Patent ID: 7408993

Claim:
An extender circuit for handling a communication signal transmitted over a transmission line, comprising: a voltage clamp connected to a receive end of the transmission line, the voltage clamp operable to clamp a reflection signal caused by the communication signal received at the receive end of the transmission line; and a current booster circuit connected to the receive end of the transmission line, the current booster circuit operable to provide a boost current at the receive end of the transmission line when the communication signal exceeds a first reference value and to eliminate the boost current from the receive end of the transmission line when the communication signal exceeds a second reference value, the booster circuit comprising: a boost current circuit connected to the receive end of the transmission line, the boost current circuit operable to provide the boost current during an activated state; and a detector circuit operable to monitor the communication signal on the receive end of the transmission line and to activate the boost current circuit when the communication signal exceeds the first reference value and to deactivate the boost current circuit when the communication signal exceeds the second reference value, the detector circuit comprising: a first comparator configured to receive as input the communication signal and the first reference value and to output a first comparator signal; a second comparator configured to receive as input the communication signal and the second reference value and output a second comparator signal; a latch configured to receive as input the first and second comparator signals and output a latch signal, an inverter configured to receive as input the output of the first comparator and output an inverted first comparator signal; and a NAND gate configured to receive as input the inverted first comparator signal and the latch signal and to output a drive signal to selectively activate and deactivate the boost current circuit.