diff --git a/src/hal/circular_buffer.h b/src/hal/circular_buffer.h
index 6ef1c6d..d833428 100644
--- a/src/hal/circular_buffer.h
+++ b/src/hal/circular_buffer.h
@@ -3,6 +3,61 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 
+/// A generic circular index class which can be used to build circular buffers
+/// Can hold up to (size-1) elements
+/// @param index_t data type of indices into array of elements
+///   (recommended to keep uint8_fast8_t as single byte operations are atomical on the AVR)
+/// @param size number of index positions + 1.
+///   It is recommended to keep a power of 2 to allow for optimal code generation on the AVR (there is no HW modulo instruction)
+template <typename index_t = uint_fast8_t, size_t size = 16>
+class CircularIndex {
+public:
+    constexpr inline CircularIndex()
+        : tail(0)
+        , head(0) {}
+
+    /// @returns true if empty
+    inline bool empty() const {
+        return tail == head;
+    }
+
+    /// @returns true if full
+    inline bool full() const {
+        return next(head) == tail;
+    }
+
+    /// Advance the head index of the buffer.
+    /// No checks are performed. full() needs to be queried beforehand.
+    inline void push() {
+        head = next(head);
+    }
+
+    /// Advance the tail index from the buffer.
+    /// No checks are performed. empty() needs to be queried beforehand.
+    inline void pop() {
+        tail = next(tail);
+    }
+
+    /// @returns return the tail index from the buffer.
+    /// Does not perform any range checks for performance reasons, should be preceeded by if(!empty()) in the user code
+    inline index_t front() const {
+        return tail;
+    }
+
+    /// @returns return the head index from the buffer.
+    /// Does not perform any range checks for performance reasons, should be preceeded by if(!empty()) in the user code
+    inline index_t back() const {
+        return head;
+    }
+
+protected:
+    index_t tail; ///< index of element to read (pop/extract) from the buffer
+    index_t head; ///< index of an empty spot or element insertion (write)
+
+    /// @returns next index wrapped past the end of the array of elements
+    static index_t next(index_t index) { return (index + 1) % size; }
+};
+
 /// A generic circular buffer class
 /// Can hold up to (size-1) elements
 /// @param T data type of stored elements
@@ -13,16 +68,12 @@
 template <typename T = uint8_t, typename index_t = uint_fast8_t, size_t size = 16>
 class CircularBuffer {
 public:
-    constexpr inline CircularBuffer()
-        : tail(0)
-        , head(0) {}
-
     inline bool empty() const {
-        return tail == head;
+        return index.empty();
     }
 
     bool full() const {
-        return next(head) == tail;
+        return index.full();
     }
 
     /// Insert an element into the buffer.
@@ -32,15 +83,15 @@ public:
     bool push(T elem) {
         if (full())
             return false;
-        data[head] = elem;
-        head = next(head);
+        data[index.back()] = elem;
+        index.push();
         return true;
     }
 
     /// @returns peeks the current element to extract from the buffer, however the element is left in the buffer
     /// Does not perform any range checks for performance reasons, should be preceeded by if(!empty()) in the user code
     inline T front() const {
-        return data[tail];
+        return data[index.front()];
     }
 
     /// Extracts the current element from the buffer
@@ -49,15 +100,11 @@ public:
         if (empty())
             return false;
         elem = front();
-        tail = next(tail);
+        index.pop();
         return true;
     }
 
 protected:
     T data[size]; ///< array of stored elements
-    index_t tail; ///< index of element to read (pop/extract) from the buffer
-    index_t head; ///< index of an empty spot or element insertion (write)
-
-    /// @returns next index wrapped past the end of the array of elements
-    static index_t next(index_t index) { return (index + 1) % size; }
+    CircularIndex<index_t, size> index; ///< circular index
 };