Communication protocol system and method for a distributed-architecture heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

1. An HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a first local controller associated with an HVAC component, said HVAC component in communication with at least one other HVAC component via a data bus, said first local controller configured to:

publish a first message to said data bus;

detect a collision between said first message and a second message published to said data bus; and

republish said first message, after a delay unique to said first local controller, in the event that said first message collides with a second message published to said data bus by a second local controller and a bit error results as a result of said collision wherein said delay is derived from a device designator of said local controller and is determined by multiplying a base delay time by a factor based on a subset of bits of said device designator.

2. The network as recited in claim 1 , wherein a first attempt to republish said first message uses a first contiguous subset of bits of said device designator, and a subsequent attempt to republish said first message uses a different contiguous subset of bits of said device designator.

3. The network as recited in claim 1 , wherein said message is a device startup message configured to indicate that said first local controller is ready to operate in the network after a reset condition.

4. A method of manufacturing an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

configuring a first local controller associated with an HVAC component, said HVAC component in communication with at least one other HVAC component via data bus, to:

publish a first message to a data bus, after a delay unique to said first local controller, said delay derived from a device designator of said first local controller;

detect a collision between said first message and a second message published to said data bus;

republish said first message in the event that said first message collides with a second message published to said data bus by a second local controller and a bit error results as a result of said collision; and

configuring said first local controller to determine said delay by multiplying a base delay time by a factor based on a subset of bits of said device designator.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising configuring said first local controller to make a first attempt to republish said first message using a first contiguous subset of bits of said device designator, and to make a subsequent attempt to republish said first message using a different contiguous subset of bits of said device designator.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein said message is a device startup message configured to indicate that said first local controller is ready to operate in the network after a reset condition.

7. A system device of an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a demand unit configured to provide a service; and

a first local controller configured to:

control a level of said service;

publish a first message to a data bus;

detect a collision between said first message and a second message published to said data bus by a second local controller; and

republish, after a delay unique to said first local controller, said first message in the event that said first message collides with a second message published to said data bus by said second local controller and a bit error results as a result of said collision, wherein said delay is derived from a device designator of said first local controller and is determined by multiplying a base delay time by a factor based on a subset of bits of said device designator.

8. The system device as recited in claim 7 , wherein a first attempt to republish said first message uses a first contiguous subset of bits of said device designator, and a subsequent attempt to republish said first message uses a different contiguous subset of bits of said device designator.