Open architecture modularity for irrigation controllers

A modular irrigation controller for controlling the operation of an irrigation system, said controller comprising:

• a controller protective housing;
• a base unit mounted within said housing and including a control panel removably mounted to the housing and a back plane circuit board mounted in the housing, said control panel including a releasable connection to said back plane circuit board and including a first microprocessor for sending control signals to said back plane circuit, said back plane circuit board including a plurality of module receiving locations each having a discrete output connector set for communicating between said first microcontroller and a module connected thereto;
• a base module removably mounted within said housing at a first one of the plurality of module receiving locations and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board, said base module including drivers and output switches for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from said first microcontroller;
• and
• at least one expansion module removably mounted within said housing at a respective one of the plurality of module receiving locations other than the first one and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board, said expansion module including a second microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller, and a plurality of drivers and output switches coupled with said second microcontroller for actuating irrigation system valves, said first and second microcontrollers operating together to control the operation of an irrigation system,
• wherein each expansion module may be mounted to any one of the plurality of module receiving locations other than the first one independent of the mounting of another expansion module to another of the plurality of the module receiving locations.

An irrigation controller for controlling the operation of an irrigation system, said controller comprising:

• a controller housing having a front cover door and a rear cabinet portion;
• a base unit mounted within said housing and including a control panel removably mounted to the rear cabinet portion and a back plane circuit board mounted to the rear cabinet portion and releasably connected with said control panel, said back plane circuit board including a plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets communicating with said first microcontroller, said removable control panel including a first microcontroller for sending control signals to said back plane circuit and capable of receiving and storing irrigation system programs input into said first microcontroller;
• a base module removably mounted within said rear cabinet portion and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board through one of said plurality of output discrete electrical output connector sets, said base module including drivers and output switches for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from said first microcontroller;
• and
• an expansion module removably mounted within said rear cabinet portion and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board through another of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets, said expansion module including a second microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller, and drivers and output switches coupled with said second microcontroller for actuating irrigation system valves, said first and second microcontrollers operating together in order to carry out irrigation system operations not capable of being performed by said first microcontroller alone,
• wherein the expansion module may be electrically coupled and decoupled with said back plane circuit board through the other of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets without removing power to the control panel.

A modular irrigation controller for controlling the operation of an irrigation system, said controller comprising:

• a controller protective housing;
• a base unit mounted within said housing and including a control panel removably mounted to the housing and a back plane circuit board mounted in the housing, said control panel including a releasable connection to said back plane circuit board and including a first microprocessor for sending control signals to said back plane circuit, said back plane circuit board including a plurality of module receiving locations each having a discrete output connector set for communicating between said first microcontroller and a module connected thereto;
• a base module removably mounted within said housing at a first one of the plurality of receiving locations and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board, said base module including drivers and output switches for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from said first microcontroller;
• and
• at least one expansion module removably mounted within said housing at a respective one of the plurality of module receiving locations other than the first one and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board, said expansion module including a second microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller, and a plurality of drivers and output switches coupled with said second microcontroller for actuating irrigation system valves, said first and second microcontrollers operating together to control the operation of an irrigation system.

An irrigation controller comprising:

• a housing:
• a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs;
• a plurality of module coupling locations, each electrically coupled with the first microcontroller and adapted to receive one of a plurality of expansion modules;
• and
• an expansion module removably coupled to a respective module coupling location and including a second microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller and including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves, the second microcontroller capable of operating the driver circuitry for actuating said irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller, wherein the respective module coupling location may be any one of the plurality of module coupling locations independent of the coupling of another of the plurality of expansion modules to another of the plurality of module coupling locations.

An irrigation controller comprising:

• a housing:
• a control unit within the housing, the control unit including a first microcontroller for executing stored irrigation programs;
• a plurality of module coupling locations, each electrically coupled with the first microcontroller and adapted to receive one of a plurality of expansion modules;
• and
• an expansion module removably coupled to a respective module coupling location and including a second microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller and including driver circuitry for actuating irrigation valves, the second microcontroller capable of operating the driver circuitry for actuating said irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from the first microcontroller, wherein the expansion module may be electrically coupled and decoupled to the respective module coupling location without removing power to the control unit;
• and
• a smart module removably coupled to another respective module coupling location, said smart module having a third microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller and operating together with said first microcontroller to control the operation of a variety of irrigation functions that can not be performed by the first module and the expansion module.

An irrigation controller for controlling the operation of an irrigation system, said controller comprising:

• a controller housing having a front cover door and a rear cabinet portion;
• a base unit mounted within said housing and including a control panel removably mounted to the rear cabinet portion and a back plane circuit board permanently mounted to the rear cabinet portion and releasably connected with said control panel, said back plane circuit board including a plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets communicating with said first microcontroller, said removable control panel including a first microcontroller for sending control signals to said back plane circuit and capable of receiving and storing irrigation system programs input into said first microcontroller;
• a base module removably mounted within said rear cabinet portion and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board through one of said plurality of output discrete electrical output connector sets, said base module including drivers and output switches for actuating irrigation valves in accordance with control signals received from said first microcontroller;
• a plurality of expansion modules, each removably mounted within said rear cabinet portion and electrically coupled with said back plane circuit board through another of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets, said expansion module including a second microcontroller capable of communicating with said first microcontroller, and drivers and output switches coupled with said second microcontroller for actuating irrigation system valves, said first and second microcontrollers operating together in order to carry out irrigation system operations not capable of being performed by said first microcontroller alone,
• wherein the other of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets to which each expansion module is electrically coupled may be any one of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets capable of being coupled to a given expansion module independent of the electrical coupling of another expansion module to another of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets,
• wherein each of said plurality of expansion modules includes a generally rectangular shaped body having front and rear ends separated by top and bottom surfaces, said front end portion carrying a set of exposed electrical connectors for connection to a respective one of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets, and said rear end portion having output connection terminals thereon for connection to external irrigation system function operators,
• wherein each of said plurality of expansion modules may be electrically coupled and decoupled to said back plane circuit board through the other of said plurality of discrete electrical output connector sets without removing power to the control panel,
• wherein each of said plurality of expansion modules has a pin-out electrical connection pattern with said back plane circuit board comprising:
• 1—EARTH GROUND;
• 2—AC COM;
• 3—AC HOT;
• and 4—COMM “X” where “X” is the particular one of said plurality of back plane circuit board connector pin sets to which the particular expansion module is coupled,
• wherein said control panel includes operational controls and indicators for permitting a user to input irrigation program information into said first microcontroller;
• and
• a battery coupled with said first microcontroller to provide electrical power to said first microcontroller when said control panel is removed from said housing, whereby said control panel can be completely removed from said housing and taken to a remote location for inputting and storing irrigation program information into said microcontroller through said operational controls.