Fluid status detector

Claim 1

A fluid status detection system comprising: a controller, a plurality of probes for sensing the status of fluids at probe locations remote from the controller, and a transmission line connecting said controller and said probes, wherein said controller comprises: a controller output, a controller input, means for providing a command signal to said controller output and a means responsive to signals received at said controller input for providing an indication of said fluid status at said probe locations; said probes each comprising: sensing means for providing a plurality of status signals representative of one or more fluid conditions and for applying said status signals to a plurality of probe data channels, a probe input, and a probe output; said transmission line connecting said controller output to said probe input and said controller input to said probe output, wherein said command signal comprises a probe identifier signal representative of a particular one of said probes and a probe data signal representative of a particular one of said probe data channels; and wherein each of said probes further comprises: means for storing a local probe address; means for comparing said probe identifier signal to said local probe address, selecting means responsive to said data signal for selecting one of said data channels, and means communicating with said means for comparing for providing a signal corresponding to the signal on said selected data channel to said probe output when said identifier signal correlates with said local probe address.