diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 35174ca..6faf2bf 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ build/*
 doc/*
 workspace.code-workspace
 sdkconfig
+googletest
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cf8b5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "googletest"]
+	path = googletest
+	url = https://github.com/google/googletest.git
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3691ade..13c9b3c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,22 +2,57 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.22)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-set(EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS src)
+if(${GTEST})
+    #Creates a variable named TEST_FILES that can be used via ${TEST_FILES}
+    set(TEST_FILES
+            src/test/testClass_test.cpp
+            )
+    #Libraries that are needed by the test files
+    set(TEST_LIBS
+            testClass_lib
+            )
 
-set(application_name "esp32_lora_gateway")
-set(application_version "0.1.0")
+    #adds include directories before adding subdirectories so they have access to the header prototypes
+    include_directories(components/testClass)
 
-set(PROJECT_VER ${application_version})
+    #tells cmake that there is another CMakeList.txt in components/testClass that it needs to process
+    add_subdirectory(src/test)
 
-include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
+    project(unit-tests)
 
-# idf.py -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug reconfigure
-# idf.py -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release reconfigure
-if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Debug)
-  set(opt_level -O0)
-  add_definitions(-DDEBUG_BUILD)
+    message("running GTEST")
+    add_subdirectory(googletest)
+
+    # adds to the include path
+    # We have access to the var gtest_SOURCE_DIR because it is being set in the `lib` CMake files that is called above
+    # via add_subdirectory(google)
+    include_directories(${gtest_SOURCE_DIR}/include ${gtest_SOURCE_DIR})
+    include_directories(${gmock_SOURCE_DIR}/include ${gmock_SOURCE_DIR})
+
+    # Creates an executable called Google_Test_run and adds tests from testClass/test/test.cpp
+    add_executable(Google_Tests_run ${TEST_FILES})
+
+    # link the project libraries and google test library to the executable Google_Tests_run
+    target_link_libraries(Google_Tests_run ${TEST_LIBS} gtest gmock gtest_main)
 else()
-  set(opt_level -Os)
-endif()
+      set(EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS src)
+
+      set(application_name "esp32_lora_gateway")
+      set(application_version "0.1.0")
+
+      set(PROJECT_VER ${application_version})
+
+      include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
+
+      # idf.py -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug reconfigure
+      # idf.py -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release reconfigure
+      if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Debug)
+        set(opt_level -O0)
+        add_definitions(-DDEBUG_BUILD)
+      else()
+        set(opt_level -Os)
+      endif()
+
+      project(${application_name})
 
-project(${application_name})
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/code-format.sh b/code-format.sh
index e4ac3b7..1a34ce0 100755
--- a/code-format.sh
+++ b/code-format.sh
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ astyle \
 	--unpad-paren \
 	--suffix=none \
 	"$@" \
-    --recursive "src/core/*.c" "src/core/*.h" "src/app/*.c" "src/app/*.h"
\ No newline at end of file
+    --recursive "src/core/*.c" "src/core/*.h" "src/app/*.c" "src/app/*.h" "src/test/*.cpp" "src/test/*.h"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/googletest b/googletest
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..2d4f208
--- /dev/null
+++ b/googletest
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 2d4f208765af7fa376b878860a7677ecc0bc390a
diff --git a/src/test/CMakeLists.txt b/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f9638c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+if(${GTEST})
+    project(testClass)
+
+    #Creates an env var for building HEADER_FILES
+    set(HEADER_FILES
+            testClass.h
+            )
+    #Creates an env var for building SOURCE_FILES
+    set(SOURCE_FILES
+            testClass.cpp
+            )
+
+    #Adds a library called testClass_lib to be built from the SOURCE_FILES, will be statically linked
+    add_library(testClass_lib STATIC ${SOURCE_FILES} ${HEADER_FILES})
+else()
+    set(SOURCE_FILES
+            testClass.cpp
+            )
+
+    set(COMPONENT_SRCS "${SOURCE_FILES}")
+    set(COMPONENT_ADD_INCLUDEDIRS ".")
+    register_component()
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/testClass.cpp b/src/test/testClass.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4837786
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/testClass.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#include "testClass.h"
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+// Clones a 0-terminated C string, allocating memory using new.
+const char *MyString::CloneCString(const char *a_c_string)
+{
+    if (a_c_string == nullptr) {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    const size_t len = strlen(a_c_string);
+    char *const clone = new char[len + 1];
+    memcpy(clone, a_c_string, len + 1);
+
+    return clone;
+}
+
+// Sets the 0-terminated C string this MyString object
+// represents.
+void MyString::Set(const char *a_c_string)
+{
+    // Makes sure this works when c_string == c_string_
+    const char *const temp = MyString::CloneCString(a_c_string);
+    delete[] c_string_;
+    c_string_ = temp;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/testClass.h b/src/test/testClass.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78b219b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/testClass.h
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#ifndef TEST_CLASS_H
+#define TEST_CLASS_H
+
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+// A simple string class.
+class MyString {
+private:
+    const char *c_string_;
+    const MyString &operator=(const MyString &rhs);
+
+public:
+    // Clones a 0-terminated C string, allocating memory using new.
+    static const char *CloneCString(const char *a_c_string);
+
+    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+    //
+    // C'tors
+
+    // The default c'tor constructs a NULL string.
+    MyString() : c_string_(nullptr) {}
+
+    // Constructs a MyString by cloning a 0-terminated C string.
+    explicit MyString(const char *a_c_string) : c_string_(nullptr)
+    {
+        Set(a_c_string);
+    }
+
+    // Copy c'tor
+    MyString(const MyString &string) : c_string_(nullptr)
+    {
+        Set(string.c_string_);
+    }
+
+    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+    //
+    // D'tor.  MyString is intended to be a final class, so the d'tor
+    // doesn't need to be virtual.
+    ~MyString()
+    {
+        delete[] c_string_;
+    }
+
+    // Gets the 0-terminated C string this MyString object represents.
+    const char *c_string() const
+    {
+        return c_string_;
+    }
+
+    size_t Length() const
+    {
+        return c_string_ == nullptr ? 0 : strlen(c_string_);
+    }
+
+    // Sets the 0-terminated C string this MyString object represents.
+    void Set(const char *c_string);
+};
+
+
+#endif //TEST_CLASS_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/testClass_test.cpp b/src/test/testClass_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fe65e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/testClass_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#include "testClass.h"
+#include "gtest/gtest.h"
+namespace {
+// In this example, we test the MyString class (a simple string).
+
+// Tests the default c'tor.
+TEST(MyString, DefaultConstructor)
+{
+    const MyString s;
+
+    // Asserts that s.c_string() returns NULL.
+    //
+    // <TechnicalDetails>
+    //
+    // If we write NULL instead of
+    //
+    //   static_cast<const char *>(NULL)
+    //
+    // in this assertion, it will generate a warning on gcc 3.4.  The
+    // reason is that EXPECT_EQ needs to know the types of its
+    // arguments in order to print them when it fails.  Since NULL is
+    // #defined as 0, the compiler will use the formatter function for
+    // int to print it.  However, gcc thinks that NULL should be used as
+    // a pointer, not an int, and therefore complains.
+    //
+    // The root of the problem is C++'s lack of distinction between the
+    // integer number 0 and the null pointer constant.  Unfortunately,
+    // we have to live with this fact.
+    //
+    // </TechnicalDetails>
+    EXPECT_STREQ(nullptr, s.c_string());
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0u, s.Length());
+}
+
+const char kHelloString[] = "Hello, world!";
+
+// Tests the c'tor that accepts a C string.
+TEST(MyString, ConstructorFromCString)
+{
+    const MyString s(kHelloString);
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, strcmp(s.c_string(), kHelloString));
+    EXPECT_EQ(sizeof(kHelloString) / sizeof(kHelloString[0]) - 1, s.Length());
+}
+
+// Tests the copy c'tor.
+TEST(MyString, CopyConstructor)
+{
+    const MyString s1(kHelloString);
+    const MyString s2 = s1;
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, strcmp(s2.c_string(), kHelloString));
+}
+
+// Tests the Set method.
+TEST(MyString, Set)
+{
+    MyString s;
+
+    s.Set(kHelloString);
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, strcmp(s.c_string(), kHelloString));
+
+    // Set should work when the input pointer is the same as the one
+    // already in the MyString object.
+    s.Set(s.c_string());
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, strcmp(s.c_string(), kHelloString));
+
+    // Can we set the MyString to NULL?
+    s.Set(nullptr);
+    EXPECT_STREQ(nullptr, s.c_string());
+}
+}  // namespace