Telephone line feed

The direct current line feed for a telephone subscriber's line is derived from a variable voltage source connected to the line. In one case, the source is series connected in one leg of the line while in the other case it is connected across the line. In the first case there is a constant current source across the line while in the second case the voltage source is a constant current device. In both cases a pair of matching resistors is connected across the line with the center tap grounded to provide a high resistance balanced termination for the line. In both cases a high impedance monitor is connected across the line to monitor the voltage conditions on the line, and this, via a control circuit controls the voltage source and the separate constant current device if provided. This enables line voltage to be adjusted to take account of line length without introducing undesirably large dissipation.