Method and apparatus for programming a decoder-based irrigation controller

A decoder-based irrigation controller comprising:

• a microcontroller comprising a microprocessor and a memory;
• a decoder interface coupled to the microcontroller, the decoder interface configured to encode control data onto a power signal to be applied to a multi-wire control path to which each of a plurality of decoder units will be coupled;
• a user interface comprising a display coupled to the microcontroller;
• and
• a first connector coupled to the microcontroller and configured to couple to an optical reader configured to read an optically readable pattern from one or more labels associated with each of the plurality of decoder units to be controlled by the decoder-based irrigation controller, wherein the first connector is further configured to couple signals from the optical reader to the microcontroller;
• wherein the input signals comprise, for each of the plurality of decoder units, one or both of a decoder address indicator corresponding to an address of a decoder unit and a station number indicator corresponding to a station number to be associated with the decoder unit;
• wherein the microcontroller is configured to interpret the signals from the optical reader and store in the memory data corresponding to the address of each of the plurality of decoder units and the station number to be associated with each of the plurality of decoder units, wherein the memory stores a listing of the addresses of the plurality of decoder units and associated station numbers;
• and
• wherein the microcontroller is configured to retrieve and display the address and station number for at least a portion of the plurality of decoder units on the display.