diff --git a/Tools/autotest/common.py b/Tools/autotest/common.py
index c96f616a00..1519e3604a 100644
--- a/Tools/autotest/common.py
+++ b/Tools/autotest/common.py
@@ -3283,21 +3283,44 @@ class AutoTest(ABC):
         if not temp_ok:
             raise NotAchievedException("target temperature")
 
-    def assert_message_field_values(self, m, fieldvalues, verbose=True):
+    def message_has_field_values(self, m, fieldvalues, verbose=True, epsilon=None):
         for (fieldname, value) in fieldvalues.items():
             got = getattr(m, fieldname)
-            if got != value:
-                raise NotAchievedException("Expected %s.%s to be %s, got %s" %
-                                           (m.get_type(), fieldname, value, got))
+            if math.isnan(value) or math.isnan(got):
+                equal = math.isnan(value) and math.isnan(got)
+            elif epsilon is not None:
+                equal = abs(got - value) <= epsilon
+            else:
+                equal = got == value
+
+            if not equal:
+                self.progress("Expected %s.%s to be %s, got %s" %
+                              (m.get_type(), fieldname, value, got))
+                return False
             if verbose:
                 self.progress("%s.%s has expected value %s" %
                               (m.get_type(), fieldname, value))
+        return True
 
-    def assert_received_message_field_values(self, message, fieldvalues, verbose=True, very_verbose=False):
+    def assert_message_field_values(self, m, fieldvalues, verbose=True, epsilon=None):
+        if self.message_has_field_values(m, fieldvalues, verbose=verbose, epsilon=epsilon):
+            return
+        raise NotAchievedException("Did not get expected field values")
+
+    def assert_received_message_field_values(self, message, fieldvalues, verbose=True, very_verbose=False, epsilon=None):
         m = self.assert_receive_message(message, verbose=verbose, very_verbose=very_verbose)
-        self.assert_message_field_values(m, fieldvalues, verbose=verbose)
+        self.assert_message_field_values(m, fieldvalues, verbose=verbose, epsilon=epsilon)
         return m
 
+    def wait_message_field_values(self, message, fieldvalues, timeout=10, epsilon=None):
+        tstart = self.get_sim_time_cached()
+        while True:
+            if self.get_sim_time_cached() - tstart > timeout:
+                raise NotAchievedException("Field never reached values")
+            m = self.assert_receive_message(message)
+            if self.message_has_field_values(m, fieldvalues, epsilon=epsilon):
+                break
+
     def onboard_logging_not_log_disarmed(self):
         self.start_subtest("Test LOG_DISARMED-is-false behaviour")
         self.set_parameter("LOG_DISARMED", 0)
@@ -3671,6 +3694,21 @@ class AutoTest(ABC):
             raise NotAchievedException("Did not get %s" % type)
         return m
 
+    def assert_receive_named_value_float(self, name, timeout=10):
+        tstart = self.get_sim_time_cached()
+        while True:
+            if self.get_sim_time_cached() - tstart > timeout:
+                raise NotAchievedException("Did not get NAMED_VALUE_FLOAT %s" % name)
+            m = self.assert_receive_message('NAMED_VALUE_FLOAT', verbose=1, very_verbose=1, timeout=timeout)
+            if m.name != name:
+                continue
+            return m
+
+    def assert_receive_named_value_float_value(self, name, value, epsilon=0.0001, timeout=10):
+        m = self.assert_receive_named_value_float_value(name, timeout=timeout)
+        if abs(m.value - value) > epsilon:
+            raise NotAchievedException("Bad %s want=%f got=%f" % (name, value, m.value))
+
     def assert_rally_files_same(self, file1, file2):
         self.progress("Comparing (%s) and (%s)" % (file1, file2, ))
         f1 = open(file1)
@@ -4076,6 +4114,9 @@ class AutoTest(ABC):
 
     def set_rc_from_map(self, _map, timeout=20):
         map_copy = _map.copy()
+        for v in map_copy.values():
+            if type(v) != int:
+                raise NotAchievedException("RC values must be integers")
         self.rc_queue.put(map_copy)
 
         if self.rc_thread is None:
@@ -9749,6 +9790,10 @@ switch value'''
         print("m=%s" % str(m))
         return m is not None
 
+    def assert_current_onboard_log_contains_message(self, messagetype):
+        if not self.current_onboard_log_contains_message(messagetype):
+            raise NotAchievedException("Current onboard log does not contain message %s" % messagetype)
+
     def run_tests(self, tests):
         """Autotest vehicle in SITL."""
         if self.run_tests_called: