Abstract: A programmable system controller is disclosed which is particularly suited for monitoring a correctly responding to user commands initiated by telephone and switch activations. The switch activations may be generated by switches of the two or three wire maintained type or momentary switches. The switch inputs are routed to a switch conditioning circuit that compensate for such problems as switch bouncing or noise levels associated with the switches. The telephone commands, in the form of an electrical signals, are routed directly to the programmable device of the system controller. The programmable system controller comprises the programmable device which responds to the switch conditioning circuit to determine the particular type of switch generating the switch command and the validity of the switch command. The programmable device in response of the valid commands and telephone commands provides a digital quantity to a sequencer, which, in turn, activates output devices such as one or more banks of relays.