Coaxial cable tap coupler for a data transceiver

A coaxial cable coupler for maintaining a continuous low impedance path for a main coaxial transmission cable and for providing a removable tap connection to said cable comprising:

• a housing for electrically shielding a portion of said main coaxial transmission cable and said tap connection;
• first and second coaxial connectors on said housing for electrically connecting said housing to a shield conductor of said main coaxial transmission cable and for electrically insulating said housing with respect to a signal carrying center conductor of said main coaxial transmission cable;
• means within said housing for providing a low impedance path between the signal carrying center conductor of said first and second coaxial connectors and including a substrate with a first exposed strip conductor electrically connected to said connectors;
• means providing an exposed tap strip conductor for mounting within said housing in an opposing position with respect to said first strip conductor;
• resilient electrically conducting means mounted between said first strip conductor and said tap strip conductor and being compressed therebetween to provide said tap connection when said tap strip conductor providing means is mounted in said housing;
• and
• said tap strip conductor providing means further includes circuit means for maintaining a high impedance receiving network and a switchable high impedance transmitting network connected to said tap strip conductor.