Patent ID: 7068066

Claim:
A device having terminating and transmitting states for use with a two-conductor transmission line, said device comprising: a connection port for connecting said device to a connection point of the two-conductor transmission line; a termination circuit couplable to said connection port and constructed for terminating a signal propagated over the two-conductor transmission line when said device is connected to the two-conductor transmission line; and a first driver operative to conduct a signal over the two-conductor transmission line when said device is connected to the two-conductor transmission line, said first driver having an input port selectively couplable to a signal source for coupling the signal source to the two-conductor transmission line, and an output port couplable to said connection port, wherein said device has a first state in which said termination circuit is coupled to said connection port and a second state in which the first driver output port is coupled to said connection port.