diff --git a/api/datatype.proto b/api/datatype.proto
index 09c78b4..f461566 100644
--- a/api/datatype.proto
+++ b/api/datatype.proto
@@ -10,4 +10,44 @@ enum DataType {
     kTimestamps = 4;
     kImage = 5;
     kWaveforms = 6;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+// A simple tensor with timestamped data
+message Tensor {
+    // Timestamp in ns since the unix epoch
+    uint64 timestamp_ns = 1;
+    
+    // Shape of the tensor
+    // The number of values should equal to the product of the dimensions
+    // e.g. shape = [2, 3] => 2 rows, 3 columns
+    repeated int32 shape = 2;
+    
+    // Expected data type to parse out
+    enum DType {
+        DT_INVALID = 0;
+        DT_FLOAT = 1;
+        DT_DOUBLE = 2;
+        DT_UINT8 = 3;
+        DT_UINT16 = 4;
+        DT_UINT32 = 5;
+        DT_UINT64 = 6;
+        DT_INT8 = 7;
+        DT_INT16 = 8;
+        DT_INT32 = 9;
+        DT_INT64 = 10;
+        DT_BOOL = 11;
+    }
+    DType dtype = 3;
+
+    enum Endianness {
+        LITTLE_ENDIAN = 0;
+        BIG_ENDIAN = 1;
+    }
+    // We default to little because that covers most of the use cases
+    Endianness endianness = 4;
+
+    // Data, stored in a flat array, see shape to reconstruct
+    // e.g. shape: [1, 3] would be:
+    // [10.0, 20.0, 30.0]
+    bytes data = 5;
+}
diff --git a/api/node.proto b/api/node.proto
index 1d3d59e..b3f0d54 100644
--- a/api/node.proto
+++ b/api/node.proto
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import "api/nodes/stream_in.proto";
 import "api/nodes/disk_writer.proto";
 import "api/nodes/spike_source.proto";
 import "api/nodes/spike_binner.proto";
+import "api/nodes/controller.proto";
 
 enum NodeType {
   kNodeTypeUnknown = 0;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ enum NodeType {
   kSpectralFilter = 8;
   kDiskWriter = 9;
   kSpikeBinner = 10;
+  kController = 11;
 }
 
 message NodeConfig {
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ message NodeConfig {
     DiskWriterConfig disk_writer = 11;
     SpikeSourceConfig spike_source = 12;
     SpikeBinnerConfig spike_binner = 13;
+    ControllerNodeConfig controller = 14;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/api/nodes/controller.proto b/api/nodes/controller.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a37c3bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/nodes/controller.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+package synapse;
+
+message ControllerNodeConfig {
+    
+}