Self-Defining Firmware Configuration for Downhole Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for configuring down hole tools in oil and gas exploration require modifying both the firmware and surface software, leading to compatibility issues and increased costs, especially when new features or parameters are added, as they necessitate synchronized updates and complex management of software versions.
Innovation Solution
The system allows for the re-configuration of firmware in down hole tools without altering the surface software by using a binary configuration file and a parsing instructions file, stored in a self-defining data format, enabling changes to be made directly within the tool's housing, with a surface computer revising the configuration information according to set rules, and displaying parameters through a graphical user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If firmware and surface software are modified together to add new configuration parameters, then new features can be implemented, but software version synchronization becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the software system into independent components: firmware in the down hole tool and surface software, with configuration parameters stored in a separate file. This segmentation allows each component to be updated independently without requiring synchronized changes across the entire system, resolving the version synchronization complexity while maintaining configuration flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Configuration parameters are extracted from the firmware and stored in a separate configuration file on the surface system. This extraction allows the firmware to remain stable while configuration parameters can be independently modified, added, or removed without requiring firmware re-compilation or surface software updates, thus eliminating version synchronization issues.
2Adaptability or versatility
If firmware is modified to support new configuration parameters, then tool functionality is enhanced, but development and testing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a configuration file system where new parameters can be defined in advance in the configuration file without requiring immediate firmware modification. The firmware is designed to read and process parameters from this external configuration file, allowing new features to be prepared and tested independently before deployment, reducing development and testing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying firmware for each new parameter, the system uses configuration files that can be copied, modified, and distributed independently. This allows rapid prototyping and testing of new parameters by simply copying and editing configuration files rather than undergoing complex firmware development and testing cycles.
3Reliability
If surface software is updated to match new firmware versions, then system compatibility is maintained, but release cycles are delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a configuration file as an intermediary between firmware and surface software. This intermediary layer handles parameter definitions and validations, allowing firmware and surface software to evolve independently while maintaining compatibility through the shared configuration file interface, thus accelerating release cycles without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic configuration where parameters are not hard-coded but loaded from external configuration files at runtime. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different firmware versions and surface software releases without requiring synchronized updates, maintaining compatibility while enabling independent release cycles.
Data Source
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AI summary
In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to retrieve a parsing instructions file and a binary configuration file stored in a housing, parse the binary configuration file according to the parsing instructions file to determine configuration information, display at least some of the configuration information as part of a graphical user interface, receive a selection of some of the configuration information and corresponding changed parameter values of the configuration information, transform the binary configuration file into a transformed version of the binary configuration file, and transmit the transformed version of the binary configuration file to the housing as a replacement for the binary configuration file. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are described.