Patent ID: 7142129

Claim:
A method for synchronization of at least two clocks connected to a downhole network comprising: a continuing processing element comprising a synchronizing clock sending a first request to a downhole processing element comprising at least one downhole clock to set the downhole clock to time t.sub.n; the controlling processing element sending a second request to the downhole processing element to relay a time t.sub.z back to the controlling processing element, time t.sub.z being the time according to the downhole clock at the approximate instant the second request is received; the controlling processing element receiving time t.sub.z from the downhole processing element and recording a time t.sub.x, time t.sub.x being the approximate instant time t.sub.z arrives from the downhole processing element, according to the synchronizing clock; approximately determining a total signal latency between the controlling processing element and the downhole processing element by logical computations using time t.sub.z and time t.sub.z; the controlling processing element sending a request to the downhole processing element to set the downhole clock to a synchronizing time adjusted to compensate for total signal latency.