diff --git a/camerad/CMakeLists.txt b/camerad/CMakeLists.txt
index 7fbecc9..3cd43b6 100644
--- a/camerad/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/camerad/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ list (APPEND INTERFACE_SOURCES
 add_library(${INTERFACE_TARGET} ${INTERFACE_SOURCES})
 target_link_libraries(${INTERFACE_TARGET}
                       common
+                      shared_memory_writer
                       )
 target_include_directories(${INTERFACE_TARGET} PUBLIC ${INTERFACE_INCLUDES})
 
diff --git a/camerad/archon_controller.cpp b/camerad/archon_controller.cpp
index 26b7109..cb22b6d 100644
--- a/camerad/archon_controller.cpp
+++ b/camerad/archon_controller.cpp
@@ -1640,6 +1640,15 @@ namespace Camera {
       logwrite(function, "applied mode geometry to controller");
     }
 
+    for (const auto &[name, info] : mode->parammap) {
+      try {
+        this->set_parameter(name, std::stoi(info.value));
+      } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+        logwrite(function, "ERROR applying mode param "+name+"="+info.value+": "+e.what());
+        return ERROR;
+      }
+    }
+
     return NO_ERROR;
   }
   /***** Camera::ArchonController::load_mode_settings *************************/
diff --git a/camerad/archon_controller.h b/camerad/archon_controller.h
index 5ce1d01..1d61b69 100644
--- a/camerad/archon_controller.h
+++ b/camerad/archon_controller.h
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ namespace Camera {
       std::atomic_flag archon_busy = ATOMIC_FLAG_INIT;  //!< indicates a thread is accessing Archon
       bool is_firmwareloaded;
       std::string firmware;
-      bool is_camera_mode;             //!< has a camera mode been selected
+      bool is_camera_mode{false};      //!< has a camera mode been selected
       int msgref;
       std::string backplaneversion;
       std::vector<int> modtype;             //!< type of each module from SYSTEM command
diff --git a/camerad/archon_interface.cpp b/camerad/archon_interface.cpp
index 9e078ad..04cb665 100644
--- a/camerad/archon_interface.cpp
+++ b/camerad/archon_interface.cpp
@@ -807,12 +807,13 @@ namespace Camera {
 
     // if we made it all the way to the end then this is the selected mode
     this->controller->selectedmode = modeselect;
+    this->controller->is_camera_mode = true;
 
-    // Set the exposure mode to match the camera mode name if recognized
-    if (this->set_exposure_mode(modeselect, {}) != NO_ERROR) {
-      // Fall back to SINGLE if the camera mode name doesn't match an exposure mode
-      this->set_exposure_mode(std::string(ArchonExposureMode::SINGLE), {});
+    std::string target = ArchonExposureMode::SINGLE;
+    for (const auto &m : this->get_exposure_modes()) {
+      if (m == modeselect) { target = modeselect; break; }
     }
+    this->set_exposure_mode(target, {});
 
     return NO_ERROR;
   }
diff --git a/camerad/camera_interface.h b/camerad/camera_interface.h
index 3f96bf5..542986e 100644
--- a/camerad/camera_interface.h
+++ b/camerad/camera_interface.h
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ namespace Camera {
 
       virtual long do_expose() = 0;
 
+      /** @brief  returns true if cmd is an instrument-specific command
+       */
+      virtual bool is_instrument_command(const std::string &cmd) { return false; }
+
       /** @brief  returns error if not overridden
        */
       virtual long instrument_cmd(const std::string &cmd,
diff --git a/camerad/camera_server.cpp b/camerad/camera_server.cpp
index 8cc34e4..0149c6f 100644
--- a/camerad/camera_server.cpp
+++ b/camerad/camera_server.cpp
@@ -223,6 +223,14 @@ namespace Camera {
         }
         ret = HELP;
       }
+      /**
+       * instrument-specific commands
+       */
+      else
+      if (interface->is_instrument_command(cmd))
+      {
+        ret = interface->instrument_cmd(cmd, args, retstring);
+      }
       else
       if ( cmd == CAMERAD_ABORT ) {
         ret = interface->abort(args, retstring);
@@ -284,17 +292,7 @@ namespace Camera {
       if ( cmd == CAMERAD_TEST ) {
         ret = interface->test(args, retstring);
       }
-      /**
-       * instrument-specific commands
-       */
-      else
-      if ( cmd == "hispec_this" ) {
-        ret = interface->instrument_cmd(cmd, args, retstring);
-      }
-      else
-      if ( cmd == "hispec_that" ) {
-        ret = interface->instrument_cmd(cmd, args, retstring);
-      }
+
       /**
        * controller-specific commands
        */
@@ -326,6 +324,10 @@ namespace Camera {
       if ( cmd == "bob" ) {
         ret = interface->controller_cmd(cmd, args, retstring);
       }
+      else
+      if ( cmd == "autofetch_mode" ) {
+        ret = interface->controller_cmd(cmd, args, retstring);
+      }
 
       // unknown commands generate an error
       //
diff --git a/utils/timing_stats.h b/utils/timing_stats.h
index 7627620..61426c1 100644
--- a/utils/timing_stats.h
+++ b/utils/timing_stats.h
@@ -80,15 +80,15 @@ namespace Utils {
         return (1.0e6 * sd) / (m * m);
       }
 
-      [[nodiscard]] std::string summary() const {
+      [[nodiscard]] std::string summary(const std::string &label = "") const {
         std::ostringstream ss;
-        ss << std::fixed << std::setprecision(1)
-           << "median=" << median() << " us, "
-           << "mean=" << mean() << " us, "
-           << "jitter=" << jitter() << " us, "
+        ss << std::fixed << std::setprecision(1);
+        if (!label.empty()) ss << label << " ";
+        ss << "(n=" << count() << ")\n"
+           << "  median=" << median() << "us  mean=" << mean() << "us\n"
+           << "  Jitter:    peak2peak=" << jitter() << "us  stddev=" << stddev() << "us\n"
            << std::setprecision(2)
-           << hertz() << " +/- " << hertz_stddev() << " Hz"
-           << " (n=" << count() << ")";
+           << "  Frequency: mean=" << hertz() << "Hz  stddev=" << hertz_stddev() << "Hz";
         return ss.str();
       }