Electrified monorail communication system

An electrified monorail system comprising:

• an electrified monorail including at least one buss bar;
• at least one carrier adapted to move on the electrified monorail;
• a first programmable logic controller having an output electrically coupled to said at least one buss bar, said output capable of assuming more than one state, said first programmable logic controller being programmed to output onto said at least one buss bar a series of states corresponding to a message;
• and
• a second programmable logic controller having an input at least occasionally electrically coupled to said at least one buss bar, said second programmable logic controller being carried by said at least one carrier, said second programmable logic controller being programmed to store in memory said series of states output from said first programmable logic controller through said at least one buss bar.

A method for transmitting information over a buss bar in an electrified monorail system having an electrified monorail including at least one buss bar and at least one carrier adapted to move on the electrified monorail, said method comprising:

• providing a first programmable logic controller having at least one output;
• providing a second programmable logic controller having at least one input;
• coupling the output of said first programmable logic controller to the at least one buss bar;
• at least occasionally coupling the input of said second programmable logic controller to said buss bar;
• programming said first programmable logic controller to output a series of states corresponding to said information onto said buss bar;
• and
• programming said second programmable logic controller to detect said series of states on said buss bar and at least temporarily store said series of states in a memory in said second programmable logic controller.