diff --git a/tests/catch/catch_aux.C b/tests/catch/catch_aux.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4168c18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/catch/catch_aux.C
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#include "catch_aux.h"
+#include "complex.h"
+namespace qpmstest{
+  /// Creates a new vector<double> from complex number array
+  std::vector<double> pointer2dvec(const _Complex double *arr, size_t siz){
+    std::vector<double> vec(2*siz);
+    for(size_t i = 0; i < siz; ++i) {
+      vec[2*i] = creal(arr[i]);
+      vec[2*i+1] = cimag(arr[i]);
+    }
+    return vec;
+  }
+
+  std::vector<double> pointer2dvec(const double *arr, size_t siz){
+    std::vector<double> vec(siz);
+    for(size_t i = 0; i < siz; ++i) 
+      vec[i] = arr[i];
+    return vec;
+  }
+
+  std::vector<double> pointer2dvec(const csphvec_t *arr, size_t siz) {
+    return pointer2dvec(&arr->rc, 3*siz);
+  }
+}