Method, System, and Apparatus of Downhole Time Interlaced Communications

A system of downhole time interlaced communications, comprising:

• a first communications system associated with a cable and a first downhole tool and configured with a first delay value between consecutive downhole commands defining a first command interval for the first communications system, the first command interval being greater than an actual command duration to thereby define periods of communications inactivity to thereby allow communications with minimal interference for a second communications system;
• the second communications system associated with the cable and a second downhole tool and configured with a second delay value between consecutive downhole commands defining a second command interval for the second communications system, the second command interval being slightly greater than the first command interval to thereby overcome any effects of drift;
• and
• at least one interface card configured to perform a resynchronization of the first and second command intervals, including a positive correction to be applied to the first command interval defining a positive command interval shift and a negative correction to be applied to the second command interval defining a negative command interval shift responsive to a detected communications interference so that a duration of the resynchronization is minimized.

An apparatus for downhole time interlaced communications, comprising:

• a downhole configurable communications interface card configured to communicate with surface equipment having the following parameters:
• a reset register configured to enable time interlaced communications,
• a command interval register configured to set the interval between the initiations of consecutive downhole commands to thereby define periods of communications inactivity to thereby allow communications with minimal interference for another communications system,
• a command interval shift register that is configured to apply a command interval shift temporarily when communications interference is detected,
• a shift count register configured to maintain a count of the number of occurrences where communications interference has been detected and the command interval shift has been applied, and
• a downhole communications timeout register configured to set a delay before a communications controller at the surface is put back into reset when no response from the downhole tool is received.