Line fault monitoring apparatus

A line fault monitoring apparatus comprising:

• receiving means;
• a signal line elongated from said receiving means and connected to said receiving means in a loop form;
• power supplying means for supplying power to said signal line;
• a plurality of terminals, each of said terminals for monitoring a condition and sending information based on the monitoring;
• and
• a plurality of mid-point line monitor devices which are disposed along said signal line, each particular one of said mid-point line monitor devices including fault indication means for indicating a portion of said signal line, connected to said particular one mid-point line monitor device, as having fault, said fault indication means being located in a corresponding one of said line monitor devices along said signal line, and wherein said plurality of terminals are disposed such that at least one of said terminals is interposed between adjacent ones of said line monitor devices;
• and
• a beginning/end line monitoring means which includes a beginning terminal and an end terminal, each connected to an end of said signal line, and fault indication means for indicating an end of said signal line in which a fault occurs;
• wherein, when said signal line is normal, power is supplied to said signal line through said beginning terminal of said beginning/end line monitoring means to sequentially operate said mid-point line monitor devices along said signal line to the end terminal of said beginning/end line monitoring device, and, when an actual fault occurs at a position in said signal line, the power supplied through the beginning terminal is shut off at a mid-point line monitoring device which is just before the position of said actual fault, the power is supplied through said end terminal, and the power is shut off at a mid-point monitoring device which is just after the position of said actual fault.