Patent ID: 7356580

Claim:
A computer implemented method for communicating between a computing system of a process module, wherein the process module has a process chamber, and a first sensor, comprising the steps of: initializing the computing system of the process module; initializing the first sensor, which is able to measure a first parameter in the process chamber; transmitting a connect message from the first sensor to the computing system of the process module; transmitting a command to get reportable specification from the computing system of the process module to the first sensor, the computing system having no prior knowledge of a data type specification transmitted by the first sensor upon the transmitting the command to get the reportable specification; automatically transmitting, upon receiving the command to get the reportable specification, a reportable specification message from the first sensor to the computing system of the process module, the reportable specification message being configured to inform the computing system of the processing module at least the data type specification transmitted by the first sensor; transmitting a process related command related to the execution of an action in the process chamber from the computing system of the process module to the first sensor; and thereafter receiving, using the computing system of the processing module and the reportable specification message received from the first sensor, sensor data from the first sensor.