Patent ID: 7054372

Claim:
A transmission line tap circuit, comprising: at least two input terminals configured for coupling to a transmission line; impedance load circuitry configured to provide an impedance load to the transmission line for tapping the transmission line and receiving a transmission signal propagating there through, wherein the impedance load circuitry comprises circuitry configured to provide a dissipation load for the received transmission signal; amplifying circuitry configured to amplify the received transmission signal and directly connected to the impedance load circuitry, wherein the impedance load circuitry configured to provide the dissipation load provides at least two varying voltages to at least two input terminals of the amplifying circuitry; impedance matching circuitry configured to provide an impedance match to an impedance load of at least one Line Interface Unit (LIU) and directly connected to a plurality of outputs of the amplifying circuitry; and at least two output terminals configured for coupling said transmission signal to the at least one LIU and directly connected to the impedance matching circuitry.