I/o systems, methods and devices for interfacing a pump controller

A method for interfacing at least one pump controller with at least one control device, comprising:

• implementing a first I/O interface module on a circuit board, wherein said first I/O interface module comprises:
• a processor;
• a computer readable medium coupled to said processor and carrying software instructions executable by said processor;
• a first data communications interface configured to connect to a pump controller on board a pump, the first data communications interface configured to connect to the pump controller by a first serial communications link;
• a second data communications interface configured to connect to a pump track via a second serial communications link and one or more discrete communication lines wherein each discrete communications line carries a discrete signal associated with a function of said pump controller;
• converting pump control commands received over the second serial communications link from a first data communications protocol to a second data communications protocol;
• mapping signals received over the one or more discrete communications lines to the second data communications protocol;
• and
• communicating with the pump controller over the first serial communications link using the second data communications protocol.

A system comprising:

• a pump having an on-board pump controller;
• a pump track providing an interface with a control system;
• an I/O interface module separate from the pump and the pump track, the I/O interface module having a first data communications interface and a second data communications interface, wherein the I/O interface module is connected to the on-board pump controller via a first serial communications link and is connected to the pump track via a second serial communications link and one or more discrete lines, the I/O interface module configured to:
• convert pump control commands from said pump track according to the first data communications protocol and forwarding the pump control commands to said pump controller according to the second data communications protocol;
• map signals received over the one or more discrete communications lines to the second data communications protocol and communicate with the pump controller over the first serial communications link using the second data communications protocol.