_______________General Description

The MAX3483, MAX3485, MAX3486, MAX3488,

MAX3490, and MAX3491 are 3.3V, low-power transceivers

for RS-485 and RS-422 communication. Each

part contains one driver and one receiver. The

MAX3483 and MAX3488 feature slew-rate-limited drivers

that minimize EMI and reduce reflections caused

by improperly terminated cables, allowing error-free

data transmission at data rates up to 250kbps. The partially

slew-rate-limited MAX3486 transmits up to

2.5Mbps. The MAX3485, MAX3490, and MAX3491

transmit at up to 10Mbps.

Drivers are short-circuit current limited and are protected

against excessive power dissipation by thermal

shutdown circuitry that places the driver outputs into a

high-impedance state. The receiver input has a fail-safe

feature that guarantees a logic-high output if both

inputs are open circuit.

The MAX3488, MAX3490, and MAX3491 feature fullduplex

communication, while the MAX3483, MAX3485,

and MAX3486 are designed for half-duplex communication.