METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTING SIGNALS THROUGH A CABLE TELEVISION SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION AMPLIFIER

A removable plug-in board for dividing incoming radio frequency (RF) to an external port and providing alternating current (AC) signals to a CATV system amplifier contains a radio frequency choke or inductor for passing the AC power signal, a high pass filter for passing the radio frequency signal and either a directional coupler or a splitter. This plug-in board is inserted into a motherboard on which is mounted amplification circuitry and power supply and divider circuitry. The plug-in board routes RF signals arriving on an input port of the amplifier motherboard through the directional coupler to the amplification circuitry, while additionally tapping off and feeding the incoming RF signals to a second output port of the amplifier motherboard. AC power signals arriving on the input port are fed through a radio frequency choke coil of the plug-in board to the external amplifier output port, through radio frequency choke coils to the main amplifier output port and to power supply and divider circuitry for providing power for the amplification circuitry. When the plug-in board is removed, RF signals arriving at the input port are fed directly through the amplification circuitry to the main amplifier output port and the AC signals are fed directly to power supply and divider circuitry to power the amplification circuitry and to the main amplifier output port. The external output port provided by the plug-in may also be used for power insertion.