diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 689e50f..1fb9c0d 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 include LICENSE
-include README.md
\ No newline at end of file
+include README.md
+include harp/common.yml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/harp/common.yml b/harp/common.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4dfd0e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/harp/common.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+# yaml-language-server: $schema=registers.json
+registers:
+  WhoAmI:
+    address: 0
+    type: U16
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the identity class of the device.
+  HardwareVersionHigh:
+    address: 1
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the major hardware version of the device.
+  HardwareVersionLow:
+    address: 2
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the minor hardware version of the device.
+  AssemblyVersion:
+    address: 3
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the version of the assembled components in the device.
+  CoreVersionHigh:
+    address: 4
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the major version of the Harp core implemented by the device.
+  CoreVersionLow:
+    address: 5
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the minor version of the Harp core implemented by the device.
+  FirmwareVersionHigh:
+    address: 6
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the major version of the Harp core implemented by the device.
+  FirmwareVersionLow:
+    address: 7
+    type: U8
+    access: Read
+    description: Specifies the minor version of the Harp core implemented by the device.
+  TimestampSeconds:
+    address: 8
+    type: U32
+    access: [Read, Write, Event]
+    description: Stores the integral part of the system timestamp, in seconds.
+    volatile: true
+  TimestampMicroseconds:
+    address: 9
+    type: U16
+    access: Read
+    description: Stores the fractional part of the system timestamp, in microseconds.
+    volatile: true
+  OperationControl:
+    address: 10
+    type: U8
+    access: Write
+    description: Stores the configuration mode of the device.
+    payloadSpec:
+      OperationMode:
+        description: Specifies the operation mode of the device.
+        maskType: OperationMode
+        mask: 0x3
+      DumpRegisters:
+        description: Specifies whether the device should report the content of all registers on initialization.
+        interfaceType: bool
+        mask: 0x8
+      MuteReplies:
+        description: Specifies whether the replies to all commands will be muted, i.e. not sent by the device.
+        interfaceType: bool
+        mask: 0x10
+      VisualIndicators:
+        description: Specifies the state of all visual indicators on the device.
+        maskType: LedState
+        mask: 0x20
+      OperationLed:
+        description: Specifies whether the device state LED should report the operation mode of the device.
+        maskType: LedState
+        mask: 0x40
+      Heartbeat:
+        description: Specifies whether the device should report the content of the seconds register each second.
+        maskType: EnableFlag
+        mask: 0x80
+  ResetDevice:
+    address: 11
+    type: U8
+    access: Write
+    maskType: ResetFlags
+    description: Resets the device and saves non-volatile registers.
+  DeviceName:
+    address: 12
+    type: U8
+    length: 25
+    access: Write
+    description: Stores the user-specified device name.
+  SerialNumber:
+    address: 13
+    type: U16
+    access: Write
+    description: Specifies the unique serial number of the device.
+  ClockConfiguration:
+    address: 14
+    type: U8
+    access: Write
+    maskType: ClockConfigurationFlags
+    description: Specifies the configuration for the device synchronization clock.
+groupMasks:
+  OperationMode:
+    description: Specifies the operation mode of the device.
+    values:
+      Standby: 0
+      Active: 1
+      Speed: 3
+  EnableFlag:
+    description: Specifies whether a specific register flag is enabled or disabled.
+    values:
+      Disabled: 0
+      Enabled: 1
+  LedState:
+    description: Specifies the state of an LED on the device.
+    values:
+      Off: 0
+      On: 1
+bitMasks:
+  ResetFlags:
+    description: Specifies the behavior of the non-volatile registers when resetting the device.
+    bits:
+      None: 0
+      RestoreDefault: 0x1
+      RestoreEeprom: 0x2
+      Save: 0x4
+      RestoreName: 0x8
+      BootFromDefault: 0x40
+      BootFromEeprom: 0x80
+  ClockConfigurationFlags:
+    description: Specifies configuration flags for the device synchronization clock.
+    bits:
+      None: 0
+      ClockRepeater: 0x1
+      ClockGenerator: 0x2
+      RepeaterCapability: 0x8
+      GeneratorCapability: 0x10
+      ClockUnlock: 0x40
+      ClockLock: 0x80
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/harp/model.py b/harp/model.py
index 5c5bb3f..879e972 100644
--- a/harp/model.py
+++ b/harp/model.py
@@ -32,10 +32,14 @@ class MaskValueItem(BaseModel):
     model_config = ConfigDict(
         extra='forbid',
     )
+    value: int = Field(..., description='Specifies the numerical mask value.')
     description: Optional[str] = Field(
         None, description='Specifies a summary description of the mask value function.'
     )
 
+    def __int__(self):
+        return self.value
+
 
 class MaskValue(RootModel[Union[int, MaskValueItem]]):
     root: Union[int, MaskValueItem]
diff --git a/harp/reader.py b/harp/reader.py
index 8aeb5ab..4553bf8 100644
--- a/harp/reader.py
+++ b/harp/reader.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def _id_camel_to_snake(id: str):
     return _camel_to_snake_regex.sub("_", id).lower()
 
 
-def _create_bit_parser(mask: Union[int, MaskValueItem]):
+def _create_bit_parser(mask: int):
     def parser(xs: Series) -> Series:
         return (xs & mask) != 0
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def parser(xs: Series) -> Series:
 
 def _create_bitmask_parser(bitMask: BitMask):
     lookup = [
-        (_id_camel_to_snake(k), _create_bit_parser(v.root))
+        (_id_camel_to_snake(k), _create_bit_parser(int(v.root)))
         for k, v in bitMask.bits.items()
     ]
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def parser(df: DataFrame):
 
 
 def _create_groupmask_lookup(groupMask: GroupMask):
-    return {v.root: n for n, v in groupMask.values.items()}
+    return {int(v.root): n for n, v in groupMask.values.items()}
 
 
 def _create_groupmask_parser(name: str, groupMask: GroupMask):
diff --git a/harp/schema.py b/harp/schema.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e28c990
--- /dev/null
+++ b/harp/schema.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from os import PathLike
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import TextIO, Union
+from harp.model import Model, Registers
+from pydantic_yaml import parse_yaml_raw_as
+
+_common_yaml_path = Path(__file__).absolute().parent.joinpath("common.yml")
+
+
+def _read_common_registers(file: Union[str, PathLike, TextIO]) -> Registers:
+    try:
+        with open(file) as fileIO:
+            return _read_common_registers(fileIO)
+    except TypeError:
+        return parse_yaml_raw_as(Registers, file.read())
+
+
+def read_schema(
+    file: Union[str, PathLike, TextIO], include_common_registers: bool = True
+) -> Model:
+    try:
+        with open(file) as fileIO:
+            return read_schema(fileIO, include_common_registers)
+    except TypeError:
+        schema = parse_yaml_raw_as(Model, file.read())
+        if not "WhoAmI" in schema.registers and include_common_registers:
+            common = _read_common_registers(_common_yaml_path)
+            schema.registers = dict(common.registers, **schema.registers)
+            schema.bitMasks = dict(common.bitMasks, **schema.bitMasks)
+            schema.groupMasks = dict(common.groupMasks, **schema.groupMasks)
+        return schema