Modular and irrigation controller supporting modules having different station counts

A modular irrigation controller comprising:

• a housing;
• a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller configured to execute stored irrigation programs;
• and
• a plurality of module mounting locations within the housing, each module mounting location electrically coupled to the first microcontroller and configured to removably and interchangeably receive one of a plurality of expansion modules, each of the plurality of expansion modules including driver circuitry and a number of station output connectors for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller,
• wherein the first microcontroller is configured to operate with and control expansion modules having different numbers of the station output connectors when received in any one of the plurality module mounting locations.

A method for use with a modular irrigation controller comprising:

• removably mounting a plurality of expansion modules to a plurality of expansion module mounting locations within a housing of a control unit of the modular irrigation controller, the control unit including a first microcontroller configured to execute stored irrigation programs, where each of the plurality of module mounting locations is electrically coupled to the first microcontroller, wherein each of the plurality of expansion modules comprises a driver circuitry and a number of station output connectors for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller;
• and wherein at least two of the plurality of expansion modules have different numbers of the station output connectors;
• and
• outputting signaling from the first microcontroller to control the plurality of expansion modules mounted to any one of the plurality module mounting locations in accordance with a stored irrigation program.