A communication system includes a node configured to collect ambient data with a sensor, and a docking station configured to couple to the node and to establish a communication path with the node through only one signal along one or two wires. The node includes a first module configured to use a first data communication protocol for receiving commands from the docking station along the communication path, and a second module configured to use a second data communication protocol for sending the ambient data to the docking station along the communication path. The first data communication protocol is different from the second data communication protocol, the first data communication protocol is asynchronous and the second data communication protocol is a modified synchronous protocol.