diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_ddb_template.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_ddb_template.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..072a4400a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_ddb_template.py
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+import json
+import textwrap
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+
+def process_header(output, description):
+    if description["target"] != "kasli":
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    print(textwrap.dedent("""
+        # Autogenerated for the {variant} variant
+        core_addr = "{core_addr}"
+
+        device_db = {{
+            "core": {{
+                "type": "local",
+                "module": "artiq.coredevice.core",
+                "class": "Core",
+                "arguments": {{"host": core_addr, "ref_period": {ref_period}}}
+            }},
+            "core_log": {{
+                "type": "controller",
+                "host": "::1",
+                "port": 1068,
+                "command": "aqctl_corelog -p {{port}} --bind {{bind}} " + core_addr
+            }},
+            "core_cache": {{
+                "type": "local",
+                "module": "artiq.coredevice.cache",
+                "class": "CoreCache"
+            }},
+            "core_dma": {{
+                "type": "local",
+                "module": "artiq.coredevice.dma",
+                "class": "CoreDMA"
+            }},
+
+            "i2c_switch0": {{
+                "type": "local",
+                "module": "artiq.coredevice.i2c",
+                "class": "PCA9548",
+                "arguments": {{"address": 0xe0}}
+            }},
+            "i2c_switch1": {{
+                "type": "local",
+                "module": "artiq.coredevice.i2c",
+                "class": "PCA9548",
+                "arguments": {{"address": 0xe2}}
+            }},
+        }}
+        """).format(
+            variant=description["variant"],
+            core_addr=description.get("core_addr", "192.168.1.70"),
+            ref_period=1/(8*description.get("rtio_frequency", 125e6))),
+        file=output)
+
+
+class PeripheralManager:
+    def __init__(self, output, master_description):
+        self.counts = defaultdict(int)
+        self.output = output
+        self.master_description = master_description
+
+    def get_name(self, ty):
+        count = self.counts[ty]
+        self.counts[ty] = count + 1
+        return "{}{}".format(ty, count)
+
+    def process_dio(self, rtio_offset, peripheral):
+        class_names = {
+            "input": "TTLInOut",
+            "output": "TTLOut"
+        }
+        classes = [
+            class_names[peripheral["bank_direction_low"]],
+            class_names[peripheral["bank_direction_high"]]
+        ]
+        for i in range(8):
+            print(textwrap.dedent("""
+                device_db["{name}"] = {{
+                    "type": "local",
+                    "module": "artiq.coredevice.ttl",
+                    "class": "{class_name}",
+                    "arguments": {{"channel": 0x{channel:06x}}},
+                }}
+                """.format(
+                    name=self.get_name("ttl"),
+                    class_name=classes[i//4],
+                    channel=rtio_offset+i)),
+                file=self.output)
+        return 8
+
+    def process_urukul(self, rtio_offset, peripheral):
+        return 0
+
+
+    def process_sampler(self, rtio_offset, peripheral):
+        return 0
+
+
+    def process_zotino(self, rtio_offset, peripheral):
+        return 0
+
+
+    def process_grabber(self, rtio_offset, peripheral):
+        return 0
+
+    def process(self, rtio_offset, peripheral):
+        processor = getattr(self, "process_"+str(peripheral["type"]))
+        return processor(rtio_offset, peripheral)
+
+
+def process(output, master_description, satellites):
+    base = master_description["base"]
+    if base not in ("standalone", "master"):
+        raise ValueError("Invalid master base")
+
+    if base == "standalone" and satellites:
+        raise ValueError("A standalone system cannot have satellites")
+
+    process_header(output, master_description)
+
+    pm = PeripheralManager(output, master_description)
+
+    print("# {} peripherals".format(base), file=output)
+    rtio_offset = 0
+    for peripheral in master_description["peripherals"]:
+        n_channels = pm.process(rtio_offset, peripheral)
+        rtio_offset += n_channels
+
+    for destination, description in satellites:
+        if description["base"] != "satellite":
+            raise ValueError("Invalid base for satellite at destination {}".format(destination))
+
+        print("# DEST#{} peripherals".format(destination), file=output)
+        rtio_offset = destination << 16
+        for peripheral in description["peripherals"]:
+            n_channels = pm.process(rtio_offset, peripheral)
+            rtio_offset += n_channels
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="ARTIQ device database template builder")
+    parser.add_argument("master_description", metavar="MASTER_DESCRIPTION",
+                        help="JSON system description file for the standalone or master node")
+    parser.add_argument("-o", "--output",
+                        help="output file, defaults to standard output if omitted")
+    parser.add_argument("-s", "--satellite", nargs=2, action="append",
+                        default=[], metavar=("DESTINATION", "DESCRIPTION"), type=str,
+                        help="add DRTIO satellite at the given destination number with "
+                             "devices from the given JSON description")
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    with open(args.master_description, "r") as f:
+        master_description = json.load(f)
+
+    satellites = []
+    for destination, description in args.satellite:
+        with open(description, "r") as f:
+            satellites.append((destination, json.load(f)))
+
+    if args.output is not None:
+        with open(args.output, "w") as f:
+            process(f, master_description, satellites)
+    else:
+        process(sys.stdout, master_description, satellites)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 70187c8b2..a067957d7 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ console_scripts = [
     "artiq_coreanalyzer = artiq.frontend.artiq_coreanalyzer:main",
     "artiq_coremgmt = artiq.frontend.artiq_coremgmt:main",
     "artiq_ctlmgr = artiq.frontend.artiq_ctlmgr:main",
+    "artiq_ddb_template = artiq.frontend.artiq_ddb_template:main",
     "artiq_devtool = artiq.frontend.artiq_devtool:main",
     "artiq_influxdb = artiq.frontend.artiq_influxdb:main",
     "artiq_master = artiq.frontend.artiq_master:main",