Inductively coupled distributed control system

A coupler assembly for electrically coupling a coupling loop formed using a first and second conductor from a transmission line and a slave controller, wherein electromagnetic fields generated by the first and second conductor are out of phase with each other along the transmission line, the coupler assembly comprises:

• a housing including a first body portion and a second body portion,
• a split core,
• a winding or coil around the split core is conductively coupled to a slave controller;
• the coupling loop including the first conductor arranged along a clockwise path and the second conductor arranged along a counter-clockwise path and the first conductor passes once through an opening of the split core and the second conductor forms a loop of equal to or greater than three hundred and sixty degrees that passes through opening of the split core, and;
• wherein said second body portion is moveable relative to the first body position between open and closed positions, and
• wherein a first half of the split core and the coupling loop is supported in said second body portion,
• wherein a second half of the split core and a coil are supported in said first body portion,
• wherein a mutual coupling between the coupling loop and the winding or coil transfers electrical power and data between the transmission line and the slave controller, and
• wherein the coupler assembly remains stationary with respect to the transmission line while the line carries the power and data.

A method of controlling a plurality of sprinklers in an irrigation system that includes a master controller for controlling a plurality of slave controllers each operatively connected to one or more of said plurality of sprinkler components, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a transmission line having a first and second conductor, wherein electromagnetic fields generated by the first and second conductor are out of phase with each other along the transmission line;
• (b) forming a plurality of coupling loops along the transmission line, wherein each coupling loop is formed by arranging the first and second conductors of the transmission line in a loop so that one of the first and second conductors follows a clockwise path and the other of the first and second conductors follows a counter-clockwise path;
• (c) coupling each of said coupling loops to a respective one of said slave controllers by passing said coupling loop through a single core of an inductive coupler connected to the respective one of the slave controllers, wherein each single core includes a coupling loop passing once through the core and another coupling loop that extends equal to or greater than three hundred and sixty degrees;
• and
• (d) sending electrical power and data signals over said transmission line from said master controller to said plurality of slave controllers, wherein the power and data signals are inductively transferred through the inductive coupling of each of the coupling loops to the respective one of the slave controllers, wherein the coupling loops remain stationary with respect to the transmission line while the line carries the power and data.

A distributed control comprising:

• a master controller connected to a transmission line and adapted to deliver power and data to the transmission line;
• said transmission line comprised of first and second conductors configured to carry differential data, wherein electromagnetic fields generated by the first and second conductor are out of phase with each other along the transmission line;
• a plurality of coupling loops distributed along the transmission line, wherein each coupling loop includes one of the first and second conductors arranged in a clockwise path and the other of the first and second conductors arranged in a counter-clockwise path;
• and
• a plurality of inductive couplers enclosing each of the respective coupling loops, each inductive coupler comprising a core having a single opening to thereby establish mutual coupling between the transmission line and to one or more slave controllers, wherein each of the cores has one of the respective coupling loops passing once through the single opening and another of the respective coupling loops extending equal to or greater than three hundred and sixty degrees around the core, and;
• wherein said mutual coupling permits data transfer from the master controller to the one or more slave controllers and transfers electrical power from the transmission line to each of the slave controllers, and
• each of the coupling loops remain stationary with respect to the transmission line while the line carries the power and data.