A communication module for use in a system including a plurality of said communication modules, said communication module comprising: circuitry for storing a number, referred to as a module address, designating an address for said communication module; circuitry for sending and receiving messages over at least one communications medium; circuitry and software for generating messages and for receiving and deciphering messages; each of said messages comprising a first number field, referred to as an originator address, designating the module address of the module originating the message, a second number field, referred to as a recipient address, designating the module address of an intended recipient module, a third number field, referred to as message flags, designating a type of message, a fourth number field, referred to as a maximum retransmission count, designating a maximum number of times the message can be retransmitted, a fifth number field, referred to as a current retransmission count, designating how many times the message can be retransmitted before the maximum retransmission count is reached, a sixth number field, referred to as a command field, designating an action, and a seventh number field, referred to as a message validator, designating a message integrity validation; circuitry and software for determining if a received message has reached its intended recipient module by inspecting said message flags and by comparing said recipient address to said module address; circuitry and software for determining if a received message has already been retransmitted the maximum number of times for that message by comparing said current retransmission count to zero; circuitry and software for retransmitting a received message with said current retransmission count decremented by one, when said received message has not reached its intended recipient module and has not already been retransmitted the maximum number of times; circuitry and software for creating an acknowledgement message by interchanging said recipient address and said originator address and setting the message flags to designate the acknowledgement message; and circuitry and software for sending the acknowledgement message. circuitry for storing a number, referred to as a module address, designating an address for said communication module; circuitry for sending and receiving messages over at least one communications medium; circuitry and software for generating messages and for receiving and deciphering messages; each of said messages comprising a first number field, referred to as an originator address, designating the module address of the module originating the message, a second number field, referred to as a recipient address, designating the module address of an intended recipient module, a third number field, referred to as message flags, designating a type of message, a fourth number field, referred to as a maximum retransmission count, designating a maximum number of times the message can be retransmitted, a fifth number field, referred to as a current retransmission count, designating how many times the message can be retransmitted before the maximum retransmission count is reached, a sixth number field, referred to as a command field, designating an action, and a seventh number field, referred to as a message validator, designating a message integrity validation; circuitry and software for determining if a received message has reached its intended recipient module by inspecting said message flags and by comparing said recipient address to said module address; circuitry and software for determining if a received message has already been retransmitted the maximum number of times for that message by comparing said current retransmission count to zero; circuitry and software for retransmitting a received message with said current retransmission count decremented by one, when said received message has not reached its intended recipient module and has not already been retransmitted the maximum number of times; circuitry and software for creating an acknowledgement message by interchanging said recipient address and said originator address and setting the message flags to designate the acknowledgement message; and circuitry and software for sending the acknowledgement message.