Control signal apparatus for CATV system

In a cable television system having a central station with a television transmitter and a plurality of remote stations connected thereto via a television transmission cable, said remote stations having television receivers, apparatus for transmitting signals other than television signals between the central station and the remote stations comprising:

• at the central station, generating means for generating a controllably variable set of first pulses followed by a second pulse, said controllably variable set of first pulses including a first variable number of the first pulses and representing the address of a remote station and a second variable number of the first pulses and representing data for said remote station and transmitting means for transmitting said pulses onto the television transmission cable;
• and, at each of said remote stations, receiving means for receiving said pulses, and decoding means, said decoding means including counting means for counting the number of received first pulses and sensing means connected to said counting means and response to the receipt of said second pulse for giving an address indication only when the first number of pulses represents the address of the particulate remote station, and indicating means responsive to the receipt of an address indication from said sensing means for giving data indication representing the second number of said first pulses, wherein said counting means comprises a binary pulse counter for counting the received first pulses and a count decoder for giving a first indication only when a predetermined count is accumulated by said binary pulse counter during the reception of said second pulse.