A modular surgical system for use in a surgical procedure, the modular surgical system comprising: a header module; a first surgical module; a second surgical module, wherein the first surgical module is arrangeable in a stack configuration with the header module and the second surgical module; a first backplane connector configured to detachably connect the header module to the first surgical module, wherein the first backplane connector comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple to the header module, a second coupling portion configured to couple to the first surgical module, and shifting conductor elements extending from the first coupling portion to the second coupling portion, wherein the first backplane connector is configured to yield a first bit pattern identifying a position of the first surgical module in the stack configuration; and a second backplane connector configured to detachably connect the first surgical module to the second surgical module, wherein the second backplane connector comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple to the first surgical module, a second coupling portion configured to couple to the second surgical module, and shifting conductor elements extending from the first coupling portion to the second coupling portion,wherein the second backplane connector is configured to yield a second bit pattern identifying the position of the second surgical module in the stack configuration, and wherein the first bit pattern is different than the second bit pattern, wherein the header module is configured to identify the positions of the first and second surgical modules based on the respective first and second bit patterns using stored physical positions corresponding to the first and second bit patterns. a header module; a first surgical module; a second surgical module, wherein the first surgical module is arrangeable in a stack configuration with the header module and the second surgical module; a first backplane connector configured to detachably connect the header module to the first surgical module, wherein the first backplane connector comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple to the header module, a second coupling portion configured to couple to the first surgical module, and shifting conductor elements extending from the first coupling portion to the second coupling portion, wherein the first backplane connector is configured to yield a first bit pattern identifying a position of the first surgical module in the stack configuration; and a second backplane connector configured to detachably connect the first surgical module to the second surgical module, wherein the second backplane connector comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple to the first surgical module, a second coupling portion configured to couple to the second surgical module, and shifting conductor elements extending from the first coupling portion to the second coupling portion,wherein the second backplane connector is configured to yield a second bit pattern identifying the position of the second surgical module in the stack configuration, and wherein the first bit pattern is different than the second bit pattern, a first backplane connector configured to detachably connect the header module to the first surgical module, wherein the first backplane connector comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple to the header module, a second coupling portion configured to couple to the first surgical module, and shifting conductor elements extending from the first coupling portion to the second coupling portion, wherein the first backplane connector is configured to yield a first bit pattern identifying a position of the first surgical module in the stack configuration; and a second backplane connector configured to detachably connect the first surgical module to the second surgical module, wherein the second backplane connector comprises a first coupling portion configured to couple to the first surgical module, a second coupling portion configured to couple to the second surgical module, and shifting conductor elements extending from the first coupling portion to the second coupling portion,wherein the second backplane connector is configured to yield a second bit pattern identifying the position of the second surgical module in the stack configuration, and wherein the first bit pattern is different than the second bit pattern, wherein the header module is configured to identify the positions of the first and second surgical modules based on the respective first and second bit patterns using stored physical positions corresponding to the first and second bit patterns.