A reprogrammable data communications system for use in a gas or oil well borehole
is disclosed. The borehole includes a casing and a piping structure therein and
at least one downhole equipment module located therein. The system provides for
data and control signals to be coupled to the casing and piping structure by a
surface modem and transmitted to the downhole equipment located in the downhole
equipment modules. The downhole equipment modules include a downhole modem that
is coupled to the casing and piping structure and receives the transmitted data
and command signals and recovers the transmitted data and commands therefrom. A
downhole processor is coupled to the downhole modem and receives the data and commands
from the downhole modem and stores the data and commands in retentive memory that
is coupled to the downhole processor. In this way, the downhole processor can be
reprogrammed with new algorithms and communications parameters. In addition, the
surface modem can include one or more surface processors that are coupled to one
or more retentive memory devices. One or more of the surface processors and the
associated retentive memory device can be coupled to a data source and reprogrammed
with new algorithms and communications parameters from a data source that may be
the internet, a company intranet, or one of the surface processors.
