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 full-duplex communication, while the MAX3483, MAX3485, and MAX3486 are designed for half-duplex communication.