diff --git a/zipline/sources/data_frame_source.py b/zipline/sources/data_frame_source.py
index e9897aae..f9c43c07 100644
--- a/zipline/sources/data_frame_source.py
+++ b/zipline/sources/data_frame_source.py
@@ -16,20 +16,14 @@
 """
 Tools to generate data sources.
 """
-from copy import copy
-from itertools import ifilter
-
 import pandas as pd
 
 from zipline.gens.utils import hash_args
 
-from zipline.protocol import DATASOURCE_TYPE
-from zipline.utils import ndict
-
-from zipline.sources.test_source import SpecificEquityTrades
+from zipline.sources.data_source import DataSource
 
 
-class DataFrameSource(SpecificEquityTrades):
+class DataFrameSource(DataSource):
     """
     Yields all events in event_list that match the given sid_filter.
     If no event_list is specified, generates an internal stream of events
@@ -37,7 +31,6 @@ class DataFrameSource(SpecificEquityTrades):
 
     Configuration options:
 
-    count  : integer representing number of trades
     sids   : list of values representing simulated internal sids
     start  : start date
     delta  : timedelta between internal events
@@ -49,36 +42,42 @@ class DataFrameSource(SpecificEquityTrades):
 
         self.data = data
         # Unpack config dictionary with default values.
-        self.count = kwargs.get('count', len(data))
         self.sids = kwargs.get('sids', data.columns)
         self.start = kwargs.get('start', data.index[0])
         self.end = kwargs.get('end', data.index[-1])
-        self.delta = kwargs.get('delta', data.index[1] - data.index[0])
 
         # Hash_value for downstream sorting.
         self.arg_string = hash_args(data, **kwargs)
 
-        self.generator = self.create_fresh_generator()
+        self._raw_data = None
 
-    def create_fresh_generator(self):
-        def _generator(df=self.data):
-            for dt, series in df.iterrows():
-                if (dt < self.start) or (dt > self.end):
-                    continue
-                event = {
-                    'dt': dt,
-                    'source_id': self.get_hash(),
-                    'type': DATASOURCE_TYPE.TRADE
-                }
+    @property
+    def mapping(self):
+        return {
+            'dt': (lambda x: x, 'dt'),
+            'sid': (lambda x: x, 'sid'),
+            'price': (float, 'price'),
+            'volume': (int, 'volume'),
+        }
 
-                for sid, price in series.iterkv():
-                    event = copy(event)
-                    event['sid'] = sid
-                    event['price'] = price
-                    event['volume'] = 1000
+    @property
+    def instance_hash(self):
+        return self.arg_string
 
-                    yield ndict(event)
+    def raw_data_gen(self):
+        for dt, series in self.data.iterrows():
+            for sid, price in series.iterkv():
+                if sid in self.sids:
+                    event = {
+                        'dt': dt,
+                        'sid': sid,
+                        'price': price,
+                        'volume': 1000,
+                    }
+                    yield event
 
-        # Return the filtered event stream.
-        drop_sids = lambda x: x.sid in self.sids
-        return ifilter(drop_sids, _generator())
+    @property
+    def raw_data(self):
+        if not self._raw_data:
+            self._raw_data = self.raw_data_gen()
+        return self._raw_data
diff --git a/zipline/sources/data_source.py b/zipline/sources/data_source.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b5c8750e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zipline/sources/data_source.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+from abc import (
+    ABCMeta,
+    abstractproperty
+)
+
+from zipline.protocol import DATASOURCE_TYPE
+from zipline.utils.protocol_utils import ndict
+
+
+class DataSource(object):
+
+    __metaclass__ = ABCMeta
+
+    @property
+    def event_type(self):
+        return DATASOURCE_TYPE.TRADE
+
+    @property
+    def mapping(self):
+        """
+        Mappings of the form:
+        target_key: (mapping_function, source_key)
+        """
+        return {}
+
+    @abstractproperty
+    def raw_data(self):
+        """
+        An iterator that yields the raw datasource,
+        in chronological order of data, one event at a time.
+        """
+        NotImplemented
+
+    @abstractproperty
+    def instance_hash(self):
+        """
+        A hash that represents the unique args to the source.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def get_hash(self):
+        return self.__class__.__name__ + "-" + self.instance_hash
+
+    def apply_mapping(self, raw_row):
+        """
+        Override this to hand craft conversion of row.
+        """
+        row = {target: mapping_func(raw_row[source_key])
+               for target, (mapping_func, source_key)
+               in self.mapping.items()}
+        row.update({'source_id': self.get_hash()})
+        row.update({'type': self.event_type})
+        return row
+
+    @property
+    def mapped_data(self):
+        for row in self.raw_data:
+            yield ndict(self.apply_mapping(row))
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return self
+
+    def next(self):
+        return self.mapped_data.next()