High-speed downhole sensor and telemetry network

A downhole signal transmission system for communicating along a string of downhole components comprising a plurality of interconnected downhole components, comprising:

• one or more communications lines that carry radiofrequency signals along the string of downhole components;
• at least one communications master selected from the group:
• a surface interface, a down-hole interface, and a node;
• and
• a plurality of failsafe signal repeaters spaced along said string of downhole components, said signal repeaters being receptive to radiofrequency signals,
• wherein said at least one communications master communicates over said communication line(s) by modulating data onto pulses of radiofrequency energy, and
• wherein said pulses of radiofrequency energy bypass a failsafe signal repeater or pass through the failsafe signal repeater when said failsafe signal repeater fails.

A method for communicating data along a string of downhole components comprising a plurality of interconnected downhole components including at least one communications master selected from the group:

• a surface interface, a downhole interface, and a node, and a plurality of low-power signal repeaters spaced along said string of downhole components, comprising the steps of:
• said communications master modulating data onto pulses of radiofrequency energy for transmission through one or more communications lines connecting the string of downhole components;
• at least one of said signal repeaters being receptive to said pulses of radiofrequency energy and regenerating said pulses of radiofrequency energy without decoding all of said data modulated onto said pulses;
• and
• said pulses of radiofrequency energy bypassing a signal repeater or passing through said signal repeater when said signal repeater fails.