Electronic connections in a drill string and related systems and methods

1. An earth-boring tool comprising:

a tool body;

a coupling region configured to couple the earth-boring tool to an adjacent portion of a drill string;

a fluid passage defined within the coupling region;

one or more sensors disposed on the tool body; and

a connector comprising:

a ring disposed in the coupling region concentrically about the fluid passage;

two or more sockets disposed in a surface of the ring and evenly spaced annularly about the ring; and

a key socket disposed in the surface of the ring, the key socket positioned such that a distance between the key socket and an adjacent socket is different from a distance between the evenly spaced two or more sockets;

wherein the connector is electrically connected to the one or more sensors, the connector configured to enable a removable connection from an external device to the one or more sensors, and

a recess formed in the coupling region of the tool body facing the fluid passage, the recess configured to receive a portion of a complementary connector and align the complementary connector with the connector.

2. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises an insulating material.

3. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises one or more connection ports disposed annularly about the ring.

4. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises one or more wire passageways.

5. The earth-boring tool of claim 4 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise electrical wires disposed in the one or more wire passageways.

6. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises an electronic device directly coupled to the connector.

7. The earth-boring tool of claim 6 , wherein the electronic device comprises a storage device.

8. The earth-boring tool of claim 6 , wherein the electronic device comprises a local sensor.

9. The earth-boring tool of claim 1 , further comprising a cavity in the coupling region of the earth-boring tool, wherein the cavity comprises a receptacle having a larger diameter than the fluid passage.

10. The earth-boring tool of claim 9 , wherein the receptacle is configured to receive the connector and the receptacle is substantially isolated from the fluid passage by a receptacle wall.

11. A drill string comprising:

an earth-boring tool comprising:

a tool body;

a coupling region configured to couple the earth-boring tool to an adjacent portion of the drill string;

one or more electronic devices disposed in the drill string; and

a connector comprising a ring disposed in the coupling region of the earth-boring tool electrically coupled to the one or more electronic devices; and

a complementary connector disposed in the adjacent portion of the drill string, wherein the complementary connector is electrically coupled to a data processing device; and

the complementary connector including an annular protrusion having a diameter less than the ring of the connector configured to align the complementary connector concentrically with the connector;

wherein the connector and the complementary connector are configured to electrically couple the one or more electronic devices to the data processing device.

12. The drill string of claim 11 ; wherein at least one of the connector and the complementary connector comprise a male connection and the other of the connector and the complementary connector comprises a female connection.

13. The drill string of claim 11 ; wherein the connector comprises a keyed feature.

14. The drill string of claim 13 ; wherein the connector comprises a plurality of terminals positioned at substantially equal intervals.

15. The drill string of claim 14 ; wherein the keyed feature comprises an omitted terminal.

16. The drill string of claim 14 ; wherein the keyed feature comprises one or more terminals positioned at a different distance to an adjacent terminal than the substantially equal intervals between the plurality of terminals.

17. The drill string of claim 11 ; wherein the connector is configured to form a seal between the connector and the coupling region of the earth-boring tool.

18. A method of building an earth-boring tool comprising:

selecting an earth-boring tool blank;

securing one or more electrical devices to the earth-boring tool blank;

extending electrical connections from the electrical devices through the earth-boring tool blank into a central region of the earth-boring tool blank;

electrically coupling the electrical connections semi-permanently to two or more sockets and a key socket on an annular connector, the two or more sockets disposed in a surface of the annular connector and evenly spaced annularly about the connector; and the key socket disposed in the surface of the connector, the key socket positioned such that a distance between the key socket and an adjacent socket is different from a distance between the evenly spaced two or more sockets; and

disposing the annular connector around a recess formed in a coupling region of the earth-boring tool blank facing a fluid passage through the earth-boring tool, wherein the annular connector is configured to enable a removable connection between the electrical devices and another earth-boring tool component, the recess in the coupling region configured to receive a portion of a complementary connector of the another earth-boring tool component.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising machining one or more passageways through the earth-boring tool, wherein the one or more passageways are configured to enable the electrical connections to pass through the earth-boring tool blank into the central region of the earth-boring tool blank.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein coupling the electrical connection semi-permanently to the annular connector comprises one or more of soldering, brazing, attaching through a punch-down connection, attaching through a screw terminal, attaching through a binding post; attaching through a lug, and attaching through a compression connection.