer-server",
+    "services/com",
 ]
 
 # These packages have custom RUSTFLAGS, so if they
diff --git a/services/shell/Cargo.toml b/services/shell/Cargo.toml
index 78743eeda..cca84b3c8 100644
--- a/services/shell/Cargo.toml
+++ b/services/shell/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ graphics-server = { path = "../graphics-server" }
 ticktimer-server = { path = "../ticktimer-server" }
 log-server = { path = "../log-server" }
 log = "0.4"
+com = { path = "../com"}
 
 [target.'cfg(not(any(windows,unix)))'.dependencies]
 utralib = { path = "../../utralib"}
diff --git a/services/shell/src/main.rs b/services/shell/src/main.rs
index d30ac0dbe..f7db2c346 100644
--- a/services/shell/src/main.rs
+++ b/services/shell/src/main.rs
@@ -71,8 +71,9 @@ impl Bounce {
     }
 
     pub fn next_rand(&mut self) -> i16 {
-        let ret = move_lfsr(self.lfsr);
+        let mut ret = move_lfsr(self.lfsr);
         self.lfsr = ret;
+        ret *= 2; // make the ball move faster
 
         (ret % 8) as i16
     }
@@ -122,15 +123,17 @@ fn shell_main() -> ! {
     let graphics_server_id = xous::SID::from_bytes(b"graphics-server ").unwrap();
     let ticktimer_server_id = xous::SID::from_bytes(b"ticktimer-server").unwrap();
     let log_server_id = xous::SID::from_bytes(b"xous-log-server ").unwrap();
+    let com_id =        xous::SID::from_bytes(b"com             ").unwrap();
 
     println!("SHELL: Attempting to connect to servers...");
     let log_conn = xous::connect(log_server_id).unwrap();
     let graphics_conn = xous::connect(graphics_server_id).unwrap();
     let ticktimer_conn = xous::connect(ticktimer_server_id).unwrap();
+    let com_conn = xous::connect(com_id).unwrap();
 
     println!(
-        "SHELL: Connected to Log server: {}  Graphics server: {}  Ticktimer server: {}",
-        log_conn, graphics_conn, ticktimer_conn,
+        "SHELL: Connected to Log server: {}  Graphics server: {}  Ticktimer server: {} Com: {}",
+        log_conn, graphics_conn, ticktimer_conn, com_conn,
     );
 
     assert_ne!(
@@ -222,6 +225,9 @@ fn shell_main() -> ! {
         graphics_server::draw_string(graphics_conn, &string_buffer).expect("unable to draw string");
 
         // ticktimer_server::sleep_ms(ticktimer_conn, 500).expect("couldn't sleep");
+        if last_time > 10_000 { // after 10 seconds issue a shutdown command
+            com::power_off_soc(com_conn).expect("Couldn't issue powerdown command to COM");
+        }
 
         // draw the ball
         bouncyball.update();
diff --git a/xtask/src/main.rs b/xtask/src/main.rs
index a73f89988..a623661a5 100644
--- a/xtask/src/main.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/main.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ fn build_hw_image(debug: bool, svd: Option<String>) -> Result<(), DynError> {
 
     let kernel = build_kernel(debug)?;
     let mut init = vec![];
-    for pkg in &["shell", "graphics-server", "ticktimer-server", "log-server"] {
+    for pkg in &["shell", "graphics-server", "ticktimer-server", "log-server", "com"] {
         init.push(build(pkg, debug, Some(TARGET), None)?);
     }
     let loader = build("loader", debug, Some(TARGET), Some("loader".into()))?;
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ fn renode_image(debug: bool) -> Result<(), DynError> {
     std::env::set_var("XOUS_SVD_FILE", path.canonicalize().unwrap());
     let kernel = build_kernel(debug)?;
     let mut init = vec![];
-    for pkg in &["shell", "log-server", "graphics-server", "ticktimer-server"] {
+    for pkg in &["shell", "log-server", "graphics-server", "ticktimer-server", "com"] {
         init.push(build(pkg, debug, Some(TARGET), None)?);
     }
     build("loader", debug, Some(TARGET), Some("loader".into()))?;
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ fn renode_image(debug: bool) -> Result<(), DynError> {
 
 fn run(debug: bool) -> Result<(), DynError> {
     let stream = if debug { "debug" } else { "release" };
-    let init = ["shell", "log-server", "graphics-server", "ticktimer-server"];
+    let init = ["shell", "log-server", "graphics-server", "ticktimer-server", "com"];
 
     // let mut init_paths = vec![];
     for pkg in &init {