Wireless communication for downhole tool strings

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireline interface sub comprising:

a wireline-interface-sub housing mechanically coupleable to a wireline, and

a wireline-interface module electrically coupleable to the wireline;

a first tandem sub comprising:

a first-tandem-sub housing mechanically coupled to the wireline-interface-sub housing,

a first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver wirelessly coupled to the wireline-interface module, and

a first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver electrically coupled to the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver; and

a first gun sub comprising:

a first-gun-sub housing mechanically coupled to the first-tandem-sub housing,

a first-gun-sub transceiver wirelessly coupled to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver, and

a first-gun-sub detonator coupled to, and triggerable by, the first-gun-sub transceiver, and

a first first-tandem-sub downside antenna physically coupled to the first-tandem-sub downside transceiver and physically extending into the first-gun-sub housing;

a second gun sub comprising a second-gun-sub housing, the second gun sub mechanically coupleable to the first-tandem-sub housing to replace the first gun sub after detonation of the first-gun-sub detonator; and

a second first-tandem-sub downside antenna coupleable to the first tandem-sub-downside transceiver and extendable into the second-gun-sub housing, the second first-tandem-sub downside antenna to replace the first first-tandem-sub downside antenna after detonation of the first-gun-sub detonator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first gun sub further comprises:

a first-gun-sub antenna electrically coupled to the first-gun-sub transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claims 1 wherein the wireline interface sub further comprises:

a wireline-interface-module antenna electrically coupled to the wireline-interface module.

4. The apparatus of claims 1 further comprising:

a second tandem sub comprising:

a second-tandem-sub-housing mechanically coupled to the first-gun-sub housing, and

a second-tandem-sub-upside transceiver wirelessly coupled to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver; and

a second-tandem-sub-downside transceiver electrically coupled to the second-tandem-sub-upside transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a second gun sub comprising:

a second-gun-sub housing mechanically coupled to the second-tandem-sub housing,

a second-gun-sub transceiver wirelessly coupled to the second-tandem-sub-downside transceiver, and

a second-gun-sub detonator coupled to, and triggerable by, the second-gun-sub transceiver.

6. The apparatus of claims 1 wherein the first-gun-sub transceiver comprises:

a first-gun-sub processor commandable to trigger the first-gun-sub detonator upon receipt of a first-gun-sub-addressed message from the wireline-interface module through the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver, the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver, and the first-gun-sub transceiver.

7. The apparatus of claims 1 where the first-gun-sub wireline transceiver comprises:

a first-gun-sub processor commandable to trigger the first-gun-sub detonator upon receipt within a predetermined period of time of a predetermined plurality of first-gun-sub-addressed messages ordering the first gun sub to fire.

8. A method comprising:

mechanically coupling:

a first-tandem-sub housing of a first tandem sub to a wireline-interface-sub housing of a wireline interface sub, and

a first-gun-sub housing of a first gun sub to the first-tandem-sub housing; electrically coupling:

a first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver in the first tandem sub to a first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver within the first tandem sub, and

a first-gun-sub detonator in the first gun sub to a first-gun-sub transceiver in the first gun sub; and

wirelessly coupling:

the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver to a wireline-interface module in the wireline interface sub, and

a first-gun-sub transceiver in a first gun sub to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

mechanically coupling a first tandem-sub-downside antenna to the first-tandem-sub housing such that the first tandem-sub-downside antenna physically extends into the first gun sub;

electrically coupling the first tandem-sub-downside antenna to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

providing a second gun sub mechanically coupleable to the first-tandem-sub housing after detonation of the first-gun-sub detonator; and

providing a second tandem-sub-downside antenna coupleable to the first-tandem-sub housing and extendable into the second gun sub, the second first-tandem-sub downside antenna to replace the first first-tandem-sub downside antenna after detonation of the first-gun-sub detonator.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

mechanically coupling the wireline interface sub to a wireline; and

electrically coupling the wireline-interface module in the wireline interface sub to the wireline.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

electrically coupling the wireline to a firing panel; and

lowering the wireline interface sub, the first tandem sub, the first gun sub, and the second tandem sub into a borehole.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the firing panel transmitting a firing-panel-issued command to the wireline-interface module through the wireline;

a wireline-interface-module processor within the wireline-interface module processing the firing-panel-issued command and wirelessly transmitting a not-first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

the first tandem-sub-upside transceiver receiving the not-first-gun-sub-addressed command and electrically communicating the command to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver wirelessly transmitting the not-first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-gun-sub transceiver;

a first-gun-sub processor within the first gun sub receiving the not-first-gun-sub-addressed command from the first-gun-sub transceiver; and

the first-gun-sub processor determining that the not-first-gun-sub-addressed command is not addressed to the first gun sub, and, as a result, not taking any action.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the firing panel transmitting a firing-panel-issued command to the wireline-interface module through the wireline;

a wireline-interface-module processor within the wireline-interface module processing the firing-panel-issued command and wirelessly transmitting a first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

the first tandem-sub-upside transceiver receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command and electrically communicating the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver wirelessly transmitting the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-gun-sub transceiver and the second-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

a first-gun-sub processor within the first gun sub receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command from the first-gun-sub transceiver; and

the first-gun-sub processor determining that the first-gun-sub-addressed command is addressed to the first gun sub, and, as a result, sending a signal to the first-gun-sub detonator to cause it to detonate.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the firing panel transmitting a firing-panel-issued command to the wireline-interface module through the wireline;

a wireline-interface-module processor within the wireline-interface module processing the firing-panel-issued command and wirelessly transmitting a first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

the first tandem-sub-upside transceiver receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command and electrically communicating the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver wirelessly transmitting the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-gun-sub transceiver and the second-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

a first-gun-sub processor within the first gun sub receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command from the first-gun-sub transceiver; and

the first-gun-sub processor determining that the first-gun-sub-addressed command is addressed to the first gun sub, and, as a result:

incrementing a detonation counter,

determining that the value of the detonation counter equal to or greater than a detonation threshold, and, as a result,

sending a signal to the first-gun-sub detonator to cause it to detonate.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the firing panel transmitting a firing-panel-issued command to the wireline-interface module through the wireline;

a wireline-interface-module processor within the wireline-interface module processing the firing-panel-issued command and wirelessly transmitting a first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

the first tandem-sub-upside transceiver receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command and electrically communicating the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver wirelessly transmitting the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-gun-sub transceiver and the second-tandem-sub-upside transceiver; and

a first-gun-sub processor within the first gun sub receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command from the first-gun-sub transceiver; and

the first-gun-sub processor determining that the first-gun-sub-addressed command is addressed to the first gun sub and was received within a trigger time period of a previously-received-first-gun-sub-addressed command that was addressed to the first gun sub, and, as a result:

detonating a detonator.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the firing panel transmitting a firing-panel-issued command to the wireline-interface module through the wireline;

a wireline-interface-module processor within the wireline-interface module processing the firing-panel-issued command and wirelessly transmitting a first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

the first tandem-sub-upside transceiver receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command and electrically communicating the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver;

the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver wirelessly transmitting the first-gun-sub-addressed command to the first-gun-sub transceiver and the second-tandem-sub-upside transceiver;

a first-gun-sub processor within the first gun sub receiving the first-gun-sub-addressed command from the first-gun-sub transceiver, determining that the first-gun-sub-addressed command is addressed to the first gun sub, and, as a result:

transmitting an acknowledgement request to the firing panel through the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver, the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver, and the wireline-interface module; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the firing panel through the wireline-interface module, the first-tandem-sub-upside transceiver, and the first-tandem-sub-downside transceiver, and, as a result, detonating a detonator.

16. A method comprising:

mechanically coupling:

a first tandem-sub-downside antenna to an upper tandem sub at an upper-tandem-sub-downside-antenna connection, and

a first-gun-sub housing of a first gun sub to an upper-tandem-sub housing of the upper tandem sub such that the first upper-tandem-sub-downside antenna extends into the first-gun-sub housing; and

detonating a first-gun-sub detonator thereby destroying the first upper-sub-downside antenna;

decoupling the first-gun-sub housing from the upper-tandem-sub housing and removing any remains of the first upper-tandem-sub-downside antenna; and

mechanically coupling:

a second upper-tandem-sub-downside antenna to the upper tandem sub at the upper-tandem-sub-downside-antenna connection, and

a second-gun-sub housing of a second gun sub to the upper-tandem-sub housing of the upper tandem sub such that the second upper-tandem-sub-downside antenna extends into the second-gun-sub housing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

mechanically coupling the first tandem-sub-downside antenna and the second tandem-sub-downside antenna to the tandem sub at the tandem-sub-downside-antenna connection comprises using a connector selected from the group consisting of screw connector and a bayonet connector.

18. The method of claims 16 further comprising:

mechanically coupling:

a first tandem-sub-upside antenna to a lower tandem sub at a lower-tandem-sub-upside-antenna connection,

the first-gun-sub housing of the first gun sub to a lower-tandem-sub housing of the lower tandem sub such that the first lower-tandem-sub-upside antenna extends into the first-gun-sub housing;

wherein detonating the first-gun-sub detonator destroys the first tandem-sub-upside antenna;

decoupling the first-gun-sub housing from the lower-tandem-sub housing and removing any remains of the first lower-tandem-sub-upside antenna; and

mechanically coupling:

a second tandem-sub-upside antenna to the lower tandem sub at the lower-tandem-sub-upside-antenna connection, and

a third-gun-sub housing of a third gun sub to the lower-tandem-sub housing of the lower tandem sub such that the second tandem-sub-upside antenna extends into the third-gun-sub housing.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the second gun sub is the third gun sub; and

the second-gun-sub housing is the third-gun-sub housing.