Surface wave repeater with controllable isolator and methods for use therewith

A method comprising:

• receiving, via a first coupler, a first guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path;
• generating, via the first coupler, a first received signal in response to the first guided electromagnetic wave;
• generating a control signal;
• attenuating, via a controllable isolator, a residual portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave before reaching a second coupler, when the control signal indicates a repeater mode of operation;
• passing, via the controllable isolator, the residual portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave to the second coupler, when the control signal indicates a bypass mode of operation;
• generating a first transmit signal based on the first received signal in the repeater mode of operation;
• converting via the second coupler, in the repeater mode of operation, the first transmit signal to a second guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path;
• and
• passing via the second coupler, in the bypass mode of operation, the residual portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave.

A repeater comprising:

• a first coupler configured to receive a first guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, the first coupler generating a received signal in response to the first guided electromagnetic wave;
• a controllable isolator coupled to the transmission medium between the first coupler and a second coupler, the controllable isolator configured to respond to a control signal by:
• attenuating a residual portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave before reaching the second coupler, when the control signal indicates a repeater mode of operation;
• passing the residual portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave to the second coupler, when the control signal indicates a bypass mode of operation;
• processing circuitry configured to generate the control signal;
• and
• transceiver circuitry configured to generate a transmit signal based on the received signal in the repeater mode of operation;
• wherein, in the repeater mode of operation, the second coupler converts the transmit signal to a second guided electromagnetic wave that propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path;
• and
• wherein, in the bypass mode of operation, the second coupler passes the residual portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave.