Auto-detection of devices on a multi-wire irrigation control system and auto-assignment of receivers to irrigation zones

An irrigation control unit for use with irrigation devices connected to a multi-wire path in an irrigation system comprising:

• a modulator configured to provide an output power signal modulated with data;
• a multi-wire interface coupled to the modulator and configured to electrically couple to the multi-wire path extending into a landscape and to which the irrigation devices are connected, the irrigation devices each having a unique address and configured to derive operational power from the output power signal and demodulate the data;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the modulator and configured to execute an automated device discovery process configured to:
• cause the modulator to modulate data comprising iterations of discovery messages on the output power signal, the discovery messages each indicating a respective portion of an address to match and prompting a response from one or more of the irrigation devices in which a corresponding portion of the unique address matches the respective portion of the address to match, and wherein responses to each iteration of the discovery message result in a modification of the respective portion of the address to match for subsequent discovery messages.

A method for use with irrigation devices connected to a multi-wire path in an irrigation system comprising:

• providing, by a modulator of the irrigation system, an output power signal modulated with data;
• executing, by a control circuit of an irrigation control unit, an automated device discovery process to cause the modulator to modulate data comprising a discovery message on the output power signal, the discovery message indicating a portion of an address to match and prompting a response from one or more of the irrigation devices in which a corresponding portion of the address matches the portion of the address to match;
• and
• providing, by the control circuit via a multi-wire interface, the modulated data over the multi-wire path that extends into a landscape and to which the irrigation devices are connected, the irrigation devices each having a unique address and configured to derive operational power from the output power signal and demodulate the data.