Patent ID: 8850838

Claim:
A system comprising: a first compressor; first and second sensors coupled to the first compressor, the first and second sensors adapted to sense first and second operating parameters, respectively, of the first compressor; a first compressor safety and control module coupled to the first and second sensors, the first compressor safety and control module being configured to receive first and second signals from the first and second sensors, respectively, the first and second signals being indicative of the first and second operating parameters, respectively, and determine a status of the first compressor based at least in part on the first and second operating parameters; a second compressor; third and fourth sensors coupled to the second compressor, the third and fourth sensors adapted to sense third and fourth operating parameters, respectively, of the second compressor; a second compressor safety and control module coupled to the third and fourth sensors, the second compressor control module being configured to receive third and fourth signals from the third and fourth sensors, respectively, the third and fourth signals being indicative of the third and fourth operating parameters, respectively, and determine a status of the second compressor based at least in part on the third and fourth operating parameters; a bus coupled to the first and second compressor safety and control modules; a rack controller coupled to the bus, the rack controller including an interface and being configured to receive fifth and sixth signals from the first and second compressor safety and control modules, respectively, the fifth and sixth signals being indicative of the status of the first and second compressors, respectively, and communicate a seventh signal via the interface; wherein the first compressor safety and control module includes a first microcontroller and a first communications processor, the first microcontroller receives the first and second signals and determines the status of the first compressor, and the first communications processor creates the fifth signal having a protocol; wherein the second compressor safety and control module includes a second microcontroller and a second communications processor, the second microcontroller receives the third and fourth signals and determines the status of the second compressor, and the second communications processor creates the sixth signal having the protocol; wherein the bus supports a network utilizing the protocol; and wherein the rack controller includes a third communications processor and a processing unit, the communications processor receives the fifth and sixth signals and translates the protocol of the fifth and sixth signals, and the processing unit processes the status of the first and second compressors.