A method for replacing a current operating software with a new operating software in a working network environment during network operations while also preserving a backup for the replaced operating software. The controller supports ATAIDE interface communications at a user-selected default frequency of 33, 66, 100, or 133 Mhz and at frequencies other than the default frequency using a set of programmable override timing registers 121. For example, if one of the players may have experienced a packet bombing that interrupted normal data communication, a counter related to that condition will be incremented for all players in the game session. Also, the present invention enables one to determine andor measure the primary parameters needed to describe a viscoelastic material.