A networked system comprising: a plurality of slave devices each comprising: a slave processor; a sensor interface operably coupled to the slave processor and to a sensor device; a slave network interface operably coupled to the slave processor; and, a non-transitory slave computer-readable medium operably coupled to the slave processor and storing data comprising: a unique slave address; a previously assigned non-unique slave address; and, a slave device state comprising at least one of an active state and an idle state, a master device comprising: a master processor; a non-transitory master computer-readable medium operably coupled with the master processor; and, a master network interface operably coupled to the master processor; and, a network operably coupled to each of the slave network interfaces and the master network interface, to operably couple the master device to each slave device in the plurality of slave devices, wherein the non-transitory slave computer-readable medium stores a program of instructions that, when executed by an associated slave processor, causes the master processor to perform master operations to communicate with the plurality of slave devise over the network, the master operations comprising: transmitting, over the network, a request signal addressed to a specific non-unique slave address, wherein a given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium stores a program of instructions that, when executed by an associated slave processor, causes the associated lave processor to perform slave operations comprising: in response to receiving, over the network, a request signal from the master device directed to a specific non-unique slave address, transmitting a response signal to the master device over the network, if: the specific non-unique slave address matches the non-unique slave address stored in the given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium, and the slave device state stored in the given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium is in the active state when the request signal is received at the slave device (725, 730). a plurality of slave devices each comprising: a slave processor; a sensor interface operably coupled to the slave processor and to a sensor device; a slave network interface operably coupled to the slave processor; and, a non-transitory slave computer-readable medium operably coupled to the slave processor and storing data comprising: a unique slave address; a previously assigned non-unique slave address; and, a slave device state comprising at least one of an active state and an idle state, a slave processor; a sensor interface operably coupled to the slave processor and to a sensor device; a slave network interface operably coupled to the slave processor; and, a non-transitory slave computer-readable medium operably coupled to the slave processor and storing data comprising: a unique slave address; a previously assigned non-unique slave address; and, a slave device state comprising at least one of an active state and a unique slave address; a previously assigned non-unique slave address; and, a slave device state comprising at least one of an active state and an idle state, a master device comprising: a master processor; a non-transitory master computer-readable medium operably coupled with the master processor; and, a master network interface operably coupled to the master processor; and, a master processor; a non-transitory master computer-readable medium operably coupled with the master processor; and, a master network interface operably coupled to the master processor; and, a network operably coupled to each of the slave network interfaces and the master network interface, to operably couple the master device to each slave device in the plurality of slave devices, wherein the non-transitory slave computer-readable medium stores a program of instructions that, when executed by an associated slave processor, causes the master processor to perform master operations to communicate with the plurality of slave devise over the network, the master operations comprising: transmitting, over the network, a request signal addressed to a specific non-unique slave address, wherein a given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium stores a program of instructions that, when executed by an associated slave processor, causes the associated lave processor to perform slave operations comprising: in response to receiving, over the network, a request signal from the master device directed to a specific non-unique slave address, transmitting a response signal to the master device over the network, if: the specific non-unique slave address matches the non-unique slave address stored in the given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium, and the slave device state stored in the given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium is in the active state when the request signal is received at the slave device (725, 730). the specific non-unique slave address matches the non-unique slave address stored in the given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium, and the slave device state stored in the given non-transitory slave computer-readable medium is in the active state when the request signal is received at the slave device (725, 730).