Conveyor controllers

A method of controlling at least a portion of a conveyor, the method comprising:

• in response to receiving first configuration data from a first conveyor controller at a second conveyor controller, detecting with the second conveyor controller whether a third conveyor controller is connected to the second conveyor controller;
• if the second conveyor controller detects that a third conveyor controller is connected to the second conveyor controller, the second conveyor controller transmitting a configuration message to the third conveyor controller that includes second configuration data associated with the second conveyor controller;
• and
• if the second conveyor controller detects that a third conveyor controller is not connected to the second conveyor controller, the second conveyor controller determining that the second conveyor controller is a final conveyor controller of a linear conveyor.

A method of controlling at least a portion of a conveyor with a conveyor controller, the method comprising:

• querying a motorized roller with the conveyor controller for data identifying a non transitory characteristic of the motorized roller;
• in response to receiving the data in the conveyor controller, analyzing the data to determine the non-transitory characteristic of the motorized roller;
• and
• controlling the motorized roller with the conveyor controller based at least in part upon the determined non-transitory characteristic.

A method of determining information about an article being conveyed upon at least a portion of a conveyor, the method comprising:

• sensing, with a conveyor controller, a current of a signal used to operate a motorized roller;
• if the current signal is above is low current level, determining that the at least a portion of the conveyor is conveying the article;
• and
• in response to determining the article is being conveyed by the at least a portion of the conveyor, determining a length of the article based on an operation of the motorized roller at the current signal above the low current level.

A method of controlling at least a portion of a conveyor with a conveyor controller, the method comprising:

• determining, with the conveyor controller, a rate of rotation associated with a motorized roller;
• if the rate of rotation of the motorized roller does not exceed a target speed, the conveyor controller connecting a first voltage signal generated by the rotation of the motorized roller to a power supply of the conveyor controller to supply the power supply with energy generated by the motorized roller to reduce the overall load on the power supply;
• and
• if the rotation of the motorized roller exceeds the target speed, the conveyor controller causing a second voltage signal to be supplied to the motorized roller to reduce the motorized roller's rate of rotation.

A method of controlling at least a portion of a conveyor with a conveyor controller, die method comprising:

• determining with the conveyor controller whether a current through a motorized roller is associated with a low level to indicate that the motorized roller is conveying a first article;
• in response to determining that the motorized roller is conveying the first article, determining with the conveyor controller whether the current through the motorized roller is associated with a high level to indicate that the first article has jammed or encountered a second article;
• and
• in response to determining that the first article has jammed or encountered a second article, controlling the at least a portion of the conveyor with the conveyor controller to convey the first and second articles simultaneously and without substantial gap there between during such conveyance.