Patent ID: 6166836
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A branching unit for an optical fibre cable system of the type which has an electrical power conductor for feeding current to electrical equipment provided along a main cable trunk, the unit having first and second connections (12, 14) for coupling two sections (16, 18) of trunk cable and a third connection (24) for an optical fibre spur cable (26), switching means (RL2) which is responsive to a control voltage provided on the conductor of the spur cable (26) to apply an earth (36) to the conductor of the trunk cable section (16), thereby to maintain a current path from trunk section (16) to the branching unit when a failure or break occurs in the other trunk section, characterised in that the switching means (RL2) is responsive to the control voltage only when there is a current path failure in one section of the trunk.