Patent ID: 6996457

Claim:
A method of controlling water irrigation comprising: providing a microprocessor to selectively turn on and off a plurality of watering stations according to a programmable timing pattern; providing a collection of watering station activation modules, each of said watering station activation modules configured for direct independent connection to said microprocessor; said collection having at least two watering station activation modules which interchangeably connect with said microprocessor and wherein each of said at least two watering station activation modules activate a same number of said plurality of watering stations; determining a number of watering stations necessary for a particular watering site; selecting a sufficient number of watering station activation modules from said collection for activation of said number of watering stations necessary for a particular watering site; inserting each of said sufficient number of watering station activation modules into a separate corresponding compartment associated with said direct independent connection to said microprocessor; allowing said microprocessor to detect the number of watering station activation modules connected to said microprocessor and thereby to detect a number of watering stations capable of activation; connecting said number of watering stations necessary for a particular watering site to said sufficient number of watering station activation modules; and causing said microprocessor to execute turning on and off of said number of watering stations necessary for a particular watering site according to said timing pattern; and, determining that additional watering stations are necessary; selecting at least one additional watering station activation module from said collection; inserting said additional watering station activation module into a separate corresponding compartment associated with said microprocessor without disturbing any previously inserted watering station activation modules; and allowing said microprocessor to detect the presence of said at least one additional activation module.